Financial Crisis Across The World Since Currency Essay

There has been a financial crisis across the world since currency came about. It started with the barter system which allowed people to trade goods and services, but this sometimes proved to be more difficult than beneficial. Then around 600 B.C., coins and currency came about. Since then currency went from being precious metals to paper money. With the development of currency, came international trade. â€Å"Banks and the ruling classes started buying currencies from other nations and created the first currency market. The stability of a particular monarchy or government affected the value of the country s currency and the ability for that country to trade on an increasingly international market. The competition between countries often led to currency wars, where competing countries would try to affect the value of the competitor s currency by driving it up and making the enemy s goods too expensive, by driving it down and reducing the enemy s buying power (and ability to pay for a war), or by eliminating the currency completely† (Beattie, 2007). Money gets its value by being a medium of exchange, a unit of measurement and a storehouse for wealth. Money allows people to trade goods and services indirectly and understand the price of goods. We can see the evidence of financial crisis throughout time with the â€Å"credit crisis of 2007-2008† and the â€Å"Russian Crisis of 1998† and its global impact. Although Russia was experiencing economic growth in 1997 â€Å"†¦the country’s fixedShow MoreRelatedFinancial Crisis Across The World Since Currency Essay2225 Words   |  9 Pagesbeen financial crisis across the world since currency came about. It started with the barter system which allowed people to trade goods and services but this sometimes proved to be more difficult than beneficial. Then around 600 B.C., coins and currency came about. Since then currency went from being precious metals to paper money. With the development of currency, came international trade. â€Å"Banks and the ruling classes started buying currencies from other nations and created the first currency marketRead MoreFinancial Globalization And The Financial Crisis1274 Words   |  6 Pages The term financial globalization can be defined as the integration of various financial markets of countries across the world. In other terms, it means the mobility of finance across various countries without encountering any barrier. Therefore, financial liberation is not sufficient enough parameter for globalization. Financial globalization advocates for development of a single currency worldwide currency that can be regulated and managed by a single global monetary institution. The first eraRead MoreEssay east asian crisis1420 Words   |  6 Pages East Asian financial crisis are an evidence of fact that economies are prone to fianacial pressures in spite of a stable sustainable growth rate. The East Asian economic crisis is the most important economic event in the region of the past few decades. That much is agreed. Beyond this, there is yet no unanimity about its root causes nor about the solutions. The differences of views are being debated in academic and policy circles and reflected in the media. 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The global economic crisis started in the middle of 2007 and lasted about five years. The crisis was triggered by the bursting of a housing bubble (Mishel, Bivens, Gould, Shierholz, 2012). It was characterized by massive withdrawal of investors from markets as a result of reduced confidence, volatile world stock markets and reduced liquidityRead MoreFinancial Deregulation and Capital Control1283 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Financial deregulation and capital control The financial markets for a long time were regulated following the aftershocks of the global recession which affected several economies across the globe. It was until the 1980s that the federal government passed the Deregulation and Monetary Act which was aimed at providing deregulation for the financial institutions. This gave the banks the flexibility to compete and extend their services at a much easier and faster way in a very competitive market andRead MoreThe Growth Of The Eurozone Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesLooking at the development of the Eurozone almost 15 years after the Euro introduction, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Eurozone has only minimally (0.6%) increased in 2015 compared to 2007. Further, a pattern of divergence can be observed across the Eurozone. There are some countries which have experienced modest growth (i.e. Germany) and others that show a rather constant decline (i.e. Greece). The overall productivity has developed worse than expected, and i s with an increase of only 0Read MoreGlobal Financial Crisis By The Wall Street Crisis959 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this report is to study Global Financial Crisis 2008.This study is inspired by the Wall street crisis and it covers why’s and after effects of the crisis. After this crisis many of the roots causes were observed like speculation, fragility of the system, greed of the managers which adversely affected the market. The global financial crisis of 2008 is a major ongoing financial crisis, the worst of its kind since the Great Depression (The Great Depression originated in the United StatesRead Moreâ€Å"the Rapid Expansion of International Financial Market Since Early 1980s Have Integrated the World Economy†. Discuss.1243 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The rapid expansion of international financial market since early 1980s have integrated the world economy†. Discuss. The international financial system is a structure of markets within which organizations and individuals trade to support economic commitments made across national borders where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of assets such as equities, bonds, currencies and derivatives. Financial markets are typically defined by having transparent pricing, basic regulations on tradingRead Moreâ€Å"the Rapid Expansion of International Financial Market Since Early 1980s Have Integrated the World Economy†. Discuss.1252 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The rapid expansion of international financial market since early 1980s have integrated the world economy†. Discuss. The international financial system is a structure of markets within which organizations and individuals trade to support economic commitments made across national borders where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of assets such as equities, bonds, currencies and derivatives. Financial markets are typically defined by having transparent pricing, basic regulations on trading

International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business Free Essays

In this paper I will discuss environmental regulations and labor laws in place in Thailand and Singapore. This paper will show that while Singapore seems to have stricter environmental regulations in place in it’s country, the labor laws in Thailand seems to protect its citizens better with better work hour regulations and wage requirements. Singapore’s labor laws can stand to be revisited so as to keep the working citizens safe from greedy business owners. We will write a custom essay sample on International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now What are Thailand and Singapore’s environmental regulation levels? Thailand’s government has been known to keep loose environmental standards for investors. Many foreign investors have been used to Thailand’s loose environmental regulation, however, the country’s government is now struggling to deal with tough new environmental regulations. An upheaval from residents in some of the more industrial areas of Thailand has set in motion a movement to toughen environmental regulations, which has many companies like Ford thinking of relocating some of its manufacturing plants. Singapore, however, has very strict environmental regulations in place, with an extension of liability even reaching to directors and officers of the companies that operate in Singapore. The government in Singapore has passed strict laws to ensure that corporations operating in the country do not compromise the health of their people. Violators of the environmental regulations in Singapore may even face mandatory jail time if found guilty of participating in activities that are deemed harmful to the environment and the people living in the area. What kind of legislation has been passed in the country regarding working hours and wages? The Department of Labor in Thailand enforces labor laws in the country. Currently, Thailand has some pretty good labor laws in place to protect it’s citizens. The most hours a person can work per day in Thailand is 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. If the job is deemed hazardous, the workday is considered complete after 7 hours, or 42 hours per week. Employees must be paid overtime pay at a rate of 1. 5 to three times the normal hourly rate when the maximum amount of hours has been surpassed. The minimum daily wage rate varies, depending on location. Some provincial areas can pay a daily rate of 137 baht, or $3. 43 U. S. dollars, whereas the daily rate can be 175 baht or $4. 38 U. S. dollars in Bangkok. Office and management staff working full-time hours can earn about 15,000 baht (US $375) to 150,000 baht (US $3,750) per month, depending on the level of management and experience. Singapore does not have any regulations in place with regard to a minimum wage for it’s workers. The Employment Act in Singapore only stipulates that workers be paid timely, which is translated to mean at least once a month. Workers who make less than 2,000 SGD per month may not be required to work more than eight hours a day or 44 hours per week. Employees working in management positions or higher may be permitted to work longer hours, depending on what terms are outlined in their contract. Do you think the country’s environmental regulation is sufficient? Explain. It seems Singapore has sufficient environmental regulations in place, what with punishments which include jail time for those found guilty of infraction of the regulations. However, I feel that Thailand still has a long way to go in establishing effective environmental regulations. The people of Thailand are still fighting to get proper regs in place to keep their environment and their people safe and healthy. It seems that Thailand is reluctantly coming around, however, the threat of losing many of its foreign investors because of new environmental regulations might hinder any real progress. Do you feel that the country’s hour and wage legislation is ethical? Explain. Thailand’s hour and wage regulations are adequate; however, Singapore’s hour and wage regulation still leave way too much room for employees to be taken advantage of by their employers. The fact there is no national minimum wage requirement leaves too much room for employers to underpay their employees. There is also no regulation in place to limit the amount of hours per day an employee can work. There is also no regulation for overtime pay. The lack of regulation in place to determine how many hours per day or week a person can work before overtime pay is required leaves the employees at the mercy of their employers. References http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704182004575056421383885014.html http://www.business-in-asia.com/thai_labor_law.htm http://www.ehow.com/list_5989991_labor-laws-singapore.html How to cite International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business, Essay examples

Case Study of Fletcher Building-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Leadership Challenges faced and experienced by Jane McLaren. Answer: Introduction Learning culture is seen to be having an integral role in determining the health of an organisation. In general, learning culture is defined as set of organisation values, processes, conventions and the practices which are seen to encourage the individuals and organisation as a whole to increase overall competence, performance and knowledge. The high impact learning culture is simply described as the initiative which inculcates positive learning culture in Organisation. The organisation seen to be having high impact learning culture are better at skill development and talent development. As per the study conducted by Bersin Associates named High-Impact Learning Culture: The 40 Best Practices for Creating an Empowered Enterprise that a strong foundation for learning culture in a workplace in to be having significant improvement in terms of employee productivity, customer needs, meeting future demands, quality of products and market share leadership values (Francalanza et al., 2016). The study has been related to the case of Fletcher building which underwent several problems of employee motivation due to the selling of Pacific steel group and at the same time adoption of changeability theories to gain more insight into the leadership team and contribute to the changing of the experience to the other workers. Leadership challenges faced and experienced by Jane McLaren The leadership challenge faced by Jane Mc Laren has been seen to be evident as early as from 2014 during which the manufacturing manager was seen to be handling various types of challenging task in terms of leading a major steel plant put for closure. The main challenge was seen in terms of maintaining the overall process your of closure and at the same time maintaining a high amount of production capability and safety standards. The main form of challenge was further seen in terms of impact on the plant staff. After 50 years of producing steel, the company was seen to be shipping its business policy by selling of Pacific steel group. The important factors requiring the deal was seen in terms of continuing producing steel and in the time the new owner (BlueScope) was able to build a new plant (Koh et al., 2013). Several workers were seen to be having a long service and high rates of pay with very limited steel manufacturing job opportunities. The main challenge was seen in terms of maintaining a high level of motivation along with high performing manufacturing staff during the entire exposure procedure. Change management issues The immediate priority of the change management issues were seen in terms of maintaining plant leadership team. These managers along with the shift leaders were seen to be in the front line associated to motivating and performance and ensuring that the staffs was fully engaged in supporting and operating activities. The changeability aspect needed to target the workshop with the plant leadership team and have a new insight into the leadership team which was also experiencing a major change. It has been further discerned that the changeability fully worked with the manager and staff to build their change leadership ability along with providing practical tools for helping and navigating of the challenging period of change. The use of the changeability with the managers and shift of leaders fear positively adjusted with the news of closure. The several types of challenges in the change management issues they are considered with helping the managers and the shift leaders for dealing with the initial uncertainty and maintaining a steady motivation among the employees throughout the buyout process (Sun et al., 2014). Ethical and professional issues encountered Despite of the various measures of changeability, the main aspect of professional and the ethical issue has been considered with the sudden plan of Fletcher building to sell the Pacific steel group. The various types of ethical and the professional issues were further identified in terms of external facilitators which meant that the company will be able to target the issues of real importance and accept the change process. The main form of the professional issue was seen in terms of giving the immediate priority to the plant leadership team. It has been further discerned that the plant closure was confirmed with the business need and this needed to further focus on maintaining a steady performance. The professional challenges of the leaders were seen with the objective of leading their staff throughout the date of closure. In addition to this, following of the closure there has been an urgent need to create change plan where Jane was clear of the importance of explaining her team to create a plan together. Providing external support to the staff has been discerned as the main professional issue which needed to ensure that Jane was able to be strong and consistent throughout the production of food and in most difficult situations imaginable (Sunet al., 2014). Organisation cultural issues established forged with development in the company There have been several factors which has been able to prove that various types of internal and external changes in Organisation have several challenges. The main form of the internal issues in the organisation has been applied with theories related to blind spots, political self-interest and emotions, poor organisational routine, structure of inertia and full implementation of project management. In addition to this the different types of external factors has been seen to be having a direct influence on the staff of the organisation. The external dependencies have been seen with companies creating value is often challenging the overall operations of an organisation. The main form of the external challenges has been discerned in terms of failure to keep up with the changes in a disruptive technological environment, Reliance and dependency in Organisation for crucial resources and assets, political and legislative of demands, underestimation of the increasing competition and environme ntal volatility. The organisational changeability issue has been defined with the model which shows the sum of internal capability, external conditions and leadership needs to changeability (Belding et al., 2015). Internal capacity+ External conditions+ Leadership = Changeability Henceforth, it needs to be understood that any sort of change in the internal capability or external conditions will bring a significant amount of change in the development of the company (Van Heerdenet al., 2016). Leadership and management contribution to the learning culture and high performing team Following of the closure process, it was important to have an urgent planning for creating a plan. Based on the given depictions of the case study, changeability was able to target the workshop with plant leadership team which included gaining insight of how the leadership team we are experiencing the overall change. The different types of resulting feedback was evaluated in terms of psychologist which enabled the changeability to make a number of recommendations for focusing, improving and strengthening of the overall change plan. The changeability among the workers with the staff and the management are further able to build the change leadership capability and provide an overall practical tool to help navigate and challenged the period of change (Koch et al., 2014). The external support for both staff and managers were able to deal with the initial uncertainty which provided Jane to ensure a strong and consistent leadership throughout the change process. The result of how the chang e process with the meeting of the challenging key performance indicators and the staff were able to deliver high production of even during difficult circumstances (Hagemo et al., 2013). Application of relevant theories, techniques and models The application of the relevant model has been seen with the theory of changeability. It has been further discerned that the technical changeability is discerned as the ability of manufacturing and, building and use of information technology to adapt to the fast changes are related to the product quantities and processes. The different types of facial changeability issues have been further presented with factory layout and layout of the building at site. The organisational changeability in particular has been described as the ability of quickly adapting to the changes in business structure or business organisation management process. Based on the Wiendahl model, the changeability enablers has been discerned informed of five main aspects namely universality, scalability, compatibility, modularity and mobility (Benevolo et al., 2016). The university aspect has been described with the design for requirement as per the designated product or technology. The compatibility is seen as interconnectivity of the materials of information or energy. The scalability aspect is seen as a special and the technical changes along with several changes in the staff. The standardisation of the unit, elements has been described with the mobility and mobility which has been related to the concept of unrestricted freedom of objects. The diagrammatic representation of the changeability enablers is depicted below as follows: Figure: Changeability Enablers (Source: Stbler et al., 2016) Leadership style contributing to the learning culture in the Organisation The important form of the leadership style contributing to the learning culture of Fletcher building has been discerned in form of changeability. Several theories of leadership have been able to pacify the leadership practices based on traits, contingency, behaviour and contemporaries. The designated of the leader has been identified with qualities of leadership trait which has been depicted with effective leadership style for charismatic trade in terms of change. The suitability of the changeable leadership style is seen to be particularly effective in difficult circumstances and takes a long time for implementation. It needs to be further noted that the process of rendition of this particular leadership style is time taking in nature. The various types of leadership behaviour have been seen to be further acceptable and that its able to the subordinates. In addition to this the leadership behaviour has been seeking and the subordinate: the performances. The changeability aspect of t he leadership skill has been seen to be more effective than the contemporary theories which include only a transactional change and such change is only seen to be having short-termed benefits (M. Stbler et al., 2016). Empowerment In general empowerment means giving power or authority to someone for doing of a particular task. Empowerment is the conceptualisation of the different types of management practices for sharing information, rewarding and giving the employees the power to make decisions which has been seen with providing them with authority, opportunity and motivation and make them accountable for their outcomes which will able to be contribute to the satisfaction and competence. The empowerment factor in the given case has been evident with the changeability aspects which has held the managers and shift the leaders positively to adjust with the news of closure. The several types of empowerment initiatives has been identified with providing external support for both the staff and manager which has been useful in tackling of initial uncertainty and enabled Jane McLaren ensuring a consistent and strong leadership throughout the process. The main result of the empowerment has been further seen with meeti ng of the challenging performance indicators associated to delivering high amount of production output which has made the staff responsible for their outcomes. Henceforth, the existing staffs have been able to get a feeling of authority to make their own decisions and have the opportunity to be flexible with the organisational procedures in crisis situations (Parashar Chhabra, 2015). Overcoming the issues of challenges and resistance The process of changeability was identified with the understanding of the goals of the organisation. It was further seen to be done with a group of 15 respondents available to assist the success plan preparation and mode of delivery of the change process among the leaders. The important initiatives taken to overcome the resistance and challenges is seen with the adoption of change leadership capability and providing the practical tools which has been able to navigate the challenging issues associated with the change process. The overcoming of the issues we are further seen by giving priority to the plant leadership team. Due to this, the managers and the ship leaders were able to ensure that the staff there fully engaged in their work and continuously supported in every situation. The resulting feedback of the change process was evaluated with a psychologist, which enabled the changeability by making robust recommendations to improve, focus and strength in the overall change plan. It has been further discerned that the various consideration for providing the external support to the staff and management was conducive in tackling with the initial uncertainty which was further seen to be consistent with the leadership initiative throughout the change proc ess (Albrecht et al., 2013). Plan for establishing learning culture in the organisation Learning culture is defined as a collection of various types of organisational conventions, values and practices which encourages employees an organisation in developing of competence and knowledge. The key steps in establishing of learning plan is discerned with formalising developmental and training plans, giving recognition to learning process, collection of feedback, internal promotion and development of information sharing system and knowledge process. The preparation of learning plan is mainly seen to be done with the idea of making an agenda to prevent the change resistance. In fact in order to be aware of the visions and learning process for planning of the change process several types of initiatives such as encouraging the participation at all levels along with the implementation of new philosophy should be encouraged. Some of the various types of factors which needs to be considered in creating of learning culture involves aligning of learning with business, integrating of the learning process with business process, evaluation of the learning process, supporting of learning transfer in the workplace, managing of learning effectively and providing of appropriate opportunities for the learning process. The Dragon Medical presentation of the learning process has been depicted below as follows. Figure: Developing of learning culture in the organisation (Source: Rippel et al., 2014) Conclusion The study has been able to conclude that the changeability aspect needed to target the workshop with the plant leadership team and have a new insight into the leadership team which was also experiencing a major change. The various types of ethical and the professional issues were further identified in terms of external facilitators which meant that the company will be able to target the issues of real importance and accept the change process. The main form of the professional issue was seen in terms of giving the immediate priority to the plant leadership team. It has been further discerned that the plant closure was confirmed with the business need and this needed to further focus on maintaining a steady performance. The main form of the internal issues in the organisation has been applied with theories related to blind spots, political self-interest and emotions, poor organisational routine, structure of inertia and full implementation of project management. Based on the given depi ctions of the case study, changeability was able to target the workshop with plant leadership team which included gaining insight of how the leadership team we are experiencing the overall change. The different types of resulting feedback was evaluated in terms of psychologist which enabled the changeability to make a number of recommendations for focusing, improving and strengthening of the overall change plan. References Albrecht, F., Faatz, L., Abele, E. (2013). Multidimensional evaluation of the changeability of interlinked production processes with material flow simulation. In Procedia CIRP (Vol. 7, pp. 139144). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2013.05.024 Belding, J. N., Naufel, K. Z., Fujita, K. (2015). Using High-Level Construal and Perceptions of Changeability to Promote Self-Change Over Self-Protection Motives in Response to Negative Feedback. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(6), 822838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167215580776 Benevolo, C., Dameri, R. P., DAuria, B. (2016). Smart mobility in smart city action taxonomy, ICT intensity and public benefits. In Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation (Vol. 11, pp. 1328). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23784-8_2 Francalanza, E., Borg, J. C., Constantinescu, C. (2016). A Fuzzy Logic Based Approach to Explore Manufacturing System Changeability Level Decisions. In Procedia CIRP (Vol. 41, pp. 38). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2015.12.011 Hagemo, J. S., Nss, P. A., Johansson, P., Windelv, N. A., Cohen, M. J., Rislien, J., Gaarder, C. (2013). Evaluation of TEG and RoTEM inter-changeability in trauma patients. Injury, 44(5), 600605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2012.11.016 Koch, J., Maisenbacher, S., Maurer, M., Reinhart, G., Zh, M. F. (2014). Structural modeling of extended manufacturing systems - An approach to support changeability by reconfiguration planning. In Procedia CIRP (Vol. 17, pp. 142147). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.01.086 Koh, E. C. Y., Caldwell, N. H. M., Clarkson, P. J. (2013). A technique to assess the changeability of complex engineering systems. Journal of Engineering Design, 24(7), 477498. https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2013.769207 Parashar, A., Chhabra, J. K. (2015). Measurement of package-changeability by mining change-history. In Procedia Computer Science (Vol. 46, pp. 443448). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.02.042 Rippel, M., Lbkemann, J., Nyhuis, P., Schnsleben, P. (2014). Profiling as a means of implementing volume-oriented changeability in the context of strategic production management. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 63(1), 445448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirp.2014.03.118 Stbler, M., Weber, J., Paetzold, K. (2016). Implementing Changeability in a System with Prioritization Indicators. In Procedia CIRP (Vol. 44, pp. 5054). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.02.011 Stbler, M., Weber, J., Paetzold, K. (2016). Literature review of existing evaluation methods in the context of changeability. In Proceedings of International Design Conference, DESIGN (Vol. DS 84, pp. 15851594). Sun, X., Leung, H., Li, B., Li, B. (2014a). Change impact analysis and changeability assessment for a change proposal: An empirical study. Journal of Systems and Software, 96, 5160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2014.05.036 Sun, X., Leung, H., Li, B., Li, B. (2014b). Change impact analysis and changeability assessment for a change proposal: An empirical study {star, open}{star, open}. Journal of Systems and Software, 96, 5160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2014.05.036 Van Heerden, A. S. J., Guenov, M. D., Molina-Cristbal, A., Riaz, A. (2016). Enhancing the exploration of aircraft changeability during conceptual design. 30th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, ICAS 2016, 112. Retrieved from https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85013655301partnerID=40md5=edf5c9718910dd7c9fd379e77e195f7d

Information Systems Essay Example Strategic Systems Planning

What is the apparent value of strategic systems planning during turbulent times when technology shifts occur so frequently? The occurrence of frequent technology shifts give companies a great opportunity to differentiate themselves by cost structure, product feature and service. This is especially true with regards to IT which McFarlan and Nolan (Para 8) state could be used to increase efficiencies and improve cost savings, to support incremental improvement of organizational structure, products, and services, and also to create strategic advantage through changing the rules of competition, extending customer value proposition, extending competitive scope and so on. In this light, it is prudent for organizations to maximize on the opportunities availed by today’s rapidly changing technologies. Strategic information systems and technology planning provides a framework that can help organizations recognize and harnessing these opportunities that are arising out of technology turbulence. Strategic information systems and technology planning is valuable to organizations in such environments where the pace of doing business keeps going up because it reflects a convergence of both means and ends. As means, information systems have become so important to achieving business objectives that they have to be weighed as part of the process of selecting objectives, and not merely act as a means to accomplishing objectives already identified (Pollack 49). As ends, information systems can extend the customer value proposition through provision of new IT-based products and services (McFarlan and Nolan Para 9). Specifically, the intended result of the strategic information systems planning process is to arrive at information systems (IS) strategy that comprises of the Information Strategy, the Information Technology Strategy, the Information Management Strategy and the Change Management and Implementation Strategy (Pollack 51). From each of this sub-sections of the IS strategy, the organization is better able to critically appraise the new technologies, identify those that match its business and organizational strategies and implement them. The ideal situation is that technology should not act as a constraint on a company’s current and emerging business strategy, rather it needs to enable and support them. Further, regardless of the whether times are turbulent or not, in a rapidly changing technology landscape or not, the merits of strategic systems planning that an organization is bound to experience have been well documented by several authors such as Steiner. Some of these merits include application of the systems approach, introduction of new set of decision forces, creating channels of communication and creating a framework for making decision (Steiner 38). A good example of the value of evaluating the company using the systems approach is that it permits management to view the organization as a whole and not as a sum of parts. This way the organization can unearth the interrelationships of its different units and how new technologies will affect these interrelationships. Finally, conducting strategic systems planning during turbulent times provides the company with an ability to iterate quickly around the loop: identify, adopt, measure and learn. When opportunities are presented by the technology shifts it is paramount for organizations to respond quickly in order to take advantage. As Pollack (50) states: â€Å"some rapid responses may be viewed later as failed experiments, but that may prove to be better than a lost opportunity.† Works Cited McFarlan, F. W, and Richard L Nolan. â€Å"Does IT Matter? An HBR Debate.† HBS Working Knowledge. 25 Aug. 2003. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. Pollack, Thomas A. â€Å"Strategic Information Systems Planning.† ASCUE 2010 Proceedings. North Myrtle Beach, SC: ASCUE, 2010. 47-58. Print. Steiner, George A. Strategic Planning. New York: The Free Press, 1979. Print. Take Our Academic Assistance Now There is not a speck of doubt in the fact that we are one of the most professional academic writing services you can ever find online. Don’t you want to benefit from such a service? You sure do. Tell us to forward you the login details.

England Essays

England Essays England Essay England Essay A Critical analysis of England in 181 9 At the beginning of the 1 9th century England became a place of both social and political unrest. The King, George Ill, was slowly dying, leaving the country in the hands of his ministers. With this, the idea of liberty began to grow, attacking the ruling classes who remained selfish and in power . Thus, with this in mind, Shelley uses England in 1819 and several other political poems to directly express his views on politics and morality during the period. From the beginning of the poem it is obvious that Shelley poem is one with a AOL to liberate the people of England. The first half go the poem is set on directly attacking the current King of England and his successor, George IV. The King is described as being old, mad, blind and dying, all characteristics of a weak monarch and therefore a weak country. Just like George Ill, England and its people are dying. The Napoleonic wars had left much of the English population poor, unemployed and in misery. However, George Ill seems blind to this, ignoring the suffering populous and crushing any hopes of liberty and change. It is this arrogance of power that Shelley is most critical of. Through violent metaphors Shelley describes the rulers of the country as leech-like, sucking every ounce of blood out of the English population, again blind to what they have done. Thus, it is obvious that this poem represents the decay of the English way of life. What was once a place of freedom, has became a place where the ruling classes ignore the suffering of the English people to fulfill their own selfish desires. The old King fails to relate to his subjects and thus continues to set a bad example to his successors, developing the idea that there is little hope of change any time soon. As the poem continues, Shelley lists the flaws in Englands social fabric. The army for example has become a tool used by the elite to prey upon the citizens, quashing any sign of liberty. Without a strong King, the country has fallen to the power of the army, who are using the lack of control to take advantage over the citizens. The line makes as a two-edged sword to all who wield is particularly powerful. Two edged sword In particular implies that whether the citizens fight in the war or just live under King Georges rule they will fall victims to death. This idea of little of no hope further emphasizes Shelley denouncement of the English monarchy. In addition to the army, Shelley expresses his lack of faith in several other key institutions, the law and religion. The corrupted monarchy has lead to sanguine laws which tempt and slay and rulers who are Crestless and Godless. Here Shelley is trying to explain how the laws of England have become harsh and worthless, while religion has lost all its morality. With these key institutions corrupted, Shelley paints an almost apocalyptic image of England, where all hope has been lost. One of the most significant part of England in 1 819 is how Shelley has structured it. The thematic structure (to a certain extent) is set out so that the first six lines deal with Englands rulers, the King and his successors, and the final eight deal with the rest of the country. This gives Shelley the ability to build up a strong argument; first presenting everything that is wrong with the rulers and then the effects it is having upon England. Furthermore, Shelley also does some non-uniform things with the rhyme scheme of the poem. England in 1819 is written in the form of a sonnet, with fourteen lines and iambic pentameter. However, unlike the majority of English sonnets, Shelley uses an unusual rhyme scheme, in this case BAOBAB, CDC, C, AD. By doing this Shelley inverts a traditional sonnet form. By breaking away from the tradition rules of a sonnet, Shelley creates almost a revolution in poetry. This form reflects his desire for the general populous to break away from the tradition rule of the nobility. The use of a sonnet in this context also contrasts the the Shakespearean sonnet. Traditionally ending with a rhymed couplet, Shelley ends his poem with two rhymed couplets. This seemingly offers 2 separate endings. One Of which expresses restriction with the words sealed and unrepeated and the other that expresses possibility with may and day. Thus, Shelley is saying that England has 2 possible futures; one of suffering and constraint and one of freedom and fulfillment. However it is up to the people to choose the future they want. In addition, the sounds in the poem play a key role in the development of the anti monarchy argument. The poem is filled with the alliteration of consonant sounds. For example, despised and dying, mud and muddy and starved and stabbed. By using this kind of emphasis on the consonants, Shelley phrases and arguments become far more dramatic and threatening. The sounds Of alliteration such as despised and dying produce a gratifying effect to the ear and also emphasis key words in the line. This allows for readers of the poem to remember all the negatives that Shelley has mentioned in the poem and therefore have more of a desire to fight for liberty. The desire for liberty is thoroughly expressed towards the very end of the poem. In a startling burst of optimism, Shelley expresses his hope that a glorious Phantom may spring forth and illumine our tempestuous day. Here, in my opinion, Shelley is indirectly calling for a revolution. These lines seem to allude to the idea of a Phoenix. They suggest that there is hope that England, as a nation, will be so far gone that it will rise again from the ashes of its own destruction. Ultimately here, Shelley concludes his poem by suggesting the spark of a new revolution. To conclude, Shelley England in 1819 is a poem built upon liberation. Through his description of 181 9 England, Shelley creates an argument for the hatred of the ruling classes and the monarchy. With England becoming a place of suffering and poverty, Shelley hoped that through the presentation of his own political views the future of England would be changed. This poem is therefore much more than just a piece of literature, it is a plea for the people of England to stand up for what they and Shelley believe in; a fair and equal democracy.

NaN, Infinity, and Divide by Zero in VB.NET

NaN, Infinity, and Divide by Zero in VB.NET Beginning programming books usually include this warning: Dont divide by zero! Youll get a runtime error! Things have changed in VB.NET. Although there are more programming options and the calculation is more accurate, it isnt always easy to see why things happen the way they do. Here, we learn how to handle division by zero using VB.NETs structured error handling. And along the way, we also cover the new VB.NET constants: NaN, Infinity, and Epsilon. What Happens If You Run 'Divide By Zero' in VB.NET If you run a divide by zero scenario in VB.NET, you get this result: Dim a, b, c As Double a 1 : b 0 c a / b Console.WriteLine( _ Have math rules _ vbCrLf _ been repealed? _ vbCrLf _ Division by zero _ vbCrLf _ must be possible!) So whats going on here? The answer is that VB.NET actually gives you the mathematically correct answer. Mathematically, you can divide by zero, but what you get is infinity. Dim a, b, c As Double a 1 : b 0 c a / b Console.WriteLine( _ The answer is: _ c) Displays: The answer is: infinity The value infinity isnt too useful for most business applications. (Unless the CEO is wondering what the upper limit on his stock bonus is.) But it does keep your applications from crashing on a runtime exception like less powerful languages do. VB.NET gives you even more flexibility by even allowing you to perform calculations. Check this out: Dim a, b, c As Double a 1 : b 0 c a / b c c 1 Infinity plus 1 is still infinity To remain mathematically correct, VB.NET gives you the answer NaN (Not a Number) for some calculations such as 0 / 0. Dim a, b, c As Double a 0 : b 0 c a / b Console.WriteLine( _ The answer is: _ c) Displays: The answer is: NaN VB.NET can also tell the difference between positive infinity and negative infinity: Dim a1, a2, b, c As Double a1 1 : a2 -1 : b 0 If (a1 / b) (a2 / b) Then _ Console.WriteLine( _ Postive infinity is _ vbCrLf _ greater than _ vbCrLf _ negative infinity.) In addition to PositiveInfinity and NegativeInfinity, VB.NET also provides Epsilon, the smallest positive Double value greater than zero. Keep in mind that all of these new capabilities of VB.NET are only available with floating point (Double or Single) data types. And this flexibility can lead to some Try-Catch-Finally (structured error handling) confusion. For example, the .NET code above runs without throwing any kind of exception, so coding it inside a Try-Catch-Finally block wont help. To test for a divide by zero, you would have to code a test something like: If c.ToString Infinity Then ... Even if you code the program (using Integer instead of Single or Double types), you still get an Overflow Exception, not a Divide by Zero exception. If you search the web for other technical help, you will notice that the examples all test for OverflowException. .NET actually has the DivideByZeroException as a legitimate type. But if the code never triggers the exception, when will you ever see this elusive error? When You'll See DivideByZeroException As it turns out, Microsofts MSDN page about Try-Catch-Finally blocks actually uses a divide by zero examples to illustrate how to code them. But theres a subtle catch that they dont explain. Their code looks like this: Dim a As Integer 0 Dim b As Integer 0 Dim c As Integer 0 Try   Ã‚  Ã‚  a b \ c Catch exc As Exception   Ã‚  Ã‚  Console.WriteLine(A run-time error occurred) Finally   Ã‚  Ã‚  Console.ReadLine() End Try This code does trigger an actual divide by zero exception. But why does this code trigger the exception and nothing weve coded before does? And what is Microsoft not explaining? Notice that the operation they use is not divide (/), its integer divide (\)! (Other Microsoft examples actually declare the variables as Integer.) As it turns out, integer calculation is the only case that actually throws that exception. It would have been nice if Microsoft (and the other pages that copy  their code) explained that little detail.

As a leader in the 21st Century, I want to know what technology Research Paper

As a leader in the 21st Century, I want to know what technology decisions to make - Research Paper Example Because of the massive reach of social media, firms regard it as an effective tool for driving relevant messages. From an internal communications point of view, social media allows employees to efficiently manage the exchanging of both professional and personal messages. Through social media, corporate culture has been further enhanced. From an external communications perspective, social media is used by firms to directly interact with their target customers in a less costly manner through the personalization of advertising messages. Therefore, in comparison to traditional forms of media, such as television and radio, marketing professionals prefer social media due to its wide audience reach and flexible nature. In this paper, we examine the relevance of leadership techniques in driving the effectiveness of social media, both internally and externally. As such, the discussion is divided into three parts: (1) look closely into social media as a business tool; (2) delve into the forms of leadership techniques, and (3) analyze the connection between proper leadership techniques and results-driven utilization of social media. In the end, this paper aims to justify its thesis that the effective use of social media in business depends on the leadership styles of leaders in a company. Research: Social Media and its Emerging Relevance in Business Overview of Social Media Social Media is defined by Wright State University (n.d.) as â€Å"an interactive, specifically online, community that builds and enhances relationships between individuals and groups based on interest, occupation, and demographic measures while delivering viable information to such individuals and groups.† Human communication, in this sense, is made more efficient through social media. The increasing use of social media by businesses has been underscored in numerous studies. D’Angelo (2010), in his academic paper entitled â€Å"Social Media Community Management: Implications for Busines s Communication Curriculum,† highlighted that 91% of the top 500 companies the U.S. used at least one social media tool in 2009, an uplift from 77% in 2008. There was also an increase in social media use by small businesses from 12% to 24% between December 2008 and December 2009 (D’Angelo, 2010). Moreover, Harvard Business Review Analytic Services (n.d.), in its newly released survey with top U.S. corporations, claimed that more than three-quarters (79%) of the 2,100 organizations surveyed said that they are currently using social media channels (58%) to launch social media initiatives (21%). As Stelzner (2009) discovered in another study, business owners are more likely to use social media marketing (90%) than employees working for a business (81%). In terms of their actual use of social media, sole proprietors and owners of businesses of 2 to 100 employees mentioned that they have been doing social media marketing for years while 72% of marketers have either just star ted or have been using social media for only a few months (Stelzner, 2009). These data indicate that the rise in the use of social me

Wollstonecrafts Feminism Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wollstonecrafts Feminism - Thesis Example She argues that since woman is the other half of mankind, she should be accorded her basic rights like what the man has. She questions the happiness of the woman when she is under patriarchal subjugation. (Wollstonecraft 13). However, there are problems implementing a fixed doctrine of women's rights. These rights vary with different cultures. A universal doctrine of rights cannot apply when the applicants live under different social conditions and sustain their cultural views. For example, the Western and Eastern societies nurture differing specific cultural and social values. The political leaders defend their right to adapt human rights as in accordance to their country's specifications and refuse to implement a universal set of human rights. Thus, there are two camps of thought with the Universalist and relativist. The next question is how trustworthy is the male dominated hierarchy to implement the rights of women when the male sex are viewed as prejudiced law makers by virtue o f their gender. In the Third World, the forced attempt at drawing up the constituency of human rights using Western principles of universality is met with criticism. Instead of helping, these acts are viewed as colonialism. The superimposition of Western cultural and social values backfires. (Schech & Haggis 172). Wollstonecraft says that women should be educated to become fit companions for men and good mothers. She says that everything stems from the mother; 'If children are to be educated to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot; and the love of mankind, from which an orderly train of virtues spring, can only be produced by considering the moral and civil interest of mankind; but the education and situation of woman, at present, shuts her out from such investigations.' (Wollstonecraft 12). It is foreseeable that each successive generation depends upon the mother and she should receive sufficient education as a woman to carry out her duties as a mother befittingly. On cultural relativism, Wollstonecraft mentioned that French women have changed in spite of the positive input of education. The women have been conditioned to expose their sexuality and scorn the moral value of modesty. They have adopted the attitude of flouting their sexuality and deriding other women who do not share their value as being prudes. The French women are subject to social conditioning and have assimilated the superimposed values as their own. These French women are being 'educated' to turn against themselves without their realizing it. They do not realize what is happening to them because they have no basic foundations of education and thus are unable to discern what is moral or immoral. (Wollstonecraft 12). Wollstonecraft used this example to warn against the impending social risk of English women suffering the same fate as their French counterparts. Taylor says that; 'In an interesting side-swipe at enlightened ethical relativism, in 1795 Wollstonecraft condemned th ose 'semi-philosophers' who, using examples from 'nations just emerging from barbarism', had attempted to show 'that the vices of one

Analysis of Existing Products Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Existing Products Essay In the design brief I had stated that I will create some kind of thing which will enable me to keep my books cleanly organized and safe. In the past days I have searched on the Internet and in my surrounding community for existing products, which keep books organized and safe. All the sizes are rounded. All the sizes are in inches. The different types of objects/things I have found are: * Open Bookshelf * Closed Bookshelf * Filing Cabinet * Portable Bookshelf * Multi Purpose Bookshelf Below I have described about the products I found for each specific objects. Design/Theme: Open Bookshelf Materials: Open Bookshelf can be made out of basically anything. Wood, Metal (Steel), Marble, Plastic, Glass are all the materials used for making a bookshelf. But the most common material used is Wood and Metal. These is because they are the strongest materials among listed and also are available in great quantities. Functions/Purpose: The function and purpose of a open bookshelf is to keep books. When books are kept without good care, they usually get in bad quality. Another reason the bookshelf does is that it allow the user to easily find his book, rather than going through piles of books. Durability: Since open bookshelves are made from different materials, it depends on what they are made from. If they are made from wood, the durability is high. Wood is a material, which lasts long unless it is put in a condition where nature can access it. But as my open bookshelf would be kept inside the room, or house, it will be safe and last a long time. Whereas Metal has the highest durability compared to all the other materials. They do not get rotted or fungus like wood and are not breakable like glass. They are very strong and attractive looking. Marble is another durable material too. Plastics are durable also, but depending on what conditions they are under. Plastic can react quite quickly with heat and damaged easily. But as my bookshelf would be inside the house, it would not be greatly affected by the sunlights rays. So as it can be seen most of the materials used to make a bookshelf are greatly durable and therefore the product will also be durable. Examples: Open Bookshelf are available in different sizes and different materials. I would like my open bookshelf to be of a medium size. Below are some examples of Open Bookshelf. Environmental Impact? Social Significance? Personal Comments: I think that an open bookshelf is a great product. This is because it fulfills my design brief almost. It allow books to be kept easily stored. The Materials used in the product are good except plastic and wood. Plastic is a material which is not recyclable and that means it is harmful to the environment. Also while in the manufacturing process of plastic lots of harmful gases are left into the air. Wood is a good material to use, as it is durable but cutting trees are producing it, which is not good for our environment. Therefore these materials are harmful to the environment. Bookshelves shown above also have a good color as it matches with my house. But the only thing bad about some of the bookshelves are their prices. Like the ones shown above, some of them are over $500. Even though the materials are very good, I think this price is too expensive. Most of the products have a good size as they are medium. But some of them are too huge. I feel the bookshelves on the most top right are the best as their price, weight, size are all under limits. And as it is made from metal, the durability is also high. I feel these products will be very helpful in solving my problem. But if I decide to use these open bookshelves, I am keeping my books organized but not safe. As the bookshelf is open, dust, insects and all other things will be affecting the conditions of my books. Therefore the open bookshelf does not fully fulfill my needs. Sources: * http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/SKU.asp?BCFlag=FalsePageType=1SKU=449571 * http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000068E82/ref=ase_dealtime-das/104-1481322-3590320?v=glances=office-products * http://www.eofficedirect.com/quickship/qs_item.aspx?dept_name=%3cimg+src%3d%22%2fimages%2fsite%2fdash5.gif%22%3e%3cb%3e+Furniture%3c%2fb%3e+%7c+Bookcases+%7c+Woodsku_gp_id=11121selectedSection=%3cimg+src%3d%22%2fimages%2fsite%2fdash5.gif%22%3e%3cb%3e+Furniture%3c%2fb%3e+%7c+Bookcases+%7c+Woodhidden_pf_id=35270 * http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-8170461-7335348?asin=B00005OU2X * http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-8170461-7335348?asin=B000068XY1 * http://store.yahoo.com/iron-decor/bookcase.html * http://www.bettymills.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?exact_match=yeskeywords=SAF7174BLsearch_office_prods=1 * My own Open Bookshelf at my home (photograph, the last photo) * Brochure from a Furniture Exhibition Design/Theme: Closed Bookshelf Materials: Many materials can be used to manufacture Closed Bookshelf. But the most common materials used are pine and oak for the basic structure. Handles, Glass and Hinges are also used for the doors to work. Functions/Purpose: The function of this closed cupboard is to keep books safely organized with closed doors to protect it. As it has closed doors it will stop dust and other harmful particles from damaging the books. Durability: Since they are made from Wood they will last a long time. Pine and Oak are regarded as one of the best kinds of wood to be found and therefore they are very durable. Examples: Environmental Impact? Social Significance? Personal Comments: I think that closed bookshelf is a better product than an open bookshelf. This is because it gives protection from dust particles and other harmful particles. So therefore it fulfills my design brief fully and solves my problem if I choose to build this further as a product. Just like the last product it allow books to be kept easily stored. The materials, which are used to manufacture this product, is wood. Wood is a very durable material, and if it is used to manufacture closed bookshelf, this means that this product would last a long time. Other than the middle bookshelf all the other bookshelf match my color of my room and therefore would look good if I plan to manufacture something like this. All the products have an average costs which is affordable easily, and I think that these bookshelves are worth the money due to their materials also. This closed bookshelf would easily fit into the environment of Bangkok as they are made out of wood. Wood is a material, which can withstand the heat and therefore wouldnt be damaged by the suns rays. Also the closed bookshelf has adjustable shelves which means that every type of book can fit into the shelf. These closed bookshelves are of a good size, good cost, fit books easily, match my room and are attractive looking. So I think manufacturing a closed bookshelf will be greatly beneficial in solving my problem. Sources: * http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/SKU.asp?BCFlag=FalsePageType=1SKU=491233 * http://www.intrading.com/gujarati-panel-collection.html * http://www.homevisions.com/hvprod/prod_display1.asp?Product=43536partner=11clktru=1 * http://www.furnitureontheweb.com/NoFrame/items_direct/049117nf.html * Brochure from Furniture Exhibition Design/Theme: Filing Cabinet Materials: Filing Cabinets are usually made from metal and sometimes from wood related materials. Other materials needed are handles and other materials to make the drawer work. Function/Purpose: Filing Cabinets are usually used in Offices, Schools, and Hospitals to keep files organized easily. But these filing cabinets can also be used to keep books in themselves. Durability: Since metal is used to make these cabinets, their durability is extensively high. If they are made from wood the durability is slightly less but still will be high. Usually metal cabinets can last up to 6-7 years, if used with normal conditions like in a office. But if they are brought into contact with water, then their durability can decrease. Plus as Thailand has a pleasant warm climate, these filing cabinets will have a higher durability compared to the ones used in places like Sahara desert. Examples: Environmental Impact? Social Significance? Personal Comments: From my opinion a filing cabinet is a good way of storing books safely. But if it is compared to the other products I think it is not worth it. This is because in a filing cabinet, books cannot be organized easily. If I make a filing cabinet for myself then it would take me more time to find my books compared to and open bookshelf or an closed bookshelf. Usually filing cabinets are used for files, and bigger sized books. But the type of books I have are novels. Novels are small and therefore would meet the requirements for a filing cabinet. I think just like the other products, it will be able to keep my books, and that too safely. But the only disadvantage is that it wouldnt be organized. But otherwise it does solve my problem partly and meets all the requirements of my need. But the best part out of all of the products until now is its size. The size of a filing cabinet is usually only until my waist which the size I prefer. But the other bookshelves I have mentioned above are mostly up till my head. This is not what I prefer. Another thing good about this product is its cost. Most of the costs of filing cabinets I found on the Internet are around the range of $200. There are some exceptions, but I think overall the price is reasonable. The colors also available are good specially black, as it stands out. From my opinion the environment in Thailand wouldnt harm this cabinet. But the filing cabinet might have a lower durability due to the conditions it is used under. As the drawer is pulled out always, the drawer might get a lower durability. Another reason I think this filing cabinet might have a lower durability is because of my carelessness. While pulling things I am quite careless and might pull it so fast that it might totally come out and break either my foot or the drawer itself. I think this product is a good idea of solving my problem even though it has some disadvantages. I think maybe I could improvise this idea to further develop a better bookshelf. But this can be decided later on. Sources: * http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PRODUCTPROD_ID=471841cid=19351fp=F# * http://www.comforthouse.com/comfort/unhanandknob.html * http://www.eofficedirect.com/quickship/qs_item.aspx?dept_name=%3cimg+src%3d%22%2fimages%2fsite%2fdash5.gif%22%3e%3cb%3e+Furniture%3c%2fb%3e+%7c+File+Cabinets+%7c+Lateral%2c+Metalsku_gp_id=%20%20%20%20%2014898selectedSection=%3cimg+src%3d%22%2fimages%2fsite%2fdash5.gif%22%3e%3cb%3e+Furniture%3c%2fb%3e+%7c+File+Cabinets+%7c+Lateral%2c+Metalkc=D1hidden_pf_id=1074 * http://www.abigwarehouse.com/abigwarehouse/filecabinet.html Design/Theme: Portable Bookshelf Materials: Portable Bookshelf are made out of wood and metal. Function/Purpose: The function of a portable bookshelf is to keep books organized and safe. But the main aim is to make it portable. By saying portable, it usually has wheels below the bookshelf to make it mobile. Durability: Usually objects made out of wood and metal have a high durability. But these portable bookshelves do not have a high durability. They have a medium durability due to the wheels below them. This is because the wheels have a lot of pressure on them and can easily be spoiled due to the movement. Therefore after the wheels break down then the bookshelf will become like a normal bookshelf at one place. But another thing, which the durability of portable bookshelf is dependent on, is the type of floor it is used on. Usually floors like marble, wood, tiles allow a high durability. But floors that are carpeted can be easily decreasing the durability of this portable bookshelf. Examples: Environmental Impact? Social Significance? Personal Comments: The materials used in a portable bookshelf are mostly metal and wood. Both these materials are in some way harmful to the environment. Wood is cut from tress, and therefore by using wood we are cutting more and more trees. But if these trees are re-grown then the impact on the environment could almost reduce to zero. Then metal is also harmful to the environment. This is because the process used to extract these metals out uses fossil fuels and therefore is damaging the environment. But otherwise these materials do not damage the environment too much. I personally think that a portable bookshelf is not the best way of organizing the books. Even though it has the biggest advantages of being mobile, I think it is useless otherwise. This is because like can be seen above all the mobile cabinets around the world are focused for different purposes rather than books. The portable bookshelf like the one shown on the top left is so heavy that they are unable to move easily. Also while in the moving process of such big bookshelf, the bookshelf can easily topple over and create a mess. But with the disadvantages of the wheels it also has advantages. With the wheels the bookshelf can be shifted around for cleaning and other purposes. Another disadvantages about his design/theme is its costs. Portable Bookshelf are over the price of $300 mostly. This high price is unaffordable for me, as my parents wouldnt allow my to spend all my money on such a small thing. But the size as can be seen from the picture is mostly average and according to my needs. The last disadvantage is its durability. Due to the wheels the durability has decreased and therefore it would be durable for a shorter time. But the top part, which is made out of metal mostly, would last a long time and be beneficial. I am not sure whether I would prefer to make a portable bookshelf like this as it has so many disadvantages. But this can be improvised which will be decided later on. Sources: * http://www.shoplet.com/office/db/SMD06022.html * http://dealtime.catalogcity.com/cc.class/cc?pcd=4488554ccsyn=48 * http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?edc=282379 * http://www.bettymills.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?exact_match=yeskeywords=SAF1872BLsearch_office_prods=1 * Brochure from a Furniture Exhibition Design/Theme: Multi Purpose Bookshelf Materials: Usually Multi Purpose Bookshelf are made from wood with all the other materials required for the specific object. Function/Purpose: The function/purpose of a multi purpose bookshelf is to have several purposes with a bookshelf. Like for example a Multi Purpose Bookshelf could be a Normal Cupboard, in which books, CD-ROM, toys and other materials can be kept. Durability: Multi Purpose Bookshelf has a high durability as they are made out of wood. Examples: Environmental Impact? Social Significance? Personal Comments: I personally think that a multi purpose bookshelf is not the best way of organizing the books. Even though it has the biggest advantages of storing other things it wouldnt suit me. This is because all of the above things are focused on children below the age of 10 years. Now as I am in Year 11 I wouldnt prefer these kind of childish objects. Therefore I do not prefer these kinds of things in my room. But otherwise the advantage is great for the child. If I was to make something like this for my sister, it would greatly benefit her. The ideas used by people are great. I think I could improvise this idea and make a similar idea, but instead not make it childish. Overall the costs, sizes, are fine but these dont matter to me as I dont prefer to have objects like these in my room. Sources: * http://store.yahoo.com/sensoryedge/boshbyki.html * http://store.yahoo.com/sensoryedge/grclboshbyki.html * http://www.roomstogokids.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=ktg.showItemipac_id=1640 * http://store.yahoo.com/sensoryedge/1doboshin.html This was my analysis for my existing products. This analysis of the existing product has given me a broader idea of what I might be making and has given me lots of information which would help me in the further stages of this project.

Personal Response to Marge Piercys A Work of Artifice :: Work of Artifice Essays

Personal Response to Marge Piercy's A Work of Artifice My initial response to "A Work of Artifice" by Marge Piercy, was one of profound sadness. In defining myself as the actual reader of this poem, my background becomes significant in my emotional response. "It is this reader who comes to the text shaped by cultural and personal norms and prejudices." (Bressler, p. 72) I come from a family of poets and published writers and have been reading and composing poetry since the age of 4. My first poem was published in the local newspaper, in which I won first prize, at age 5. I have experienced all kinds of texts, as well as many different forms of art. Being exposed to art and literature at such a young age has given me a wide variety of experiences and a huge cultural repertoire. I have even been to Pablo Picasso's home studio in France a number of years ago. What strikes the familiar chord in me through this poem, however, lies not in my cultural repertoire nor my literary background, but my own recent personal background. Having spent many years in an abusive relationship, I can identify with this poem on a very sensitive level. "It is your nature/ to be small and cozy,/ domestic and weak" (12-14). Throughout history, women have been subjected to prejudice and discrimination as the "weaker" sex, oft times becoming subservient to their husbands, bosses, etc. Men have been dominant for years, and in such, have squeezed the role of woman into the domestic realm, that which they believed to be "woman's work." Experiencing this first hand, although I did work two jobs to support a non-working husband and three children, I have felt a sense of weakness and being oppressed or kept down, kept small, which is the essence of this poem. The idea here represents the cultural norm (although this has changed in our culture today) of keeping women from speaking their mind by relegating them to purely domestic chores of little importance. I found no key gaps within this poem on a personal level, although I can define some that would occur should a reader not be familiar with the concept of bonsai trees. My father has grown bonsai trees for many many years, thus the concept of pruning back and stunting the growth of such trees has been in my cultural and personal repertoire since childhood.

U.S. Gaap vs. Ifrs

Thao Vu Accounting 303 October 9, 2012 US GAAP vs. IFRS The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) developed the United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) has been used in US corporations for over 75 years. It allows financial statements from all corporations to be compared accurately and efficiently, and serves as a guideline for accountants. GAAP is slowly being taken out for the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as global business goes across the world. GAAP applies only to United States financial reporting. GAAP and the international rules have close similarity.The differences can lead a financial statement user to believe incorrectly that a company A made more money than company B because they report using different rules. The difference between GAAP and IFRS is the means of inventory valuation. In this case, GAAP permits accountants to use Last-in First-out, First-in First-out, and weighted average. Under IFRS, LIFO is not allowed. If U nited States corporations are forced to switch to LIFO under a universal accounting standard, they will have large increases in income tax. The use of LIFO allows them to avoid larger income taxes in times of inflation.Another example of the different procedures between IFRS and GAAP is in the evaluation of intangibles. GAAP focuses mostly on recording them at a set price, and amortizing that value over the amount of useful life of the intangible. IFRS stresses constant re-evaluation of the price, and recognition at the intangible's fair value (Miska). One of the greatest benefits of adopting IFRS is the fact that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) would be working together to develop the best, most effective accounting principles.Converting to an accounting standard that is less rule-based, and more principle oriented would definitely save American businesses trouble as well. IFRS authorize three basic accounting models: I. Current Cost Accounting, under Physical Capital Maintenance at all levels of inflation and deflation under the Historical Cost paradigm as well as the Capital Maintenance in Units of Constant Purchasing Power paradigm. II. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units, i. e. globally implemented Historical cost accounting during low inflation and deflation only under the traditional Historical Cost paradigm III. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power, i. e. , Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting – CIPPA – in terms of a Daily Consumer Price Index or daily rate at all levels of inflation and deflation under the Capital Maintenance in Units of Constant Purchasing Power paradigm and Constant Purchasing Power Accounting – CPPA – during hyperinflation under the Historical Cost paradigm. What are the advantages of IFRS?First, it allows a company to compare itself to competitors overseas, because they will all be us ing the same financial language (IFRS FAQs). Second, a company that has offices all around the world will be able to use one set of standards rather than many different sets unique to each country. Third, it may make it easier for companies to grow globally because the accounting methods will be the same everywhere and time won’t need to be spent learning new rules. The projects listed below are a move toward achieving a common accounting framework, a step in the globalization of business and investment. Financial instruments * Revenue recognition * Leases * Statement of comprehensive income * Fair value measurement * Derecognition * Consolidations * Post-employment benefits| * Balance sheet – Netting * Financial statement presentation * Discontinued operations * Financial instruments with characteristics of equity * Insurance contracts * Emissions trading schemes| Currently, the first three projects (in bold) are priority projects – due to the existing divergen ce of US GAAP and IFRS and the need for improvements in the standards they replace.In conclusion, going from GAAP to IFRS will take time, money, training, and patience, but it will be well worth it in the long run for the United States and international businesses. Globalization of business is growing and students and professionals need to become aware of what the IFRS will mean in their careers. As of 2011, IFRS will be eligible for testing in the CPA exam; so, it is important for students to understand the implications of the newest set of global standards (IFRS FAQs).In a profession that needs a lifetime commitment to learning, IFRS is not different than Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and GAAP before it; it is one more academic step for accountants to overcome and master during their professional career. Sources â€Å"IFRS FAQs. † IFRS. com. 2011. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. Imhof, Rori. Accounting Standards Go Global. Articlebase. com. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. Kaiser, James G. â€Å"US GAAP ; IF RS Convergence. † PWC. com. Web. August 2012. Miska, Kevin. US GAAP vs. IFRS. Articlebase. com. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. U.S. Gaap vs. Ifrs Thao Vu Accounting 303 October 9, 2012 US GAAP vs. IFRS The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) developed the United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) has been used in US corporations for over 75 years. It allows financial statements from all corporations to be compared accurately and efficiently, and serves as a guideline for accountants. GAAP is slowly being taken out for the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as global business goes across the world. GAAP applies only to United States financial reporting. GAAP and the international rules have close similarity.The differences can lead a financial statement user to believe incorrectly that a company A made more money than company B because they report using different rules. The difference between GAAP and IFRS is the means of inventory valuation. In this case, GAAP permits accountants to use Last-in First-out, First-in First-out, and weighted average. Under IFRS, LIFO is not allowed. If U nited States corporations are forced to switch to LIFO under a universal accounting standard, they will have large increases in income tax. The use of LIFO allows them to avoid larger income taxes in times of inflation.Another example of the different procedures between IFRS and GAAP is in the evaluation of intangibles. GAAP focuses mostly on recording them at a set price, and amortizing that value over the amount of useful life of the intangible. IFRS stresses constant re-evaluation of the price, and recognition at the intangible's fair value (Miska). One of the greatest benefits of adopting IFRS is the fact that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) would be working together to develop the best, most effective accounting principles.Converting to an accounting standard that is less rule-based, and more principle oriented would definitely save American businesses trouble as well. IFRS authorize three basic accounting models: I. Current Cost Accounting, under Physical Capital Maintenance at all levels of inflation and deflation under the Historical Cost paradigm as well as the Capital Maintenance in Units of Constant Purchasing Power paradigm. II. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units, i. e. globally implemented Historical cost accounting during low inflation and deflation only under the traditional Historical Cost paradigm III. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power, i. e. , Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting – CIPPA – in terms of a Daily Consumer Price Index or daily rate at all levels of inflation and deflation under the Capital Maintenance in Units of Constant Purchasing Power paradigm and Constant Purchasing Power Accounting – CPPA – during hyperinflation under the Historical Cost paradigm. What are the advantages of IFRS?First, it allows a company to compare itself to competitors overseas, because they will all be us ing the same financial language (IFRS FAQs). Second, a company that has offices all around the world will be able to use one set of standards rather than many different sets unique to each country. Third, it may make it easier for companies to grow globally because the accounting methods will be the same everywhere and time won’t need to be spent learning new rules. The projects listed below are a move toward achieving a common accounting framework, a step in the globalization of business and investment. Financial instruments * Revenue recognition * Leases * Statement of comprehensive income * Fair value measurement * Derecognition * Consolidations * Post-employment benefits| * Balance sheet – Netting * Financial statement presentation * Discontinued operations * Financial instruments with characteristics of equity * Insurance contracts * Emissions trading schemes| Currently, the first three projects (in bold) are priority projects – due to the existing divergen ce of US GAAP and IFRS and the need for improvements in the standards they replace.In conclusion, going from GAAP to IFRS will take time, money, training, and patience, but it will be well worth it in the long run for the United States and international businesses. Globalization of business is growing and students and professionals need to become aware of what the IFRS will mean in their careers. As of 2011, IFRS will be eligible for testing in the CPA exam; so, it is important for students to understand the implications of the newest set of global standards (IFRS FAQs).In a profession that needs a lifetime commitment to learning, IFRS is not different than Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and GAAP before it; it is one more academic step for accountants to overcome and master during their professional career. Sources â€Å"IFRS FAQs. † IFRS. com. 2011. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. Imhof, Rori. Accounting Standards Go Global. Articlebase. com. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. Kaiser, James G. â€Å"US GAAP ; IF RS Convergence. † PWC. com. Web. August 2012. Miska, Kevin. US GAAP vs. IFRS. Articlebase. com. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.

Carolina Pad and the Bloggers Essay

1- April Whitlock received e-mail from Mommy bloggers requesting financial assistance to attend the upcoming bloggers conference. Bloggers promised a ward of mouth and written reviews about Carolina Pad Company. April must consider that bloggers hadn’t promised favorable review, just review. Also, she worried there was something dishonest about the case: wasn’t implicit that the reviews would be favorable? Moreover, is the act an ethical or not and would the payments be in violation of Carolina Pad’s Mission and Values statement. Finally, if she declined the bloggers’ request while questioning their ethical standards, would her relationship with any of the bloggers become strained? 2- April firmly believed the promotional considerations theses bloggers were offering could provide a significant higher rate of return for Carolina Pad than the company could receive from others such as advertising. Also, she realized that her competitors were receiving similar requests from these or other bloggers, and many of them were benefiting already from paying such requests. But, April also thinks that there are some dishonest about the whole situation and bloggers didn’t promised a favorable reviews and if is an ethical scenario or not. 3- If April agreed to pay the bloggers, the following stakeholders will be effected: a. Bloggers will be satisfied and received money for their job b. Carolina Pad company reputation and revenues will rise if the review is good, but it might enter in unethical stage which will affect its mission and values statement. c. Customers will be willing to buy more of the company products due to the good reviews. d. Employees such as April will be affected by getting better positions in the company due to the increase in company revenues, but it might affects their beliefs about the company mission and values statement. 4- In Virtues Method, honesty, loyalty, and respect from customers and employees will be affected badly if April decided to pay the bloggers. In Utilitarian Method, the benefit the company will receive from paying this small cost amount will be very high and the repetition will increase if April agrees to the deal. In the Rights Method, the right of speech will be influenced if the bloggers to take the payments and they will be force somehow to say only good things about the company. In the Justice Methods, the customers will be affected by false reviews about the company products which is not fair for them to buy products that they received different reviews or false about them. 5- I think April shouldn’t pay the  bloggers their financial support demand because it will affect the company Mission and Values statement badly. Also, the company repetition and revenues are at a high level at the moment. The company doesn’t any good reviews from paid bloggers to increase its values, repetition, and revenues.

Walter E. Williams

Walter E. Williams received a bachelors degree in economics from California State University in 1965, a masters degree in 1967 and a doctorate in 1972 in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles. He currently is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He has also served on many other faculties such as, Los Angeles City College, California State University and Temple University. He was also a group supervisor for juvenile delinquents for the Los Angeles County Probation Department from 1963-1967. Williams recalls that his work with juvenile delinquents was very challenging and stressful and after four years he needed to move on. Williams has written more than 50 publications and almost all of them have appeared in scholarly journals, such as The Economic Inquiry, American Economic Review and The Social Science Quarterly. He was very proud when 2 of his publications made it to the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek. He also made many appearances on T.V. shows such as Nightline, Crossfire and Face the Nation. Along with his many publications, Williams also write several books. Some o his most famous titles include All it takes is Guts , South Africas War Against Capitalism and America: A Minority Viewpoint. Some articles that Willaims has written that have caused heated debates include: Should All Laws be Obeyed and Yours or Mine. Williams has been known to ask the question, Should all laws be obeyed? Williams believes some laws are not worthy of obedience.(Williams, 1997). The question arises, What would happen to our society if the people decided what laws to obey or disobey? during the apartheid in South Africa, some moral acting whites disobeyed the South African constitution and did not persecute the blacks. These whites should not be tired or convicted for their moral acts aga...

Twelver Shiites, or Ithna Ashariyah

Twelver Shiites, or Ithna Ashariyah Twelver Shiites, known in Arabic as IthnÄ  ‘AsharÄ «yah, or ImÄ miyÄ h (from Imam), form the principal branch of Shiite Islam and are sometimes synonymous with Shiitism, even though factions such as the IsmÄ Ã„ «lÄ «yah and ZaydÄ «yah Shiites do not subscribe to Twelver doctrine.   Alternate spellings include  IthnÄ  ‘AsharÄ «yah,  ImÄ miyÄ h,  and ImamiyÄ . Twelvers are the followers of the 12 imams they consider to be the only rightful successors of the Prophet Muhammad, beginning with Ali ibn Abu Talib (600-661 CE), Muhammads cousin and son-in-law, and ending with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (born 869 CE), the 12th imam whoaccording to Twelver beliefwill emerge and bring peace and justice to the world, becoming the ultimate savior of humankind (Muhammad never appeared publicly and is currently considered in major occultation as the Mahdi). Sunnis recognize Ali as the fourth caliph, but founding commonalities between Sunnis and Shiites end with him. Some Muslims have never recognized the first three as legitimate caliphs, thus forming the nucleus of Islams protesting Shiites. The seeming subversion never sat well with Sunnis, whose habit it became to mercilessly and brutally persecute Alis followers and assassinate subsequent imams, most spectacularly among those the killing in the battle of Hussayn  (or Hussein) Ibn Ali, the third Imam (626-680 CE), on the plains of Karbala. The killing is most famously commemorated in the annual rituals of Ashura. The copious bloodletting gave Twelvers their two most prominent characteristics, like birthmarks on their creed: a cult of victimology, and a cult of martyrdom. The Safavid Dynasty Twelvers never had an empire of their own until the Safavid dynastyone of the most remarkable dynasties ever to have ruled Iranwas established in Iran in the 16th century and the Qajar dynasty in the late 18th century when Twelvers reconciled the divine and the temporal in the leadership of the reigning imam. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, through his 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, pushed the fusion of the temporal and the divine furthest, adding a layer of ideological expediency under the banner of Supreme Leader. A strategic revolutionary, in the words of writer Colin Thubron, Khomeini created his own Islamic state above Islamic law. Twelvers Today The majority of Twelverssome 89%reside in Iran today, with other large populations existing but being mightily oppressed in Azerbaijan (60%), Bahrain (70%), and Iraq (62%). Twelvers make up some of the most destitute populations in countries such as Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as well. The three major legal schools of Twelver Shia Islam today include the Usuli (the most liberal of the three), the Akhbari (who rely on traditional religious knowledge), and the Shayki  (at one time absolutely apolitical, the Shaykis have since become active in the Basra, Iraq, government as its own political party).

Problems with Professional Development Dissertation

Problems with Professional Development - Dissertation Example It is easy to agree on the need; how should districts address obstacles that would impede the success of such programs? An inevitable consideration is time, of course. It would be ideal if all teachers had ample opportunities to learn from one another, and to absorb the current research in a vacuum; but considerable juggling of schedules is necessary; as the ongoing practice of direct student interaction is neglected only at the district's peril. With a limited number of school days per year, with needed allocations for snow days and unforeseen interferences with academic scheduling; a teacher's available time is a resource that determines district funding and must be husbanded by the administration. A study by Raywid has sought to examine time allocation by school districts in terms of professional development assignments. Numerous approaches have been devised for time-management that would free-up hours or days needed for improvement of the educational process as a whole. One proposal would be either extending the school year, adding additional days, or just hours to build a block of time permitting ongoing improvement for the staff. The entire day could be planned for an extended length during four days of the week, with one day being designated for a shortened time-frame. A shortened Friday might prove a popular choice in this instance; but specific district needs will of course be paramount in choosing a day most convenient. Without adding time, a budget could be allocated, for some districts to use greater numbers of teaching assistants, qualified volunteers, or teaching interns to cover classes; providing students with the same number of days they are entitled to under State and Federal Law, while granting time needed for continuous development amongst the teaching staff. The use of qualified teaching volunteers could serve as a means to increase community support. Former, retired teachers could be retained in a limited capacity to allow the same number of school hours, but giving current teachers a chance to pursue professional goals. Drawing upon the talent pool of the community at large could be a useful means to strengthen ties, and encourage interest and participation in events such as PTA meetings; or ancillary school-related functions. Certain previously-planned staff meeting and informational sessions could also be re-tasked to allow for instruction in teaching methods, and studies of knowledg e absorption in students. Teachers may be given 'PTO', some form of paid time off, or a substitute bank of time that has been previously allocated, and could be 'tapped' by individual teachers on an 'as needed' basis. (Raywid, 1993) More ideas are needed, as Professional development has not been universally perceived as integral to enhancing teacher effectiveness and adaptability. (Watts & Castle, 1993) The above mentioned recommendations for time allocation may be unusual in most districts; where district administration, as well as parents, and State education officials tend to be leery of anything that distracts teachers from direct student interaction. (NECTL, 1994) It is rare to create scheduling with professional skill development in mind. Guilt, on the part of

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 120

Essay Example He also helps the composers connect their creative and innovative ideas with the need of the audience for musical freshness and beauty. The various types of classical music are played free of charge with the major goal of building talents. The article made me reflect on and think about a number of things as far as talent development is concerned. Firstly, it gave me a picture of the university as a place that is not only meant for academic excellence but also a place to nurture talents in other fields. This is contrary to the misconception held by many that the university involves serious study with no play. It is quite interesting that the Music Today Festival is organized and coordinated by one of the university’s senior professors, Kyr Robert. It also made me reflect on the importance of music, especially for professional means. Considering that the professor heads the music department in the university, it seems that there are institutions that value music not only as a way of entertainment but also as a profession. I also came to understand that there are students studying music as a course, just for professional purpose. This made me remember one question that is very common, especially among journalists, when interviewing musicians; â€Å"apart from music, what else do you do?† many people have taken music not as a career but as a way of entertainment. The article is a good source to teach the society on the importance of music not only as a means of entertainment but also as a profession. In other words, the article mainly triggers thoughts about the importance of music in the society as well as the role of music as a way of relaxation to enable students study better. One thing that surprised me is that the festival is not only unique in the University of Oregon alone. Several other institutions place a high value on music and use it as a way of nurturing talents and enhancing

AmeriCares Association, Strengths and Weakness Assignment

AmeriCares Association, Strengths and Weakness - Assignment Example The organization has strength associated with the ability to assemble product donations from the private sector, thereby determining the urgent needs and requesting financial support for sending aid through airlift or ocean cargo. The organization has health and welfare professionals who are deployed in impecunious areas faced by a need for medical support. Moreover, Americares applies a model, which is tested, cost-effective and driven by experience (AmeriCares, 2013). On the other hand, they have high accessibility to donated medicines and medical supplies offered by corporate partners, through an established and trusted network. In this case, they use locally based hospitals and healthcare providers in different places of the world. Contributions made by supporters of the organization around the world have a led to a positive influence on their operations in different parts of the world. The only weakness identified in the organization relates to the inability to access people suffering in some counties due to lack of information, high level of insecurity or lack of necessary capacity (AmeriCares, 2013). Most of the time, the organization is not able to access some these location due to lack of the necessary information that can assist in accessing these areas. Opportunities of Americare can be associated with long-standing commitment of fiscal responsibility that is always attributed to high rankings from the Charity Navigator for their success (AmeriCares, 2013). This provides a platform that facilitates recognition by different parties from different places of the world with the same interest in assisting people in needs. Therefore, the organization is able to acquire trust in terms of management of funds donated by corporate partners. In fact, the organization has used the donations as an opportunity to reflect their commitment towards support programs, whereby ninety-eight of their expenses are directly channeled to relief for people in need, while two percent is consumed through administrative costs.        Ã‚  

Construction Project for Denver International Airport

Construction Project for Denver International Airport 1. Project Concept and Strategy 1.1 Is the decision to build a new airport at Denver a strategically sound decision? Give Reasons for your opinion. Yes, the decision to build a new airport at Denver is a strategically sound one. This is because Denvers Stapleton Airport was experiencing brisk growth prior to deregulations. Deregulation meant open market competition that would bring air travel within the reach of average person thereby increasing air traffic at the Stapleton Airport. Moreover, the regional council of governments predicted that the airport would not be able to handle the necessary traffic by 2000. Stapleton could have been modernized giving it a lease of life for another five years but Denvers remote location meant that the insufficient capacity problem would still persest and could cause city to lose valuable business. Denver Stapleton airport was also one of the major connecting airports and was ranked in top ten worst air traffic bottlenecks in United States. These bottlenecks at Denver affected other airports as it had only two runways located very closely to each other which in bad weather were considered one. The new airport was meant to solve this bottleneck problem for Denver city. Stapleton airport was affected by high velocity winds which resulted in operations being shifted from one direction to the other, this procedure wasted 45 minutes. The new airport would bring this time to 4 minutes thereby saving cost and time for the airport. 1.2 Using the Gray and Larsons model, write a simple project scope statement for DIA project. Project Objective: Constructing a world class international airport that would serve the needs of the city for at least fifty to sixty years with an estimated cost of $1.7 billon. Deliverables:- Building a world class international airport for Denver City. Ten 12,000 runways and two 16,000 foot runway. 327 foot FAA air traffic control and a base building structure. Runway/taxiway lighting system. Creation of a buffer zone to protect surrounding residents. Building three concourses with 72 airline gates and 18 commuter gates. DCV baggage handling system for the entire airport. Milestones:- Passing of Airport Referendum. Land Selection and other legal clearance Airport Design Project Management teams selection Construction of the runways Construction of airport facilities Opening Day Technical Requirements:- Continuos noise monitoring and limits on business which are in direct competition with the existing business in Adams County. Prohibiting residential development within 60 LDN noise level. Translucent tent-like roof for the Airport. Runway/taxiway lighting system. All three concourses to provide 70 airline gates and 18 commuter gates. Fully automated baggage handling system. Limits and exclusions:- BAE would design and build the automated baggage handling system. U.S. West Communication Services was responsible for Airports telephone services. The City of Denver, Greiner Engineering and Morrison-Kundse Engineering will comprise the project management team and will be responsible for information management, managing costs, scheduled coordination and administration of the contractors. New Orleans Architectural firm responsible for creating standards that would unify the whole airport and to do the schematics and design development of the main terminal. Review with customer:- Review is to be done with the Denver City Council. 2. Project define and planning 2.1 Did the project plan explain how risk management, and any changes in the project would be controlled? Should this be part of the plan? Give reasons. DIA project plan did not explain how risk management or any other changes in the project would be controlled. Project Management teams often use Statement of work (SWO) or Project Charter to establish risk limits (Larson Gray, 2011). DIA case study does not provide any evidence as to the use of these documents to establish risk and to manage them. Risk are always perceived to have negative impact but they can also be positive (Turbit, 2011). Therefore, Risk management is very crucial part in project planing as the future is uncertain and what risk management can do is to identify all the potential risk and assign contingence plan for the same. Turbit (2011), has given the basic steps for risk management, these are:- Risk Identification Risks Quantification Risk Response Risk Monitoring and control By following these simple steps, risks can be identified and appropriate contingencies plans for them same can be made. These steps if followed correctly justify the importance of risk management in project management. 2.2 How many times has the DIA project changed the scope and what are the effects of scope changes on project management? Project Scope is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, Service, or result with the specified features and functions.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Going by this definition the scope of DIA has been changed seven times thereby extending the deadline of the project. These are as follows:- In March 1993:- Denver Mayor announced that opening would be postponed to December of 1993. The effect of this is the rise in cost form $1.7 billion to $2.7 billion. In October 1993:- Opening date pushed to March 1994. Delay associated with problems in Baggage handling system and fire- security system. The effect of this was the projects cost rising to $3.1 billion and upset cargo carriers. In December 1993:- Due to incomplete baggage handling system another delay announced. In February 1994:- Opening rescheduled to May 1994 due to the incomplete baggage handling system. In May 1994:- Another delay in opening and Hiring of two German experts who had worked on a similar baggage handling system at Frankfurt airport. In August 1994:- Indefinite delay in opening announced, manual backup baggage handling system. The effect is, rising costs now estimated at over $4 billion. The effect of scope changes on project management is scope creep and rising costs. DIA project managers have incorporate so many small changes giving rise to so much additional work that the budget in hand and the time needed to accomplish the project is now insufficient resulting in seven delays in project completion. 2.3 Recommend a suitable project organisation structure for DIA project and justify your choice. The project organisation structure that I would recommend for DIA project is Organising projects as dedicated teams. Following are the reasons for my choice:- Simple: As the project teams comprise of specialists the functional organisations working is not affected by the formation of such project organisational structures (Larson Gray, 2011). If this structure was adopted the City of Denver would have been kept out of Project management and only the specialist team would have been responsible for the project Fast: It has been observed that dedicates teams accomplish the projects much more quickly as every team members effort is dedicated to one common goal (Larson Gray, 2011). In DIA this was not the case as three Project Management teams were coordinating there effort. Staff adhesion and high motivation: Team members show high degree of motivation, adhesion and responsibility as everyone in the team is working for a common goals (Larson Gray, 2011). If DIA had followed this structure the responsibility and ownership of task would have been much easier. Cross Functional Integration: People with different skill set work towards the optimisation of project even if it is not there area of expertise (Larson Gray, 2011). Freedom to project manager: compared to other to form of project organisation structure the project manager has comparatively more freedom to control their team resulting in better and quicker decision making (Larson Gray, 2011). 3. Communication and Stakeholder Management 3.1 Project communications were apparently poor. Give examples of two communication mishaps and justify your answer. According to Larson Gray (2011) Communication is one of the main components in project management. However, in DIAs case the communication was rather poor. Examples of two communication mishaps are as follows:- No inputs from the two major Airlines in the design phase: 80% of the flights at Stapleton airport were controlled by United and Continental yet no inputs or their involvement in design face was never sought. This was a major communication mishap, because these two would be the major controllers of flights at the new Denver International Airport. Failure to get their vital input in the design phase was a failure on the part of PMT. DCV system: Good project communication plan would have told the team member about the issues and risks associated with this complex baggage handling system. But communication in regards to DCA system was a diaster in project management perspective. The terminal construction had already begun and no one knew what the design of DCV system was. No one was aware of the risks and complexity associated with such system. This is an instance of a major failure of communication in the DIA project. 3.2 Why was Unites Airline opposed to expansion of Front Range Airport? UPS wanted to build a regional hub at the Front Range Airport. This required federal funds. If FAA granted funds for UPS regional hub then a commercial airlines could not be prohibited from setting up shops in the Front Range Airport. As costs were already fixed the threat to United Airlines was from the low cost carriers who would have operated at Front Range Airport. If this happened it would reduce the passenger traffic at DIA which equated to less profit for United Airlines. To curb UPS ambitions United filed a lawsuit. Moreover, it also secured the passenger number at the new DIA airport. 3.3 Why is Stakeholder involvement so critical? Briefly explain four main stakeholders interests or objectives? Stakeholders includes everyone whose interest the project affects negatively or positively (Larson Gray, 2011). This definition of the stakeholder makes it very clear how important stakeholders are to a project. If the Project Manager does not understand how different stakeholders affect the project it can de detrimental for the projects completion. Therefore, it is important to manage their dependency on the project. Four main stakeholders and their interest / objectives Adams County: Adam County is interested in DIA because it is being constructed in their area. Their objective is to ensure the interests and safety of people living in its area. This is being done by creating buffer zones, keeping the noise pollution down and the limits on new business opening as a consequence of DIAs construction. New Orleans-based architectural firm:- One of the contractors of DIA. Their objectives are:- Creating standards for the unification of the airport and taking the design of main terminal through design development and schematics. BAE:- One of the contractors for DIA. Their objectives are to design and build the baggage handling system within two years. U.S. West Communication Services: Is one of the contractors in the DIA project. They are responsible for the telephone services of DIA. 4. Risk Management 4.1 What appears to be the single greatest risk in the decision to build DIA-discuss? The single greatest risk in the decision to building DIA is that the construction of the Airport began 1989 without a signal contract being signed between DIA and the two major airlines, Continental and United. These two airlines were the main stakeholder in the project and were likely to control 80% of the flights at DIA as they did in Stapleton airport, they convinced DIA to make some substantial changes and addition to the originally plans. DIA did oblige to their request but without any agreement between them. If the two later on decided not to operate at DIA they could not be forced to do so as they were not legally bound by any contracts. 4.2 How did DIA project handle risk? Was this effective? What might they have done? DIA only did the preliminary risk analysis which involved only three areas, these were weather, cost and human resources. Apart form this no risks analysis were done. These risks analysis were not that effective as it was seen in cost risk analysis where the bids for construction were received below citys own estimates. DIA project did not have a proper risk management programme. After Mr Waddles left DIA to join State of Colorado the project was without a full-time risk manager for several months and eventually a replacement was found in Molly Austin Flaherty. To sum up whatever endeavours DIA undertook in regards to risk management were unsuccessful. To manage risks more effectively DIA should have undertaken the risk management process. This process includes four steps, these are (Larson Gray, 2011):- Risk Identification Risk Assessment Risk Response Development Risk Response Control If DIA had diligently followed these steps it would have been in a far better position to identify all the risk involved with the project and develop appropriate responses for them. 5. Contracting Services 5.1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Construction began without a signed agreement from Continental and United Airlinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?- why is a formal signed agreement necessary in this project? Continental and United were the main stakeholders in the DIA project; together both controlled 80% of the flights at the Stapleton airport. Given their existing presence in the Denver air space it was given that they would be the major users of the new DIA airport. Denver City Council should have formally involved Continental and United in the DIA project as they could have given vital inputs at the design phase and should have sign an agreement with them. Instead, DIA project planners made important changes to the original design on suggestions made by the two airlines. Moreover, these changes were made to the original plan without any contract being signed between them and the two airlines. DIA should have signed agreement with both of them as this would have lead to the sharing of risk that would have risen through the changes proposed by the two airlines (Larson Gray, 2011). The commitment would also have assured a commitment of maintaining a certain number of flights at the new DIA airport. However, DIA opted for not having any agreement with the two airlines. This left DIA venerable, as both could reduce their operations at the new DIA airport or withdraw from the new venture altogether. This meant that the very companies on whose base the billion dollar investment was planned and constructed could walk out at will as they were not binded by any formal agreements. 5.2 What contractors were involved in the DIA project and briefly explain two main contractors performances. The Contractors that were involved in the DIA project are:- Morrision-Knudseb Engineering (MKE):- Contracted for Project Management Team. Greiner Engineering: Contracted for Project Management Team. New Orleans Based Architecture firm: Contracted for creating unified standards for airport and taking the design of main terminal through schematics and design developments. BAE: Contracted for the design and building of baggage handling system. US West Communication Services: Contracted for DIAs telephone services. Union Pacific: Contracting for designing track for the train that would connect Denver to DIA. Bechtel Corporation: Responsible for transferring of airport facilities from Stapleton airport to DIA, this has to be done over night. Two Main Contractors Performance:- BAE: They were responsible for designing and building the automated baggage handing system. BAE was brought into the project after 3 years of construction and still BAE miscalculated the time it needed to complete the project and committed to do the entire work in two years which otherwise would have taken eight years. BAE miscalculated the work involved which resulted in the baggage handling system not being delivered at the required time. To sum up BAEs performance was unsatisfactory for this project. Greiner Engineering: Was one of the firms in the project management team (PMT). The PMT did not perform satisfactorily. Things such as risk management, project communication biding, to name few, were not performed satisfactorily by the PMT. 5.3 Did the project follow a systematic bid process? What might they have done? No, the project did not follow a systematic bid process. Case litterateur does give some evidence in regards to the biding process but it is not strong enough to classify the biding process as systematic. There is an instance in case where the New Orleans based architecture firm was selected on their past experience with Denver city council thereby providing further evidence that a systematic biding process was not followed. DIA should have followed the RFP process. The first step the Project manager should have done was to develop the Request of Proposal (RFP) for the project or for parts of it (Larson Gray, 2011). Then the RFP/s should have been announced to the outside contractors with adequate capabilities and expertise (Larson Gray, 2011). The next step would have sees the interested contractors submitting written bids which would have been followed by DIA project mangers selecting the bid that best meet the requirements of RFP/s (Larson Gray, 2011). This process would have ended by providing explanations to contractors as to why they were not selected (Larson Gray, 2011). 6. Progress Monitoring and Control 6.1 Identify the main causes of schedule variation in DIA project. Numbers of causes were associated with the scheduled variation of the DIA project but the main ones are listed as follows:- DCV baggage handling system: according to case literature the baggage handling system delayed the DIA project four times. Two specialists were hired from Germany to iron out the problems with the baggage handling system at the DIA airport. Ultimately a back manual system was financed by DIA authorities as the reliability and completion of the automated system could not be guaranteed by the contactors. Frequent Scope Changes: The scope of project was changed on a number of occasions, though the changes were minor but their aggregated effects on the project cost and its completion were immense. Communication Plan: The project did not have an effective communication plan. There was no communication between the different stakeholders resulting in scheduled variation of DIA project. Risk Management planning: The project managers of DIA did not evaluate the risks involved with the project nor did they develop an effective communication plan to tackle the identified risks. This also led to the scheduled variation of the project. 6.2 What would you have done when you saw that the project would not meet its schedule? If I saw that the project would not meet its deadline I would have done the following things:- Conducted an in-process Audit: In-process audit would have been used by me if I saw the project would not meet its deadline. This is because it allows for corrective actions if the situation changes keeping a strong focus on project advancement and performance (Larson Gray, 2011). This would also help to identify constraints in the project. Implementing Integrated Cost/schedule system: The major problems that the builders of DIA had were the costs, time and communication in the project which were beyond their control. According to Larson Gray (2011), as time passes the ability to influence a particular cost decreases. Therefore, a well integrated cost/schedule system will be able to keep the costs and schedule in check through timely reporting of the same. This will also aid in better decision making as all the stakeholders will be provided with the same facts and figures. Resource levelling: DIA is a time constraint project. I can use resource levelling technique to delay non-critical activities and concentrate on critical ones (Larson Gray, 2011). 7. Project Closeout 7.1 Highlight the major areas of strength in the management of this project. DIA project did not have much to speak about, but a couple of things do deserve to be mentioned, these are:- Even though DIA failed to involved all the stakeholders effectively into the project. They however, did work efficiently with stakeholders, whom they were involved with, to resolve their queries and objections. The original Airport design had four concourses but DIA project planners had efficient WBS to build only three concourses in order to keep the budget down. 7.2 The DIA project was evidently not well run. Why? Give reasons for your opinion. Yes, the DIA project was evidently not well run. The reasons are as follows:- Inadequate Risk Management: Though DIA project managers did under take risk management it was not sufficient for the project. The risk management process failed to identify critical risks which resulted in waste of time and money to cope up with such risks. Moreover, the project was without a full time Risk Manger for several months. Lack of effective communication plan: DIA did not have a well executed communication plan. Consistent and timely information about the project was not given to various stakeholders. This effected the decision making process as everyone was not on the same wave length. Scope creep: DIA project managers kept on including small tasks without realising the impact it was having on the scope of the project resulting in increased costs. 7.3 Overall, What lessons have you learnt from DIA project? The lessons learnt from the DIA project are as follows:- Involvement of main stakeholders: It is very important and crucial for a projects success to involve the main stakeholders in the project. DIA made a blunder by not involving the Continental and United in the design phase ad these two could have given vital inputs in the design phase. Moreover, their involvement in the inception stage would have meant that the later changes made by each of them to the design would not have happened. Importance of Risk Management Process:- A proper well execute risk management process is very important for an project as it prepares and makes the management about all the risk that may arise and equips them with options to tackle the risks as and when they may arise. Importance of communication plan: A well executed communication plan delivers consistent information to the various stakeholders thereby increasing the speed of decision making process. Setting realistic goals: Management should take into account the budget and the time before setting up any goals. Prime example in the case is of the automated baggage handling system. The system involved eight years of work but the contractor committed to complete it in two years which was not a realistic goal. Proper biding process should be followed: A proper RFP process should be followed. This given equal chance for all the external contractors to participate in the biding process and ensures that deserving contractors will be selected which ultimately will be beneficial for the project.