Poetry and Lentil Essay

Read the English translation of the following poem by the Armenian poet Zahrad. It will aid in your comprehension if you take note of the poem’s title. Then, in one or two carefully constructed paragraphs, explore how rhythm is created in the poem and how it interacts with other elements such as imagery to create an effect—an impact on the audience. In your response, be sure to describe what feeling, effect, or impact the rhythm and other elements achieve. The Woman Cleaning LentilsA lentil, a lentil, a lentil, a stone.A lentil, a lentil, a lentil, a stone.A green one, a black one, a green one, a black. A stone.A lentil, a lentil, a stone, a lentil, a lentil, a word.Suddenly a word. A lentil.A lentil, a word, a word next to another word. A sentence.A word, a word, a word, a nonsense speech.Then an old song.Then an old dream.A life, another life, a hard life. A lentil. A life.An easy life. A hard life. Why easy? Why hard?Lives next to each other. A life. A word. A lentil.A green one, a black one, a green one, a black one, pain.A green song, a green lentil, a black one, a stone.A lentil, a stone, a stone, a lentil. 1| I believe the rhythm is set by the repetition of short units. For example â€Å"a len/til, a len/til, a len/til, a stone†. So the base rhythm for this specific quotation would be anapestic tetrameter. I believe the title is tied into the poem through a metaphor. The repetition of how a lentil (plant) is talked about in the poem I believe is talking about the woman’s job; how it is repetitive and ordinary. The imagery in the poem reinforces this metaphor I believe through the quotation â€Å"a green one, a black one, a green one, a black. A stone†. When the quotation is said a second time it gives the reader an image of the â€Å"pain† the woman faces with her difficult job. The woman faces a â€Å"hard† life as a peasant. I feel the rhythm and imagery work together sort of as I explained in the last paragraph. They connect together through the metaphor of cleaning and how repetitive the woman’s job is. The effect it has on the audience is that the poem essentially balances on interest and dullness. The interest is reading the poem and understanding it, and the dullness is the content of the poem, and how we know the woman’s life is very dull and repetitive. The dullness of the poem is kept to a minimum by keeping the poem so short, otherwise us as the audience would lose interest in the poem. In a quick analysis of the poem, the woman is doing a boring, repetitive job and becomes one with the ‘rhythm’. While she is doing her mindless tasks, in rhythm, her thoughts are wandering over the life she’s living, including her dreams and her pains.

Authority and Social Identity Essay

In “The new psychology of leadership” (2007), the authors offer a new perspective about leadership, based not only on authority but on sharing a social identity with the people. The new concept of leadership is the ability to attain success by having followers wanting to do it instead of enforcing or rewarding them. To accomplish their goals, leaders must be situated among their group, be part of it. When goals are shared by common circumstances, they matter to the group as a whole, thus leaders that are able to represent the group better, have more influence over them. It should be a primary responsibility for the leader to understand values and opinions of the group in order to communicate effectively about what the group stands for and how their values should be reflected in their actions. LeaderÂ’s behavior and character affinity to the group defines how much control and inspiration can be imparted. However, any trait that separates the leader will hinder the chance for effective leadership. Other factors that influence leadership effectiveness are:•Show fairness when making decisions and resolving disputes, although fairness may depend on the perception of the group being led, therefore it is important to consider what itÂ’s fair for the group. •Leadership must shape and define norms conforming the groupÂ’s identity, which is based on shared beliefs and values. •GroupÂ’s social identity must be aligned with reality, since there is no chance of success for unrealistic goals that will eventually disappoint the group. Leaders need to be in touch with reality, and when required, align the groupÂ’s identity with his own. Based on the authorsÂ’ psychological analysis, leaders and followers must have the same identity that will be used to outline future actions. Many times in history, leaders lost their position because their actions depicted  a different identity from their group, and in some cases, only their individual identity. Development and nurturing a shared identity among leaders and their groups is the key for an effective and creative leadership. In FocusJuly 31, 2007The New Psychology of LeadershipRecent research in psychology points to secrets of effective leadership that radically challenge conventional wisdomBy Stephen D. Reicher, Michael J. Platow and S. Alexander HaslamFrom the August 2007 issue of Scientific American Mind

Deposit Mobilization Essay

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Background For the development of any country, the financial sector of that country is responsible and must be strong. The financial sector is vast field, which comprises of banks, cooperatives, insurance companies, financial companies, stock exchange, foreign exchange markets, mutual funds etc. These institutions collect idle and scattered money from the general public and finally invest in different enterprises of national economy that consequently help in reducing poverty, increase in life style of people, increase employment opportunities and thereby developing the society and country as a whole. Thus, today’s concept, the financial institutions and commercial banks has become one of the bases for the measuring level of economic development of nation. Commercial banks are the main source which motivates people to save their earnings. Bank deals in accepting the saving of people in the form of deposit collection and invest it in the productive area. They give the loan to the people against real and financial assets. They transfer monetary sources from savers to users. In other words, they are intermediate between lender and receiver of fund they mobilize the depositor fund. Whereas in Nepal the role of joint venture banks are still to be realized as an essentials machine of mobilizing internal saving through various banking schemes in the economy. Hence, to uplift the backward economic condition of the country, the process of capital accumulation, among other prerequisites should be expedited. This project report has been prepared as an output of the researcher’s internship experience in Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank Limited. Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd. (NCC Bank) formally registered as Nepal- Bank of Ceylon Ltd. Commenced its operation on 14th October, 1996 as a Joint Venture with Bank of Ceylon, Srilanka. It was the first private sector bank with the largest authorized capital of NRS. 1000 million. The Head Office of the Bank is located at Siddhartha Nagar, Rupandehi, the birthplace of LORD BUDDHA, while its corporate office is placed at Bagbazar, Kathmandu. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Nepal is underdeveloped country and rapid economic development is the basic need of the country. Development by its means is not possible within a short period and it takes a long time for the proper development of a country, it has to build up infrastructure. In Nepal, the process of development started only after 1956 A. D. when the first five year plan came into practice. Capital in fact, plays the leading role for the economic development of a country. But in Nepal, there is shortage of capital. There are various sources of accumulating capital internal and external sources. Under external sources: aid, grants and loans are the main sources. In internal sources: accumulating capital, taxes, public enterprises, public debt are the popular in our country. But due to underdevelopment, poverty, lack of banking knowledge the desired capital for the development of the country cannot be accumulated from those internal sources. So, it can be said that in Nepal’s present situation bank deposit is dependable and permanent sources of capital accumulation. The need of deposit mobilization for economic development of a country is no more to question. But we are facing an acute problem of resources mobilization. We have 32 commercial banks in Nepal which are very much considered to be vital financial institution to mobilize domestic resources. 1.3 Objective of the Study The objective of the study is to examine relationship between the amount of total deposit and amount of total credit granted by the bank. The main objectives of the study are: * To analyze the relationship between deposits and loans and advances. * To analyze the effectiveness of deposit mobilization of the bank. * To examine how far the interest rates of deposits have positive relationship with the deposit collection of the bank. * To measure the impact of interest rates of loan on the credit extended by the bank. * To draw suggestions and recommendations to the concerned bank for the further improvement. 1.4 Significance of the Study Banks and other financial institutions play important role to increase economic standard for the development of the country. Economic development becomes slow if there are incomplete and unfair banking facilities. Especially commercial banks provide different economic and technical facilities to the people who involve in business activities. Commercial banks play major role in collection of scared small savings form depositors and transfer these funds into productive sectors for the economic development. Mainly this study covers the deposit and credit position of commercial bank (NCC), so it helps to reveal the financial position of bank and study occupies an important role in the series of the studies on commercial bank. The significances of the study are: * Important to know how well the bank is utilizing its deposits. * Important to policy formulator and also be useful for academic professionals, students particularly those involves in commerce, CA and financial institutions to formulate policies and plans on the basis of the performance of the bank. * Important to the management party of the bank for the evaluation of the performance of their bank and comparison with other banks. * Important for the investors, customers (depositors, loan takers) and personnel of bank to take various decisions regarding deposits and loan advances. * This study will be equally important to the others who are interested to know about the area. It may encourage to researcher to research further. 1.5 Relevance of the Study Currently, banks are gaining the stakeholders’ belief through their efficient management and professional services and playing an eminent role in the economy. The deposit mobilization for the bank is tough job. So, the study is focused on how the deposits are mobilized by the bank. The study attempts to interlink the financial performance and the deposit mobilization of the bank. The study is expected to be useful to different stakeholders as: 1. The study is expected to be useful to the shareholders as they can analyze the risk relating to credit. 2. The study is expected to be useful to the management bodies of the bank to improve the operations of the bank to add more value to its service 3. The study is expected to be useful to the government body, NRB for further research is the area to formulate and implement new policies and regulations. 4. The study is expected to be useful to the other stakeholders to know the practices made over the deposit mobilization by the bank 5. The study is expected to be useful to analyzes the internal strengths and weaknesses of the bank 6. The study is expected to be useful to anyone who is conducting a bank survey in the related topic. 1.6 Research Questions The study intends to reveal the following issues of deposit mobilization practices by the bank: 1. What is the relationship between deposit and loans and advances? 2. What is the effectiveness of deposit mobilization of the bank? 3. How far the interest rates of deposits have positive relationship with the deposit collection of the bank? 4. What is the increasing or decreasing trend of deposit mobilization of the bank? 1.7 Limitations of the Study As every research has its own limitation, this study is not biased. The research is done for the partial fulfillment of MBA. Therefore, this study has some limitations, which are listed below: * This research study largely depends on the secondary data like annual reports (Profit and Loss Account, Balance Sheet and Financial Statements). * The study is based on only financial and statistical tools and technology. * The study mainly based on last five years data (2003 to 2008) that are not enough for the statistical calculation and cannot be generalized for entire financial sectors. 1. 8 Organization of the Report Chapter one deals with the general background of the study and the major issues which has governed the overall study, chapter two deals with the nature of Nepal’s banking industry and challenges of banking sector in Nepal, chapter three deals with the qualitative aspect of Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank Limited which gives the introduction of major products and services provided by NCC Bank and new innovative products recently launched by NCC Bank, chapter four deals with presentation and analysis of data and Finally chapter five deals with the findings of the study and the recommendations which have been given to the bank for improving its deposit mobilization. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1Review of Literature Deposit is the sum of money lodged with a bank, discount house or other financial institution. Deposit is nothing more than the assets of an individual which is given to the bank for safe-keeping with an obligation to get something (interest) from it. To a bank these deposits are liabilities. Commercial bank Act 2031 (1974) defines â€Å"Deposits† as the amount deposited in a current, savings or fixed accounts of a bank or financial institution. The deposits are subject to withdrawals by means of cheque on a short notice by customers. There are several restrictions on these deposits, regarding the amount of deposit, number of withdrawal etc. These are considered more as investments and hence they earn some interest. The rate of interest varies depending on the nature of the deposits. The bank attracts deposits from customers by offering different rates of interest and different kinds of facilities. Though the bank plays an important role in influencing the customer to save and open deposit accounts with it, it is ultimately the customer who decides whether s/he should deposit his surplus funds in current deposit a/c, saving deposits or fixed/time deposit a/c. Bank deposits arise in two ways. When the banker receives cash, it credits the customer’s account, it is known as a primary or a simple deposit. People deposit cash in the banking system and thereby convert one form of money, cash, into another form, bank money. They prefer to keep their money in deposit accounts and issue cheques against them to their creditors. Deposits also arise when customers are granted accommodation in the form of loans. When a bank grants a loan to a customer it doesn’t usually pay cash but simply credits the customers account with the amount of loan. Of course, there is nothing that prevents the borrower from withdrawing the entire amount of borrowing in cash but quite often s/he retains the amount with the bank as deposit. CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY To solve the research problems, few systematic ways are adopted to collect the required data and information. Research methodology refers to the various sequential steps that are to be adopted by a researcher during the course of studying the problem with certain objectives. It shows overall research method from the theoretical aspects to the collection and analysis of the data. This study covers quantitative methodology in a greater extent and also uses the descriptive part based on both technical and logical aspect. This study tries to perform a well designed, quantitative and qualitative research in a very clear and direct way by using both financial and statistical tools. 3.1 Research Design This study is based on a descriptive research design and follows an analytical approach. To achieve the study objectives, the required data are collected from secondary and primary sources and analyzed through the use of different financial and statistical tools. 3.2 Research Tools In order to collect the data, the researcher had visited the bank as an intern for 8 weeks of time period. The tools that are used for the study is through direct observation at the time of internship, and discussions with the officers of the bank in concerned department. 3.3 Data Collection Method The methods of collecting data are primary and secondary. Primary data includes personal observation, informal talk and also interview with officers whereas Secondary data includes Annual report of the bank, published and unpublished documents etc. 3.4 Data Analysis Tools The processed data were analyzed and tested with the financial tools i.e. Ratio Analysis, Trend Analysis, graphs whereas Statistical tools are Karl Pearson’s Coefficient of Correlation Analysis, Probable Error (P.E) and Hypothesis Testing. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books * Annual Report of NCC Bank limited 2003/04 – 2007/08. * Kathmandu Frontier Associates (KFA), Professional Banking Course references. * Levin R. I and Rubin D.S. (2008), â€Å"Statistics for Management (7th Ed.)†, Pearson Prentice Hall. New Delhi * Sharma, Pushkar Kumar and Chaudhary, Arun Kumar (2058), â€Å"Statistical Methods†, Kathmandu: Khanal Books Prakashan. * Van Horne, C. James (2005), â€Å"Financial Management and Policy†, (12th Ed.), Pearson Prentice Hall, New Delhi. Websites www.nrb.gov.np www.google.com www.wikipedia.com www.nccbank.com.np

FitMath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

FitMath - Essay Example According to the research facing the dilemma between scholastic education and extracurricular and health education can be daunting, especially in the light of the impetus to heighten academic performance in schools. FitMath attempts to bridge the gap between physical education and academia by implementing a syllabus involving physical activity, using it as a pathway to reach out to young students who need in so much. FitMath fits Math into the curriculum, allowing students to profit from interdisciplinary learning via health education. In tandem with mathematics, fields such as biology, anatomy, physiology and physics will be open to them. Launched by the US government as a programmed new approach towards education, FitMath’s objectives consist of a merger of â€Å"the guiding principles in the Massachusetts Department of Education Mathematics and Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks, by utilizing aerobics and fitness as a means to support a better understanding of math ematical vocabulary and concepts.† Active participation will bear the fruits of a healthier lifestyle, a more confident perception of one’s own physical abilities and stronger grasp in English Language and Science. To assess the effectiveness of FitMath, researchers have decided to conduct an in-depth survey on the participants of five FitMath centers in Massachusetts. By obtaining quantitative and qualitative data, researchers will have a better understanding of FitMath’s impact on students, staff and families. ... 1.3 Participants Participants in this survey are 200 students, 20 educators and 80 parents of students. The targeted age group for students is 10-15 years (grades 6 to 9). A 50/50 gender distribution between male and female students is preferred for better cohort comparison. Seeing that a wide performance gap exists between ethnicities, both minority and majority students will be approached to take this assessment to determine FitMath’s ability to close the vacuum and equalize achievements. Participants that will be excluded from this study are infrequent attendees that have missed more than a month of work for the year to date. This step has been taken to ensure that respondents have been receiving optimal training from the FitMath program. To protect the identities of assessment takers, surveys have been resubmitted anonymously to ensure that respondents are allowed freedom to express views unhindered, without fear or favor. 1.4 Qualitative study The qualitative component of the study seeks to acquire from respondents their views on school, FitMath, teachers and social development. Opinions gathered are confidential and will only serve to understand social, economical and educational backgrounds of participants. Questions seek to elicit from respondents their own estimation of their social and educational abilities and their perspectives in their core relationships, forming the support network. Data collected here would help boost the knowledge base on student lifestyles that ultimately affect study habits. 1.5 Quantitative study Statistics gleaned are confidential and will only serve to understand social, economical and educational backgrounds of participants. Personal

GPS and Telecommunications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GPS and Telecommunications - Essay Example GPS is a system composed of 24 satellites rotating around at 12,000 feet. The system allows the user to determine the location of something in precise manner. A GPS system can achieve precision within 5 meters. When it was invented in 1978 the system was utilized for military applications. Three satellites allow the creation of 2D images, but when four satellites interlock the user can achieve 3D images (8garnin, 2009). The best attribute that of GPS technology is that its users do not have to pay a penny to gain access to the technology. The fact that GPS is an open source allowed companies to exploit the technology to gain profits. GPS has changed the lives of people around the world. Mobile technology is segment in the communication industry that has benefit a lot. GPS receptor system used to be, but a days a cellular telephone can be converted automatically into a GPS device that allows a person to exactly where he is even if the person is in moving vehicle. A lot of new vehicles come with a GPS as standard feature which allows the driver lo look road maps in and determine the best route to get to the desired location. The map guiding gaps application also applies to mobile phone. The gaps communication capabilities have change the way companies do business. The retail giant Wal-Mart utilizes gps derived application such as radio frequency identification (RFID) in order to determine the location of items. Wal-Mart has the capability to determine the movement of valuable inventory while it is in transit and once it arrives at warehouses it allows the company to eliminate wastage in its supply chain function. Since their costs are lower the company is able to pass those savings on the customer. This example shows how improved communication systems application benefits a large group of people. Another way gps is helping people around the world is by its utilization in agricultural projects. Ground –based weather, plant stage

Whole Foods case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Whole Foods - Case Study Example Tri-component model which is expressed through sequence cognitive-affective-conative can be utelised by Whole Foods Market towards this effect. This denotes that Whole Foods Market should first engage in informing the potential customers of the importance of the organic food and then work towards lowering the prices. This can be achieved by packaging its foods into different sizes that would enable such customers afford to buy. When this is done, the feeling of affordability will be created to the customers and they will be eventually buy Whole Foods Market foods. At the end, customers would buy the recommended products and succeeed in weakening any misconception that bar them from buying the products. In fact, when a few of them get the experience of the products, they would recommend the products to other customers. However, this has to be accompanied by other complementing strategies. The company should produce high quality products and offer good customer service. Customers are c onsidered to be rational in consumption. Therefore, they tend to purchase from stores that meet their current needs. If Whole Foods Market is unable to meet different customer needs, there is a high possibility of the customers would shift to other companies offering similar products. For Whole Foods Market to be able to change some of the negative attitude of customers that bars them from buying the organic food, the company should concentrate on changing the motivation function. This can be achieved by offering cheap organic foods that would negate the customers’ misconception that organic foods are expensive. Additionally, this can be done strategically by focusing on the group that has such misconceptions with the intent of proving that Whole Foods Market foods are of high quality and affordable to all. Additionally, if the customers have a different belief that seems to

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 63

Marketing - Essay Example While marketing identifies and determines the needs of the consumers, its promotional techniques become critical elements that help create customer base for the products. It is important that the needs of the customers are met by the products. The various channels of communication provide the necessary platform to showcase the features of the product. They not only attract target consumers but also motivate them to try and cultivate consumption habit towards the product. Hence, effectiveness of channels and the creativity in the advertisement become two most important factors for the success of the product. In other words, aggressive market growth of RDA would mainly depend on the channels that are chosen to advertise the products. While there are various direct channels of direct marketing like email, questionnaire, free sampling, social networking etc., the integrated market communication hugely helps in delivering effective messages regarding products to wider network of target consumers. Television advertising is more prolific but costly. However, various channels of viral marketing are not only cost effective but also well accepted. Products can be advertised on tickets, carry bags, balloons, posters, hoardings etc. The social networking sites and blogs have also emerged as cost effective channels of marketing that are very effective and trendy. Most importantly, they promote interactive sessions between consumer and producer, thereby providing ample of opportunities for creating a need for the product. The free sampling of RDA as supplement with chocolate flavored drink as promotion would also help develop taste for the product. Developing linkages with health centers and restaurants that serve healthy food would also help to expand its market. Its nutrient content would add value to it and thereby greatly contribute to its market growth. The major

Iran's nuclear possession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iran's nuclear possession - Essay Example rguments "for" nd "ginst" Irn's power to use nucler wepon re provided s well s conclusions bout the issue given in the end of the pper. Irn is the poster-child for the nexus of terrorism nd WMD. It is the world's foremost stte-sponsor of terrorism, s well s one of the countries most ctively pursuing nucler wepons. Wshington is vigilnt bout Irn's support for network of Islmist terrorist orgniztions nd persistent in pressing Irn to end its finncil, politicl, mteril, nd opertionl support to them. Recently, Bush nd the Pentgon hve clled Irn "rogue ntion" ( Third World stte tht possesses wepons of mss destruction nd sponsors terrorism). Irn is depicted s sort of regime, supposedly pursuing nucler, chemicl nd biologicl wepons cpbility nd missile delivery systems, tht justifies the building of missile defences. Like North Kore, the Pentgon in fct needs Irn to ct "s the bd guy" nd hs little interest right now in ltering its "behviour". Current president of Irn, Mhmoud hmdinejd, ws not much better known when he entered the presidentil election cmpign, lthough he hd lredy mde his mrk s Tehrn myor for rowing bck on erlier reforms. Since his election he hs tken tough stnd on number of foreign policy mtters, in line with his hrd-line bckground. His comments tht Isrel should be "wiped off the mp" nd tht the Holocust ws "myth" drew widespred condemntion from the West. However, to proceed with tht gol, president needs tobe empowered to ct nd mke decisions, which in Irn is n unlimited option since Irn's Islmic constitution provides n extrordinry concentrtion of executive power not in the hnds of the elected president but in those of the Supreme Leder, or vli-ye fqih, ppointed by council of clerics dominted by hrd-liners. In fct, the Irnin president wields less rel power thn perhps ny other elected chief executive in the world. This new constitution defines the Islmic Republic s new kind of stte, one ruled by qulified Islmi c jurists until the missing Twelfth Imm, the lst rightful ruler who disppered in 941, mkes his nticipted return to erth to usher in the ge of perfect justice. rguments ginst Irn obtining nucler power Militnt Islm is tody's engine of interntionl terror. Islmist schools breed new militnt genertion, Islmist sermons mobilize opinion ginst the free world, Islmist ideology legitimizes recourse to terror nd Islmist "chrities" bnkroll the globl network of terror. While most Muslim sttes re wre of this thret to the world nd their own stbility, there is one tht is ctully governed by Islmists: The Islmic Republic of Irn. Therefore, the principl component of the wr ginst terrorism should be the wr ginst mitnt Islm, which over the lst 20 decdes hs been inspired, nurtured, nd funded by the Islmic Government of Irn. The demise of the clericl regime in Irn would go long wy in "drining the swmp" of militncy nd rdiclism in the broder Muslim world with enormous geopoliticl consequences for U.S. ntionl security interests. Therefore, the permnent success of this cmpign rests on regime chnge in Irn. In short, the United Sttes fces

How does the postmodern picture book set out to capture both the adult Essay

How does the postmodern picture book set out to capture both the adult and the child reader's interest - Essay Example By taking into account children’s literature in a record of storybook history it is likely to discern the postmodern inclination in literature and art as an act of going back to or, possibly, a rereading of the fanaticism of a Romantic perception of the relationship between an adult and reader. Postmodern thinkers, like Lyotard, question the trustworthiness of the major literatures that have governed cultural production from the time of the Enlightenment (Beckett 2001). Even though this standpoint may seem to abandon the essentialist nature of Romantic interpretations of childhood, the understood audience of postmodern picture books remains characterised in Romantic terms (Lundin 2004). The components that characterise the texts that will be discussed in this essay as postmodern may be liberating and revolutionary, but the public reading of children’s literature persists to devalue its artistic, visual and experimental value. The devaluation of writing picture books and other literature for children and its relationship with popular culture situate it in a bond with characteristics of high culture that are always challenged in postmodern theories (Thacker & Webb 2002). Moreover, the inequality of the relationship between the ‘innocent, receptive’ (ibid, p. ... nary playfulness and the inclinations of several children’s books to deconstruct require a comparison with the most revolutionary postmodern critiques of art (Moebius 2009). Questions regarding the trustworthiness of Enlightenment absolutes’ metanarratives reveal an unworkable tie between the Romantic ideas of childhood as basically naive, and the postmodern techniques that define the most stimulating current children’s literature (Whalley 2009). Although the challenges to essentialist and absolutes perspective mark postmodernism’s principles, if something quite changing can be thought to present ideologies, the strategies that define texts for children offer a more liberal reading practice that usually seems to depend on a view of children indicative of the Romantic ideas of the pre-social newborn (Browne 1999). Subversion’s components existent, specifically, in current picture books, for instance, entice children as audience to build a strong conn ection to the text and strengthen the ties between romantic disorder and postmodernism introduced by Brooker (1992). Metafictional techniques, narrative fractures, and parodic symbols which draw interest on the increasing values of literature can all be located in current picture books for children (Moebius 2009). Such elements act as a dispute to prevailing interpretations of childhood and represent an implicit audience. The array of themes which involve children and their reading practices: parents, teachers, journalists, and others, voice out an overpowering fear about the influences of present-day society on concepts of childhood as, one way or another, perfect (Goldstone 2009). The conflict in human relationships, most frequently found in the changes in family structures, and the influence of media and

Buying a Computer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buying a Computer - Term Paper Example This paper intends to analyze two computers of similar ranges and decide on the best possible option for a particular user. Description of the Chosen Computers The two computers that have been selected to analyze prior to purchase are HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC and OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell. Both these computers come below the range of US$800 and have certain attractive features in them. Both the personal computers are capable of performing various tasks and are quite user-friendly. Furthermore, both the products come from well known brands and have good brand value. The most important aspect of both the machines is that they will be quite affordable in terms of budget of people as they come at a reasonable price for buyers. Analysis of Both the Computers From the above observation, it has been noted that both the computers i.e. HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC and OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell have certain attractive features that can draw people quite easily. However, it impo rtant to understand that features of any computer should be capable of fulfilling all the requirements of the users. Thus, it is vital to analyze both the machines and depict whether they would be able to meet the requirements of users or not. ... Furthermore, an in depth analysis of HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC suggests that the machine is inbuilt with Intel ® Coreâ„ ¢ i5-3470 (3.2 GHz ) and a supporting operating system of Microsoft Windows 8. The speed of the processor is 3.2 GHz which will allow users the opportunity to get work done at a considerable speed. The hard drive of the machine is 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA which is quite impressive for a machine that costs less than US$800. In addition to this, the optical drive of the computer has provides SuperMulti DVD burner that will enable users to perform tasks like reading data and listing to any sort of audio at a rapid speed. Moreover, the user will also get networking feature at 802.11b/g/n along with 4 USB 2.0 which will ensure a better working experience for them. Moreover, USB optical mouse and keyboard are also provided (HP, 2013). Subsequently, the software package that comes with this particular model will catch maximum attraction of people. The inbuilt software with the device includes software package of Norton Internet Security 2013 with an availability of 60-day subscription period among others. Moreover, Amazon Kindle e-reader, CyberLink PhotoDirector, HP Connected Remote along with Photo which is powered by Snapfish, Netflix, CyberLink PowerDVD among others are other pertinent and attractive software offerings. The price of the product is US$669 which is among the vital attractions of the product (HP, 2013). OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell Similar to the above discussed product, OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell also possesses similar sort of features that will attract users. The package can be purchased along with 17 inches Flat Panel monitor of Dell that ensures high quality view to the

Factory Work Essay Example for Free

Factory Work Essay In Deborah Boe’s â€Å"Factory Work† (n.d.) the author paints a picture of the monotonous and sometimes dangerous work that goes on in the life of a low income factory worker. The character remarks how the hot glue machine she works â€Å"ate† her shirt once, and how one of her co-workers used to have long hair until the machine â€Å"got† it. The character has been doing the same repetitive job over and over. Now she no longer needs to think about what she is doing and her mind wanders as she is working. While the character thinks that it isn’t bad in the factory, there is an overall sense of boredom and sadness with the life she leads. People from a low socioeconomic class such as the main character are often forced into dull monotonous jobs where they make enough money to survive but not to advance out of the system. As a result of her class, the character is willing to put up with the dangers, the lack of stimulation, and the threat of being laid off because she is still bringing in a paycheck (Boe, n.d.). This poem reminds me of two monotonous jobs that I had right out of high school. Since I was just a teenager with no work experience and no marketable skills, I had very limited options in the jobs that I could get. The first job that I had was working part time as a tour guide at a pumpkin patch. I would sit on the hay wagon and collect the tickets of the passengers, and once we had enough people loaded the tractor would start up and take us around the farm. This is where the monotony would kick in. I had the speech so memorized that I could recite it perfectly several years after. I didn’t have to think about the words that were coming out of my mouth, I would just need to stand there and let the speech roll out. I think the cadence occupied more of my thoughts than the actual words. Even though the job was monotonous I still really enjoyed being outside and seeing people’s reactions to the farm. The second job I had that was monotonous was working fast food in the mall food court. This was my first real job working 8 hours a day 5 days a week. The quality of workforce they had can be gauged by the fact that the owner offered me a management position after my second day there. I spent hours and hours standing behind a hot grill, dropping meat and vegetables on as the order was called over the loud speaker. While this job required as much thought as the pumpkin patch did, here I felt like I was trapped inside my mind as I worked. At the pumpkin patch I could enjoy the sunshine, but in the mall you have very little understanding of what is going on outside. The sun could be shining, it could be raining, and it might be daytime or night time. In the mall you learn not to say good morning or afternoon because you’re never really that sure of the time. Your internal clock loses all perspective in the fake lighting. I would take working outside in real light any time. I can associate with the character in â€Å"Factory Work† (Boe, n.d.) because my socioeconomic class trapped me in a monotonous job.

The various methods of dealing Essay Example for Free

The various methods of dealing Essay Legally, a working Monopoly is defined as a firm which controls 25% of their market. This immediately raises problems, within the measurement of market share, and the definition of their market. Microsoft is a considerably well known monopoly (as a whole), but is this the case for all areas of business? This would be the initial problem: determining their market. Microsoft spans a vast spectrum of business, however, virtually breaking into distinct main markets Desktop and Server. It is clear that Microsoft dominate the Desktop market, far outselling any near threats, but is this the case for the server market? I have broken down the server market into two main areas the Operating System itself, and the web based server. Operating System Percentage Share Linux 31.3% Microsoft Family 24.3% Server Software Percentage Share Apache Foundation 56% IIS (Microsoft) 24% According to the definition, Microsoft is not technically a monopoly in both markets. However, as Microsoft can be accepted to live within a single market (computing), they would have a clear monopoly. Consequentially, problems of dominance begin to occur. It has been discovered that they have been abusing their market power by forcing small firms into signing contracts that require them to purchase their software, should they be using their hardware. There are numerous ways to reduce or reclaim the power of monopolies, some controversial, and some are economic theory, therefore unrealistic. I will be discussing these within my essay. Monopolies tend to play as the dominant firm within their market, and as a result, tend to me price makers rather than takers. However, they can only control the price, or output, but not both. Generally, monopolies can be bad for the market mechanism as they are neither productively nor allocatively efficient. Like most firms, they would choose to profit maximise (at the point MC=MR). As you can see from the diagram on the left, if they choose to output the profit maximising level Q1, they will receive the price displayed by the demand curve P1. Fortunately, there are several remedies for monopoly. The first that I am going to discuss is: regulation. An excellent remedy for pure monopolies (where a single firm dominates 100% of a market) is regulation. Regulation involves the government appointing an independent body to monitor the activities of the firms. Ofcom (merged, previously Oftel) are a working example of this. They are the regulating body for the communications industry, covering telecommunications. Previously, before deregulation occurred, there were two main dominant firms: Telewest/NTL (Now Virgin Media), and British Telecommunications. If there was no regulatory body in place, it would have been too easy for this duopoly (where two main firms dominate the market) to price fix (tactically through the use of informal signals to indicate their future and current pricing structures) and therefore take advantage of the consumers, at they would have little choice other than to remove their fixed line telephones completely. One of the methods that can be used is RPI-X (RPI minus X) regulation. The value of X is defined by the regulatory body, and limits the pricing that firms may change based on the RPI (retail price index) less the value of X. As a result, if RPI-X0 then the firms will be forced to reduce their prices by the resultant value. The kind of price barrier will motivate firms to lower costs (as they cannot increase their prices) in order to generate greater profit for themselves. This kind of regulation has been using against British Gas, which expired on the 31st March 2000. Expanding on my telecommunications example: NTL has had agreements put in place by Oftel of RPI-1, so they were permitted to raise prices by no more than the value of RPI, less 1%, per year. However, this particular agreement expired on 31st December 1996. However, actual regulation has (in my opinion) proven to be inefficient and adequate, and possibly deemed to be failing the industry. A typical example of this lack of regulation is demonstrated by the unstoppable, but inevitable, profits of British Gas. They announced profits of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½992 million for the first 6 months of this year, less than 24 hours after raising household prices by 35. This raises the question of whether or not these price rises are justified. They, along with the rest of the market, justify their actions on the elevation of wholesale gas and electricity prices (costs which they cannot absorb), but is this form of a tacit agreement (where firms informally signal price decision to other firms, to suggest they copy)? While it is proven that the barrel of oil did rise to approximately $150 per barrel, the firms were quick to act, raising their prices in quick succession of each other. However, now that the prices have fallen by half, have the firms taken the same quick action in reducing prices? I think not. This is an example of asymmetric information between the firms and the regulator, where the regulator is only dropping suggestions to the firms; they are not forcing any actions upon them. Despite preaches by Fuel Poverty organisations and EnergyWatch (the regulator), prices are still not falling at the rate that they should be. However, one of the most significant problems lie within determining the correct value of X for RPI-X price capping, as the regulator has few resources (as this example has demonstrated), therefore they cannot correctly evaluate costs. Setting a value too low may lead to under investment within the industry, causing undesired adverse effects. Having said this, the regulatory body has the power to split up a monopoly into multiple, smaller, firms if it deems this as necessary. This can be good for the market, as this will open up it to more competition, and possibly lower barriers to entry for other firms. This is the case of British Gas, where the regulator (Ofgas) had split it up into two major firms: Centrica and Transco. The idea was to open the market up to greater competition, as then British Gas (a trading name of Centrica) who sells the gas to business and domestic users would be separated from Transco who manage the actual gas pipelines. This would lower the barriers to entry (sunk costs) for new firms, as they would not have to produce the gas, nor have it routed to their customers homes. They can simply purchase it at a wholesale rate, and sell that on with a margin for profit. Other countries have adopted a different method for regulating monopolies, called Rate of return regulation. This is where companies are taxed a percentage of their profits, however this has similar problems. As there is no price ceiling introduced by this method, the monopolistic firm(s) may choose to simply increase their prices in order to cover the additional tax. This actually solves no problems, and leaves the consumer worse off, as they would be faced with paying higher prices. As the market is dominated by the few single firms, it may leave the consumer no choice but to purchase their goods from those single or sole suppliers at the higher cost. The competition commission also has a strong say on mergers, whether or not they are permitted to go ahead, if there is a threat to the market of a monopoly. An example of this was the Halifax Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB merger which resulted in a monopoly for the merged company of the mortgage market over 30% market share. However, these rules were brushed aside due to the nature of the merger, and the apparent confidence that the bank would collapse, and the government being unable to use more public money, therefore being unable to resort to nationalisation without public backlash. The reverse of regulation, de-regulation, can also help to remedy the problems of monopoly. De-regulation is when remove or simplify restrictions on a market in order to increase competition, or the threat within. While the thread of competition may keep push prices down (limit pricing where firms sell at just above their average costs, therefore diminishing the threat of new firms entering the market, forcing any new entrants not to take the chance as the barriers to entry and exit may be too high), it may not been enough in the long term. An example of this is the postal industry. In 2006, the market was fully deregulated, meaning that any new entrant had the ability to complete a range of functions, ranging from collecting and deliver door-to-door mail, to bulk mailing. While this does open the market up to some serious competition, the barriers to entry are still too high. The initial cost of dropping door-to-door mail to 99% of the country is very labour intensive, and explains why the state owned Royal Mail have a monopoly on this. Additionally, there needs to be a way for new firms to pick-up the mail locally from their clients. All this has to be profitably fairly quickly, as if they firm does not have enough finance behind them, they will quickly go bankrupt. However, there have been several new entrants to the marketplace for courier services, and this has become more apparent over the past few years. Such an example is www.Parcel2Go.com (who are a reseller of such companies such as DHL), but pickup large items from your home (as this cheaper service is domestic) and deliver it to another place of a domestic nature for a extraordinary low fee in comparison to the pricing that Royal Mail would change for the same service. Monopolies can also be dealt with by challenge of new firms. However, when a monopoly exists, this is sometimes less likely due to barriers to entry and exit. The new entrants have to assess these barriers, and judge whether or not it would be wise for them to compete; this then encompasses the theory of contestable markets. There are several factors involved, such as the reputation (pricing predictions) of the current (incumbent) firm. The existing monopoly may employ (legal) limit pricing to keep the threat of competition low, or apply predatory pricing. Illegal in the UK, predatory pricing involves setting the price below cost, with the intent to drive out their rivals, and then raise prices again. Another such formal form of collusion is cartels, however they are also forbidden by law. Fortunately, such anti-competitive practices are removable, however unfortunately, as I have discussed above: tacit collusion is the most likely and the hardest to prove and stop. Furthermore, there is resale price maintenance where the manufacturer will fix the price that the retailer must sell their goods at (they will generally apply this), and if they did not they would refuse to supply, which is again, illegal. Additionally, the incumbent firm can compete with non-pricing strategies, such as brand loyalty schemes or certain kinds of special offers so that their customers naturally do not buy from their competitors. There are also considerable sunk costs that are involved, and the more irrevocable they are, the less tempting for the new entrant. Depreciation is common, and when technology is fast-moving, a production system thats 6 months old can lose considerable value, quickly. An almost totally irrevocable cost is advertising such as branding and gaining that brand awareness and loyalty. While its average cost can be kept low by spreading the budget over large volumes of output, however the only realistic way this cost can be recovered, is if the firm was to sell their entire brand to the monopolist. Unfortunately, the incumbent firm can easy rival any advertising that the new entrant makes, making their efforts redundant. There may also be legal barriers, but these are more uncommon than not. Such barriers will include Patents, where the incumbent firm is rewarded for the research and inventions that they have created, so have a legal barrier to prevent any other firms from coping their idea, design or otherwise. Such patents stand for around 2 decades, so this can be a considerable amount of time for the incumbent firm to gain a monopoly on their product (regardless of the fact they will be the sole supplier). Natural monopolies act at as a barrier to entry for new firms, and within industries such as Water (Thames Water have a monopoly on this), it would be too costly and inefficient to lay down two pipes to consumers homes. However, should the market be deregulated for example, if Thames Water sell the water a wholesale price (such as British Gas does with Gas) then additional firms can afford to enter the market with lower barriers to entry. Finally, there is information asymmetry, where the existing firm has the experience and the knowledge about the industry that allows them to be more productive and drive down their costs. If the information is not known to the new entrants, this can be a sunk cost for them, acting as yet another deterrent for entering the market. However, having discussed the problems that monopolies may bring, the reverse can be true. Monopolies can be beneficial to a market because they achieve greater economies of scale, and tend to have a lower market price than smaller firms as they are more able to pass on cost reduction. A typical example of this would be the comparison of a monopolistic firm such as Tesco against Jays News. A typical product, one pint of milk will cost around 49 pence in a small firms shop, or 26 pence in Tesco. At a 53% saving, it seems clear that monopolies can benefit the greater economy. Sources: NTL Price Capping: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/ind_info/broadcasting/ntlprice/section2.htm

Simple Robots and Microprocessors

Simple Robots and Microprocessors I. Introduction A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial agent. In practice, it is usually an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by computer or electronic programming, and is thus able to do tasks on its own. Another common characteristic is that by its appearance or movements, a robot often conveys a sense that it has intent or agency of its own. While A microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a central processing unit (CPU)on a single integrated circuit (IC). II. Microprocessor A microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a central processing unit on a single integrated circuit (IC)The first microprocessors emerged in the early 1970s and were used for electronic calculators, using binary-coded decimal (BCD) arithmetic on 4-bit words. Other embedded uses of 4- and 8-bit microprocessors, such as terminals, printers, various kinds of automation etc, followed rather quickly. Affordable 8-bit microprocessors with 16-bit addressing also led to the first general purpose microcomputers in the mid-1970s Computer processors were for a long period constructed out of small and medium-scale ICs containing the equivalent of a few to a few hundred transistors. The integration of the whole CPU onto a single chip therefore greatly reduced the cost of processing capacity. From their humble beginnings, continued increases in microprocessor capacity have rendered other forms of computers almost completely obsolete (see history of computing hardware), with one or more microprocessor as processing element in everything from the smallest embedded systems and handheld devices to the largest mainframes and supercomputers. III. When It Comes Into Existance: It is interesting to note thatthe microprocessorhad existed for only 10 years prior to the creation of the PC. Intel inventedthe microprocessorin 1971; the PC was created by IBM in 1981. Now more than 20 years later, we are still using systems based more or less on the design of that first PC. The processors powering our PCs today are still backward compatible in many ways with the 8088 that IBM selected for the first PC in 1981. November 15, 2001 marked the 30th anniversary ofthe microprocessor, and in those 30 years processor speed has increased more than 18,500 times (from 0.108MHz to 2GHz).The 4004 was introduced on November 15, 1971 and originally ran at a clock speed of 108KHz (108,000 cycles per second, or just over one-tenth a megahertz). The 4004 contained 2,300 transistors and was built on a 10-micron process. This means that each line, trace, or transistor could be spaced about 10 microns (millionths of a meter) apart. Data was transferred 4 bits at a time, and the maximum addressable memory was only 640 bytes. The 4004 was designed for use in a calculator but proved to be useful for many other functions because of its inherent programmability. For example, the 4004 was used in traffic light controllers, blood analyzers, and even in the NASA Pioneer 10 deep space probe! In April 1972, Intel released the 8008 processor, which originally ran at a clock speed of 200KHz (0.2MHz). The 8008 processor contained 3,500 transistors and was built on the same 10-micron process as the previous processor. The big change in the 8008 was that it had an 8-bit data bus, which meant it could move data 8 bits at a timetwice as much as the previous chip. It could also address more memory, up to 16KB. This chip was primarily used in dumb terminals and general-purpose calculators. The next chip in the lineup was the 8080, introduced in April 1974, running at a clock rate of 2MHz. Due mostly to the faster clock rate, the 8080 processor had 10 times the performance of the 8008. The 8080 chip contained 6,000 transistors and was built on a 6-micron process. Similar to the previous chip, the 8080 had an 8-bit data bus, so it could transfer 8 bits of data at a time. The 8080 could address up to 64KB of memory, significantly more than the previous chip. It was the 8080 that helped start the PC revolution because this was the processor chip used in what is generally regarded as the first personal computer, the Altair 8800. The CP/M operating system was written for the 8080 chip, and Microsoft was founded and delivered its first product: Microsoft BASIC for the Altair. These initial tools provided the foundation for a revolution in software because thousands of programs were written to run on this platform. In fact, the 8080 became so popular that it was cloned. A company called Zilog formed in late 1975, joined by several ex-Intel 8080 engineers. In July 1976, it released the Z-80 processor, which was a vastly improved version of the 8080. It was not pin compatible but instead combined functions such as the memory interface and RAM refresh circuitry, which enabled cheaper and simpler systems to be designed. The Z-80 also incorporated a superset of 8080 instructions, meaning it could run all 8080 programs. It also included new instructions and new internal registers, so software designed for the Z-80 would not necessarily run on the older 8080. The Z-80 ran initially at 2.5MHz (later versions ran up to 10MHz) and contained 8,500 transistors. The Z-80 could access 64KB of memory. RadioShack selected the Z-80 for the TRS-80 Model 1, its first PC. The chip also was the first to be used by many pioneering systems, including the Osborne and Kaypro machines. Other companies followed, and soon the Z-80 was the standard processor for systems running the CP/M operating system and the popular software of the day. Intel released the 8085, its follow-up to the 8080, in March 1976. Even though it predated the Z-80 by several months, it never achieved the popularity of the Z-80 in personal computer systems. It was popular as an embedded controller, finding use in scales and other computerized equipment. The 8085 ran at 5MHz and contained 6,500 transistors. It was built on a 3-micron process and incorporated an 8-bit data bus. Along different architectural lines, MOS Technologies introduced the 6502 in 1976. This chip was designed by several ex-Motorola engineers who had worked on Motorolas first processor, the 6800. The 6502 was an 8-bit processor like the 8080, but it sold for around $25, whereas the 8080 cost about $300 when it was introduced. The price appealed to Steve Wozniak, who placed the chip in his Apple I and Apple II designs. The chip was also used in systems by Commodore and other system manufacturers. The 6502 and its successors were also used in game consoles, including the originalNintendo Entertainment System(NES) among others. Motorola went on to create the 68000 series, which became the basis for the Apple Macintosh line of computers. Today those systems use the PowerPC chip, also by Motorola and a successor to the 68000 series. All these previous chips set the stage for the first PC processors. Intel introduced the 8086 in June 1978. The 8086 chip brought with it the original x86 instruction set that is still present in current x86-compatible chips such as the Pentium 4 and AMD Athlon. A dramatic improvement over the previous chips, the 8086 was a full 16-bit design with 16-bit internal registers and a 16-bit data bus. This meant that it could work on 16-bit numbers and data internally and also transfer 16 bits at a time in and out of the chip. The 8086 contained 29,000 transistors and initially ran at up to 5MHz. The chip also used 20-bit addressing, so it could directly address up to 1MB of memory. Although not directly backward compatible with the 8080, the 8086 instructions and language were very similar and enabled older programs to quickly be ported over to run. This later proved important to help jumpstart the PC software revolution with recycled CP/M (8080) software. Although the 8086 was a great chip, it was expensive at the time and more importantly required expensive 16-bit board designs and infrastructure to support it. To help bring costs down, in 1979 Intel released what some called a crippled version of the 8086 called the 8088. The 8088 processor used the same internal core as the 8086, had the same 16-bit registers, and could address the same 1MB of memory, but the external data bus was reduced to 8 bits. This enabled support chips from the older 8-bit 8085 to be used, and far less expensive boards and systems could be made. These reasons are why IBM chose the 8088 instead of the 8086 for the first PC. IV. Simple Robots The International Organization for Standardization gives a definition of robot in ISO 8373: an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications. The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) uses a broader definition: a robot is a re-programmable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a robot is any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort, though it may not resemble human beings in appearance or perform functions in a humanlike manner Merriam-Webster describes a robot as a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being, or a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks, or a mechanism guided by automatic controls. V. Line Follower Robot As Simple Robot I have taken the example of line follower robot as the simple robot and is shown in fig Line follower robot is an autonomous mobile robot that can follow a path. The path can be a white pah on a black surface or a black path on a white surface. Line follower robots are usually entertainment hobby robots. However, they can be improved and used in industry in order to carry some loads on a definite path or in markets and cafes for similar purposes. The important point of building a line follower robot is a good control that is sufficient to follow the path as fast as possible A. The circuit All we need is an IR source, an IR photo-transistor and a couple of resistors! Here are the resources: IR emitters and detector pairs: UK Maplins,CH10L and CH11M, or SFH409 and SFH309. Obviously the line following robot will need to see the line, therefore we require an light detector of some sort. We also would like it if the line following robot could do this regardless of the ambient conditions (is the room dark or light? is it lit by sunlight or artificial light?). So the robot will also need its own illumination source. The weapon of choice here will be Infra Red light. To make this easy for ourselves the light only needs to be constant. if a white line is present then it will reflect a lot of IR from our source. If the line is black then we see the opposite effect. IR emmiters and detector pairs: US Solarbotics QRD1114 (this has both in one package) On top of these, it would be nice if the signal that we get could be TTL (on or off, 0V, 5V). So to do this we will also require our favourite BEAM chip, the 74AC240, heres the circuit: Circuit operation is simple. no line to follow put the input to the inverter high, and therefore the inverter outputs a low, line detection turns on the transistor (or photodiode) and thus the inverter gets a low and outputs a high. If your robot is following a black line on a white page, then add another invereter after or before the first. So what should the values for R1 and R2 be? and how do I set up the 74AC240 chip exactly.. The value for R1 affects the source IR brightness, for maximum brightness we set R1 to give the maximum allowable forward current for the IR led. The chip setup is simple too ground pins 1, 10 and 19, put 5V onto pin 20. Now choose a pin to input your signal to, if you look at the74AC240 datasheeton page 1, you will see a connection diagram, any pin with an I is an input, follow it across to find its output. Pins 1 and 19 are the enable pins, which we have grounded to permanently enable the inputs on both side of the chip, this leaves you free to use any of the input pins. For example (in case I havent spelt it out enough already) input your signal at pin 4 and take the ouput from pin 16. The output signal could be used to directly drive your motor just connect one side of the motor to the ouput, and the other side to ground. If you do this for two motors (2 sets of line detectors will require two sets of emitters and detectors, but only one 74AC240 chip), then you have a basic line follower already. The left detector should be used to drive the right motor and vice versa .The behaviour of this robot as it stands will be too turn a motor on IF a line is present, if both detectors are over the line then it will drive straight, if the left detector goes of the line, it will turn off the right motor causing the robot to turn back onto the line, if the right detector goes off the line then it will turn off the left motor and again go back onto the line. If both detectors come off the line (end of line) then the robot will stop altogether Electronic VI. Microprocessor And Simple Robotics I have taken the example of line follower for simple robot. As shown in the fig. it consists of three units i.e. input, control, and output unit The control unit comprises of microprocessor. The function of all the units is given below: A. Input unit Input units consist of the sensors that detect the white path on black surface or the black path on white surface. QRD1114 IR reflective line/object sensor and CNY70 reflective optical sensor are the most commonly used sensors for line follower robots. The CNY70 is a reflective sensor that includes an infrared emitter and phototransistor in a leaded package which blocks visible light. The emitted IR of CNY70 reflects on the surface back to the phototransistor part and affects the base of the phototransistor. The black or white colour of the IR reflection surface causes different analog signals on the output of CNY70. To convert the analog output signals of CNY70 into digital signals in order to transport them to the microprocessor, 74HC14 Schmitt Triger can be used. When CNY70 sensor detects white, the analog signal is 5 V and 74HC14 converts it into logic 1. When CNY70 sensor detects black, the analog signal is 0 V and 74HC14 converts it into logic 0. The QRD1113/14 reflective sensor consists of an infrared emitting diode and an NPN silicon photodarlington mounted side by side in a black plastic housing. The on-axis radiation of the emitter and the on-axis response of the detector are both perpendicular to the face of the QRD1113/14. The photodarlington responds to radiation emitted from the diode only when a reflective object or surface is in the field of view of the detector. B. Output unit: For a line follower robot two dc geared motors are enough. The motor driver circuit can be prepared by using darlington transistor on a H bridge motor driver circuit or by using an integrated motor driver circuit like L293D or L298. The diagram shows the driving of the motors. C. Microprocessor as control unit The control unit is the microprocessor part of the robot. The microprocessor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is essentially what makes a computer work. The microprocessor forms the heart of the computer, along with the memory. The balance of the computer keyboard, monitor and mouse is known as peripherals. While peripherals are important for users to be able to work with a computer, they are useless without a functioning microprocessor. Same is the case in case of robotics. There will be no use of input and output unit until microprocessor is not there ac control unit. As in case of computer it takes input control the execution of instruction similarly in Line Follower the microprocessor takes the input signals from the sensors, use them in its program and make decision of the next movement of the line follower robot to follow the path. The output signals are transferred to the motor driver parts of robot. The most commonly used microprocessors are the pic microprocessors produced by microchip. VII. Application Software control of the line type (dark or light) to make automatic detection possible. â€Å"Obstacle detecting sensors† to avoid physical obstacles and continue on the line. Distance sensing and position logging transmission Industrial automated equipment carriers Automated cars. Tour guides in museums and other similar applications. Second wave robotic reconnaissance operations. VIII. Recent Discovery In Robotics Till now we were trying to discover the robots which can help the human being in different ways like in medical science in industries, in defence etc. But now robot has become itself scientist. Recently in April 2009 the Robot Scientist has discovered its first discovery. Now ADAM is the first robot—but maybe not the last—to have independently discovered new scientific information, according to scientists who recently built themselves the mechanical colleague. So in future scope of robotics is quite bright. IX. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor http://eces.colorado.edu/~prasadae/LFR http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090402-robot-scientists.html http://www.robotiksistem.com/linefollower.html

Flowers from the Storm Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jane Eyre

Romancing the Gothic Romance novels come in many different styles with a variety of subgenres, themes, and character blueprints. Jane Eyre and Flowers from the Storm are no different. Both Jane Eyre and Flowers from the Storm are romance novels, with Jane Eyre continuing early nineteenth century Romantic period traditions as well as a novel with a romantic relationship between two characters. Flowers from the Storm is a historical romance which is patterned after Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Laura Kinsale, author of Flowers, has won a variety awards for her writing, including the 1996 RRA-L Romance award for best all-time favorite romance for Flowers; Bronte’s Jane Eyre came in second. Jane Eyre, a novel by Charlotte Bronte, is a gothic romance about a plain governess and a dark hero who eventually fall in love with one another. Likewise Kinsale’s, Flowers from the Storm, delivers the same generic conventions with a religious, plain, young woman and a misunderstood hero, who come together to develop a lasting romance. Charlotte Bronte first published Jane Eyre in 1847, under the pseudonym Currer Bell, a novel which has since become a success by earning its way into the literary canon. Bronte was born in 1816 in Yorkshire England and studied at the Clergy Daughters' School. After leaving school she became ever more interested in writing and reading Byron, after whom she later fashioned Rochester. Joyce Carol Oates relays, â€Å"for Jane Eyre, whatever its kinship to eighteenth-century Gothic and however melodramatic certain of its episode [†¦], is nonetheless a work of stubbornly idiosyncratic intelligence.† (7) With the publication of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte earned the respect of every generation that followed. Laura Kinsale, ... ...le for historical fictions and furthered the love of the style for many writers and readers alike. The romantic period is over. Yet the writers and characters who flourished in the period are still around in the homes and minds of many aspiring writers. Of course Charlotte Bronte and her peers are important to novels like Flowers and others like it. They are the blueprints for not only the way many authors write, but the way the readers expect the stories to unfold. They are the reason for the memory of the Romantic and gothic and their influence is the reason why so many choose to write the style. Forgetting which novel holds the most value, one must remember that literature doesn’t just refer to what’s in the literary canon; it also refers to what’s on the bookshelves in the homes across this country, because today, Jane Eyre is almost as popular as Flowers.

Self-reliance Essay -- essays research papers

1. The essay that I elected to read and analyze was "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. 2. The Transcendental Movement held a strong opinion that one should have complete faith in oneself. Emerson, being an avid transcendentalist, believed in this philosophy. He supported this concept that we should rely on our own intuition and beliefs. "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." Emerson, along with the Transcendental Movement, believed in the vitality of self-reliance. One must have confidence and belief in oneself. "†¦the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it." Once one has reliance upon oneself, he can generate his own set of ideals and morals, not just the ideals bestowed upon him by society. In obeying these principles of life, he has created a constitution of his own. This constitution is the guiding light of his life; it leads the way to truth and ultimate liberation and provides the right path to follow. This idea brings about the transcendental concept of the belief in the worth of the individual. The individual, in transcendental philosophy, has the power to accomplish anything and everything. Social organization and friendship offer a small satisfaction of companionship and structure in life, but one will ultimately succeed based upon his own skills and conviction. In doing so, he will lose interest in the society and concentrate on more individual dependency as he strives to gain ultimate truth in life. "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think." Once one considers less the social ramifications of his actions and considers more the personal consequences, he will become more apt to discover what he is looking for; in the transcendentalists’ case, it was the meaning of life. 3. a). "To be great is to be misunderstood." This statement was used by Emerson to explain the lagging growth of the conception of ideas and thought of his generation. Original and novel ideas were and still are scorned by those who believe that the best method for learning is repetition and memorization. When one comes up with a groundbreaking idea, it is generally disregarded because so-called "experts" do not agree with it. This is because soci... ...ing is uncomfortable, we should leave. Conformity with society has disabled this aspect of human nature, and I feel that it is something that needs to be addressed. 4. We should not conform to the preconceived laws of society. When we dislike something, we should not hesitate to be different and oppose. Believe in the power of the individual, and learn to depend on yourself, in order to achieve greatness. 5. In reading this essay, I saw many viewpoints on life that I have never seen before. They are opinions that are different from what is normal, and they are sometimes abrupt and shocking. Some of the opinions are opinions that I can relate with; others were completely out of the ballpark. I was surprised, and a little excited to read many of the philosophies that Emerson held to be the great truths of this world. Emerson had many ideas that can benefit the world today; they can help societies evolve into better places for people to live. They also provide a call for humans to evolve from conforming automatons to individuals who do and say what they feel. These thought that Emerson conveyed moved me and made me realize how precious our free will and judgement are.

Foreign Aid Programs are a Great Investment :: Politics Political Essays

The United States has proven again and again that foreign aid can be a worthwhile venture. While donating less than one half of one percent of the federal budget towards economic and humanitarian assistance, the United States has been able to establish trading markets for the present as well as the future. Between 1990 and 1993 alone, U.S. exports to developing nations increased by $46 billion ("Ten Questions Commonly Asked About U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs"). This dramatic change would not have happened if it were not for foreign assistance programs. Trade opportunities do not simply materialize, the groundwork must first be put in place. Through business code reforms, the strengthening of commercial banks, and the setting of reasonable tax and tariff standards, USAID helps to create an environment that will attract American investment and trade. Take for instance, the example of South Korea. During the 1960s and 70s, South Korea was one of the United States' prime targets for foreign assistance. The U.S. now exports more to South Korea in one year than was donated during both the 1960s and 70s. Because of this, the two have become extremely close allies, and are now two of the best trading partners in the world ("Ten Questions Commonly Asked About U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs"). Likewise, financially aided agricultural research in developing countries has resulted in millions of dollars of improved yields for U.S. farmers ("USAID Research Helps U.S. Farmers" ). By 1992, two-thirds of the United States rice acreage was planted in varieties acquired through agricultural research funded through foreign assistance programs. With this technology, the United States is now the world's second leading rice exporter ("Agricultural Research"). As another example, while in Latin America, USAID invested less than $5 million in the research of greenbug resistant hybrids. By 1989, economic gains to the United States had reached almost $400 million. Due to a recent breakthrough, U.S. foreign assistance research has lead to a rust free wheat crop. Kansas and Oklahoma alone are expected to save over $90 million in harvest costs ("Agricultural Research" ). Furthermore, according to USAID at the International Development Conference on January 1995, 200,000 U.S. jobs were created through foreign aid programs. This was possible because USAID requires "nearly all foreign aid be spent on U.S. Foreign Aid Programs are a Great Investment :: Politics Political Essays The United States has proven again and again that foreign aid can be a worthwhile venture. While donating less than one half of one percent of the federal budget towards economic and humanitarian assistance, the United States has been able to establish trading markets for the present as well as the future. Between 1990 and 1993 alone, U.S. exports to developing nations increased by $46 billion ("Ten Questions Commonly Asked About U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs"). This dramatic change would not have happened if it were not for foreign assistance programs. Trade opportunities do not simply materialize, the groundwork must first be put in place. Through business code reforms, the strengthening of commercial banks, and the setting of reasonable tax and tariff standards, USAID helps to create an environment that will attract American investment and trade. Take for instance, the example of South Korea. During the 1960s and 70s, South Korea was one of the United States' prime targets for foreign assistance. The U.S. now exports more to South Korea in one year than was donated during both the 1960s and 70s. Because of this, the two have become extremely close allies, and are now two of the best trading partners in the world ("Ten Questions Commonly Asked About U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs"). Likewise, financially aided agricultural research in developing countries has resulted in millions of dollars of improved yields for U.S. farmers ("USAID Research Helps U.S. Farmers" ). By 1992, two-thirds of the United States rice acreage was planted in varieties acquired through agricultural research funded through foreign assistance programs. With this technology, the United States is now the world's second leading rice exporter ("Agricultural Research"). As another example, while in Latin America, USAID invested less than $5 million in the research of greenbug resistant hybrids. By 1989, economic gains to the United States had reached almost $400 million. Due to a recent breakthrough, U.S. foreign assistance research has lead to a rust free wheat crop. Kansas and Oklahoma alone are expected to save over $90 million in harvest costs ("Agricultural Research" ). Furthermore, according to USAID at the International Development Conference on January 1995, 200,000 U.S. jobs were created through foreign aid programs. This was possible because USAID requires "nearly all foreign aid be spent on U.S.

Srinivasa Ramanujan

Srinivasa Ramanujan Ramanujan was born in India to a poor family in Erode, a city in Madras state. His father was a clerk and his mother a deeply religious housewife. None of these facts reflect who Ramanujan really was. He was a brilliant, self-taught mathematician whose ideas caught the attention of some of the prolific mathematicians of his time to include G. H. Hardy. In this short biography we will cover both his life and his contributions to mathematics. As stated earlier, he was born in south India to a poor family but they were still respectable in the community.This gave Ramanujan the opportunity to attend school and begin learning elementary Mathematics. He was quickly realized as a truly brilliant student with most of his talent directed towards mathematics. Interestingly, his family would sometimes take in student boarders and one of them gave him a trigonometry text when he was twelve and he mastered it within a year. In 1903 he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Go vernment College at Kumbakonam. He spent all of his time studying mathematics and ended up failing his other subjects and lost his scholarship and dropped out.He married Janaki in 1909 and acquired a job as a clerk. While the position did not pay much it allowed him much time to concentrate on his research. Ramanujan went to Cambridge in 1914, despite the great strides he made in his work in corroboration Hardy and Littlewood it took a great toll on his body. Ramanujan, being devout to his religion did not eat meat and the lack of quality vegetarian food in England and his long working hours were hard on his body. In 1917, Ramanujan was hospitalized with what was thought to be tuberculosis.While continually working from his hospital bed, he did not show enough improvement to make the trip back to India until 1919. Even with the best medical care available in India, Ramanujan died on April 29, 1920 at the age of 32. Ramanujan’s genius in mathematics is still represented today. His impact on Number Theories, Modular Forms, Statistical Mechanics, and other branches of mathematics have made great contributions not only in math but also in physics and computer science. Ramanujan’s style and methods of mathematics developed from his earlier studies in trigonometry and Carr’s volume of theorems.In his own works, Ramanujan looked for such formulas or identities that he saw in Carr’s works. In his earlier work, when he found a formula or answer he felt to be true by his own mathematical intuition and therefore he provided few proofs for his results. In his works with Hardy, they made great progress in the theory of partitions. â€Å"The partition function p(n); is the function of a positive integer n which is a representation of n as a sum of strictly positive integers. Thus p(1)= 1, p(2)= 2, p(3)= 3, p(4)= 5 ,p(5)= 7, p(6)= 11. (Denbath 628) In some of his last work before his death, Ramanujan discovered what is now known as the Mock Theta Functions. Mock functions are q series with exponential singularities such that the arguments terminate for some power. Srinivasa Ramanujan was a man dedicated to mathematics and had a true love for it. He was also a man entrenched in his religion and a deep commitment to his family. He consistently wanted to improve the education in his community and showed much interest in the poor and orphans who needed help getting an education.With all of the accomplishments and accolades that are attached to his name the truth of who Ramanujan was as a mathematician and a person makes him truly a one of a kind person in history. Works Cited Watkins, Thayer. â€Å"Srinivasa Ramanujan, a Mathematician Beyond Compare. † San Jose University, n. d. Web. 19 November 2012. Debnath, Lokenath. â€Å"Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) and the Theory of Partitiions of Numbers and Statistical Mechanics a Centennial Tribute. † J. Math. & Math & Sci. Vol. 10 No. 4 (1987): 625-640. Web. 19 Novemb er 2012.

Change Management – A review

The determinants and Impediments of change In each branch of change management have been considered and addressed. Some elements fall outside the scope of the literature review and research. The literature review is structured in such a way that echoes this integration as illustrated in the following diagram (Figure M). Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organizational responsiveness to change. Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organizational responsiveness to change. People Management Leadership Organizational Context.Culture. Organizational Learning. Knowledge Management. Change Management. Change Management Change Management is neither an art nor a science; it is an individual process relying solely on the organization, individuals within the organization (employees), leadership style and management of the organization (middle and top managers), organizational culture, and a variety of external Influences Inc luding environmental, technological and social. The scope for change management within an organization to fail is huge; however the scope for effectiveness is as wide if approached logistically.It is important to keep in mind that change management is not an art or a science but each area and issue of change management is completely individualistic. Many authors have written and researched within the academic area of change application, and how it can be applied strategically to assist the organization. The work that these authors within the field of change management bring to the academic discussion have been studied, analyses, criticized and presented here in an attempt to both inform the reader and support the research and subsequent analysis.Organizational Dynamics Systems Theory The concept of the ‘organization' is not abstract from the idea of systems theory. The organization exists within an environment, has Inputs (l), Processes (P) and Outputs (O) taking into account both formal and informal subsystems and processes. Combined together this presents a system that is both effective and theoretically sound. â€Å"A system is an organized collection of parts interacting in certain ways to achieve certain goals. Any change in any part of the system will produce different effects† (Hellhole, 2006).As Hellhole (2006) identifies change can occur at an individual (l, P or O) level and see effective results, however the argument can also be constructed to assume that when change management is handled holistically, changing all the individual parts of the working cog model, a better result is often seen. Theory in this area is rather limited, however Senior and Swales (2010) present the following illustration (Figure 10) which builds upon the work of Child (1973) focused on the intangible elements of organizational operations. â€Å"Systems thinking† is relevant to highlight here.Whilst it is possible for change to be approached from n indivi dual (l, P or O) level, as well as a holistic stance, systems thinking looks at the concept of ‘does it need changing to enhance the overall level of organizational effectiveness'. An example that may be given here to help explain and contextual this point is that of a maintenance company repaving a road. One element of the system may be to fill the hole with a temporary road surface which is followed up by the removal of this and re-surfacing to correct standards a week later.It could be argued that both elements of the process could be enhanced but the systems hinging viewpoint would maintain that removing stage one would enhance effectiveness, reduce cost and wastage, as well as the crucial element of satisfying customer demand. The author finds this theory and viewpoint interesting and will return to this concept at a later point. Figure 10: The Organization as a System – adapted from the work of Senior and Swales (2010) A key area that the author feels is missing f rom Senior and Swales (2010) model is feedback.Organizations are subject to change and influence from the external environment; this therefore requires a agree of planning and control, which is most effective if informed with feedback. Removing the feedback loop from the ‘organization' almost takes the model back to the classical theorists that considered organizations as rational but closed systems (Hellhole, 2006). Through the addition of the feedback loop the system becomes open as well as debatable more ‘open' to change.Hayes (2002) expands on this concept of open systems commenting that, â€Å"Open-systems theory provides such a framework and views organizations as a system of interrelated components that transact with a larger environment. From the perspective of open systems, some of the main characteristics of organizations are that they are: embedded within a larger system, able to avoid entropy, regulated by feedback, subject to equability, cyclical McKinney a nd the AS model can be used here to look at the infrastructure of the organization, in addition to the informal and formal processes that is presented above.An analysis of the internal environment from this perspective adds to the depth of analysis that can be undertaken. The AS model encompasses the areas of Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills, Strategy and Shared Values providing a useful LOL to merge both tangible and intangible organizational elements. At the analysis stages of this research it will be interesting to return to the idea of change at both an individual (l, P and O) and organizational level and contrast this to what is observed within the case studies, and the influence that this holds over organizational readiness and responsiveness to change.The concept of organizational systems theory is Just one very small part of the evolution of organization theory. This links with the changes in development of change management theory addressed revisions due to culture and influencing factors throughout the eras. The question can always be asked that is everything that the business doing contributing to fulfilling the customer's demands? The author would suggest that this is not necessarily always a requirement, however this could be debated further.Contingency Theory – Mechanistic and Organic Organizations Before the theories and application of change management are examined and analyses, the author believes it to be of importance to examine organizational dynamics as briefly highlighted above within Section 3. 4. 1 . There are three main viewpoints; open yester theory, contingency theory, and congruence model for organizational assessment. Open systems theory as previously discussed looks as the organization as having Inputs, Processes and Outputs and is made ‘open' through the inclusion of a feedback loop.This basic approach was enhanced through the work of Burns and Stalker (1961) and Lawrence and Lora's (1967) who identify that o rganizations do not exist and operate within a vacuum, and investigated the relationship between the internal structure and the environments in which they operate (external environment). Their results, characterized due to the degree of internal formality, internal structure and external stability results in what they term ‘mechanistic' and ‘organic' organizations. They described firms that operated in stable environments as ‘mechanistic' because they were characterized by many rules and procedures and were dominated by a hierarchy of authority. The firms that operated in less stable environments were described as ‘organic' because they tended to have a free-flowing, De-centralized and adaptive internal organization† (Hayes, 2002). Mechanistic Organizational Characteristics Organic Organizational Characteristics 1 . Specialized tasks, narrow in scope 1 . Common tasks and interdependencies 2. Tasks rigidly defined 2. Tasks adjusted and redefined as requi red 3.Strict hierarchy of authority 3. Less adherence to formal authority and rules 4. Centralized knowledge and control 4. Decentralized knowledge and control 5. Hierarchical communication 5. Network communication, diffused channels Table 18: Characteristics of Burns and Stalker's (1961) Contingency Theory – Mechanistic and Organic Organizations There are a range of critics around congruence theory; some agree and identify with the ‘alignment' that this model (2000) for example, disagree arguing that the explanation for organizational operation is not clear enough.The author does not have a specific view on this matter. It has not been unknown for alignment to be criticized within the field due to the fact that it is very difficult to apply in practice. It is clear within both the work of Burns and Stalker (1961) and Child (1973) that changes to one or more of either the internal or external elements will have an impact upon other elements that therefore may also requi re change subsequently.This was highlighted and expanded upon by the work of Cotter (1980) who in essence merges open systems theory and interagency theory creating an integrative model of organizational dynamics. He uses his model comprised of six structural elements and key organizational processes to address impacts upon the organization in both the short, medium and long term time Figure 1 1: Cotter's integrative model of organizational dynamics. Source: Cotter (1980) Table 19: Cotter's integrative model of organizational dynamics.Source: Cotter (1980) Cotter's (1980) work can be used to look at readiness and responsiveness from an organizational dynamics perspective. In the short term Cotter comments that organizational effectiveness is enhanced and determined by he speed with which the organization can control and respond to any of the six structural elements before they start to have an impact on one of the other areas. However using the integrative model for a long term appr oach the idea of readiness is very much at the core.Adaptability to the six structural elements will be the determinant of effectiveness; this requires organizations to put into place tools and techniques that will help evaluate elements that determine which structural element will 'emerge as the driving force that shapes the development of the company (Hayes, 2002). Adaptability is important because it determines whether or not the organization will be able to maintain the required degree of alignment over the long term.Over the longer term, therefore, the focus of change management needs to ensure that the structural elements of the organization are as adaptable as possible† (Hayes, 2002). The organizational dynamics need to support the organizations ability to be both ready and responsive to change; readiness helps support the long term strategy whilst responsiveness will assist in the rectification of the cause-effect relationships that interlink the organizational system together.Congruence Model – the focus towards strategy As the thinking behind organizational management developed the importance of strategy increased amongst firms; a few years after the development of the above organizational dynamic models Needle and Dustman (1982) entered into the academic arena with their take on systems theory, the difference being a strategic focus adopted. Some of the elements of the congruence model are derived from work by Alleviate (1965) and Katz and Kahn (1966) (both cited in Hayes, 2002).The congruence model is in effect a different take on open systems theory. Its main preference is its focus towards strategy and strategic management through assessing the congruency of the organizational components on organizational effectiveness. A distinct difference between the work of Needle and Dustman (1982) and open systems theory is that the integrative model focuses in some depth around the relationship between all of the components within the transfor mational process.This and allows the authors to propose a model that's key concept, of congruence or alignment between the organization, the environment and the internal components of the organization, aids organizational diagnoses and the development of change management strategies. Needle and Dustman play specific emphasis towards the four components that they believe create the transformation process (informal organization, formal organization, task, individual); they look specifically at the relationship between each of these components (six fits' as discussed in Table 20) and that influence on the organization as a whole.This is illustrated by the directional arrows in Figure 12 below. Relationship between†¦ Example areas for consideration Individual Formal Organization What extent are individual needs met by the formal organizational arrangement? For example – Personal Learning Styles (Briggs Myers and Briggs Myers, 1980; Honey and Uniform, 2000), Team Roles (Beeli ne, AAA), and specific HER elements such as Individual appraisal processes (CHIP, AAA; Armstrong, 2009; Armstrong and Baron, 2004). Individual Task To what extent do individuals have the skills necessary to meet task demands and to what extend do the tasks satisfy individual needs?Individual Informal Organization To what extent does the informal organization satisfy the needs of the individuals or make best use of their talents? For example is the individual's Learning Style or personality type understood and utilized within the team, and organizational context (Briggs Myers and Briggs Myers, 1980; Butterflies, 2008). Task Formal Organization To what extent are the formal organizational arrangements adequate to meet the demands of the task? Task Informal Organization To what extent does the informal organization facilitate task performance?For example the work of John Adair looking at Task, Team, and Individual (1996). Formal Organization Informal Organization To what extent are the goals, rewards and structures of the informal organization consistent with those of the formal organization. Table 20 : Areas for consideration between the ‘six fits' of the transformation process in the Congruence Model. Adapted from: Hayes (2002) One element that strikes as being predominant, and harmonies with the opinion of the author, is that of the individual.This model takes into consideration an area that most other models merely merge with other organizational elements. Here the individual is given specific credit and attention, and is focused on in terms of interaction with the formal organization, the informal organization, and the organizational tasks. The individual is seen as a personalized resource to the cuisines that brings individual skills and knowledge that help to equip and shape the organization. The author has a specific interest in the role of the individual (Butterflies, 2008; Section 3. 3. ), but it is also an important element for authors such as He llhole (2006), and is therefore a significant ingredient within the congruence model to draw the reader's attention towards. Hellhole (2006) comments, â€Å"Increasingly, there is recognition that organizational success depends largely on the skills and commitment of a knowledge-based workforce and that organizational ultras conducive to high performance are central to sustaining success beyond the short term†. Figure 12: Needle and Dustman's (1980) Congruence Model. Source: Needle and strategy before the transformation process.This inevitability requires that management have looked at and decided on the appropriate strategy in advance; it almost contradicts the process as one would assume that the strategic direction would follow the process and possibly the output. With the inclusion of the feedback loop it could be considered that this is the case and its position here is deliberate fitting with the experiential learning cycle of Kola (1984). At the application stages of t his research when the case studies are looked at it will be interesting to see where this features in the reality of the organizations.All of the models looked at and discussed above can only ever be a simplification of reality. In terms of change management it is the ability to take these models and look at their use in turning ability to become an appropriate conceptual framework for taking an existing situation and managing the desired change within the applicable circumstances. Out of all of the models looked at the author feels that the congruence model is the cost applicable within the research to be carried out.This is mainly due to its strategic focus, and consideration of the individual. As previously mentioned the models only become applicable and useful if application as a conceptual framework can be adopted. This will be applied and analyses within the findings chapter (Section 5). Drivers for change There are many drivers for change and these are dependent upon on the a rea of change that you address. This is such a huge topic and an in-depth analysis far exceeds the scope that the topic can occupy within this thesis.It is hoped that the main drivers for change for each organization will become apparent within the case study analysis as these are very personal and dependent on both the organization and the industry that the organization is operating within. The following drivers for change are included to provide context and provide some food for thought; these have been taken from the text ‘Understanding Change', by Hellhole (2006). Competition Globalization Demands for greater transparency and accountability Global Sustainability Technology The e-economy The consumer revolution The social context Knowledge Management Future organizational trendsChanging industrial relations climate and employment legislation Stereotypical social attitudes The rise of the stakeholder Degree at which innovation progresses Demographics and Social fragmentation they believe to be the 10 top drivers for organizational change in 2010; whilst these make interesting reading for the author, the author is of particular support with the tenth; â€Å"a new war for talent commences†. This picks up on what the author has been trying to convey throughout the sections on Personnel Management (Section 3. ) and Knowledge Management (Section 3. 3). Not only are there external drivers for change UT internal ones too. As people recover from the economic crisis they will begin to drive forward organizational change in a bid to better themselves and get credit and assurance of their work to the organization. Organizations need to bear this is mind and respond appropriately. The ten top drivers for organizational change as identified by Bloomberg Businesslike (2010) are: † 1 . Consumer preferences will remain â€Å"reset† based on values, not pricier.Energy costs will continue to increase in the medium termed. U. S. Tax policy could erode the competitive positioning of U. S. Companies. Innovation happens for emerging market consumers, not in emerging markets 05. A new return to vertical integration gains traction 06. Industry shifts create competitive shifts 07. Increases in information requires more Judgment from decision makers 08. Markets reward long-term strategic focuses. Economic recovery wont mean recovery for everyone 010. A new war for talent commences† Bloomberg Businesslike (2010).Kurt Lenin; group focused change theory Kurt Lenin can be quoted as saying â€Å"Group life is never without change† (1947). Predominantly Kurt Lenin presents us with a change management theory revolving round the concept of unfreezing – change – and refreezing which presents a high- level approach to change. This has specific relationships back to the school of personnel management due to its importance for change in group settings as highlighted by Lenin in his work ‘Frontiers in Group dynamics ' addressing the art of social science of social equilibrium and social change (1947).Linen's work is not only applicable in a group setting it also holds great importance for the individual context too as well as large communities of practice and teams (Lenin, 1947). Through use of he model there is scope for management to make a radical change, minimize disruption of operations and ensure that the change becomes a permanent and rooted element of the organization through the re-freezing stage.The model, very focused around getting people to change as opposed to changing an organization, consists of three stages: Unfreezing – This is based upon the assumption that there is a need to change as present practices may have become outdated, slow, ineffective, expensive etc†¦. The need to instigate the unfreezing stage is typically based upon an assumption that the status quo is no longer desirable or positive; exulting from this there is often a motivation for change, the tea m unites, recognizes the need for change and begins the process of change management.It is essential there is some degree of confidence amongst the team that the change will be implemented and fulfilled successfully in order to achieve group ‘buy-in' and a positive Psychological Contract. The Change – Normal change management theories and principles generally come into play here. Whilst the team may all be on common stress will develop, individuals will have different ideas of the perceived outcomes, expectations will not be managed, the Psychological Contract diminish etc†¦ This is a time of exploration of opportunities where goals and objectives are set and implementation for change is developed.Lenin stresses the fact that it is essential as with any other change management theory that goals, objectives and plans for implementation are continually assessed and reassessed in order to generate the best possible outcomes. It is important to note here that whilst th e objectives are important for Lenin this does not necessarily form the most essential stage. His focus upon change within groups provides a perspective that is more in line with the needs of individuals and maintain positive relationships and focus, in order to bring about a successful re- freezing stage as described below.Re-freezing – At the completion of the change discussions when implementation has been rolled out across all involved, Lenin identifies the need for re-freezing. â€Å"Change will only reach its full effect if it's made permanent† (Lenin, 1947). As in the re-freezing of a liquid it is important to cement or solidify the change making it an official procedure of the organization; in drawing specific attention to the completion of the project and the new processes re-freezing would therefore inhibit individuals returning to the old ways as existed pre-change process.Refreezing is the heart of this model. Lenin (1947) comments, â€Å"A change towards a higher level of group performance is frequently short-lived, after a â€Å"shot in the arm†, group life soon returns to the previous level. This indicates that it does not suffice to define the objective of planned change in group performance as the reaching of a different level. Permanency of the new level, or permanency for a desired period, should be included in the objective. † Figure 13: Kurt Linen's model of unfreezing and re-freezing.Source: Adapted from Lenin (1947) Right Sizing There are various authors who have looked into the correlation between the size of the firm in terms of personnel and effectiveness in organizational performance. There is however still a heightened awareness that there are additional variables that impose upon organizational effectiveness namely technology; it is said that this could possibly account for up to fifty per cent of the variability in result findings which lead to an inconclusive theory being proposed (Senior and Swales, 2 010).Culture, leadership style, and politics all have an influence on the correlation teens size and organizational performance. Child (1988) who investigated into the correlation between size and performance concluded that the leadership style operated within the organization was relevant to the size of the organization (number of employees employed). It was the leadership style and subsequent influence into the structure that Child's (1988) sees as having an impact upon organizational effectiveness including role specialization and formalization.Senior and Swales (2010) summaries the work of Child (1988); large organizations with a higher degree of bureaucracy structure were in general better performed. Bureaucracy did not work for the smaller organization who had a better degree of performance with a more informal leadership style. â€Å"In organizations with below 2,000 people performance was assumed to be better in those that have little formal structure more bureaucracy and s uperior performance was greater† (Senior and Swales, 2010). Several external driving forces for change (Section 3. 4. ) such as the current economic climate and recent recession which have occurred at both local, regional, national and even international levels have created a heightened degree of urgency or organizations to increase efficiency; many are doing this through operations management and seeing the organizations as a clearly defined set of inputs, processes and outputs. The author is of the belief that for successful change management to occur the process of managing change must occur holistically, which can also occur when viewed through the strategic lens.Both the immediate survival and long term sustenance of any organization heavily depends on organizational responsiveness to its external environment and its ability to face the external challenge. A huge problem facing strategic re-focusing of operations creates opposition due to an emotional connection to common practice challenged by the need to change for survival (Balloon and Hope-Halley, 2008, Sense, 1993). With the distinct lack of literature on right sizing the author has conceptualized a model that illustrates where the concept of right-sizing fits into the organization.Taking the multi-lens perspective approach (Regional and Sprinter, 1996) and essential elements of organizational management the author proposes that the concept of right sizing is situated predominately within the cognitive lens. Figure 14: Position of right sizing within the organization Right sizing would normally e linked to the structural view of the organization. The Rational Lens considers the structure of the organization as an ought-to-be scenario.The Cognitive Lens considers right sizing as what is practicably possible scenario. The Rational Lens considers culture and corporate politics as an impediment to change which is what many change managers attempt to override or ignore. With the cognitive lens appro ach culture and corporate politics are seen as an intrinsic component of change. Therefore culture and corporate politics should be understood and made to become â€Å"enablers† within the change management process.This is currently the issue that several organizations are facing. By positioning right sizing as a resulting factor of a combination of Organizational Culture, Politics and Organizational Type the author feels that it will help in the analysis stages where the variety of case studies will be analyses. As mentioned within Section 2 the case study profiles were deliberately selected by the author for their variations in size.The author feels that it is important to note here that there is not necessarily a formula for what is the ‘right size' of an organization or a specific team dealing with change management, UT that this may be discussed throughout the finding and analysis chapter (Section 5) where the case studies may lead towards generating an inclination as to what works best. The Readiness of Change Several articles regarding both individual and institutional readiness to change (readiness') within an organizational context have been written over the centuries.Many well respected, and up-and-coming academics have posed models and theories in relation to how readiness can be increased, encouraged and developed within both individual and institutional spheres of influence; a large gap that is still existent in the knowledge base centers around the definition of ‘readiness to change'. Several pieces of relevant academic literature and building together a picture towards a ‘comprehensive definition' of readiness for change.Holt et all's work which has been consulted extensively opens with an important issue that the author must recognize; the lack of measurement of readiness for change does not arise from a lack of instruments designed for this purpose. There are several in existence but without a common and universal unde rstanding of what constitutes readiness a liable and robust framework, to operate quantitatively cannot (and has not currently) been developed.Evidently, with readiness being an area of research that is being encouraged (Holt et al, 2007) this is therefore an area that requires the knowledge gap being fulfilled in order for research in this area to pursue. It is the aim of the forthcoming section to be devoted to this cause, reviewing the use of the literature, working towards a definition of readiness, and identifying means of its analysis within a strategic institutionally based context. There is also the need for the adopted method to be suitable to institutions of different natures, sizes and specialties; as always generalization is imperative.Readiness and Resistance; are they related concepts? The concept of readiness is a result of the concept and result of resistance – a sweeping statement or Just a different approach? It is perhaps no surprise, that change management due to its inclusion with the human resource management approach is highly subjective to the reactions of people (employees). This would explain the development of the need to research readiness, resulting from manager's efforts to reduce resistance to change.Again the body of literature exists in this area, yet Ramekins et al (1993, cited in Holt et al, 2007) put forward their argument that any of these, â€Å"strategies designed to help managers avoid resistance, are effective only to the extent which they facilitate employee readiness†. The circular nature of this issue is again illustrated here. The transition of the Traditional HARM philosophy into the personnel management phase transfers its focus from objectives and output into placing value, focus and ultimately having an investment and involvement with he people.To some extent it can be argued that traditionally to date the people management processes within educational setting operate under this philosophy; a large degree of responsibility and autonomous working is put upon the employee's and in response it is hoped that the organization values staffs contributions. General motivational principles (Amazon, etc†¦ ) encourage the involvement of employees in a drive to encourage general commitment to organizational objectives and partnering of aims, especially plans for development, drive forward and ultimately change.Readiness has been looked at with a specific workforce focus; whilst this is important, organizational culture, as explored above, external pressures and the lack of a strategic dimension can also reduce organizational readiness. What impact does this have on the organization's desire to change and move into a market leader position, driving forward its position within the market and gaining an advantage in what is a highly competitive market arena. Oakland and Tanner's Organizational Change Framework Research supporting the model Oakland and Tanner have been instrumental in t he field of research into change