Traits of Successful Relationships

A successful relationship is the Holy Grail in life for most people. We are constantly searching and striving to attain that bond with someone without fully understanding the components involved in making it happen. In a time of serial monogamy, marriage drive thrus, and quickie divorces, we don't have much incentive to invest that sort of time. Relationships are easy to get out of. But in order to have a successful relationship, both parties must first actively communicate their intentions of what they are hoping to gain from the relationship, concerns, and hopes for themselves as individuals and as a collective.Failure to do this would surely be the demise of any relationship. During life, a significant factor is the relationship with another. There are many aspects to a relationship that will make it strong or long lasting. Looks may seem to be important but in the long run they prove not to be. Looks can be changed through surgery and can fade with age. There are four qualities t hat should be found in a good strong relationship. These four factors will never change no matter what kind of relationship one is in or what one looks like. The four factors that make a good relationship are commitment, trust, caring, and communication.In any relationship, if any of these four factors are missing then the relationship will not last long. Commitment is an important factor in building a strong and successful relationship. Commitment keeps a relationship together through the good and the bad times. Whether a partner in a relationship is suffering through hard times, the couple if committed will pull through. A strong relationship that is committed will make it through the major and the minor crisis of life. A minor crisis that could put a strain on a relationship could be considered as something simple such as the breaking of a date or one person having no money.A major crisis may be one partner going off to war or having to leave town for several months on business. If the relationship is committed then a couple will survive these crises. Commitment is a step in building a strong relationship. (Naidu, 1996) The second part of a successful relationship is trust. Trust is like the â€Å"I love you† of a relationship. Trust means that when one partner wants to go out for a night on the town with his or her friends that they will not cheat. When a couple is out together for a night, the partner will not be flirting with other people in the room.A couple that trusts each other will give each other space to do their own thing. Trust allows a relationship to grow because there is not the constant worry of what the other party is doing. Trust is when there are selected responsibilities that each partner may have and makes sure are fulfilled. Responsibilities such as making sure the trash is taken out or the bills are paid on time. Building trust in a relationship could even consist of making sure that if there is a dinner date that both parties are on time. Even though destroying trust can happen in an instant, building trust takes lots of time. Gildea, 2005) Building trust in a relationship takes time and effort while destroying it could be as simple as cheating or not showing up when a date is scheduled. The third part of a successful relationship is caring. There is no way to truly describe what caring is but it is an intimate part of any relationship. Caring is a feeling or emotion that cannot be readily described in words but still a feeling. Caring is missing your partner when they are away or being sad when they are not feeling well. Caring in a relationship is an emotion that can only be described using other emotions.When two people care for each other in a relationship they form a bond which is hard to break even when common sense tells them that they need to. This bond is so strong that even abusive couples will stay together. The couple thinks that they care for each other enough that the abuse does not matter. (Jaroneczyk, 2002) Caring is the fabric of building a strong relationship. The fourth and most important part of a relationship is communication. Communications is the problem solver of a relationship and could also be the destroyer of a relationship. Communication is the foundation of every relationship.Whether it is a relationship between a man and a woman or a relationship between people of the same gender, communication is the best way and maybe the only way for people to express their feelings to their partner. When a good communication system does not exist, the relationship could no longer exist either because the two sides do not understand each other anymore. Communication keeps the both sides inform about everything. Even though communication is very vital, it is very hard to accomplish a lot of times. It is even harder for a man and a woman to establish a good communication due to the differences of the two genders.As stated by Deborah Tannen in her article â€Å"Sex, L ies and Conversation: Why Is It So Hard for Men and Women to Talk to Each Other? † men and women, when it comes to communication, they are very different from each other. Each gender looks at the subject from a whole different point of view. For the male, they don't like to do much of talking but more of hanging out together. Going to a bar or watching a sport game is their way of good bonding and communication. As for women, they like to have long chats and that is their way of good communication.Like Tannen said, â€Å"Intimacy is the fabric of relationships, and talk is the thread from which it is woven (Tannen, 1995, 33). † Therefore, the two sides look for different things when it comes to communication in a relationship. This is one of the main reasons why it is easier for two people of the same gender to communicate than opposite sex. When a man is down, he comes to his best male friend and tells the problem, the friend probably will not be so sensitive about it but instead might try to argue it, showing the male hierarchy and they start to have a debate. For a woman, it is very different.Women try to understand each other and put themselves into the position and try to feel it with one another (Tannen, 1995, 33-34). The natural development of men and women also plays a very important role in creating a hard communication between the two genders. Throughout history, men always had been the more dominant gender. A male is always expected to support and run his family externally. On the other hand, a female's role in society is to take care of the kitchen and the children. A female in history was always expected to wait and stay by the side of a man and never would get the same opportunities or treatment.Even though this concept had improved over the years with hard works of many courageous women, it is still a problem today. In her essay â€Å"Unfair Game,† Susan Jacoby displays how disrespectful men can be to women. According to Jaco by, men always think that women are out hunting for men. Jacoby shares several of her personal experiences to prove her point. One of the incidents is when she and a friend were having a conversation at a bar and a drunken man tried to hit on them. They outwardly refuse and the man was very amazed at their rejection.These types of incidents are typical in today's society but morally very wrong. Society always has pictured women as the lower and less important gender. So therefore, with this idea in mind, women get less respect and get treated as though they are useless and always have to go out in search for men to survive. In the society today, some men take this concept and go a step further. They expect to get what they want and if not, they call the women bad names like it happens to Jacoby (Jacoby, 207-208). Communication is the first and most important thing in a relationship but it is also the hardest thing to accomplish.A bad communication in a relationship could cause many misunderstandings and troubles. If good communication is easily attain, than the United States would not have nearly 50 percent divorce rate (Tannen, 1995, 32). It is very hard to achieve, but fighting will not solve anything, only compromises will solve problems. But ultimately the reason communication is most important is because it’s the beginning of any relationship. Every relationship starts with communication because that is how you meet the person. A relationship will not get started if the communication is not there.Communication separates a purely physical relationship with no meaning from a true strong relationship. Communication in a relationship should be honest. Communication makes two people one. (Jaroneczyk, 2002) When a couple knows each others likes and dislikes communication is strong. Communication lets a couple talk about their problems and can help resolve many of them. In a relationship with no communication a small problem can cause a rift which will le ad to a break up. This is why communication is an important part of a relationship. In all relationships there are up and downs.There are likes and dislikes in any relationship but there are four elements that keep them together. A couple that has strong communication is more likely to stay together then one that does not. A relationship with caring will be stronger than a relationship without. A couple that trusts one another is a likely pair to stay together. Finally a couple that has a strong commitment is more likely to have a good relationship. When these four things are accomplished in a relationship it is very likely that they will succeed! References Gildea, D. (2005). Developing A successful relationship.Accounting Today, , 18-49. Tannen, Deborah. â€Å"Sex, Lies, and Conversation: Why Is It So Hard for Men and Women to Talk to Each Other? † Encountering Culters: Reading and Writing in a Changing World. 2nd edition. Richard Holeton, ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hal l. 1995. Naidu, J. (1996-06-29). For successful relationships. New Straits times, 01. EX. Jacoby, Susan. â€Å"Unfair Game. † Outlooks and Insights: A Reader for College Writers. 4th edition. Paul Eschholz and Alfred Rosa, ed. New York: St. Martin Press. 1995 Jaroneczyk, J. (2002). Successful relationships. Internet World, 8(7), 11-31.

Colleges should provide as much money for sports

In todays generation book is not the only knowledge which is enough for practical life, practical knowledge is equally important as the knowledge which we get from books. In context of Nepal schools and colleges don't seem to provide as much money for sports activities as they provide for libraries. Many people think that book gives us all the cognition but I disagree. We live in a generation filled with competing students. Yes, it is true that studies are the most important pillar for student's good uture but sports is equally important.Regular participation in sport activities will help a student to keep his/her body fit and mind fresh. If students are involved in sports then they will know what they're good at, because there is a very good career in sports too and they may even choose to follow that career. Colleges spend too much money for libraries but hesitate to spend money for sports but it is not healthy to do so even biologically because if a student only studies and doesn' t take part in ny sports activities then his mind automatically becomes dull and all that he has studied might not get inside his head, which will be useless.Its 21st century, a modernized time, where people are interested in people who are good at both education as well as sports. It isn't enough for people to be good Just studies; they should also be good at sports. As it is said â€Å"A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body', Just like that sports helps us our maintain our physical fitness nd mental abilities come to the conclusion that a good physical condition creates a strong mental power.Just studying makes people dull and Just sitting in one place for a long time makes us lazy and physically unfit. I know we students should study but we should also give our body some time to relax by playing games so that it can get some break by all that studying. Some parents might think sports are unnecessary but it is actually very important for a child to go out and pl ay and have some fun.

Native Americans & Christopher Columbus Essay

Indubitably, the acts made upon Indians for the sake of progress were atrocious. Brutal and cruel murders of millions of Indian peoples resound to this day. Their populations may never recover from such an incredible loss; the past can be ignored but never erased. However, we as Americans, celebrate Christopher Columbus day with joy. We think only of ‘The Founding of America’ and not by the means of which our country was constructed. To Indians everywhere this holiday is simply a remembrance of the murder, torture, rape, and enslavement of their people that last hundreds of years. So why do we celebrate such an insidious act? Because we justify the imposition of others for the sake of human progress. However is this tactic progressive at all? When Zinn writes â€Å"If there are necessary sacrifices to be made for human progress, is it not essential to hold to the principle that those to be sacrificed must make the decision themselves? † he is simply asking if there is something to be lost for the gain of progress, shouldn’t the ones who are to lose make the decision to be the â€Å"necessary sacrifice†. Indeed, I believe that if the imposed party were given the choice to either be sacrificed or not, for even the sake of progress, they would not be willing. Its basic human nature, self preservation, and so the majority of people, I feel would not be logically able to make such a choice. Therefore, yes, I do believe that until people as a whole are able to make peaceful resolution and keep their word, that necessary sacrifices must be made but with only with the heaviest of heart. No one can refute that the destruction of the Native Americans and their homes was a terrible time in history that should not be repeated. I feel the genocide of these Indians was necessary to get where we are as humans today. If the Spaniards and other conquerors had led peaceful resolutions the United States would neither function, nor geographically look the same as it does today. We cannot say what a peaceful relationship between foreigners and the Native Americans could have brought, for we did not experience it and must only rely on what we know. What we know is, though terrible, the deaths of those people have brought us to the modern face of America and all the technological advances that have been achieved with it. This should not be celebrated with holidays such as Christopher Columbus Day, for it was indeed only the beginning of mass extinction for the American Indian and should only be respected for the many souls that lost their life for the sake of â€Å"human progress†. From my perspective the Columbian exchange should be viewed in a negative light. This occurrence in history has most often had a positive connotation attached to it; however, the murder of millions should never be looked upon as a positive. Crops, animals, diseases and culture were traded among the Indians and foreigners. Many of which made the America’s desirable to be cultivated and populated. It is for these reasons that historians typically categorize this event as a positive instead of the damaging situation it was. History is as said, history. We cannot alter it to suite our present or future; however we can learn from it. Humans as a whole will continue on making mistakes, minor and major, tense and bloody but the Columbian Exchange has taught Americans that they cannot repeat his occurrence in any shape form or fashion. Peaceful resolution should be met if possible, if not reached, then may with the most apprehension and fear, should war be approached. Native American numbers may never recover but we will no longer make them suffer.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Globalization - Essay Example The entrepreneurial leadership of emerging markets like China and India have greatly contributed to the changing equations. Indeed, the developing clusters of high technology business are comparable to Silicon Valley. So I believe that in the next ten years, one of these clusters in China and India could seriously jeopardize the status of Silicon Valley. Technology hubs in Bangalore in India and around Tsinghua University in China are fast acquiring credibility in the global market. HSBC claims that ‘growth among emerging markets will mean that by 2030, half of the world’s main trading nations will change what they export’ (2013). 20% of global R&D spending is made by China and India (Berger, 2012). Both the countries have significantly increased their R&D capabilities to deliver highly innovative products across different segment to compete in global market. These are hugely critical statistics that indicate the changing dynamics of the economic power wielded through technology and expanding knowledge base. The technology hubs in these countries are responsible for their countries’ growing economic power in the global market. They are rapidly increasing their database of skilled workers and professionals by developing world-class educational institutions and opening new opportunities for them to experimen t with new ideas. Infosys in India and Lenovo in China are important entrepreneurial ventures that have made considerable impact on the changing map of political economy. Another very important fact is that both the countries have introduced reforms in their economies to allow foreign investment. This is big step because it helps to transfer and share knowledge which further boosts their performance and gives them distinct leverage in the new scenario of shifting powers. Elliot (2006) says that America is looking

The scorecard measures Between Toyota&Peugeot Essay

The scorecard measures Between Toyota&Peugeot - Essay Example The organizational profits but also the response of the customers to a firm’s strategic decisions indicate the ability of the organization to identify plans that are aligned with the market trends. The role of various factors in a firm’s performance has been extensively studied in the context of management accounting. A series of management accounting techniques has been developed in order to help firms to measure their performance, either in the short or the long term. Current paper focuses on the potential use of Balanced Scorecard, an accounting technique developed in 1990 by Kaplan and Norton, for measuring the performance of a well known, organization: Toyota. Reference is made to potential scorecard measures under each of the four headings of the balanced scorecard that could be applied to Toyota. At the next level, two alternative strategic management techniques are suggested for another well-known firm of the global automotive industry, Peugeot, at the level tha t these techniques could possibly help the organization to measure its performance more effectively. The performance of both, Toyota and Peugeot, is compared with reference to these firms’ potential to apply effectively their strategies. Peugeot is more prepared in order to face the challenges of the global market, a fact that is related to the firm’s ability to avoid failures when measuring its performance. 2. Balanced scorecard as related to the just-in-time technique in Toyota The just-in-time technique used in Toyota is based on the following principle: waste must be controlled, as possible. For this reason, in Toyota efforts are made so that the following philosophy is applied: the volume of the firm’s products is decided in accordance with the level of the existing orders (Toyota, Production system, 2012). In order to be able to respond quickly to new orders, the firm promotes the following strategies: all parts required for the vehicle ordered are availab le in the assembly line, so that the production of the vehicle can proceed with no delay (Toyota Production system 2012). After using certain parts for producing a new vehicle, the assembly line has to replace these parts so that its stock is kept at a specific level, a fact that secures the readiness of the firm’s production units to respond quickly to new orders (Toyota Production system 2012). The above technique could be analyzed using the Balanced Scorecard (Figure 1, Appendix). The Balanced Scorecard is consisted from four parts: ‘Customer, Internal Processes, Employee Learning and Growth and Financial’ (Niven 2006, p.13). A series of potential scorecard measures under each of the four headings of the balanced scorecard as they could apply to Toyota are presented below. 2.1. Customer The relationship between the firm and its customers has faced severe challenges the last decade mostly because the continuous failures in the firm’s products. It is expe cted that customers’ loyalty has been decreased, a problem that should be faced by the organization with no delay. A measure should be developed by the organization for estimating the level of customer loyalty and the level of customer satisfaction in regard to the firm’s products worldwide. The firm would initiate a survey among its customers worldwide; the views of the firm’s existing customers on the quality of the firm’

Dams and Reservoirs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dams and Reservoirs - Essay Example The final choice of the dam will be made after the consideration of these factors. In the study, the factors that affect the selection of the type of dam and the dam type to be constructed on different foundations will be discussed accordingly. Topography includes the surface configuration of the dam site, the area of the reservoir, the accessibility of construction materials and the source. The topography of an area determines the type of dam to be constructed. Geotechnical and geological structure of the dam site refers to the condition of the foundation which depends upon the thickness and geological strata that will carry the weight of the dam, their permeability and inclination and the relation to the underlying strata and faults. The foundation will be responsible for the choice to a certain extent, although it can be modified, taking the height of the dam into consideration. Availability of construction materials is the reduction of transportation expense for construction materials, especially those in large quantities will have an effect in the reduction of the total cost of the project. Therefore, the most economical type of dam is the one for which the construction materials exists within a distance from the site . ... In the choice of a dam, the size of spillway and the natural restrictions in its location are the controlling factor in the selection of a dam. is the most important factor in the selection of the type of dam to be constructed. But further estimates and alternatives are given considerations to fulfil this factor. Environment and public pinion plays a major influence on the type of dam for construction. For maximum protection, the principal influence of the environmental laws and regulations on the selection of the type of dam is in need for the environment that can affect the dimensions, location, the location of spillway and additional facilities. The possibility of flood inundation during construction, is the possibility of flood overflow during construction would favour a concrete dam. In the economical condition of a country, the amount of production of cement, pozzolan and steel, which are parallel to the industrial development of a country, is a factor in the selection of the t ype of dam to be constructed. Climate and time available for construction means that the design of dams are usually affected by climate, because of the importance of the weather during the construction of the dam. Non availability of side personnel with particular skills, refers to the lack of skilled contractors in the site. In seismicity, earthquake induced damages in dams are very few. Due to the fact that people tend to live in the floodplain downstream of dams, it would be very essential to increase precaution to the selection of the type of dam to be built. Height of the Dam is a very important factor in the selection of dams. Earthfill with toe drains was used for large dam in the past, but it should have been used to low dams in low

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations - Essay Example In this easy, some tips on how to make an effective presentation are discussed. The issue of stage fright, which is a major hindrance to making an effective oral presentation and how to manage it, is also discussed. At the end of this discussion, there should be clarity on how one can make an effective oral presentation. Keywords: Oral Presentation, Effective, Stage Fright Introduction When making an oral presentation, it is very important for one to be able to present thoughts and ideas effectively. Oral presentations are usually very popular in job interviews, and especially when one starts working (Gupta, 2008). So everyone is encouraged to practice oral presentation even before friends and family so as to perfect the skill before the very important time. Ones ability in this area can either make or break his or her career. This is because a person can be very hard working in the job he or she is doing, but if he or she does not have good skills in oral presentation, his or her gr owth will not be seen (Aquino, 2008). There are people who have a certain potential for communication, but this does not mean that they are good at oral presentation. The techniques involved would be very beneficial to such people, to sharpen up their skills more. Effective oral presentation skills make a person more popular among colleagues, for example, a manager who has good skills in oral presentation is likely to be popular among his juniors (Gupta, 2008). What is Oral Presentation? Most of the time, people tend to confuse oral communication with oral presentation, but the two are totally different. According to Gupta, â€Å"oral communication is an interactive process of sharing information† (2008, p. 91) with people. Oral presentation on the other hand refers to a proper way of transmitting messages to an audience. It is important to note that effective oral presentations are important for the growth of a company or organization one is working for, especially when the partners or donors of the funds are present. Characteristics of an Effective Oral Presentation Purposeful: When being composed, an oral presentation should be directed to a definite purpose and one that is clear, because it is aimed at conveying a message to the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Interactive: Any oral presentation should involve the speaker, as well as the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Formal: This is what differentiates oral presentation from other forms of presentations. As said earlier, it is usually emphasized during job interviews. Thus, it is usually used in formal situations. Audience Oriented: This means that the topic has to be dealt with from the perspective of the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Importance of an Effective Oral Presentation Employers usually put great emphasis on oral presentation skills, than in any other form of communication skills. Gupta asserts that an oral presentation has the potential to educate, inspire and persuade more effectively than any other individ ual mode of communication (2008). At some point in ones career, he or she may be asked to make a presentation, and this is the reason why most of the business people rank oral presentation skills as among the most important factors responsible for their success. A good oral presentation can work wonders for any person who is looking for lucrative job offer from a company he or she has dreamt of working with

Analyse a discourses in 'Discourses and Variation' subject Essay - 1

Analyse a discourses in 'Discourses and Variation' subject - Essay Example These talk back methods enable community involvement and discussion of interactional energy with instructors through conversation (Williams, 2004). User review of retail methods illustrates SNS interactions prospective subversion of straight interaction of energy and equalizing instructor and school student accessibility details statements. This review supports statements about the machine-mediated interaction approach (Facebook) to democratize interaction through filtering cues denoting community hierarchies. Learners who could not otherwise criticize educators educational methods in experience to deal with get in touch with for fear of sanction, found in Facebook a safe way to query them. RP posts, ‘I do not care if pain WAS useful to get details. It still goes against the Geneva Conference agreement, and is an obvious attack on individual privileges. What is this world coming to? We’re SUPPOSED to be the excellent people, but the way I look at it we are not doing a very excellent job of displaying it. Torture is incorrect. 100 %. No validation.’ MR posts, â€Å"bunch of generous pansies †¦ do you really experience concern for the same people that blew up a part of our country? Do you think these ‘people’ (and I used that term loosely) would stop to consider what they are (and did) to our prisoners? †¦ I say whatever happens to them is much less than they are entitled to †¦.† PS declares, â€Å"†¦ (of course there are the exclusions †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and even goes to unite himself with team associates by asking, â€Å"†¦ what does [sic] people like us have to concern over issues of this nature?† a participant preserves this design of discussion. QK â€Å"It is not anyone here is [sic] job to persuade you that you are incorrect, but if you are here to task the GROUP’s opinions, back it up. Oh, and cut down on the terminology — AND learn how to perform magic. I think what it comes down to is to THINK before you write,

Professional Rights and Obligations in Real estate Essay

Professional Rights and Obligations in Real estate - Essay Example UK government control over property valuers is very limited and through the Estate Agents Act 1979 and through the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991, there is some control over the brokerage process. The 1991 Act was intended to thwart property development companies and estate agents from making deceptive statements about property. In actual parlance, both the above-mentioned Acts neither control the property valuation nor offers strong control over the process. (Sayce et al 2006:32). For doing the estate agency business in England and Wales, there is necessity to obtain any licence. However, a bankrupt cannot be a estate agent or if the Office of the Fair Trading declare that an individual is debarred from acting as an estate agent, if they had received many complaints about any individual about the style in which he might have carried out his business in the past.(Carter2008:262). The judge in Antonelli v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry,1997 employed his diplomacy regardi ng the elucidation of the word† violence† in the background of the Estate Agent’s Act 1979. ... However, in appeal by the defendant to the Court of Appeals, the defendant argued that on having some doubts about the residential nature of the house, he enquired with the vendor who confirmed that he had obtained a residential permission for that house. The Court of Appeals held that the real estate agent chiefly focused on skill and his own experience in determining and the Court of Appeal found that it was wholly proper. Estate agents are under obligation not to make any false statement in their dealings. In McMeekin v Long1 , it was held that an estate agent should disclose the details of any dispute existing with an antagonistic neighbour and concealment of such information would result in false statement. An estate is under obligation not to involve in any misleading statement. In Atlantic Estates Plc v Ezekiel2, where a property auction details included a photo of exhibiting people leaving or entering a premise as a bar whereas in reality, the tenant’s licence was exha usted and the said property was no longer was used to run the cocktail or wine bar. In Gordon v Selico Co Ltd3, it was held that the action of a builder to cover up the signs of upcoming of dry rot just before advertising the property in the market was held to be false and misleading statement. Liabilities The main objective of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 was to establish a new kind of strict liability criminal offence emanating from statements made about property. Section 1(1) of the above Act states: â€Å"Where a deceptive or phony statement about a prescribed matter is made in the course of an estate agency business, the individual who made such statement shall be liable to be punished as an offence under this

The Usefulness of the Academic Literature on National Culture for Essay

The Usefulness of the Academic Literature on National Culture for Helping a Multinational Corporation Devise its Strategy - Essay Example As a means of developing broader range insights into the nature of culture, business, innovation, and profit, this research assess the usefulness of the academic literature on national culture for helping a multinational corporation devise its strategy. As there are a number of broad-ranging theories on national culture, this research advances by analyzing the relationships and associations between key factors found in the literature. Analysis One of the prominent areas where academic literature on national culture has been implemented in terms of business strategy is in the hospitality industry. Baker & Moreo (2008) investigated power distance management between cultures. This specific investigation administered questionnaires to managers in different international regions, specifically: the United States, Thailand, Malaysia, and Turkey. Specifically, the research notes that the questionnaires sought to determine if, â€Å"managers from varied power distance cultures would exhibit varied degrees of participative style, openness to strategic change, formality of strategic control, and people-focused orientation when setting strategic goals† (Baker & Moreo, 2008, p. 12). The results were inconclusive regarding specific differences in power relationships between national cultures. As a result of these findings the authors argue that managers operating in international contexts need not be concerned with the relation between distance and power relationships. Such findings demand further investigation, as there is the possibility of limitations because of the specific organizations that were implemented, as specific trends in the cultures that may be more amenable to each other (Tandukar 2008). Still, there literature makes a significant contribution to broader ranging strategic investigations, as it constitutes a specific perspective on these relations. Such a notion functions to indicate that while individual research studies may lack the large-scale reach that would allow them to make significant impacts on business strategy, collated and implemented in a comprehensive approach could reveal significant insights. Another prominent area where literature on national cultures has been intertwined with business strategy is business ownership. Larimo (1998) tested the notion that national origin significantly impacts the strategies of multinational corporations.

A detailed analysis of The Red-Headed League Essay Example for Free

A detailed analysis of The Red-Headed League Essay In 1888, A Study in Scarlet was published, bringing together the infamous duo of Holmes and Watson and in the creation of Holmes, earned Conan Doyle his fortune. Scandal in Bohemia and the following stories of his characters journey into the world of crime solving appeared in The Strand magazine. The 1880s saw a growing market for popular fiction and at a mere sixpence a week, it had anxious people rushing to the stands for literary entertainment, amusement and escapism. The double act of Holmes and Watson is very effective in the short stories by Conan Doyle. Holmes is often described in the short stories with extended imagery, often like creatures and monsters.  His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank bird, with dull grey plumage and a black top-knot.  This imagery helps to reinforce the idea that his sharp and piercing eyes give the impression that he is very alert. Holmes is also described as having a tall, gaunt figure with slick black hair and hawk-like yet austere facial features. He is portrayed as being a blunt and impatient man. At the beginning of The Red-Headed League after Watsons initial intrusion, he pulls Watson abruptly into the room and he is anxious for Mr. Jabez Wilson to recommence his narrative. Watson, on the contrary, is a polite man. When he walks in on Holmes and Wilson having the conversation, he apologises and starts to withdraw. The choice of Watson as the narrator for these short stories is very effective. From the beginning, it is clear that they are very close friends, and the feeling of this friendship is made tangible in The Final Problem, as Watson mourns the tragic death of Holmes. Another reason Watson is effective as the storyteller, is that compared to Holmes amazing powers of logic and deduction, he seems more like a normal person. He, like the reader, is amazed by Holmes skills, yet he does not understand them. During the denouement of The Red-Headed League, Watson helps the reader understand how Holmes came to his conclusions by asking him the questions that are in the readers mind, such as, But how could you guess what the motive was? and, how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night? This satisfies the reader and adds realism it helps them accept it is possible. Also, as Watson is left in the dark until the conclusion, it emphasises Holmes ingenuity and powers of deductive reasoning. Throughout The Red-Headed League, there are many clues that enable the mystery to be solved. The idea of the Red-Headed League was so bizarre that there had to be something beyond the obvious evidence. Holmes chuckles after the reading of the advertisement found in the newspaper and concludes that it is a little off the beaten track. The strange factors that surround the hiring of Wilsons assistant, Vincent Spaulding, make the reader (and the characters) quite dubious of his authenticity. Vincent worked at half wages and he had been with Wilson about a month before he showed Wilson the advertisement for The Red-Headed League and recommends strongly that he applies. When Holmes and Watson go to Mr. Wilsons shop to meet the assistant, Holmes notices the knees of his trousers. All of these ideas are evidently significant to solving the mystery, but the significance cannot be seen by anyone else but Holmes. The scene with Holmes, Watson, police agent Mr. Jones (of Scotland Yard) and Mr. Merryweather, the bank director, sitting in the pitch darkness is effective at building the atmosphere and mood needed for the finale. Watson depicts the scene with fantastic imagery. As they wait in the earth-smelling passage in absolute darkness, Watsons nerves are worked up to a pitch of expectancy. This illustrates the anticipation being felt by the characters and the readers themselves. Watson says there is something depressing and subduing about sitting in the sudden gloom and the cold, dank air. Although he is excited about their scheme, he realises the darker side to the outcome. After sitting in the darkness for a period of time, and after Watson thinks that the night must have almost gone, and the dawn be breaking above them, Watsons limbs become weary and stiff. Watson is physically starting to feel very uncomfortable in that situation, yet he fears to change his position. His hearing becomes very acute and he can start to distinguish the deeper, heavier in-breath of the bulky Jones from the thin sighing note of the bank director. This details how still and silent the characters are in this intense moment. Suddenly, his eyes catch the glint of a light. Starting as a lurid spark, it turns into a yellow line before an almost womanly hand appears from the gash. The culmination of the action will soon be played out before the reader. At this point, you can see how Conan Doyle has created the tension for the reader and how this will affect their enjoyment of the concluding pages. The Final Problem has a very different theme. As soon as the first paragraph has been read you can sense the feeling of desolation as Watson writes with a heavy heart and speaks of the singular gifts by which Holmes was distinguished. The whole story has a disheartening ambience. This is reinforced by the surprise and very uncharacteristic entrance of Holmes. He acts very unusually and Watson seems confused. Holmes use of euphemisms is unanticipated, as he is usually a very blunt and straightforward man. Yes, I have been using myself up rather too freely'  He also uses heroic understatement here for effect. You can also detect the use of present participles as soon as Holmes presence is felt, he starts flinging the shutters together and persists in bolting them securely. The word bolted has a very aggressive sound and therefore helps to visualise Holmes urgency and distressed nature. Their brief and minimal exchange is particularly dramatic.

Departmental imaging requirements Essay Example for Free

Departmental imaging requirements Essay Introduction Diagnosing, staging, and re-staging of cancer, as well as the monitoring and planning of cancer treatment, has traditionally relied on anatomic imaging like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spatially accurate medical imaging is an essential tool in three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning. CT imaging is the standard imaging modality for image based radiation treatment planning (RTP). CT images provide anatomical information on the size and location of tumors in the body. They also provide electron density information for heterogeneity-based patient dose calculation. The major limitation of the CT imaging process is soft tissue contrast, which is overcome by using contrast agents or using another anatomical imaging modality like MRI. One of the disadvantages of anatomical imaging techniques like CT and MRI is its inability to characterize the tumor. Tumors need to be characterized whether they are benign or malignant and if malignant it would be helpful to know whether the proliferation is slow or fast. Necrotic, scar, and inflammatory tissue often cannot be differentiated from malignancy based on anatomic imaging alone. Anatomical imaging has high sensitivity for detection of structural changes, but a low specificity for further characterization of these abnormalities. Single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography (PET) are imaging techniques that provide information on physiology rather than anatomy. These modalities have been used for evaluation of tumor metabolism, differentiation between tumor reoccurrence and radiation necrosis, detection of hypoxic areas of the tumor, and other functional imaging. Radiation treatment planning requires an accurate location of the tumor and the normal tissue and also knowledge of the size of the tumor for contouring the treatment volume. Although PET provides necessary functional information for RTP, it has a few limitations. The spatial resolution of PET is too poor to give accurate quantitative information. The greatest limitation in using PET for RTP is its lack of anatomical information. This limitation of PET is overcome by evaluating PET and CT images together. Fused PET and CT images give better diagnostic evaluation than PET or CT images used alone (Bar-Shalom et al, 2003; Cohade Wahl, 2003). But fusion of PET and CT images are meaningful only when they are correctly spatially registered. Hence a proper spatial registration is required for accurate delineation of tumor volume. The necessity of accurate spatial registration of fused images requires different fusion techniques for different image datasets. Software fusion and hardware fusion are the two different approaches considered by the scientific community (Townsend et al, 2003; Townsend et al, 2002). Software fusion approaches use different transformation algorithms to fuse different modality images acquired at different times. The transformation algorithms are classified as rigid and non-rigid transformation algorithms. They are based on whether they fuse images of rigid-body (e. g. , head) or non rigid (e. g. , abdomen) objects (Patton, 2001; Yap, 2002). Although software fusion gives better diagnostic information than using separate images, physicians may not rely on the information if the fused images were acquired at different times. Also the chances of a change in patient position are high for image acquisition done at different times. The hardware approach of image fusion is headed towards designing a single imaging system to acquire simultaneously the different image modalities required. Hardware fusion is partially achieved by construction of a hybrid PET/CT scanner (Beyer et al, 2000; Townsend et al, 2004) which acquires different modalities sequentially. These hybrid scanners are two separate scanners enabled to operate in sequence one after another to acquire the different image modality datasets in a single imaging session. Although hybrid scanners do not give a true hardware fusion and have not proven to be a better fusion technique scientifically (Kalabbers et al, 2002), they have gained popularity for image acquisition in a single session. Due to reduced scan time and patient motion, PET/CT is considered reliable among the oncology community. These hybrid PET/CT scanners, due to reduced scan time and reliable registration of PET and CT datasets, are becoming common in RTP. A PET image fused with a CT image can be used in treatment planning to eliminate geographic misses of the tumor and escalation of dose to the hypermetabolic aspects of a tumor. Fused images improve the accuracy in staging of lymph nodes. Although the use of PET/CT in RTP is growing at a fast pace, little research has been done in the direction of validating the PET/CT datasets for RTP. Discussion CT images describe the electronic density distribution of cross sections of the patient anatomy. CT systems provide gray scale display of linear attenuation coefficients that closely relate to the density of the tissue. CT imaging evolved from conventional planar radiographs. In planar X-ray film imaging the three dimensional anatomy of the patient is reduced to a two dimensional attenuation projection image and the depth information of the structures are lost. In CT imaging several attenuation projection images for a volume of tissue are acquired at different angles. These sets of projection images are reconstructed by filtered back projection algorithm to generate two dimensional attenuation cross-section of anatomy of the patient. The attenuation measurement for a CT detector element is given by Equation 1 and Equation 2. Equation 1 represents attenuation measurement for homogenous object and Equation 2 represent attenuation measurement for inhomogeneous (heterogeneous) objects. _ P(x) =1n [I0] = ? x ? (1) __ _ I x _ _ _ P(x) = 1n [I0] = x d x ? (2) __ L _ I x In the above equation P(x) is the measured projection data for attenuation along the x direction. Io is the intensity of the x-ray beam measured without the patient in the way for that detector element. This is also known as a blank scan. I (x) is the measured intensity after attenuation by the patient.? (x) is the measured attenuation coefficient as a function of location in the patient. A CT scanner positions a rotating x-ray tube and detector on opposite sides of the patient to acquire projection images. Early CT scanners used pencil beams of x-rays and a combination of translation and rotation motion to acquire projection images (Bushberg et al, 1994). Modern CT scanners have a stationary or rotating detector array with a rotating fan beam x-ray tube. There are also two types of scanning: axial and helical CT scanning. In axial scanning the patient is moved step by step acquiring sets of projection images for each slice. In helical scanning the patient table moves continuously while the x-ray tube acquires a series of projection images. The projection images are acquired for a helical path around the patient. In helical scanning to reconstruct a cross-sectional planar image, the helical data is interpolated to give axial plane projection data before reconstruction. By removing the time to index the table between slices the total scan time of the patient is reduced. Also reconstruction can be done for any slice thickness after acquiring the data. This helical scanning is available in most of the current CT scanners. The reconstructed CT image is a two dimensional matrix of numbers, with each pixel corresponding to a spatial location in the image and in the patient. Usually the matrix is 512 pixels wide and 512 pixels tall covering a 50 cm x 50 cm field of view. The numeric value in each pixel represents the attenuation coefficient as a gray level in the CT image. These numbers are called Hounsfield units or CT numbers. The reconstruction process generates a matrix of Hounsfield units which give the linear attenuation values normalized to the attenuation of water. This normalization is given by Equation 3. CT Number (HU) = 1000 (? pixel ? water) ____________ ?water CT number gives an indication of the type of tissue. Water has a CT number of zero. Negative CT numbers are typical for air spaces, lung tissues and fatty tissue. Values of ? pixel greater than ? water correspond to other soft tissues and bone. Radiologists occasionally make critical diagnostic decisions based on CT number of particular regions of interest. Also attenuation values given by CT numbers are used to calculate the dose delivered to the tumor in RTP. CT number is an important parameter in CT images which must be frequently checked for accuracy. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging generates images that depict the distribution of positron emitting radionuclide in the patient body. PET imaging often uses the F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) radioactive tracer to track increased glucose metabolic activity of tumor cells and to provide images of the whole body distribution of FDG. When the positron is emitted by the radioactive tracer it annihilates with an electron to generate two 511 kev photons emitted in nearly opposite directions. These photons interact with the ring of detector elements surrounding the patient. If both the emitted photons are detected then the point of annihilation lies on the line joining the points of detection. This line joining the points of detection is known as the line of response (LOR). The circuit used by the scanner to record the detector interactions occurring at the same time is called coincidence circuitry. This whole process is called annihilation coincidence detection. Thus a PET scanner uses annihilation coincidence detection instead of mechanical collimation like gamma cameras to acquire projections of activity distribution in the patient. Projections acquired at different angles are reconstructed using iterative algorithms to generate cross-sectional images of activity distribution. The annihilation coincidence detection process allows many false events to be acquired. Corrections are necessary for these false events before the projections are reconstructed. The total events acquired are classified as trues, random and scatter. A true coincidence is simultaneous interactions occurring in the detectors resulting from emissions occurring in the same nuclear transformation. Random coincidences occur when emissions from different nuclear transformations interact in coincidence with the surrounding detectors. Scatter coincidence occurs when one or both photons from annihilation is scattered in the patient body and interact with the detector to give a false LOR. The acquired annihilation events need to be corrected for random and scatter events. Random coincidence events along any LOR may be directly measured using the delayed coincidence method (Levin, 2003). The delayed coincidence method uses two coincidence circuits. The first circuit measures both true and random coincidence events. The second circuit has a delay of several hundred microseconds inserted into the coincidence window, so all true coincidences are thrown out of coincidence. The counts measured in the second circuit are subtracted from the first to give true counts. Scatter correction is done for the projection data by model-based scatter estimation (Levin, 2003). The scatter correction factor is estimated by mathematical models and applied to the projection data before reconstruction. Image fusion was initially achieved by software fusion of anatomical and functional images. Software fusion was generally successful with brain and rigid body volumes. It encountered significant difficulties when fusing images of the rest of the body. Alignment algorithms fail to converge the two image sets due to problems of patient movement or discrepancies in patient positioning between two scans. Also involuntary movements of internal organs arise when patient are imaged on different scanners and at different times. Dual modality PET/CT imaging is a combination of imaging technologies helping to acquire accurately aligned anatomical and functional images in the same scanning session. Also an additional advantage of the combined PET/CT scanner is the use of CT images for attenuation correction. CT images can be scaled in energy and used to correct the PET data for attenuation effects (Kinahan et al, 2003; Kinahan et al, 1998). Dual-modality PET/CT was first built at the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with CTI (Knoxville, TN) and Siemens Medical Solutions (Hoffman Estates, IL), combining separate PET and CT scanning devices into one device. The PET/CT prototype consisted of a rotating partial ring PET system and a single slice CT scanner mounted on the same rotating support. The CT scanner combined with PET often uses helical scanning CT to enable fast patient throughput, but new scanners with both helical and axial scanning are available now. The CT data is usually acquired first, followed by PET acquisition. There are typically two separate acquisition processing units for CT and PET, and an integrated display workstation. The acquired CT and PET datasets are sending to the reconstruction processing unit for reconstruction. Reconstructed images are fused in the fusion workstation. CT and PET images can also be separately viewed in the workstation. The protocol for PET/CT imaging starts with patient preparation. 5 – 15 mCi of FDG is injected into the patient 45 – 60 min before the start of image acquisition. After 45 min, the glucose circulates through the body; the patient gets ready for image acquisition by emptying the bladder. The patient is positioned on the table for an initial topogram. The topogram is used to select the scan range for PET/CT image acquisition. The scan range is selected as a number of bed positions. Once the image acquisition region is selected in the topogram, the helical CT scan is done first; it takes around 30 sec to acquire one bed position. After completion of the CT portion, the scanner bed is moved to the PET starting position and the emission scan is started. The emission scan duration per bed position varies with the detector technology used. With conventional bismuth germinate oxyorthosilicate (BGO) system, acquisition times will range from 5 to 8 minutes per bed position. The new lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) technology reduces emission scans to 3 to 5 minutes per bed position (Humm et al, 2003). The CT data are used to perform attenuation correction. Image reconstruction is completed a few minutes after the PET image acquisition is completed. Since the CT data is used for attenuation correction, the total scan duration for a PET/CT scanner is shorter than that for stand-alone PET scanner, because the CT acquisition is much faster than a conventional PET transmission acquisition. Conclusion. To conclude, Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography (PET/CT) is an imaging test that produces high resolution pictures of the body’s biological functions and anatomic structures. These images show body metabolism and other functions rather than simply the gross anatomy and structure revealed by a standard CT or MRI scan. This is important because functional changes are often present before obvious structural changes in tissues are evident. PET/CT imaging can uncover abnormalities that might otherwise go undetected. For example, PET/CT can determine the presence and extent of tumors unseen by other imaging techniques, or detect Alzheimer’s disease one to two years before the diagnosis would be made with certainty by your primary doctor. PET/CT is believed to be the most accurate imaging test available to evaluate lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, head and neck cancer, and esophageal cancer. In published research studies, PET has been shown to have an approximately 90% accuracy in many of these cancer types. PET is the most accurate imaging test available to determine the presence of a dementia process such as Alzheimer’s disease. PET is also the most accurate test available to evaluate patients who have had a previous heart attack and are being considered for a procedure to improve blood flow to the injured heart muscle. References Bar-Shalom, R. ; Yefremov, N. ; Guralnik, L. ; Gaitini, D. ; Frenkel, A. ; Kuten, A. ; Altman, H. ; Keidar, Z. ; Israel, O. 2003. Clinical performance of PET/CT in evaluation of cancer: Additional value for diagnostic imaging and patient management. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Vol. (44. ): 1200-1209. Beyer, T. ; Townsend, D. W; Brun, T. ; Kinahan, P. E; Charron, M. ; Roddy, R. ; Young, J. ; Byars, L. ; Nutt, R. A. 2000. Combined PET/CT scanner for clinical oncology. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Vol (41):1369-1379. Bushberg, J. T; Seibert, J. A; Leidholdt Jr. , E. M; Boone, J. M. 1994. Essential of Physics of Imaging (2nd Edition). Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore. Cohade, C. ; Wahl, R. L. 2003. Application of positron emission tomography/computed tomography image fusion in clinical positron emission tomography-Clinical use, Interpretation methods, diagnostic improvements. Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, Vol (XXXIII): 228-237. Humm, J. L; Rosenfeld, A; Guerra, A. D. 2003. From PET detectors to PET scanners. Eurpoean Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular imaging, Vol (30): 1574-1597. Kalabbers, B. M; De Munck, J. C. ; Slotman, B. J; Bree, R. D; Hoekstra, O. S; Boellaard, R. ; Lammertsma, A. A. 2002. Matching PET and CT scans of the head and neck area: Development of method and validation. Medical Physics, Vol (29), 2230-2238. Kinahan, P. E; Hasegawa, B. H; Beyer, T. 2003. X-Ray based attenuation correction for positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanners. Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, Vol (XXXIII): 166-179. Kinahan, P. E; Townsend, D. W; Beyer, T. ; Sashin, D. 1998. Attenuation correction for a combined 3D PET/CT scanner. Medical Physics, Vol (25): 2046-2053. Levin, C. S. 2003. Data Correction Methods and Image reconstruction algorithms for positron emission tomography. AAPM meeting. Continuing education, San Diego. Patton, J. 2001. Image Fusion in Nuclear Medicine – PET/CT. Abstract ID: 7192, AAPM Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City. Townsend, D. W; Beyer, T. ; Blodgett, T. M. 2003. PET/CT scanners: A Hardware approach to Image Fusion. Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, Vol (XXXIII): 193-204. Townsend, D. W; Beyer, T. 2002. A combined PET/CT scanner: the path to true image fusion. The British Journal of Radiology, Special issue Vol (25): S24-S30. Townsend, D. W; Carney, J. P. J; Yap, J. T; Hall, N. C. 2004. PET/CT today and tomorrow. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Vol (45): 4S-14S. Yap, J. T. 2002. Image Reconstruction and Image fusion (PET/CT). Abstract ID: 8391, AAPM Meeting Abstract ID: 8391, Montreal. Zaidi, H. ; Hasegawa, B. 2003. Determination of the attenuation map in emission tomography. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Vol (44):291-315.

The Importance Of Determining A Plant Location

The Importance Of Determining A Plant Location The location of a plant or facility is the geographical positioning of an operation relative to the input resources and other operations or customers with which it interacts. Andrew Greasly (2003) identified three main reasons why a location decision is required. The first reason is that a new company has been created and needs a facility to manufacture products or deliver a service to its customers. The second reason is that there is a decision to relocate an existing business due to a number of factors such as the need for larger premises or to be closer to a particular customer base. The third reason is relocate into new premises in order to expand operations. Decisions with regards to where an organisation can locate its plant or facility are not taken often, however they still tend to be very important for the firms profitability and long-term survival. An organisation which chooses an inappropriate location for its premises could suffer from a number of factors, and would find it difficult and expensive to relocate. Location decisions tend to be taken more often for service operations than manufacturing facilities. Facilities for service related businesses are usually smaller in size, less costly, and are located in a location that is convenient and easily accessible to customers (Russell and Taylor, 2003). When deciding where to locate a manufacturing facility different reasons apply, such as the cost of constructing a plant or factory. Although the most imporant factor for a service related business is access to customers, a set of different criteria are important for a manufacturing facility (Russell and Taylor, 2003). These include the nature of the labor force, proximity to suppliers and other markets, distribution and transportation costs, the availability of energy and its cost, community infrastructure, government regualtions and taxes, amongst others (Russell and Taylor, 2003). Location Strategy The facilities location problem is one of major importance in all types of business. It is important to notice the different problems that may arise whilst trying to choose a suitable location. Normally, the decision on siting proceeds in two stages: in the first, the general area is chosen; and then a detailed survey of that area is carried out to find suitable sites where the plant or facility could be located (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). However, the final decision as to where to locate a facility is made by taking into consideration more detailed requirements. The following are a number of factors which might influence the choice of location (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). Proximity to market: organisations may wish to locate their facility close to their market, to be able to lower transportation costs, and most importantly, to be able to provide their customers with a better service. If the plant or facility is located close to the customer, the organisation would be in a better position to provide just-in-time delivery, to respond to fluctuations in demand and to react to field or service problems. Availability of labour and skills: a number of geographical areas have traditional skills but it is very difficult for an organisation to find a location which has the appropriate skilled and unskilled labour, both readily available and in the desired quantities. Even so, new skills can be tought, processes simplified and key personnel moved from one area to another. Availability of amenities: organisations would prefer to locate their facilities in a location which provides good external amenities such as housing, shops, community services and communication systems. Availability of inputs: a location which is near main suppliers will help to reduce cost and allow staff to meet suppliers easily to discuss quality, technical or delivery problems, amongst others. It is also important that certain supplies which are expensive or difficult to procure by transport should be readily available in the locality. Availability of services: there are six main services which need to be considered whilst a location is being chosen namely; gas and electricity, water, drainage, disposal of waste and communications. An assessment must be made of the requirements for these, and a location which provides most or all of these services will be more attractive than another which does not. Room for expansion: organisations should leave room for expansion within the chosen location unless long term forecast convey very accurately that the plant will never have to be altered or expanded. This is often not the case and thus adequate room for expansion should be allowed. Safety requirements: certain production and manufacturing units may present potential hazards to the surrounding neighbourhood. For example certain plants such as nuclear power stations and chemical factories should be located in remote areas. Site cost: the cost of the site is a very important factor, however it is necessary to prevent immediate benefit from jeopardising the long-term plans of an organisation. Political, cultural and economic situation: it is also important to consider the political situation of potential locations. Even if other considerations demand a particular site, knowledge of the political, cultural and economic difficulties can assist in taking a number of decisions. Special grants, regional taxes and import/export barriers: it is often advantegous for an organisation to build its plant or facility in a location where the government and local authorities often offer special grants, low-interest loans, low rental or taxes and other grants. Location Selection Techniques The location selection process involves the identification of a suitable region/country, the indentification of an appropriate area within that region and finally comparing and selecting a site from that area which is suitable for an organisation. The following are a number of analytical techniques from the several that have been developed to assist firms when choosing a location. Weighted Score The weithed scoring technique tries to take a range of considerations into account, including cost (Greasly, 2006). This technique, which is also referred to as factor rating, consists of determining a list of factors that are relevant to the location decision. Each factor is then given a weighting that conveys its importance compared with the other factors. Each location is then scored on each factor and this score is multiplied by the factor value. The alternative with the highest score is then chosen (Greasly, 2006). Locational Break-Even Analysis This technique makes use of cost-volume analysis to make an economic comparison of location alternatives. An organisation would have to identify the fixed and variable costs and graphing them for each location, thus determining which one provides the lowest cost. Locational break-even analysis may be carried out mathematically or graphically. The procedure for graphical cost-volume analysis is as follows (Falzon, 2009): Determine the fixed and variable costs for each location. Plot the total cost (i.e. the fixed + the variable) lines for the location alternatives on the graph. Choose the location with the lowest total cost line at the expected production volume level. 2.1.2 Plant Layout According to Andrew Greasly (2007), the layout of a plant or facility is concerned with the physical placement of resources such as equipment and storage facilities, which should be designed to facilitate the efficient flow of customers or materials through the manufacturing or service system. He also noted that the layout design is very important and should be taken very seriously as it can have a significant impact on the cost and efficiency of an operation and can involve substantial investment in time and money. The decisions taken with regards to the facility layout will have a direct influence on how efficiently workers will be able to carry out their jobs, how much and how fast goods can be produced, how difficult it is to automate a system, and how the system in place would be able to respond to any changes with regards to product or service design, product mix, or demand volume (Russell and Taylor, 2003). In many operations the installation of a new layout, or redesign of an existing layout, can be difficult to change once they are implemented due to the significant investment required on items such as equipment. Therefore, it is imperative to make sure that the policy decisions relating to the organisation, method and work flow are made before the facilities are laid out rather than trying to fit these three into the layout. This is an important area of production and operations management since it is dealing with the capital equipment of the organisation which, in general, is difficult to relocate once it has been put into position. Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer (1992) explained that the plant layout process is rather complex, which cannot be set down with any finality, and one in which experience plays a great part. The author also explained that it is impossible for an organisation to design the perfect layout, however he discussed a number of criteria which should be followed to design a good layout, namely the following: Maximum Flexibility A good layout should be designed in such a way that modifications could rapidly take place to meet changing circumstances, and thus should be devised with the possible future needs of the operation in mind. Maximum Co-ordination The layout should be designed in such a way that entry into, and disposal from, any department or functional area should be carried out in the most convenient way to the issuing and recieving departments. Maximum use of volume The facility should be considered as cubic devices and maximum use is to be made of the volume available. This principle is useful in stores, where goods can be stored at considerable heights without causing any inconvenience. Maximum visibility The authors further insists that all the workers and materials should be readily observable at all times and that there should be no hidden places into which goods or information might get misplaced and forgotten. Organisations should be careful when they make use of partitioning or screening as these may introduce undesirable segregation which reduces the effective use of floor space. Maximum accessibility The machinery, equipment and other installations should not in any way obstruct the servicing and maintenance points, which should be readily accessible at all times. Obstructing certain service points such as electricity and water mains could hinder the production process in place. Minimum distance and Material handling All movements taking place within the plant should be both necessary and direct. Handling work does add the cost but does not increase the value, thus any unecessary movement should be avoided and if present, eliminated. It is best not to handle the material and information, however if this is necessary it should be reduced to a minimum by making use of appropriate devices. Inherent Safety All processes which might constitute a danger to either the staff or customers should not be accessible to the unauthorised. Fire exists should be clearly marked with uninhibited access and pathways should be clearly defined and uncluttered. Unidirectional Flow All materials which are being used in the production process should always flow in one direction, starting from the storage, passing through all processes and facilities, and finally resulting in the finished product which is later dispatched for storage or sold directly to the customer. Management Coordination Supervision and communication should be assisted by the location of staff and communication equipment in place within the chosen layout. 2.2 Quality Management There is a widespread acceptance that organisations view quality as an important strategic core competence and a vital competitive weapon which should be used to gain a competitive advantage at the expense of rivals. Several organisations have been able to reep a number of benefits, such as substanstial cost savings and higher revenues, after implementing a quality improvement process into their operations. Subsequently, this led them to invest substantial amounts of money yearly on implementing and sustaining quality programmes and intiatives. The American National Standards Institution (ANSI) and the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) define quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs. Similarily, Feigenbaum (2005), who is an American quality control expert, has defined quality as the total composite product and service characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacture, and maintenance through which the product and service in use will meet the expectation by the customer. Put simply, this refers to an organisations ability to manufacture a product or deliver a service which satisfy the customers requirements and needs, and which conform to specifications. Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, authors of Production and Operations Management (1992), noted that organisations must be dedicated to the continous improvement of quality and must implement systematic control systems that are designed to prevent the production or delivery of products or services which do not conform to requirements. To facilitate this process, organisations should first set up a quality policy statement which describes their general quality orientation and which is used to assist as a framework for action. Once set up, top management would be required to: ensure that is it understood at all levels of the organisation; identify the needs of the organisations customers; evaluate the organisations ability to meet these needs; make sure that all the materials and services supplied fit the required standards of efficiency and performance; continously train the workforce for quality improvement; assess and monitor the quality management systems in place. 2.2.1 Quality Control and Assurance in the Conversion Process Ray Wild (2002) has noted that the capability of the conversion process directly influences the degree to which the product or service conforms to the given specification. If the conversion process is capable of producing products or services at the specified level, then the products or services are provided at the desired quality level. Once the specification of the output is known and an appropriate process is available, management must ensure that the output will conform to the specification. In order to achieve this objective Ray Wild (2002) has defined three different stages which are outlined in figure 2.1; each discussed below. Figure 2.: The stages, processes and procedures of quality control and assurance Essentials of Operations Management by Ray Wild (2002) Control of Inputs Before accepting any items as inputs, organisations must make sure that they conform to the required specifications and standards. Normally, before items are supplied to an organisation, they are subjected to some form of quality control by the supplier. The organisation might also ask its suppliers for information about the quality of the items whilst they are being prepared, ask for a copy of the final inspection documentation, or ask a third party such as an insurance company to make sure that all the items supplied conform to the required quality standards. Even so, organisations still find the need to inspect the items supplied once they are recieved and before they are inserted into the conversion process. This inspection can be carried out by either inspecting every item recieved from suppliers, or by making use of the acceptance sampling procedure, which consists of taking a random sample from a larger batch or lot of material to be inspected. Organisations might also make use of the vendor rating procedure whereby suppliers are rated by taking into account a number of quality related factors such as the percentage of acceptable items recieved in the past, the quality of the packaging, and the price. Control of Process All manufacturing organisations must make sure that appropriate inspection is carried out during operations to ensure that defective items do not proceed to the next operations, and also to predict when the process is most likely to produce faulty items so that preventive adjustments could be adopted (Ray Wild 2002). The quality control of the production process is facilitated by making use of control charts, which convey whether the process looks as though it is performing as it should, or alternatively if it is going out of control. One of the benefits of this procedure is that it helps management to take action before problems actually take place. Ray Wild (2002) also notes that organisations should establish procedures for the selection and inspection of items which are used in the conversion process, for the recording and analysis of data, scrapping of defectives, and for feedback of information. Control of Outputs Organisations must ensure that the qulity inspection of output items is carried out effectively since any undetected defective items would be passed on to the customer. The inspection of output items is normally carried out by making use of a sampling procedure, such as acceptance sampling, or by carrying out exhaustive checks. Ray Wild (2002) notes that it is vital for an organisation to have in place suitable procedures designed for the collection and retention of inspection data, for the correction, replacement or further examination of defective items, and for the adjustment or modification of either previous inspection or processing operations in order to eliminate the production of defective items. 2.2.2 HACCP Nowadays, the food industry is responsible of producing safe products and also for conveying in a transparent manner how the safety of food is being planned, controlled and assured. In order to do so, organisations in the food industry need a system which will ensure that food operations are designed to be safe and that potential hazards are taken into account (Mitchell, 1992). One such system is the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points which is a scientific and systematic method used to assure food safety, and a tool for the development, implementation and management of effective safety assurance procedures (Ropkins and Beck, 2000). The HACCP is known to be one of the best methods used for assuring product safety and is considered as a prerequisite for food manufacturing companies who wish to export their products into international markets. The objective of the HACCP system is to guarantee that the safe production of food by implementing a quality system which covers the complete food production chain, from the promary sector up to the final consuming of the product (Fai Pun and Bhairo-Beekhoo, 2007). It is capable of analysing the potential hazards in a food operation, identifying the points in the operation where the hazards may take place, and deciding which of these may be harmful to consumers (Mitchell, 2002). These points, which are referred to as the critical control points, are continously monitored and remedial action is effected if any of these points are not within safe limits. The HACCP is the system of choice in the management of food safety; one which is highly promoted by the food safety authorities in the United States, Canada and European Union. 2.3 Just-In-Time Scheduling 2.3.1 Scheduling in Manufacturing Decision making with regards to scheduling has become a very important factor in manufacturing as well as in service industries. Scheduling is a decision making process whereby limited resources are allocated to specific tasks over time in order to produce the desired outputs at the desired time (Psarras and Ergazakis, 2003). This process helps organisations to allocate their resources properly, which would further enable them to optimise their objectives and achieve their goals. A number of functions, conveyed in figure 2.2, must be performed whilst scheduling and controlling a production operation. Figure 2.: Functions performed in scheduling and controlling a production operation Adopted from the journal,Production scheduling in ERP systems, by Psarras Ergazakis (2003) In manufacturing systems, scheduling is highly dependent on the volume and variety mix of the manufacturing system itself. Mass process-type systems, which normally make use of a flow (product) layout where a standard item is produced in high volumes, make use of specialised equipment dedicated to achieve an optimal flow of work throughout the system (Greasly, 2006). Greasly notes that this is very important since all items follow the same sequence of operations. One of the most important objectives of a flow system is to make sure that production is kept at an equal rate in each production that takes place. This could be ensured by making use of the line balancing technique, which makes sure that the output of each production stage is equal and that all resources all fully utilised (Greasly, 2006). 2.3.2 Just-In-Time The Just-In-Time Philosophy The just-in-time philosophy originated from the Japanese auto maker Toyota after Taiichi Ohno came up with the Toyota Production System whose aim was to interface manufacturing more closely with the companys customers and suppliers. This particular philosophy is an approach to manufacturing which seeks to provide the right amount of material when it is required, which in turn leads to the reduction of work-in-progress inventories and aims to maximise productivity within the production process (Singh and Brar, 1991). The authors, Slack, Chambers and Johnston, of Operations Management (2001) defined the JIT philosophy as a disciplined approach to improving overall productivity and elimination of waste. They also state that it provides for the necessary quantity of parts at the right quality, at the right time and place, while using a minimum amount of facilities, equipment, materials and human resources. Thus, put simply the JIT system of production is one based on the philosophy of to tal elimination of waste, which seeks the utmost rationality in the way production is carried out. Bicheno (1991) further states that JIT aims to meet demand instantaneously, with perfect quality and no waste. In order to achieve this, an organisation requires a whole new approach in how it operates. Harrison (1992) identified three important issues as the core of JIT philosophy, namely the elimination of waste, the involvement of everyone and continous improvement. The following is a brief description of these three key issues (adapted from Operations Management by Andrew Greasly, 2006). Eliminate Waste Waste may be defined as any activity which does not add value to the operation. Ohno (1995) and Toyota have identified seven types of waste, which apply in many different types of operations, in both manufacturing and service industries. All of these types of wastes are displayed in figure 2.3 below. The involvement of everyone Organisations that implement a JIT system are able to create a new culture where all employees are encouraged to continously improve by coming up with ideas for improvements and by performing a range of functions. In order to involve employees as much as possible, organisations would have to provide training to staff in a wide range of areas and techniques, such as Statistical Process Control and more general problem solving techniques (Andrew Greasley 2002). Figure 2.: Types of wastes present in different types of operations Operations Management by Andrew Greasly (2002) Continuous Improvement Slack and Johnston (2001) note that JIT objectives are often expressed as ideals. Futhermore, Greasly (2002) states that through this philosophy, organisations would be able to get to these ideals of JIT by a continuous stream of improvements over time. The Benefits of Just-In-Time According to Russell and Taylor (2003), after fives years from implementing JIT a number of U.S. manufacturers were able to benefit from 90 percent reductions in manufacturing cycle time, 70 percent reductions in inventory, 50 percent reductions in labour costs, and 80 percent reductions in space requirements. These results are not achieved by each and every organisation that implements a JIT system, however JIT does provide a wide range of benefits, including: Reduced inventory Improved quality Lower costs Reduced space requirements Shorter lead time Increased productivity Greater flexibility Better relations with suppliers Simplified scheduling and control activities Better use of human resources Increased capacity More product variety 2.4 Health and Safety Management The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) define occupational health as the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; and the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities. Many countries have introduced legislation which requires employers to manage the health and safety of their employees, and others who might be affected (Waring, 1996). To honour health and safety legislation, organisations have found it necessary to introduce active programmes of accident prevention. The preparation of a properly though-out health and safety policy, which is continously monitored, could dramatically reduce or eliminate injuries and damage to health (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). 2.4.1 Responsibilities for Safety All employees in an organisation should be active in creating and maintaining healthy and safe working conditions which are aimed to avoid accidents. Once a health and safety policy is established in an organisation, roles and responsibilities should be allocated within the management structure (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). As with other areas such as quality and production within an organisation, health and safety would only be able to progress successfully if all employees are fully co-operative and committed in doing so. A number of organisations have encouraged this total involvement by creating safety representitives, committees, and group discussions whereby all employees in a particular unit meet periodically for discussions about safety (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). 2.4.2 Planning for Safety Systematic planning is required to ensure effective planning for health and safety in all workplaces. A health and safety policy should be part of a continous review process which has no tolerance for accidents. This could only take place if the organisation in question adopts a strategy of never-ending improvement (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). It should set the scene from the top with regards to top management beliefs, intentions, priorities and requirement from managers and workforce (Waring, 1996). The overall plan should be made up of the basic elements conveyed in figure 2.4 below.

Mirrors Don’t Lie in Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.s The Lie Essay -- Kurt Vonne

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s The Lie - Mirrors Don’t Lie In The Lie by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Eli Remenzel is a thirteen-year-old boy on his way to The Whitehill Preparatory School with his parents.   Little do they know that Eli is keeping a big secret from them: he didn’t get accepted to the school.   As the story unfolds Eli finally cracks under the pressure of the lie as the headmaster informs his parents that he wasn’t accepted at Whitehill.   What happens next is a disaster.   As I was reading the story I noticed a lot of qualities in the different characters that are traits I see in myself.   Eli, his mother Sylvia, and his father Doctor Remenzel all have different characteristics that reflect me.   These characteristics are what blend together to make me a unique individual. First I’ll focus on the similarities between Eli and myself. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. writes, â€Å"Eli sat up again, but began to slump almost immediately (†¦) hoping to die or disappear.†Ã‚   This was written while Eli kept the secret from his parents. As I reread the passage I disliked the way Eli decided to handle his secret. Instead of coming right out and telling his parents what the problem was, he ignored it, and every mile they drove it became bigger and harder to hold in. Notice the word slump in the above passage from the story.   This was the first thing to pop out at me indicating our similarity, because the word creates a vivid picture of myself when I am in similar situations. I felt Eli’s frustration building, and I realized I handle problems with my family in the same way.   My parents never have the same reaction to a problem, so I’m always scared that they’ll be angry or disappointed in me. This causes me to do exact... ...tor Rememzel, I accomplished nothing embarrassed myself, yet the next time I was unhappy I would repeat my actions over again. I no longer throw temper tantrums, but I do speak before I think and often say and do things that I do not mean. Unlike the other previously mentioned faults, I am quite aware of this one, and I recognized the similarities between Doctor Remenzel and myself right away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, I disliked The Lie, because the characters in it exemplify the worst qualities in myself.   Whether it’s not being honest with my family, being self-absorbed, or my uncontrollable temper, I cannot like characters that possess these traits because I hate these traits within myself. Reading about the characters is like looking into a mirror, and like the title says, mirrors don’t lie.   

Boston Tea Party Essay -- American History Boston Tea Party Essays

Boston Tea Party When the Boston Tea Party occurred on the evening of December 16,1773, it was the culmination of many years of bad feeling between the British government and her American colonies. The controversy between the two always seemed to hinge on the taxes, which Great Britain required for the upkeep of the American colonies. Starting in 1765, the Stamp Act was intended by Parliament to provide the funds necessary to keep peace between the American settlers and the Native American population. The Stamp Act was loathed by the American colonists and later repealed by parliament. (http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/History.htm) However, the British government quickly enacted other laws designed to solve monetary problems. Each act was met with resistance. The Boston Tea Party was the final act of focused rage against a Parliamentary law. The Americans were well organized to resist new financial demands placed upon them by the British Parliament. In 1765 the secret organizations known as the Sons and the Daughters of Liberty were created to boycott British products. By early 1773 the assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia had created the Committees of Correspondence, which were designed to communicate within the colonies any threats to American liberties. In April 1773 the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East Indian Company to undersell colonial tea merchants in the American market. The stage was set for a confrontation. (Burns, B31) In the first few months of 1773 the British East India Company found it was sitting on large stocks of tea that it could not sell in England. It was on the verge of bankruptcy, and many members of Parliament owned stock in this company. (USA, 1) The Tea Act in 1773 was an effort to save it. The Tea Act gave the company the right to export its merchandise without paying taxes. Thus, the company could undersell American merchants and monopolize the colonial tea trade. By October, the Sons of Liberty in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston threatened tea imports and pledged a tea boycott. The Tea Act was incendiary for many reasons. First, it angered colonial merchants who feared they would be replaced and bankrupt by this powerful company. Second, the company chose to give exclusive privileges to certain merchants for the sale of their tea. Third, the Tea Act revived... ...itish government. In Boston, the site of a bloody confrontation between British redcoats and Americans citizens less than 10 years before, emotions ran high. Boston was a center of agitation and finally on the night of December 16,1773, the course of world history was changed. A revolutionary event was on the horizon. As once patriot mournfully observed, â€Å"Our cause is righteous and I have no doubt of final success. But I see our generation, and perhaps out whole land, drown in blood.† (Liberty, 2) The rest is history. Works Cited: Boston Tea Party Burns, Robert E. Episodes in American History. Massachusetts: Ginn & Co., 1973. Gilbert, Philip, and Norman Graebner. A History of the American People. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1971. Hewes, George. â€Å"Boston Tea Party – Eyewitness Account†. The History Place. http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/teaparty.htm (13 Mar. 2001) â€Å"Liberty: High Tea in Boston Harbor†. PBS Online. 1997. http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/episode1.html (13 Mar. 2001) â€Å"USA: Boston Tea Party†. Department of Humanities Computing. 1997. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/teaparty/bostonxx.htm (10 Mar. 2001)

Liability in Homebuilt Aircraft :: Essays Papers

Liability in Homebuilt Aircraft Homebuilt aircraft are considered to be the fastest growing segment of aviation during the last two decades. Naturally with the increase in these aircraft will also come an increase in accidents. Accidents like the 1997 Long E-Z crash that killed John Denver have raised questions about who is legally liable: the kit manufacturer, amateur builder, or pilot? (Kolczynski, 1) Homebuilt aircraft liability litigation is expected to develop into a booming new industry in the coming future. During the 1970s and 80s production of single engine factory built aircraft has virtually come to a halt. With many product liability lawsuits, which led to large verdicts against the manufacturers of the single engine aircraft, manufacturers slowly dropped out the single engine aircraft business. With no more single engine aircraft being built used single engine aircraft have dramatically increased in price. These events have led to an increase in homebuilt aircraft that cost a fraction of the price of a previously owned Cessna, Beechcraft, or Piper. Another boost to homebuilt aircraft has been the FAA. In the role of promoting air commerce, the FAA has supported regulations and advisory circulars that encourage the development of homebuilt aircraft; for example Advisory Circular 20.27d. (Kolczynski, 2) According to this anybody can buy plans and parts and obtain a special airworthiness certificate to operate the aircraft in the experimental category if the amateur builder doe s more than 50% of the fabrication or assembly, and does solely for his own education or recreation. (Kolczynski, 2) Homebuilt aircraft are built a few different ways. Some of these aircraft are built from scratch using plans from a designer. Others are purchased in kits consisting of plans, pre-fabricated parts, and some raw materials. Once a builder acquirers a kit he/she is required to do the majority of the fabrication and assembly of the kit. During the assembly the homebuilder needs to have the aircraft inspected by a FAA approved inspector. (Kolczynski, 4) A construction log needs to be maintained with photographic documentation of the building process. After the aircraft is completed, it is required to have the marking â€Å"Experimental† on the fuselage. (Kolczynski, 4) Next, the homebuilder must submit a FAA form 8130.7 along with the progress log to the FAA for a post-construction inspection of the new aircraft. After the inspection, a special airworthiness certificate is issued with operating limitations that the airplane may be flown only within a limited geographical te st area for a certain number of hours.

Every End Is a New Beginning

Every end is a new Beginning They say old habits die hard but what if they never died? What if they were buried under our sub-consciousness? It had been a month since I left rehab. I still remember being confined within the cold stone grey concrete walls going through hours of mental and physical therapy. The sessions seemed long, painful and torturous but the most devastating ache of all was time. The nights spent were mostly sleepless and uncomfortable and at times the chronic insomnia left my body weak and sore.I missed my house, my family and friends at work but change is the only constant in life and life itself is very unpredictable indeed. Never in a thousand years would I have ever imagined myself a prisoner of what seemed like sniffing harmless white powder and inhaling the smoke of a burning herb. I recalled the first time I experimented with my college friends before attending a concert. The night that I termed then as â€Å"the best night of my life† was now the ni ght I would remember as my downfall.It had been five years since college ended and five years of continuous substance abuse that made me fall from grace and I couldn't do anything about it. I was helpless and utterly dependant. That is when I checked myself in a rehabilitation centre just a block away from my house. People can judge all they like but we all have a few skeletons hiding in our closets and none of us have a clean slate. No one can relate to the problems of others as long as they do not go through the same kind of hurdles themselves and me being the person I am generally disregarded any act of sympathy or spurious attempts of concern directed at me.I got myself in this mess and I was determined and adamant to get myself out of it. After spending three months in rehab I discovered that the treatment did not abide by the cookie-cutter approach, as the quality of treatment consisted of an individualized treatment plan. It not only encouraged me to explore the causes of my addiction but also made sure that I was provided with the emotional and mental tools to strengthen my resolve to stay sober.Therapy, though it seemed challenging and agonizing at first, helped me find meaning in life and in the end lifted the dark veil of misery I was hiding under to reveal a stronger and a morally sound ‘me'. I had learned not to give up on life but more importantly taking accountability of my own actions and being more responsible. At the end of it all, life presents us with certain challenges and obstacles. It tests us with hurdles that we need to overcome in order to learn and make progress as human beings but what we must never forget is that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and that every end has a new beginning.