Gathering Research Data Paper Essay

Within the criminal justice system there are various types of data gathering research methods that can be utilized. The method chosen for this research paper is the email survey method. The proposed research for this paper is job satisfaction within the police field with emphasis on the patrol officers. With patrol officers being the backbone of the police departments the research should be pretty insightful. The main goal of this research is to pinpoint the patrol officers’ main dissatisfactions during their workdays. The specific interview structure that will be used is an email questionnaire survey. This type of survey will allow and hopefully enable every patrol officer to participate and it will also allow graphical results. Just about every criminal justice case begins and ends with a patrol officer. Beginning with the criminal offense report, to the arrest, and ending at the testifying in court. Although there are many various key players in most cases besides the patro l officer, it is highly unlikely that crime reduction would exist without the patrol officer. Understanding the needs of a patrol officer and what is pleasing and displeasing on the job is key to crime reduction. A happy employee does their job successfully and to the best of their ability. An unhappy patrol officer will definitely not complete tasks let alone risk their lives for another individual. The department has the responsibility to ensure that the majority of its patrol officers are satisfied with their working conditions to prevent silent strikes and to also prevent behavior manifestation. Using an email questionnaire survey would be the interview structure used to conduct the research regarding the employee satisfaction. This survey will involve the simple format of a YES or NO option only. Constructing a different variables list will enable determination of what issues the questions will be based on. This list will also ensure that main concerns and topics are covered along with not duplicating any issues. Configuring what type of  data and data analysis is needed will be the next venture followed by figuring out how to word the questionnaire. Taking into consideration patrol officer lingo and technical wording to avoid any biased or compounding variables to each question. Some examples of questions that would be asked are: 1. Do you intentionally avoid police functions when off duty? 2. Do you take a level of pride when wearing your uniform? 3. Do you take sick days when you are not ill? 4. Do you hide your profession when off duty? 5. Do you take extended training courses or classes to avoid fieldwork? 6. Do you use cellphones, tablets, or any other devices to entertain yourself while on duty? 7. Do you avoid public interaction while on duty? Using these initial questions will not only help me gather data on satisfaction but will also help me gather data on other issues as well. An example of other issues would be the topic of whether or not response time intertwines with officer satisfaction and how this affects crime statistics. This type of qualitative data gathering is a great advantage because it records attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. (â€Å"Analyse This!!! Learning To Analyse Qualitative Data†, (2008)). As mentioned also opens up new topic areas that were not initially considered. These initial questions are also structured or closed ended questions in which will involve the needed information. Which means the data collected from the answers won’t involve thorough answers that need to be explained. In completion of the questionnaire questions, a small group of similar respondents will take a pretest that will point out any confusion or misunderstanding of question formatting and wording. To have the best outcome of participants and to ensure the best results, compensation would be offered in the form of extra paid time. This will also ensure a more quantitative data analysis due to a larger number of people responding to the survey. Some researchers believe that rewards and/or incentives given to people who participate in surveys increases response and reliability A tailored design method or TDM will be used with this email survey question. According to Hagan ((2010)), â€Å"The â€Å"tailored design method† or TDM, â€Å"uses multiple contacts seeking response and endorsements to increase response rates† by â€Å"tailoring the survey to the  group being studied in order to foster trust, increase rewards, and decrease the cost of participation.† This phase would be to get endorsed by the patrol unions to ensure and response, respect, and acceptability of the survey in the patrol officer’s eyes. These unions were founded and organized to assist and defend patrol officers, with the backing of these unions the participation and legitimacy would be highly prosperous. In turn, the unions will be knowledgeable with the results of the survey. One of the main focuses of this survey will be that it is truly an anonymous survey, and that each individual who fills out a survey remains anonymous and has no ties or repercussions from their answers. A few approaches to this could be survey kiosks or ballet boxes. These would allow no log on requirements or have any tracks on keystrokes. It is detrimental that informed consent and confidentiality be withheld and not compromised. According to â€Å"The Role Of Numeracy In Informed Consent For Surveys† ((2009)), â€Å"Two key ethical issues for survey researchers are obtaining informed consent and maintaining the confidentiality of responses. Informed consent implies that two requirements have been met: (1) that research participants have been informed about the essential elements of the research, including the risks and benefits of participation, and have understood the information; and (2) that they have given their consent to participate†. If compromised the survey answers could potentially cause issues with employment or job environments. This type of outcome could cause the survey to become unreliable and null and void. References: Analyse This!!! Learning to analyse qualitative data. ((2008)). Retrieved from http://archive.learnhigher.ac.uk/analysethis/main/qualitative1.html Hagan, F. E. ((2010)). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology (8th ed.).Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. The Role of Numeracy in Informed Consent for Surveys. ((2009)). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2857726/

Spansion apart

Spansion (China) Ltd. offers workers at its plant in China's Suzhou Industrial Park many of the same employee benefits as scores of other nearby factories. What sets Spansion apart from the pack is the management style of its 47-year-old Singaporean chief executive officer, Loh Poh Chye. Most factories in the park, which is east of the city of Suzhou in the province of Jiangsu, offer medical plans, in-house training programs and promise to treat employees like family, says Mr. Loh. â€Å"But to me the difference is how you do it and how you engage the employees.I believe you have to show them it's not just slogans — you have to walk the walk. † That philosophy propelled Spansion to No. 1 this year in the Best Employers in Asia survey by human-resources consultancy Hewitt Associates. Spansion makes flash-memory products used in consumer electronics such as high-definition television sets and MP3 players. Headquartered in California, it employs 1,300 people in China and i s a joint venture between Advanced Micro Devices Inc. of the U. S. and Japan's Fujitsu Ltd. It is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. One of the first things Mr.Loh did at Spansion was to put in place a management team that thinks like he does. He also runs a mentoring program that pairs managers with someone two or three tiers below. And he gives each division a budget to fund an activity outside work such as a group dinner or a community-service oriented activity. Twice a month, Mr. Loh joins a dozen or so factory workers in the company's cafeteria to talk about staff issues ranging from pay scales to career goals to the quality of the canteen's food. So far, his strategy is working. Staff turnover in Suzhou Industrial Park averaged 30% last year, Mr.Loh says, but Spansion's rate was half that, even though its pay scales lag some other companies in the park. Hewitt Associates conducts its survey every two years. It started the surveys in Asia in 2001 and this year's involved 772 co mpanies and 160,000 employees in seven markets. Besides China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, Hewitt added for the first time Australia and New Zealand, which are treated as a single market, and Japan and India. In addition to quizzing CEOs and their human-resources departments, Hewitt does random polls of employees.The data is then evaluated by independent judging panels appointed by Hewitt, and winners selected. â€Å"It comes down to getting the basic things right, but most companies seem to let a lot of stuff get in the way of that,† says Andrew Bell, head of Hewitt Associates' regional talent and organizational consulting practice. â€Å"Everyone these days will say ‘our people are really important' but when you get inside these winning organizations, there's a deep philosophical belief about that — and it starts with the CEO, and cascades from there. â€Å"Joining Spansion at the top of Hewitt's survey are Three on the Bund, a company that runs fou r restaurants, a spa, an art gallery and high-end retail outlets in an historic building in Shanghai, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Hong Kong. Hotels usually rate highly in the best employers survey and this year five of the top 10 are hotel companies. According to Hewitt's research, hotels often top the survey because they have to be the best kind of employer. Every employee — from housekeeping staff to bellhops — has contact with the customers, and one bad experience with a maid can ruin a hotel stay.Hotel managers must engage and motivate each employee, not just top-tier managers. So, top-tier hotels are run on the premise that employee satisfaction leads to guest satisfaction. Hotels also offer great mobility: They tend to hire from within and value customer-service experience, which is gained in every hotel job, as much as formal education. A bellhop, for instance, can work across and up to become a food and beverage manager. Indeed, Hewitt's latest survey shows t hat workers from all industries rate recognition and career prospects far above pay. The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong, like other hotels in the U.S. chain, has an effective communication program, Hewitt says. Managers meet with employees in their team at morning meetings to brief them on what's going on with the hotel that day. At these daily meetings, Ritz-Carlton managers acknowledge staff who've done something to stand out. They also read out the company's employee pledge: â€Å"Our ladies and gentlemen are the most important resource. † The company backs that up with human-resource programs to help employees identify areas of strength and set career goals, and provides training to help them achieve those things.â€Å"As part of our culture and philosophy, we constantly encourage internal growth as we strongly believe in talent retention and development,† says Mark Lettenbichler, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. â€Å"With succession planning, we nurture and maximize talent, creating long-term careers†¦ and eventually building employee loyalty and commitment. † The Ritz-Carlton's human-resources policies also offer a lesson for companies in other industries. In an environment where everyone counts and anyone can climb the career ladder, employees are likely to be more committed and work harder, says Hewitt's Mr.Bell. That translates into profit. Hewitt's survey shows that companies that engage their employees have stronger earnings. The top 20 companies in this year's survey have had 75% higher revenue growth than the rest over the past three years; their productivity was 67% higher, and their profit growth 38% higher than other survey respondents. For Mr. Loh, a factory full of committed workers is well worth the extra effort he and his managers put in. It's not always about doing what employees want, he says; often it's simply communicating clearly why the company is doing what it's doing.Newly hired employees sometime s gripe about Spansion's pay. But Mr. Loh says good communication is key to keeping employees happy. â€Å"We have to be honest and tell them we are not the highest paymaster because we can't afford to be. We don't blindly pay the top market rate — but we do pay for performance,† says Mr. Loh. â€Å"So those who stand out get higher pay, and those who are below average get lower pay. † And when an employee complains that a colleague has been promoted above him or her, Mr. Loh challenges the employee to pursue a promotion, rather than sit back and wait to be singled out by a manager.â€Å"We are always willing to offer training to someone who's motivated, or move someone to a new department, laterally, to work across and up in a new area, † he says. â€Å"Sometimes when I say this, they start to get uncomfortable — they don't want to move out of their comfort zone. I tell them not to put all their career movements in the hands of the company â€⠀ (you) have to take ownership, discuss it with your supervisor, show your capacity and get out of your comfort zone. † Feedback is another big part of Mr. Loh's management strategy.Employees in Hewitt's survey say they like to be able to make suggestions, but don't like it when feedback forms are met with silence. Members of Mr. Loh's management team encourage staff to make suggestions on the company intranet, and respond to each individual suggestion, regardless of whether it is implemented. â€Å"The affinity level between myself and my department managers is very high. We're all very close — not just a friendship kind of close, but more than that; we spend a lot of time talking, and they can read my mind and I can read theirs,† Mr. Loh says.His managers have taken a page from his book; two years after Mr. Loh came to Spansion, department managers starting holding cafeteria chats of their own once a month. Mr. Loh, who joined Advanced Micro Devices in Singapo re 1984, started reading ancient Chinese texts for management tips in a bid to better connect with his employees when he was posted to China in 2001. â€Å"There's a saying in Chinese: attack the heart instead of the castle. Management is about winning and managing the heart of a person — then that person will start to believe in the vision you have.† Of course, â€Å"that's got to be accompanied by proper compensation and benefits,† he adds. â€Å"Most of the traditional Chinese literature talks about management style that focuses on managing the hearts and emotional qualities of a person, instead of the hard stuff,† says Mr. Loh. â€Å"I feel that it is in the blood of the old Chinese people — they value culture, they value a people-oriented style of management, and I think that carries over to this new generation. â€Å"

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban Research Paper

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban environment - Research Paper Example The present study is focused on the methods of soil stabilization, the modern day techniques and materials that are available, and the need and understanding of the methods such that soil stabilization in the urban dense areas can be successfully achieved improving the conditions of the soil, increasing their strength and making them more capable of bearing loads. Introduction: Stabilization of soil refers to the process of soil treatment through the use of chemicals or mechanically. This is primarily done to improve the engineering properties of the soil. The chemical materials that are in common used for the purpose include lime, fly ash, and cement. Mechanical substances include geotextiles and geogrids. The use of cement treated bases generally assists in upgradation of the quality of the soil. There are several reasons for the need of soil stabilization. These essentially include the strengthening of the soil since stabilization of soil increases the strength of the soil that is already in existence thereby improving its capacity to bear loads. Also, soil stabilization enables control of dust and allows waterproofing of the soil. With control in dust, the dust that is generated as a result of use of different tools and instruments may be eradicated. Waterproofing enables preservation of the natural strength of soil by preventing the entry of water travelling from the surface (Ana, 2011). Mechanical or additive methods are the two most significant methods that can be used for soil stabilization. The blending of the materials used is highly essential in this regard since it determines the effectiveness of the stabilization. A stationary or travelling plant is usually considered to be preferable for the mixing whereas other methods like scarifies, plows, disks, graders, and rotary mixers are also used. The amount of stabilization required as well as the environment and prevailing conditions of the site determine the method that may be used for stabilization. Mechanical stabilization mixes soils of two different gradations that result in the desired soil specificity. In the additive method, the use of an additive which when added into particular amounts leads to improvement of the soil. Apart from mechanical and additive measures, soil stabilization might also be achieved through cementing or by modification. The cementing process makes use of chemicals for hardening the soils. In the process of modification, the compacting, mechanical blending, addition of cementing materials in small amounts, or addition of chemical modifiers are done to achieve the stabilization of the soil (Ana, 2011). With understanding the needs of stabilization of soils, and the different methods available for the process of soil stabilization, the present study focuses on the modern methods of soil stabilization that may be applied in the dense urban environments. Literature Review: Day et al (2010, pp.193-195) in their studies reflected on the association of the root and soil in the urban environment which they considered to be critical not only for the lives of trees but also for the functions of the ecosystem in the urban areas as well. The importance of trees and hence the significance of soil stabilization has been considered in these studies. Hence conditions in a particular urban environment that includes the compactness of the soil, and other factors associated with underground infrastructure, contamination, etc are essential for the development of the

Service quality and cusomer satisfaction in academic libraries Essay

Service quality and cusomer satisfaction in academic libraries - Essay Example For this reason, there is an urgent need to identify and understand the factors that play a key role in bringing about improvement in a library’s quality of service and consumer satisfaction. Going through the process of development an academic library’s management should then start to â€Å"measure the gap between customers' expectation for excellence and their perception of actual service delivered by the library†. (Nitecki, 1997, p.1) this would be done by employing surveys that are structured using what is known as the â€Å"5 ServQUAL dimensions† (Nitecki, 1997, p.1), which are, â€Å"Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy†. (Nitecki, 1997, p.1), respectively these dimensions focus on, physical materials as well as the facilities of the library, the manner of delivering on commitments, the willingness to assist customers, the manner on how library employees make a guarantee of service that gets the by-in of the customers, an d finally how the library handles every customer concern with care. These dimensions would help in the creation of a structured survey. Another method of measurement that can be utilized to measure the expectation of a library’s clientele would be the LibQUAL method, this method however, directly attacks key areas of a library users â€Å"minimum, perceived, and desired levels of service quality† (Lock, Town, 2003, p.3) these key areas are, â€Å"Access to Information, Affect of Service, Library as Place, Personal Control†. (Lock, Town, 2003, p.3). Respectively these key areas focus on the â€Å"Human Dimension of Service Quality, Required information delivered in the format, location, and time of choice, How users want to interact with the modern library, As well as how adequate the facilities are within the library itself† (Cook, 2003, p.18-21). After Determining the expectations of the library’s customer a â€Å"service plan† (Hernon and Whitman, 2001, p.74) can now be formulated. Such a plan is geared towards the continuous fulfillment of the identified needs of their clientele as well as the further improvement of their operational procedures. There are several steps into the creation of a service plan these are: â€Å"establishing goals and objectives, taking control, setting expectations, defining the relationship, empower employees, asking for feedback, respond to customers† (Hernon and Whitman, 2001, p.91). After having identified the needs of their clientele as well as the points for improvement with respect to operational procedures, Goals can now be formed. In this formation process an organization has to make sure that the goals it sets are measurable. Thus it is worth noting that in the process of forming these goals one would be able to point out the feasible and the non feasible goals. Take for example goals set by an environmental protection agency, â€Å"instead of insisting on the costly atta inment of zero pollution instead it had formulated compliance regulations based on acceptable thresholds of tolerance such as pollutant levels not exceeding so many parts per billion† (Hernon and Whitman, 2001, p.75). While it is possible that the maximum potential for attaining consumer satisfaction may not be achieved due to the possibility that some of the needs of library goers might be deemed as a basis for a non feasible and measurable goals, for example â€Å"

Paul Gauguin, the Father of Modern Primitivism Essay

Paul Gauguin, the Father of Modern Primitivism - Essay Example The essay "Paul Gauguin, the Father of Modern Primitivism" discovers the Father of Primitivism, Paul Gauguin. We have become societies that live within the symbols we’ve created rather than beings who live as we were meant to, through all of our senses, which, David Howes argues, is the only way in which we will be able to once again feel fulfilled. â€Å"If we do no ‘come to our senses’ soon, we will have permanently forfeited the chance of constructing any meaningful alternatives to the pseudo-existence which passes for life in our current 'Civilization of the Image.'" Further, we have had several individuals willing to show us the way whom we have instead labeled as primitive because they did not relate to the world at the same superficial level that we did. By taking a look at both high fine art such as that produced by Paul Gauguin and the ‘primitive’ cultural products of the Inuit tribes, we can see that what we have traditionally defined as pr imitive is not necessarily an accurate term, or perhaps is a term that needs redefinition. In terms of discussing an artist such as Paul Gauguin, Oliver Sacks has helped us define the deviations of vision as the product of a savant mind, a mind that works in sharp contrast to the standard variety brain. According to the current research, the savant mind is able to more accurately and quickly process information than the average mind, by utilizing a full complement of information coming in from all of the senses, even questioning whether there might not be more.

Provide a concise account of the fundamental legal, ethical and Essay

Provide a concise account of the fundamental legal, ethical and professional practice aspects of nursing drug administration - Essay Example The safe and efficient administration of medication is one of the key responsibilities of the professional nurse. The practice of drug administration involves providing the patient with a substance prescribed and intended for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a medical illness or condition (Hopkins, 1999). Although, effective drug administration involves the actual and complete conveyance of a prescribed medication to the patient, however, there is wider set of practices required to achieve safe, effective patient outcomes and to prepare for and evaluate the outcome of medication administration (Potter and Anne, 1997; Taylor et al, 1997). Because nurses administer prescribed drugs directly to patients, they happen to be the last link in the safe and effective drug prescription and administration sequence. Increased acuity of the patient nurses have to serve and the apparent reduction in the volume of resources available to nurses to ensure safe and effective practice, have greatly complicated the role of the nurse in drug administration (Cook, 2002). The purpose of this paper is therefore, to examine the legal, ethical and professional requirements of safe nursing drug administration. According to the NMC Guidelines for the Administration of Medicines, administration of medicines is a vital part of the professional duty of the nurse. It is not, however, a function that can be carried out ‘mechanically’ or following orders, but should be seen as a task that must be carried out in strict compliance with the written prescription of a medical practitioner. More importantly, it is task that requires thought and the exercise of professional judgement (NMC, 2002:3). Drug administration play a crucial role in achieving positive patient outcomes and despite the complexities involved with safely administering medications to patients, the professional nurse is duty-bound to do everything within her professional capacity to ensure this. The NMC code of

The American Abolitionist Movement and contacts with the Caribbean Annotated Bibliography

The American Abolitionist Movement and contacts with the Caribbean - Annotated Bibliography Example The female slaves are used as sex slaves by their masters and sons (and in instances where pregnancy arose, for example, the slave would be murdered, exiled or coerced into potentially lethal abortions) while black males in some households were castrated. Children born to slaves would automatically become the masters’ slaves. However, as these and other cruelties unfold, the times also witness a steady proliferation of strong Christians such as the Quakers with strong values of morality and equality for all men. At the same time, there is increasing self-awareness and acceptance amongst slaves that causes them to be desirous of fleeing from their masters’ chains. Education also plays an important role in transforming people’s values and thinking (Menard, 602). These Christian and human rights groups begin to speak out against slavery as a global onslaught on this injustice escalates to apocalyptic measures. Religion (Christianity) and morality was the stimulating factor (motivation) in the fight and abolition of slavery in the United States. The abolitionist movement in the United States is the founding step for the country in its journey towards what it embodies now – the land of the free where all men (citizens) are equal regardless of race, color, religion or national origin and c an all dream in the same measure (like Martin Luther’s dream of a black president, for instance). Abolitionism is the doctrine that slavery must be ended. Spain was among the first nations to abolish slavery in 1541 and the Somerset case in England that led to the emancipation of a slave initiated the movement to see that slavery in England was abolished. In 1789, France abolished slavery but slavery was later restored by Napoleon. Slavery in the United States began in Virginia’s Jamestown in North America. The first ship from America (called Desire) set out from Massachusetts in what started the slave trade from Africa to Britain’s American colonies. The

Economic Region - The Lower Mainland Region of British Columbia Assignment

Economic Region - The Lower Mainland Region of British Columbia - Assignment Example The Lower Mainland locale is profoundly incorporated, administration situated livelihood is more moved in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Monetary action in the Lower Mainland area is required to hold enduring through 2013 on moderate work picks up and unassuming development in lodging movement. The trends in the growth of employment in the Lower Mainland have been stronger than different regions in the area, and ideal with respect to other significant markets in Canada. The Province of British Columbia offers a stable political and monetary environment. The political pendulum in British Columbia never swings too far and it follows a course that means to adjust financial, social, and ecological investments. The economy of the province is anticipated to increase by 79 percent between 2011 and 2041, as GDP goes from $170.8 billion to $305.6 billion, contrasted with 102 percent development in the course of recent decades, complete employment in the Lower Mainland region is anticipated to increase by 57 percent over the advancing three decades including more than 816,000 net new employment. This total development would be the result yearly job expansions averaging, contrasted with a normal of 2.4 percent every year in the course of recent decades, 2.0 percent growth over the advancing three decades. Livelihood is required to increase more gradually in the impending years than it has generally, an obstruction to attaining growth in employment in future will be the capacity of the provincial work power to keep pace with the expanding interest for labourers. The workforce is expected to grow by 1.4 percent every year while along with a 1.5 percent employment increase every year, hence, a declining unemployment rate. Given the standpoint for the supply of, and interest for, employees, the Lower Mainland’s unemployment rate would fall back towards four percent through the following decade, with the area having last encountered this level of unemployment in 2007-2008.  Ã‚  

Do Counsellors Perceive There Counselling Training Equips Them to Deal Essay

Do Counsellors Perceive There Counselling Training Equips Them to Deal with Violent and Aggressive Clients - Essay Example During this time, I was thinking of a physical and emotional exit for myself and that surely wrought negative effects on my performance and efficiency as a counsellor. This particular incident made me feel very susceptible at this point and realized my lack of defences. It also needs to be realized that counsellors are not equipped, in most situations, to effectively handle these kinds of clients and unpleasant situations that could arise when dealing them. I am very fortunate and lucky in this regard to be blessed with the proper kind of training that effectively deal with hostile situations and clients, I was interested in finding out how other counsellors, most of whom are unequipped, deal with such situations and their problems and expectations. Another reason for working on this topic is the lack of previous research and literature on this particular that further translates into problems for counsellors. The objective of drawing up this report was to gather the observations and impressions of other counsellors about the physical harassment they face at the hands of violent clients and how do they feel and manage or handle such hostile situations. ... and off-the-job training by their organizations to deal with this kind of condition and was such training provided to them when they were training to become qualified counsellors and therapists. Also, if such a situation arises, does it affect their performance as an effective counsellor What kind of effects such clients have on their ability to successfully counsel and console them Does such a situation restrict them [the counsellors] from efficiently challenging a client if the situation demands them to do so I also had to collect their views regarding the fact that do they think proper training during the course of their studies and later, during their professional lives would have helped them to control such hostile clients and circumstances with positive effects. Brief Review of Relevant Literature (Key References or Proposed Searches) As there has been little research conducted on this particular topic in the past, there is a serious and disappointing lack of literature available on this exact topic. However, there are a few books, journal articles, magazine articles and other types of research material accessible on this topic. These include: 1. McMahon, G. (1994) Setting up your own private practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Cambridge: National Extension College Ltd 2. HUDSON-ALLEZ, G. The prevalence of stalking of psychological therapists (2002) working in primary care by current or former clients. 3. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. Health & safety Health and Safety. Executive (2004) 4.McLEAN, S. & the contribution of therapist beliefs to Psychological WADE, T. (2003) Distress in Therapist. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 5. SUTTON, J & STEWART, W. (2000) Learning to Counsel Oxford: How To Books 6.WHEELER, S. (1996) Training

Case 2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 - Case Study Example The firm had a profound financial standing while it enjoys a drastic market across the world. It is worth noting that G.E has a comprehensive system of operation that reduces wastage while promoting optimal utilization of organizational resources. The firm also benefits from a thorough company culture that attracts wide and detailed talents from all occupations. The firm enjoys an extensive facility development commitment in the end. The political environment presents an ideal stability for GE to conduct business. The challenges in the worlds environmental status present opportunities for the firm to achieve much. The technological environment allows the firm to generate innovative solutions benefiting its society and customers (Reed & Neubert, 2011). However, the legal environment poses much risk for the firm in terms of legal fees and litigation processes due to the Ecomagination policy. It is for this reason that GE has a vision and commitment of harnessing its global capabilities, market knowledge, and technology leadership while taking on the worlds tough struggles and accelerating company growth. The turbine expertise acts as the strength of the company and enhances quick moves towards renewable energy. However, one of the weaknesses of the company is the poor outlay of the communication channels set. The environmental sustainability campaign by government succeeds in presenting GE with an opportunity to engage in environmentally and socially responsible actions.In addition, the company meets the consumer’s future and current needs (Reed & Neubert, 2011). However, a threat coming with these efforts is that the public may mislead the intentions of the company leading to decline in the company’s reputation. The firm, has launched healthymagination and ecomagination as branding initiatives that highlight the commitment of the company towards social responsibility and

Curriculum Alignment Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Alignment Essay Curriculum development process are steps and processes where by educational contents are designed, learning activities are specified and evaluation methods are devised in schools. Pugach, M. C. (1996). These are broken down into various subjects that are taught in schools in different classes (grades). In line with this; students’ needs in learning are catered for and should be kept with international standards. The curriculum should be able to promote the learning development and assess the students’ performances. We all are aware that there is no particular effective teaching method but the following instructional methods for a teacher should be used. The teacher’s presentation skills, should explain to the students what is expected of them. In teaching, the teacher should not show distracting manners. The teacher should take instructional levels are into account. In creating a lesson plan for a class the teacher should provide an overview of the lesson, link the lesson to the past session and outline the main points of the lesson this can form an introduction of the lesson. The body of the lesson should be broken into various activities and the lesson should have a conclusion which should state the main points of the lesson and create a link to the next lesson. For example a lesson in problem solving can be taught in grade 3. The lesson outline will ask the student; to name and explain problems that occur in the classroom, in the school or in the family, explain how one makes a choice and accept responsibility and enumerate factors that one considers before making a decision. Also in development a curriculum, the teacher needs to consider the development level of students. Development relates to behavior, which means; the conduct of a student and how he/she relates to others in the social circles. In considering developmental level such as those of children in Kindergarten the curriculum will have to address and include social and emotional lessons in accordance with the child’s developmental level. Therefore, in designing the curriculum questions will be asked in relation on how the child relates internally and externally. There are many ways was that a kindergarten child can be taught pertaining development. For example, a Kindergarten class can have a lesson on drawing of pictures or the teacher can ask them to articulate themselves using dolls/ and puppets. This lesson will teach them creativity. In development of curriculum, special attention has to be taken in regard to special needs of students. Students with disabilities such as those with impaired eyesight need special attention. As opposed to traditional methods where segregating and arranging students based on their abilities was used, today, new ways have come up. In tackling the problem of visual impairments, according to Armstrong (1994), the teacher will be required to develop multi-level and have different instructional ways of teaching such students. For example to teach the visual impaired students, the teacher will have to design charts with specific colors, objects, and shapes to test the perception of the student. The teacher should also test the ability of the student to differentiate 26 alphabetical by teaching the visual impaired skills to identify visual elements of letters. This will be able to benefit the visual impaired. We find that schools are normally structured according to grade levels, and teachers teach using same materials without regard of students’ differences in terms of their levels of understanding and functioning. Cole, R. (1995). Thus, instead of developing a curriculum that is narrow and don’t address this issue, a curriculum which is all inclusive putting in mind students’ differences in terms of learning abilities should be developed. So, an effective curriculum should address these issues; it should ensure a teacher plans lessons for several levels, which test students’ ability at the each level. For 5th grade that have both accomplished and emerging readers, the curriculum should address the reading aspect in regard to various abilities in reading. When preparing a reading lesson in a class with various students a teacher should pay special attention on extensive experiences of the students. The teacher also should select various levels of difficulty in the selected reading lesson to cater for the different students’ ability. The lesson should provide slots for students to read a loud and the teacher should also read to students. The instructions methods of the teacher should also explain vocabularies used in the text and any other techniques used. For example, to assist the students understand what they have read the teacher can encourage them to have a group discussion. Another example of a lesson that can be taught in 5th grade, the teacher can teach use of prefixes e. g. , â€Å"Re† as used in â€Å"reproduce, review rename. † The lesson will can also include language competence in general, student’s ability to differentiate between which words are verbs and which are not, and how to segment and mix language sounds. I n addition informal lessons will be included. This will involve, reading aloud in class to allow the teacher to know mistakes in decoding, and be able to establish the student’s level of fluency and accuracy in reading. The main aim of any curriculum development is to ensure that, the student is able to achieve academic excellence Daniels, H (1998). This will enable the teacher to asses the student’s performance in major areas which are mathematics, reading abilities, and writing skills. Though, standardized tests may not reflect a true picture of the standards it gives a general picture of student performance. In assessing students’ ability in mathematics, which is a study of figures and how they relate and other computations, student’s capacity in arithmetic, and application have to be tested. So the curriculum should be able to asses the learner’s ability analyzing student’s class work, and teach the student on how to sum numbers and subtract them, and how a student can be able to tell an error in summation or subtraction. Further more, the students can be given tasks to perform and shown steps to follow in problem solving. Conclusion Curriculum development and design is very important as what the students is taught at school greatly affects him/her in his future career development. Therefore it must be careful planned and must have a holistic approach in order to address the various disparities of students in terms of physical, emotional and mental abilities. A curriculum needs to reflect the objectives of education and have proper assessments methods to evaluate the students understanding and development as he/she moves from one grade to another. References Armstrong, T. (1994): Multiple intelligences in the classroom. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Cole, R. (Ed. ). (1995): Educating everybody’s children: Diverse teaching strategies for diverse learners. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Daniels, H. and Bizar, M. (1998): Methods that matter: Six structures for best practice classrooms. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Orkwis, R. and McLane, K. (1998): A curriculum every student can use: Design principles for student access. Reston, Virginia: Council for Exceptional Children. Pugach, M. C. and Warger, C. L. (Eds. ) (1996): Curriculum trends, special education, and reform: Refocusing the conversation. New York: Teachers College Press. Tomlinson, C. (1999): The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Social Housing Policy

Social Housing Policy In their article ‘Welfare Safety Net or Tenure of Choice? The Dilemma Facing Social Housing Policy In England, Fitzpatrick and Pawson (2007) explain and reflect upon the changing environment of social housing in England. This essay will provide a summary of the article before analysing the position of social housing in Scotland compared to that described in England. Key similarities and differences between the two countries with regard to social housing will be provided with evidence from the current literature. Finally, the conclusion will attempt to assess if the positions of social housing are really that different in Scotland and England. The key questions asked by Fitzpatrick and Pawson (2007) are: who and what is social housing for? Through an analysis of the past 30 years and a description of the current social housing policy in England, the article explores the question of access. The underlying paradox of future policy and therefore access to social housing in England is explained as the â€Å"continuing commitment to the ‘safety net role† emphasised in the 2000 Housing Green Paper and the â€Å"explicit ambition† to provide a more mixed ‘tenure of choice thus widening the possible market. Fitzpatrick and Pawson refer to the work of Stephens et al to define the key element of social housing as a question of access â€Å"determined on the basis of ‘administrative criteria rather than just ‘pricing rationing. They then go on to describe the changing environment of social housing in England, housing associations increasing share of stock, the falling number of rented properties in general and the change of age structure within the sector as important factors. The history of the ‘needs-based allocation systems using the development of objective point scoring prioritisation is explained as the progressive orthodoxy of the 20th Century which still remains prevalent in todays legislation and guidance. A concise case against needs-based allocation is then provided with the key points including residualisation and the coercive nature of such a system leading to points chasing behavior. This background provides an excellent backdrop for the changes that occurred in the late 1990s when â€Å"the standard ‘take it or leave it social housing allocations model became increasingly difficult to defend in light of rising aspirations and expectations of consumer choice† (Mullins Pawson, 2005, p138). Choice-Based Letting (CBL) Schemes are provided as current government response to develop and open up the sector by placing more emphasis on the customers choice, and as a means of encouragement for otherwise unsuitable or unwilling participants in social housing. Initial findings show that vulnerable groups are not being excluded by the new system although there are certainly questions around the suitability and impact of a more choice led approachs effects on the poorest. In considering the position of Social Housing in Scotland, the social housing sector in Britain has historically been centralised and therefore genuine variation in policy and practice has been limited. However, devolution and the enactment of legislation to set up the Scottish Parliament have led to the opportunity for divergence within both (Walker et al, 2003, p177). Let us now consider some of the similarities and differences within the Scottish and English social housing sector as described by Fitzpatrick and Pawson. It is important to mention here that it is impossible to detail all of the similarities and differences and therefore only the most clear and important have been chosen for this discussion. There has been a global move towards private housing provision in government policy and therefore it is unsurprising that there are clear similarities between the English context described by Fitzpatrick and Pawson and the Scottish context. An important similarity is that housing has risen on the agenda and has been revived in both England and Scotland (Stirling Smith, 2003), this may be due to its importance in addressing and meeting new evolving community needs in todays societies when so much emphasis is placed on home ownership and stability. Another similarity is that both Scotland and England are facing a crossroads (CIH, 2006) as the purposes of their social housing sector differ from those in the 20th Century. The CIH, (2007) describes this crossroads as a choice to either continue providing for the housing needs of the most vulnerable or diversify to meet some of the wider needs of the community with a range of tenure options. This is exactly the same situation described by Fitzpatrick and Pawson which resulted in the CBL schemes in England. Finally, and key to the need for an evaluation of housing policy, is the changing demographic whom it is serving. Fitzpatrick and Pawson state that in England more than a quarter of all council tenants in 2003/2004 were at least 70 years old whilst in Scotland, single pensioners are the most common type of household found in the sector (CIH, 2006). According to statistics, this will change in future years, as the next generation is largely a home owning population who will not need the support of social housing. Both sectors are facing an increase of younger people as the new entrants into social housing and with that come new needs and mobility patterns. Fitzpatrick and Pawson state that commonly older renters â€Å"will have lived in the sector their whole lives, their low propensity for mobility stabilizing their local neighborhoods and tenure as a whole†. This will change in both England and Scotland and the possibility of a more transient need in social housing as discussed by Fitzpatrick and Pawson (2007) will be applicable. This development has been criticised as a reinforcement of the view of social housing as solely for the poorest and most vulnerable groups and as a ‘last resort for housing (Glynn, 2007). Adding to this hollowing out of those participating in the sector in both England and Scotland, is th e Right to Buy policy which encourages and supports households who wish to purchase their homes through regulated schemes. The Right to Buy means that the economically able are moving away from social renting, resulting in the poorest and most vulnerable making up larger percentages of the social housing sector (Satsangi and Dunmore 2003, p202 and CIH, 2007, p7). With regard to differences in Scotlands social housing sector, Midwinter et al (1991) state that â€Å"there has been acceptance in Whitehall that Scotlands housing needs are both qualitatively and quantitatively different from Englands† (p92). This is perhaps more evident since the devolution of parliament and in the difference in policies that are now emerging. Only one difference has been selected for this discussion due to its significance. Although the tenant basis of both England and Scotland are changing in similar ways, the starkest difference lies in the allocation process in the social housing sector. In England, as already mentioned, the CBL scheme is being piloted and successes are being reported (Fitzpatrick and Pawson, 2007). However, Scotland is being much more cautious in its approach and is keeping to its rights based traditions (Stirling and Smith 2003, p156). The Homelessness Task Force explain we are concerned that (CBL schemes) do not operate in ways which deny homeless people the opportunity of participating, or in ways which restrict the stock of housing available for homeless people (CHI, 2002). One of the main purposes of CBL schemes is to introduce choice. The Scottish Government is enhancing applicant choice through Common Housing Registers (CHR) that will ensure people have fair and open access to housing lists and assessment processes whilst working with landlords to encourage choice, response to need and the use of stock in lettings (Stirling and Smith 2003, p151). At the same time, the Homelessness Act 2002 removes the duty of authorities in England to have a register at all (Stirling and Smith 2003, p156). Fitzpatrick and Pawson conclude that in England â€Å"whatever the governments ambitions, in high demand areas at least, social renting will remain a ‘safety net tenure catering mainly to those in greatest need.† The social housing allocation policy may differ between England and Scotland but the outcomes here are the same; in essence, the safety net is still available for those who need it most. They further conclude that social renting performs different functions in different areas of England, with the delivery of choice being more successful in the North and Midlands and that this is the â€Å"congenial outcome of these policy endeavors† (Fitzpatrick and Pawson, 2007). Scotland is also being encouraged to diversify its social housing policy in order to widen the target population and bring regeneration to areas suffering from residualisation (Glynn, 2007) and that this will be more appropriate in some areas than in others. Therefore, in conclusion, this essay has attempted to summarise the Fitzpatrick and Pawson (2007) article regarding social housing policy in England, with some key similarities and differences given with regard to Scotland. Although there are significant differences in the social housing sector in England and Scotland, there are also significant similarities; most prominently and importantly is the desire to provide housing to the most vulnerable members of society. References Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) (2002) ‘Strategic Approaches to Homelessness: A Good Practice Briefing. (Coventry, CIH). Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) (2006) ‘The future for Social Renting in Scotland. (Coventry, CIH). Fitzpatrick, S. Pawson, H. (2007) ‘Welfare Safety Net or Tenure of Choice? The Dilemma Facing Social Housing Policy in England. Housing Studies, 22, (2) pp.163-182). Glynn, S. (2007) ‘Safe as Houses. Scottish Left Review, Issue 42. http://www.scottishleftreview.org/php/upload/slr-140-I42SG.htm Midwinter, A., Keating, M. Mitchell, J. (1991) Politics and Public Policy in Scotland (Basingstoke, Macmillan). Mullens, D. Pawson, H. (2005) ‘The Land That Time Forgot: reforming access to social housing in England. Policy Politics, 33, pp135-148). Satsangi, M. Dunmore, K. (2003) ‘The planning System and the Provision of Affordable Housing in Rural Britain: A Comparison of the Scottish and English Experience. Housing Studies, 18 (2), pp.201-217). Stephens, M., Burns, N. Mackay, L. (2002) ‘Social Market or Safety Net? British Social Rented Housing in a European Context (Bristol: The Policy Press). Stirling, T. Smith, R. (2003) ‘A Matter of Choice? Policy Divergence in Access to Social Housing Post-devolution. Housing Studies, 18 (2), pp.145-158). Walker, R., Mullins, D. Pawson, H. (2003) ‘Devolution and Housing Association in Great Britain; Enhancing Organizational Accountability Housing. Housing Studies, 18 (2), pp.177-199). Bibliography Chartered Institute of Housing (CHI) (2007) ‘The Future of the Social Housing Sector in Scotland in Delivering Successful, Mixed Communities: CIH in Scotland Position Paper. (Coventry, CIH). Jellinek, D. (2006) ‘Social Housing In Scotland: Tenant Participation and Community Cohesion. (Authority Forum Report, CIVICA).

Cytomegalovirus History, Biology and Treatment

Cytomegalovirus History, Biology and Treatment Historical Aspect Human CMV (HCMV) is a very common human DNA virus. Since the beginning of human life; it has co-evolved with its host (McGeoch et al., 1995). Although being a part of humankind, not everybody is infected (Alford et al., 1990). It was first isolated in 1956 by Smith where two strains were isolated from the salivary gland and kidney of two dying infants. Cytomegalic inclusion bodies had been found in both tissues. In 1957, Weller and colleagues isolated three strains of CMV from adenoid tissues of three asymptomatic children after surgical removal. Also in 1970, they isolated three other strains from liver biopsy and urine of three congenitally infected infants with CMV (Ho, 2008). In 1881, Ribbert was the first who observed the characteristic cells in the kidney of a stillborn infant but without interpretation of these observations and that was the first description of histologic features of infection (Naraqi, 1991). The first histopathological evidenve of CMV infection was identified in 1904 by Ribbert in tissues from a congenitally infected infant. Mistakenly the large inclusion-bearing cells observed at autopsy was assumed to be from protozoa. As a result, these cells were called protozoa like cells and many workers thought that they were protozoa. After that, the similiraties between these cells and those infected by Varicella-Zoster virus and Herpes simplex virus raised the suspicion of a viral cause. In 1920, Good pasture hypothesized the viral cause of such inclusions (Ho, 2008). The first name proposed for CMV was salivary gland virus or salivary gland inclusion disease virus. In 1921, Good pasture and Talbot used the word cytomegalia to describe the huge enlargement and alterations of infected cells. Such word was the origin of the term cytomegalovirus initially proposed by Weller and colleagues in 1960 (Weller and Hanshaw, 1962). The role of the virus as an important pathogen with different clinical manifestations was significantly identified during the 1970s and 1980s. The molecular biology, immunology, and antiviral therapeutic agents had been characterized. However, establishment of preventive strategies of CMV infection and determining the role of certain genes in viral pathogenesis still need more efforts (Sung and Schleiss, 2010). Classification Human CMV, designated as HHV5, is a member of the Herpesviridae family of viruses. It is one of the 8 human herpesviruses (HHV) (Schleiss, 2009). The Herpesviridae family is divided into three subfamilies designated ÃŽÂ ±, ÃŽÂ ², and ÃŽÂ ³. The classification into these subfamilies is based on the features of host range, duration of reproductive cycle, cytopathology and characteristics of latent infection. DNA sequence analysis, guanine and cytosine (G + C) content snd serologic reactivity of gene products are the main criteria for subdivision of each subfamily into genera (Hanley and Bollard, 2014). The ÃŽÂ ± subfamily includes herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV); the ÃŽÂ ² subfamily includes cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the roseolaviruses, human herpes viruses 6 and 7, which are responsible for the clinical syndrome of exanthem subitum (roseola infantum) in young children, and the ÃŽÂ ³ subfamily includes Epstein-Barr vir us and human herpes virus 8. All of these viruses share similarities in virion morphology and genome organization (Schleiss, 2009). Human herpesvirus classification is represented in table ( ) (Ryan and Ray, 2004). Table (1): Humah haerpesvirus (HHV) classificstion Type Synonym Subfamily Primary Target Cell Pathophysiology Site of Latency Means of Spread HHV-1 Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) ÃŽÂ ± (Alpha) Mucoepithelial Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly orofacial), as well as other herpes simplex infections Neuron Close contact (oral or sexually transmitted infection) HHV-2 Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) ÃŽÂ ± Mucoepithelial Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly genital), as well as other herpes simplex infections Neuron Close contact (sexually transmitted disease) HHV-3 Varicella zoster virus (VZV) ÃŽÂ ± Mucoepithelial Chickenpox and shingles Neuron Respiratory and close contact HHV-4 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), lymphocryptovirus ÃŽÂ ³ (Gamma) B cells and epithelial cells Infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt lymphoma, CNS lymphoma in AIDS patients, post-transplant lymphoproliferative syndrome (PTLD), nasopharyngeal carcinoma, HIV-associated hairy leucoplakia B cell Close contact, transfusions, tissue transplant, and congenital HHV-5 Cytomegalovirus (CMV) ÃŽÂ ²(Beta) Monocyte, lymphocyte, and epithelial cells Infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome, retinitis, etc. Monocyte, lymphocyte, and? Saliva, urine, breast milk, etc HHV-6A and 6B Roseolavirus, Herpes lymphotropic virus ÃŽÂ ² T cells and ? Sixth disease (roseola infantum or exanthema subitum) T cell and ? Respiratory and close contact HHV-7 Pityriasis Rosea ÃŽÂ ² T cells and ? ? (roseola infantum or exanthema subitum) T cell and ? ? HHV-8 Kaposis sarcoma -associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a type of rhadinovirus ÃŽÂ ³ Lymphocyte, and other cells Kaposisarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, some types of multicentric Castlemans disease B cell Close contact (sexual), saliva? Quoted from (Ryan and Ray , 2004). Biology of Cytomegalovirus Morphology: Cytomegalovirus is an enveloped virus with a double-stranded DNA genome. The three distinct regions of the CMV virus particle include: an icosahedral capsid; the tegument layer; and an outer lipid envelope. The morphology of CMV is demonstrated in the electron microscopy (EM) studies shown in Fig. (). The capsid, which comprises 162 capsomere subunits arranged in an icosahedral symmetry, houses the viral genome, and is classically highly electron-dense when imaged by EM (Schleiss, 2011). In the virus particle, the capsid is surrounded by the tegument, a protein-rich layer containing several of the dominant targets of the T-lymphocyte response to infection, including a 65-kilodalton (kDa) phosphoprotein (pp) referred to as pp65 (Kern etal., 2002). Surrounding the tegument is the envelope layer which contains several virally-encoded glycoproteins (g), including protein complexes designated as the gB complex, the gM/gN complex, and the gH/gL/gO complex. CMV-seropositive individuals mount an immune response characterized by neutralizing antibodies that target these glycoproteins (Bernstein, 2011). In addition to serving as targets of the humoral immune response, these glycoproteins also play a central role in the binding and entry of CMV into cells (Ryckman etal., 2006). Â   Â   As a result of the variability in the thickness of the tegument, the complete virion varies in size from 150 to 200 nm in diameter. The genome is about 64 nm in diameter with a molecular weight of 100 x 106 to 150 x 106. The capsid is 110 nm in diameter (Subhendu et al., 2007). During the process of viral replication, a variety of types of CMV particles are generated. In cell culture, CMV infection leads to the assembly and release of, in addition to infectious virions, non-infectious defective particles termed dense bodies (DB), so designated because of their characteristic highly electron-dense appearance when imaged by EM. Another type of body, designated as a noninfectious enveloped particle (NIEP), is also generated during viral replication as designated in Fig. () (Pepperl etal., 2000). The structure and protein composition of NIEPs are comparable to those of virions, but they lack DNA and are therefore not infectious (Schleiss, 2011). DBs are enveloped spherical structures that lack capsid proteins and DNA (Pepperl etal., 2000). They consist mainly of viral tegument proteins and glycoproteins. In cell culture, the biology of DBs mimics that of infectious virus, since DBs enter cells efficiently and deliver their protein components intracellularly (Me rsseman etal., 2008). In principle, DBs could induce a broad range of humoral and cellular immune responses (Schleiss, 2011). Cytomegalovirus particles exhibit additional levels of complexity. Using CMV gene array technology, a class of viral RNA transcripts, termed virion RNAs, has been identified in infectious virions (Bresnahan and Shenk, 2000). These RNAs, which are packaged during virion assembly, are delivered to the host cell immediately on infection, potentially allowing viral gene products to be expressed in an infected cell before any viral transcription or host immune response occurs. The role of virion

The Great War And The Shaping of the 20th Century Essay -- Essays Pape

The Great War And The Shaping of the 20th Century Another man is killed; Another family receives a telegram saying that a loved one was killed in battle; The family will never be the same again without the presence of this man. This is an effort to explain some of the impact that World War I had on millions of individuals. This sequence of events was conducted over and over millions of times during WWI. So why were there so many deaths?Who were the instigators of a war that caused so much suffering, not just in family life, but in society in general? What were some of the effects that war had on society? To answer these questions, it is necessary to look at history, prior to the war, and examine the actions of certain individuals and explain the effects that these actions had on European society. For example, the â€Å"Black Hand†, the Serbian nationalists who assassinated Austria’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Count Leopold von Berchtold all are specific individuals who greatly contributed to the beginning of the war.[i] The first instigator of WWI to be discussed is the "Black Hand." The Black Hand was a group of Serbian Nationalists that were convinced that Serbia was not receiving the attention that they deserved from the bigger country of Austria-Hungary, led by Austria’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand. The tension between Serbia and Austria-Hungary had greatened when Austria- Hungary took over the two provincesof Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, before Serbia could claim the land. Gavrilo Princip, a member of the "Black Hand," assassinated Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 when he went into Sarajevo to review the newly acclaimed territories. The price he paid for refusing to give "a bigger place in the su... ...otten during its reign.†[xiv] [i] Camille Bloch, The Causes Of The World War (New York: Howard Fertig Inc., 1968), p. 9. [ii] S.L.A. Marshall, The American Heritage of World War I (American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1964), p. 17. [iii] Marshall, p. 17. [iv] Marshall, p. 8, 9. [v] Bloch, p. 48. [vi] Bloch, p. 49. [vii] Bloch, p. 59. [viii]Marshall, p. 26. [ix] Marshall, p. 25. [x] Rene Albrecht-Carrie, The Meaning of the First World War (New Jersey: Prentice- Hall Inc., 1965), p. 57. [xi] Marshall, p. 28. [xii] Anver Offer, The First World War: An Agrarian Interpretation (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), p. 345. [xiii]Offer, p. 342. [xiv] Albrecht Mendelssohn Bartholdy, The War and German Society: A Testament of a Liberal (New York: Howard Fertig, 1971), p. 15.

Against Abortion Essay -- Pro Life

Abortion is fundamentally wrong. It is wrong because it goes against the basic rights guaranteed to every human being under the 5th 9th and 14th amendments in the United States Constitution. Along with it going against the Constitution, there are some medical and moral reasons as to why it is wrong, such as an increased risk of breast cancer, and that the fetus does in fact feel the pain from the abortion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Simply defined, abortion means any premature expulsion of a fetus, whether it is by natural causes or an artificially induced abortion. Abortion is certainly not a new concept. It has been present in society dating all the way back to Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and into the Middle Ages. It was not until the 19th century that abortion began to get all the attention that it gets today. It was in the 19th century that the strict abortion laws were starting to be passed. The 1973 Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States for pregnancy within the first six months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is not only considered immoral by many, it also violates the Constitution. The 14th amendment forbids states to abridge privileges and immunities of United States citizens, to deprive a person of life, liberty or property without due process of law, or to deny any person the equal protection of laws. Under the United States Constitution, we are forbidden from depriving the life of another individual; abortion is just that. It is depriving a human being the right to life. Nowhere under the 14th amendment does it clarify between the living and unborn. So a fetus should still be protected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion also violates the 9th amendment which declares that just because certain rights are not in the Constitution does not mean that they do not exist. Courts cannot assume that just because a right is not listed that a person cannot be protected by the government. This is important because the Constitution does not mention abortion, but based on this amendment the unborn child is still under protection and is guaranteed the rights which are provided by the Constitution. The â€Å"silence† of the Constitution on the issue of abortion does not mean that it doesn’t provide a right. When the Constitution was written, abortion was not nearly as much of an issue. Yes it was already going on, but the large numbers of abortions were not taking place as they are toda... ...From a medical standpoint it is wrong as well. The risk of breast cancer increases in the mother and the fact that the baby will feel the pain of the abortion makes it inhumane. It is especially wrong in advanced societies such as ours. There are other alternatives to abortion, and it should not be used as birth control. Statistics have shown that about 80% of abortions are performed for social reasons instead of health reasons. Abortion is murder. If murder is against the law then abortions should be as well. Works Cited Anand, Kanwaljeet. â€Å"Pain of the Unborn.† 15, January 2004. 23 October 2004  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ELSI â€Å"Chromosomes† 2004. 23 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Facts in Brief, â€Å"Induced Abortion.† 2000-2001. 23 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guttmacher, Alan Institute. â€Å"Abortion Statistics-World U.S.-Demographics-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons.† 2004. 23 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Johnson, Douglas. â€Å"The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act- Misconceptions and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Realities† 5 November 2003. 23 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mount, Steve â€Å"Due Process† 1995-2003. 24 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reuters Health International Journal of Cancer. â€Å"First Pregnancy factors Tied to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breast Cancer Risk.† 1 November 2004. 23 October 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Creation Stories :: African Creation Tales Essays

Creation Stories Hegemonic myths are integral to understanding not only where a culture came from but also where it is going. The norms, ethics, and mores of a society are imbedded in its oral and written tradition so that it can subtly be relayed from generation to generation. The myths themselves are not consciously constructed with this intention. Rather the messages are subtextual – hidden in the creative story lines and characters. Since they were such good teaching tools, every culture has some kind of creation story to relay its early beginnings and important lessons. Although each society has its own version there are similarities and differences among the different cultures. For example, within West Africa there are comparable and contrasting creation stories, and then between West Africa and Egypt there are additional points of comparison. There are a variety of categories upon which the different creation stories correspond that it is difficult to find an overall theme. However, it can be said that each culture truly believed that its society was the center of the universe and its story was unequivocally right. I cannot help but be reminded of a scene from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I. When Misses Anna shows the emperor’s children the map of the world, they are astounded that Siam is so small and not the center of the world. Additionally, they do not believe the world rotates on an axis. Rather, it is carried on the back of a giant turtle. Although it may seem rather comical, this is another creation story that, like those from West Africa and Egypt, affirms that the society holds their cultural myths as fact. In addition to the ethnocentric view that each story purveys, there is an inherent need to explain the unknown. This was probably their intended purpose, in addition to providing entertainment. The stories were necessary for people to understand the world around them and their place in it. The elements, the origin of man and his vices and natural occurrences, such as the cycles of the sun and moon, are topics that each myth addresses. It is interesting to note the circumstances under which humans were created. In both the Egyptian and West African Mande myths, man upset the equilibrium that existed between him and the Gods.

Education Requirement Essay

1. Should there be a minimum education requirement for the beauty therapist job? Discuss Before answer this question, we should discuss about job analysis. Job analysis is the systematic process of determine skills, duties and knowledge required to performing jobs in organization. One of the purposes job analysis is to answer what qualifications are need to perform the jobs Back to our question, owner of Tangerine Center Sdn Bhd want to upgrade their business service. She want to offer more service such as spa, beauty consultant, skin therapist and medical esthetics. Based on new job descriptions and job specifications, beauty therapist should have minimum education requirement. 2. What is your opinion of Jenny’s effort to upgrade the people in the organization?. Jenny’s effort to upgrade the people in organization is good for her business. Maybe after upgrade her staff, her business can get more income. She should consider human resource management function before proceed with upgrading plan. i. Staffing She should ensure always has proper number of staff with appropriate skill, qualified and suitable number of staff. She also should have good job analysis to ensure his mission will accomplish. ii. Human Resource Development Training is important part in staff development. She should give more training to her staff in order to improve their skill. Her staffs have basic knowledge and skill as beautician. Enhancement program will improve their ability and soft skill knowledge. Another important part in human resource development is organization development. She should make her business more effective. Improve in tool and equipment will make her business more competitive. iii. Compensation When she upgrade her staff qualification, she should pay higher than staff with basic qualification. Total staff cost will increase and she should have proper plan to increase revenue. As conclusion, Jenny’s effort will give good effect to her business when she upgraded the people in the organization. 3. What legal ramifications, if any, should Jenny have considerer? As an employer, Jenny should be aware of the rules and guideline for hiring and recruiting an employee. This is for major law to follows ; i. Employment Act 1955 : A Guide To Malaysian Labour Laws ii. Workmen’s Compensation iii. Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966 (Revised 1988) iv. Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994

George W. Bush and Darth Vader Essay

More often than not when comparing two characters, whether one be real and the other fictional, we come up with both similarities and differences between them. Seldom however do these similarities and differences between a fictional character and a person from the real world become so glaring that such comparison consequentially provide a substantial realization. One of such seldom case is the comparison of George W. Bush and Darth Vader. This paper will venture on comparing both characters and at the end provide a realization of such comparison. The two mentioned personalities need no introduction hearing these names will immediately give us an image of them in our heads. George W. Bush is the current president of the United States. Darth Vader on the other hand is the popular character in the Star Wars movies. On first instance it may seem that a comparison between these two personalities is absurd. This paper however will show us that such comparison is not without realization. It is submitted that on rare occasions seemingly trivial things such as comparison of Bush and Vader can in fact provide us with a realization far better than any other concept we have. To outline this paper will proceed on first stressing the similarities of both characters, then proceed with its differences and eventually state the realizations made through the conclusion Their Similarities Leaders The most obvious similarity between Vader and Bush is that they are both leaders. Leaders in their own respect Bush lead a nation and Vader leads an army. More worth noting in this similarity is not only the fact that both are leaders but the fact that both have the same way of leading. Vader and Bush exercise an attitude of strength in leadership that they do not think of casualties they however have the end in mind. Like the war in Iraq started by George W. Bush he was fearless in proceeding with such war even if he knew what it would cost. His ratings of popularity went down and the economy of his nation went down with it. Whenever one comes to war inevitably lives are put on the line. Bush was not hesitant in outing young military soldier’s lives on the line in order for him to achieve his goal and win his war on Iraq. The same ideology is shared by Darth Vader. Darth Vader always has a goal or a mission to accomplish. The ruthless use of his army to achieve his directives are clearly gleaned within his personality. In this type of leading we find the similarity between George W. Bush and Darth Vader. They both seem to share the ideology that making sacrifices in order to achieve a goal is necessary. They also have utter disregard for the cost and the consequences as long as they achieve this goal this is their way of leading. This is the kind of leading we see in the Star Wars Movies by Darth Vader and the kind of leading we see in America by George W. Bush. It is therefore submitted that because they have the same kind of ideology of leadership the result of their leadership hypothetically are the same. The end of Darth Vader has already been seen this type of leadership resulted in failure. The present administration of Bush has not yet ended but the seeming similarity of leadership ideology with Darth Vader can provide us with a reasonable conclusion that the administration of Bush will end in failure. The Saga Journal as proof of Vader’s leadership provides: â€Å"George Lucas has succeeded in creating one of the greatest cautionary tales for the aspiring leader in his portrayal of Darth Vader’s devastating reign of terror. Darth Vader embodies traits that make most contemporary leadership scholars cringe. † (Cited in: Michelle Drum, The Saga Journal) Perceived as Villains Another similarity between these two personalities is that many of us perceive them as villains. Villains in their own right majority of the people see both George W. Bush and Darth Vader as villains. Darth Vader very much like George W. Bush were not always perceived as Villains. They were first considered as heroes. George W. Bush could not have been president if the people did not think of him as a hero. He won the election two times. This is only proof that before George W. Bush was perceived as a villain he was considered as a hero. The same is true for Darth Vader. Darth Vader was not immediately Darth Vader before his transition to such character. He was the young and promising Anakin Skywalker his views were moral and he had a good sense of justice. This however changed because of the circumstances as provided in the movie. This only means that sometimes the famous quote in the batman movie might be true sometimes we see ourselves a hero long enough to become the villain. This is the similar circumstance of both Bush and Vader. In one of the articles of the National News it provided the perception of Bush being a villain as it said: â€Å"According to an Associated Press-AOL News poll, President Bush is both the number one villain and the number one hero of 2006. † (cited in: Two Sided Coin for Bush: Villain and Hero By Cathy Gill) Powerful The final similarity this paper will provide from all the similarities of these two characters is their power. There is no doubt that both George W. Bush and Darth Vader are very much powerful in every sense of the word. George W. Bush being the President of the United States of America and Darth Vader being the leader of the imperial army. Vader being perceived as powerful in an article in USA Today as it said â€Å"Not only is Vader powerful, he’s sexy, says David Prowse, who appears as Vader in the first three films and has made thousands of appearances as Vader in costume. † (Cited in: Breathing Life into Vader by Mike Snider) Their Differences Their Rise to Power Though it is granted that both George Bush and Darth Vader are powerful they however differ in the manner of their rise to power. Darth Vader used pure brute force in order to be the leader of the imperial army. He had to lean to the dark side in order to achieve this goal. George Bush on the other hand rose into power through the mandate of the American people. Bush rose into power because of his will and the will of the people. Darth Vader on the other hand had to search and conquer this power by himself. This difference in their rise of power gives us an insight on how they held this power. Darth Vader could hold his power until he wished to abandon it. Bush on the other hand is bound by the limits of mandate given to him. He can only have the power of being a chief executive according to the period of time given to him. This gives us an insight on why Bush tries his best to stay in power while Vader needlessly and calmly enjoys his power. This is because Vader’s power is not bound by any limits. Vader Quick on His Feet, Bush Not so Much Darth Vader even as a youngster known to be Anakin Skywalker has always been quick on his feet. His reflexes during his time were comparable to no one. Bush on the other hand has admitted that he might not be as quick on his feet than most people. This is reflected on the way Darth Vader and President Bush makes decisions. Darth Vader is ruthless and quick on making decisions. President Bush has apparently a considerable amount of thinking time before he can make a decision. This spells a very different effect of their leadership. Darth Vader being quick on his feet can easily command his subordinates and they follow him without question. The delay on the decision making however of President Bush spells a different story because of such his subordinates may not follow him right away and might even question his decisions. Bush Democracy, Vader Dictatorship The most important difference between these two personalities however lie in the fact that Bush leads through a democratic structure while Vader in every sense of the word is a dictator. This brings us to the question which kind of structure is more effective is it the democratic structure or the dictatorship? Dictatorship brings obedience, order and an unquestionable authority. Democracy however gives freedom for every individual. It is submitted that both structures have their advantages and disadvantages. It is further submitted however that ruling a democratic structure like the task of President Bush is much more difficult than ruling in a dictatorship like Darth Vader. In an article in the LA Times President Bush advocated this democracy as the article said: â€Å"President Bush made good Thursday on his inaugural vow to push for democracy around the world. † (Cited in: Bush Democracy Vows May Take Time to Bear Fruit by: Sonni Efron) Conclusion The similarities and the differences between the two personalities having been discussed we now proceed to the realizations this paper has to offer. George Bush and Darth Vader are two very different personalities. In fact one lives in the real world while one finds existence in a fictional movie. They are both leaders, they are both powerful and they are both perceived by many as leaders. On the other hand they differ on their rise to power, quickness in decisions and the structure where they lead. The most important thing we have to realize out of this comparison is the simple fact that Darth Vader’s story has already been told while George Bush’s story is still unraveling. This only means that we can learn from what happened to Darth Vader and necessarily imbue it with the unraveling of the story of George Bush. This will give us a reasonable conclusion on how George Bush’s story will end. The relevance of knowing how George Bush’s story will end is that if we are aware of the end then we can prepare for this end that we foresee. Works Cited †¢ Michelle Drum, The Saga Journal †¢ Two Sided Coin for Bush: Villain and Hero By Cathy Gill, December 29, 2006 †¢ Breathing Life into Vader by Mike Snider, April 22, 2005 †¢ Bush Democracy Vows May Take Time to Bear Fruit by: Sonni Efron, February 25, 2005

Preliminary Study of an Automotive Assembly Plant

Politecnico Di Torino 1 Facolta' di Ingegneria Automotive Engineering FINAL ASSEMBLY Preliminary study of an automotive assembly plant for high volume production(1300cars/day with 2 type of cars, 4 doors and 2 doors respectivly, and flexible in volume, 3 shifts of workers) Ma Wei supervisor: Prof. COZZARI GIULIANO Index 1. General infomation from the internship 2. 1 high production volume of the assembly plant 2. 2 pace calculation 2. 3 area calculation and process layout 2. 4 flexibility and automization of the system 2. â€Å"make or buy† decision 2. Review of tutorials and further applications of the tutorial 3. 6 General knowledges aquired from the assembly lecture 3. 7 Extension of the tutorial 3. 8. 1 product breakdown structure(PBS) ; bill of material(BOM) 3. 8. 2 work breakdown structure(WBS) 3. Time analysis and relative calculations 3. 1 working time analysis(WCT, takt time) 3. 2 system length and area calculation 3. 3 facility layout 4. Tool and equipment selection 1. General infomation from the internship 1. high production volume of the assembly plant As is define in the internship reoprt, the production volume of the plant that we study is 1300cars/day, with 3 shifts of workers making the planned working time up to 21 hour a day. We developed a rough plan for the entire assembly production process, and then divided our thesis into four parts according to the function of each part. Following the sequence of each part, they are respectively: Stamping process, body in white process, painting process and fianl assembly process.Normally each department is separated with one another, located in different locations inside an assembly plant, and each department has its own building structure, thus we call them stamping shop, body in white shop, painting shop and final assembly shop. Moreover all of these building structures are placed considering the convenience of the entire manufacturing process, to facilitate the flow of materials and parts, to simplify stocks management. For example, stamping shop normally locates near the gate with a stock area to facilitate the incoming of sheet metal.Body in white shop and painting shop lies in between final assembly shop and stamping shop, in order to shorten transfer process. Finally, final assembly shop often locates beside the supplier park, where massive subgroup parts of a car are stocked. 1. 2 pace calculation Since our focus is on the word â€Å"high volume†, we must estimate the overall pace of the plant. The required standard time can be calculated considering: 1. 1300 cars/day. 2. 3 shifts of workers with 7 availiable working hours per shift. 3.Overall equipment efficiency=90% 4. Standard time STn is the time needed to assemble a car, starting from pressing shop up to final test at final assembly shop. AWT(available working time)=3*7*60=1260 min STn=AWT/1300=0. 97min=58sec. It means that each 58 seconds there will be a car coming out from the plant. 1. 3 area calcula tion The area calculation is decided in the internship report, through the benchmarking result of many plants and we chose the average area of the plants that is most close to our requirements.And here is the decision: Stamping| BIW| Painting| Final Assembly| 40800? | 60900? | 48000? | 71400? | Usually the process layout is like this(I will only focus on the final assembly process): But for the final assembly, I find it more advanced for logistic and warehouse management is I choose the final assembly line like this: In my later discussion, we can see more advantages of this kind of solution according to the three main sub-processes of final assembly. 1. 3 flexibility;automization of the systemEquipments are most devoted resource since nowadays factories are normally capital intensive. So we have to determine the automization level at the first approach of an assembly plant. The four processes, stamping, body in white, painting and final assembly, have their own process capability a nd different automization level. Here is the automization level selection criteria and methods to be flexible of the system. And we will make our choice accordingly. Stamping STAMPING| COST AND THE CHOICE| 1. ransfer muiti-station mechanical presses with a very high cadence(over than 15 cycles/min) fitting with very high production rate(over than 600 series/day)| Very high, not fitable for our plant because according our make or buy decision, we only make necessary body parts in order to save capital and better focus on â€Å"core business†. | 2. traditional mechanical or new generations hydraulic presses with a medium cadence(between 10 and 15 cycles/min), interconnected by automatic systems, fitting for medium production rate(60-600 series/day)| This fits our production system adequately.Since our assumed working cycle time is 6sec(=10 cycles/min) and it meets the requirement of 1300cars/day. On the other side, this is capital intensive but not as expensive as the first one . | 3. traditional hydraulic or water forming presses, with manual loading/unloading, with low cadence, fitting for low production rate(less than 60 series/day)| This criterion is not fit for mass production. Nowadays labor intensive production is used for the elite market. | Major factors influcing cost: press and dies depreciation, maintenance costs and material handling.And thus it is very important to maintain a good level of overall equipment efficiency and a good utilization level. Furthermore, in order to keep the production cost low, sheet metal usage degree must be optimized, through detailed study of cutting schemes and stamping methods and technology(sheet metal stamping dimensioning). | Flexibility: the process flexibility is reached to the required level(2 different types of cars with 9 different parts to stamp) through changing of dies according to detailed production plan. We should avoid to change dies too frequently, for the sake of saving more productive up time.Th e production plan should follow the material requirement plan of later processes, and the logistic department should set adequate arrangements for the finished parts. | Body in white For high or medium volumes body in white welding and assembling, hard automation(robot intensive) and flexible production systems are used. Assembling tools are specific for the parts of each type of car. System flexibility/convertibility is achieved through specific tools rapid change, so that it is possible to set easily the mix model level on the same equipment or line.Major factors influencing cost: specific equipment and tools depreciations, maintenance and materials handling cost. Overall equipment efficiency and utilization level. Painting Painting process is a continuous flow process and each process are sequenced. We can divide it into two categories: 1) pre-painting treatments. 2) painting. 1). In reference of automazation and flexibility, the pre-painting process is not strictly relevant b ecause, for example, processes such as washing, degreasing or phosphating are not robot intensive, they actually are continous flow process with only a few operations.And each type of BIW(in our plants, refer them as type A and type B) can be processed in the same way with the same time, temperature and many other conditions. 2). The painting process is robot intensive because it is applied by automatic robots with electrostatic spray, along with automatic controlled air, temperature and humidity inside the painting booth. This process is relatively complex and harmful to human body. So in case of mass production, no labor force is enrolled in this process.Flexibility: Since equipments and tools are not specifically developed for each type of car, flexibility can be easily obtained by changing the process automatization software. And customized order-to-make product is mainly reflected in this process. Controlling program should be adjustable in order to change the color of the car easily. Major factors influcing cost: specific direct material(dye) and energy consumption, manpower necessary to manage the process and equipment maintenance costs. Final Assembly In terms of final assembly, manpower accompanied by flexible conveyor system is needed.This process is mainly labor intensive because many complex operations, such as cockpit module, steering leverages, seats and mobile parts are performed by technicians, but not machines. Certain level of automatization is required for simple operations such as joining, mechanical groups screwing and fixed glasses application. Moreover, ergonomic is important for labor intensive operations, so that assembling stations and conveyor systems have to be comfortable for the operators. For example the tow conveyors is an ergonomic solution for screw drivers.It can lift up the heavy body from BIW, to make the operator reach the lower part of the body. Recently new type of tow conveyors became more convenience since they allow t echnicians to stand on them and move along the operation line. Flexibility: product models mix along the final assembly line, thus flexibility can be obtained by high level of logistics and organizational complexity, which must use modern product and process information technologies, called â€Å"digital factory†. Moreover, â€Å"just in time† principle must be applied in supplying subassembly modules to the final assembly line.Major factors influcing cost: direct manpower, material handling, specific logistic information technology systems. 1. 4 â€Å"make or buy† decision In evaluation of make or buy decision, several factors should be considered: ITEMS FOR â€Å"MAKE† DECISION| ITEMS FOR â€Å"BUY† DECISION| 1. Availability of development capacities inside the company, at least equivalent to the one offered by External suppliers. | 1. Not availability of specific â€Å"know how† to develop in a competitive way the specific component or se rvice. | 2. Better protection of company’s know how in relation to products/processes considering core business| 2.Availability of reliable suppliers for the components or services required, in relation to the company’s targets. | 3. Needs of internal processes integration by logistic flows and final product quality level improving. | 3. Availability of alternative supplying sources in the geographical areas of strategic interest for the company. | 4. Not valid alternatives to component or services purchasing. | 4. Opportunity to simplify internal production processes and focus production resouces (man power and capital) on â€Å"core business†| 5. Necessity to utilize existing productive capacities inside the company. 5. Opportunity to reduce company owned investment by using or incrementing supplier’s productive capacities avaliable, assuming them the risk of volumes depending on the trend of market. | ITEMS FOR â€Å"CO-MAKERSHIP† DECISION| 1. N ew necissities of production capacities developing but not enough economy scale to proceed in an autonomous way. | 2. Partners have common or complementary interest in developing in a synergic and competitive way the new solutions required to guarantee the industrial mission. | 3. Partners have at disposal complementary or synergic technological capacities so that roduct/process innovation could be speed up without incrementing too much economical investments. | In genaral, an assembly plant doesn’t manufacture the sub group components of the car, for the sake of lean production, technology concentration and cost minimization. So no matter whether they are outsourced or manufactured by the same industrial group of other plants, we can consider them â€Å"buy† parts. It is easy to explore these elements from the vehicle systems point of view: All above mentioned elements and systems are out-sourced and they are assembled into higher level subassemblies aside the princip le assembly line.These elements and systems are based on evolutive technical solutions, which â€Å"know how† belongs generally to specialized companies components producers; A strong cooperation between those companies and car makers is necessary in case of technical projects development and experimentation and homologation on vehicle phases. 2. Review of tutorials and further applications of the tutorial 2. 1 General knowledges aquired from the assembly lecture During the assembly technology course, we gained the concept of automotive final assembly and aquired some basic knowleged about this process.First of all, the difinition of automotive final assembly can be concluded from the lecture: the final manufacturing process joining all of the finished subgroup components and modules to finish the car and make it functionlized, through different stages of assembly process with the right consequence. The final assembly process should consider from both management point of view and technological point of view: management concerns main subassembly groups and modules Here we consider the assembly of only these components in order to simplify the process.Also, some subgroups assembly are introduced in the lecture, which are normally performed inside the final assembly shop but not on the principle line. These sub-assembly parts should be considered since they are not out-sourced but manufactured inside the plant—stamping shop. So we won’t get the finished, assembled parts until we assemble them by ourselves, inside the final assembly shop. Along with subgroups assembly, ergonomics concern is introduced, which is a non negligibly problem in setting up the plant. Ergonomic: a). A study of the relation between people and their work environment. b).Is used to prevent injuries and illnesses associated with the design of physical work. c). Is used to increase employee safety and comfort and to optimize work performance and quality. Due to the complex ity of the system and inconvenience caused by the huge weight of the body in white and finished parts, ergonomic problem is closely related with the working stations and carrier systems that we use. Thus each process of the system uses specific equipment to orientate the car body in the right direction to technicians, and specific tools to hold finished parts to let technicians move them easily. ow conveyors let the installation of suspension more easily Moreover, the right sequence of final assembly is introduced. I will strictly follow this sequence to develop my assembly shop, because any mistake in sequence makes it impossible to build up later steps and lead the entire process to failure. Then I will build up working time analysis. 2. 2Extension of the tutorial 2. 2. 1 product breakdown structure(PBS) ; bill of material(BOM) Product breakdown structure is hierarchical and can be represented by the following scheme(tree diagram) F A B1 B2 C21 C13 C12 C11 E D F A B1 B2 C21 C13C12 C11 E D In which: A=final module (a car) B=1st level subassembly (powertrain, suspension system†¦) C=2nd and 3rd level subassembly (complete engine, transmission†¦) D=completed elements (cylinders, engine shafts†¦) E=partially completed elements (pistons, valves†¦) F=raw materials Using PBS, it is possible to: a). Manage the designs and standard carry-over solutions with other product lines. b). Underline links between elements, subassemblies and final product. c). Precise â€Å"make or buy† decision for each element. d). Activate manufacturing engineering plan for â€Å"make† parts. ). Activate purchasing orders for â€Å"buy† parts. f). Confirm cost for module components, considering the targets defined in the setting phase, according to the purchasing management system. Now let me define the PBS of the final assembly. I won’t list the lower levels of subassembly parts because the final assembly area is responsible for assembling mo re than 3000 in/on the painted vehicle shell, and if I focus too much on the minor parts, it would draw the attention away from the study of the system. Also, I extend the content of PBS, to get a bill of material table, more detailed. . 2. 2 work breakdown structure The work breakdown structure is a tree structure, which shows a subdivision of effort required to achieve an objective. In order to reach the WBS, I need to analysis each working processes first. The following figure is what I have obtained from the internship report. All of the data in this figure is roughly estimated, but the sequence and layout of final assembly is expressed. Final assembly process can be functionally divided into: trim line assembly, chassis line assembly, final assembly and final testing. ). Trim line assembly This station is focused on installing the following main components: the electric wiring and harnesses, the shell insulation and radiator insulation, the air duct system, the headliner, the c ondenser sub-assembly, the pedal sub-assembly, and the fire wall insulation. Other parts are also installed in this station such as the wiper links and the washer tank and its hoses and connections. To install the above described parts, a different conveyor system is adopted from the ones used in the paint area.So the shell is transferred from the paint-line conveyor system into typically a double rail chain or self-moving conveyor (floor-mounted), the elevation and speed of the body-shell are adjusted so it suits the production workers and allow them spatial access and enough time to complete the job. Some manufacturers have adopted a moving belt system for the line workers so that they can keep up with higher production rates. The first step in the trim assembly area is to remove the shell doors to facilitate the installation process, so large fixtures can be used inside the shell to aid the workers.The removed doors are hung on an overhead conveyor system that keeps running the d oors through the plant without any value being added to them. A typical layout for the trim assembly area can be shown as following: b). Chassis assembly The chassis assembly area is also called the marriage area, where the power-train of the vehicle is coupled with the vehicle body-shell. To achieve this, the vehicle shells are transferred to an overhead conveyor system to permit the chassis installation from the bottom. The assembled ower-train components are supplied from a sub-assembly area typically called the engine-line assembly area. The engine-line area features all the steps needed to install the different hoses, controllers and cables to the main engine body, in addition to coupling the engine to the transmission and the torque converters. The engine sub-assembly utilizes different types of conveyance depending on the accessibility needed, the station’s configuration (left- and right-side workers), and the weight of the assembled power-train; typically a combinatio n of an overhead system and an AGV(automatic guided vehicle) is used.The final assembled power-train is then mounted onto an AGV or a trolley equipped with a hydraulic lift, and then shipped to the marriage area. overhead conveyor and trolley with lifter In the marriage area, the vehicle shell will be synchronized with the AGV so both meet at a specific location that features the power torque machine that will use bolts and fasteners to join the power-train and shell together. Additionally, the elevation of the suspended shell is programmed according to specific settings to facilitate the mounting process. The powertrain is lifted via the hydraulic lift to meet the stationary shell.This process sequence is shown in the above figure. Several features within the vehicle shell are typically used to guide the power-train assembly to ensure its location and orientation within the vehicle; some laser projection-based sensors might also be used to ensure accurate placement. In addition, po wer-tools with built-in torque sensors are used to ensure fault-proof operation. Applying the right torque is essential in delivering mechanically sound joints that will not fail or fatigue due to under-torque or over-torque conditions. A typical layout for the chassis line assembly area can be shown as following: | ). Final assembly and testing area The final assembly area features the vehicle shell on tires for the first time. It is connected to the previous chassis assembly process, and each chassis assembly line can feed two final assembly lines. Thus for the sake of maximum utilization of the entire system, we set two final assembly lines. Each final assembly line is divided into three sequential parts: 1st. In the first part, preassembled bodies are put on a stop and go conveyor system, to facilitate the transferring from one station to the next.And the bodies are arranged across the axle of the line, to facilitate front-end module assembling and to keep operations such as ele ctric battery connections, air filter connections ergonomically. In this part fixed glasses are also assembled by automatic systems. 2nd. In the second part, car bodies are put on continuous double slat conveyor. Here, parts such as seats, garnishes, door modules, lighting systems and the rest parts of the vehicle are assembled. 3rd. In the third part, underbody operations such as adjusting the vehicle suspension and adjusting steering wheels are performed.After the assembly is complete, the completed vehicle starts the testing phase, where the following tests are conducted: alignment tests for wheels and turning radius, headlight test, side-slip test, engine drum test, and the brake test. The alignment test focuses on adjusting the wheels through the manual adjustment of the top of the front and rear wheels and the camber of the front and rear wheels. Further alignments ensure that the steering wheel is positioned accurately. The alignment test is typically done in a chassis dynamo meter chamber, shown in the figure. a chasis dynamometerAdditionally the turning radius can be tested and adjusted by measuring the right and left turning angles of the front wheels. The headlight test evaluates the photometric axis of the headlamps by projecting them on a screen and then measuring any deviations. The drum test is conducted by driving the vehicle into the chassis dynamometer to check the vehicle driving conditions. Also, the brake test evaluates the brakes’ performance by applying and measuring the braking force of each wheel (drag, service brake, parking brake). Finally, I can obtain the WPS from the integration of each above process. 3.Time analysis and relative calculations 3. 1 working time analysis(takt time, number of workers) In order to analysis the working time, I shall introduce the concept of takt time first. The takt time is the time that must pass between two succeeding unit completions in order to meet the demand, if the products are produced on e unit at a time, at a constant rate during the net available work time. The value of the takt time drives the key design choices for the assembly system. The takt time is defined in equation (1). (1) When the takt time is known one could decide how many assemblers and stations that are needed.It is quite hard to determine the number of assemblers needed in order to complete a product but here one basic method is presented. After the number of assemblers has been decided the number and layout of processes can be decided. The minimum number of assemblers can be calculated with equation 2. (2) If for example a product takes 100 minutes to assemble and the takt time is 1 minute, the process needs 100 assembler minutes every minute, consequently 100 assemblers. The formula does not take into consideration other activities that the operators perform apart from assembling such as picking and handling.A production system is also dependent on support labor which will of course increase the number of assemblers needed. When one has determined that the process is in need of 100 assemblers, the next step is to decide in which way the work should be allocated between the assemblers and thereby which method of assembly that should be used. On the one hand, one operator could work with one product from start to finish for 100 minutes. On the other hand, the total work content could be divided into 100 operations each taking 1 minute to perform.Now that the takt time concept is clear, I will start to analysis this according to my specific system. Actually, the first step in designing an assembly system is to calculate the takt time. I will calculate the takt time following these conditions: 1). The demand for daily production volume is 1300 units. 2). The system is operated by 3 shifts of operators. 3). The working hours per day for an operator are assumed to be eight hours. 4). Total downtime including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, set-up times, breaks, lunch time is one hour per day.Takt time = Net avaliliable working time per dayaverage damand per day = 3*8-1*601300 = 0. 97 minute = 58 second The planned cycle time will be lower based on that there are inefficiencies regarding manpower issues and overall equipment effectiveness: Planned cycle time = 58*0. 85*0. 9 = 50 second Then the minimum number of workers can be obtained, under the assumption that the total assembly time (adding the time deeded of each operation in each station, i. e. : the labor time required in order to finish the assembly of a single vehicle) is 21 hours (empirical).We can assume that each operation is processed by an assembler because the final assembly is a labor driven process. No. of workers = total assembly timetakt time = 21*60*6058 = 1304 Thus, we have 1304 workers and if two workers are assigned to each work station, then we have 652 stations. Due to impossibilities for further analysis of working time, I can not get exactly the cycle time of each operation, but the time analysis methodologies should be stressed: a). Stopwatch study analysis For time measuring it is necessary to proceed as follows: 1).Workers are preventively trained to apply working standards and are informed about stopwatch study analysis and ways to proceed. 2). By statistical criteria, the number of operative cycle to observe is determined, considering also dispersion phenomena of analyzed process. 3). For each one of the macro-phase of operative cycle, time employed is recorded. 4). Working speed is punctually compared to the normal one, introducing eventual adjustment. 5). Time adjustments(increasing) for each working phase are applied following specific tables, to consider tiredness and physical efforts taken on during working shift.Applying the methodology is possible if the analyst is concerned about technologies of analyzed phases, in order to ensure in advance that working conditions follows manufacturing engineering plan, and proposing eventually necessary i mprovements. He must also observes movements considering ergonomics, defining normal and sustainable working speed. This evaluation implies also the application of specific rules related to physical efforts, tiredness, working positions and movements repetition.As a consequence, for each working phase analyzed, it is applied a time increasing coefficient, according to a standard table, elaborated on statistical and scientific considerations, by International Rules Institutions, with ergonomic, physiology, and working means experts associated. In case of uncertainty of working speed estimation, the analyst could perform observations on different subject, up to reach a calibrated evaluation. Furthermore, he can also use some available database, according to previous consolidated experiences.For each group of operations, it is important that the experts separate active times from inactive times necessary for machine/equipment waiting or movements between different working stations. Act ions to be adopted are related to inactive phases, that are not adding value phases. b). Time studying with modern techniques Same criteria of the first one, with the only difference that time observations are performed through video recording cameras, appropriately positioned and remote controlled, that allows measuring contemporary more operations, relating each other. c).Analysis with pre-determined standard times MTM technique (Methods Time Measurement) consists of previously analysis that allows quantifying time necessary for each working micro-phase included in the operative cycle. Measurements are performed in office and are very precise and objective. Application requires a big effort in terms of analyst technician, with high cost and long elaboration times. For this reasons MTM technique fits with widespread repetitive operations. d). Instantaneous Observations Analysis It fits for auxiliary operations only, including office operations.It is necessary that the analyst have good knowledge about function and roles of observed employees. He performs periodical inspections In the interested area and with established route by statistic method, so to cover all workplaces. He must evaluate: if workers are on their own workplace/if they are active/type of operation performed/type of tools used. 3. 2 system length and area calculation I will roughly calculate the length of the final assembly line. I say â€Å"roughly† because I will assume the distance between each product is 5m, and this distance is constant for all the three major processes belonging to final assembly.Although this assumption couldn’t be precise, this approach can represent the right process to calculate the system length. Firstly I will calculate the speed of the line: Speed = distancetakt time = 5m/58s = 0. 087 m/s Then I will apply this speed to the total assembly time: Length=speed*total assembly time=0. 087m/s*21*3600=6577m Finally, I should apply an modify coefficient, be cause large portion of the system paths are built for transferring, not value adding. 6577*150%=9865m Once the length is calculated, I can apply it to the width of the line, which is hypothesized to be 10m. 865*10=98650m2 And finally the subassembly line area should be calculated according to the same method, and added to the main line area. 3. 3 facility layout In arranging the plant layout, There are a lot of benefits: 1. Minimize the production time. 2. Minimize the production cost. 3. Minimize the material handling, in terms of time, cost and equipment type. 4. Minimize the investment in the equipment. 5. Utilize existing space more effectively. 6. Maintain flexibility of arrangement and operations. There are three basic types: process layout, product layout, and fixed-position layout.According to the selection criteria, I will choose the product layout. A product layout (also called a flow-shop layout) is one in which equipment or work processes are arranged according to the pr ogressive steps by which the product is made. The main issue over the final assembly line is the assembly line balancing. As we use the conveyor systems to carry the product, the time interval the product will stay in each workstation is identical, thus the cycle time of each workstation is identical as well (= 58s in our system).At each workstation, work is performed on a product either by adding parts or by completing assembly operations. The work performed at each station is made up by many bits of work, termed tasks, elements, and work units. The total work to be performed at a workstation is equal to the sum of the tasks assigned to that workstation. The assembly-line balancing problem is one of assigning all tasks to a series of workstations so that each workstation has no more than can be done in the work- station cycle time, and so that the unassigned (that is, idle) time across all workstations is minimized.The problem is complicated by the relationships among tasks imposed by prod- uct design and process technologies. This is called the precedence relationship, which specifies the order in which tasks must be performed in the assembly process. The steps in balancing an assembly line are straightforward: 1 Specify the sequential relationships among tasks using a precedence diagram. The diagram consists of circles and arrows. Circles represent individual tasks; arrows indicate the order of task performance. 2 Determine the required workstation cycle time, the same as takt time Determine the theoretical minimum number of workstations required to satisfy the workstation cycle time constraint using the formula, the same as the number of workers calculation. 3 Select a primary rule by which tasks are to be assigned to workstations, and a secondary rule to break ties. 4 Assign tasks, one at a time, to the first workstation until the sum of the task times is equal to the workstation cycle time, or no other tasks are feasible because of time or sequence restr ictions. Repeat the process for Workstation 2, Workstation 3, and so on until all tasks are assigned. Evaluate the efficiency of the balance derived using the formula Efficiency=sum of task timesactual number of workstations*workstation cycle time 6 If efficiency is unsatisfactory, rebalance using a different decision rule. Example: This table shows typical chassis assembly sequence of a car, and I will draw a precedence graph according to this table: Then, we can calculate the minimum number of workstations required: no. of workstations=45+50+11+15+9+12+12+12+12+8+958 = 4 So we can arrange the precedence graph accordingly: And the final Efficiency=1954*58=84%It can be seen that in station 4, only 9 seconds are employed among 58 seconds available time. To reduce this inefficiency, some independent operations can be added to this station. In this final assembly shop, we should analyze the work of all workstations, one by one, and reach a balanced assembly line finally. 4. Tool and eq uipment selection The final assembly area is considered a labor-driven process due to the high labor value-added work compared with other stations in the assembly plant. In this case, the right solution for labor and machine corporations is the key successful factor.Trim line: For the trim line assembly, the conveyor system should be changed from the one used in the paint line. We use the floor-mounted conveyor for the trim line and specially, I want to stress that since the plant should has a high production capacity, I choose to add an additional moving belt system to facilitate the workers for the high production rate. Moreover, for operations that will move heavy parts(doors, cockpits, windshield†¦), automation robots are selected instead of human labor. Robots are faster and more precise in installing heavy and big parts than human labor.For wirings, insulating applications, fuel tanks, steering leverage and etc. , I will choose to use human labors because these operations are too complicated for robots, and some area are deep inside the body shell and intangible for robots. On the other hand human labors have the advantage of agility, allowing them to go inside the body shell. In addition, batter-driven screwdrivers(low and medium torque models) should be equipped by the assemblers, to allow them fast and accurate fastening. Here are some pictures of the above mentioned tools and equipments: loor-mounted conveyor with moving belt Chassis line: For the chassis line assembly, the overhead conveyor system is needed to lift the vehicle shell and thus allow the installation of the powertrain system. In order to guide the pre-assembled powertrain system, the AGV(automatic guided vehicle) is used. At the same time battery driver screwdrivers and electric torque wrenches with torque limiters are used by workers to assemble the body and the powertrain system. Also, in order to ensure accurate placement, some laser projection based sensors are needed.Then the installation of wheels and exhaust system happens simultaneously. On the one hand line workers install exhaust system with the help of carrying robots. On the other hand multiple torque wrenches tightens the wheel. Of course tires must be handled with the help of the handling equipment in order to save time for the line workers. This process can spares much time for the powertrain assembly. The overhead conveyor system and the AGV. A multiple torque wrench is fast and precise A electric torque wrench with limiter A tire handler   Final assembly line:The vehicle is coupled with tires now, so a double slat conveyor system is selected to carry the body. In addition, a variety of arm and drop lifters are needed for the ergonomics consideration. Also, fluid filling machines is crucial in this stage: fuel tank, engine, transmissions†¦ For the testing phase, we need testing machines. For example the chassis dynamometer is necessary for the alignment test, the turning radius test an d the break test. The headlight test evaluates the photometric axis of the headlamps by projecting them on a screen and then measuring any deviations.A double slat conveyor A chassis dynamometer A seat handling partner References: 1. COZZARI GIULIANO, Assembly technologies,2010. 2. MARCO GOBETTO, Production Management,2010. 3. Mohammed A. Omar, â€Å"THE AUTOMOTIVE BODY MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES†, 2011 4. FILIP HELLMAN, BJORN LINDAHL, JONAS MALMBERG, thesis of â€Å"Mixed-model assembly line at Volvo Construction Equipment† 5. Marshall L. Fisher and Christopher D. Ittner, â€Å"THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT VARIETY ON AUTOMOBILE ASSEMBLY OPERA TIONS: ANAL YSIS AND EVIDENCE† 6. technical note five: FACILITY LAYOUT