Lone Pair - Chemistry Definition

A lone pair is an electron pair in the outermost shell of an atom that is not shared or bonded to another atom. It is also called a non-bonding pair. One way to identify a lone pair is to draw a Lewis structure. The number of lone pair electrons added to the number of bonding electrons equals the number of valence electrons of an atom. The lone pair concept is important to valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, as it helps to explain the geometry of molecules. Sources Albright, T. A.; Burdett, J. K.; Whangbo, M.-H. (1985). Orbital Interactions in Chemistry. New York: Wiley. p. 102. ISBN 0471873934.Ansyln, E. V.; Dougherty, D. A. (2006). Modern Physical Organic Chemistry. Sausalito, CA: University Science Books. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-891389-31-3.Kumar, Anmol; Gadre, Shridhar R.; Mohan, Neetha; Suresh, Cherumuttathu H. (2014-01-06). Lone Pairs: An Electrostatic Viewpoint. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 118 (2): 526–532. doi:10.1021/jp4117003

The Beautiful Country Of Honduras - 848 Words

The beautiful country of Honduras is located geographically at the heart of Central America. However, the most important location of this country is in the heart of every Catracho(a); Spanish term for those born or raised at Honduras. To be a Catracho(a) goes far beyond than just sharing territory or the nationality of Honduras. It means sharing an accent, slangs, food, beliefs, values, and folkways that will be detailed further in the paper. Such subculture goes beyond territorial boundaries, a Catracho(a) can reside in any part of the world and still relate to the same shared tangible or intangible items. Therefore, Catracho(a) are a subculture of the Hispanic/Latino culture. Differences in the way a Catracho(a) speaks are evident when citizens from Central American countries are at the same place and speaking to one another. Starting with the accent; it will differ depending on the country you were raised. Costa Ricans have an â€Å"r† phoneme, where in some instances it can sound similarly (not exactly) like an â€Å"l†. Nicaraguans do not pronounce the â€Å"s† at the end of a word and it sounds as if it is substituted by a type of short and soft â€Å"h†. Catrachos(as) pronounce the â€Å"j† and â€Å"s† in an aspirated way, as softly as the â€Å"h† in English or might not be pronounced at all. Intangible and tangible slangs, objects, and actions will have a specific meaning according to the country. Catrachos(as) refer to sharpener as saca puntas but Nicaraguans refer to them as. For earringsShow MoreRelatedHonduras And Its Impact On American Culture1582 Words   |  7 PagesSome people hear the country Honduras and immediately picture the incredible diving offered, others feel pity and fear as they imagine the incredibly high rates of violent crimes. While both perspectives are true, Honduras has a plethora of fascinating traits. 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National Culture and Behavior Management- Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the National Culture and Behavior Management. Answer: Introduction National culture refers to general acceptable behavior of a society based on beliefs and values that are developed over a long duration of time. They include values, beliefs, common knowledge, perception, and norms of behavior of a population within a sovereign nation (Branine, and Pollard, 2010). They define individuals of the same society and distinguish them from other societies. Behavior management refers to applied behavior analysis that involves application of psychological organizational behavior principles to organizations to enable improvement of group or individual performance in the work place. National culture influences behavior management. An individual or group behavior is determined by the country that they belong to. National culture is important for understanding and predicting individuals or group behavior when directing them towards a common goal. Organizational behavior management is important for managing organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Globalizatio n has led to integration of economies and societies around the world that has brought individuals from different countries to work together. Globalization has removed boundaries and given rise to multinational companies that operates in different countries. Societies are not the same in terms of what normal or not normal to what is considered unacceptable or unacceptable. The difference in values, beliefs, practices are evident from one country to another. The differences in individual behaviors as a result of national culture necessitate different approaches to manage different groups. Employees in countries behave differently and therefore opt to be managed different to attain the same predetermined goods. Sensitivity of national differences by a manager can increase chances of success of a business. Therefore it is important to understand the concept of national cultures in organizations for management to shape and direct employees behavior towards achievement of specific goals. The following essay will discuss national culture and behavior management. This will involve a background study, discussion, significance, and recommendation of the topic under study. Background of the Study The significance of studying and understanding national culture was as a result of increasing international businesses. International businesses have a challenge to successfully adapt to diverse cultures and manage it impact on their daily operations. In order for business to adapt, they require to understand cultural values, stereotypes, values, views and cultural diversity. The study of national culture has in the recent decades attracted researchers interests especially in cultural dimensions and attitude. The research has been aimed at improving business performance in different societies. Hodgetts, luthans and Doh (2006) defined national culture as shared beliefs and values that enables members of their society to determine what is right or wrong. Shachaf (2008), described culture as consisting of implicit and explicit patterns and behavior acquired and is transmitted through symbols that form characteristics of achievements of a group or population. Hickson and Pugh (2014) esta blished cultures are common, symbolic, generational, and adaptive, integrated, and learned not inherited. There are different cultures that exist in the world and understanding their impact on human behavior is critical for international business. Zheng,Yang, and McLean, (2010) pointed out that if multinational managers do not understand the country culture that they operate in can lead to extremely negative business performance. Hofstede (2010) defined cultural values as desirable beliefs and concepts that provide standards for evaluating certain actions, behaviors, and goals to ascertain what is bad or good, acceptable or unacceptable. Limsila, and Ogunlana, (2008), also defined cultural values as fundamental beliefs of people in a society regarding notions of evil and good, important and unimportant, right and wrong. Poole (2013) defined Cultural diversity as ways that cultures differ from one society to another. It shows the impact of how people behave and think within a society. Diversity exists between and within cultures. There are three models of cultural dimensions that can be used to study a national culture. They include; (1) GLOBEs model, (2) Hofstedeov model, (3) Trompenaarsov model. Hofstede model hold that national cultures have a lot of influence on work values. Hofstede dimension model was from a study of 53 countries. Hofstede found that managers and employees of different countries varied as a result of the following dimensions of their national culture; individualism vs collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity vs femininity, short term vs long term orientation. He stated that individuals behaviors were shaped by the dimension of their national culture (De Mooij and Hofstede, 2010). The second model of Trompenaars was based on two rounds survey that involved over 45000 managers. The research found the there were seven bipolar dimensions. They were as follows; individualism and communitarians, universalism and particularism, neutral cultures and emotional cultures, s pecific cultures and diffuse cultures, job status or person status, internal guidance and external guidance and lastly the sequential access and synchronously notion. This model showed that individual or group behaviors in an organization reflected the national culture dimension. Lastly is the GLOBEs model that was as result of 170 scientists working together with management students. The research was undertaken in 61 countries. The research aimed at studying the relationship between organizational culture, culture of the society, and organizational leadership (Brock et al., 2008). The model dimensions were as follows; focus on the future, sexual differentiation, uncertainty avoidance, assertiveness, power distance, institutional collectivism, within group collectivism, humanistic orientation, and focus on results. The GLOBEs model is viewed as the most comprehensive compared to two models. From the background study, national culture determines an individual or group behavior. Therefore, understanding national culture can enable global managers in behavioral management of employees in the organization. Significance of national culture to Behavior management National culture dominant and shapes organizational cultures and influence how they function. The national culture determines organizational culture of an organization and influences some practices that become part of the organization. The national culture shapes how people act, behave, perceive, hold values, and contribute towards the achievement of the organizational goals. An employee behavior is significant to achieving organizational goals through efficiency and effectiveness. The following are the significance of national culture to behavior management; Communication Communication is the process of sending messages through a language that a receiver can understand. Communication can either be verbal or non verbal. Verbal communication refers to sending of message though spoken language. Non verbal communication refers to body or symbol cues of sending a message that can be understood by the receiver. Communication is a cultural framework that enables decoding of a message from a correspondent to recipient. According to Ke and Wei (2008), the interpretation and the extent of understanding of a message from a correspondent to a receiver is highly influenced by culture. This entails that an individual ability to understand a message is based on the number of cultures one has lived in or familiar with. Communication builds relationship and determines how management interacts with the employees. The national culture determines acceptable or preferred methods of communicating in a business. National culture determines how people dress and how it is per ceived. Some national cultures are more formal than other. Global businesses are therefore required to adhere to national communication cultures in order to create best impression to the local business partners or employees. For instance, business communication etiquette in Japan starts with handing of business cards. The Japanese culture is very formal and requires business cards to start a meeting. In addition, communication in a country or organization is determined by the national culture dimension. For example, in countries where there is high power distance, addressing employees should include their titles before their names of which not adhered can cause disappointment in the work place. Therefore, national culture is significant to understanding communication in the society that can enhance effectiveness of the communication in the organization. Style of leadership The style of leadership to be adopted in an organization in a particular country is influenced by the nation culture. The style of leadership refers to managers style of implementing plans, motivating employees and providing direction. These are participatory, autocratic, and laissez-faire. The style of leadership determines the flow of power, responsibilities, and decision making in the organization. A participatory or democratic style of leadership is found in organization where the national culture dimension has low power distance, low masculine, and collectivism. These national culture dimensions encourage leaders to include employees in the management of the organization. The autocratic style of leadership is organizations that their national culture dimensions have high power distance, individualism, and masculine. The leader in an organization decides what has to be done and the employees are expected to follow instructions. Therefore, the culture influences the role and funct ions of employees and management in an organization. For instance, in countries with low power distance, the lower level employees are able to directly communicate to the manager which is opposite of cultures with high power distance. The style of leadership influences the behavior of the employees in the organization. This determines their contribution and engagement in the activities of an organization. This indicates that employees of different counties will have different expected style of leadership from their management. Therefore, adopting a style of leadership that does not align with the national culture can lead to employees protesting or have low morale at their work places. Organizational structure Organizational structure refers to organization framework that defines the way activities are coordinated, allocated, and supervised (Han et al., 2010). Organizational structure ensures all responsibilities in the organization are defined and who reports to who is indicated. The choice of an organizational structure is influenced by the type of culture that the management wants to introduce in the organization. The organizational structure establishes the organizational culture and need to change the culture requires the organizational to change the organizational structure. The organizational structure establishes norms and practices that have to be adhered to by the employees. The organizational culture also establishes communication channels in the organization. In addition, organizational structure defines power in the position in the organization that managers in different levels have. This determines how the organization is managed. The organizational structure of an organization should reflect the national culture in order to facilitate smooth functioning of the organization. For instance, the organizational structure should define the power sharing to avoid conflicts in high power distance societies. Organizations should also consider the relationship of the management and the employees because it influences employees motivation in the work place. Lastly, the organizational structure influences the organizational culture and therefore should ensure it reflects the society norms, beliefs, and values. Turnover and Absenteeism Turnover is the rate of employees quitting their jobs within a specific period of time. Absenteeism is a practice of an employee staying out of work. Turnover and absenteeism have adverse effect to the organizations performance. The inconsistency behaviors experienced in organizations are as a result of acceptance of the organizational culture and the national culture. The organization culture and national culture can allow and tolerate employees to stay away from work or even quit any time they feel like. This is different to other cultures that do not allow employees or managers to stay absent from their work. The national and organizational culture therefore dictates the values, norms, and acceptable practices in an organization. The national culture influences how people in the society values their job and the willingness to work without staying away from work or quitting. Motivation Employee motivation refers to commitment, creativity, and level of energy that an organizations employee brings in their workplace. Motivation determines the level of performance of the organizations (Tung, 2008). Motivated employees meet and exceed their targets while enabling the organization to attain competitive edge through innovations and inventions. Employees who are not motivated underperform in their workplace and they are a liability to the company. It is the responsibility of the management to manage their employees. People dont get motivated the same and it highly depends with the national culture to which a person belongs to. People in different countries value different things differently and therefore cannot be subjected in an equal measure for motivation. Motivation also depends on the organizational culture. For instance, organizations operating in collective cultures should ensure they respect their norms to individuals to feel motivated to work in the organization. People in collective society value to see their norms respected in their workplace and doing so makes them feel as part of the company and motivated to work. People in collective cultures also do not recognize personal motivation. On the other side, individuals from high power distance national countries value motivation based on personal interests. They associate motivation to how best it solves their problems and rather than job satisfaction. Motivation is therefore based on national culture and failure to understand what motivates an employee in the workplace can lead to adverse organizational performance. Organizational culture Organizational culture refers to shared values, assumptions, and beliefs that govern how employees behave in an organization. Organization culture has influence on how individuals act, dress, and perform their duties (Shimoni, 2011). The organizational culture differentiates one organization from one another. A good organizational culture gives an organization a competitive advantage. For example an organization culture that is innovation oriented enabled an organization to stay in the lead in the industry. The organizational culture is highly influenced by national culture. For instance, high power distance culture, organizations have centralized and bureaucratic organizational structures. On the other side, organizations in low power distance cultures, the organizational structure are flexible, flatter and encourage personnel participations. In another account, societies with high masculinity have women discriminated with few women in high ranks or even being given priority. This i s different in low masculinity cultures as all genders are given equal opportunities in their workplace. Conclusion From the discussion in this report, national culture highly influences people behavior in the country. People living in the same society live under the same norms, values and beliefs that enable them determine what is right or wrong and therefore what to accept or not accept. The national culture can be analyzed and determined using three models of national culture. The models outline the drivers of the behavior in the society. The relationship between the national culture and individual behavior is based on the learned over time, symbols, beliefs and values. The national culture influences how organizations are formed and managed in a country. The national culture dictates how the people in the society communicate, get motivated, and consistency in their jobs. National culture also influences the most appropriate style of leadership and organizational structure to be applied in the organization. Lastly, the organizational culture has to align with the national culture to avoid inter nal and conflict in the organization. Understanding national culture is significant for global managers in the process of managing employees behavior. It is therefore recommended for global managers to familiarize themselves with the national culture before starting working in a difference country. This will enable the organization to perform and meet it predetermined objectives in a foreign country. References Branine, M. and Pollard, D., (2010). Human resource management with Islamic management principles: A dialectic for a reverse diffusion in management. Personnel Review, 39(6), pp.712-727. Brock, David M., Oded Shenkar, Amir Shoham, and Ilene C. Siscovick (2008). "National culture and expatriate deployment." Journal of International Business Studies 39, no. 8: 1293-1309 De Mooij, M. and Hofstede, G. (2010). The Hofstede model. International Journal of Advertising, 29(1), pp.85-110. Hodgetts, R.M., Luthans, F. and Doh, J.P., (2006). International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior. McGraw-Hill Companies. Hickson, D.J. and Pugh, D.S.,( 2014). Management Worldwide: Distinctive Styles Among Globalization. Penguin UK. Han, S., Kang, T., Salter, S. and Yoo, Y.K.,( 2010). A cross-country study on the effects of national culture on earnings management. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(1), pp.123-141. Ke, W. and Wei, K.K., 2008. Organizational culture and leadership in ERP implementation. Decision support systems, 45(2), pp.208-218. Limsila, K. and Ogunlana, S.O., (2008). Performance and leadership outcome correlates of leadership styles and subordinate commitment. Engineering, construction and architectural management, 15(2), pp.164-184. Poole, M., (2013). Industrial relations: origins and patterns of national diversity (Vol. 4). Routledge. Pahl-Wostl, C., Tbara, D., Bouwen, R., Craps, M., Dewulf, A., Mostert, E., Ridder, D. and Taillieu, T., (2008). The importance of social learning and culture for sustainable water management. Ecological economics, 64(3), pp.484-495. Tung, R.L., (2008). The cross-cultural research imperative: The need to balance cross-national and intra-national diversity. Journal of International Business Studies, 39(1), pp.41-46. Shimoni, B. (2011). The representation of cultures in international and cross cultural management: Hybridizations of management cultures in Thailand and Israel. Journal of International Management, 17(1), pp.30-41. Shachaf, P., (2008). Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study. Information Management, 45(2), pp.131-142. Zheng, W., Yang, B. and McLean, G.N., (2010). Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management. Journal of Business research, 63(7), pp.763-771.

Merits and demerits of a balanced scorecard

Introduction Many organizations in the twenty first century usually use the balanced scorecard to align their strategies and visions. This is usually one of the strategic plans within such Companies. This concept is also usually incorporated by non profit organizations and government bodies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Merits and demerits of a balanced scorecard specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is also usually used in the measuring of overall performance of organization in relation to set goals. Some businesses usually use it to enhance their external and internal communications. (Atkinson, 2006) This concept is mostly known to have been initiated by Kaplan in the early 1950’s but started being implemented in the nineties. This model is mostly used to analyse employees’ activities throughout the year. This concept is usually praised for its advantages as a management framework within organization. It is also highly criticized for its various limitations experienced by users. This paper looks in-depth at the pros and cons of a balanced scorecard framework of performance management. (Kaplan and Norton, 2004) Merits Balanced view of organizational performance Just like any other framework of managing performance within organizations, the balanced scorecard has its pros and cons. One of the merits of the balanced scorecard is that managers are able to have a view of organization’s performance that is usually balanced in nature. This is comparing to other traditional methods that were used to analyse Company performance. In most cases, the methods would give financial aspects of the business only. They usually overlook other aspects that are part of organizational performance. (Kaplan and Norton, 2004) The balanced scorecard looks at all the features in the light of Company objectives. This enables management team to ascertain whether Company objectives are b eing met or not. This is considering the fact that an organization may be performing spectacularly in financial terms but has poor organizational development. (Neely, 2007)Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This also could include very poor customer satisfaction. It is also possible for an organization to be making enviable profit while its communication systems are poor and processes outdated. A balanced scorecard helps managers to analyze all these aspects and to have an overall view of the Company performance. Through the use of a balanced scorecard, there is a comprehensive view of the organization. (Pandey, 2005) This tends to overturn the conventional idea of organizations having separate departments and isolated functions. It helps to show that all units within organizations are correlated. Analysis of all essential departments helps management team to correct areas that require change. This also includes putting rectification measures in time before the Company’s performance is adversely affected. (Zanini, 2006) Helps in implementing organizational development Through the use of a balanced scorecard, it is easy to implement organizational development. Organizational development is usually implemented in an official and organized way. It involves, coaching and instructing employees in areas of need. It also helps in accomplishment of organizational goals. Majority of the goals are usually long term in nature. Organizational development is known to be part of the strategic plan in many Companies. This is where staffs are trained and educated on various areas such as customer care and resource management. The use of a balanced scorecard may show the customer care levels to be very low within the organization. This usually indicates that staffs need training on customer care. Through this method, staffs easily trained on areas shown t o have a deficit in service delivery. Research shows few managers implement strategic planning. (Atkinson, 2006) The use of strategic maps as part of the balanced scorecard helps the organization to know its participation in achievement of strategic goals. The balanced scorecard in itself can be used to educate staffs on different organizational aspects.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Merits and demerits of a balanced scorecard specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the balanced scorecard, it is easier to show staffs on the essence of incorporating more training and development. Staffs get to know the effect of training on overall performance of the organization both in the short term and long term. (Neely, 2007) Benefits of long term performance remedies are enjoyed Further analysis of the balanced scorecard shows that it is quite advantageous as compared to other traditional methods. Other traditio nal methods of performance management analysed financial situations in the Company. This usually resulted in incorporation of short term remedies on handling the problem. For instance, an organization in financial performance would have short term corrective measures put in place. These usually included an increase in prices among other interventions. (Pandey, 2005) Most of the times the short term remedies never worked in the long run resulting in a situation where organizations still had the initial problem to solve. When using a balanced scorecard, managers analyse both the short term and long term effects of remedies. This usually helps as managers are able to put in place strategies that work well for the organization even in the long term. Organizations that usually utilize the balanced scorecard as a framework of managing performance benefit from long term interventions of improving performance. (Zanini, 2006) Flexibility Analysis of the balanced scorecard shows that it makes it very easy to make amendments to the organization when need arises. This makes the system to be highly portable and quite flexible to use. Global and local business markets are usually known to be very unpredictable with changes occurring on a day to day basis. Such changes in the business environment usually necessitate organizations to make internal changes. A balanced scorecard usually helps to make necessary amendments in case of such changes in the business environment. A balanced scorecard helps to make changes in objectives and day to day measures so that strategic goals within the organization can be achieved.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Clear map that is strategic in nature Research shows that the balanced scorecard clearly illustrates the strategic and operational features in an organization. In most cases, organizational measures, actions and day to day decisions tend to waver away from the organization’s strategy. The management team in the organizations usually assumes that they are usually working on strategic goals while this is not usually the case. (Neely, 2007) The incorporation of the balanced scorecard as a framework of managing organizational performance helps in this realization. It usually provides a clear map that is strategic in nature. This also usually includes the cause and effect features of every action. These usually include measures taken on a day to day basis in relation to organizational goals. These strategic maps are simple and can be interpreted by any of the staffs within the organization. This is even those who may not have any prior knowledge in strategic management. (Zanini, 2 006) Planning tool A balanced scorecard is usually very essential in organizations since it can be used by managers as a planning tool. As earlier on illustrated, the business environment is highly characterized by uncertainty. Despite this, a balanced scorecard can be used to put in place a rational budget for a business’ financial year. It can also be used for resource allocation. This is more so financial and material resources within an organization. This is usually based on the fact that a balanced scorecard provides a fact based and systematic management framework. This usually helps to replace planning based on intuition. It usually helps managers to anticipate future outcomes. This is usually because of leading indicators in a balanced scorecard. The simulations and cause –effect features of the balanced scorecard make planning easier. (Neely, 2007) Facilitates improvements within an organization A balanced scorecard is usually known to facilitate improvement w ithin an organization. A balanced scorecard raises the visibility of managers on what is going on within the organization. This is because it shows areas that are currently performing well and those that are performing poorly. At one glance, managers can identify areas that need to be worked upon. (Neely, 2007) Through this, managers easily identify areas that require urgent changes. This spurs improvements to be carried out within the organization. Managers are usually able to identify best practices within an organization through the use of a balanced scorecard. Proponents of this model assert that a balanced scorecard helps to create more innovation opportunities within organization hence improvement of service provision and overall performance in organizations. (Zanini, 2006) Enhances accountability Unlike other traditional frameworks of performance management, the balanced scorecard is more comprehensive in nature. Various features within the organization are thoroughly analyse d and not just financial aspects. This tends to encourage accountability of stakeholders within the Company. This is founded on the fact that the work done in every department has to be analyzed. This in most cases is not just the accountability of employees but also that of the management team. (Pandey, 2005) Some organizations tailor the balanced scorecard such that time management of all staffs and management team is analysed. This also usually includes the way they relate to other staffs within the organization. Employees and management team tend to be more responsible as they go about their duties. (Kaplan and Norton, 2004) Essential in benchmarking Balanced scorecard helps managers to identify areas that are performing poorly within the organization. Benchmarking is part and parcel of strategic management. Many businesses are incorporating benchmarking in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. An essential step in benchmarking is identifying processes within an organiz ation. Generally, benchmarking gives a different view of handling quality issues within an organization. It actually acts against any resistance to change whatsoever. This entire process can be carried out by an organization as an individual venture or as a joint undertaking between organizations. (Kaplan and Norton, 2004) A balanced scorecard makes it easy for managers to identify the process within the Company. It also makes it easy to compare the performance of various processes and departments. This allows improvement of quality of production, service delivery to be improved through benchmarking process. It is also essential to note that the balanced scorecard can be used for comparing performance of processes and departments between organizations. (Neely, 2007) Break down of measures at the corporate level A balanced scorecard is usually known to help in breaking down measures at the corporate level. This is such that managers at local levels clearly understand their role in en hancing organizational effectiveness. This also includes the role of the rest of the employees within the organization in improving overall corporate effectiveness. This makes stakeholders take their positions and roles since they get to understand the organizational measures in their respective levels. This means that the organizational strategy is usually made operational through overall translation into targets and measures for each group of staffs. (Zanini, 2006) Limitations Scorecard metrics There are also some limitations of using a balanced scorecard as a framework of managing performance in organizations. One of limitations is the fact that the metrics in the framework do not relate to all organizations. It means that the balanced scorecard metrics cannot be used for all organizations that would desire to use it. This usually leads to a situation where some organizations incorporate the balanced scorecard, use the metrics. These are usually not beneficial to the organization . This makes the entire process of using the balanced scorecard meaningless as the organization may not benefit at all. It is usually recommended that managers tailor make metrics that are usually relevant to the organization before using the balanced scorecard. This would help analyse and improve current performance. (Atkinson, 2006) Limited view of organizational performance Critics of the balanced scorecard assert that it does not give a full view of Company performance. The scorecard has four major areas that managers use as a framework of analyzing performance. These areas in essence are mostly meant to show development and growth aspects of any business. The four areas, according to critics, do not who the overall picture of performance in an organization. It is usually worth noting the financial metric on the framework is not comprehensive in nature. It is highly recommended that managers use the balanced scorecard as part of strategy that is bigger. There is mostly the need for organizations to incorporate comprehensive accounting models as part of the bigger strategy. This usually helps to have a more overall view of Company performance. (Atkinson, 2006) Incorporation of non financial measures For an organization to use the balanced scorecard, it has to tailor the metrics to the Company processes in order to enhance relevancy. This means that managers have to include non financial metrics in order to have an overall view of performance. This has been cited to be a complicated venture. This is usually based on the fact that organizations usually have many non financial departments. It is mostly difficult for managers to identify non-financial metrics to be included and those that should be excluded. This is because the balanced scorecard cannot be effective if all dimensions within the organization have to be included in the framework. (Kaplan and Norton, 2004) When the dimensions are very many, the balanced scorecard usually has high chances of failin g. Critics of the balanced scorecard assert that it is challenging to track non-financial dimensions. This is because the dimensions are usually subjective in nature. The biggest challenge for managers is to include dimensions that are mostly related to outcomes that are usually defined in nature. (Neely, 2007) Time consuming While the balanced scorecard has been applauded for myriad advantages, it has one major limitation. It is usually a very time consuming process. This requires managers to burn the midnight oil trying to workout the balanced scorecard to suit their organizations. Collecting information concerning all the metrics on the balanced scorecard takes a lot of time. Usually this involves collecting information from various stakeholders within the organization. The implementation of the balanced scorecard requires participation of both the management team and staffs. If any of them fails to participate then, the process can never be successful. This in the long run is us ually quite time consuming. (Pandey, 2005) Limited in scanning external environment A balanced scorecard is an essential tool of analysing the internal environment in organizations. This tool is usually limited since it cannot be used to scan the external business environment. This means that balanced scorecard cannot be used in scanning external environmental factors. It cannot replace external environmental systems used to analyse the environment. Managers need to incorporate other systems when scanning the external environment. (Pandey, 2005) Resistance in initiating balanced scorecard Researchers assert that there are various challenges commonly faced when managers try to implement a balanced scorecard. It is usually resisted by some of the staffs during the initiation process. This is usually because they do not see the holistic picture. This requires total commitment of top management. In most cases, employees tend to resist the new system, since they perceive it as a tool tha t is mostly used to show underperformance. Some staffs tend to perceive it as unnecessary addition of administrative tasks. (Atkinson, 2006) Conclusion A balanced scorecard is usually incorporated as part of a Company’s strategies. It mostly used to align strategies and visions in organizations. It is also usually used in the measuring of overall performance of organization in relation to set goals. This concept is mostly known to have been initiated by Kaplan in the early 1950’s but started being implemented in the nineties. This model is usually used to analyse employees’ activities throughout the year. The model has various advantages and limitations. A balanced scorecard gives balanced view of organizational performance. It enhances flexibility when amendments need to be made. It also usually encourages accountability of staffs and even the management team. It is useful to benchmarking process and helps in implementing organizational development. A balanced scorecard also has its limitations. This includes the fact that it is time consuming. It requires a lot of time to include all the metrics in the framework of performance management. It is quite challenging for managers to include all the metrics in the balanced scorecard. It is limited in scanning external environment. This means that it can only be used in scanning the internal environment in organizations. Critics of the balanced scorecard assert that it gives a limited view of organizational performance. This is because it is not all inclusive in terms of relevant metrics in organizations. All in all, balanced scorecard is quite instrumental in organizations and the merits far outweigh the limitations. References Atkinson, H. (2006). Strategy Implementation- A role for the Balanced Scorecard:  Management Decision. 44, 10: 141-1460. Kaplan, R., and Norton, D. (2004). Measuring the strategic readiness of intangible  Assets: Harvard Business Review, 82(2): 52-63. Neely, A. (200 7). The search for meaningful measures: Management Services 51, 2:14-17. Pandey, I. (2005). Balanced Scorecard Myth and Reality: Interfaces, 30, 1: 51-64. Zanini, M. (2006). The Balanced Scorecard here and back: Management Accounting Quarterly, 7, 4: 18-23. This research paper on Merits and demerits of a balanced scorecard was written and submitted by user Makenzie U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence Free Online Research Papers With all the different things in the world that change day by day, some can beone can encounter positive and some can be negative changes. Due to the fact of breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the effect on the job world and how National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contributes to the growth and positive reflection of Artificial Intelligence, it seems as though AI will definitely be a positive change. The future of the Artificial Intelligence is getting stronger and stronger as each day passes. With the unemployment rates still around 5.5% and decreasing from previous months, Artificial Intelligence is mostly a positive negative change on the outlook of the job market because of the advancement of technology. As NASA is the leading space aviator in the country, there is no one else fit to gain, boost moral and contribute towards AI. Artificial Intelligence will be one of the top technological necessities in the near future. As time, seasons, and technology change, so does the definition of Artificial Intelligence. â€Å"Artificial Intelligence, in light of this definition of intelligence, is simply the application of artificial or non-naturally occurring systems that use the knowledge-level to achieve goals† (Newell). The easiest definition to believe in is that AI is any machine that relates to a human if it’s through a program. Artificial Intelligence is â€Å"the ability of a computer or other machine to perform those activities that are normally thought to require intelligence† (Dictionary). Some machines were and are built to make our lives easier, keep us alive longer and stay healthy. â€Å"The only everyday ‘robots’ so far are things like car-building machines in Detroit, Sonys Aibo plastic dog, and mini-moon rovers that crawl through blast sites. Is the definition of the word robot ‘any machine that adjusts its own behavior according to feedback from its sensors?’ If so, thermostats, microwave ovens and light-sensitive patio lights are robots, too† (Pogue). With all the technological advancements everyday, Artificial Intelligence will improve over time. Artificial Intelligence is not just a machine that not only performs futile activities but can also provide useful help in lawenforcement, construction, cleaning, entertainment and medical services. The law Enforcement enforcement type is widely used as a robot that sees and moves into a territory to capture a video of the suspect or suspects. Another example of AI is used in law enforcement when Policeofficers get around streets, airports and sidewalks with the all newly invented Segway. With the use of the Segway, â€Å"You’re looking out above the crowd, you can see blocks ahead. It’s like you’re Shaquille O’Neal on wheels† (Mensching). Another type of military AI is Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) which has recently come to the front stage of research. These are small, lightweight devices that fly without operator control, thereby making them autonomous. Unmanned Air Vehicles are remotely piloted vehicles and robotic aircraft. They can be drastically cheaper to develop, build, and use than manned aircraft, which require sophisticated life support systems. With Artificial Intelligence being used to enforce laws, why not for construction? The answer is that it is already being used for construction with the back up of NASA. With multiple robots attacking one large pile of steel or any material it would be faster then if humans tried since the robots are stronger, smarter and group relating with all of the other robots. The Center Load behavior is activated when the force in the gimbal on either of the rovers exceeds a specified threshold. The corrective procedure, the lead rover performs its correction while the follow rover waits. When the lead rover has completed its correction, the rovers reverse and follow rover performs its correction. (RCC) You can’t seem to walk or drive anywhere without at least one person in a hurry. With the right equipment you now can vacuum your house when you’re on the go and shop at your favorite mall or sporting goods store. The Roomba is â€Å"a 3-inch-tall U.F.O.-like disc about a foot across now in red or blue with black accents that scuttles across floors and carpets, both sucking up dust and, with a spinning brush, whisking away bigger chunks of detritus. When it runs into something, it smartly rotates forty-five degrees and marches off in a different direction† (Pogue). Now with a robot that is considered Artificial Intelligence cleaning your floors for you while you’re not at home or near it, if that’s not amazing then what is? The next big type of breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence is that it’s being used to entertain humans all over the world. The aggressive progress of technology makes nearly every game a new beginning. Artificial Intelligence is very dependent on concrete details of the game environment. AI techniques can be applied to a variety of tasks in modern computer games. A game using networks to predict the players next move in order to pre-compute graphics may be on a high Artificial Intelligence level. Although AI must not always be real, the desire of Artificial Intelligence in computer games is primarily related to guiding non-player characters to make the game more entertaining. Yet another breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence is in the Medical medical field. With a surging elderly population in many countries throughout the world Artificial Intelligence will rise to unprecedented levels. â€Å"These advocates see robots serving not just as helperscarrying out simple chores and reminding patients to take their medicationbut also as companions, even if the machines can carry on only a semblance of a real dialogue† (Glick). The new addition for the elderly to live longer, stay healthy and be mobile through the use of robotics. The ideal results will be a major savings in medical costs, reduced burdens on the family and caretakers. Yasuyuki Toki, a researcher at NEC System Technologies, thinks emotional attachments to robots must be studied carefully. The future of Artificial Intelligence is in the hands of this generation and how it will impact the world. The world will not be the same today as in the futurewill not be the same in the future as today due to the technology boom, the creation, and ability to give AI â€Å"legal and ethical status to our here-and-now legal institutions† (Sokis). It has been said many times that by the year 2050 that our way of living and how we provide meals for holidays will drastically change due to AI. With the advancements of Artificial Intelligence â€Å"We will be sitting down to eat a synthetic turkey, with a robot helping out to prepare the trimmings† Jane Wakefield of BBC News Online states (Wakefield). There will also be information systems that will have real-time instructions that will monitor the cooking to make sure that it will not burn up like your Aunt’s meals every family gathering. By Christmas day 2050, through Artificial Intelligence, the atmosphere of the h oliday by Christmas 2050 it will all be all about the presents and nothing about the religious beliefs that have founded that surround the day. holiday. Some predictions for the future Christmas Christmas’s is are talking Barbie dolls which are able to respond to their owners and construction sets where the children will be able to design and build anything they put their minds to imagine.. With a new technology boom on the way and needed more then ever, it gives AI a great chance to experiment and develop some very useful and practical ideas for the near future. With the ability of purchasing groceries, clothes, automobiles and even houses in the luxury of your own home while wearing only your underwear is simply amazing because of the internet. The purchasing power of the internet has closely become a routine for many people all over the world. â€Å"When demand increases in one place, its consequences can be felt efficiently, and immediately, elsewhere. Wal-Mart led the way with it’s long-ago deal with Proctor Gamble automating shelf replenishment, but now that is also routine† (Kirkpatrick). The development of a program to distinguish what products need re-ordering and what products are expiring is impressive. Technology is not always a positive according to some people. As Mr. Heberling, a teacher at the local Webster Thomas High School and the head of the Science Olympiad team, has stated, that there a few negatives possibilities of Artificial Intelligence. In the interview with Mr. Heberling, the answer to the question of:I asked him how he saw AI in the future for himself. He responded, â€Å" â€Å"How do you see AI in the future for yourself? The answer was â€Å"A bad thing, because humans could eventually have the ability to lose control of the robot, whether they reason or not.† Mr. Heberling is not the only person who sees the advancement of Artificial Intelligence a negative issue. Another question asked to Mr. Heberling was,: Whatwhat are some concerns that you see with the advancement of AI? The output was, â€Å"Robots possibly and able to make decisions without human intervention, especially if biological.† Some say in the future robots will take us over and there is no way of stopping them. The ever so rise of machines will one day over power the ordinary job tasks that a few individuals think that are annoying and tidies. Even though â€Å"the aliveness’ into everything we do, and let electronic systems take over the dead, dull stuff, Samson says. winning Winning strategy for the information age is to inject ‘Richard Samson, author of the forthcoming book called ‘The Human Edge’, is convinced we are teetering on the precipice of an employment revolution for only the second time in modern history† (Crozier). The electronics revolution is a threat to the brain power of the human race. Many individuals have already been replaced by a machine. Take automobile manufacturing for instance,. The auto makers now have robots that do these jobs; paint the cars, weld, build assemblies, Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) milling, assembly line functions and Armature winders. With all the jobs that humans once had getting thrown off to the side by the robot that will never stop unless broken, complain to the boss, take a break, and never walk away from the job. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contributes to the growth and positive reflection of Artificial Intelligence with the donation of more then $666,000.00 each year towards For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) to more than 111 teams and 5 events. The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, multinational competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. The people at NASA also bring not only satellite broadcasts of the regional competitions and the nationals, but also the kickoff, which marks the start of a new season. NASA not only does the FIRST program but also the Botball program which gives students hands-on learning outside of the classroom to build and program a team of robots also project management skills that will prepare students for the workforce. NASA also has a Robotic Construction Crew that builds and constructs objects while computing with ot her robots. Many might ask what’s with all the talk about robots and Artificial Intelligence when we are not going to be taken over by an object that we have made? The answer is it that we have a chance to be taken over by robot might but, the realistic point as of today is that we will not be taken over by the creatures that we have developed happen and it might not happen; all we can do right now is wait and hope it doesn’t happen in the future. The future of AI looks bright and hopeful. While the breakthroughs are outstanding and don’t lack having the ability to do anything that we can put our minds to, AI is an endless supply of vast knowledge getting pout into a program to make our lives easier and better. Maybe in the future due to Artificial Intelligence we will be playing a sport on segways or a hovercraft type robot to score a point. The future could also lead to robots that will patrol our streets and keep the human police officers off the dangerous streets from be ing shot or dangerously injured. Possibly those same robots could be building our houses for us with out one single mistake or failure. It is not very hard notice once you walk through a well developed mall that you notice at least one video game store. The video game industry is a vast array of Artificial Intelligence that entertains people who enjoy sport games, first person shooters, role playing, and any other kind of video games. With all these people who enjoy video games, they will also enjoy all the different types of AI gifts for the holidays like a talking Barbie dolls which interact with their owners and construction sets that allow the user to build anything that will interact with the user. The medical purposes will let our mothers, grandmothers and pets live longer then they do. Artificial Intelligence will allow robots to keep an eye on our elderly and take care of them when needed. The effect of all this new technology to the world is mainly positive but also negativ e at the same time. Once we start replacing people at jobs with robots our unemployment rate will increase and will suffer a moderate depression even though the AI will also bring new jobs into the market. The only bad thing with the new jobs into the market is that the people who have lost the job will have to be re-educated and trained for the new jobs that interact with the robots that have taken over their job. Artificial Intelligence will be one of the top technological necessities in the near future because of all the breakthroughs, the increase on the job market, the inevitable technology boom, and all the contributions that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration bring to Artificial Intelligence. The world will be a better place and an excellent environment for future inventions, creatures, and even war now that Artificial Intelligence has an impact on how we will live and interact with the environment. As the technology boom declines we will be left with nothing t hat any person could have expected in return, a new outlook on life and how we see the world. Works Citied Crozier, Ry. â€Å"Rise of the Machines.† Electronic News.com. 14 Feb. 2005. Reed Business Information. 13 Feb. 2005 . Heberling, Charles. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2005. Kirkpatrick, David. â€Å"The Real Boom.† 4 Dec. 2003. Fortune.com. 9 Feb. 2005 . Pogue, David. â€Å"The Robot Returns, Cleaning up.† 28 Aug. 2003. New York Times. 9 Jan. 2005 . â€Å"Robotic Construction Crew starts to work† robotslife.com 16 Jan. 2002 Robots Life. 9 Dec. 2004 â€Å"Robots seen as Companions for elderly.† AI Magazine Summer 2004, Vol. 25. Proquest. Webster Thomas High School, Thomas Library. 30 Nov. 2004 â€Å"SimCity used in AI experiment: new urban planning computers.† Computer Shopper Aug. 1992, Vol. 12. Pro Quest. Webster Thomas High School, Thomas Library. 30 Nov. 2004 Soskis, Benjamin. â€Å"Man and the Machines.† Legal Affairs. Jan/Feb. 2005. LegalAffairs.org. 3 Jan. 2005 . Wakefield, Jane. â€Å"Hi-Tech Ghosts of Christmas Future.† 25 Dec. 2002. BBC News. 12 Jan. 2005 . Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary  © 1996, 1998 MICRAWith Christmas 2050 coming soon, how could all those vegetarian people not like the turkey that is cooked by your robot companion and is made of 0% real turkey? Research Papers on Artificial intelligenceBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaHip-Hop is ArtOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAW

Article Summaries Essay examples

Article Summaries Essay examples Article Summaries Essay examples Research Summary Paper PP7050: Physiological Psychology Argosy University, Orange County 23 October 2013 Article Summary: â€Å"Neuroimaging in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Current and Future Predictors of Functional Outcome†(Suskauer & Huisman, 2009) A review by Suskaur and Huisman (2009) discusses new brain imaging techniques (i.e., diffusion weighted (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), and H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS)) and presents current research on their abilities to identify functional outcomes following TBI in the pediatric population due to their sensitivity in detecting microstructural brain injuries such as diffuse axonal injury (DAI). This review also discusses traditional anatomical imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as their insensitivity in detecting microstructural brain injuries. The authors suggest that the ability to more accurately identify the degree of brain injury early on may assist in determining patients’ sequelae of injury, individualizing treatment, implementing early intervention to limit further brain injury, and increasing efficiency of rehab for patients. Current research studies related to this review are referenced. For example, according to Lee and Newberg (2005), brain imaging following TBI is often essential to identifying patients’ sequelae of injury and prompting necessary interventions (i.e., surgery). This supports the clinical relevance of this review. Furthermore, according to Bauer and Fritz (2004), many age-related differences between the brain of a child and that of an adult exist that impact injury and rehabilitation. Therefore, the authors of this review solely focus on the pediatric population for the sake of continuity of findings. The method employed in this review was a review of current literature. Specifically, details of brain imaging methods are explicated. For example, according to the authors, CT is quick, easy, and accessible and provides information on the acute setting of TBI. However it has limited ability to identify the extent of DAI, only presents more obvious injuries, and is limited by its use of ionizing radiation. MRI is more accurate in detecting DAI. MRI studies have revealed associations between anatomical locations of lesions and post-TBI global functioning. For example, studies have demonstrated that deeper, more centrally located brain lesions are associated with worse outcomes (Grados et al., 2001). Anatomical MRI studies have also demonstrated relationships between post-traumatic ADHD, personality change, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. However, there is no significant consensus in this literature. DWI is a new, noninvasive functional MRI technique that shows differentiation between the diffusion of protons in the brain and, therefore, differentiation between cytotoxic and vasogenic edemas, which are associated with DAI. Studies reveal that vasogenic may be reversible, while cytotoxic usually is not. Overall, DWI provides a greater degree of abnormality and better predicts outcomes compared to other techniques. DTI takes it a step further and measures the direction and proportion of diffusion. DTI results have been found to demonstrate relationships with injury severity and functional outcome. Additionally, DTI shows promise for future research investigating underlying mechanisms of recovery and pediatric brain development. SWI measures extracellular and extravascular blood products in the brain. It is very sensitive in detecting quantity and volume of lesions, which are associated with global (i.e., coma) and neurocognitive outcomes (i.e., IQ). H-MRS assesses for injury by analyzing the presence of neurometabolites. Disturbance in these has been found to be predictive of specific outcomes (i.e., good/bad, cognitive, and behavioral). In sum, future research

Political Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Political Communication - Essay Example Findings & Analysis Question 1 The initial question of the survey aimed at determining the significance and importance of an effective political communication system with respect to the worldwide community in relation to Bahrain’s global reputation. It was found in this regard that majority of the individuals, i.e. nearly 53% found this particular aspect to be extremely important (refer to figure 1). The majority of the respondents believed in the fact of keeping up a strong procedure and system of political communication with the global community for the reason of managing the international reputation of Bahrain. Although, the other 40% of the respondents did not consider this factor to be extremely significant, even though identifying this notion to be quite an important factor (refer to figure 1). However, the remaining 7% of the respondents merely regarded this notion to be important to a limit and did not find it necessary to focus much attention (refer to figure 1). Anot her significant aspect that came into light was that none of the respondents did completely disregard this specific stated idea. This implies that most of the respondents believed in the above stated fact. The graphical representation of this fact can be observed below: Figure 1 The above response obtained from the question evidently relates to the fact of considering political communication to be immensely important as well as quite critical for a particular country to build and enhance its global reputation (Umland, 1999). Question 2 Political communication has already been considered to be a vital aspect for developing and managing the reputation of a country. This particular question of the survey made efforts to identify the gaps that are supposed to exist in the manner the... Political communication has already been considered to be a vital aspect for developing and managing the reputation of a country. This particular question of the survey made efforts to identify the gaps that are supposed to exist in the manner the political communications are dealt with in Bahrain. 53.3% of the respondents believed that few of the information that gets communicated politically are assumed to be partially true. 23.3% of the respondents in this regard stated that all the information generated in the process of political communication was considered to be untrue or rather misleading (refer to figure 2). 40% of the individuals displayed their opinion regarding the fact that the generated information was increasingly subjected to opinion rather than any portrayal of facts (refer to figure 2). The majority of the respondents, i.e. around 76.7% stated that the information was not issued at the appropriate time which turned to be quite a significant gap with regard to the pr ocess of political communication (refer to figure 2). The similar percentage of respondents, i.e. 76.7%, also agreed to the fact that the information proves to be insufficient in answering the queries of the general public (refer to figure 2). 46.7% of the respondents considered the generated political information to be discriminatory (refer to figure 2). Furthermore, 53.3% of the respondents also supposed that the information provided was inadequate in nature as it lacked in encompassing all the facts as well as concerned individuals.

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation - Essay Example This is an interpretation of the fact that organizational goals have been attained with the inclusion of motivational strategies among the employees. In all organizations, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that the employees are always motivated through a study of the needs of these employees and organizing them according to the needs of the staff. In this case, therefore, the cases of dissatisfaction among the employees will be minimal since assessment of the needs of the staff are well scrutinized, making the employers have a chance to motivate these employees towards attaining the performance of the entire organization. Moreover, motivation has been accredited for its ability to drive the employees towards goal attainance, by aiding the employees get over the factors that restrained goal achievement (Gerhart, 2005). In light to this argument, motivation can be described as the direction towards setting the pace for goal attainment and completion. If the managers h ave the need to make their organizations achieve the best, the desire for accomplishment can only be possible if they motivate the employees. However, Herrera (2002) cautions all the managers against applying motivational strategies in the organization prior to consulting the employees on their opinions. In turn, the organization enjoys productive employees, who are self directed towards making tangible decisions regarding the organizational objectives. Studies indicate that employees who are motivated are more enthusiastic and are constantly on the move to ensure that the organization attains the best through dedicated service. These groups of motivated employees must be treated with utmost respect as are the custodians of the organizations. This is emphasized in the work by Holton, Dent & Rabbetts (2009) who argue that employee preparedness cannot be overruled in a discussion of successful organizations. From the research compiled by Panisoara & Panisoara (2006), high-quality perf ormance in organizations is greatly correlated with motivated workers. In the quest to achieve organizational goals, apposite motivation among the employees has led to the employees having the ability to deal with any form of challenges that they may face. This is also linked to the fact that the managers always allocate roles to the employees that are best suited so that they get contented while performing them. An industrial company mainly depends on human labour to achieve its goals. Human labour comprises of about 50 percent of the most valuable assets in these organizations. According to Ramlall (2004), employees in manufacturing companies carry the biggest responsibility on whether the company competes relatively in the market. As almost all companies do, they should try as much as possible to retain their current group of employees. In HS Engineering, the decrease in profits and turnover may be attributed to sloppiness among employees. With multiple operations going on in the company, motivation and rewarding of employees should be the first priority if they have to get back to their profit making ways. In an argument by Schepers, et al., (2005) an organization where the needs of employees are ignored, the turnover and profits rate must be at their lowest levels. Organizations must consider several factors when dealing in employee’s welfare. For instance, the cost of acquiring a new labour workforce in the United Kingdom is very costly. The U.K as a developed country, individuals

Why study Chemical and Biological Engineering Essay Example for Free

Why study Chemical and Biological Engineering Essay Engineering combines quantitative analysis and synthesis to elucidate system design principles. Through the genomics revolution engineers can now begin to tackle biological problems using the same measure, model, and manipulate approach they have applied to physics and chemistry. Indeed, applying this system approach is widely recognised as essential not only for the development of innovative biotechnologies but also to yield fundamental scientific understanding of biological systems. As our ability to modify and control biological systems increases, biological processes will replace chemical and mechanical processes due to their inherent advantages of renewable resources, mild operation conditions and minimal waste problems. Early signs of the change are seen not only in the high-value pharmaceutical industry, but also in the production of bulk chemicals like lysine by fermentation and in bioleaching of copper and gold from mineral ore. Advances in our understanding of and ability to mimic biological systems are also inspiring completely new approaches such as nanotechnology and tissue engineering, which will form the foundation of new industries of the 21st century. Chemical biology is a scientific discipline spanning the fields of chemistry and biology. It involves the application of chemical techniques and tools, often compounds produced through synthetic chemistry, to the study and manipulation of biological systems. Chemical biologists attempt to use chemical principles to modulate systems to either investigate the underlying biology or create new function. Research done by chemical biologists is often closer related to that of cell biology than biochemistry. Biochemists study of the chemistry of biomolecules and regulation of biochemical pathways within cells and tissues, e. g. cAMP or cGMP, while chemical biologists deal with novel chemical compounds applied to biology. Pharmacology researches the effect of highly selective chemical compounds on cells, tissues, organs and organisms. Toxicology researches the adverse effect of highly selective chemical compounds on cells, tissues, organs and organisms. In the field of drug discovery, hit identification is the screening of chemical libraries of small molecules in biological systems such ascell lines or whole animals to identify compounds that cause a desirable change in phenotype. [1] This strategy which employsphenotypic screening to identify starting points for drug discovery is also known as classical pharmacology,[2] forward pharmacology,[3]or phenotypic drug discovery (PDD). [4] In ecology, you study the relationships among organisms. You look at past, present, and future environments. You examine factors such as population size, pollutants, rainfall, temperature, and altitude. You study various environments oceans, deserts, forests, and grasslands and the dynamics of each habitat. You learn about plants, animals, birds, fish, and humans. You also learn about natural predators and how species compete for food, water, and shelter. This program requires a broad background in the life and natural sciences. The study of ecology enables you to contribute to our understanding and preservation of the natural world. Some community colleges offer a two-year program in this field. With this preparation, you can work as a field crewmember, technical assistant, or lab technician. Pharmacology is the branch of medicine andbiology concerned with the study of drug action,[1] where a drug can be broadly defined as any man-made, natural, or endogenous (within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemical and/or physiological effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemi cals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinalproperties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. Astronomy The natural world beyond the earth Astrophysics All physics required to understand astronomical phenomena (includes elements of nearly all fields of physics) Cosmology The universe: its origin, structure, and evolution on the largest possible scale Cosmogony The origin of the universe (and sometimes the solar system), is a subfield of cosmology Astrochemistry All chemistry required to understand astronomical phenomena (primarily the chemistry of the interstellar medium and protostellar accretion disks) Space Science The physics of the interplanetary medium Planetary Science The physics of planets, their formation, structure and evolution Astrology The purported relationships between the planetary positions at the time of a persons birth, that persons personality, and events in that persons life. A pseudoscience, has no scientific basis.

NETWORK EFFECTS AND COMPETITION: :: essays research papers

In many industries, the network of consumers using compatible products or services influences the benefits of consumption. Positive network effects arise when the consumer utility of using a product or service increases with the number of users of that product or service. The telephone system is a widely used example since it seems clear that the value of being part of the network rises as the network sizes increases. Consumption benefits can also arise in markets where a large customer network leads to increases in complementary products and services, which in turn, leads to increased consumer utility (e.g., see Farrell and Saloner 1985; Katz and Shapiro 1985;1986). Prominent examples of industries thought to exhibit network effects include automated bank teller machines, computer hardware and software, videocassette recorders, video games, and Internet web browsers. Not surprisingly, network externalities and the implications of having a large installed customer base are receiving increased attention by strategy researchers (e.g., Garud and Kumaraswamy 1993; Hill 1995; Wade 1995). As noted by Majumdar and Venkataraman (1998), the literature related to network effects broadly tackles three categories of research questions: (1) technology adoption decisions (e.g., what factors are related to whether and when a new technology is adopted), (2) technology compatibility decisions (e.g., what factors influence a firm’s decision to seek compatibility), and (3) decisions among competing incompatible technologies (e.g., what factors are related to consumers’ choices among rival incompatible products within a single product category). While theoretical research has addressed all three of these categories, empirical research has been limited to the first and second categories of questions (e.g., see the reviews in David and Greenstein 1990; Liebowitz and Margolis 1994; Economides 2001). Empirical efforts supporting the existence of network effects for a single product technology show that a larger network size is related to higher minicomputer sales (Hartman and Teece 1990), higher likelihood of adopting a new telecommunications technology (Majumdar and Venkataraman 1998), and quicker adoption of a new banking technology (Saloner and Sheppard 1995). In addition, Gandal (1994; 1995) and Brynjolfsson and Kemerer (1996) use a hedonic price model to show that consumers are willing to pay higher prices for software products that are compatible with the dominant product standard, i.e., the product with the larger customer network. However, with the exception of a few industry case studies (e.g., Gabel 1991; Grindley 1995; Liebowitz and Margolis 1999), we are unaware of any published studies that empirically investigate the nature of network effects in an industry with multiple competing product technologies that are incompatible.

Rabbit Proof Fence Essay

Physical journeys involve the movement of a person from one place to another. They provide opportunities for travellers to extend themselves physically, intellectually and emotionally as they respond to challenges and learn more about the world around them. This concept of physical journeys can be clearly seen in the texts â€Å"Rabbit-Proof Fence† by Phillip Noyce and â€Å"A Horse with No Name† by America. Both texts use a number of methods and technical features, to represent the journey and the impact of its result. The film â€Å"Rabbit-Proof Fence† tells the story of 3 Aboriginal girls (Molly, Daisy and Gracie) who travel on foot across 1500km of inhospitable Australian outback to be reunited with their family, after being forcibly removed by the Australian government. It has been represented as a physical journey of epic proportions, an act of survival and a quest for freedom, as the girls lead by Molly, overcome various obstacles. Such as surviving without food, water or shelter in the harsh Australian bushland, while navigating their way home via the rabbit-proof fence and cleverly outsmarting their tracker. The primary setting of the text is the physical landscape of outback Australia over which the girls embark their journey. This landscape is used throughout the film to represent the progression of the girl’s journey through its changing terrain, emphasising the distance they have travelled and the hardships that they have had to face. Their lack of freedom on the journey is represented visually through the juxtaposition of point of view shots of the landscape through the bars of imprisonment, when they are being sent away. This contrasts the previous scenes where an aerial shot is taken of them roaming freely, in their vast and spacious environment. In effect it symbolises they oppression that they feel and creates an understanding of the importance of the journey to the girls. The use of other film techniques such as slow motion, the playing of indigenous Australian music and close-up shots of their faces during the girls travels emphasis their physical and emotional displacement as a result of the journey. Also as the film is seen through the eyes of Molly we are aware of the importance of the journey to her through her continuous determination, as well as the impact it has had on her through her gradual deterioration and exhaustion. The film relies on the conventions of realism to represent the physical journey undertaken. The hardship of the journey is illustrated through a series of images, including a heat haze-where they are dragging their feet through the sand, them digging desperately for water and Molly carrying Daisy, as she cannot continue any longer. This physical journey has resulted in individual learning and growth and an understanding of the world. This is particularly evident through the character of Molly. As a result of this journey, she has discovered many things about herself, her spirituality and her identity, as well as the world she lives in, and her place in it. In the song â€Å"A Horse with No Name† a story is told about a man travelling by himself through the desert on a horse. He is exploring the world, and discovering things about himself and life without the interruptions that society and its people bring. The theme of physical journey has been reinforced by the consistent rhyming pattern of ABAB throughout the song. As it flows, it progressively reveals his story and reinforces the impact it has had on him. The concept of physical journey has also been achieved through the choice of words that reveal his inner feelings and motifs. Evidence of this is in the line â€Å"in the desert you can remember your name, cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain†. This indicates he is on the search for his identity and to escape from society, which inturn represents the physical journey as a quest for spiritual growth and change. Throughout the journey the man looks many aspects of nature and life, these have had an impact on him physically due to the harsh climate of the desert and emotionally due to the sadness he feels in the face of death. This is illustrated through the use of figurative language in the lyrics and shows the impact and reality of the journey. The metaphor â€Å"the ocean is a desert with its life underground, and a perfect disguise above† represents and adds depth to the theme of physical journeys resulting in discovery and an understanding of the world. The extensive use of visual features and imagery such as â€Å"the sky with no clouds†, and the â€Å"red hot desert sun† coupled with the precise attention to descriptive detail, offers a realism to the experiences on his journey and the impact that this journey has made in his life. In conclusion, in both â€Å"rabbit-proof fence† and â€Å"a horse with no name† the concept of physical journeys is represented as a way by which people learn about themselves and discover the world around them, and will often result in spiritual growth.

Study on the Financial Management for Small Business

Financial Management for the Small Business B. The â€Å"Thirteen Steps† to acquiring a business B. Beginning the search-who can help? 2. Choosing the method that is best for your situation 3. Some different methods of valuing a business VI. The rewards of working for yourself The decision to purchase a business of your own is not an easy task. There are many things to consider before the final decision is made. First of all, exactly what do you want to accomplish? To make millions of dollars, right? Or is it to have the freedom of being your own boss? Whatever the reason, you must be sure that it is something that you are ready to devote an exorbitant amount of time and energy into and that it is something that you really want. Otherwise, you might be stuck doing something that you hate. If you are ready to commit then you must ask yourself just how far will that commitment extend. How much of your own time, energy, and money are you willing to sacrifice? After the decision is made, the acquisition of a small business can be summed-up into nine steps, in which most will be elaborated upon later. â€Å"These are the nine steps to any business acquisition, regardless of its size or industry: 1. The search, locating a business available for sale. 2. Identifying alternative candidates. 9. Managing the transition period.† (Tuller, 10) Some considerations that cannot be avoided when purchasing a small business include: the question of needing a partner, the current economic factors, considering alternate locations, and developing a tax strategy. When debating whether or not a partner is needed or wanted, you need to know if you're going to need additional equity as well as sharing the risk of failure. For these reasons, a partnership seems to be a great idea, but there are also many cons that should be recognized. Having too many partners can alter the ease of decision-making, shared liability can cause obvious problems, and sharing profits means less for you. Added to this, getting out of a partnership can be very difficult. Evaluating the current economic factors simply means to know what you are getting into. Be sure to have some knowledge about the business itself and it's market. Know how to make and sell the product efficiently and in a service industry, be sure to know the current and correct way things are done-sometimes they are not one in the same. Location is key. â€Å"Location of the target can be a major determinate in both the financing of the deal and probable success in managing the business after closing†¦There's no sense spending time, effort, and money on a target located in the wrong place.† (Tuller, 12) Along with this, the personal strife of having to travel a great distance to get to work can be very frustrating. So, be sure that the location of your potential business is profitable in every way. One the greatest minds of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, once said, â€Å"tax is the most difficult thing in the world to understand†. Unfortunately, with the ever-changing laws, that problem gets worse every year. This means that you should have knowledge of the current tax laws. â€Å"‘You will have a unique opportunity to make decisions on exactly how much money will change hands, and how I will allocated on the payment schedule.†(Smorgenburg, 112) Maximizing profit for both you and the seller can only be done through proper knowledge of tax law, if you are not comfortable handling this alone, a consultant might not bad a bad idea. After all of the above is settled, the next thing to figure is the amount of initial income is required. Not only the income required to purchase the entity (which will be elaborated upon later), but also the amount of money that you need to survive for the years to come. â€Å"If you need $100,000, then don't look at smaller companies which can only yield $30,000.† (Tuller, 23) â€Å"The following 13 steps will help to locate a target and close the deal in the shortest possible time-and when buying a company, time is money. 2. Prepare a reasonable Acquisition Plan. 3. Review current tax laws for structuring the deal. 4. Develop a detailed plan for sourcing potential targets. 5. Perform a preliminary due diligence investigation. 6. Negotiate a price and terms based on a realistic valuation. 7. Perform a thorough due diligence investigation. 8. Prepare a complete business plan. 9. Develop sources for at least three alternative financing structures. 10. Arrange for the final updated due diligence investigation. 11. Write the Buy/Sell Agreement and negotiate the final contract language. 12. Plan how you will operate the company after closing. Yet another crucial instrument in the purchase of any business is the Acquisition Plan. This document lists every step and detail leading to the closing of the deal. Starting with the industry survey, it lists the start date, the finish date, and the cost of each of these processes. Following the survey is the target search, then on to the due diligence investigations. The importance of this plan revolves around the organization of a solid purchase. With this, you are able to enact the purchase at the right moment for you, this time being a buyer's market. If you need to wait out the bear market, you can do it much easier with everything laid out in front of you. Hence, the Acquisition Plan does the job. All of the above steps and considerations are a waste if you are unable to find a business for sale. The difficulty of finding the type of business that you will purchase is put to ease through an M & A consultant, accountant, or simply browsing the Wall Street Journal. A smaller gas station or party store-type business can usually be found in the local paper. On the other hand, if you are looking for a larger company, an M & A consultant may be pricey (2-15,000 dollars for a retainer), but this is probably the best way to go. Be sure to ask the consultant many questions regarding his or her creditability. For instance, get a list of references and ask about the number of deals he closed in the past 12 months. Negotiating a purchase price involves a thorough valuation of the projected purchase. Evaluation of a business is essential because you need to know what you are paying for and how much you should pay. † If you are a buyer, your valuation will also be helpful to you when you meet with lenders, so that you can help justify the mount you are asking to borrow. For this purpose alone, however, a valuation is not generally worth the effort.† (Horn, 20) There are many different methods that you can use to properly determine the value of the entity. The most common methods are as follows: the Ability-To-Pay Method, this method is used in almost all buy/sell cases. It makes clear whether the acquisition can pay for itself out of its own cash flow. The Discounted Cash Flow Method is most often used when the company is going to be purchased as an investment and held for a limited number of years. It is also used in high-risk situations, such as highly leveraged deals that have more of a proportion of debt than usual. The third method is the Excess Earnings Method, used to value any profitable company. The Excess Earnings method â€Å"assumes that a business is worth the market value of its tangible assets, plus a premium for ‘goodwill' if the earnings are high enough.†(Horn, 51) Another area that must be calculated is goodwill. â€Å"Goodwill is not an operating cost and cannot be depreciated. It does not provide you with tax relief†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Smorenburg, 114) Since there is no record of the worth of goodwill, it can be fairly difficult to determine an accurate buying price. Usually the seller will set the price based on their knowledge of the company. The set price, however, should be reasonable. Negotiations can be made to produce an agreeable price. The next step is to set a purchase price. â€Å"There is no right or wrong way to value a business. Each company has different characteristics†¦ Obviously, the seller will argue that the net asset value method is right because that's what he invested in the business.†(Tuller, 103) You should consider all factors in the P/E/ ratios, liquidation value, net asset value, and historic and projected cash flow. After analyzing these aspects of the business, you should be able to determine a fair price for the entity. â€Å"The letter of intent is a document that aims to formalize the terms around which a later negotiation will revolve. As such, the letter is primarily a tentative offer that remains subject to further negotiations and confirmation of material facts through a process of due diligence†¦By offering a letter of intent, you tangibly solidify your resolve and thereby make the seller understand that you are a serious buyer.†(Smorenburg, 126) The letter of intent covers the precise terms of the deal, the payment details, and management and other issues involving the transfer. You need to give your accountant and lawyer a draft of the letter for review. This way, you are protected from any loopholes that can harm you. It proves that you are a serious buyer and entices the seller to more openly discuss sensitive aspects of the business. The letter is a written contract that can be legally cancelled at any time without the consent of the other party, so be sure that you and the seller are in agreement. Once everything is settled and you and the seller are in agreement to the term of the letter of intent, the next task you face is finding the initial capital. Using other people's money to finance a purchase is a key ingredient if business success. Financing falls into two separate categories: debt and equity. Debt financing is the most elementary of the two. It is basically taking a loan from a lender and paying it back with interest. It is reliant on the business or individual's ability to pay the loan off. Usually, collateral will be made available to the source of the loan in the case that you cannot continue to make payments. A good credit history and reputation is another aspect that financing is reliant upon. With these, a loan is much easier to get. â€Å"Equity financing means obtaining funds in exchange for selling or giving up a part of interest in the business. Equity financing is not a loan; rather, it is the sale of a part of you business.†(Fallek, 82) The popularity of equity financing has increased in the high tech industries in the past few years. However, selling a part of your newly purchased business may not be your cup of tea, so choose your type of financing wisely. Some traditional sources of capital include yourself, family and friends, commercial banks, loan companies, insurance companies, credit unions and private investors. The old saying, â€Å"don't mix business with pleasure† is applicable when dealing with family and friends. Taking a loan from these sources can cause turmoil if the loan cannot be paid back. Banks are the standard for business lending. â€Å"The amount they charge is based on two factors: the size and history of the customer and the risk the bank will take in providing the loan.†(Fallek, 85) If you are able to decrease the bank's risk and have a standing credit line, you will get the most out of your loan. The other types of traditional lenders are less frequently used, but are also good sources of capital. â€Å"Nontraditional money sources are unlimited in number and type, but you need to be creative to acquire the necessary funds from them.†(Fallek, 89) These sources include customers, suppliers, leasing companies, local development companies, and advertising for money. Customers or potential customers are often great sources of funding, as well as suppliers. Suppliers will furnish you with the necessary equipment and product. Leasing companies and local development companies are also good nontraditional sources of capital. â€Å"You can actively seek funding by running a display advertisement in the business section under the appropriate heading in the classified ads of your local newspaper. Specify the amount of money needed and the type of business for which it will be used.†(Fallek, 91) Yet another source for funding might be through the Small Business Administration. They offer different types of loan programs to small businesses. The SBA Guaranteed Loan Program grants a loan on the basis that the individual needs more time than allotted by other lenders to pay back the loan, has insufficient credit, or lack business experience. â€Å"There are no restrictions as to the number of SBA loans a company or individual may have, as long as the SBA's exposure does not exceed $750,000.†(Fallek, 96) The final step in acquisition of a business is the closing. You will need a lawyer if you don't currently have one. The search for the right lawyer requires certain questions to be answered. For instance, you want to find out the lawyer's hourly rates, experience, availability, if there is any conflict of interest between the lawyer and the seller, and any other applicable questions. The best way to find a lawyer is word of mouth, ask friends and family for references. When a lawyer is located, you must then begin the audit review. â€Å"Even thought most buyers work with their local CPA in preparing the business plan and counsel with him on tax matters relative to the acquisition, the audit review should be preformed by an independent CPA firm in the same city as the target company; preferably on of the ‘Big-5' firms†¦ The audit review consists of a comprehensive look at business since the last audit with particular emphasis on determining the adequacy of internal controls and internal reports.†(Tuller, 192) Be sure to take this step, it examines all aspects of the business and insures that it is a safe investment. After this is complete, it's time to close the deal. The documents generally needed for proper closure are: a buy/sell agreement, an earn out agreement, a promissory note terms and conditions agreement, title search and title insurance, lease agreements, employment contracts, personal guarantees, and an equity agreement with the lender. These documents are dealt with and an announcement should be made to the employees, customers, and vendors of the change in ownership. â€Å"There is a mood of anticipation, of excitement, and even-if the truth be know-of fear. Of all the events which take place in the business world, nothing can match an acquisition closing for pure excitement and thrill.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ(Tuller, 203) the actual signing of the transfer documents will not usually take more than an hour. The key is not to worry about what you are signing, that's what your lawyer is for. After all the money spent, the time devoted and the effort put forth, the business is finally yours. Running your own business can be very rewarding. You don't have anyone to answer to besides the government. You are in complete control. Along with this the ability to write off certain expenses is enough of a reward in itself. The effort you put forth is completely up to you. The life and death of the business is in your hands.