Wednesday, October 30, 2019

It can be in firms' interests to source components they need from Assignment

It can be in firms' interests to source components they need from competitors. Explain how this can be the case and examine an - Assignment Example The ability to plough back the profits into the business operations gives the firm a competitive advantage over the competitors. Buying of the competitors products may mean the increase in the economies of scale to the firm, which buys the components. This may also come up with the risks associated with the changes in the market structure to torment the operations of the firm (Cennam, & Santalo 2013, pp. 1346-1349) The Benefits When the firm buys the component of the competitor, the firm enjoys vast economies of scale. When the size of the firm increases, the competition wrecks, since the production of the major competitor ids impeded. The competitor the economic scale increases with great efficiency of the firm to solve the huddles of the markets. The costs of operations decrease in the sense that the firm will not at the verge of strong competition to demand a lot in their production mechanism. Being able to control the market gives the firm another heightened advantage as the pric e is set by the major producer of the products. This is further motivated also by the low costs of production that the firm enjoys due to the wide base of economies of scale (Long & Wijeyaratne, 2013. pp. 21). ... More customers would be attracted to the firm’s products. This would attract more customers to buy the firm’s product (Pukeliene & Maksvytiene, 2008. pp. 40). The firm will be able to offer more benefits on its products than the competing products from other firms within the economy. This ability to deliver better services to the customers, improves the firm’s ability to satisfy the growing demands in the contemporary markets (Cummins & Xie, 2013. pp. 151-153). The firm is able to make economic profit margins by having the opportunity to choose from the best alternative due to the diverse products from the firm. The bought components of the competitor can be released to the markets at the firm’s most convenient time. This give the firm the widest base on the opportunity cost (Long & Wijeyaratne, 2013. pp. 80). The markets may demand the products, the firm is at a better position to select on the demanded product, and offer at the firm’s own set pric e. The advantage of the firm to select on the best and readily available product to sell to the market, gives the firm more profits since they sell at their own set prices. When the demand of a given product goes up, the price increases significantly (Dichter & Sala, 2012). This gives the firm an opportunity to sell it at their own set price. This increases the interests of the firm, which it can use to further control the markets based on the wide economies of scale. For example, if the firm decides to release a product, which is highly demanded for to the markets, and the difference in the profits accrued is the opportunity cost. At such a time, the value of the demanded product is higher than the actual value of the other similar products and that of the product itself when the demand is low (Spiller, 2011.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Types of job interviews Essay Example for Free

Types of job interviews Essay 1. Traditional one on one job interview This is the traditional one on one interview is where you’re interviewed by a company representative, most likely the manager of the position you are applying for. If you get the job you will be working with this person directly. They will want to understand who you are and if your skills match those of the job requirements. You may be asked questions about your resume and your experience, what you can offer the company and what you can bring to the position. The interviewer may ask you questions such as â€Å"Why would you be good for this job?† or â€Å"Tell me about yourself.† The one on one interview is by far, one of the most common types of job interviews. 2. Group Job Interview Many times companies will conduct a group interview to quickly pre-screen candidates for the job opening as well as give the candidates the chance to quickly learn about the company to see if they want to work there. Many times, a group interview will begin with a short presentation about the company. After that, they may speak to each candidate individually and ask them a few questions. One of the most important things the employer is observing during a group interview, is how you interact with the other candidates. Are you emerging as a leader or are you more likely to complete tasks that are asked of you? Neither is necessarily better than the other, it just depends on what type of personality works best for the position that needs to be filled. 3. Panel Job Interview These can be difficult. In a panel interview, you will be interviewed by three to four interviewers. The panel may consist of different representatives of the company such as human resources, management, and employees. The reason why some companies conduct panel interviews is to save time or to get the collective opinion of panel regarding the candidate. Each member of the panel may be responsible for asking you questions that represent relevancy from their position. Government agencies typically conduct panel interviews and they are very strict on protocol. 4. Behavioural Job Interview In a behavioral interview, the interviewer will ask you questions based on common situations of the job you are applying for. The logic behind the behavioural interview is that your future performance will be based on a past performance of a similar situation. You should expect questions that inquire about what you did when you were in XXX situation and how did you dealt with it. In a behavioural interview, the interviewer wants to see how you deal with certain problems and what you do to solve them. 5. Phone Job Interview A phone interview may be for a position where the candidate is not local or for an initial pre-screening call to see if they want to invite you in for an in-person interview. You may be asked typical questions or behavioral questions. Most of the time you will schedule an appointment for a phone interview. If the interviewer calls unexpectedly, it’s ok to ask them politely to schedule an appointment. On a phone interview, make sure your call waiting is turned off, you are in a quiet room, and you are not eating, drinking or chewing gum. 6. Lunch Job Interview Many times lunch interviews are conducted as a second interview. The company will invite you to lunch with additional members of the team to further get to know you and see how you fit in. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have about the company or position as well, so make sure you prepare your questions in advance.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Social Construction of Child and Childhood Essay examples -- Psycholog

Social construction of child and childhood To start with an overview of social constructionism in very general terms leads to build understandings of child and childhood in a social world more explicitly. Notion of social construction is defined in diverse disciplines and instead of generating a description there are a number of thoughts. â€Å"It is sometimes called a movement, at other times a position, a theory, a theoretical orientation, an approach; psychologists remain unsure of its status (Stam 2001, p. 294)†. Vivien (1995, p. 10) points the origin of social constructionism stems from two to three hundred years ago in the period of enlightenment, modernism and postmodernism. By all means, Berger and Luckmann’ (1966) book The Social Construction of Reality as a first book have a title of â€Å"social construction† has influential contributes in recent studies (Hacking, 1999). In this book, questioning everyday life realities and giving examples from it, shows the importance of social relations and l anguage that we used. Hacking’ The Social Construction of What? (1999) offers up-to-date and logical instances which supports to comprehend those aspects. He listed a number of things to be socially constructed and X as a generic label is used by him to work things as they are. First X does not exist or it is not generated by any natural thing then X existed by history, social interactions and with similar things. He discussed all too often after this process, using theory of social construction results in to change or destroy X render ‘normalisation’. Gender is one of the good examples that he gave which always come to mind whether it is constructed or not. Put it in a simple way, when X is gender; inequalities between men and women caus... ...ook the back of the book (Miller, 1995). Cognitive inability to realize other’ perspective and lack of social conversation are propounded by Piaget the reasons of the egocentrism. Children talk while they play with peers however; this communication does not necessarily related to each other that even in group self communication can exist. He suggests based on his own observations such this speech decrease with age. In other words, egocentric thinking transition from autistic to social thinking and when child start to think silently egocentrism disappear (Piaget,1950). Vygotsky’ view departs from this point; in contradiction age decline he claimed initial mission of egocentric speech is cognitive self- guidance rather than social communication (Rubin, 1973). In commonsense, egocentrism is shaped by development of thoughts but, Piaget attributed it genetic roots.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Joel Joe Varghese Essay

Don Bosco held its much awaited event-Voice of DBA-Solo Singing Competition for classes 3 to 12. The competition was divided in parts that is, for classes 3 to 5, for 6- 8, for 9 and 10 and for 11 and 12. But fortunately the event for classes 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 was held together. I felt excited as now I could listen to my favourite singer – Joel K Varghese. Many singers came and sung melodiously but when the Joel’s name was announced, the atmosphere of the auditorium transformed to liveliness. Applauses and hoots of students flowed through the auditorium. Joel had won the best solo singer’s award in Bosco Fiesta 2014, so we had great hopes for him being the winner of the competition. And then the lines rang in my years- Lately I have had the strangest feeling, With no vivid reasons here to find†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Silence spread all over the auditorium and we all listened quietly and enjoyed it very much. This song was sung by Joel in Bosco Fiesta 2014 for which he bagged the first prize. Ability to smoothly change and keep pitch, strong lungs, and usually, a lot of talent in auditory memory are the qualities that a good singer has and no doubt that Joel is one of those good singers. His ability to capture attention of the audience through his voice becomes a model for all the Bosconians. His song ended and so did my happiness. I was enchanted and spellbound by Joel’s song. The situation was the same as when William was stunned by the reaper’s song. Results were not declared but I have a strong feeling that Joel will bag the first prize in the competition for he is THE TRUE VOICE OF DBA .

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

MKT Unit 5 DB

Nowadays there are many more marketing channels available than there were 15, or even ten years ago.   Now a company can market their products by means of a wide variety of channels open to them such as banners, video, wireless, desktop applications, etc – in addition to the more traditional marketing channels of print media and television. Marketing is a very important function which plays a role in strategic planning as it has a direct effect upon profitability and sales.   Larger businesses will dedicate specific staff and departments for marketing purposes, but it is not something that should be carried out in isolation from the rest of the business.   The departments need to work together in order for strategic planning and techniques to be successful (GCSE, 2006) Let’s take a look at how Sony may consider marketing its new PlayStation 3 (PS 3), which is to be launched in a couple of weeks in America.   It has already begun the marketing campaign with a pre product launch press release, wherein it allowed journalists to test the product.   This would be an effective strategy as it would enhance the mystery and curiosity surrounding the product. I think other channels which would be most effective in the marketing of this product would be all of the new channels listed above – banners, video, wireless, desktop applications, as well as television and the printed media, as long as the programs and publications used are aimed at the younger generation.     Retail outlets would also have their own promotional material such as posters and cardboard cutouts on display.   Sony could refer back to successes that they had in the marketing of the Sony Playstation 2, considering that according to them, an incredible 74 million Playstation 2s have been consumed – a figure trumped by sales of the two iterations of the original PlayStation hardware, now standing at 100 million. (Spong, 2006) References GCSE, 2006, retrieved 26 Oct 2006 from the website http://64.37.122.55/business/gcse/marketing_role_in_business.htm Spong, 2006, retrieved 26 Oct 2006 from the website http://news.spong.com/article/7902?cb=114

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Ancient History of Abortion and When it Began

The Ancient History of Abortion and When it Began Abortion is often presented as if it were new, cutting-edge, scientifica product of the modern erawhen it is, in fact, as old as recorded history. Earliest Known Description of Abortion The earliest known description of abortion comes from the Ebers Papyrus (ca. 1550 BCE), an ancient Egyptian medical text drawn, ostensibly, from records dating as far back as the third millennium BCE. The Ebers Papyrus suggests that an abortion can be induced with the use of a plant-fiber tampon coated with a compound that included honey and crushed dates. Later herbal abortifacients included the long-extinct silphium, the most prized medicinal plant of the ancient world, and pennyroyal, which is still sometimes used to induce abortions (but not safely, as it is highly toxic). In Aristophanes Lysistrata, Calonice refers to a young woman as well-cropped, and trimmed, and spruced with pennyroyal.Abortion is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but we know that the ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, among others, would have practiced it during their respective eras. The absence of any discussion of abortion in the Bible is conspicuous, and later authorities attempted to close the gap. The Babylonian Talmud (Niddah 23a) suggests a Jewish response, by a Rabbi Meir, that would have been consistent with contemporaneous secular sources permitting abortion during early pregnancy: [A woman] can only abort something in the shape of a stone, and that can only be described as a lump. Chapter two of an early Christian text prohibits all abortion  but does so only within the context of a longer passage that also condemns theft, covetousness, perjury, hypocrisy, and pride. Abortion is never mentioned in the Quran, and later Muslim scholars hold a range of views regarding the morality of the practicesome holding that it is always unacceptable, others holding that it is acceptable up to the 16th week of pregnancy. Earliest Legal Ban on Abortion The earliest legal ban on abortion dates from the 11th-century BCE Code of Assura  and imposes the death penalty on married women who procure abortions without the permission of their husbands. We know that some regions of ancient Greece also had some sort of ban on abortion, because there are fragments of speeches from the ancient Greek lawyer-orator Lysias (445-380 BCE) in which he defends a woman accused of having an abortion. But, much like the Code of Assura, it may have only applied in cases where the husband had not granted permission for the pregnancy to be terminated. The Hippocratic Oath forbade physicians from inducing elective abortions (requiring that physicians vow not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion), but Aristotle held that abortion was ethical if performed during the first trimester of pregnancy, writing in the Historia Animalium that there is a distinctive change that takes place early in the second trimester: About this period (the ninetieth day) the embryo begins to resolve into distinct parts, it having hitherto consisted of a fleshlike substance without distinction of parts. What is called effluxion is a destruction of the embryo within the first week, while abortion occurs up to the fortieth day; and the greater number of such embryos as perish do so within the space of these forty days. As far as we know, surgical abortion was not common until the end of the 19th century and would have been reckless prior to the invention of the Hegar dilator in 1879, which made dilation-and-curettage (DC) possible. But pharmaceutically-induced abortions, different in function and similar in effect, were extremely common in the ancient world.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Conformity Essay

Conformity Essay Conformity Essay Conformity Essay: Blind Conformity Conformity essay is usually a short paper written from the personal point of view of the author. These essays become a major part of formal education. Essay writing helps students to improve their writing skills. Conformity Essay: Tips Before starting writing do some thinking. Decide what topic you are interested most of all. Think what you want to tell the reader with your essay: whether you want to persuade him or just to describe some subject. Give yourself plenty of time to write. Do not be hard on yourself when you first sit down to write. Once you have your ideas down on paper, give it to some trusted readers. To make other people rethink and rewrite your essay is not the idea: The point is to ask questions that will push you to think more broadly. Check out a writing manual for guidance. Your essay should not have any grammatical or spelling errors, compelling and insightful. Conformity Essay Example: Blind Conformity In our world, it is often difficult to adapt to one specific type of lifestyle. Our way of living may consist a look, a way of thinking; a religion that does not conform to whatever is a norm or the accepted at a given time. When it is the case, we can feel forced to change, so here we are sensitive to the blind conformity. Blind conformity is like a molding of us. It is what is said to be normal in society not using our differences to develop us as humans. Blind conformity causes us to disregard our strongest beliefs that should be the most powerful driving forces in all of our lives. In todays world television and other media show certain lifestyles, ideas and then the public automatically conforms. However, it is extremely important for us to be taught from an early age to be proud of who we are. Who can say that coarse hair is prettier than soft hair? Who can say that being skinny is prettier than fat? Who can say that white is better than black or black is better than white? Defeating insecurity knows that there is no better one in these situations, but that they are simply differences. Conformity Essay: Writing Help If you have any difficulties in your essay writing, you feel it too stressful to deal with all your assignments or you simply do not have time to make researches and brainstorming for ideas, you are welcome to become our customer. Our professional writers will take off your shoulders this worries. It is so easy and convenient! Read also: Term Paper Help Reconstruction Term Paper Non-Plagiarized Term Papers Need Help Writing a Paper Long Term Paper 10 Pages

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Biography of Michelle Obama, U.S. First Lady

Biography of Michelle Obama, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama  (born January 17, 1964) was the first African-American first lady and the wife of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to serve as president. She is also a lawyer, the former vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and a philanthropist. Fast Facts: Michelle Obama Known For: First Lady of the United States, wife to 44th President Barack ObamaBorn: January 17, 1964 in Chicago, IllinoisParents:  Marian Shields and Fraser C. Robinson IIIEducation: Princeton University (BA in sociology), Harvard Law School (JD)Published Works: BecomingSpouse: Barack Obama (m. October 3, 1992)Children: Malia (born in 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha, born in 2001) Early Life Michelle Obama (nee Michelle LaVaughn Robinson) was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, the second of two children of Chicagoans Marian Shields and Fraser C. Robinson III. She describes her parents as important early role models in her life, whom she proudly identifies as working class. Her father, a city pump operator and Democratic precinct captain, worked and lived with multiple sclerosis; his limp and crutches did not affect his abilities as the family breadwinner. Michelles mother stayed home with her children until they reached high school. The family lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a brick bungalow on Chicagos south side. The living room- converted with a divider down the middle- served as Michelles bedroom. Michelle and her older brother Craig, now an Ivy League basketball coach at Brown University, grew up hearing the story of their maternal grandfather. A carpenter who was denied union membership due to race, Craig was shut out of the citys top construction jobs. Yet the children were taught they could succeed despite any prejudices they might encounter over race and color. Both children were bright and skipped second grade. Michelle entered a gifted program in sixth grade. From their parents, who had never attended college, Michelle and her brother learned that achievement and hard work were key. Education Michelle attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicagos West Loop, graduating in 1981. Although she was discouraged from applying to Princeton by high school advisors who felt her scores werent adequate, she was accepted and graduated from the college with honors and a bachelors degree in sociology and a minor in African-American studies. She was one of very few black students attending Princeton at the time, and the experience made her acutely aware of the issues of race. After graduation, she applied to Harvard Law School and once again faced bias as college counselors tried to talk her out of her decision. Despite their doubts, she matriculated and excelled, obtaining her J.D. in 1985. Professor David B. Wilkins remembers Michelle as forthright: She always stated her position clearly and decisively. Career in Corporate Law After graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle joined the law firm of Sidley Austin as an associate specializing in marketing and intellectual property. In 1988, a summer intern who was two years older than she by the name of Barack Obama came to work at the firm, and Michelle was assigned as his mentor. They married in 1992 and later had two daughters, Malia (born in 1998) and Natasha, known as Sasha (born in 2001). In 1991, the death of her father from complications related to MS caused Michelle to re-evaluate her life; she subsequently decided to leave corporate law to work in the public sector. Career in Public Sector Michelle first served as assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daly; later she became assistant commissioner of planning and development. In 1993 she founded Public Allies Chicago, which provided young adults with leadership training for public service careers. As executive director, she headed up a nonprofit named by President Bill Clinton as a model AmeriCorps program. In 1996, she joined the University of Chicago as Associate Dean of Student Services and established its first community service program. In 2002, she was named the University of Chicago Hospitals executive director of community and external affairs. Balancing Career, Family, and Politics Following her husbands election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004, Michelle was appointed Vice President of Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center in May 2005. Despite Baracks dual roles in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Michelle did not consider resigning from her position and moving to the nations capital. Only after Barack announced his presidential campaign did she adjust her work schedule; in May 2007 she cut her hours by 80 percent to accommodate the needs of the family during his candidacy. Although she resists the labels feminist and liberal, Michelle Obama is widely recognized as outspoken and strong-willed. She has juggled career and family as a working mother, and her positions indicate progressive ideas on the roles of women and men in society. First Lady Michelles husband Barack was elected U.S. president in November 2007. During her first term as first lady, Michelle spearheaded the Lets Move! program, a concerted effort intended to reduce childhood obesity. Although it has been difficult to gauge the success of the program overall, her efforts led to the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, which allowed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set new nutritional standards for all food sold in schools for the first time in more than 30 years. During Barack Obamas second term, Michelle focused on the Reach Higher Initiative, which aimed to help students identify future careers and enable them to complete coursework past high school- whether its at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.  That initiative continues, with a focus on school counselor training, raising awareness about college access tools, and social media outreach and flagship events such as College Signing Day. Post-White House Since the Obamas left the White House in January 2016, Michelle worked on and published her memoir Becoming, published in November 2018. She has also worked on the Global Girls Alliance, an education project intended to help provide tens of millions of adolescent girls worldwide who were not given a chance to finish high school; Global Girls is an outgrowth of Let Girls Learn, which she started in 2015 and left with the White House. She has actively supported the Chicago-based Obama Foundation charity, and been a spokesperson for When We All Vote, to increase voter registration. Sources: Obama, Michelle. 2018. Becoming. New York: Crown, 2018.Saulny, Susan. Michelle Obama Thrives in Campaign Trenches. New York Times, 14 February 2008.Bennetts, Leslie. First Lady in Waiting. VanityFair.com, 27 December 2007.Gewertz, Catherine. Michelle Obamas Reach Higher Initiative Merges With the Common Application. Education Week Blog High School Beyond, 27 September 2018.  Ross Johnson, Steven. Gauging the public health value of Michelle Obamas Lets Move campaign. Modern Healthcare, 23 August 2016.Rossi, Rosalind. The woman behind Obama. Chicago Sun-Times, 22 January 2008.Slevin, Peter. Michelle Obama: A Life. New York: Vintage Books, 2015.Michelle Obama’s vacation is over. Now she’s claiming her own spotlight. The Washington Post, 11 October 2018.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

No Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No Topic - Essay Example Parents rely on continuous monitoring of babies left in their cribs by twoway radio transmitters. Teens and fasttrackers everywhere, wouldnt leave home these days without packing their mobile telecommunications device, whether it be telephone handset, personal communicator device, or other gadget. The modern world increasingly is bent on staying in touch. By saying this, Molitor (2003) has focused his attention on only one aspect of the impact of communication technology on families. But English-Lueck (1998) has on the other hand approached the issue in its totality and drawn attention to how the â€Å"world of home† is equally changed as is the â€Å"world of work† by technology. By telling a story about how communication technologies have changed the lives and behaviors of the members of an imaginary family, English-Lueck (1998) has asked the question what impact these communication devices have on community and family, and tried to answer it convincingly. English-Lueck (1998) has further explained how technologies changed the â€Å"work-home† dynamics and redefined â€Å"the scope of work.† Problamitizing the responses of interviewees that what made a family was a context of doing things together, English-Lueck (1998) have concluded that it is action rather than a natural state of being that define cont emporary family, and that this action is often defined by the â€Å"devices that facilitate that action.† The consequences for the family, according to English- Lueck (1998) are, â€Å"colonization of home time by work†, creation of a problem of access between the members of the family, transformation of family into being viewed as a management issue by its members, creation of a â€Å"sense of street safety† for the members of a family, creation of gender stereotypes as well as gender role reversals, transformation of parental roles in terms of control etc. Also families belonging to certain cultures have been found to be

Friday, October 18, 2019

Research psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research psychology - Essay Example The feared situations can vary from interpersonal social interactions in small groups to talking to strangers. Performance fears, such as speaking in public, also are common. People with social anxiety disorder either avoid feared situations or experience them with extreme anxiety. Most individuals with the disorder have the more severe, "generalized" type, in which the person has other social fears in addition to the common fear of public speaking. Many researchers have conducted research in the area with varying recommendations. Much has been researched on social anxiety and how it affects peoples’ lives. Usually many researches have looked at the causes of social anxiety and how it could be treated. SARA W.holds that one–fifth of patients with social anxiety disorder also suffers from an alcohol use disorder (AUDs). They have argued that one of the theories that can be attributed to this is the tension reduction theory, which proposes that people with social anxiety use alcohol to alleviate their fears. This expectation that alcohol reduces anxiety may motivate alcohol consumption even if pharmacological studies do not support that assumption. She holds that social anxiety disorder is treatable with both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Some researchers have also attributed social anxiety disorders to environmental risk factors such as parenting (Ollendick & Hirshfeld-Becker, 2002). Although the role of parenting has emerged as a small but significant risk factor, less research has focused on parent psychopathology. This lack of attention may be due, in part, to the difficulty in separating out genetic contributions from environmental impact. Despite this, there is some evidence that parents with specific disorders contribute significantly to an increased rate of many childhood and adolescence disorders, potentially even within a particular developmental pathway (Stranger 1999; Burstein

The Effects of Good Lie in Plato's Republic Essay

The Effects of Good Lie in Plato's Republic - Essay Example The effects of a good lie as demonstrated by Plato were useful to Citizens generally if they did not conflict with the morals and the teaching of gods. In situations where the lies were used by the leaders to protect the citizens from the enemies had a positive impact on the citizens. This lead to the creation of strong relations between the leaders and the people due to the great faith the people had on the leadership. This founded strong ties and great kingdoms. However, bad lies too had implications on the leadership and the whole state. Lost hopes manifested themselves in the county that always prioritized on bad lies. Thus the effects were exhibited depending on the kind of a lie used ( Grube, pg. 56). Political lies are necessary at times if they are constructive and beneficial. A good example by Plato is when the ruler of Athens used a lie to influence the citizens to build a new fleet because he lied that the Island of Aegina was a threat. This fleet was later used for defense against the  Persians.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management - Assignment Example Managing performance is an ongoing activity that involves identification of performance measures, implementation of the performance management system, evaluation of performance outcomes and provision of feedback for improvement purposes (Kammerer, 2009). Importance of measures of organizational and managerial performance of Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust Organisational performance measures assess how well the organisation contributes to the attainment of its vision, mission and strategic goals. Managerial performance measures focus on how well the management plans, organises and allocates limited resources in an efficient and effective manner towards the attainment of organisational goals (Kammerer, 2009). Measures of organisational and managerial performance are importance since they enable the organization to meet the demands of external accountability and foster strong sense of internal accountability. Measures of performance provide the basis of implementing organisational stra tegies through identifying the expected performance goals. The measures allow for collaboration through integrating the objectives of the organisation with the key performance indicators (Kammerer, 2009). ... The measures will enable Mid Staffordshire NHS hospital to improve communication with external stakeholders such as suppliers of medical equipment and government regulatory agencies. The measures of performance justify expenditure and costs in the organisation through ensuring cost-effectiveness and identifying the value for money committed towards improvement of organisational processes (Niven, 2005). Advantages and disadvantages of using balanced scorecard approach to organizational and managerial performance Balanced scorecard was developed by Robert Kaplan in early 1990s, but has certain advantages and disadvantages as a measure of both organizational and managerial performance. Balanced scorecard translates the mission and business strategy in to a comprehensive set of performance measures that cater for the overall organization. In addition, the performance measurement tool acts as a communication tool since it outlines the employee expectations and aims at ensuring periodic ev aluation of the performance standards (Christensen, 2008). According to Daft (2010), the tool integrates both short-term and long-term measures of performance and forms the basis of employee compensation. Ideally, balanced scorecard offers an advantage as performance management system since it breaks down strategic measures to the bottom level units such as department, clinical units, and individual staff within the organization. Balanced scorecard enhances creativity and innovation in the organisation through continuous learning and growth opportunities for the staff and improvement of the processes (Ginter, Duncan & Swayne, 2013). Lastly, the performance management tool leads to unique competitive advantage through improved decision-making and improved processes in the entire

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example These include expert system, decision support systems, and executive information systems (Laudon & Jane 12). 1. The changes of information system I learnt that the field that covers the general information systems and changes in the management theories, processes, models, and emphasis. It expounds on problem solving as well as strategies that deal with the business. Information system is bringing about increasingly changes in people’s lives. This includes relationships, decision making, data collection, and communication. IT change leads to innovation, thus new business services and models. The leaders in different organization need to understand the impacts resulting from changes within the organization. Organizations have to also examine their performance, processes, and strategies in order to identify the changes within their organizations. This concept of change management is gaining attention among organizations and human behavior, operation management, business administr ation, and information systems. Technological advancements as well as, business improvements are essential in modern societies, and finding effective strategies to manage processes of change (Laudon & Jane 33). 2. Information Systems and Organizations We also learnt higher education institution is working hard to ensure that information technologies are effective in al spheres of life. This is this through ensuring efficient information system and operation in organization. They are doing this by effecting the eve of education. All graduates currently have the basic knowledge concerning the field; thus organizations can run effectively with the adequacy in operations and systems. On the other hand, processes within organizations are proceeding at high speed thus increasing the output together with the efficiency. Security has also increased thus expanding the reach of the organizations. This is because the organizations can expand confidently. The above is one of the key items that have been brought about by information systems. 3. Information, Management, and Decision Making I learnt that information system also facilitates decision making. This is because it comes along with mechanisms which simply human labor. The role of management is to use their sense to make decisions. However, with information systems, programs that run and facilitates their role. I therefore, appreciate the innovations behind information systems. 4. The Strategic Role of Information Systems to businesses I have learnt that Information Systems support business operations and processes. They assist managers in efficiently conducting their routine functions and activities properly. For example, different bank activities such as statement generation, withdrawal of money and account creation are efficient due to Information Systems. These systems help managers conduct such activities timely and accurately. Information Systems can also analyze data about information on customers (Laudon & J ane 63). Information Systems are useful in supporting strategic decision making that contributes to competitive advantage. Analysis of data by information systems provides critical information in decision-making. A company can decide to launch products or services in different locations basing their decision from results of analyzed data by Information Systems. The strategic role of Information Systems cannot be ignored since they help in planning a business’

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management - Assignment Example Managing performance is an ongoing activity that involves identification of performance measures, implementation of the performance management system, evaluation of performance outcomes and provision of feedback for improvement purposes (Kammerer, 2009). Importance of measures of organizational and managerial performance of Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust Organisational performance measures assess how well the organisation contributes to the attainment of its vision, mission and strategic goals. Managerial performance measures focus on how well the management plans, organises and allocates limited resources in an efficient and effective manner towards the attainment of organisational goals (Kammerer, 2009). Measures of organisational and managerial performance are importance since they enable the organization to meet the demands of external accountability and foster strong sense of internal accountability. Measures of performance provide the basis of implementing organisational stra tegies through identifying the expected performance goals. The measures allow for collaboration through integrating the objectives of the organisation with the key performance indicators (Kammerer, 2009). ... The measures will enable Mid Staffordshire NHS hospital to improve communication with external stakeholders such as suppliers of medical equipment and government regulatory agencies. The measures of performance justify expenditure and costs in the organisation through ensuring cost-effectiveness and identifying the value for money committed towards improvement of organisational processes (Niven, 2005). Advantages and disadvantages of using balanced scorecard approach to organizational and managerial performance Balanced scorecard was developed by Robert Kaplan in early 1990s, but has certain advantages and disadvantages as a measure of both organizational and managerial performance. Balanced scorecard translates the mission and business strategy in to a comprehensive set of performance measures that cater for the overall organization. In addition, the performance measurement tool acts as a communication tool since it outlines the employee expectations and aims at ensuring periodic ev aluation of the performance standards (Christensen, 2008). According to Daft (2010), the tool integrates both short-term and long-term measures of performance and forms the basis of employee compensation. Ideally, balanced scorecard offers an advantage as performance management system since it breaks down strategic measures to the bottom level units such as department, clinical units, and individual staff within the organization. Balanced scorecard enhances creativity and innovation in the organisation through continuous learning and growth opportunities for the staff and improvement of the processes (Ginter, Duncan & Swayne, 2013). Lastly, the performance management tool leads to unique competitive advantage through improved decision-making and improved processes in the entire

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Long Term Relationships Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Long Term Relationships - Assignment Example This essay discusses that specifically talking about contract financing or monetizing, there are numerous methods for contract financing. Advance payments involve the payment of money to the contractor by the government before any services or goods have been received. By doing so, the government anticipates performance by the contractor under one or more contracts thereby liquidating them from payments. Since this method of payment is not performance oriented, it differs from other modes of payment that are performance-based. Advance payments are usually employed as a method to pay prime contractors so that they may pay subcontractors. Progress payments, as the name suggests, involves the payment of money as the work progresses and costs are incurred along the way. However, this progress does not include payments based on completion of certain stages, partial deliveries, partial payments in case of contract termination, and performance oriented payments. Legal and financial governmen t institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank may also guarantee loans to individuals so that contractors are financed in order to pay for the acquisition of goods and services. Such financing mainly comes from the private sector under the terms of the contract. Under particular statutes, progress payments for the completion of a certain stage are authorized which is used under agency procedures as a method of payment.

Examining Current Issues in Child Mental Health Essay Example for Free

Examining Current Issues in Child Mental Health Essay In today’s society, a major concern that ought to ensure success in a country’s future is the positive development, growth and health of children. According to the World Health Organization, children are susceptible to acquiring malnutrition, along with having a higher prevalence rate of diseases compared to any other age group (WHO, 2012). Likewise, these susceptibilities in children are determined by the social determinants of health; known as conditions set in place in order to combat illness and are dependent on the country’s power, wealth and economy (WHO, 2012). In this critical review, the social gradient and social determinants of health are used in order to analyze the impact of society on child mental health and development. From a Canadian perspective of the social the determinants of health, the following topics that are addressed in the critical analysis of child mental health include three social determinants. These determinants consist of the early child hood development vs. race/ethnicity, early child hood development vs. ealth services, and early child hood development vs. social exclusion. While the article, â€Å"Call for Help (HL)† By Suzanna Pillay, reports the significant view that the children’s help line service is known to be the number one coping method for children with negative psychological issues; however, this is not the case since the primary solution to avoiding child mental health issues is with the main help of the primary care giver, general public and global organizations. Summary of â€Å"Call for Help† By Suzanna Pillay The article’s overall message describes children being a susceptible being to mental health issues that occur due to many factors, however, those issues can be reduced and prevented during the first three years of development with the help of several caregivers. Suzanne mentions that the children’s helpline is the main route to determining what’s wrong with the children who call because many tend to seek help there rather than to their primary caregivers, their parents. In addition, research and statistics from the child helpline shows that some of the mental disorders that the children acquire are a lack of confidence, eating disorders, phobias, obsessions, anxiety, suicidal, loneliness and depression. According to the article, the central solution to fight against the odds of children developing mental health problems in their later years is to provide a positive environment both external and internal that will lead them to a stable life. Overall, although the article layout many viewpoints, issues and solutions toward child mental health, in the end it comes down to the fact that the early years of a child’s development is critical and consists of many components such as brain development, emotions, stability and perception in life, coping, and health. Critical Analysis To begin with, from a Canadian perspective they believe that early childhood development (ECD) is one of the important social determinants of health to draw upon on when analyzing child mental health. As mentioned in the article, the first three years are vital for a child’s emotional and development and control; whereas increasing stress hormones can affect the development of the brain. However, on the social gradient scale the early years of development can vary between different races and ethnicities. For instance, according to an article by Christina Gamache Martin and her colleges, research has shown to indicate that there are racial and ethnic disparities; where African Americans are more prone to higher cortisol levels than Caucasians and Latinos had lower levels of cortisol than Caucasians (Evidence 1). Critsol is a glucocorticide hormone derived from the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, where both work together to mediate between persistent stress and appalling health (Evidence 1). As a result, since the African American group has shown to have had higher levels of crotisol, they tend have a lack of parental monitoring and higher risk of acquiring mental health issues (eVdence 1). Therefore, it is clear that some children may have a higher tendency of acquiring mental health illnesses due to race and ethnicity. In conclusion, it would be logical to rovide public services as mentioned in the article by Suzanne Pillay to specific race and ethnic youth groups who are more likely experience negative early child hood development. Moreover, health services provide to a society in Canada is also known to have a significant impact on children and their development. One issue outlined in the article was that 60 % and higher of child care and nursery centers were overpopulated with children with mental disabilities and on top of that they did not follow up on child’s needs presented in an Act in 2001 for children. This statement essentially indicates that health services such as foster care services and child care centers with mental health ill children will need to be addressed in a manner that will benefit the children. A research study acknowledged by Georgina, Hibbert, makes note of the worthiness of health services in relation to child mental illnesses. The study was a consultation called the â€Å"Psychology Consultation Service† which was set up by Brent CAMHS in 1005 that provided consent to improve foster care services. It was in support of limitations in other studies and issues revolving around mental health and children. They found this consultation to show great improvement in the skills and understanding of children with mental illness in foster care, while also making the foster care givers more self-reliance and assurance to perform their job well. (evidence 2). Other workers, such as social workers found the model consultation to also be beneficial in terms of skills advancement, planning, and increase knowledge. In regards to the article, the consultation is a fine example of presenting methods in which health services can perform in order to improve their quality of services to help child mental health patients in the future. Lastly, to draw upon the viewpoints made in the article it quite apparent that social exclusion are viable key determinants factors that can both hinder and impact child development in a negative way. As stated in the article, it important to acknowledge the fact that children who are cared for, not neglected and grow up in a warm environment are more likely to do better in life compared to those who are neglected and experience some type of violence or abuse at a young age. Wren, Frances J, expresses this logic strongly in his article insisting that primary care givers, such as the parents and clinician, of a child play a significantly important role decreasing the chances of mental health illness such as depression in the future (Evidence 3). The close relationship between the care givers and the child will help to determine any early symptoms of mental health illness that can be prevented in the future (Evidence 3). In connection to the article, if parents sought to provide their child with the care and positive environment they need, children would be less likely to perform such acts like calling the children helpline to ask for help and advice when facing psychological symptoms’ or disorders. Moreover, they would feel more comfortable to talk to their parents and could mean a way of closing the mental illness treatment gap in medical care. Conclusion In conclusion, it is apparent that there are various social determinants of health that create inequalities in health, usually leading to problems like affecting the care of children with mental health illnesses. As for limitations, this analysis only focuses on three of many of Canada’s standpoints in social inequalities in health. Moreover, despite the research and enhancement of services provided there will always be limitations due to the fact that every child differs from one another. The analysis makes a clear distinction between the social determinant of health and inequalities in health towards child mental health and development, such that there are inequalities in the child mental health spectrum that need to be evaluated and improved. As a result, the general conception is that in order to reduce limitations in child mental health the help of primary care givers, society and organizations are needed and without them it would be impossible to reduce the effects of negatively impacting environments and early child hood development on children in the future.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

PSA Composite Fibers and Membranes

PSA Composite Fibers and Membranes Polysulfonamide/nano titanium dioxide (PSA/nano-TiO2) composite spinning solutions with various nano-TiO2  mass fractions were prepared using the solution blending method. The corresponding composite fibers were developed by wet-spinning technology and the composite membranes were prepared using the digital spin-coating technique. The properties of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers and membranes were investigated by scanning electron  microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, etc. The effects of nano-TiO2 and its  mass fractions on the mechanical properties, thermal stability and ultraviolet resistance of PSA composites were  also analyzed. The experimental results showed that nano-TiO2 with low mass fractions can be dispersed evenly  in the PSA matrix; the blending of nano-TiO2 had no obvious influence on the molecular structure and the chemical composition of PSA fiber; the crystallization in PSA fiber was promoted at low nanoparticles mass f ractions  because it can act as a nucleation agent; the mechanical properties and the thermal stability of PSA/nano-TiO2  composites can be enhanced obviously by blending nano-TiO2 into PSA matrix. The ultraviolet resistance of PSA  composites can be improved significantly with the increasing nano-TiO2 mass fractions and the 7 wt.% specimen  showed the lowest UV transmittance. Polysulfonamide (PSA) fiber is a new kind of hightemperature resistant material and it has outstanding  heat resistance, flame retardancy, and thermal stability,  therefore, it can be used to develop protective products used in aerospace, high-temperature environments  and civil fields with the flame retardant requirements  (Ren, Wang, Zhang, 2007; Wang, 2009). However,  raw PSA generally demonstrates poor ultraviolet resistance and the amide groups in polymer molecular  chains are prone to break down under the ultraviolet  radiation; besides, the breaking tenacity of PSA fibers  is low; these properties lead to some difficulties in its  manufacturing procedures and limit its application in  developing functional textiles. Therefore, it is a challenging work to improve the mechanical properties  and ultraviolet resistance of PSA. It has been proved that nano-TiO2 is one of the  ideal nano-enhanced materials and it has attracted great  scientific attention because of its excellent mechanical  properties in significantly improved properties of composites (Ali, Shadi, Shirin, Seyedeh, Khademno,  2010; Han Yu, 2005). Moreover, nano-TiO2 is good  semiconductor oxides and it has excellent ultraviolet  scattering and absorption (Popov, Priezzhev, Lademann, Myllylà ¤, 2005). It is feasible to blend nanoTiO2 into PSA matrix to improve the mechanical properties and ultraviolet resistance of PSA composites. Experimental Materials The PSA polymer was used as spinning solution with  intrinsic viscosity of 2.0–2.5 dL/g and relative molecular  mass of 462. The rutile titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2)  was blended as functional particles with a diameter ranging from 30 to 50 nm and the rutile content of nano-TiO2  was about 99%. The dimethylacetamide (DMAC) was  selected as dissolvent in this study. The above materials  were provided by Shanghai Tanlon Fiber Co. Ltd. All the  chemicals used here were of reagent grade and they were  used without further purification. Preparation of PSA/nano-TiO2 composites A certain amount of nano-TiO2 was predispersed in  DMAC using ultrasonic vibration for 30min; and thenadded into the PSA solution. The PSA/nano-TiO2  composite spinning solutions with various mass fractions of nanoparticles was prepared after mechanical stirring for 1 h and ultrasonic vibration for 2 h. The  experimental data are shown in Table 1. The pure PSA fibers and PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers were developed by a small-scale and singlescrew wet spinning apparatus. Besides, the pure PSA  membrane and PSA/nano-TiO2 composite membranes  were prepared using the SJT-B digital spin-coating  instrument. The preparation procedures of nanofibers  and membranes can be referred to the previous studies  (Chen, Xin, Wu, Wang, Du, in press; Xin, Chen,  Wu, Wang, in press). Test methods The dispersion of nanoparticles in PSA composites  S-3400N scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a  resolution of 4 nm was used to characterize the dispersion of nano-TiO2 in PSA matrix. The machine was  operated at 5 kV. FTIR spectroscopy Thermo Nicolet AVATAR 370 Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to characterize the  molecular structure and chemical composition of  fibers; each spectrum was collected by cumulating 32  scans at a resolution of 4 cm_1 X-ray diffraction X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of the crystalline structure of fibers were recorded on k780  FirmV_06 X-ray diffraction using the CuKÃŽ ± radiation  (ÃŽ » = 0.15406 nm). The spectra were obtained at 2h  angles range of 5o –60o with a scanning speed of 0.8 s/ step. Mechanical properties test YG006 electronic single fiber strength tester was used  to investigate the mechanical properties of fibers. The  sample gage length was 10mm. The elongation speed  was set at 20mm/min. The measurements for each  sample were carried out 10 times and the average wasThe thermal stability test  The thermal stability of fibers was measured by Germany STA PT-1000 Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer  (Linseis Inc., New Jersey, USA); the experiment was  conducted under nitrogen atmosphere with a gas flow  of 80–100ml/min; the samples were heated up to  700 °C from the room temperature at a heating rate of  20 °C/min. Ultraviolet resistance test Labsphere UV-1000F Ultraviolet Transmittance Analyzer (Labsphere, Inc., North Sutton, NH, USA) was  used to test the UV transmittance of membranes. The  instrument parameters were described as below: the  absorbance was 0–2.5A; scanning time was about 5 s;  data interval was 1 nm and the diameter of beam was  10mm. The measurements for each sample were carried out for 10 times and the average was used for the  result discussion. Results and discussion The distribution of nano-TiO2 in PSA composites As demonstrated in Figure 1, 1 wt.% of nano-TiO2 can  be dispersed evenly throughout the PSA matrix and the  size of nanoparticles is about 50–60 nm; with the nanoTiO2 mass fraction increased to 3 wt.%, a little aggregation can be observed; when the mass fraction of nanoTiO2 increased to 5 or 7 wt.%, its dispersion in PSA  becomes inhomogeneous because of their large specific  surface and high surface polarity, and the aggregation  size is about 100–300 nm. It is difficult for nano-TiO2  with high mass fractions to distribute uniformly in the  PSA blending system. FTIR analysis of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers   As shown in Figure 2, the position and shape of characteristic peaks of PSA composites blending with nanoTiO2 did not change obviously compared with the pristine PSA. The characteristic peaks of PSA composites  exhibiting at about 3338.99 cm_1  can be attributed to the amide N–H stretching vibration and the peaks are  flattened slightly with the mass fractions of nano-TiO2  increased from 1 to 7 wt.%. It ascribes to the quantum  size effect of nanoparticles (Zhang Mou, 2001). In  conclusion, it shows no significant changes to the  molecular structure and chemical composition of PSA  fibers with the addition of nano-TiO2. XRD analysis of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers  As depicted in Figure 3, the PSA composite fibers have  diffraction peaks at 27.54 °, 36.15 °, 41.35 °, and 54.40 °,  this is because of the blending of nano-TiO2 (Chen,  Liu, Zhang, Zhang, Jin, 2003; Xia Wang, 2002). In addition, all the specimens have diffraction peaks at  about 11.85 ° and 21.25 °. The sharp diffraction peaks  corresponding to 11.85o  indicate that there are crystalline structures in PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers  (Yang, 2008). Besides, the sharpness of the diffraction  peaks at about 11.85 ° of composites enhances gradually with the nano-TiO2 mass fractions increased from  1 to 5 wt.%. It suggests that the crystallization in PSA  can be improved with the blending of nano-TiO2,  because it can act as a nucleation agent. Moreover, the  shape of diffraction peaks exhibiting at 21.25 ° of PSA  composites broadens significantly with the increasing  nano-TiO2 mass fractions and it proves that the size of  crystal region becomes smaller (Meng, Hu, Zhu,  2007). The mechanical properties of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers As illustrated in Table 2, the breaking tenacity of PSA  composite fiber with 1 wt.% nano-TiO2 improved  obviously; however, the improving degree of breaking  tenacity begins to decrease with the continuous  increase in mass fractions of nano-TiO2 and the value  of the 7 wt.% sample is lower than the pure PSA. This is because nano-TiO2 is an ideal nano-enhancedmaterial; the blending of it into PSA can improve the  mechanical properties of composites to some extent. Moreover, nano-TiO2 with low mass fractions can be  distributed evenly in PSA matrix and it can form a  good interface with PSA molecular chains. As can be seen in Table 2, the composite fibers have  low elongation at break which is lower than the raw  PSA; simultaneously, the initial modulus of composites  increased significantly, however, the improvement  begins to decrease with the mass fractions of nano-TiO2  increased from 1 to 5 wt.% and the 7 wt.% sample has  the minimum value of the initial modulus. It suggests  that the blending of nano-TiO2 with low mass fractions  can improve the mechanical properties of PSA composite fibers to a certain extent. The thermal stability of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite  fibers TG curves and derivative thermogravimetric analysis  (DTG) curves of PSA/nano-TiO2 composite fibers are  demonstrated in Figures 4 and 5, respectively. The  main parameters of the curves are presented in Table 3. In Figure 4, the thermal decomposition behaviors of  specimens are divided into three regions. The first region is a stage of small mass loss ranging from room temperature to 400 °C. As depicted in  Figure 4, each TG curve has a sharp decrease in the  beginning and then reaches a platform with the temperature heating up to 350 °C. However, the mass loss  of PSA composites blending with nano-TiO2 is always  lower than the pure PSA during this process. As  shown in Table 3, the T10wt of each PSA composite is  high, whereas the mass loss of pure PSA reached 10%  at 170.19 °C. This suggests that it is hard for the PSA  composites to decompose and the thermal stability is  significantly higher than PSA. The second region is a stage of thermal decomposition process ranging from 400 to 600 °C. According  to the analysis of bond energy (Zhang, Cheng, Zhao, 2000), the C–N section of amide in PSA macromolecular chains decomposes at 500–600 °C (Broadbelt, Chu, Klein, 1994a, 1994b) and the mass loss  of PSA at this stage is attributed to the gases released  such as SO2,NH3, and CO2. In addition, as illustrated  in Table 3, the To of PSA composites blending with 1  and 3 wt.% nano-TiO2 can be increased; therefore, its  thermal stability can be improved correspondingly.   As exhibited in Figure 4, the mass loss of specimens accelerates steadily with the increasing temperature and each TG curve presents a rapid  decomposition at about 500 °C. Corresponding to the  rapid decomposition, there is a peak in DTG curve  shown in Figure 5 and the Tmax can be determinedaccording to the value of the maximum peak (Yang,  2008). The third region is a high-temperature phase of  carbon formation ranging from 600 to 700 °C. As  demonstrated in Figure 4, the PSA composites still  show a slight decomposition during this stage;  besides, the mass loss of pure PSA decreases obviously. As illustrated in Table 3, the residual mass of  composites at the terminal temperature is higher than  the pure PSA. Therefore, it is concluded that the thermal stability  of PSA composites blending with nano-TiO2 can be  improved significantly. The ultraviolet resistance As exhibited in Figure 6, the ultraviolet transmittance of specimens ranging from 390 to 400 nm  decreases gradually with the increase in mass fractions of nano-TiO2. This suggests that the nanoTiO2 can improve the ultraviolet resistance of PSA  composites significantly. This is because the refraction index (RI) of nano-TiO2 is extremely high  (2.73) and it has excellent ultraviolet scattering  properties (Liu, Tang, Zhang, Sun, 2007). In  addition, electrons in nano-TiO2 are transited from  the valence band to the conduction band under the  ultraviolet radiation; therefore, the nano-TiO2 has  outstanding ultraviolet absorption properties. Conclusions The PSA composite fibers and membranes with different mass fractions of nano-TiO2 were developed. The experimental results can be summarized as follows: (1) The nano-TiO2 with low mass fractions (1 or 3  wt.%) can be distributed evenly in the PSA  blending system; however, it is difficult for  nano-TiO2 with high mass fractions (5 or 7 wt.  %) to disperse homogeneously throughout the  PSA matrix. (2) The blending of nano-TiO2 showed no obvious  changes to the molecular structure and chemical  composition of PSA composite fibers. (3) The crystallization of PSA composite fibers can  be improved by blending with low mass fractions of nano-TiO2, because it can act as a  nucleation agent. (4) The breaking tenacity and initial modulus of 4 5 ance % (a) (b) (c) PSA composite fibers can be improved obviously by blending with low mass fractions of  nano-TiO2; whereas the elongation at break  of PSA composite was decreased with the  particles mass fractions increased from 1 to 7  wt.%. (5) The thermal stability of PSA composites can be  increased significantly and the nano-TiO2 has  some influences on the To, T10wt, and Tmax of  PSA composites compared with the pure PSA. (6) The blending of nano-TiO2 can improve the  ultraviolet resistance of PSA composites signifi-  cantly and the 7 wt.% specimen had the lowest  UV transmittance.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Advancement of Technology and Science and its Influence on Science Fiction Novels :: Technology Science Literature Essays

Advancement of Technology and Science and its Influence on Science Fiction Novels The rapid pace of technology and the advancement of scientific understanding in the past one hundred years are at the backbone for the distinctly twentieth century genre -- science fiction. Such rapid advancement in these fields of technology have opened up literally worlds of possibilities for the future. One hundred years ago the possibility of simply flying from city to city may have seemed nothing more than a distant futuristic dream to most. While a mere sixty years later the impossible was achieved -- a human being on the moon. Since technology has brought as much change as it has in the past one hundred years the next hundred should be entirely incomprehendable to us. Who knows what to expect? "The modern discoveries and applications of Science throw deeply into the shade the old romances and fanciful legends of our boyhood" (James 8) observes James. Technology has made what was once thought impossible, plausible and weather or not technology is directly incorporated into a science fi ction story as an obvious vehicle, the author knows that it is always present in the mind of the reader. It is this plausablilty of what conventionally should not be acceptable that has led to science fiction's increasing popularity over the years. As James explains, "much sf is concerned with the future and with the possibilities presented by scientific and technological change" (James 3). Truly, humans exploring and even colonizing other worlds, the plot of many a science fiction novel, has to many become inevitable. The successful series of Apollo moon landings in the 1960's and the knowledge that we already possess the technology to send humans to other worlds leads many to believe that it is only a matter of time. Even such a notably respectable news source as Newsweek has detailed the future maned missions to Mars (September, 23 1996). When I look forward to the future I can hardly imagine the changes that will occur as a result of new discoveries in science and new technologies. With so m any possibilities for the future, science fiction is able to capitalizes on this by showing the audience entirely new worlds and alternatives to our own. Technology presented in science fiction stories most commonly serves a very important role in the stories plausablilty to the audience. While this does not mean that technology is necessarily the focus of such stories it is often used as the vehicle for which such alternative and wonderous events occur. Without the advanced spaceship how could the Segnauts have gotten to the planet Advancement of Technology and Science and its Influence on Science Fiction Novels :: Technology Science Literature Essays Advancement of Technology and Science and its Influence on Science Fiction Novels The rapid pace of technology and the advancement of scientific understanding in the past one hundred years are at the backbone for the distinctly twentieth century genre -- science fiction. Such rapid advancement in these fields of technology have opened up literally worlds of possibilities for the future. One hundred years ago the possibility of simply flying from city to city may have seemed nothing more than a distant futuristic dream to most. While a mere sixty years later the impossible was achieved -- a human being on the moon. Since technology has brought as much change as it has in the past one hundred years the next hundred should be entirely incomprehendable to us. Who knows what to expect? "The modern discoveries and applications of Science throw deeply into the shade the old romances and fanciful legends of our boyhood" (James 8) observes James. Technology has made what was once thought impossible, plausible and weather or not technology is directly incorporated into a science fi ction story as an obvious vehicle, the author knows that it is always present in the mind of the reader. It is this plausablilty of what conventionally should not be acceptable that has led to science fiction's increasing popularity over the years. As James explains, "much sf is concerned with the future and with the possibilities presented by scientific and technological change" (James 3). Truly, humans exploring and even colonizing other worlds, the plot of many a science fiction novel, has to many become inevitable. The successful series of Apollo moon landings in the 1960's and the knowledge that we already possess the technology to send humans to other worlds leads many to believe that it is only a matter of time. Even such a notably respectable news source as Newsweek has detailed the future maned missions to Mars (September, 23 1996). When I look forward to the future I can hardly imagine the changes that will occur as a result of new discoveries in science and new technologies. With so m any possibilities for the future, science fiction is able to capitalizes on this by showing the audience entirely new worlds and alternatives to our own. Technology presented in science fiction stories most commonly serves a very important role in the stories plausablilty to the audience. While this does not mean that technology is necessarily the focus of such stories it is often used as the vehicle for which such alternative and wonderous events occur. Without the advanced spaceship how could the Segnauts have gotten to the planet

Friday, October 11, 2019

Is Eminem Right; Music in Today Society

Is Eminem Right? In the essay Eminem is Right , there is a lot of discussion about the links between the music that our teens listen to and the amount of violence and rebellion that is occurring. The teens of today have enshrined a new generation of music idols who share generational signatures in song after song is to rage about what not having a nuclear family has done to them (Eberstadt 251). Broken homes, family dysfunction, checked out parents and (especially) absent fathers , all have a big effect on today’s youth and these are the things our generation sings about and listens to (Eberstadt 251).The songs and problems that these various artist sing about are legitimate problems not only in their childhood, but in the millions of American teens current childhood. Parents are early offended by the lyrics of the singers, because children know when they are from a broken home and they do rebel and get upset with their families. Eminem openly sings about his life to make mone y, but what he sings is true about a lot of teens and he knows this. He targets Baltus 2 them with his songs, because they make those kids feel less alone.Comparing the song Successful by Drake is a great way to show an artist who grew up listening to Eminem and that generation of music. He sings about him rising to the top and how he sings about his family and how he couldn’t of gotten where he was if it wasn’t for a few things that happened in his life. He sings about his mother running away from home and leaving him and his siblings, but he left something in the car and caught her before she was out of the driveway. He sings that they stood there and cried, because she couldn’t handle it without a man in their life.Drake sings that he then became the â€Å"phantom† meaning his father. Drake sings about how all his friends are back at home, while he became successful. He sings â€Å" †¦ and when I leave I always come right back here, the young rap per that everyone in rap fear, a lot of you all still soundin’ like last year, the game has changed and I’m the mother f***ing cashier†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Successful). He then goes on and sings about how the money, cars and clothes don’t make him happy, his rapping to others and singing his â€Å"song† is what its about.The chorus for this song is; Baltus 3 â€Å"I want the money, money and the cars, cars And the clothes, the hoes I suppose I just want to be, I just want to be successful I just want to be, I just want to be successful I just want to be, I just want to be successful† The chorus shows the conflicted side of the artist and that he really wants to sing to relate to his fans. He also sings about how he wants things to go his way but they never seem to. When comparing this song and the many songs that Eminem has wrote they conflict and agree in many ways.All Eminem feels is hate for his mother and his non existing father. He sings about adornm ent and abuse, but fails to see that not all children who listen to his music feel the same way that he does. He didn’t handle it in the best way and now he is yelling and targeting parents for not even being parents. The song Successful sings about the same problems but not in an angry way or in a way that is leading the youth of today into a violent rage or making them commit crimes against there parents.Even though the music these days is violent and vulgar it shouldn’t be the main blame of today’s youths misbehaviors and rebellion. Nowadays parents are way to easy Baltus 4 to put blame on anyone but themselves. Yes, music is a big part of today’s youth but it can only influence to a certain point, then it’s up to that child or their parents to decide what they make of the songs. As a parent you teach your children to do right by themselves and you, so really once you let them into the world you just hope that you taught them well, and hope they follow your example.In the song Successful there are points in the song where Drake sings that he made his life the way it is, no one else lived the life he did. Eminem sings about abandonment, and being abused, and in return he sings about beating his mom and even in a few songs sighs about beating his ex wife. The constant aggression in his songs is very noticeable, but it doesn’t mean that all children or teens that listen to his songs feel that same aggression that he does. The way children act and interact isn’t influenced by the music and by the lyrics that many singers sing, its mainly there upbringing.If parents teach their children the right values and the right way of seeing things from someone else point of view, then there children shouldn’t feel the need to be aggressive towards there parents. All a child wants, is to make their parents happy and if you praise them for their good behavior then they will continue the same behavior, but if you only g ive them attention when they Baltus 5 misbehave, then they may associate bad behavior with â€Å"praise† or attention.This is a bad way to get attention, but like a lot of Eminems songs, parents aren’t there to give normal amount of praise. Concluding that it’s more likely that parents cause bad behavior than the songs of popular rappers and singers, only because most children want to be given attention and be included in there parents lives. In arguing the point if Eminem is right or wrong, a lot of good arguments arise and tare down the argument that Eminem is influencing our children to cause havoc and disorderly conduct.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Life of Pi Essay

During Life of Pi, and Castaway, characters in each experience disastrous deaths of loved ones which play with their will to survive. However, their hope and determination pull through and overcome this heart- wrenching event. For Pi, from Life of Pi, there are numerous deaths that have a huge toll on him. Pi’s whole family dies when the boat they are travelling on sinks. Growing up in an Indian culture, Pi was very close to his family, and a part of Pi also died that day. â€Å"Every single thing that I value in life gas been destroyed. And am I allowed no explanation? I am to suffer hell without any account from heaven? † [OR SHOULD I USE â€Å"To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures who people the tree of your life and give it new branches. To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you. It is like losing–I’m sorry, I would rather not go on. †] Although Pi is devastated he is determined to survive. Likewise in Castaway, the protagonist: Chuck Noland’s plane crashes and he washes up to shore. While isolated, Chuck makes himself a companion out of a volleyball who he names Wilson. This ball becomes important to Chuck because it is the only object he has contact with for four years while on the island. He talks to Wilson as if he was a person and when he loses Wilson, he becomes wounded. This is a hard time for Chuck because all he had that was keeping him sane leaves. Nevertheless Chuck perseveres through the hardships and keeps moving forward with hope and determination. Despite the battle of deaths these characters Pi and Chuck Noland were presented, they prove that with hope and determination to live it is possible to overcome their adversity if death, and any other difficulty that arose. Aside from the emotional destruction due to the deaths both protagonists endured, they also have to deal with the physical destruction as well. These events are what trigger both Pi and Chuck’s journey. In order to defeat the odds, characters must be courageous, obtain hope, and stay determined. In Life of Pi, Pi and his family are moving to Canada from India on boat. When the ship sinks, Pi is the only one from his family to make it to a life boat. â€Å"The ship was sinking. My mind could hardly conceive it. It was as unbelievable as the moon catching fire. † While this was happening, Pi is very optimistic. Although fear and negativity flowed through him, in the end Pi gains hope. Throughout the novel, Pi would constantly go through episodes of defeat and self-pity. However, Pi is determined to survive. It was through this determination and courageous acts that Pi beats the odds and lives through this destruction. Similarly to Pi, Chuck Noland from Castaway also had an unexpected change of events while travelling. Chuck was on his way to Russia when he mentions to Kelly, his love interest â€Å"I’ll be right back! † as he was boarding the plane. Little did Noland know that it was about to crash. This physical destruction is a gigantic catastrophe for Chuck, and after four years of being stranded on an island, decides to undertake the Atlantic Ocean back to civilization. To achieve this, after being isolated Chuck needed courage. Along with determination, and hope Chuck strives for salvation and saves himself. With the unfortunate events Pi and Chuck are faced with, each made their way home relatively safe- considering the circumstances. The characters proved that despite the expectations of failure that were set for them, if they had courage, hope, and determination they would survive any tragic event that came their way. There is no argument that both the novel Life of Pi, and the movie Castaway are both tragedies- a sinking ship and crashing plane are tragic events. However, protagonists in each stay hopeful and determined to have a happy ending. Pi, from Life of I is a very obedient, sensitive person. He follows his parent’s rules strictly. Pi was always very observant of his older brother, and strived to stay out of trouble. When Pi was stranded on the life boat alone, he lost life as he knew it. Pi experiences monstrous behavior, even going as far as to eat human flesh-cannibalism. Every rule Pi had been taught that human restraint has â€Å"gone out the window†. The way Pi viewed the world completely changed. Death is so real, so close to Pi, his views altered entirely. â€Å"By the next morning I had lost all fear of death, and I resolved to die. † (page 268) Pi also had very strict rules when it came to religion, spirituality and faith. Pi was a strict vegetarian due to his belief in God. While stranded, Pi had no other choice but to kill and eat animals. Because of this, he loses his innocence. â€Å"Lord, to think that I’m a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal’s neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible. † This proves how this tragedy made Pi lose hope in himself. He went against every standard he has ever believed in. Chuck from Castaway’s views on life and the world also changed drastically after the plane crash. Chuck Noland’s whole life revolved around time and work before the crash. Once chuck had witnessed how quickly life could turn for the worst, he had a complete change in attitude. At the beginning of the movie Chuck really did not care about other people’s feelings. As chuck gained hope to survive, and determination to do so, he even treated Wilson- a volleyball with respect. By the time Chuck returned home, he had a genuine concern for people around him. With both of these characters, it is clear that the tragic experiences altered their hearts, and outlook on life. Both the stories of Pi from Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and Chuck from Castaway are very similar. Each has experiences of death, destruction, and tragedy that take a great toll on both characters. However they resolve their adversities, and prove it is possible to beat the likelihood of failing by turning to hope and staying determined to survive. Each story ended with a new beginning for each character: the prize from the pain. The theme of hope continued to their future lives with Pi: through this wife, children, and new home, and new openings. In the same way, Chuck also had a chance to start over.

Procurement and Supply Chain Management Essay

Executive Summary Boeing Australia Limited (BAL) is relatively new company and a global extension of the US firm, the Boeing Company. The BAL developed capabilities in the areas of space and communication, site management and the upgrade and maintenance of military aircraft and equipment. As BAL grew, it had developed various systems to support the procurement operations at four key divisions and 12 sites that made up the organization. However there is no interface of these systems and they operated autonomously, resulting in a lot of administrative redundancies, low productivity, and high processing time for the procurement processes. The dilemma exists in whether to continue to sit on the fence and seek a long-term improvement tools for integration with the current systems, or to invest in a new system that would simplify the procurement processes across the different divisions and support complex interfaces with suppliers? As Russell Menere, National Procurement Manager, I recommend to pursue a cost effective e-Procurement system, which would integrate with the various legacy information technology systems currently in place. The e-Procurement tool should simplify the  processes across the different divisions and support the multiple suppliers. Issue Identification: Immediate Issue: The immediate issue BAL facing is the necessity to find an e-Procurement system that would link the BAL, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) and the major suppliers. Following are the requirements to the e-Procurement system: High process efficiency (to help reduce the manual processes, which create errors); Decreased lead times; Cost savings; Compliance with ADF standards for procurement, which support the provision of services for the ADF. Systemic Issues: 1. Central administration with decentralized procurement processes BAL had made a strategic move to establish in the organization’s head office the following departments: Central Administration Finance Purchasing Engineering Logistics Technical Publishing Management Information Systems Project Management These departments supported 4 key divisions: 1. The Military Aerospace 2. The Commercial Aviation 3. The Knowledge System 4. The Space and Communications By relocating 4 divisions under one roof BAL achieved synergies through more centralized and standardized operations. Although, the 4 divisions were still autonomous – they executed their own work, reported the same measuring  criteria in financial dollars, project performance and product quality terms, as well as range of other measures for the BAL balanced scorecard. 2. Systems Architecture Issues The information systems architecture encompassed 12 different BAL sites, which were strategically located close to major BAL customers. And at multiple sites the numerous programs and application were used by employees to meet their operational objectives. The following applications were used: 1. ProPricer – bidding for projects; 2. OPP – project scheduling, planning and labour hours; 3. COBRA – cost performance; 4. eMatrix – data management The work packages form the above systems were fed into the ERP system, and then became KPI’s for the balanced scorecard. The main problem associated with the above systems architecture was that these were buy-in off-the –shelf applications, and were not developed in –house to meet the specific needs of the BAL various sites, and did not always interfaced with the other applications. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Qualitative Analysis: 1. BAL is relatively new company with multiple divisions and sites that do not use one integrated procurement system; 2. Redundancy in processes for staff through using multiple system applications; 3. Slow manual processes for data management (manually entering data); 4. Deficient operations due to strict requirements to suppliers; 5. High cost of systems available on the market, which would provide systems integration solution; 6. Unknowns: not enough analysis done to guarantee that the new purchased system would meet all the functional requirements for the integration of system application already in place; 7. Staff resistance to change in case new procurement system will be implemented. Key Assumptions: Budget available for the setup, implementation, and training and interface and service of e-Procurement system and BAL legacy system. BAL suppliers are flexible with changing their existing procurement processes. E-Procurement system of choice is compliant with the ADF standards. Alternatives and Options: A1. BAL implements a sophisticated e-Procurement system, which integrates all parts of the current BAL legacy system already in place. Pros: There are average expenses associated with purchasing e-Procurement solution. Future lower costs, and cost savings long-term. Integrates with current legacy system. Based on the integration of current systems, which staff is already using – no steep learning curve and less resistance to change. Cons: Adding another system to the legacy system provides temporary problem fix until more budget available to purchase an ERP system. Major suppliers may not all meet the requirements of the new e-Procurement system. A2. Upgrading and redeveloping the existing ERP platform, and building new ERP system, which would include e-Procurement system to serve the needs of suppliers and end-users. Pros: Provides visibility and transparency of all the steps of the full cycle procurement process. Cons: High cost, long implementation time. A3. Continue with the existing system, and wait until affordable e-Procurement system is available to be purchased off-shelf (should be compatible with the BAL legacy system). Pros: This will save money short term. Cons: the risk of waiting for the low- cost solution will involve losing current suppliers and not having correct data available for current state analysis and reporting. The low-cost e-procurement tool may not be sophisticated enough to provide the necessary technical advantage and solve the current issues. Recommendations: 1. Gap analysis on what will be needed to implement the e-Procurement system  organization wide. 2. Identify mandatory, technical and functional requirements for the e-Procurement system. 3. Research of e-Procurement systems on the market.  4. E-Procurement system purchase and implementation.  5. Develop Processes internally (staff/end-users) and externally (suppliers) to sustain e-Procurement system. Implementation: Implementation Plan Recommendation: Activity: Who – Primary BAL Admin, Finance, Purchasing, Engineering, IS, Logistics, ADF, major suppliers Who – Support and Input BAL Admin, Finance, Purchasing, Engineering IS, Logistics, ADF, major suppliers When Immediate (I) Short run (S) Medium (M) Long run (L) Duration/weeks Monitor and Control There are two aspects to the monitor and control functions of the above recommended BAL procurement process improvements. The first aspect is the successful implementation of recommendations listed above. This process can be completed by continuous monitoring of what had been completed, developing project plan with all the dependencies and timelines indicated, assigning resources to tasks, and verifying the project deliverables. The second aspect is the controlling process, which measures and monitors progress after all the recommendations are implemented. This process identifies variances from plan and highlights when corrective action is required.  Following is the list of inclusions that may be used to measure the performance e-Procurement system: 1. Operational staff efficiency manual entry /error decrease 2. Cost Savings 3. Decreased lead time 4. Increase in suppliers cooperation Conclusion: The alternative solution for BAL is to purchase the cost efficient new e-Procurement system, with would be ADF compliant and will have the technical capacity to interface with the existing legacy system. The anticipated results of implementing new e-Procurement system will be cost savings, decreased lead times, operational efficiency and enhanced relationship with major suppliers and main customer (ADF). References: 1. Boeing Australia Limited: Assessing the Merits of Implementing a Sophisticated e-Procurement System Case. #HKU271. Centre for Asian Business Cases.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Corrections and Rehabilitation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corrections and Rehabilitation - Research Paper Example In the early days these were the unwritten rules of those particular societies but all of them had a few characteristics in common like stealing, cheating, murder, embezzlement etc. were considered bad in all the societies. Today, almost all the nations have their own sets of rules that are termed as ‘laws’. Not abiding by the written or given laws is considered a deviance and termed as crime. Looking through history, we find that imprisoning was not a punishment in itself but it is a relatively new idea. Prisons were first used to keep criminals until the time of their execution. It was also used to detain debtors until they made their payments. The modern prison system was born in London in the 1860`s that prisons as known today become commonplace. Imprisoning the criminals is not the ultimate solution. They will eventually be released from prisons and will have to rehabilitate in the society. The important factor is how to re-establish them into the normal stream of t he society. It is not in the nature of humans to commit crimes but they due to different circumstances are forced to commit crimes. There is no unlimited resource of confining the criminals in penitentiaries for an unlimited period and it is against the basic human rights. Therefore, correcting and rehabilitating the criminals is of the same, if not more, importance than imprisoning them. (History, 2012) This concept is evolving to make our society a better and safe place. It is of extreme importance to the government as running prisons has a great cost. If the prisoners can be managed and rehabilitated in the society smoothly, the tax payer`s money can be put to better use. Realizing the significance of this issue the government has established many state run rehabilitation and correction centers like the Florida Department of Corrections (Florida Department of Corrections, 2012). Reducing recidivism also has a direct impact on society as a whole as the criminals are a part of the society. According to a research, religious activities, religious talks, vocational talks and strong family bondages have a positive effect on reducing recidivism (Che Din). LITERARTURE RIVIEW Since the evolution of the modern criminal justice system, there has been a debate as to how to convert the law breakers into law abiding citizens. That is in effect a discussion as to how to rehabilitate them into the society. It has been argued that there is a cost of ignoring rehabilitation to the effect that there is no concrete evidence that correctional programs either decrease recidivism or generate any other optimistic gains for offenders. However, in contrast to this an argument has been raised that rehabilitation programs have remedial effect on the criminals and has helped many in settling back into the society. A survey carried out has demonstrated that the public supports a correctional system that is both punitive and rehabilitating. To conclude rehabilitation in a wider perspect ive is a better course to follow (Cullen, 2000). The Florida Department of Corrections (Florida DC) is the third largest state prison system in the USA. In its mission statement, it is stated that Florida DC exists to protect public safety and to provide proper care and supervision of all the offenders under its jurisdiction providing them with all the assistance to help them re-enter into the society.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Efficient Market Hypothesis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Efficient Market Hypothesis - Assignment Example Among the foremost to apply digital computers to perform empirical research in the field of finance, Fama operationally defined the EMH by pointing structure on several information sets accessible to market players. The efficient-market hypothesis necessitates that the agents should expect rationally that on average the overall population is correct (although if no individual is) and each time new pertinent information comes out, the agents should update their anticipations appropriately. Moreover, agents are not needed to be rational. EMH permits that on facing novel information, some investors may under react while some, on the other hand may over react. But, they are necessitated by EMH to react in a random manner that follows standard normal distribution. So, the overall impact on market prices may not be constantly exploited to attain more than usual profit, particularly, while keeping into consideration the transaction costs (including spreads and commissions). Therefore, any i ndividual may be perceived to be incorrect regarding the market but, market, on the contrary, as a whole is considered to be always correct. Three levels of hypothesis The efficient market hypothesis can be commonly stated in three basic forms. These include weak-form, semi-strong form and strong form efficiency. Each of these provides distinct implications for the way market performs. Weak-Form Efficiency This form of EMH specifies that current prices of assets reflect past volume and price information. The information incorporated in the past series of a security’s prices is completely reflected in its present market price. It is called as weak because the market price is the most accessible information available to individuals and the utilization of technical analysis is forbidden by this form of EMH. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency This form submits that entire available information to the public is incorporated into the prices of asset. Thus the market price of that asset is a complete reflection of all information accessible to the public. This publicly known information includes the past prices as well as the data reported by the company in its financial statements, announcement along with economic and other factors. The Strong-Form Efficiency This form implies that along with the publicly available information, the insider or private information is also reflected in an asset’s market price. Thus, such a market restricts the inside organization members from gaining unusual returns. Thus, all forms of EMH restrict individuals from attaining unusual returns due to unavailability of information and inhibit the possibility of arbitrage or risk free profit (Fama, 1991). Firm’s pricing of debt and equity decisions and EMH The 2007-2012 financial disaster has contributed to renewed criticism and scrutiny of the efficient market hypothesis. It has been even dismissed as being an ineffective way to study the functioning of financial markets in reality by various economists and financial analysts. Critics have proposed that corporations and financial institutions have the