The Importance of Education in Improving the American Economy Essay Example For Students

The Importance of Education in Improving the American Economy Essay As a child, I knew money was scarce. Though my family had one parent and one income, we sufficed. On the news, reporters spoke of the economic downfall. Elementary teachers discussed the economic social ladder and daily statistics about increasing poverty levels. But what is poverty? About two years ago, our financial status began to follow the economic trends. My father could no longer afford rent or groceries for dinner. For months we were living off the few food stamps available to us. This was the most petrifying moment of my life. A question developed that tormented my mind. Will we have food or a house tomorrow? Having the constant fear of living on the streets is deathly terrifying. Various letters appeared on our door demanding evacuation. Nightmares which once tormented my nights had become a reality. Bankruptcy had been an ongoing fear, but this was only half of my anguish. Before this point in my life, I had a definition of poverty. Poverty was achieved by laziness and negligence. After experiencing financial hardship, I discovered how naive and heartless I was towards disparity. Thousands of people in our community are deprived of basic necessities as we speak. We will write a custom essay on The Importance of Education in Improving the American Economy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Living in alleyways, they strive to find employment, food, or a mere conversation. This is poverty. Yet as these unfortunate individuals stand on street corners wishing for a miracle, we glance at them with callous faces as if they are worthless. I have now experienced the adversity I once criticized. The recent economic stimulus package signed by Obama will initiate an optimistic future for the United States. Several prominent ideas which will influence our economy the most are the housing, tax, and unemployment benefits. These will allow adults o. .cle if one occurs. Fortunately, we are slowly escaping poverty. However, there are many kids out there who have not experienced this; they are in danger of making mistakes which could cause them various months, or dare I say years, of anguish. The youth of this nation have the future government in their hands; we are the foundation of opportunity. By educating this new generation, a bright future will be ahead and a misfortune such as our current foreclosure crisis is less likely to occur. Change will not happen within the next few days, or even weeks; it will take a great deal of time to overcome the financial catastrophe we have endured. A drastic initial amount of money has been spent on individuals in hope of reinitiating the consumer cycle. However, by educating both our citizens and our youth, an even greater amount of potential is in the near future.

pH Definition and Equation in Chemistry

pH Definition and Equation in Chemistry pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration,  a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale usually ranges from 0 to 14.  Aqueous solutions at 25 °C with a pH less than 7 are acidic, while those with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. A pH level of 7.0 at 25 °C is defined as neutral  because the concentration of H3O equals the concentration of OH− in pure water. Very strong acids might have a negative pH, while very strong bases might have a pH greater than 14. pH Equation The equation for calculating pH was proposed in 1909 by Danish biochemist  Sà ¸ren Peter Lauritz Sà ¸rensen: pH -log[H] where log is the base-10 logarithm and [H] stands for the hydrogen ion concentration in units of moles per liter solution. The term pH comes from the German word potenz, which means power, combined with H, the element symbol for hydrogen, so pH is an abbreviation for power of hydrogen. Examples of pH Values of Common Chemicals We work with many acids (low pH) and bases (high pH) every day. Examples of pH values of lab chemicals and household products include: 0: hydrochloric acid2.0: lemon juice2.2: vinegar4.0: wine7.0: pure water (neutral)7.4: human blood13.0: lye14.0: sodium hydroxide Not All Liquids Have a pH Value pH only has meaning in an aqueous solution (in water). Many chemicals, including liquids, do not have pH values. If theres no water, theres no pH.  For example, there is no pH value for vegetable oil, gasoline, or pure alcohol. IUPAC Definition of pH The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has a slightly different pH scale that is based on electrochemical measurements of a standard buffer solution. Essentially, the definition uses the equation: pH -log aH where aH stands for hydrogen activity, which is the effective concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. This might be slightly different from the true concentration. The IUPAC pH scale also includes thermodynamic factors, which may influence pH. For most situations, the standard pH definition is sufficient. How pH Is Measured Rough pH measurements  can  be made using litmus paper or another type of pH paper known to change colors around a certain pH value. Most indicators and pH papers are useful only to tell whether a substance is an acid or a base or to identify pH within a narrow range. A universal indicator is a mixture of indicator solutions intended to provide a color change over a pH range of 2 to 10. More accurate measurements are made using primary standards to calibrate a glass electrode and pH meter. The electrode works by measuring the potential difference between a hydrogen electrode and a standard electrode. An example of a standard electrode is silver chloride. Uses of pH pH is used in everyday life as well as science and industry. Its used in cooking (e.g., reacting baking powder and an acid to make baked goods rise), to design cocktails, in cleaners, and in food preservation. Its important in pool maintenance and water purification, agriculture, medicine, chemistry, engineering, oceanography, biology, and other sciences.

The Bhopal Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Bhopal Disaster - Essay Example (e) The MIC tank was filled beyond capacity, so much that the overflow tank was also full. (f) The malfunctioning blow down value of the MIC tank was malfunctioning because it was in an open position. Consequences of the disaster: As stated earlier, there were 3800 plus deaths and more than 200,000 injured. Apart from the loss of human life, crops, animals and marine life were destroyed. Many of the women developed diseases such as gonorrhoea and pelvic inflammation, excessive menstruation and suppressed lactation. There was a high incidence of still births and among the babies who where born, there was a high rate of babies born with deformities. Many foetuses suffered from respiratory ailments and complications, which also afflicted the mothers. Other symptoms which were produced included impaired audio and visual memory, neuroses and anxiety reactions. Reliability Block Diagram: The reliability of any system is derived in terms of the reliabilities of the individual components of the system. The advantages of using reliability block diagrams are as follows: (a) Integrating the probability of faults occurring into modules (b) Including within each module, the probability of failure, the failure rate, the distribution of time to failure, the steady state and instantaneous availability (c) The ability to organize each module in a structured way, dependent upon the effects of each module’s failure The reliability block diagram can be used to assess probability for failure for the Bhopal disaster as well. The major cause of the failure was the faulty valve which allowed water to pass into the MIC tank. This major fault was only... There were 3800 plus deaths and more than 200,000 injured. Apart from the loss of human life, crops, animals, and marine life were destroyed. Many of the women developed diseases such as gonorrhea and pelvic inflammation, excessive menstruation and suppressed lactation. There was a high incidence of stillbirths and among the babies who were born, there was a high rate of babies born with deformities. Many fetuses suffered from respiratory ailments and complications, which also afflicted the mothers. Other symptoms which were produced included impaired audio and visual memory, neuroses and anxiety reactions. The reliability of any system is derived in terms of the reliabilities of the individual components of the system. The advantages of using reliability block diagrams are as follows: Integrating the probability of faults occurring into modules Including within each module, the probability of failure, the failure rate, the distribution of time to failure, the steady state, and instantaneous availability The ability to organize each module in a structured way, dependent upon the effects of each module’s failure The reliability block diagram can be used to assess the probability of failure for the Bhopal disaster as well. The major cause of the failure was the faulty valve which allowed water to pass into the MIC tank. This major fault was only exacerbated by other related factors, such as switched off air-conditioning, and malfunctioning pressure and temperature gauges, which prevented the fault condition being detected on time.

Speed limit in texas going from 70 to 95 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speed limit in texas going from 70 to 95 - Essay Example The speed limit of 80 is already too high, as too many people see it as an open door to go as fast as their cars will allow. According to Representative Joe Pickett of El Paso, Interstate 10 is â€Å"flat with a long line of sight and good shoulders. For people like us who travel that long distance, it could be good† to raise the speed limit even more (the_old_coach, 2011). Rightfully so, auto insurance providers are in an uproar over the bill, citing viable safety concerns. According to Jerry Johns, representative for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, â€Å"†¦the two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol. Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate†¦ where it’s implemented† (the_old_coach, 2011). Drivers already exceed the 70 mph speed limits, and will continue to exceed the posted limits no matter how high they go. Allowing people to drive at 85 mph is simply too fast for any type of road. There is too much traffic, too many inexperienced drivers, and going at such blistering speeds is dangerous not only to the driver going the posted 80 mph, but to those who are interested in safety and economy going only 65 or 70 mph. granted, texas is the second largest state in the U.S., but that should not afford people the right to travel at any rate of speed that they so desire simply due to the size of the state in which they live. According to a recent research survey conducted by the Alberta Motor Association (2011), 88.6% of 2,394 total respondents failed to pass a basic driver knowledge test, which is based on the learner’s permit test. In order for respondents to pass this test, they had to answer 25 out of the 30 questions correctly, and the average score was 22. This is a stark reality, which most people choose not to face. Most people feel that they are the world’s best drivers, particularly those with over ten years driving exp erience. However, this does not prove that raising the speed limit from 70 to 85 will do texas any safe justice in traveling, because even the most experienced drivers have become so complacent that they can no longer pass a learner’s test. The idea of having a raised speed limit in texas is a bit grandiose, as it is unreasonable to pass such legislature. They need to consider not only the four-wheeled vehicles, but the semis as well. It is nearly impossible to fathom an 18-wheeler doing 85 mph, as their stopping distance, control and often inexperienced driver at the wheel in those cases as well are going to be a bane on texas society. The posted speed limit of 70 is rarely heeded, as most people take carte blanche with it wherever they go and cruise at a higher speed than is legal. By raising the speed limit to 85, texas is asking for more accidents, more casualties and more speeding tickets. Our law enforcement officers have a daunting job that they deal with every day, wh y would texas be silly enough to make it that much harder on them over an 85 mph speed limit? That is ridiculous. Texas is a phenomenal state, and I am proud to be a citizen. Nevertheless, it is simply foolishness to raise the speed

The Company Yahoo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Company Yahoo - Essay Example As the discussion stresses, the company was on the height of its success at the time of dot-com boom in 2000 when its stock price plunged to record high. Yahoo! also started its free mail service in response to the release of Google’s Gmail in 2004. In the following year, the company took over Flickr, a thriving photo sharing service. Yahoo! continued to expand by acquiring and purchasing innovative business in need of capital. The range of services offered by Yahoo! also rose in the year 2005 when the company stepped into Web 2.0 services. MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger became interoperable in 2005 which was another great achievement for the company. Yahoo! also allowed its mail users unlimited free space in 2007 as it removed the barrier of 1GB storage. In 2008, in the time of recession, the company announced the layoff of 1000 employees. The company was facing difficulties in competing with the efficient Google. The main revenue model for the company was advertising ini tially. Afterwards, the company started making money from the augmented services that it offered. Efficient management of capital and reduction in expenditure helped the company to gain its profitability in the pure internet business. In 2008, the company was approached by Microsoft for the offer of a merger. However, Yahoo! rejected the offer of Microsoft as the share price being offered was very low. Recently, Yahoo! webpage is seen to be changed and a new version is launched called the Metro. This new look also has links to famous applications such as Facebook.com and Netflix. E-commerce website like Yahoo! needs to constantly innovate and develop new features on the website to attract more users and subscribers. The company right now faces lack of originality as it is engaged in merging and acquiring already established businesses like Flickr. The customer data which is private should not be used by the company to be sold to marketing agencies.

South Africa World Cup 2010 Project Leadership

South Africa World Cup 2010 Project Leadership Executive Summary This paper analyses the project of the Soccer World Cup held in South Africa in 2010 on behalf of FIFA. An introduction to the project at hand is laid out to explain the situation in which the project took place. A critical evaluation of the project is made, determining the facets that the Government and organising committee had to effectively deal with, what type of leadership styles were implemented, how team building progressed, the project life cycle and the external factors influencing this project. Improvements are recommended for some aspects of this project that could have made the Soccer World Cup more successful than what it was deemed to have been. Some of these recommendations include; better team building, more effective planning, budgetary concerns and public relation issues. The World Cup Opening Ceremony was a major success, followed by the first goal of the World Cup in the first game between South Africa and Mexico. When Siphiwe Tshabalala, of South Africa, scored the first goal, South Africans deemed the project a success. Introduction to Case Study FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) has taken it upon themselves to be the guardian of the game all over the world, in every shape or form. According to FIFA World Cupà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (2010), their mission statement is, Develop the game, touch the world, build a better future. They do not merely focus on playing the game but rather they have to focus on every aspect that may affect the game and all that the game stands for. Rules, laws, players, developing the game and using this sport to bring hope to people all over the world, especially those less privileged than others. FIFA World Cupà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢(2010) states that the World Cup started in 1930 in Uruguay and this inaugural World Cup was won by the host team. There have only been two times since the inauguration that the World Cup was not hosted and that was during World War II. South Africa recently hosted the FIFA Soccer World Cup. This is the project that will be used as a case study as I am a South African citizen and am currently residing in the country. Information that has been referred to on this project has been experienced firsthand. This was the first time that the FIFA World Cup that was hosted by an African Country. The Soccer World Cup was hosted in South Africa from June 11th 2010 to July 11th 2010. 32 teams participated in the World Cup with the final game being played between Spain and Netherlands. Spain reigned victorious. It was a major project for South Africa, as although the country had previously hosted the cricket and rugby World Cups, it was the first time that this type of World Cup was hosted in the country and the event was made up of many projects. Many project defining aspects needed to be started from scratch. The project management was run by the Government who recruited a number of different resources, companies, personnel and task teams with the hope of making the project a success. Most importantly they assigned the role of project coordinator to Danny Jordaan. The areas that needed to be addressed included, amongst others, stadium construction and improvements, airport construction and refurbishment, infrastructure and logistics, transportation, accommodation, policing and justice, immigration, finance and health. Each of these projects needed to be successful in order for the event to be a success. This project consisted not only of these internal projects but was also influenced by external factors such as the countrys image to the world, opinions of South Africa by other countries and contractual agreements with FIFA. Therefore media and marketing were also part of the project. The success or failure of the project would impact on the economy and general well-being of the country for many years to come even after the event had taken place. The project management team needed to ensure that the projects that were undertaken would have a positive outcome on the countrys operations even after the event had taken place and concluded. Transportation and the creation of jobs could be highlighted as the most crucial aspects of the World Cup. These components are highlighted as crucial as their impact would be felt most notably once the event concluded on July 11th 2010. The construction of the stadiums was crucial as although many rugby and cricket stadiums already existed in South Africa a lack of soccer stadiums was obvious. Transportation also needed to be improved as although the government felt that roads were acceptable pre-World Cup with the influx of people from all over the world, roads and transportation systems needed to be improved. Highways were expanded and refurbished, additional buses were bought and coincidentally the construction of another transportation project, the Gau-train, would be fast-tracked to be used for the World Cup. The benefit that South Africa did have was that the country was also selected to host the Confederations Soccer Cup during June 2009. The country was able to use this event as a type of a trial run for the World Cup. The rapid bus transfer system was tested in Pretoria and errors or faults that occurred were able to be rectified before the World Cup the following year. The projects success will be analysed in order to determine the factors of project management that were used, the elements of team building that are available and how the leadership aspects, styles or type of management could be changed to make improvements to the project. Critical Evaluation According to Kerzner (2009) project management and in turn project success can be defined as completing a project within the allocated time frame, within budget, meeting a specified performance level, with as few changes to the scope as possible. Project management and team building go hand in hand when dealing with any type or any form of a project. This is because almost all projects, even when operating in a virtual environment, have people involved. When dealing with a project such as the Soccer World Cup, a third aspect fits into project management and team building just as critically. This aspect is public relations. According to the Independent institute of education (2010) although public relations can be seen as its own concept away from project management, the people involved in the project need to be aware of the standings with regards to public relations. With the World Cup being such a worldwide event, with sold out stadiums and an estimation of over a billion people wat ching, what the media says, or what the world thinks will be of critical importance to determine whether the project was gauged as a successful or failure. The main problems or areas of improvement that the South African World Cup organizers had to deal with were construction, ticket sales, transportation and crime. According to Cooke Tate (2005) project management can be defined as a culmination of knowledge, skills, expertise, systems and programs that ensure that the work that is being done, by a team of people, is in fact working towards accomplishing the strategic goals of the organization or fulfilling the aims of the project to which they have been assigned. Project management will need to bring together different areas of an organization, or that of a number of different organizations such as finance, administration, human resources, marketing or operations to work in unison to achieve the aims or goals. Project management has been developed so that a single department or person working on a project has control and visibility over all the other departments to ensure that the project runs smoothly, for the Soccer World Cup 2010 that person was Danny Jordaan. The project manager will oversee all departments and actions to try and produce a successful outcome. Project management is made up of many sections and sub headings that need to be considered. The following subjects need to be addressed when developing a project and have been summarized from Shtub Globerson , 2005. Communication guidelines and the hierarchy of leadership need to be established. Lifecycle planning needs to take place to ascertain which model would be best suited to your project. Implementation and monitoring is the next area that needs to be addressed. When and how the project will be implemented and how this will be monitored to establish control. Then cost estimates and budgeting need to be developed and contingencies need to be established as to where the cost can exceed budgeted amounts and where cut backs could be implemented if needed. Variance is an aspect that all projects need to be aware of as nothing in life is certain, external environments are constantly changing and a project needs to know where it can change and where there is no room to adjust. The project needs to have prepared for any expected changes that may affect their plans or any unexpected changes that could drastically impact the outcome of the project. An important and final aspect that many projects o ften forget to include is the closeout. In the case of the soccer World Cup in South Africa, the closeout will happen in varied stages but need to be included in the planning. The initial closeout occurs when FIFA approves the set out requirements, other close outs occur at the closing ceremony, and then when projects that were included in the World Cup preparations are complete, this may be months or even years after the final whistle had blown on the final game. All projects have a project life cycle and they can vary in length. A project lifecycle is typically made up of the following 5 stages, (Gray and Larson, 2006); Project Management can be divided into five parts: Project charter development Request for Proposal Development and Process Planning Design Project team creations, Project kick-off Planning (Work Breakdown Schedule), Budget Implementation/monitoring/control Project termination, hand-off to operations management. In the case of the soccer World Cup the project life cycle would have been spread out over a number of years, even before the World Cup was awarded to South Africa. The government had to tender a proposal to FIFA against other competing countries to be allowed to host the World Cup. Therefore the project life cycle would have started pre-2004. As different projects were started and came to an end, each would have had their own life cycle as well. Each project had to go through a tender process as well. An example of a tender used for Green Point stadium has been attached in Appendix A. Different projects will also take on different life-cycle formations or models. The most commonly accepted of these models are the waterfall project lifecycle model, the agile project lifecycle model, the iterative model and the spiral project life cycle model. Each model has different strengths and weaknesses and therefore some models are better suited to different working environments. Each sub-project, underneath the main World Cup South Africa project, would have made use of different life-cycles. The World Cup would have to have implemented the Spiral project lifecycle model as Mall (2009) explains; this model combines elements of design and prototyping-in-stages, in an effort to combine advantages of top down and bottom up concepts. This model can also be referred to as the spiral development model; it is a systems development method. This model of development combines the features of the prototyping model and the waterfall model .The spiral model is intended for large, expensive and complicated projects. The World Cup was expensive, intricate, and took place all over South Africa. The stages of the project also overlapped and did not have to wait for the completion of one project to start the next. For example the building of the airports and stadiums were not contingent on the completion of the roads or other transport projects. The project was awarded to South Africa on the 15th of May 2004 and the start of the project began soon after however some parts of the project are still busy being completed, even after the World Cup. Although the highways and roads were open to be used at full capacity during the World Cup, the construction of these roads and highways are still taking place today. In comparison to standard projects that organizations will take on, and the case study at hand, the soccer World Cup in South Africa, certain aspects of normal operations will differ quite substantially from this type of project. The teams that worked on the World Cup in South Africa were not working in a normal business environment. Their end product was not intending to gain a competitive advantage over other competitors in the same market. The products they were producing were not to be resold yet a profit needed to be made. The product could not become obsolete, however there was a deadline date, that of the opening ceremony. The deadline date however was not that of the opening ceremony because South Africa was dealing with FIFA, FIFA required that all stadiums or any structures or projects relating to the World Cup were completed a number of months in advance. As South Africa was in control of hosting the World Cup, they were also responsible of reporting to FIFA to ensure that the FIFA World Cup was a success. Stephen Blatter, the president of FIFA, was heavily involved in the operations taking place in South Africa and Danny Jordaan was the project coordinator for the Soccer World Cup. With regards to leadership styles, two main types of leadership styles generally exist, autocratic or exclusive and democratic or inclusive. A democratic leader takes other individuals opinions and ideas into consideration before making the final decision. Danny Jordaans style of management can be seen to be democratic. His involvement with the World Cup showed that he had South Africas best interests at heart. He took into consideration other leaders opinions and advice and worked in close unison with Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela when securing the tender bid to host the World Cup. Reports needed to be presented on weekly and monthly basis and he was the spokesman for interaction with the media in relation to World Cup activities. FIFA however are deemed to be autocratic. FIFA can be seen to be a franchise. Every four years a different country is elected to host the World Cup. FIFA has certain contractual requirements that each country needs to meet in order to be granted the privi lege of hosting such a prestigious event. Although South Africa could decide what the stadiums would like and how the upgrades would take place, FIFA required a certain number of stadiums to be erected or improved, for certain activities to take place and other similar requirements. The project management team needed to be compiled of a number of individuals with different areas of expertise. Although the project had a start and end date (11th June and 11th July), a budget and a scope as most projects do, the areas that this project needed to delve into were vast. The South African government had tendered to organise the World Cup. In order to successfully accomplish this, a number of facets needed to be improved, developed or started from scratch. These areas include, (Media Report, 2010), amongst others; Infrastructure stadiums needed to be built and renovated. Health Although no pandemics were forecast, they needed to be prepared. Transportation the highways needed to be improved, as well as public transport. Finance- a developing country would need to analyze budgets with high scrutiny. Technology- new fibre optic cables for televising the games worldwide. Electricity- Eskom had guaranteed power for all games, through the use of generators. Safety and Security Xenophobic attacks sent shocks throughout the world, this needed to be stepped up. Immigration- a new type of visa was created to allow access to more foreigners. Hooligans were banned. Accommodation availability and standards were a worry. Media and marketing- people needed to feel safe coming to South Africa. The South African Government identified the dramatic changes to transport logistics in South Africa as the legacy that would remain for years to come. The issues identified above are just a few examples of the projects that the overall project manager or project coordinator, Danny Jordaan, would need to have expertise on, and it would seem highly unlikely that one person would have this type of knowledge; however general management could appoint a number of sub-project managers to oversee each department and report back to one project manager. Danny Jordaan might not have had the expertise in each sub-section of the project however he was able to employ other team members to take control of those areas. Information taken from the Background Information on Government Preparations for the 2010 FIFA WORLD CUPà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (2010) shows a breakdown of each element that the government was dealing with. The government had weekly and monthly report sessions for each area of development. In order for a project to be successful the team that works on the project needs to be selected in a certain manner. Dr. Meredith Belbin defined a team role as: A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way. He spent a number of years working on the theory about teams. Dr. Meredith Belbin has written a number of books and one of his fundamental theories is based on team roles. The roles that individuals will fill when placed in a certain situation when trying to achieve a certain goal. Individuals have different personalities and different strengths and weaknesses. Belbin initially believed that the success or failure of a project would rely on the intellectual levels of the team members. According to Belbin associates, (2010), he ran a simulation test at a university for over ten years to determine the grounds of his theory. The theory is that a teams success or failure is not reliant on intellect but rather on the balance of roles that each individual will assume when in a certain environment. This team roles can be divided into three sub-sections and then into 9 individual team roles. The three main sections are Action-oriented, People oriented and Thought oriented. Action-Oriented roles include Shaper, Implementer and Complete-Finishers. People Oriented Roles include Coordinator, Team Worker and Resource Investigator. Thought oriented roles include Plant, Monitor Evaluator and Specialist. Advantages and disadvantages that make up each team role need to be discussed and understood in order to create the most effective team for the project at work. According to Belbin Associates (2010) and Belbin himself, (1993) the different roles have different pros and cons. The shapers advantages include the drive to challenge team members to improve, they are dynamic people, who are extroverted and who stimulate others. They also avoid complacency by introducing new attributes. Negative characteristics include that they are argumentative and are not sensitive to other peoples feelings. The implementer is characterized by people that get things done, those who take ideas and turn them into actions. They are conservative, disciplined and work systematically. The disadvantages however are that they show inflexibility and resist any kind of change. Complete finishers have the advantageous characteristics that ensure that a project is completed with all the small details completed. They are focused on deadlines and can be seen as perfectionists. These characteristics lend themselves to worry unnecessarily and these individuals find it difficult to delegate tasks to others for the fear of losing control of the task at hand. Belbin also identifies advantages and disadvantages for the other roles too. The coordinator leads the team to achieve the goals and objectives that they perceive as realistic. They are excellent listeners, calm, good natured and are able to delegate tasks, however sometimes the coordinator delegates away too much authority and may be seen to be manipulative. The team workers provide support to the team and ensure that all the team workers are able to work together effectively. They are able to be flexible, diplomatic and perceptive. Their disadvantages have been identified as having tendency to be indecisive and do not commit to any major decisions. The resource investigators are innovative and curious. They explore other options available to them and handle negotiations. These team members may however be overly optimistic and lose their enthusiasm for the team and their own roles rather quickly. The final three roles also each have advantages and disadvantages. The plant role is cr eative, flourishes on praise and invents new ideas or advances. The disadvantages however are that this team member finds criticism very hard to handle or accept, they are introverted and prefer to work alone. Their communication skills are poor and often ignore restrictions or restraints that they are given. The monitor evaluators strengths include that they are ideal at analysing and evaluating other team members ideas, they are successfully able to weigh up pros and cons of different possible investments, and are critical thinkers. Their drawbacks are that they can be detached and unemotional; they are poor motivators for their team members and wait to react to events rather than instigate them. Finally the ninth role, the specialist, that was added on later by Belbin include advantages of that they pride themselves on their skills and abilities, they are focused on their professional status and are an expert in a certain area of knowledge. Their disadvantages include that they m ay limit their contribution purely to what they consider themselves to be expert in and may lead the team to become pre-occupied with technicalities and small detail rather than the overall plan. In relation to the World Cup information on which techniques were used for team building are not readily available, however it has been assumed that Belbins theory was used when selecting the teams that were brought together for this project. Each team involved with the project would need a careful balance of the team members in order to be successful. A key element of team building is the stages of team development as developed by Tuckman (1977); Forming, Norming, Storming, Performing and finally Adjourning. Each individual team that is part of the World Cup development project needed time to adjust to each stage to team development. It is clear that the construction teams on site had not properly adjusted to team development as they coordinators of these projects had to deal with strikes and unrest at many of the stadiums. The projects where the majority of teams were based, transport and infrastructure is what the world watched most with regards to development projects, it is here where nation branding took place. The way in which South Africa wanted to portray itself was largely reliant on what was reported in the media and in the news. Strikes, delays and xenophobic attacks were in the news for a large majority of the time leading up to the world cup. Due to this the branding of the country was portrayed in negative lighting for a lot of the time that should in fact have been used for positive and encouraging reporting. The influx of foreign tourists to South Africa missed the original goal by a large number. Due to many of these factors the income to the country was much less than the expenditure and much less than what was expected. According to an article in the Telegraph, South Africa made a return of just  £323m on the  £3bn it spent. In conclusion to the critical reflection; the sustainability that FIFA brought to South Africa for the World Cup was not incorporated into the countries national strategy and therefore many of the strides that the country made during the World Cup were quickly eliminated when the final whistle was blown. Recommendations The specific details of the areas of which project management, project leadership or team building activities used during the World Cup were not readily accessible. Therefore the overall outcomes of the world cup and which practices should have been more heavily included can be deduced. Although information about the World Cup as a whole was available the smaller projects techniques and tools were not made available to the public. In critical review of the World Cup one of the most unsuccessful areas of the project was the budget or cost aspect of the iron triangle. To illustrate the point, (Pedroncelli, 2010), Soccer City Stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the World Cup was completed at R1 billion over budget. Strikes at other stadiums such as Green Point, forced organisers to bring in negotiators for increases in salaries, and the lost time then forced the Government to enforce additional shifts at higher costs to finish on time as the completion deadlines were non-negotiable. Imports of construction materials ran over budget as the rand lost strength to other currencies and prices escalated higher than what the budget had predicted. Therefore although the scope and time were met, the cost was extraordinarily higher than predicted. This could be due to two reasons, either the budget was not well planned out and the estimates and actual costs were not realistic and not well researched or revised, or the variance of aspects discovered in the project was vast. It seems that the variance was the reason to blame for some of the over spending on the project. Poor planning could be blamed for this. Elements such as strikes or increases in costs of materials could have been realised beforehand and more concisely included in the budgetary stage of planning. A recommendation for future projects is to research and predict more accurately about future fluctuations, or to buy materials in bulk at a known price so that variances do not occur at a later stage. A number of projects were not completed on time which can be viewed as contrasting as other projects managed to finish ahead of schedule. A recommendation for future projects of this nature is to learn from other projects which developed similar end products and were produced under similar circumstances. Green Point Stadium organizers could look at the development techniques used by the project co-ordinators of the Soccer City Stadium. Work breakdown schedules and organisational breakdown schedules should have been more precise and shared amongst projects with similar outlines. Managers in control of stadiums or projects that ran over budget or over time should take note of the way in which projects were executed which ended on time, on budget and had no scope creep. It is clear that as the sub-projects of the World Cup were each significant in their own right therefore each project was governed by different managers or by different planning committees. Some stadiums were handed over to FIFA ahead of schedule and other projects such as the construction and refurbishment of highways are still being completed after the event has ended. It is a recommendation that the tenders for the construction or refurbishments should have been sent out earlier. The tender, as attached in Appendix A, shows that although a very thorough and positive process was followed, it was only started in 2006, 2 years after the World Cup project was given to South Africa. If more time had been given to the constructors and those parties, the costs involved may have escalated less. The teams may have had more time to form The leadership style of FIFA cannot be changed. They are a corporate body that acts as a franchise in relation to the World Cup. They have a formula that works and they expect participating nations to follow this plan. This autocratic style is suitable to the environment in which FIFA operates. Danny Jordaans leadership style and approach to the World Cup was successful. Nelson Mandela said, when South Africa was awarded the privilege of hosting the World Cup that, South Africans should treat this decision with humility and without arrogance because we are, after all, equal. Danny Jordaan focused on bringing South Africans together. From the construction workers on the roads and in the stadiums to fans to corporate CEOs funding different projects, all parties felt part of the World Cup, because the country felt proud to host the World Cup as one nation not separate races. The final recommendations that would be made however include; Better planning for variance conditions. These conditions include: working environments and severance, stability of the Rand against currencies or then bulk buying. Earlier tender dates for highway construction. Improved communication with the media for a positive reflection of the host nation. Incorporating FIFA changes into the national strategy in order to retain the positives. Increased time for team development on different projects. If projects were tendered and started earlier, strikes and delays may have been less severe. Ensuring the project coordinator is democratic or inclusive when dealing with a force as strong as FIFA in its autocratic behaviour or tendencies. Conclusion In conclusion the Soccer World Cup hosted by South Africa, on behalf of FIFA, in 2010 was a successful project. As indicated in the recommendations a number of improvements could be put forth that could have eliminated some of the problems that the Government and other parties experienced. A focus on public relations should have been highlighted. The xenophobic attacks prior to the World Cup should have been better handled by the Government to reduce the negative image that is portrayed of the country. Communications between the sub-projects could have been better established so that problems experienced on one site could be avoided on another. The leadership styles executed by the parties involved were well executed and appropriate. FIFA is a corporate organization that operates as a franchise when dealing with the World Cup. Their style therefore needs to be autocratic. They need the country which is hosting the World Cup to fulfill certain goals and expectations. Danny Jordaan, the project coordinator, executed a democratic or inclusive style of management which worked well in the environment in which he was operating. He was able to successfully execute the project, although over budget, by incorporating all South Africans into the buildup of the World Cup. Budgetary problems experienced by the organizing committee could have been overcome through better planning and better time management. Tenders and start dates of the projects could have been brought forward to an early date, relieving the tensions of deadlines and fluctuating prices. If the start dates had also been brought forward it may have allowed teams more time to go through the development stages of forming, norming, storming and performing. The construction of the highways may also have been completed to a better schedule. To summarise one moment of the World Cup that truly showed the success of such a tournament being hosted in Africa for the first time was when South Africas striker, Siphiwe Tshabalala, scored the first goal of the tournament. The country celebrated as one, and brought the African spirit alive.

Stephen Kings Why We Crave Horror Films Essay -- essays research paper

As I was lying in bed recalling the event happened an hour before I was thinking to myself that I will never look at lightning the same way again. Thunder and lightning was still present in the night sky as I lay there in bed thanking God I was alive and well. Each flash of lightning lit the entire room and each clap of thunder rattled the windows of my hotel room. Lightning can seem much more terrifying when you’re up 20,000 ft in the mountains, and the thunder sounds a lot louder too. The sound of nature’s fury seemed to slowly descend as the night went on, but my nerves did not. I was still stunned and in shock of being stuck in a lightning storm high in the mountains. I never thought about the power and damage lightning can inflict upon its surroundings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was summer 2001 and we had been invited to attend the wedding in Colorado for one of our friends. The wedding took place on a mountain top in Keystone, Colorado. The wedding reception also took place in the lodge on the mountain top. The mountain top was about 20,000 ft about sea level. In order to get there you had to ride two gondolas. Each gondola sat about six people and would carry on up the mountain and down the mountain and down the mountain; much like a ski lift. Each ride lasted about 15 minutes. The wedding was a success, and it was one of the best weddings I’ve ever attended. The reception went all into the night. Laughter and conversation could be heard yards away from the lo...

Groupe Ariel S.A. Essay

Abstract Groupe Ariel is a company that manufactures and sells printers, copiers and other document production equipment. The case focuses on an investment project in the company’s Mexican subsidiary that would expand operations into a new market, something it been slow to do in the past. Groupe Ariel believes its products have better durability for a lower after-sales service costs and markets it as a competitive advantage. The company is now considering replacing the manual equipment used for recycling in Mexico by new equipment that requires less material and labor costs. 1. Compute the incremental peso cash flows for the life of the project. The incremental cash flows of the next 10 years should be calculated. The initial cash outflow is the cost of investment in the new equipment (3,500,000 Pesos). Also, selling the manual equipment for cash value of 175,000 Pesos is subtracted from the cost of the new equipment to arrive at the initial net cash outlay of 3,325,000 Pesos. For the cash flows in the next 10 years, it is calculated by taking the difference of the cost of the manual method and the new automatic equipment. Next, to arrive at after-tax incremental cash flows we add back depreciation cost, which is non-cash expense (if total cost does include depreciation) and deduct tax. The new equipment would have a useful life of 10 years and would be depreciated under the straight-line method for both tax and financial reporting purposes. The corporate tax rate is 35%. 2. Compute the net present value of Ariel-Mexico’s recycling equipment in pesos by discounting the incremental peso cash flows at a peso discount rate. The present value of all these cash inflows and outflows can be calculated by discounting them at 8.5%, which was calculated by using real peso long-term borrowing rate of 2.2% and a real euro rate of 1.8%. The NPV can be calculated by taking the sum of present values of all the cash flows. This NPV comes out to be 3,754,474 Pesos. 3. Compute the NPV in Euros by translating the project’s future peso cash flows into Euros at the expected future spot rates. We translate the project’s future peso cash flows into Euros using the expected future spot rates estimated by the international business publication in the article—rise to 20.00 by 2011 from current 15.99 exchange rate and upwards of 25.00 in 2013-2018. We then discount the cash flows in Euros at 8% (the discount rate for similar projects in France) and get the NPV in Euros as 118,903 Euros. 4. Translate the NPV in pesos calculated in 2. To Euros and compare to the answer in 3. Comment on your findings. We translate the NPV in pesos calculated in 2 to Euros using the spot exchange rate on June 23 at MXN15.99/EUR. It gives an NPV of 234,801 in Euros, which is much higher than our number in question 3 as 118,903 Euros. The difference is driven by prediction of Pesos against Euros, and a slight different discount rate. From our analysis, we see that expectation of steep depreciation in pesos and a slightly higher discount rate in Mexico result in a much higher NPV value if we translate the pesos into Euros now.

Multi-Agency working and safeguarding adults in care Essays

Multi-Agency working and safeguarding adults in care Essays Multi-Agency working and safeguarding adults in care Essay Multi-Agency working and safeguarding adults in care Essay Essay Topic: Adults There have been various cases recently in the news to where abuse has been either suspected of confirmed, for example the Panorama undercover programme at Winterbourne view whereby a range of physical, emotional, psychological abuse were identified. Abuse is defined as A violation of an individuals human and civil rights by any other person or persons. Vulnerable people are more open to abuse due to the individuals either not being able to stand up for themselves and are usually unwell, frail or/and confused. Different types of services try to combat this abuse through taking a multi-agency approach whereby the organisations all work together to discover ways of preventing the abuse from taking place in the beginning or resurrect the situation when abuse has been confirmed by providing a range of support through support planning and single assessment. Rather than the organisations working separately and providing separate services without any communication, multi-agency working encourages the services to work together through sharing information and a co-ordination of approach whereby the individuals needs are central to the process and that a person centred care approach is used. With multi-agency working there will be an array of professionals from different agencies where they will combine each of their individual skills and expertise to meet all of the individuals holistic needs. For Multi-agency working to be successful, good communication from all organisations and a good understanding of what each other do is crucial. Not only this but it also requires a co-ordinating professional, to ensure that the organisations are working to satisfactory levels and that the needs of the individual are being met. Another benefit is that through multi-agency working, it is encouraged for the individual to have involvement in their health care services and allows them to feel more confident in talking about their worries, fears and potential abuse. Not only this but having equality through the relationships of the working encourage the individual to develop a higher self-esteem, self-confidence and the strength to stop accepting the abusive situations that may occur are the norm. It also ensures that there is an agreed approach to all of the organisations which are involved including the families and informal carers as well so that they are all aware of and can monitor the situation. Multi-agency working is also a way of enabling better information sharing and communication in terms of the staff, team meetings, communication via emails and written records such as in a care home whereby there would be a daily log which enables each staff coming on shift to be able aware of events that had taken place since they were last on duty. With the multi-agency approach they believe that the sharing of information and concern will conclude to early preventive action on abuse to take place and that patterns of behaviour can be identified of the service users when different members of staff come on to duty which could suggest that abuse is taken place by that worker. Forums are another way in which multi agency works (monthly meetings of residents in care services) where by the individuals are encouraged to share ideas and speak out giving the individuals more confidence to speak out and have a greater ownership and independence in terms of decisions that affect their lives such as being involved in interviewing new care staff. Not only this but it is also a chance for the service users to understand what procedures and guidelines that the care service has and their own rights emphasised to increase their expectations of the individual care that they receive. When the service users are clear on the guidelines they are more understanding on the what the behaviour of the staff should be, so not only are these guidelines are for the use of the staff but they are also for the service user to know what is acceptable behaviour from the staff and what is not. This is why the complaints procedure should be understood by all service users of the health facility and should be able to gain access to by all even if support is needed from an advocate from outside the organisation when making a complaint. So that there is a guarantee that all the staff members understand new procedures and policies, training needs to be implemented. Each new staff that works at the service also will require a formal induction whereby all of these policies and procedures are explained thoroughly, which will then underline their expected behaviour and practice in the service. Without training taking place, abuse is more likely to happen because of the poor practice and the workers lack of understanding of the policies and procedures. To prevent this from taking place and to ensure that the services are working with the best interest of the service user and following the rules and regulations that apply to each of them an independent regulator of health and social care services was established but shortly taken over by The Care Quality Commission previously help by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Commission in April 2009 (stretch et al, 2010). Procedures laid down by the organisation in conjunction to the multi-agency framework should be followed in terms of cases of alleged or suspected abuse and include six stages including alerting the worker who has the responsibility of dealing with these situations to then for them to refer the allegation to the police or social services who will feedback after investigation and an Adult Protection Case Conference will share results of the investigation with the vulnerable persons family who is the subject of abuse. An assessment is then carried out and a review of a Protection Plan to make sure that the individuals needs are met in the future which will then be monitored and recorded. If another member of staff identifies the abuse they have the chance to whistleblow which since the Public Interest Disclosure Act (1998) the staff have the right not to suffer detrimentally or be fired as a result of disclosing the information. In the past it has been known that staff have been aware of abuse taking place however have not reported it due to not wanting to be known as a grass to the service and their employees. To ensure that new employees of health and social care services are suitable for the job role of caring for vulnerable adults they will require a CRB check which since October 2009 they are required to obtain an Enhanced check rather than the normal standard check. This allows the employer to be aware of the convictions to which these individuals applying for the job may have and therefore will be able to pick which potential employer is actually right for the job role in terms of offering greater protection to the service users. This however may not always go to plan due to the loop holes which can still be identified in cases such as in the Winterbourne View residential care home whereby Panorama went undercover after a whistleblower who previously worked at the care service alerted higher authorities with the management at the care home and to the Quality Care Commission however his claims didnt get followed up however after the programme was shown the Safeguarding Adults Board were made aware and appropriate action was taken in line with established and procedures which should have been followed by the staff members previously to prevent the abuse. The abuse in which was taken place could have been prevented through thorough training of the staff and ensuring they were up to date with these policies and procedures. Not only this however but the recruitment of the staff should also have been more carefully picked with staff members with job history of being a tattooist with no previous healthcare qualifications. In conclusion if the policies, procedures and guidelines were followed correctly and appropriate training was also implemented then the abuse that took place at Winterbourne View would have never happened. If the communication between the different services was also improved through a multi-agency working approach then the abuse could have been stopped a period of time before the Panorama programme.

The Saratoga Battle Front essays

The Saratoga Battle Front essays Through out the American Revolutionary war there were many key battles taking place. Every one of the battles was important in there own aspects. Some of them prevented British troops from advancing while others pushed the British back and restored land previously lost. The Battle of Saratoga goes down in history as one of he most important battles of the war. The time and location of the battle, the engagement, and the results of the battle were a few of the reasons the Battle was so crucial for the Patriot cause. The location of the battle was in the generally proximity of upstate New York. The Battle took place near the shore of the Hudson River. The field the engagement took place in was called Freeman Farm. The American army came up from the south while the British forces marched from the north. The two largest engagements were on September 19th and on October 7th. The camps of the two armies were about one mile apart from each other during that month. Three maps of the area are on the next page of the paper. The location of an open field would seem to help the British or so they thought. The Battle of Saratoga was a great battle for the American continental Army. The American Army had a far more troops then the British. On the night of September 17th the British were helped be Hessian troops that helped push the Americans back for month or so. But on October 7th the Americans were able to drive British forces out of the field and win the war by surrounding the British and Hessian troops. The victory became was monumental for the Patriot cause The victory First and for most persuaded the French to enter the war as Americas Allies. This proved to be essential towards the eventual war victory for the Americas. The American Army also gains a much-needed moral boost. This showed the Americans could defeat the large British Army. Finally it took 5,000 British troops and 300 officers (7 Generals) from th...

The presidency of Mexican president Porfirio Diaz Term Paper

The presidency of Mexican president Porfirio Diaz - Term Paper Example erm of presidency, Diaz found the state in almost bankruptcy under the rule of Gonzales, his friend and an ally.2 He immediately introduced reforms and established a solid banking system. He was able to improve the tax collection systems and had abolished sales taxes, production taxes and state tariff .3 For the first time also the country had achieved a balanced national budget in 18844. In 1893, Mexico attained a stature of being one of the most prosperous nations in Latin America having attained budgetary surplus.5 Mexico became rich and became one of the world’s largest gold and silver producer. When Diaz relaxed the mining laws and allowed foreigners access to subsoil rights and ownership of oils and metals contained in the ground, the mining industry went into a boom period never realized in Mexico for four centuries. DÃ ­az was able to make the Mexican peso in the ranks of strong currency as he placed Mexico under the international gold standard.6 Diaz implemented modernization program hoping to bring Mexico to a modern state level. 7 His host of advisers was composed of technocrats, which could be called today as scientists who embarked on program of railroad buildings and telegraph lines across the country. Under his administration also, the first railway was constructed, and the amount of railroad tracks increased by ten folds. Report says that these tracks remain operational until today.8 Under his rule, steam machines and technological appliances were introduced while at the same time inviting foreign investments to the country. As such foreign capital entered the country, factories were established, bringing forward urban development in Mexico.9 He amended the laws to attract foreign investors and allowed them to own sub soils minerals, mines and oil fields. His laws of land reform allowed a big chunk of surveyed lands to be owned by foreigners. He assured his foreign friends that they would win against any lawsuit instigated by Indian

Autobiographical gender socialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Autobiographical gender socialization - Essay Example While I was a homemaker, I was stigmatised by the community and with no any forecast. As a medical student, I am regarded as a valuable woman, and my life has been full of joy. The similarity of cooking soup portrays my life has a homemaker. On the other hand, writing papers shows my life as a medical student. Introduction A gender-based examination of the relation between the need to be the ultimate writer with the urge to be the ultimate soup maker is the thesis of this paper. The information given is autobiographical. My goal is to express my changing role from a homemaker, to a doctor who is successful in the area of academics. Gender plays a crucial role by virtue of that the homemaker’s work of preparing soup is feminized in community, whereas the medical’s student work of writing papers is masculine. To start with, a literature review on the duty of a woman and the merit of female’s voice will be given (Watson 432). According to this review, a clear pictur e of my changing responsibility from that of a homemaker to a medical student will be presented. Preparing soup originates from a disciplinary system and is seen as a kind of individual –construction, whereas writing papers is a resistant system and a self-reconstruction. These two opposing life experiences assist to demonstrate how a gender point of view affects my insight of women’s importance in the community. ... First, preparing soup helped to keep my daughter’s nutritional health and give a disciplinary system in my determination to be the best mother. Second, that is from a qualitative perspective, in my society, being a perfect and outstanding wife is seen as a need for the growth of the kid admirable characteristics such as joyfulness and cheerfulness. This positive approach and hopeful mannerism can be recognized by consuming the correct nutrition soup. Third, from a quantitative point of view, the more weight my daughter realized, the more kinds of soups I had to prepare for him (Kosta 212). Therefore, the measurable results of maintaining my daughter health through the means of preparing soup could be the most useful pointer of whether I was a perfect, exceptional or even a successful homemaker in my community. Metaphorically, preparing soup showed the love and care I had for my daughter, which had gone far beyond merely providing her necessity for food. To a wide extent, carin g out this activity was an attempt to obey the rules of social expectations of a woman’s role. In addition, the capability to prepare soup was the criteria for determining whether I was the best mother. In terms of the marital perspective, preparing soup became a way of raising my bargaining power with my husband according to tradition, which showed that a well-educated man believes that the best wife has to understand how to cook and be willing to prepare soup for the family members every day. Preparing soup is regarded as a homemaker’s main significant, activity as related to other forms of house activities, which includes washing utensils, ironing clothes and sweeping the floor. This is because it may significantly influence the health of the