Global Sourcing - Critically analyse Globshops management of Essay

Global Sourcing - Critically analyse Globshops management of outsourcing and the future challenges. Will they be successful Why or why not - Essay Example The rise and growth of global outsourcing are supported by cost benefits analysis since most Multinationals and business empires work on cutting and reducing the production costs. It is to realize and maximizes huge turnover at the end of every financial year. In addition, the technological and industrial improvement that are noticed as time advances improves and stir the need to pool resources with other related companies and businesses to offer adequate and competitive skills. Likewise, the human resources allied with corporate strategies and level of quality improves the value anticipated. The strategy executed by management establishes the efficacy of its resolutions such that setting up the entire plan inclusive of adequate capitalization, funding and monitoring the firm’s probabilities for prosperity in the new environment (Contractor et. al.2010, pg.1428). To ensure a cost reduction, relations must be created, developed and upheld first, since a competitive business aff iliations is the basis of achievement for any enterprise client, customer and the associates (Ã…gerfalk et. al. 2008, pg.7).Therefore,  cost promotes the need for outsourcing while affiliation development provides a conducive and enabling environment for achieving cost reduction and other related benefits such as profit maximization. India is recognized as the main outsourcing target in Asia. India has advantages over other nations. It is because its incentives are more attractive to cost- efficacy business strategy with competitive telecommunications industrial sector enhanced by manpower and skills. Additionally, it has technological and industrial resources that are accessible to the nations and other surrounding Asian nations such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, and several others. GlobShop is a Multinational Billion Dollar empire that utilizes India companies and businesses concentrating on Information technology to expand its

Creation †Scientific View Vs. Biblical View Essay Example for Free

Creation – Scientific View Vs. Biblical View Essay The advancement of science has raised questions over the biblical view of creation. A lot of scientists are now questioning the authenticity of the long-held beliefs about creation. According to Mark 10:6, ‘Jesus said: But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female†. ’ Also, John 1:1-3 says, â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God†. If the dates are added up as per the bible, Adam was created 6000 years ago. Therefore, the earth was created approximately 6000 years ago. Evolutionists, on the other hand, believe that the whole Universe and life itself arose by chance between 3 and 15 billion years ago. They came up with a theory called Big Bang Theory. The Big Bang Theory is the dominant scientific theory about the origin of the universe. According to the big bang, the universe was created sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from a cosmic explosion that hurled matter and in all directions. Extrapolated into the past, these observations show that the universe has expanded from a state in which all the matter and energy in the universe was at an immense temperature and density. Physicists do not widely agree on what happened before this, although general relativity predicts a gravitational singularity. The term Big Bang is used both in a narrow sense to refer to a point in time when the observed expansion of the universe (Hubbles law) began — calculated to be 13. 7 billion (1. 37 ? 1010) years ago ( ± 2%) — and in a more general sense to refer to the prevailing cosmological paradigm explaining the origin and expansion of the universe, as well as the composition of primordial matter through nucleosynthesis as predicted by the Alpher-Bethe-Gamow theory. From this model, George Gamow was able to predict in 1948 the existence of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). The CMB was discovered in 1964 and corroborated the Big Bang theory, giving it more credence. In 1927, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre was the first to propose that the universe began with the explosion of a primeval atom. His proposal came after observing the red shift in distant nebulas by astronomers to a model of the universe based on relativity. Years later, Edwin Hubble found experimental evidence to help justify Lemaitres theory. He found that distant galaxies in every direction are going away from us with speeds proportional to their distance. The big bang was initially suggested because it explains why distant galaxies are traveling away from us at great speeds. The theory also predicts the existence of cosmic background radiation (the glow left over from the explosion itself). The Big Bang Theory received its strongest confirmation when this radiation was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who later won the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Creation theory according to Genesis 1:1 states, â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. † Evolutionists believe that the entire solar system was formed from clouds of gas and dust. If so, the Sun, planets and moon should be made of gas and dust. It has been proved scientifically that the sun is 98% hydrogen or helium. If we believe this theory, then the planets should orbit the sun and the moon should orbit the planets. This is true. Theory of Darwin further accentuated the evolutionists’ theory. Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist who proposed and provided evidence for the scientific theory that all species have evolved over time from one or a few common ancestors through the process of natural selection. This theory was fully accepted by the scientific community in the 1930s, forming much of the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwins theory remains a cornerstone of biology, providing a unifying explanation for the diversity of life. Natural selection is the evolutionary process by which favorable traits that are heritable become more common in successive generations of a population of reproducing organisms, and unfavorable traits that are heritable become less common. Natural selection acts on the phenotype, or the observable characteristics of an organism, such that individuals with favorable phenotypes are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less favorable phenotypes. If these phenotypes have a genetic basis, then the genotype associated with the favorable phenotype will increase in frequency in the next generation. Over time, this process can result in adaptations that specialize organisms for particular ecological niches and may eventually result in the emergence of new species. Ironically, many of the scientists in question did some early work on the mechanisms of evolution. Though biological evolution of some sort had become the primary mode of discussing speciation within science by the late-19th century, it was not until the mid-20th century that evolutionary theories stabilized into the modern synthesis. Some of the historical scientists marshaled by creationists were dealing with quite different issues than any are engaged with today: Louis Pasteur, for example, opposed the theory of spontaneous generation with biogenesis, an advocacy some creationists describe as a critique on chemical evolution and abiogenesis. Pasteur accepted that some form of evolution had occurred and that the Earth was millions of years old. The contribution of famous scientists like Mendel and Avery laid the foundation for genetics. Gregor Mendel’s research revealed that distinct traits were inherited in a well-defined and predictable manner. In the 1940s, the identification of DNA as the genetic material by Oswald Avery and colleagues, and the articulation of the double-helical structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, provided a physical basis for the notion that genes were encoded in DNA. Since then, the role of genetics in evolutionary biology has become increasingly central. Many fields of science have provided a wide range of evidence for evolution. The most prominent of these are fossil records, which can show the many life forms that have existed. The fossil itself reveals the organisms structure, and the age of the fossil reveals when its species existed. In addition, studies involving anatomical and genetic comparisons between present day species serve as evidence for evolution. Paleontology, the study of fossils, supports Darwins original idea that all living creatures are related. Fossils also provide evidence that accumulated changes over long periods have led to the diverse forms of life we see today. Strong evidence for evolution comes from analysis of homologous structures that no longer perform the same task. One example involves the comparison of the forelimbs of mammals. The forelimbs of a human, cat, whale, and bat all have strikingly similar bone structure. However each of these four animals forelimbs performs a different task. Such a design makes little sense if they are unrelated and uniquely constructed for their particular tasks. The scientific explanation for such homologous structures is that all four animals shared a common ancestor, and that each has undergone mutations over the course of a large number of generations. These changes have resulted in slight modifications in the structure, so that each species has a forelimb adapted for a different task. This is what Darwin described as descent with modification. The main points of difference between the two theories are: †¢ If Creation is true – there is a Creator, and there are rules given by God. If Evolution is true – there is no Creator, and there are no rules. In fact, we make them up as we go along, according to the majority vote. †¢ If Creation is true – there is a purpose to life. If Evolution is true – there is no Creator, and no purpose to life. We are evolving creatures. †¢ If Creation is true – we are a fallen race, and we need a Savior. If Evolution is true – there is no sin, and we do not need a Savior. The scientific view of creation is more plausible than the biblical view. There are a lot of discoveries and inventions that have made the understanding of our earth, evolution of life and universe possible. However, scientists have a long road ahead of them to convince people. References: 1) Wikipedia 2) Dr. Kent Horvind, Creation Science Evangelism.

Leadership in Todays Business World Essay -- Management Leader

Part 1) Introduction: In today's more rapidly changing world, leadership prevails everywhere. It is playing a more important role not only in our personal life but also in our professional life, because leadership has a great impact and influence on people. So, utilizing leadership adequately can bring us a piece of attractive picture. To use humanizing actions is a critical leadership skill, which will be discussed in the following paragraphs, to motivate and inspire energy of team members to achieve the set goal. I would like to use Contingency Theory and Integrative Theory and Path Goal Model and Follower-ship to demonstrate that this critical skill has an impact on leadership effectiveness. Body: Leadership is the ability to inspire confidence, support and trust among the people who need to achieve organizational goals. (Chan & Maubourgne 1992) It invariably requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people in order to create new approaches and imagine new areas to explore. This definition has emphasized on influencing people to achieve set goals. In other words, we can say, the objective of leadership is achieving goals, meanwhile, the application is influencing other people to motivate the energy and stimulate the potential towards the goals. The contemporary era is the time with constant changes and new demands. In view of this point, we can't put unitary leadership into real work. Accordingly, the term of "contingency leadership theory" (also namely "situational leadership") is given rise to by those situational factors. This theory notes that managers can vary their styles to suit different circumstances. For instance, a sole proprietorship's leader leads self's business and t... ...g goal greatly. Reference Chan, K. W. & Maubourgne, R. A. 1992, Parables of leadership, Harvard Business Review, July-August. Deal and Jenkins.1994 Book about managing Workers Operating Behind The Scenes (p xiii).(p257) Dubrin, A & Daglish, C.2003, Leadership: An Australian Focus, John Wiley, Brisbane. House, R.J, 1971, A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness, Administrative Science Quarterly, 16 Howell, J. P., Bowen, D. E., Dorfman, P. W., Kerr S. & Podaskoff, P. 1990, `Substitutes for leadership: Effective alternatives to ineffective leadership', Organizational Dynamics, summer, (p 23) Miller, P. 2004, Leadership Study Guide, Southern Cross University, Lismore Pfeffer, J. 1997, `The Ambiguity of Leadership', Academy of Management Review, (p104-12) Roger Cartwright. 2002 Mastering Team Leadership Palgrave Macmillan, New York (p123)

External Analysis of Computer Industry Essay

* Threat of new entrants: The threats from new entrants to the personal computer industry is weak to moderate due to the presence of dominant players reduces the entry of new players to immediately enter the market and establish their own brand. In such a competitive market, these companies have invested heavily on their research and development, customer service, and marketing departments which increased the competition between companies who are competing to build superior products. Due to increased standardization in operating system and microprocessors, it is easy for any new entrants to manufacture white-box personal computers. However, this would be low since the companies have created strong branding awareness. Some more reasons of why threats of new entrants are less are:- * Access to distribution channels: Being distribution channel most important in the PC industry, it is prerequisite to have a strong distribution network which is difficult to built for the new entrants specially in initial stages of competitive market. Weak distribution networks mean goods are more expensive to move around and difficult to reach end customers. The expense of building a strong distribution network positively affects Computer Industry. * Capital requirement: There is a high capital requirement in computer industry which means a company must spend a lot of money in order to compete in the market which is a big issue for new entrants to enter in this industry. * Product differentiation: It is difficult to make your product different from existing products offer in the market as it needs huge investments and R&D to get core competency in your product in the well settled industry with n number of large players with maximum market shares. * Switching cost: New entrants have to face high switching costs in this industry .High switching costs make it difficult for customers to switch from products they normally purchase, due to high costs. * Customers are loyal to existing brands: It takes time and money to build a brand. Existing brands have their brand image in the market and are able to make their loyal customers which makes difficult for new entrants to shift those customers towards them. * Patents limit new competition: Patents that cover vital technologies make it difficult for new competitors, because the best methods are already patented  and that is why they have spend a lot of time and money in inventing new technology to compete with existing technologies. * Bargaining power of Buyers * Dependency on distributors: Buyers in this industry has low dependency on distributors which makes them at powerful position and distributors have less bargaining power. * Limited buyer choice: In computer industry, customers have limited choices hence they end up paying more for the choices that are available which positively effects this industry. Limited Buyer Choice has a significant impact, so they shpuld put more weight to this for increasing their profits. * Product is important to customer: In this era, customers are tech savvy and ready to pay for best technologies. So, computer industry has an edge to charge more from customers by providing best products. * Large number of customers exists in this industry which makes it difficult for them to bargain more as no single customer have the bargaining leverage. * Bargaining power of suppliers * Competition from suppliers: High levels of competition among suppliers acts to reduce prices by producers which effects positively in the computer industry. * Concentration from suppliers: low concentration of suppliers means there are many suppliers with limited bargaining power and computer industry with high bargaining power. * Production inputs: In this industry, when critical production inputs are similar, it is easier to mix and match inputs which reduces supplier bargaining power and positively affects this industry to gain profits. * Inputs have less impact on costs: when inputs have less impact on costs, suppliers of the inputs have less bargaining power. * Volumes are critical to suppliers: In cases when volumes are critical to supplier, producer can threaten to cut the volumes to cut their profits which give producers more bargaining power. * Threat of substitutes: * Limited number of substitutes: A limited number of substitutes mean that customers cannot easily find other products or services that fulfill their  needs which is a good sign for Computer Industry. * Inferior substitute products: Inferior products means customers are less likely to switch from computer industry which helps in retaining their existing customers by providing best products. * Substitutes :PDA(Personal Digital assistant) Palmtops, handheld PC which is smaller than standard laptops. Smart phones, It is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing standardized interface and platform for application developers. So above substitutes can prove to be a threat to computer industry. * Rivalry from existing firms: The competition in personal computer industry is very intense and fierce. The five main manufacturers namely IBM, Dell, Apple, HP and Compaq are in competition to produce the least expensive and most efficient machine. Apple focuses more on innovation while Dell focuses on distribution channel and services, which create differentiation to some extent. Price competition has become severe in the industry as PC has become a more commodity-like product which drives the industry to embrace any cost-cutting measures in an effort to increase their decreasing profit margin. Quality of a personal computer is largely determined by the microprocessor and application system installed, the profitability and prosperity of the industry is dependent of the profitability and prosperity of these suppliers.

National academy of sciences Essay

I HAVE spared you, even as I spared myself, an arithmetical consummation of my inquiry, but the data here cited instruct us that the cost of the drug war is many times more painful, in all its manifestations, than would be the licensing of drugs combined with intensive education of non-users and intensive education designed to warn those who experiment with drugs. We have seen a substantial reduction in the use of tobacco over the last thirty years, and this is not because tobacco became illegal but because a sentient community began, in substantial numbers, to apprehend the high cost of tobacco to human health, even as, we can assume, a growing number of Americans desist from practicing unsafe sex and using polluted needles in this age of AIDS. If 80 million Americans can experiment with drugs and resist addiction using information publicly available, we can reasonably hope that approximately the same number would resist the temptation to purchase such drugs even if they were available at a federal drugstore at the mere cost of production. And added to the above is the point of civil justice. Those who suffer from the abuse of drugs have themselves to blame for it. This does not mean that society is absolved from active concern for their plight. It does mean that their plight is subordinate to the plight of those citizens who do not experiment with drugs but whose life, liberty, and property are substantially affected by the illegalization of the drugs sought after by the minority. I have not spoken of the cost to our society of the astonishing legal weapons available now to policemen and prosecutors; of the penalty of forfeiture of one’s home and property for violation of laws which, though designed to advance the war against drugs, could legally be used — I am told by learned counsel — as penalties for the neglect of one’s pets. I leave it at this, that it is outrageous to live in a society whose laws tolerate sending young people to life in prison because they grew, or distributed, a dozen ounces of marijuana. I would hope that the good offices of your vital profession would mobilize at least to protest such excesses of wartime zeal, the legal equivalent of a My Lai massacre. And perhaps proceed to recommend the legalization of the sale of most drugs, except to minors. 2. Ethan A. Nadelmann We turned to Mr.Nadelmann to pursue the inquiry. Formerly in the Political Science Department at Princeton, he is now the director of the Lindesmith Center, a drug-policy research institute in New York City. He is the author of Cops across Borders: The Internationalization of U. S. Criminal Law Enforcement. THE essayists assembled here do not agree exactly on which aspect of the war on drugs is most disgraceful, or on which alternative to our current policies is most desirable, but we do agree, as Mr.Buckley expected, on the following. The â€Å"war on drugs† has failed to accomplish its stated objectives, and it cannot succeed so long as we remain a free society, bound by our Constitution. Our prohibitionist approach to drug control is responsible for most of the ills commonly associated with America’s â€Å"drug problem. † And some measure of legal availability and regulation is essential if we are to reduce significantly the negative consequences of both drug use and our drug-control policies. Proponents of the war on drugs focus on one apparent success: The substantial decline during the 1980s in the number of Americans who consumed marijuana and cocaine. Yet that decline began well before the Federal Government intensified its â€Å"war on drugs† in 1986, and it succeeded principally in reducing illicit drug use among middle-class Americans, who were least likely to develop drug-related problems. Far more significant were the dramatic increases in drug- and prohibition-related disease, death, and crime. Crack cocaine — as much a creature of prohibition as 180-proof moonshine during alcohol prohibition — became the drug of choice in most inner cities. AIDS spread rapidly among injecting drug addicts, their lovers, and their children, while government policies restricted the availability of clean syringes that might have stemmed the epidemic. And prohibition-related violence reached unprecedented levels as a new generation of Al Capones competed for turf, killing not just one another but innocent bystanders, witnesses, and law-enforcement officials. There are several basic truths about drugs and drug policy which a growing number of Americans have come to acknowledge. 1. Most people can use most drugs without doing much harm to themselves or anyone else, as Mr. Buckley reminds us, citing Professor Duke. Only a tiny percentage of the 70 million Americans who have tried marijuana have gone on to have problems with that or any other drug. The same is true of the tens of millions of Americans who have used cocaine or hallucinogens. Most of those who did have a problem at one time or another don’t any more. That a few million Americans have serious problems with illicit drugs today is an issue meriting responsible national attention, but it is no reason to demonize those drugs and the people who use them. We’re unlikely to evolve toward a more effective and humane drug policy unless we begin to change the ways we think about drugs and drug control. Perspective can be had from what is truly the most pervasive drug scandal in the United States: the epidemic of undertreatment of pain. â€Å"Addiction† to (i. e. , dependence on) opiates among the terminally ill is the appropriate course of medical treatment. The only reason for the failure to prescribe adequate doses of pain-relieving opiates is the â€Å"opiaphobia† that causes doctors to ignore the medical evidence, nurses to turn away from their patients’ cries of pain, and some patients themselves to elect to suffer debilitating and demoralizing pain rather than submit to a proper dose of drugs. The tendency to put anti-drug ideology ahead of compassionate treatment of pain is apparent in another area. Thousands of Americans now smoke marijuana for purely medical reasons: among others, to ease the nausea of chemotherapy; to reduce the pain of multiple sclerosis; to alleviate the symptoms of glaucoma; to improve appetite dangerously reduced from AIDS. They use it as an effective medicine, yet they are technically regarded as criminals, and every year many are jailed. Although more than 75 per cent of Americans believe that marijuana should be available legally for medical purposes, the Federal Government refuses to legalize access or even to sponsor research. 2. Drugs are here to stay. The time has come to abandon the concept of a â€Å"drug-free society. † We need to focus on learning to live with drugs in such a way that they do the least possible harm. So far as I can ascertain, the societies that have proved most successful in minimizing drug-related harm aren’t those that have sought to banish drugs, but those that have figured out how to control and manage drug use through community discipline, including the establishment of powerful social norms. That is precisely the challenge now confronting American society regarding alcohol: How do we live with a very powerful and dangerous drug — more powerful and dangerous than many illicit drugs — that, we have learned, cannot be effectively prohibited? Virtually all Americans have used some psychoactive substance, whether caffeine or nicotine or marijuana. In many cases, the use of cocaine and heroin represents a form of self-medication against physical and emotional pain among people who do not have access to psychotherapy or Prozac. The market in illicit drugs is as great as it is in the inner cities because palliatives for pain and depression are harder to come by and because there are fewer economic opportunities that can compete with the profits of violating prohibition. 3. Prohibition is no way to run a drug policy. We learned that with alcohol during the first third of this century and we’re probably wise enough as a society not to try to repeat the mistake with nicotine. Prohibitions for kids make sense. It’s reasonable to prohibit drug-related misbehavior that endangers others, such as driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, or smoking in enclosed spaces. But whatever its benefits in deterring some Americans from becoming drug abusers, America’s indiscriminate drug prohibition is responsible for too much crime, disease, and death to qualify as sensible policy. 4. There is a wide range of choice in drug-policy options between the free-market approach favored by Milton Friedman and Thomas Szasz, and the zero-tolerance approach of William Bennett. These options fall under the concept of harm reduction. That concept holds that drug policies need to focus on reducing crime, whether engendered by drugs or by the prohibition of drugs. And it holds that disease and death can be diminished even among people who can’t, or won’t, stop taking drugs. This pragmatic approach is followed in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, and parts of Germany, Austria, Britain, and a growing number of other countries. American drug warriors like to denigrate the Dutch, but the fact remains that Dutch drug policy has been dramatically more successful than U.S. drug policy. The average age of heroin addicts in the Netherlands has been increasing for almost a decade; HIV rates among addicts are dramatically lower than in the United States; police don’t waste resources on non-disruptive drug users but, rather, focus on major dealers or petty dealers who create public nuisances. The decriminalized cannabis markets are regulated in a quasi-legal fashion far more effective and inexpensive than the U. S. equivalent. The Swiss have embarked on a national experiment of prescribing heroin to addicts. The two-year-old plan, begun in Zurich, is designed to determine whether they can reduce drug- and prohibition-related crime, disease, and death by making pharmaceutical heroin legally available to addicts at regulated clinics. The results of the experiment have been sufficiently encouraging that it is being extended to over a dozen Swiss cities. Similar experiments are being initiated by the Dutch and Australians. There are no good scientific or ethical reasons not to try a heroin-prescription experiment in the United States. Our Federal Government puts politics over science by ignoring extensive scientific evidence that sterile syringes can reduce the spread of AIDS. Connecticut permitted needle sales in drugstores in 1992, and the policy resulted in a 40 per cent decrease in needle sharing among injecting drug users, at no cost to taxpayers. We see similar foolishness when it comes to methadone. Methadone is to street heroin more or less what nicotine chewing-gum and skin patches are to cigarettes. Hundreds of studies, as well as a National Academy of Sciences report last year, have concluded that methadone is more effective than any other treatment in reducing heroin-related crime, disease, and death. In Australia and much of Europe, addicts who want to reduce or quit their heroin use can obtain a prescription for methadone from a GP and fill the prescription at a local pharmacy. In the United States, by contrast, methadone is available only at highly regulated and expensive clinics.

Indianapolis Colts Marketing Essays

Indianapolis Colts Marketing Essays Indianapolis Colts Marketing Essay Indianapolis Colts Marketing Essay The process is then filtered down to managers (coaches) who are able to exploit employees (players) strengths that would have otherwise gone UN-noticed and fill their systematic needs. As a result, the end consumers (fans) and sponsors are able to make themselves or their company synonymous with a winner. The key to this formula is not Just one part but a combination of complex factors that facilitate the end result, winning football games. SOOT Analysis Internal Strengths An important strength that was stated above is the ability to find talent. This lies directly in the hands of the team president Bill Poplin. In a league where so much emphasis is put on the individual, Poplin focuses more on team cohesion, character, and fitting into a specific system. Startling as it may be, the Colts Super Bowl team featured 15 (out of 22) starters who were drafted by this man. His first pick came in 1998 (Peyote Manning) when the Colts owner Jim Arias gave up a third round pick to the Carolina Panthers In order to acquire Pollens services (Efferent). Instead of signing high priced free agents like most other teams are tempted to do because of he short-term benefits, he Is more Inclined to be more economical and tap hidden resources. Then, If you develop within the system Pollen will likely reward a players effort financially. Even with all of the success the team has had, it is even more remarkable to find it ranked 29th in team salaries for the 2010 season (NFG Salaries 2010). These abilities of Poplin, provide the organization with a distinctive competence because it is unique and has been unmatched by rivals. Another strength that should not go unnoticed is the seamless organizational changes the Colts have been able to make. For example their coach Jim Caldwell, who is entering his second season as head coach, was an assistant coach for seven years in a number of positions before taking over for Tony Dungy 0. This recent trend has been happening at all stages of the organization, from players all the way up through ownership. By giving ownership, coaches, and/or players time to mold the next person Into line; the chances of failure are reduced, and the brand can continue to thrive. This would qualify as a core competence because It Is an essential part of their strategy and resides in the staff and knowledge based. I en last strength would De winner ten colts play none games, Lucas o features a retractable roof, seating capacity of 63,000, two enormous high definition television screens, 137 suites, and a grand view of the Indianapolis skyline (Lucas Oil Stadium). So far for the 2010 season, the stadium has been filled to an average capacity of 67,072 (2010 Football Attendance). The playing surface is composed off synthetic turf, which is very much like grass but does not require detailed attention on a daily basis and is more cost-effective. By only having to invest 100 million of out he 725 million it cost to build, the Colts were able to minimize their level of capital exposure and still maintain a consistent winning attitude (Lucas Oil Stadium). Internal Weaknesses Like any other organization, the Colts have their own internal troubles. Sometimes it is hard to fathom a weakness within such a successful organization? Well, there are a wide variety ranging from all spectrums but main concerns center around a key players contract, and the market in which the Colts exist. Whether or not people like it, Peyote Manning is the face of the franchise for the Indianapolis Colts and has been for quite some time now. His contract is due to expire after the 2010 season, making him a free agent and the ability to sign with any other team. Arias has made remarks to the press several times that he intends on making his franchise quarterback the highest paid player in history but has not made good on his word as of yet. The uncertainty for the 2011 season and the market in which the Colts exist is probably a driving force behind a delay in Meanings new deal. Even though Indianapolis is the 1 lath largest city in the United States sport organizations like the Colts who are rather successful are still being dwarfed by larger market. For instance, last year the Redskins who were a losing franchise still managed to create a revenue stream of $345 million. As for the Colts, who made it to the Super Bowl and have had sustained success? They could only manage $233 million and will still below the league average of $236. 7 million (Schistose). External Opportunity Weve already discussed the relevance of the new Lucas Oil Stadium for home football games but it actually serves a larger purpose. There are only ten home games each year including pre-season games and that leaves a significant amount of time where football is not being played. The organization has been able to realize this and capitalize on the opportunity to increase revenue that is not shared with the rest of the National Football League. Seating capacity can either be reduced to 41,000 or expanded to 70,000 seats in order to cater to events such as basketball games, conventions, concerts and other marquee events (Lucas Oil Stadium). Another opportunity is Super Bowl KILL that is to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2012. This will be the first time the city of Indianapolis will host such an event that used to be primarily played in warm weather cities. The economic impact of is the suggest upside for the city and could be in the neighborhood of $450 million (Cognoscente). Even tong ten colts wall not De addle to reap all AT ten pronto the rest of the world to observe how great of a city and venue the host has provided. If all goes well, there could be a potential for another Super Bowl to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium. External Threats The biggest threat facing the Colts organization externally is the possibility of a lockout for the 2011 season. There has been no agreement between the players union and owners on revenue percentages that are distributed to each. With each assign day, it looks more like a reality for this to happen. Basically, no one wins if there is a lockout because the potential to make money is gone. Television revenue will be the only money coming in and will eventually have to be paid back when football games do resume. Listed below are some additional parts to the analysis: SOOT Analysts Strengths: I Weaknesses: I * Front Office Coaching Staff * Consistent winning team * Studiousness * Brand Image/Reputation I * Smaller market * Player contracts I Opportunities: I Threats: I * Super Bowl in 2012 * Loyal fan base * Outside events I *Possible league cookout in 2011 * Other local teams (Pacers, Indians, etc) * Struggling economy I Benchmarking Benchmarking is a tool that allows a company to determine whether its performance of a particular function or activity represents the best practice when both cost and effectiveness are taken into account. This is something that we do subconsciously all the time. We always want to know what it takes to put out our product, and then we want to know how much it costs for our competition to put out its product. It is human nature to want to improve, and especially in the USA, improvement is demanded. Setting benchmarks for an organization is essential and it guides how the company makes decisions. With the Indianapolis Colts being a member of the NFG, it is very difficult to discover any in depth financial that are revealing. But one was very interesting to me. As we have mentioned earlier, one of the key success factors for the Colts, is a winning team on the field. To have the winning team you need players and the Colts overall payroll in 2010 was 5, ranking 29th (NFG Salaries). It is interesting that the Colts have been able to put such a consistent, winning, on field product that even wins league championships, paying sees in overall payroll than 28 other teams. It attests to the fact that it is more than just players that win games. The Colts have had a consistent coaching staff as well. Of the current 19 coaches on staff, 10 of them have been with the organization for 8+ years (Colts Coaches). Having the same coaches year in and year out provide stability Tort ten players Ana ten organization as a wangle. I en Detentes AT Dealing addle to Keep a coaching staff together are innumerable and invaluable. One statistic that is easily measurable is the ticket price of the games. The average ticket price for a Colts game is $54. 5 which puts them below the league average (Sports Ticket Price Guide). One this is great Just for economic reasons, but it also fits the fan demographic of the typical Colts fan. In both 2009 and 2008 the colts averaged over capacity at their new home Lucas Oil Stadium. In 2009 they were 1 of 8 teams that averaged over capacity (NFG Attendance) Value Chain Analysis The Indianapolis Colts have a core product of football that they are selling to their customers. However, customers can see football games at high schools, colleges, or other professional teams, so they must set themselves apart from their competition. The Colts add value to their brand of football in a variety of ways. Michael Porters value chain allows a look at each action the Colts perform in order to create the best product possible. There are five primary activities that the team undergoes during the process of adding value to its product. These are sales, marketing, sponsorships, operations, and service. Operations Operations cover a wide variety of issues for the Colts. Running a football team takes a large amount of effort and resources. The Colts play in one of the best stadiums in the NFG, which immediately adds value to the product the team is selling. Fans want to see a game in an enjoyable atmosphere with top notch facilities. Lucas Oil Stadium provides this. Stadium Journey rated Lucas Oil Stadium as being the best facility and having the best atmosphere of any stadium in the NFG (Bleacher Report). Having top notch facilities is important to the fan and can bring in a significant amount of money. Running such a stadium takes a large staff. The Colts employ grounds crew and parking operations employees and also have many other Jobs that are better covered by other parts of the value chain, such as marketing and ticket office staff and game day workers. Stadium operations and grounds crew workers are employed directly by the Colts, but parking attendants are outsourced by the team. While important to the team, these resources are better used in other ways, so allowing another company to handle this is a better option. Operations also cover the coaching staff and players. If a good product is not put out on the field, fans will not attend the game regardless of how nice the stadium is. The Colts have done a great job over the years of putting together a top-notch team year in and year out. In 2009 he Colts went 14-2 in the regular season, a winning percentage of 87. 5%, the best record in the NFG. They won their division and the AFC Championship before eventually losing in the Super Bowl. Even with the loss, the Colts appeared in their second Super Bowl in four years, adding an extreme amount of value to the product. Fans want to see their team win, and the Colts have done this better than almost all other teams. Since 2000, the Colts have the fifth best record in the NFG, out of 32 teams (Best Football Talk). Operations are the first step to building a successful team, s you cannot run a franchise without players, coaches, a facility, and staff. Marketing After a team, facility, and stadium staff are put together, the team must make itself known to its potential customers through marketing and promotions. NFG teams have to market themselves well in order to build up value for their franchise. The Indianapolis Colts hire an in-house marketing team to bring out their name. While outsourcing Is Test Tort concessions Ana parking, ten colts nave called to Keep tenet marketing employees internal in order to have better control and accountability. This Taft is responsible for getting out into the community, both physically and virtually, to make sure local residents know everything that is going on with the team. They create billboards and advertisements for the community to see and also run promotions during games. These two areas are extremely important to the team. The fans must know when the team plays and any special offers and contests the team is running in order to be convinced to buy tickets. While at the game, the marketing department handles all on-field promotions and games with the intent of grabbing the interest of fans. The atmosphere is vital to a great fan experience and it is the marketing staffs Job to make sure this happens. While cheerleaders are not officially within the marketing department, they are strongly related and the two departments often work in conjunction. The cheerleaders squad is also run internally by the team, which is different from many other teams, who outsource their cheerleaders. Cheerleaders work only part time for the team but also make many appearances outside of the stadium. They take part in marketing events and player appearances in order to garner more attention for the Colts. They are also often involved with in-game promotions. The Colts spend a significant amount of money advertising, as can be seen from the amount of billboards and commercials in and around Indianapolis, but this money brings a considerable quantity of revenue to the team, making it vital to their day-to-day operations. The marketing team also works closely with the ticket operations staff, but currently the Colts have chosen to keep them under separate departments. Sponsorships Sponsorships bring in an enormous amount of revenue to teams. Franchises must work with other businesses to advertise. This works both ways. The Colts are able to attach their name to local and national companies, and in return those companies are allowed to use the Colts name and logo on its products. Both sides gain revenue and exposure from this type of deal. Sometimes businesses do not have the money or staff to get too involved with the team, and instead simply buy a space inside the stadium to advertise their company. This could be a commercial on the screen during a game or posted signs around the stadium. Possibilities are nearly endless for this type of operation, and the Colts have a team in place to figure out what is most appropriate for each business client. The corporate sales team, like the marketing and ticket operations departments, is handled internally. Major clients of the Colts include Union Federal Bank, Marsh Supermarkets, Papa Johns, Lucas Oil, Toyota, and Forum Credit Union (Colts. Com). The partnership between the Colts and these companies brings credibility to both parties. Many people will buy products simply because the Colts logo is on them, and seeing the logo reminds them of the Colts, which can lead to increased ticket sales, yet again, a valuable part of the franchise. Sales After the foundation of the team is set up with its stadium and operations staff and NAS mar tea K Itself to ten community as well as galena corporate partners, outlets to the games themselves must be sold. Ticket sales are the most important part of any sports team. If fans do not come to the stadium, not enough money will be made to support the team. The value added by marketing and sponsorships plays largely into sales. Marketing creates sales leads that the ticketing department can follow up on and also creates awareness about the team, causing people to buy tickets. The Colts and other teams use techniques such as cold calling and great customer service to entice fans to purchase tickets. The Colts are currently in a near perfect situation because they do not have to work too hard to sell their tickets. Every Colts home game in 2009 was sold out. The average attendance at those games was 66,549. Lucas Oil Stadium only holds 63,000 fans, so the average capacity rate was 105. 6% (Business First). With sold out games the Colts are able to save money on employees and bills because there are not any single game tickets to sell. This is a major nominative advantage compared with many other teams. But ticket sales are down across the NFG and there will most likely come a time when tickets are not sold out. The Colts have a staff that is prepared to handle a situation where targeting specific potential customers is necessary. The employees of the Colts will use warm and cold calling and other techniques in order to bring fans back into Lucas Oil Stadium. As with other departments, the Colts run their sales staff internally. Full-time, part-time, and internship positions are available with the team. While outsourcing the staff may eve money up front, instead the team is able to train their staff how they want and they have better control over all sales decisions that are made. The distribution of tickets costs the team money, but service and processing fees are added onto the order to account for these expenses. This allows the team to keep more of the revenue gained from each ticket. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the ticket office itself. This is very valuable for fans as it provides flexibility based on what is easier for each individual fan without adding too much more of an expense for the team. With many different price levels, seating preferences, and handicap accessible seating, customers are able to choose which combination of price and location is best for them. Having such a wide variety of options adds great value to the ticket office and in turn the team itself. Service Creating the best possible fan experience means following up with the customer even after the ticket sale has been completed. The Colts have a large staff of employees in order to serve customers, both during the week and on game days. They provide support for any problems customers experience, sell concessions and researched, and have the ultimate goal of improving the fan experience. Fans have different needs and having a staff to take care of those needs is very important. Ushers, concession workers, security, and simply having people around to ask questions to, in addition to workers in operations, marketing, and sales, are vital to creating a smooth, fun experience for the fan. From personal experience, the Colts have a well-trained staff that is better than most other organizations. These positions are outsourced to a variety of companies. Security and crowd management is run by company called Contemporary Services Corporation (SC). The Indianapolis branch AT SC Is actually nausea Insane AT Lucas 011 stadium, allowing quickly access to ten resources of the team and stadium. Contemplate, a hospitality company based out of Connecticut, currently has the bid to run concessions for the team. Outsourcing these positions frees up both time and money for the Colts. Rather than training and supervising these extra hundreds of employees, the Colts can focus their efforts on the most important issues ticket sales, operations, marketing, and sponsorships. Because of the mass of money and customers, any major company would love to have the Colts as clients. This means the companies bid on working for the Colts, so the Colts end up with the best possible price for their needs. These five primary departments form together to create the brand of the Colts and the product of football. Each of these parts adds a significant amount of value to the product, enticing fans to purchase tickets. Even though some of these departments are less crucial to the day-to-day operations of the team than others, without even one of these sectors, the Colts would not be able to exist.

Evolution of the Clock

Evolution of the Clock Introduction A clock is perhaps one of the oldest human developments in engineering. The name clock is coined from two Latin sounds- clocca and clagan, which denote a bell. In the early ages, a silent piece for alerting people on time was known as a timepiece (Itano Norman, 1999, p.56). In the modern usage, a clock refers to any instrument that can be deployed to measure coupled with displaying time.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Evolution of the Clock specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Watches are version of clocks, which can be carried by an individual. Since time immemorial of the evolution of clock, the main purpose, irrespective of accuracy and preciseness of a clock version, is to determine time in lesser units relative to the accepted units of time such as a â€Å"calendar day, a lunar month, and or a year† (Itano Norman, 1999, p.56). Over the process of evolution in the engineering of a clock, sever al mechanisms have been invented and deployed in the construction of an actual clock, which has often been used in cities and within people’s dwellings since the middle ages. Indeed, â€Å"devices operating on several physical processes have been used over the millennia culminating into the modern version of clocks† (Jones, 2004, p.67). These modern versions of clocks are mainly mechanical clocks having either analogue or digital display formats. One of the earliest clocks was the sundials whose operation relied on the natural phenomena of different sizes of shadows cast on an object as times progress in a day. New engineering discoveries led to the emergence of new versions of clocks such as water clocks, candle clocks, pendulum clocks, incense clocks, and later clocks with escapements and gears followed by the most accurate clocks – atomic clocks. The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the historic evolution of a clock. The theoretical approaches deployed in the paper are from engineering paradigms. In this light, the paper tracks changes in the operation mechanisms of the clock in the quest to provide theoretical records of evolution of engineering. How the Clock developed over Early Years (1-1500 AD) in terms of Engineering Sundial Clocks Sundial clocks were deployed to measure times through a shadow cast on a cylindrical stone. This clock was widely used during ancient times since it would measure time with high degrees of accuracy. However, the time measured by the instruments was merely the solar time.Advertising Looking for report on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The sundials were deployed to scrutinize the operation of the clocks until early in the recent times. Engineering designs deserve to be reliable over a wide range of variables. This requirement posed major challenges to the development of a more reliable clock sun was required to shine si nce for its operation. Consequently, the clock could not function at night or during cloudy weather conditions. Seasons change. Hence, recalibration of the clock was necessary whenever such changes occurred. These limitations made provisions for the need to develop other techniques of times measuring in a more reliable manner. Such a technique was the development of candle clock. Candle Clocks There exists a historic timeline gap for when the candle clocks were discovered and or used first. Nevertheless, they were first mentioned in You Jinful poem written in Chinese language in 520. With regard to the poet, a calibrated candle was deployed to help people determine the time at night. A corresponding class of â€Å"candles were later to be used in Japan until early 10th century† (Itano Norman, 1999). The most famous candle clock is related to King Alfred the great. From an engineering perspective, the clock was made from six candles, which were composed of 72 pennyweights der ived from wax. Each candle was 12 inches long calibrated at an interval of 1 inch. Another important requirement for candles used to make the clock was that they were all required to be of uniform thickness. The candles were consumed for close to four hours with each mark representing a 20-minute time erasure. One of the challenges of the clock was that the candles could be extinguished once they were lit hence impairing the performance of the clock. However, this issue was later to be less of a challenge since â€Å"the candles were placed in wooden framed glass, to prevent the flame from extinguishing† (Itano Norman, 1999, 41). As time progressed, the design of the candle clocks became even more sophisticated. In 1206, Al-Jazari’s work had one of the exceptionally complicated candle timers. With regard to Lankford and Taylor (1999), one of his candle clocks â€Å"included a dial to display the time and, for the first time, employed a bayonet fitting, a fastening me chanism still used in the modern times† (p.131). The rate of burning of the candle used for making the clock needed to have a rate of a known burning. A wick was fitted inside a hole passing through the candles’ center. An indentation was also provided to aid in the collection of the wax melted out as a strategy to help in the prevention of likelihoods of interference with the rates of burning of the candle.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Evolution of the Clock specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lankford and Taylor (1999) further add that the candle clock described by Al-Jazari had â€Å"the bottom of the candle rested in a shallow dish that had a ring on its side connected through pulleys to a counterweight† (p.132). As the candle progressed to glow, it was pressed up by the load at a steady pace. As Rossum (1996) reveals, â€Å"the automata were operated from the dish at the bottom of the cand le† (p.65). In fact, in the early ages, no other candle clock was discovered having this intensity of sophistication. The only variation was the oil lamp clocks. The oil-lamp clocks were made up of a reservoir to hold the oil. The oil was mainly derived from the whale. It was the most appropriate since it burnt cleanly and evenly. The tank was then calibrated so that, as the its oil level fell, it was possible to have an approximate quantity of the time that had elapsed. Clocks made this way presented major challenges because resetting was necessary whenever the candles were totally consumed or the oil-lamp became empty. Incense Clocks Incense clocks were a major achievement in the development of clock since incense clocks were easily adaptable for interior application partly because the gadgets produced light in a constant manner and without fire unlike the candle timers. This condition made them more reliable since they were more accurate than the candle clocks. Although the use of incense candles has been identified by historians in Japan, there are speculations that the first incense clock could have been discovered in India. In the 6th century, the clocks had paved their way into China. Many variations of these gadgets were used with the most common ones being the â€Å"incense seal and incense stick† (Lankford Taylor, 1999, p.49). Although the incense wooden timer was principally made up of a marked incense wood, others were sophisticated by adding loads by means of strings at the wooden pieces. As the incense burnt out, these weights fell on a gong, which produced a sound while hit to indicate the amount of time that had elapsed. In addition, â€Å"some incense clocks were held in elegant trays†¦open-bottomed trays were also used, to allow the weights to be used together with the decorative tray† (Lankford Taylor, 1999, p.50). An alternative way of alerting people that a certain amount of time had elapsed was the deployment of incense sticks with different fragrance. Incense wooden pieces were either straight or spiraled depending on the amount of time each was anticipated to last with the spiral one taking more time. The spiraled incense stick clocks were mainly suspended from ceilings in houses and or religious places.Advertising Looking for report on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Incense seal clocks had similar application to the incense stick clocks. The only exemption was that these types of incense clocks were principally meant for religious functions (Rossum, 1996). The clocks were also significantly common in social gatherings. They were also highly associated with Chinese intellectuals and scholars. Essentially, a seal was made up of â€Å"a wooden or stone disk with one or more grooves attached to it and incense placed in itâ€Å" (Rossum, 1996, p.148). Although incense clocks had garnered many customers in China, they were also made in Japan though not as many as in China. In the effort to alert people that a certain length of time had elapsed, resins and various types of aromatic sticks and or incenses with a variety of smells were securely placed in the powdered lines of the incense seal clock. For instance, the earliest seal clocks were constructed from stone or wood. The Chinese people introduced metallic disks for use in making the clock. This invention occurred during the Song dynasty. This evolution provided an opportunity for artisans charged with the roles of making seal clocks an opportunity not only to make aesthetic seals but also larger ones. The use of metallic disks also permitted the designers to incorporate grooves and paths that varied to give a room for variations in the length of days in a year. Water Clocks Water clocks, alternatively called clepsydrae, coupled with the sundials are amongst the oldest clocks in the history of humankind. Due to their antiquity, Jones (2004) argues, â€Å"where and when they first existed are not known and perhaps unknowable† (p.33). However, people believe that some types of water clocks had been used in Babylon and Egypt in the 16th century. These versions were mainly bowl-shaped outflow water clocks. It is also important to note that some other parts of the world including China and India had some evidence of having used water clocks. However, the precise date whe n this case occurred remains a nightmare because there have been arguments around this topic with some authors claiming that water clocks were used in China and India in 4000 BC (Jones, 2004). Amid the historical debate around the subject of when water clocks first appeared in human civilizations of engineering endeavors, a substantive contentment among historians holds that, from 27 AD to 500 AD, Roman astronomers coupled with horologists engaged in the development of elaborate water clocks that were mechanized. In the words of Rossum (1996), the main aim of engineering complicated water clocks was â€Å"to regulate the flow at providing fancier displays of the passage of time† (p.77). Astrological systems of the earth were even demonstrated by some types of water watch machines. Muslims experts invented the most sophisticated water clocks. In particular, a design that was more fascinating was the elephant clock made by Al-Jazari in the middle ages. â€Å"The clock recorded the passage of temporal hours, which meant that the rate of flow had to be changed daily to match the uneven length of days throughout the year† (Rossum, 1996, p.57).To realize this endeavor, the clock design had two tanks. To serve their work well, as Rossum (1996, p.57) points out, â€Å"The bottom tank was linked to flow the control regulator while the top tank was linked to the mechanisms that indicated time†. At sunrise, a faucet released a stream to run into the underneath reservoir under the check of a hang controller that was meant to ensure that a steady weight was assured at the receiving reservoir. How the Clock Developed after 15th Century to the Mechanical Clocks The design approaches and engineering technology levels in the early ages to Middle Ages did not give a room for designers to construct clocks with the hour, minute, and second means of measuring time. They only measured time in terms of hours. In fact, as Landes (2000, p. 43) reveals, â€Å"a cl ock that had minute dials first appeared in 1475 with clocks having both minutes and second dial appearing by 15th century in Germany†. However, developments in the clock were still limited until when the massive mechanisms of improving accuracy of the clocks were developed. The mechanisms included the pendulum system and spiral springs. One of the historic events in the use of accurate clocks via both minutes and seconds dial was realized when Tycho Brahe (an astronomer) used such a clock to observe various stellar positions in the 16th century. Pendulum Clocks The development of mechanical clocks leads to miniaturization of the clocks. By the end of the 15th century, clocks such as the Al-Jazari elephant clock were considered as past tense so that smaller clocks could be made for domestic applications coupled with usages as personal watches by16th century. This development was preceded by discoveries made by Polymath Galileo, an Italian Engineer. He revealed that the oscilla tions of a pendulum could indeed be deployed to operate and or control a timer. However, he never constructed a clock based on the principles of pendulum. Christian Huygens, a Dutch scientist, would design a clock based on the concepts of pendulum investigated by the Polymath Galileo in 1656. Many versions of clocks based on the pendulum principles were later designed. The earliest designs produced errors in time measurement in the ranges of less than a minute within a day. The most accurate ones had errors of less than 10 seconds within a day. This realization was perhaps the best accuracy levels in time measurement during the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th century, clock developments were mainly based on the precision and improved accuracy requirements. In this regard, Jesuits were incredibly instrumental. To emphasize on this point, Landes (2000) asserts, â€Å"in measuring an accurate one-second pendulum, for example, the Italian astronomer Father Giovanni Battista persuade d nine fellow Jesuits to count nearly 87,000 oscillations in a single day† (p.97). Consequently, they played significant roles in the development of the pendulum clock since they participated in testing and spreading engineering ideas of time. Modern clocks such as long case clock have their origin anchored in the invention of engineering discoveries such as anchor escapement. This clock operation mechanism was discovered in the 1670s. Before the discovery of the mechanism, pendulum clocks principally depended on the verge escapement mechanism for their operations. Verge escapement mechanisms needed an extremely large pendulum dangle in the range of 100 degrees. The anchor mechanisms served to reduce this swing to values of about four to six degrees. This reduction not only gave pendulum clock makers an opportunity to make clocks having longer pendulums but also clocks with slowed beats. The overall effect was the reduction of the amount of power required to operate the clock following the reduction in friction. Apart from the reduction of wear in this generation of pendulum clocks, they also emerged as more accurate in comparison to those, which predeceased them. These developments paved way for the creation of businesses, which principally aimed at manufacturing mechanical of clocks. Now, it is crucial to consider a discussion of clock makers before proceeding to discussion of evolution of other types of mechanical clocks. Clock Makers and Evolution of Mechanical Watches and Clocks Locksmith and jewelries were the first professional clock makers in the history of clock making. With regard to American Society of Mechanical Engineers, as years progressed, the craft and science (engineering) of clock making advanced from pure custom to mass production (2002, p.31). In Paris, France, coupled with Blois were the main centers for making clocks for mass consumptions. Julien Le Roy and Versailles led the market in the design and production of ornamental and ca se-designed clocks. As Lankford and Taylor (1999) posit, â€Å"Le Roy belonged to the fifth generation of a family of clockmakers, and was described by his contemporaries as the most skillful clockmaker in France, possibly in Europe† (p.129). Le Roy also invented a repeating mechanism, which made it possible to improve the accuracy and precision of the clock to higher levels than those recorded for the pendulum clock. The clocks and watches that were designed by Le Roy also had a face that could be opened up to view the engineering behind the clock. The clock maker also supervised the process of making about 3,500 watches. Consequently, an intense scientific competition emerged with many researchers focusing on looking for other alternative ways of measuring time in ways that are more accurate. In 1794, following the French revolution, the government of France mandated brief production of decimal clocks. These clocks had a day divided into 10 hours with each hour having 100 m inutes. Through the effort of engineering modifications of Pierre Simon Laplace, pocket watch was modified into decimal form. Although this technology was extended to many other watches apart from the Pierre Simon Laplace’s until 1801, conversion of all watches within France into a decimal form was impossible due to the high costs associated with the process. The decimal system was also not viable since it only served the astronomers implying that the system was not useful to the ordinary citizens. Thus, it was not considered any further in the early 1800s. In the case of Germany, Augsburg and Nuremberg were there main clock makers. However, Black Forest specialized in the production of Cuckoo clock, which was wooden. In the 17th and 18th century, the English people dominated the watch making industry. Indeed, at the dawn of the 19th century, William Paley deployed the equivalence of a watch making to argue that all things are planned meaning that they have their planners and hence the theoretical reasoning behind the discipline of Engineering. Looking at the design of watches from this paradigm, there emerged research and subsequent construction of more accurate watches and clocks such as chronometers, atomic clocks, quartz oscillators, and wrist watches among others. Some of these clocks are discussed below. Patek Philipe invented the wristwatch in 1868. His watch was mainly purposed to serve as a woman’s bracelet. At the dawn of the 20th century, Alberto Santos-Dumont requested his acquaintance who was in the clock making business to make for him a gadget (clock) that could assist him in times of flights since a pocket watch was not expedient. In response to this request, Louis created the first man’s wristwatch. Later, military workforce were engaged in mass making of clocks for airplane controllers coupled with infantry. Such watches got immense popularity during the First World War though they remained a reserve for the middle class people. During World War II, A-11 wristwatch became common among the US air force men. In Engineering perspective, the watch met Ego-metrics (the degree to which an engineering creation is usable by the targeted end user based on requirements for readability and usability) since it was calibrated with clear white numbers. Another invention that shaped the clock evolution process was the quartz oscillators. These types of gadgets were highly inspired by the inventions of nano biosensor characteristics of materials. In 1932, these watches evolved to the levels of being able to gauge little differences in time due to the revolution of the earth. Indeed, as Lankford and Taylor (1999, p. 129) point , â€Å"the NIST (national bureau of standards) used time standards based on the quartz clock as from 1929 to 1960†. With the development of atomic clocks, which were more accurate than quartz clock, the organization shifted its time standards from being based on the quartz clock to ato mic clocks. Atomic watches remain the most precise gadgets ever to be made. Their accuracy levels are in the range of a few seconds over a period of several thousand years. The first watch of this type was built in 1949. Conclusion Sundial and water clocks were the earliest clocks to be made. On the other extreme, the quartz watch and the atomic clocks form the most recent discoveries. As the paper unveiled, during the processes of evolution from the most primitive types of watches and clocks to the most modern ones, the main concern of this expert was to look for mechanisms of enhancing the accuracy and preciseness of the clocks and watches. This process occurred alongside improvements of the clock to serve the purpose of measuring times and esthetic purposes. Reference List American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (2002). Proceedings of the 2002 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences. London: American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Itano, W., Norman, F. (1999). Accurate Measurement of Time. Scientific American, 269 (1), 56–65. Jones, T. (2004). Splitting the Second: The Story of Atomic Timekeeping. Bristol, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing. Landes, D. (2000). Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Lankford, J., Taylor, F. (1999). Time and timekeeping instruments. History of  astronomy, 34(3), 127-158. Rossum, G. (1996). History of the Hour: Clocks and Modern Temporal Orders. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Profile of NASA Inventor Robert G Bryant

Profile of NASA Inventor Robert G Bryant Chemical engineer, Doctor Robert G Bryant works for NASAs Langley Research Center and has patented numerous inventions. Highlighted below are just two of the award winning products that Bryant has helped invent while at Langley. LaRC-SI Robert Bryant headed the team that invented Soluble Imide (LaRC-SI) the self-bonding thermoplastic that received an RD 100 award for being one of the most significant new technical products of 1994. While researching resins and adhesives for advanced composites for high-speed aircraft, Robert Bryant, noticed that one of the polymers he was working with did not behave as predicted. After putting the compound through a two-stage controlled chemical reaction, expecting it to precipitate as a powder after the second stage, he was surprised to see that the compound remained soluble. According to a NasaTech report LaRC-SI proved to be a moldable, soluble, strong, crack-resistant polymer that could withstand high temperatures and pressures, unlikely to burn, and was resistant to hydrocarbons, lubricants, antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, and detergents. Applications for LaRC-SI have included use with mechanical parts, magnetic components, ceramics, adhesives, composites, flexible circuits, multilayer printed circuits, and coatings on fiber optics, wires, and metals. 2006 NASA Government Invention of the Year Robert Bryant was part of the team at NASAs Langley Research Center that created Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) the flexible and durable material that uses ceramic fibers. By applying voltage to the MFC, the ceramic fibers change shape to expand or contract and turn the resulting force into a bending or twisting action on the material. MFC is used in industrial and research applications for vibration monitoring and dampening, for example, improved helicopter rotor blades research, and vibration monitoring of support structures near the space shuttle pads during launches. The composite material can be used for pipeline crack detection and is being tested in wind turbine blades. Some non-aerospace applications being evaluated include suppressing vibration in performance sporting equipment such as skis, force and pressure sensing for industrial equipment and sound generation and noise cancellation in commercial grade appliances. The MFC is the first of its type composite that is specifically engineered for performance, manufacturability and reliability, said Robert Bryant, Its this combination that creates a ready-to-use system capable of morphing into a variety of uses on Earth and in space. 1996 RD 100 Award Robert G Bryant received the 1996 RD 100 Award presented by RD magazine for his role in developing THUNDER technology along with fellow Langley researchers, Richard Hellbaum, Joycelyn Harrison, Robert Fox, Antony Jalink, and Wayne Rohrbach. Patents Granted #7197798, April 3, 2007, Method of fabricating a composite apparatusA method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises making a piezoelectric fiber sheet by providing a plurality of wafers of piezoelectric material, bonding the wafers together with an adhesive material to form a stack of alternating layers of piezoelectric...#7086593, August 8, 2006, Magnetic field response measurement acquisition systemMagnetic field response sensors designed as passive inductor-capacitor circuits produce magnetic field responses whose harmonic frequencies correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. Power to the sensing element is acquired using Faraday induction.#7038358, May 2, 2006, Electro-active transducer using radial electric field to produce/sense out-of-plane transducerAn electro-active transducer includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns. When the device is used as an actuator, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when voltage #7019621, March 28, 2006, Methods and apparatus to increase sound quality of piezoelectric devicesA piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric component, an acoustic member attached to one of the surfaces of the piezoelectric component and a dampening material of low elastic modulus attached to one or both surfaces of the piezoelectric transducer...#6919669, July 19, 2005, Electro-active device using radial electric field piezo-diaphragm for sonic applicationsAn electro-active transducer for sonic applications includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns to form a piezo-diaphragm coupled to a mounting frame...#6856073, February 15, 2005, Electro-active device using radial electric field piezo-diaphragm for control of fluid movementA fluid-control electro-active device includes a piezo-diaphragm made from a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelec tric material when voltage is applied thereto... #6686437, February 3, 2004, Medical implants made of wear-resistant, high-performance polyimides, process of making same andA medical implant having at least a portion thereof made of a formable, pyromellitic, dianhydride (PMDA)-free, non-halogenated, aromatic polyimide is disclosed. Further disclosed are a process of manufacturing the implant and a method of implanting the implant in a subject in need thereo...#6734603, May 11, 2004, Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensorA method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed...#6629341, October 7, 2003, Method of fabricating a piezoelectric composite apparatusA method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching on e side upon an adhesive backing sheet... #6190589, February 20, 2001, Fabrication of molded magnetic articleA molded magnetic article and fabrication method are provided. Particles of ferromagnetic material embedded in a polymer binder are molded under heat and pressure into a geometric shape...#6060811, May 9, 2000, Advanced layered composite polylaminate electroactive actuator and sensorThe present invention relates to the mounting of pre-stressed electroactive material in such a manner that large displacement actuators or sensors result. The invention comprises mounting the pre-stressed electroactive material to a support layer...#6054210, April 25, 2000, Molded magnetic articleA molded magnetic article and fabrication method are provided. Particles of ferromagnetic material embedded in a polymer binder are molded under heat and pressure into a geometric shape...#6048959, April 11, 2000, Tough soluble aromatic thermoplastic copolyimides#5741883, April 21, 1998, Tough, soluble, aromatic, thermoplastic copolyimides#5639850 , June 17, 1997, Process for preparing a tough, soluble, aromatic, thermoplastic copolyimide #5632841, May 27, 1997, Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensorA method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed.#5599993, February 4, 1997, Phenylethynyl amine#5545711, August 13, 1996, Polyazomethines containing trifluoromethylbenzene units#5446204, August 29, 1995, Phenylethynyl reactive diluents#5426234, June 20, 1995, Phenylethynyl terminated reactive oligomer#5412066, May 2, 1995, Phenylethynyl terminated imide oligomers#5378795, January 3, 1995, Polyazomethines containing trifluoromethylbenzene units#5312994, May 17, 1994, Phenylethynyl endcapping reagents and reactive diluents#5268444, December 7, 1993, Phenylethynyl-terminated poly(arylene ethers)

Effect of Psychological Contract Violation on Organizational Essay

Effect of Psychological Contract Violation on Organizational Commitment, Trust and Turnover Intention in Private and Public Sector Indian Organizations - Essay Example Shahnawaz and Goswami (2011) basically outline the negative outcomes of psychological contract breaches on employers and employees in an organization. Epitropaki (2013: 67) describes an employment contract as a document which can control the activities of employees in an organization, and help them to realize the business goals. Such a contract details what employees are expected of by their employer and the gains that they are entitled to as payment for their effort. On the other hand, Wei and Si (2013: 544) concurs with Shahnawaz and Goswami on the definition of the less formal psychological contract as the beliefs of an individual employee as influenced by the business conditions guiding the interaction between employees and the employer. Alternatively, psychological contract can be construed to mean the perception of individual employees of their duty to their employer and their entitlements (Chiang et al 2012:81). Although, many people view the formal contract as more important to the success of an organization, Shahnawaz and Goswami’s assertion that psychological contract is a mutual commitment which plays an equally pivotal role in forging organizational commitment and the greater productivity is based on scientific evidence (Kraft & Kwantes 2013: 139; (Randmann 2013: 134). But Shahnawaz and Goswami’s argument that it is obvious for either party to fulfill their duty such contracts fails the implementation test. Notably, Zribi and Souaà ¯ (2013: 11) say the understanding of the psychological contract terms between an employee and the organization may be different because both parties have diverse interests and the practice is massively perceptual. Liang and Liu (2014: 56) also note these conflicting understandings of the mutual duties may create an understanding that the other party has reneged on the contractual terms. In addition, employees’ beliefs about of the duti es set up at the

Computer Law and Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Computer Law and Intellectual Property - Essay Example Intellectual property law, a framework being used in science and arts for the protection of the rights of the owner/ inventor, can provide the appropriate scheme for the protection of rights of the owner/ inventor in the information technology (IT) sector. In accordance with Judge (2007, 301) ‘intellectual property law can serve as an autonomous source of liability for intellectual property owners’1. However, the protection of the owner of rights’ in the specific sector – as in all other scientific sectors – is related with specific terms. Regarding the protection provided to the owner of an IP right through the provision of a relevant license it has been supported in a relevant Court decision that ‘Lord Diplocks well-known statement in Allen & Hanburys v. Generics [1986] RPC 203 at 246: "A licence passes no proprietary interest in anything; it only makes an action lawful that would otherwise have been unlawful’2; in other words, a serie s of criteria need to be met in order for the state to intervene in a relevant dispute (ownership of rights) and provide the necessary protection to the owner. These criteria are clearly stated in the law developed in each country – always referring to the protection of the various aspects of intellectual property; however, it is also possible that rules of international organizations or bodies are applied – in European Union the Regulations published by the Union have to be applied by the National Courts but only under the terms that they have been verified by the authorized national bodies. In any case the intervention of the state or an international organization towards the protection of a specific IP right has to be appropriately justified. In accordance with the European Court of Justice ‘the lawfulness of a Community measure must be assessed on the basis of the matters of fact and of law existing at the time when the measure was adopted’

Have our hegemonic ideas of masculinity changed Answer this question Essay

Have our hegemonic ideas of masculinity changed Answer this question by comparing and contrasting the representation of mascul - Essay Example The interaction of man with the media and communication tends to create a crisis, with the un-tenability of conceptualized single, fixed and unified masculinity. In the film Michael Clayton, there is the depiction of masculinity as a ruthless force, with highly realistic dominance in the courts of law. There is a perception of self-drive and control in the main character, Michael Clayton, brings down alternatives and preferences in his clients as a way of exchanging their fantasies with unjustified justice. Many clients believe that Michael works miracles in the law field, though he is a self-proclaimed janitor. Male masculinity is, hereby, depicted as having changed hegemonically, with the portrayal of a super power in the masculine main character, Michael, who mysteriously succeeds in his law career by winning his cases. In the Searchers film, there is the depiction of male masculinity as cruel and racist. The main character, who is a white man, is a violent character that interact s with people from other races by killing them. The film brings out the perspective of typical racism in the notion of terrorism, with the tarnished hegemonic ideas of the male masculinity in the media fraternity clearly depicted. Racism is the main theme of The Searchers, which also questions the morality levels and quality in the planning and carrying out of terrorism. The film surprisingly and amazingly explores the relations between blood-related individuals and those who have a race in common. Kinship is depicted as a wise choice for masculinity between relationships with blood-related individuals and individuals of the same race. The main character believes that he cannot make any relations or deals with the Indians due to their race and culture, and should rather kill them than make deals, or interact with them. This brings about changed hegemonic perceptions and ideas of masculinity through the media and communication. Racism is highly associated with male masculinity, with many race abuses proven to originate from the males. This is clearly depicted in the Searchers, whereby, the whites brutally kill the Indians, and bring up a racist myth. The Whites consider themselves a superior and dominant race over the Indians, in the movies and the inevitably real situation, and treat racism as a comic channel. This leaves the Indians humiliated if not dead, and turns racism into a horror situation. The media and mass communication industry tends to bring the changed hegemonic ideas about masculinity to light, with the controversial consideration of racism as a comedy rather than a tragedy or timebomb. In the Trailer film, Clayton works closely with the head of the law firm, Marty Bash, as an anchor in intelligence, authority and masculinity. This strongly angers a top partner in the firm, who strips naked and runs through the snowed parking lot, during a deposition hearing. This is a clear example of changed hegemonic ideas in masculinity in the media sector. Arthur is loaded with the testifying responsibility of delivering justice, which is questioned after he strips and runs naked in the parking lot. Male masculinity has faced a changed perception, both in the media sector and in the real world, which has led to the domination of feminity in journalism and mass media. Male actors and characters in the film industry

Answers to Finance Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answers to Finance Questions - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that since the Glass-Seagull Act that clearly defined the functions of investment banks, there has been several changes that have occurred in investment bank activities over the last few decades. These changes have been occasioned by market forces and regulatory requirements. Since the repeal of the Glass-Seagull Act in 1999, there has been increased competition in the investment banks sector due to more entry of more investment banks from commercial banks that opened investment banking wings. According to Santos, regulation are imposed to reduce risk, improve transparency as well as improve leverage. Some of these changes experienced include merchant banking, asset and portfolio management, research and security analysis, providing consultancy services during mergers, acquisitions and take-overs and banking for global funds transactions.This discussion highlights that a  money market mutual fund is where by many investors, both huge and small bring thei r funds together and invest them in short term securities. They are normally open-end funds where investors can purchase and sell their securities at will. These funds are professionally managed so as to reduce risks since the securities traded are highly liquid. Investment banks undertake to determine the levels of risk in different financial instruments and manage them so as to receive the best possible returns. Investment banks offer to trade in other financial instruments other than the conventional debt and equity securities.

Case Study on Ontology Languages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Study on Ontology Languages - Essay Example 20/Jul/2006 J B Conrad Semantic web creation conrad@xyz.com DAML+OIL: http://www.xyz.com J B Conrad conrad@xyz.com Semantic Web Creation May OWL: Comparison of the...While these languages represent the specifications for the Ontology, they do not represent the real programming languages that are employed like CycL, Ontolingua, F-Logic, etc., 1. XML: This uses a standard syntax laid down already by the W3C. The code is crisp and easy to write. The DTD can be defined the way it is required. However, this does not offer the flexibility of defining standard classes and then making use of the similar structure repeatedly. XML is easy to use in a program though of course, creating XML data which will have semantics in them is not possible with the existing structure of XML. 2. XOL on the other hand, offers all those features that are present in XML as well as in OIL. XOL employs modelling primitives that are in line with OKBC standards. This is based on XML and uses Ontologies to extend the features. Therefore, it is found that the language is supporting some of the insufficiencies in XML like standard class definition and other structure definitions. With these, the data gets verified and the mistakes in the data are avoided. In addition to these, this also supports extensive slot hierarchies. But however, it does not allow definition of relationships extensively. This makes it a weak relationship modeller. XOL is comfortable where only data is to be represented without any major relationship criterion which is hard to find in knowledge systems. 3.

Answers to Finance Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answers to Finance Questions - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that since the Glass-Seagull Act that clearly defined the functions of investment banks, there has been several changes that have occurred in investment bank activities over the last few decades. These changes have been occasioned by market forces and regulatory requirements. Since the repeal of the Glass-Seagull Act in 1999, there has been increased competition in the investment banks sector due to more entry of more investment banks from commercial banks that opened investment banking wings. According to Santos, regulation are imposed to reduce risk, improve transparency as well as improve leverage. Some of these changes experienced include merchant banking, asset and portfolio management, research and security analysis, providing consultancy services during mergers, acquisitions and take-overs and banking for global funds transactions.This discussion highlights that a  money market mutual fund is where by many investors, both huge and small bring thei r funds together and invest them in short term securities. They are normally open-end funds where investors can purchase and sell their securities at will. These funds are professionally managed so as to reduce risks since the securities traded are highly liquid. Investment banks undertake to determine the levels of risk in different financial instruments and manage them so as to receive the best possible returns. Investment banks offer to trade in other financial instruments other than the conventional debt and equity securities.

Abortion and the Medical Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abortion and the Medical Profession - Essay Example Perhaps no other issue stirs up heated debates and fierce emotions than that of abortion. It is one of the most contentious issues in society today. Medical and health care professionals are often put into a serious quandary regarding abortion and their professional practice in regards to their personal and religious beliefs. This issue of abortion clearly has ethical implications for people who want to avail of these surgical procedures and the ones performing them. Like any divisive issue, there are no easy answers to such a sticky emotional issue. In most cases, it all boils down to one’s deeply-held personal beliefs that will determine a stance the person has on a certain issue such as abortion. Before the landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court passed in the Roe vs. Wade decision, abortion was legal in a few states but illegal in most states of the country. Other countries do likewise have similar ambivalent laws regarding such a basic issue as human life and the right to life of an unborn child. The medical profession forbids the taking of life as contained in its Hippocratic Code. However, there are clearly certain instances in which abortion is justified (based on medical grounds) to be performed such as a threat to the life of the pregnant woman or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Essay The play Macbeth was written in the start of the 1600s by William Shakespeare, if you ever get a chance to read this play in both script and graphic novel you will discover that there are many signs of imagery and symbolism. Some of the many examples have been shown in nature with trees and birds acting as something’s are going on in the back, some in the way that the people, kings, and nobles dress in the play and also some in the way that blood is used throughout the play. As Lady Macbeth and Macbeth make plans to kill King Duncan so that Macbeth can become king as what the witches’ prophecy states, they know Banquo was there talking to the witches with Macbeth. The first example shows how the weather and nature acts when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do a dirty deed. So when the king was murdered the animals in the Kings castle went ‘haywire’ as Ross says, â€Å"and Duncan’s horses, a thing most strange / Beauteous and swift, the minors of their race, / turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, / Contending ’gainst obedience as they would.† (Ross, 2.4.14) This would show that a person has done something that they should not and obstructed the circle of life; in this case, â€Å"†¦Macbeth does murder sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Macbeth, 2.2.395); in other words Macbeth killed Duncan to take his position. There is also many other parts where nature acts as events happen for example when Malcolm and his army from England proceed marching to Dunsinane to confront Macbeth. Because at this point the weather appears to be dark and scary like someone is going to die. The second example is clothing; this distinguishes them from good and evil. For example light clothes are worn when the character wearing them is in a good and positive role and dark clothes are worn when the character wearing them is in a bad and evil role. Relating to Macbeth, this shows him as well as Lady Macbeth changing from noble and loyal to the king to trying to take him over. At the start Macbeth shows to be wearing purple and other loyal colors in the graphic novel but towards the end he had turned to a tyrant and started wearing red symbolizing blood and dark clothes. But also clothing is used to represent people and used to tell how good or bad a person is for example when Macbeth hears that he has been given the position of the Thane of Cawdor, he asks Angus why he is being dressed in borrowed robes (1.3.7) because he knows that the Thane of Cawdor still lives. Blood shows to play a huge part in Macbeth: Macbeth is a warrior at start and towards the end but then towards the middle he shows his ambition and turned to kill anyone in his way, in this case King Duncan and Banquo and Macduff’s Family. Make thick my blood,/ Stop up/ th access and passage of nature/ Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ Th effect and it! (Lady Macbeth, 1.5), this shows that lady Macbeth is talking to and telling spirits to make her blood thick and make her stronger so that they can commit a crime. Also that blood can symbolize who they are and what they do. Macbeth also says it will have blood, they / say: blood will have blood. / Stones have been known to move and trees to speak (Macbeth, 3.6). Blood plays a big part in Macbeth because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been playing with the scale of life and disrupting it with blood and murder. Showing blood, nature and clothing in the play can make symbolism and imagery in the play better. Blood is used in most of Shakespeare plays. The nature used in these plays is called pathetic fallacy and this is another factor embedded in most Shakespeare plays. In Macbeth he is a warrior but a tyrant trying to take over the king. Clothing can play a role to describe what kind or how a person is. At conclusion Macbeth shows symbolism and imagery to describe many aspects of the play and it does help the reader or the audience get a better perspective and in-depth view of the characters and how they behave.

Discrimination Concerns in a Business Environment

Discrimination Concerns in a Business Environment Organisational policies and procedures Legal compliance Direct Discrimination Direct discrimination consists of treating a person less favourably than others are or would be treated, on the grounds of race, sex, disability, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. Indirect Discrimination This includes practices which look fair but have discriminatory side effects, which may or may not be intended. Harassment Harassment of individuals related to their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, or sexual orientation is regarded as a form of discrimination, and is therefore illegal. Harassment is defined as: â€Å"Unwanted conduct related to any of the grounds covered by the legislation which takes place with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person and/or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.† Victimisation Victimisation occurs when an individual is adversely treated because they have made a complaint of discrimination or harassment, or provided evidence in such a case Organizations are legally required to follow a set of practices to ensure discrimination is eradicated and expectations of equality are met in the workplace. 1970 The Equal Pay Act (EPA) (as amended), makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women in terms of their pay and conditions (including pay, holiday entitlement, pension etc) where they are doing the same or similar work; work rated as equivalent; or work of equal value. 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) (as amended), makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of sex or marital status in areas such as employment, education and the provision of goods and services. 1976 The Race Relations Act (RRA) (as amended) makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of colour, race, and nationality, ethnic or national origin. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 outlaws discrimination in all public authority functions, and places a general duty on public authorities to promote race equality and good race relations. There is also a specific duty to produce a Race Equality Policy and undertake race equality impact assessments. 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (as amended) makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of disability in the areas of employment, the provision of goods and services and education. The 2005 Regulations provide new definitions of direct discrimination and harassment and widen the duty to make reasonable adjustments. 1996 The Employment Rights Act (as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999) covers many issues including an employee’s entitlement to maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, parental leave and the right to request flexible working arrangements. It also outlaws detriment in employment and affords employees a right not to be unfairly dismissed and to receive a redundancy payment (providing qualifying criteria are met). Further Regulations elaborate on these. 1997 The Protection from Harassment Act makes harassment both a civil tort and criminal offence, and although originally drafted to provide protection from stalking, covers other forms of harassment, both in and out of the workplace. 1999 The Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations make it unlawful to discriminate against a person for the purpose of employment or vocational training on the ground that that person intends to undergo, is undergoing, or has at some time in the past undergone gender reassignment. In particular, the Regulations give transsexuals the right to be protected from direct discrimination. 2001 The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) extends the DDA (1995) to include the provision education (including Higher Education). It makes it illegal to discriminate in the provision of education on the grounds of a student’s disability. It is now largely incorporated within the DDA (2005). 2002 The Employment Act makes provision for rights to paternity and adoption leave and pay; amends the law relating to statutory maternity leave and pay; makes provision for the use of statutory procedures in relation to employment disputes; and covers the right to request flexible working. 2003 The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of religion or religious belief in employment and vocational training. 2003 The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation in employment and vocational training. The Regulations protect homosexuals, heterosexuals and bisexuals. 2004 The Gender Recognition Act 2004 gives legal recognition to a transsexual’s acquired gender. For example, a male-to-female transsexual will be legally recognised as a woman in English law. 2005  Disability Discrimination Act makes substantial amendments to the 1995 Act. It introduces a duty on all public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. In particular, public bodies have to produce a Disability Equality Scheme to promote disability and to explain how they intend to fulfil the duty to promote equality. 2005 The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations are concerned with the principle of equal treatment of men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions. It makes changes to the definition of harassment at work and indirect discrimination, and also prohibits discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave. 2006 The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations make it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers or trainees on grounds of age in employment and vocational training. They prohibit direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation, instructions to discriminate and harassment. They introduce a minimum retirement age of 65; a duty on employers to respond to requests to work beyond retirement age; and remove the upper age limit for claiming a redundancy payment or unfair dismissal. 2006 The Equality Act makes provision for the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by merging the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission. The EHRC is responsible for promoting equality and diversity and will work towards eliminating discrimination on the usual grounds (including religion and belief, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability, race and gender reassignment 2007 The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services, education, disposal and management of premises and the exercise of public functions. Meeting Organisational Aims and Commitment Elements which lead to people’s commitment: 1. Commitment is an  attitude Commitment is an  attitude  a psychological frame of mind which motivates people to work towards certain goals. Managers can train employees with new skills and impart them with new knowledge but quite often than not they find it extremely difficult to effect changes in people’s attitude. 2. Use of resources Committed people commit their total resources, which include going extra mile for achieving goals assigned to them. 3. Achievement  of goals Committed people not only work hard but also are also smart enough to know the ultimate results, which are expected of them. Commitment thus means striving till the  achievement  of ultimate goals. Writing Equality and Diversity Policies A good policy will be split into these sections: A statement of intent This spells out organisational commitment to equality and diversity in terms of opportunity and access, and your commitment to tackle discrimination. A purpose This explains why your organisation is writing and adopting the policy. Your organisation may wish to refer to and recognise issues of specific discrimination or refer to any specific research related to your organisation. A commitment to action Your organisation needs to list what steps it will take to ensure that its intentions and purpose are reflected in the way the organisation plans action, makes decisions, recruits staff and volunteers, delivers services and supports staff and volunteers and service users. There should be a statement about positive action to tackle under- representation in this section. A review of the legal requirements Your organisation needs to describe how this legislation relates to your work and what steps you intend to take to ensure you meet the appropriate legal requirements Discrimination, harassment and victimisation The policy needs to define direct and indirect discrimination (including discrimination by association and by perception), harassment and victimisation, all of which need to be tackled in the policy through statements committing the organisation to action. Implementation and communication Your organisation needs to explain how the policy will be put into practice and how it will be communicated to all staff, volunteers and service users. Monitoring and evaluation Your organisation needs to describe how the policy will be monitored and evaluated and who will be responsible for that work. Your organisation needs to state how long the policy will be in existence and when it will be subject to review. Complaints or grievance and disciplinary procedures Your organisation needs to make clear how complaints and disciplinary action can be triggered by actions contrary to the policy, how appeals can be made, who is responsible, and how matters are resolved. An action plan Finally, you need to write an action plan. This will include objectives with clear outcomes, stating who is responsible for each objective, what resources are in place, when each target will be met and what evidence the organisation can provide to show the outcomes have been met. References Improving Equality and Diversity in Your Organisation: A Guide for Third Sector CEOs. Retrieved from http://www.gadnetwork.org.uk/storage/ACEVO%202011%20Improving%20Equality%20and%20Diversity%20in%20Your%20Organisation%20-%20A%20guide%20for%20Third%20Sector%20CEOs.pdf Delivering Equality and Diversity. Retrieved from http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/l/e/Acas_Delivering_Equality_and_Diversity_(Nov_11)-accessible-version-Apr-2012.pdf Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com/equality.htm Legal Services Commission Equality and Diversity Guidance 2013.Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/legal-aid/civil-contracts/equality-diversity-guidance-for-providers.pdf Retrieved from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/ACHIEVING_EXCELLENCE_THROUGH_TOTAL_COMMITMENT.html Retrieved from www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dundeecity/uploaded/publication_1668.doc‎