The History of the Guidance Movement in the United States Essay

The History of the Guidance Movement in the United States - Essay Example In the United States the history and development of guidance and counseling was influenced by various events and personalities. Before guidance and counseling was formally introduced in the country, the formative years began in the latter half of the 18th century. During this period, there became more humane care for the mentally disturbed and greater awareness in application of treating human behavior. (Myrick, 2003) The formal history of guidance and counseling in the United States dates back to 1908 when Frank Parsons established the Boston Vocational Bureau. The objective of Parsons in establishing such institution was to provide the youth with vocational assistance in school. Because of his contributions, Parsons was named as the father of the guidance movement. According to Blocher, "The Guidance Movement developed from the need to help these early school leavers develop a rational plan with which to begin their careers." (2000) Guidance and counseling in the United States bega n as vocational counseling. The primary objective of counseling during such time was to help students determine their career of choice and future plans. Another influential person in the development of guidance and counseling was Jesse B. Davis.

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques Abstract: A huge number of users are using smart phones to communicate with each other. A smart phone user is exposed to various threats when they use their phone for communication. These threats can disorganization the operation of the smart phone, and transmit or modify user data rather than original [1]. So applications must guarantee privacy and integrity of the information. Single touch mobile security is unable to give efficient performance for confidential data. Hence we are moving towards multitouch mobile security for high security. In computing, multi-touch is authentication technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one touch points of contact with the touch screen [2]. By using multiple touch points to authenticate user for access confidential data in mobile phones. we are presenting our study about biometric gestures to authenticate user through multitouch finger points for more security [1]. Keywords: Multitouch, biometric gesture, authentication, security, smart phone Finger-tracking, Android Operating system. Introduction Todays IT admins face the troublesome task of managing the unnumberable amounts of mobile devices that connect with enterprise networks a day for communication through network. Securing mobile devices has become increasingly important now days as the numbers of the devices in operation and the uses to which they are put have expanded in world wide. The problem is compounded within the enterprise as the ongoing trend toward IT users or organizations is resulting in more and many more employee-owned devices connecting to the corporate internet. Authentication is a nothing but process in which the credentials provided are compared to those on file in a database of valid users information on a operating system. If the credentials match, the process is completed and the user is granted authorization for access to the system. The permissions and folders came back outline each the surroundings the user sees and also the method he will move with it, as well as the amount of access and differ ent rights comparable to the number of allotted cupboard space and different services [1]. The generally a computer authentication process is to use alphanumerical usernames or text based and passwords. This method has been shown to have some  disadvantages. For example, users tend to pick passwords that can be easily guessed and recognized by other hard to remember. To device this problem, some researchers have  developed authentication techniques that use multitouch biometric gesture as passwords for authentication. Multi-touch, in a computing environment, is an interface technology that enables input gestures on multiple points on the surface of a device. Although most generally used with touch screen devices on handheld devices, such as smart phones and tablets, and other multi-touch has been used for other surfaces as well, including touch pads and whiteboards, tables and walls [2]. In other words, multi-touch refers to the capability of a touch screen (or a touchpad) to recognize two or more points of contact on the surface simultaneously. The constant following of the multiple points permits the portable interface to acknowledge gestures, that modify advanced practicality similar to pinch-to-zoom, pinch. wherever gesture recognition is much of deciphering human gestures via mathematical algorithms. Gestures will originate from any bodily motion however normally originate from the face or hand and alternative human biometric gestures but the identification and recognition of posture, and human behaviours is additionally the topic of gesture recognition techniques. We used Equal Error Rate (EER) to measure accuracy. This is the rate at which False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR). To find out whether using multiple gestures would improve the systems performance, we combined scores of 2 different gestures from the same user in the same order and evaluated the EER of the combined gestures as: FAR= FRR= Developing a Gesture Authentication Technique Biometric systems are an effective way to authenticate valid users generally based on the something they are property [2] in mobile authentication. The goal of biometric identification is that the automatic verification of identity of a living person by proving over some distinctive gestures that solely he possesses in authentication method. Figure1: Multitouch behavior The biometric authentication system has two phases: enrollment phase and authentication phase. If new user must first record his secret hand signs at the first enrollment phase to the system. The process is performing the hand signs at the users discreet choice with sufficient space for hand movement during registration phase. Gesture Taxonomy [1] 1. Parallel: All fingertips are moving in the same direction during the gesture. For example, a bush swipe, during which all 5 fingers move from left to right the screen. 2. Closed: If all fingertips are moving inward toward the center of the hand. For example, a pinch gesture. 3. Opened: All fingertips are moving outward from the center of the hand. For example, a reverse pinch gesture. 4. Circular: All fingertips are rotating around the center of  the hand. For example, a clockwise or counterclockwise  rotation [1]. Figure1: Single touch Matching Touch Sequences to Specific Fingers: Hidden Markov Models [3] Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are statistical models and simplest versions of dynamic Bayesian Networks, where the system being modelled is a Markov process with an unobserved state. It is a collection of finite states connected by transitions, much like Bayesian Networks. Each state has two probabilities: a transition probability, and an output probability distribution. Parameters of the model are determined by training data [4][5]. Figure2: Hidden Markov Models hidden states, as well as N dimensional observable symbols. Figure3: Multitouch Movement The conventional HMM is expressed as the following [4]. HMM is the mathematical tool to model signals, objects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that have the temporal structure and follow the Markov process. HMM can be described compactly as ÃŽÂ » = (A, B, à Ã¢â€š ¬) (Figure 4b) where, Figure 4: Conventional Hidden Markov Model A = {aij}: the state transition matrix aij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Naij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N B = {bj (k)}: the observation symbol probability distribution bj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N, 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Mbj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N,1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤M à Ã¢â€š ¬ = {à Ã¢â€š ¬i}: the initial state distribution à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si]à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si] Set of states: S = {s1s2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, sN} State at time t: qt Set of symbols: V = {v1, v2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, vM} Given the observation sequence OT1=O1O2OTO1T=O1O2OT and a model ÃŽÂ » = (A,B,à Ã¢â€š ¬), how do we efficiently compute P(O | ÃŽÂ »), i.e., the probability of the observation sequence given the model. Now let us consider following two states: Training: based on the input data sequences {O}, we calculate and adjust ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ to maximize likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») Recognizing: based on ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ =(AÃÅ'„ ,BÃÅ'„ ,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„ )ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„=(AÃÅ'„,BÃÅ'„,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„) for each class, we can then assign the class in which the likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») is maximized. The observation symbol probability distribution P[Ot = vk | qt = sj] can be discrete symbols or continuous variables. If the observations are different symbols. B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) If the observations are vectors in RL, it is common to represent P[Ot | qt] as a Gaussian: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] A more flexible representation is a mixture of M Gaussians: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) where Mt is a hidden variable that specifies which mixture component to use and P(Mt=m|qt=si) =C(i,m) is the conditional prior weight of each mixture component. In our approach, we both implement continuous and discrete output variable distribution for 1st and 2nd HMM stages respectively [3][6]. Dynamic Time Warping Dynamic Time Warping (DTW), introduced by Sakoe and Chiba in 1978, is an algorithm that compares two different sequences that may possibly vary in time. For example, if two video clips of different people walking a particular path were compared, the DTW algorithm would detect the similarities in the walking pattern, despite walking speed differences, accelerations or decelerations. [3][7] Figure 4: Dynamic time warping The algorithm begins with a set of template streams, describing each gesture available in the system database. This results in high computation time, and hence, limitations in recognition speed. Additionally, the storing of many templates for each gesture results in costly space usage on a resource-constrained device. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us assume that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N ], the median length sequence is _ S = SdN2 e. This sequence _ S is used as a reference and the rest of sequences are aligned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [4], in order to avoid the temporal deformations of various samples from an equivalent gesture class. Therefore, once the alignment method, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents a sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us consider that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N1], the median length sequence is _ S =SdN2 e[4]. This sequence _ S is used as a reference, and the remaining of sequences are assigned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [3], in order to remove the temporal deformations of different samples from the same gesture category. Hence, after the alignment process, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg [3]. Input: A gesture C={c1,..cn} with corresponding GMM model ÃŽÂ »={ÃŽÂ »1,..ÃŽÂ »m}, its similarly threshold value  µ, and the testing seprate Q={q1,..qn}, Cost Matrix M is defined,where N(x), x =(i,t) is the set of three upper-left location of x in M. Output:Working path of the dected gesture, if any. //Initialization for i=1:m do for j=1:à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¾ do M(i,j)=v end end for j=1:v do M(0,j)=0 end for t=0:v do for i=1:m do x=(i,j) M(x)=D(qi,ÃŽÂ »i)+minà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’) End end if m(m,t) W={argminà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’ à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’)} Return End end [4] Artificial Neural Networks Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are networks of weighted, directed graphs where the nodes are artificial neurons, and the directed edges are connections between them. The most common ANN structure is the feed forward Multi-Layer Perceptron. Feed forward means that the signals only travels one way through the net [4][8]. For input pattern p, the i-th input layer node holds xp,i. Net input to j-th node in hidden layer: Now Output of j-th node in hidden layer: Then Net input to k-th node in output layer: Finally Output of k-th node in output layer: Network error for p: Neurons are arranged in layer wise, with the outputs of each neuron in the same layer being connected to the inputs of the neurons in that layer . Finally, the output layer neurons are assigned a value. Each output layer neuron show the particular class of gesture, and the record is assigned to however classs neuron has the highest value During training, the gesture class for each neuron in the output layer is known, and the nodes can be assigned the correct value. Critical Analysis A critical analysis based on the results achieved by is shown in this section. ANNs, HMMs, and DTW algorithms were implemented on a mobile phone, and measured in performance according to recognition speed, accuracy and time needed to train [3]. Since Bayesian Networks are a super class of HMMs which have been tweaked towards gesture classification, they are not considered. Thus according to recognition, accuracy and training time we can say that DTW gives better performance as compare to HMM and ANN. These results are summarized below: Table 1: Comparison between different algorithms [3] No. Algorithm Recognition Speed Accuracy Training Time 1 HMMs 10.5ms 95.25% Long 2 ANNs 23ms 90% Medium 3 DTW 8ms 95.25% No Training Finger Tracking: Firstly we need adjust finger tracking parameters, thats why we need to activate the calibration in the tab in on-screen display [5][9]. a. Projection Signatures: Projection signatures are performed directly on the resulting threshold binary image of the hand [5]. The core process of this algorithm is consists of adding the binary pixels row by row along a diagonal (the vertical in this case). Previous knowledge of the hand angle is therefore required. A low-pass filter is applied on the signature (row sums) in order to reduce low frequency variations that create many local maxima and cause the problem of multiple positives (more than one detection per fingertip). The five maxima thereby obtained correspond to the position of the five fingers. b. Geometric Properties: The second algorithm is based on the geometric properties and, as shown on line 3 of figure 5, uses a contour image of the hand on which a reference point is set. This point can be determined either by finding the centre of mass of the contour (barycenter or centroid) or by fixing a point on the wrist [6]. Figure 5: Hand Movement Euclidean distances from that point to every contour point are then computed, with the five resulting maxima assumed to correspond to the finger ends [5]. The minima can be used to determine the intersections between fingers (finger valleys). The geometric algorithm also required filtering in order to reduce the problem of multiple positives. c. Circular Hough Transform: The circular Hough transform is applied on the contour image of the hand but could as well be performed on an edge image with complex background if no elements of the image exhibit the circular shape of the fingertip radius. This can be done efficiently for finger ends by eliminating points that are found outside the contour image. The inconvenient is that the set of discard points contains a mix of finger valleys and false positive that cannot be sorted easily [5]. d. Color Markers: While the three previous algorithms rely only on the hand characteristics to find and track the fingers, the marker algorithm tracks color markers attached to the main joints of the fingers. Each color is tracked individually using colour segmentation and filtering [5]. This permits the identification of the different hand segments. The marker colors should therefore be easy to track and should not affect the threshold, edge or contour image of the hand. Respecting these constraints makes it possible to apply all algorithms to the same video images and therefore to compare each algorithm degree of accuracy and precision with respect to the markers [5]. Comparisons: Properties Projection Signature Geometric Properties Circular Hough Transform Color Makers Locates fingers Good Good Good Good Locates fingertips Poor Normal Normal Good Locates finger ends and valleys Poor Good Good Good Work with complex background Poor Good Normal Good Precision Good Good Good Good Accuracy Poor Good Good Good Table 2: Comparison between different techniques [5] All the presented algorithms have succeeded, in various degrees, in detecting each finger. The projection signatures algorithm can only roughly identify a finger, but the circular Hough transform and geometric properties algorithms can find both finger intersections and finger end points, it is important to note that in the case where finger are folded, the end points dont correspond to the fingertips [5]. Conclusion: We have plot three prominent strategies that comprehensively characterize the signal acknowledgment that should be possible on advanced mobile phones Artificial Neural Networks, Dynamic Time Warping and Hidden Markov Models were optimized, and tested on resource constrained devices (in this instance, cellular phones), and compared against each other in terms of accuracy, and computational performance. ANNs proved to have the slowest computation performance due to the large size of the neural network. HMMs performed better, but the DTW algorithm proved to be the fastest, with comparable recognition accuracy. DTWs also did not require training, as is the case with HMMs and ANNs. References [1] Kalyani Devidas: Deshmane Android Software based Multi-touch Gestures Recognition for Secure Biometric Modality [2] Memon, K. Isbister, N. Sae-Bae, N. and K. Ahmed, Multitouch gesture based authentication, IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Security, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 568-582, Apr. 2014 [3] Methods for Multi-touch Gesture Recognition:Daniel Wood [4] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.5772/50204 [5] Finger Tracking Methods Using EyesWeb Anne-Marie Burns1 and Barbara Mazzarino2 [6]https://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~jcorso/t/CSE555/files/lecture_hmm.pdf [7]DWT: Probability-based Dynamic Time Warping and Bag-of-Visual -and-Depth-Words for Human Gesture Recognition [8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network [9]http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/gesture-recognition Prof. Ramdas Pandurang Bagawade, Miss Pournima Akash Chavan, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan. Miss Kajal Kantilal Jadhav, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan

Monaco Building of the Paris 1889 Exposition Essay examples -- Archite

The Monaco Building of the Paris 1889 Exposition The Exposition Universelle de 1889 in Paris was meant to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. It boasted new architectural styles, as well as the more generous use of electricity in the pavilions. In the earliest world's fairs, all the displays were housed collectively under one roof. This eventually changed to a different type of organization, where exhibits were separated into categories based on their content, as was already the case at the 1873 Vienna exhibition. At the 1876, 1878 and 1889 fairs, countries presented their own individual pavilions. While at first the international community seemed a bit hesitant to participate in a fair meant to celebrate a Revolution, many countries decided to participate and erect a special pavilion. Countries such as Japan, Siam, Persia, Turkey, Russia, Greece, as well as many Latin American nations presented national exhibits. When the 1889 Paris Exhibition is first mentioned, most people immediately think of the construction o f the famed Eiffel Tower. This striking monument, enhanced with nighttime lights, brought the admiration of many and earned itself a place as a permanent fixture and international symbol for Paris. The fair was known for its impressively modern constructions of iron and glass, such as Machinery Hall. The pavilion for the Principality of Monaco can be noted at this fair, not for its grand scale or modern appeal, but for its delicate return to a classic style which turned attention to a small, yet sophisticated nation. Its proximity to the Eiffel tower symbolized the ongoing relationship between France and Monaco. There were several reasons why Monaco received such attention at the fair, with its p... ...ch 1890, Volume 39, Issue 2 Making of America Collection, Cornell University Library http://www.boondocksnet.com/expos/paris1889.html "Impressions of the International Exhibition of 1889" The Century, December 1889 Making of America Collection, Cornell University Library http://www.boondocksnet.com/expos/paris1889.html "Paris Panorama of the Nineteenth Century" The Century, December 1889, Volume 39, Issue 2 Making of America Collection, Cornell University Library http://www.boondocksnet.com/expos/paris1889.html "Monaco" by Gale Force of Monaco http://monaco.mc/monaco/index.html "General Informations" by Monte-Carlo Multimedia, 2000 http://www.monte-carlo.mc/principalitymonaco/globalinformations/ Masson, Georgina. Italian Villas and Palaces. New York. Abrams.1966 Ree Paul van der. Italian Villas and Gardens: a corso di disegno. Amsterdam. Prestel.1992

Checks And Balances And Seperation Of Powers

The Constitution nowhere contains an express injunction to preserve the boundaries of the three broad powers it grants, nor does it expressly enjoin maintenance of a system of checks and balances. Yet, it does grant to three separate branches the powers to legislate, to execute, and to adjudicate, and it provides throughout the document the means by which each of the branches could resist the blandishments and incursions of the others. The Framers drew up our basic charter against a background rich in the theorizing of scholars and statesmen regarding the proper ordering in a system of government of conferring sufficient power to govern while withholding the ability to abridge the liberties of the governed.The Theory Elaborated and ImplementedWhen the colonies separated from Great Britain following the Revolution, the framers of their constitutions were imbued with the profound tradition of separation of powers, and they freely and expressly embodied in their charters the principle.2 But the theory of checks and balances was not favored because it was drawn from Great Britain, and, as a consequence, violations of the separation–of–powers doctrine by the legislatures of the States were common[p.64]place events prior to the convening of the Convention.3 As much as theory did the experience of the States furnish guidance to the Framers in the summer of 1787.4The doctrine of separation of powers, as implemented in drafting the Constitution, was based on several principles generally held: the separation of government into three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial; the conception that each branch performs unique and identifiable functions that are appropriate to each; and the limitation of the personnel of each branch to that branch, so that no one person or group should be able to serve in more than one branch simultaneously.To a great extent, the Constitution effectuated these principles, but critics objected to what they regarded as a curi ous intermixture of functions, to, for example, the veto power of the President over legislation and to the role of the Senate in the appointment of executive officers and judges and in the treaty–making process. It was to these objections that Madison turned in a powerful series of essays.Madison recurred to â€Å"the celebrated† Montesquieu, the â€Å"oracle who is always consulted,† to disprove the contentions of the critics. â€Å"[T]his essential precaution in favor of liberty,† that is, the separation of the three great functions of government had been achieved, but the doctrine did not demand rigid separation. Montesquieu and other theorists â€Å"did not mean that these departments ought to have no partial agency in, or controul over, the acts of each other,† but rather liberty was endangered â€Å"where the whole power of one department is exercised by the same hands which possess the whole power of another department.†That the doct rine did not demand absolute separation provided the basis for preservation of separation of powers in action. Neither sharply drawn demarcations of institutional boundaries nor appeals to the electorate were sufficient.7 Instead, the security against concentration of powers â€Å"consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others.† Thus, â€Å"[a]mbition must be made to[p.65]counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place.†

Ex- football player Kavin Plank Essay

Under armor was founded by American ex- football player Kavin Plank in 1996. Its headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Plank started the business in his grandmother’s basement. The word of mouth publicity brought revenue and ultimately in two years time Plank started reaping profit. The main objective of the company was to design a superior quality t- shirt which instead of absorbing sweat, provides perspiration and compression. But it ended up producing various other sports products such as footwear, apparel and accessories. Armor happens to be the designer of performance apparel which it claims would maintain body temperature and improve performance. (Under Armour  ® 2010) Under Armour UA’s mission is to make the customer feel comfortable while wearing its products. Its aim is to make all athletes feel better in their uniforms with the help of science and innovation. Providing comfort to the customers is the first and foremost priority of UA. For that purpose, Heat Gear and Cold Gear products were introduced which would serve the purpose of ease and satisfy the athletes during the calisthenics, practice or course of game. (Under Armour  ® 2010) Products, goods and services The products range from t-shirts to footwear and accessories. These categories are further extended to all types of sportswear. You name the sport (from baseball to hunting) and you can find the custom design outfits and footwear along with accessories required for that sport. The company introduced Heat Gear, Cold Gear and AllseasonGear products and various other products to entice the customers. (Under Armour  ® 2010) Marketing Strategy and Position in the market Under Armour understood the market at the start of the business. The word of mouth publicity at small scale to ignite the marketing process for a relatively new company was good enough to bring in customers. Till date the company sponsors events such as Under Armour High school All- American Football Game and Senior Bowl. (Ayala 2008) Under Armour also sponsored the ESPYs. At the event, the company also managed to get leads on a pilot and two movies as well. It sponsors various college teams for publicity. The commercials and punch line are catchy and attract many customers. Under Armour products could also been in Video Games. In Flight Night 3, Dallas Cowboy player and spokesperson Eric ‘Big E’ was among the Fighters game players could choose to be. Their marketing strategy is strong and has provided them powerful position in the market. (Walker 2008) Competitors The company saw downfall in 2008. According to today’s financial news the company’s competition is sinking. In 2009 UA made Fiscal Fourth Quarter results’ announcement that are down nearly half of where they were this time next year. Shares of Gilden Active wear and Lululemon went down by 30% and 20% respectively. (Financial news 2008) Luckily, today they are flourishing at increasing speed. The competition and hard time was beneficial in this regard. Their hard work is paying them off. The biggest competitors of UA are Colm and Nike. UA is increasing pace to reap as much revenue as Nike is. Its revenue was calculated to be approximately $885 million a year in contrast to Nike’s $19 billion this year. (Wikinvest 2010) Bibliography About Under Armour, Underarmour. com, Under Armour  ®, 2010, web, July 18, 2010 from http://www. underarmour. com/shop/us/en/affiliate-home Ayala, V. ‘Under Armour: Solid Growth Story’, Seeking Alpha, July 2008, web, July 18, 2010 http://seekingalpha. com/article/87622-under-armour-solid-growth-story-more-visibility-needed ‘Under Armour’s competition sinks’, Today’s Financial News, December 11, 2008, web, July 18, 2010 http://www. todaysfinancialnews. com/us-stocks-and-markets/under-armours-nyseua-competition-sinks-6437. html Walker, K. Andrea, Commercial Alert, ‘Under Armour in public eye’, July 24, 2008, web , July 18, 2010, http://www. commercialalert. org/issues/culture/product-placement/under-armour-in-public-eye Under Armour (UA), Wikinvest. com, Wikinvest, 2010, web, July 17, 2010 from http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/Under_Armour_(UA)

Proposal - change of employee car policy essayEssay Writing Service

Proposal - change of employee car policy essayEssay Writing Service Proposal change of employee car policy essay Proposal change of employee car policy essayThe purpose of this memo is to address the companys existing practice of using private cars of employees for work-related needs. The intention of this document is to review existing policies and to suggest another approach providing corporate cars to employees instead of using their private cars. The strategy of using employee cars has a number of flaws: it limits the number of employees to those who own cars and are willing to use personal cars for work-related travels, it creates a need to track mileage and depreciation associated with work-related travels and might lead to insurance invalidation. Furthermore, some companies offer corporate car as additional benefit, therefore gaining an advantage in the process of hiring and retaining talented employees. These reasons indicate that there is a need to change the approach and offer company car to employees.BACKGROUNDCars are intensively used by the workers of our company both for privat e and corporate purposes. Current corporate policy is the following: employees need to have own car and they have to use this car to fulfill their work responsibilities. Currently the company reimburses the expenses on a per-mile basis, and in addition compensates car depreciation and car damage that happened while fulfilling work-related duties. While such strategy is relatively flexible and allows new employees to start quickly, it has a number of serious flaws that affect the companys competitive position.First of all, such strategy is discriminatory against those persons who do not own a car but have the necessary characteristics for doing the job successfully. In fact, the existing corporate strategy filters out those who are not willing to use personal car for work purposes or cannot do it on some reason along with people who currently do not have a car. In this way, the company might fail recruiting talented people simply because of ineffective car policy. Secondly, since the companys employees sometimes have to carry goods in their cars, which is classified by insurance companies as livery and in most cases invalidates insurance coverage (Gitman and McDaniel 36).It was also determined that some employees elevate depreciation expenses and/or travel expenses to get higher reimbursement and to finance own personal expenses. The company should either improve the process of tracking expenses or adopt a different approach to using cars. One more disadvantage of the current policy is the fact that it can hardly compete with corporate cars offered as benefits by competitors, so the companys HR managers have fewer opportunities to attract talented people or retain them.SCOPEThe analysis of the shortcomings of the current car policy shows that a new policy should be implemented. It is recommended to offer corporate cars to employees. This approach will help to resolve problems with depreciation and fuel expense tracking as all depreciation will be considered wor k-related as well as fuel expenses. Minor personal uses will be also covered. The company will be able to provide decent insurance and to take care of car maintenance and repairing in order to reduce the chances of work-related accidents or injuries (Cushway 56).The new policy will be more attractive to people who currently do not have a car, who do not want to use a personal car for work purposes or who cannot do it on some reasons. Furthermore, the new policy will be more attractive for new employees since they might be able to minimize car-related expenses and maintenance efforts. Corporate car can be offered as an additional perk by the companys HR managers (Armstrong and Murlis 464). This benefit might be used for motivating existing employees and for attracting new talents.CONCLUSIONIt is recommended to change the policy of personal car use by employees for work-related purposes to the policy of offering company cars to employees. In this way, the company will be able to attra ct more efficient employees, will optimize the costs of fuel and depreciation tracking, will manage the parks of car in a more efficient way and will have an additional benefit for recruiting new candidates.

The Articles of Confederation Investigation essays

The Articles of Confederation Investigation essays Throughout the history of civilizations, many constitutions have been used. In America, the present day constitution is law and is used to govern the United States of America yet this was not the first constitution of the United States. That would be the Articles of Confederation. This constitution was in effect from 1781-1789, and it had its ups and downs. Overall the "Articles of Confederation" were good in many cases and bad in economic problems. The Articles of Confederation were a group of documents written by John Dickinson in the late 1700s. It was in favor of the small government and big state power. People were the first part of their states and then part of the country. As seen in Document B, from the years of 1770-1775 the market value of United States exports to Great Britain was greatly increased over the years. Then theirs a break in the chart, this is most likely the time of the American Revolution and the countries overall post-war recollection. Then in 1784, the chart begins again, and the number of market value exports with England has dropped down by about 20 percent. This number then begins to waver up and down as the years go by. Although it is safe to assume that the loss of trade is due to anger between the British and United States yet it is also safe to assume that since the Articles of Confederation does not give the national government the ability to impose taxes, and tariffs, on products, thus subst antially lowering its profit value. People in other countries, especially Great Britain knew that the U.S.' government could not impose taxes and tariffs and a state wouldn't impose a tax on its people because they can just move to another state and rebel on the state. So according to Document B, the Market value of the United States good had substantially lowered during the use of the Articles of Confederation. Admittedly, under the "Articles of Confederation," many good things did happen. The Treaty of Pa...

Adopting a Start-up Mentality for your Books Reedsy

Adopting a Start-up Mentality for your Books Reedsy Adopt A Startup Mentality For Your Books - By Dr. Sean Wise â€Å"I think I’m the only person who has made the authors into Lego people†At the Reedsy blog, we like to bring together the publishing world and the tech world. We think authors can learn a lot from entrepreneurs (and vice-versa), and today’s interview is dedicated to just that.Dr. Sean Wise is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, mentor and successful author. He just released his latest book, Startup Opportunities, that he co-wrote with Brad Feld. How do two of the most successful startup investors out there go about marketing their book? Sean shares their secrets on how they engage with readers (careful, it involves Lego figures).He also gives his perspective on the changes the publishing industry is undergoing and on a few startups contributing to its disruption.If you want to see him drive through Toronto in a cab, get out, and walk home - all while chatting with us - just play the video, it’s awesome. Else, the transcript is just below! Dr. Sean Wise, it’s great to have you here. You’re a teacher at Ryerson university on entrepreneurship, are a mentor, advisor and investor, and have been involved with startups pretty much all your life, right? Could you give us a bit of background on that?Absolutely! I was born very, very young, and I grew from there. At 13 I had an experience that confirmed to me that I would never make a good employee and I started my first business. I’m now 43 and I have started 5 of my own businesses, but for the most of my working career I’ve been a venture capitalist. So I’ve been an entrepreneur, a ‘funder’, a founder, a mentor, and all of that has been to accomplish one goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed. Help people fail faster, learn quicker, etc. All of my books to date have been around that topic.That’s fantastic. And talking about your books, you wrote your first book and self-published it in 2007, back when digital publishing almo st wasn’t a thing. Why did you choose the self-publishing route?Well, I think you’d call it self-publishing. I had written a column for the Globe and Mail, which is a national newspaper in Canada, and at the end of a two-year run as a columnist on entrepreneurship, they asked if I’d like to wrap all the articles together, put a cover on it, and publish it. So they published it with me. It was â€Å"self-publishing† because we owned 100% of it, but it was edited and pushed out by a newspaper chain, so it was a very unique experience.My second book was bought by a large publisher called Penguin: it was How To Be A Business Super Hero and it combined my love for comic books with my need to help people understand that business isn’t only about money.For my third book, which came out three years ago, I went back to self-publishing. I published it with a magazine called Profit Magazine, and it’s another book about entrepreneurship called Hot or No t. In Canada (like in England) we have a version of that great TV show called Dragon’s Den (it’s now in 27 countries) and I spent 5 seasons working there to help entrepreneurs get the funding they needed to succeed.Now, full circle for my latest book: FG Press is half self-publishing, half traditional publishing. It’s really a startup publishing brand that is trying to figure out what publishing isn’t doing well at all, and what can be done better.Yes, FG Press is one of these actors that shows how exciting the publishing industry is in its current state. What is it that has changed, exactly, and how do you see it moving forwards?Well, I’m not smart enough to talk about what everyone else is talking about, but I know what I am excited about, so I’ll focus on that. For many many years, the publishing industry has been pretty much like the music industry or the film industry: you had these experts; and these experts, whether they were editors or acquisitions people, were in charge of deciding what the world needed. Without an editor’s blessing, you couldn’t have a book: there was no one to publish or distribute it.But like with most things, the internet has had a dramatic effect on the distribution portion of books. Now that books are digital, we know they’re just like Napster was for music: you can send them over email, you can move them digitally, you can read them on your phone, etc. So it’s made distribution a lot easier. Combine that with Amazon’s self-publishing tools, with Goodread’s ability to engage your authors, with Wattpad that can replace your editor with fans, and you really have eliminated the ability of one superstar sitting there and saying â€Å"your book isn’t good enough†.Now, that’s a double-edged sword. Now that there is no longer some expert that you need to tell, there also is no filter, so the biggest problem with publishing today is that anyone can publish. So how do you get past that?Exactly, and I think that’s a question for all forms of content in general, now that we have user-generated content, right?Absolutely. So it’s not a matter of whether my book is good or not, it’s a matter of whether I can get into people’s funnel: â€Å"can I get them to think about my book, can I resonate with them?† as opposed to â€Å"can I get on the shelves at Barnes and Noble?†.And that’s why it’s so important to build a readership before you publish your book. Which is exactly what you’re doing right now with Brad Feld. You’ve co-authored a book with him, Startup Opportunities, and you’re pretty much everywhere around the world talking about that book!Yes, I’m surprised - but happily so - , it looks like we’re going to have a 20-city book tour. We started last week with 5 cities in Canada, and we’re going to move from there ac ross the US, and who knows, if we’re blessed, we’ll even come to Europe!We’re doing that to build a readership and to engage with our users. It’s very similar if you’re aware of The Lean Startup. That book says that before you sink millions and millions of dollars into building a product, check if anyone cares.So before Brad and I got too deep in this book we started talking to readers, startups, just to ask them questions and to really understand what the need was. So we really based this book, Startup Opportunities, on the idea that people should not start stupid startups, that the problem isn’t just â€Å"how to start a company?†.Before we even launched, we had sold 1500 copies. And I can only hope that that continues and that we’re able to find something that resonates with our readers.What kind of out-of-the box marketing have you done for this book that could inspire other non-fiction authors out there?I think I’m the only person who has made the authors into Lego people. So Brad and I have Lego people that will travel with us, and if people want to tweet a picture of us and them, they’ve got to tweet the little Lego people and whoever tweets that and gets the most retweets, will get their own Lego figures, custom-made for them.I’ve never seen anyone make action figures out of authors and I thought that was kind of fun. So that was pretty unusual. The book tour is pretty standard, the Twitter is pretty standard. We did an infographics and a slideshare, too, which are now also pretty standard.Where do you find your inspiration for all this? I think the greatest thing about the transparency the internet allows, is that everyone can learn from everyone. So I wouldn’t want you to think that all these ideas are mine. I’ve stolen them from other successful authors. In fact, as a professor of entrepreneurship I teach that to my students: â€Å"steal with integrity and pr ide everywhere†. I try to give full attribution: I follow Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki, they’re sort of my â€Å"author idols†, and I try to see what they’re doing and learn.But as far as I know, I am the only person who has a Lego version of Brad Feld and a Lego version of me.And that’s really really cool. It’s actually the mindset that certain authors in publishing are missing: what could I do that would be cool for my readers, or cool in general?I think, people look at Brad Feld and he’s got 5 or 6 bestsellers, he’s a multi-millionaire, a successful venture capitalist; but they don’t realise that his goal is still the same as every other author: to connect with the readers. All of these new tools are just ways to connect, and I think they’re fabulous because they cut out the middle person.I agree. Talking about â€Å"new tools† if you had to find two startups in the publishing industry that you find partic ularly interesting and are going to follow closely, which would they be? I’m a big fan of Goodreads. I know they’re owned by Amazon right now and that makes them not a startup, but I just think connecting your readers with your authors is so important.If I couldn’t choose Goodreads, I might choose Wattpad. They’ve got about 25 million readers and allows authors to put manuscripts up and get feedback. I’m much more interested in what other founders think about my book than what my father thinks about my book. I want to hear directly from them. Amazing authors who have millions of readers are using Wattpad to engage with them and get their books even tighter. So Wattpad would be one.I’m also another big fan of changing business models. So I found Netflix to be nice because it disrupted Blockbuster. And I think what Scribd is doing with comic books, audiobooks and digital books, this â€Å"all you can eat for $9.99†, is going to impact t he business in a disruptive way. I used to buy my comic books every week at the comic book store. And then I evolved into the digital comic book store, called Comixology. Then, I moved from Comixology, when they got bought by Amazon, to directly purchasing from Amazon.Now Scribd comes along, and it has over 100,000 comic books from Marvel, from Image, and all the things that I love, and instead of paying $30 a month in comic book sales, I pay $9,99. So it caters to another demographic. When I was young, for my birthday, I would always ask for some money for the comic book store. But now I don’t need that, I would ask for a subscription to Scribd, for $9.99.These are part of this bigger ecosystem that’s developing and what I think is most interesting is that it’s developing exactly the same. iTunes is the same as Kindle. Netflix is the same as Next Issue for magazines or Oyster for books or Scribd for comic books.So for me, if I look at the next 5 years, which is what I like to invest on - not companies that are amazing today, but companies that will be amazing in 2020 - I ask myself: what is the next revolution going to be? How do we emulate what’s going on in the music business in the book business? How can I increase my tour sales and keep my book sales up? How do I accept to give an album away for free?Brad and I actually discussed whether we should do a â€Å"pay what you can† model. Radiohead did that for music and they made more money than they would have if they had sold at $9.99. Again, I think these things are still in flux, and we live in an unbelievable time, because every industry is changing, and publishing is just slow because it has very big anchor tenants.Thank you so much for these insights, and for your time, Sean. I look forward to reading Startup Opportunities!Follow Dr. Sean Wise and Reedsy on Twitter:  @SeanWise  and @ReedsyHQWhat kind of out-of-the-box marketing have you  done for your book? How do you build your readership? Which publishing startups do you think are going to succeed? Leave us your thoughts, or any question for Sean, in the comments below!

Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Photography - Essay Example 126). Inside a darkroom, he made use of light exposure to ensure that different shapes and images are captured on the photographic paper. In the absence of a creative mind, a good photographer will not be able to produce unique and eye capturing images that could give meaningful ideas on the part of the viewers. Considering one of the brilliant collection of Man Ray, figure 1 presented on page 2 illustrate the head of a man and a woman kissing each other. On a piece of photographic paper, the use of sufficient light exposure pointed to the head of the models (with a hand on each side of the head) is not easy to create. Specifically the different shades of light and images we can see on the photograph require sufficient knowledge on photography. This is particularly with regards to the estimated length of time and distance the paper should be placed under certain degree of light exposure. The different shades of images we just observed in figure 1 enables the viewers to appreciate the photo similar to the images that are illustrated in paintings. After observing the works of Man Ray, it is amazing to learn that each photographer has the option to create unique images even without the use of a

The importance and value of crossing of disciplinary and artistic Assignment

The importance and value of crossing of disciplinary and artistic borders - Assignment Example As seen in the interview, this is not anew strategy because it has been in use for a long time now. Its invention, as evidenced in the artist’s argument really revolutionized art. By combining the elements of traditional art to the new found media, the artist managed to produce amazing oil portraits, an aura that played a very significant role in making art to be perceived to be having a political influence in the society. However, for this kind of artwork to be properly made, a proper choice of the sturdy foundation should be made for all the layers included in the artwork. Indeed, mixed media art is a noble idea because it has lots of benefits to the artists and consumers of artwork. Its first advantage is that it is const-friendly. As compared to the traditional art, mixed media art is a very cheap initiative as it does not have many expenses. Since it is not restricted to the use of only one particular medium, the artist is free to choose to use a variety of objects including newspapers, oil paint, clothes, sculpture, textile, ink, pieces of wood, graphite or household glue. All of these do not necessarily need to be bought because a large number of them like newspapers and pieces of wood can be easily found and collected from the immediate environment. Besides, mixed media art can be used in expressing political views. Over the years, art has been used as a very powerful tool in politics. As indicated in the article, the use of oil portraits played a very significant role in the political scene. By combining randomly found objects and traditional media, the artist managed to create appealing portraits for Margaret Thatcher. This is a clear indication that a proper use of mixed media can greatly help in the political engagement of art. It makes it easier for art to go beyond political borders by creating a political content in them. Lastly, mixed art is more aesthetic and

Challenges Facing Destination Managers at Sydney for thr Essay

Challenges Facing Destination Managers at Sydney for thr Infrastructure of the Place - Essay Example The marketability of any particular tourist destination largely depends on the perceptions of different market areas. Such perceptions may be varied in nature. Huge investments are made on a regular basis by several countries to make a destination successfully available to the tourists (Beirman, 2003, pp.3-4). A country, trying to provide its tourists with different facilities, also has to encounter several challenges associated with the facilities and services. With the growing competition in the industry, the complexities have increased to great extents leading to greater problems with tourist destinations (Bramwell & Lane, 2004, p.78). The present study has considered Sydney as the tourism destination for study and discusses about the challenges encountered by the destination managers in the city. Sydney is the oldest, largest and the most popular city in the country of Australia. Both business and arts of the country are mostly delivered by this city. It is one of the most attrac tive places in the world delivering scenic beauty, geographical locations of waters as well as leisure activities. There are mountains as well as seas, along with several inland waterways and national parks (Sydney- General Information, n.d.). Sydney as a Tourist Destination: Sydney presents several places to visit for the tourists thus attracting visitors from across the world. Australia’s diverse wildlife, the galleries representing art, Sydney Opera House delivering beautiful performances and convict heritage site are all listed in the World Heritage list. Visitors can spend several hours at these places. The places also offer meals and leisure activities for the visitors. There are thrilling experiences for the kids as well delivered by places like the Taronga Zoo or Featherdale Widlife Park. Other tourist attractions that are of significant attractions include Luna Park, a fun-packed, harbourside amusement park and Sydney Tower Eye. The Sydney Tower is the uppermost spot above Sydney consisting several views of the harbour, beaches as well as the Blue Mountains (Sydney Attraction, n.d.). The Blue Mountains Region in Sydney has in the recent years attracted the most numbers of visitors. It has proved to be a place for immense recreation and relaxation. In the 1990s, the area had lacked its image particularly owing to the iconic natural and built assets. Later there have been several initiatives to improve the region and in the present times, the region drags â€Å"a large share of the tourism market† (Blue Mountains Regional Tourism Plan 2004-2007, n.d.). A tourism plan is also involved in this regard that has been consulted with several stakeholders. The target markets have also been segmented accordingly and these include the luxury travelers, the adventure travelers, the touring travelers, the peer group travelers as well as the family travelers. Both domestic and international visitors are targeted in this regard with the international co untries including UK, Germany and USA. The experiences of the nature, the heritage, the arts and culture, and the indulgence and rejuvenation have been the major appeals of this region (Blue Mountains Regional Tourism Plan 2004-2007, n.d.). Competitors of Sydney in the tourism market include other Australian cities like Melbourne, as well as other regional competitors like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. This competition has led to a need for Sydney to market and promote their tourism in the industry

Legal System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal System - Research Paper Example The third provision is the right against self-incrimination, which means that individuals facing trials should not be forced to testify against themselves in the court of law. The fourth provision talked about the issue of due process clause which implies that the government has no right to deprive any individual of the right to life, property or their liberty. The fifth major provision of the 5th Amendment stipulates that the government has no right to take any individual’s private property, except it is needed for a public purpose and even if that happens, the government must pay a fair price for this private property (Scwartz). The provisions of the Sixth Amendment are based on the rights of an individual to a speedy and open trial. People accused of committing a crime should be tried in places where the crime are believed to have taken place. The Sixth Amendment also stipulates that federal and state defendants have the right to have a jury that is not biased in order to decide whether they are guilty or innocent in a criminal offence. Another provision of the Sixth Amendment is that under no circumstance should an accused person be prosecuted if there is no concrete evidence against the person. The government is prohibited from prosecuting accused persons without giving them prior information of the type of charge leveled against them. The Amendment also stipulates that the accused person is entitled to reexamine witnesses that testify against them in the court of law. The accused also have the right to persuade or compel supporting witnesses to give evidences in the court and to have a lawyer that would defend them in the court of law (Scwartz). The Eighth Amendment of the US constitution stipulates that the court should compulsorily free criminal defendants from jail before their trial and this is based on the ability of the defendant to pay their bail, which stands as a guarantee that

Foensic Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foensic Accounting - Assignment Example Practicing sales of the company’s merchandise during off-hours can also result in â€Å"off-book† frauds. Ways to prevent this include: surveillance of the employees at all point-of-sales; investigating of gaps in the transaction sequence or the pre-numbered receipts; and encouraging customers to ask for receipts for any purchases made so as to make employees ring up sales. Case management software refers to an immensely powerful tool used by investigators to conduct timely, effective and efficient investigations in an organization. It can be used to investigate issues such as workers’ compensation cases, customer cases, fraud and insurance claims among others (Silverstone & Sheetz, 2007). It works in a variety of forms including alerts to the mangers or investigators when a new case is entered, capturing of new referrals by employees when they notice any form of fraud but, anonymously, and identifying of repeat offenders of misconduct in an organization. Mostly, this software is used in internal investigations and risk management in a

Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Evolution - Essay Example one has ever seen evolution happen, and that if it were a process in progress, evolution should still be right on course with numerous observable "transitional" forms of evidence. The arguments above are but valid in a sense for evolutionary processes in terms of changes in the genetic makeup across populations deem to have been observed in an array of scientific contexts, that include basic laboratory experiments with fruit flies, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster and even bacteria have never produced new types of insects. Chemically induced mutations in such organisms have only resulted in mild changes, which include, in the case of fruit flies, those with oversized to no wings, white or even purple eyes (DeBenedictis 383). The minor changes have never had significant change on the organisms, with the changes limited to variations. Even with such experiments being repeated over and over again since Darwin invented the theory, fruit flies remain fruit flies; not a single experiment has successfully changed the organism to a different species (Franklin

Foensic Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foensic Accounting - Assignment Example Practicing sales of the company’s merchandise during off-hours can also result in â€Å"off-book† frauds. Ways to prevent this include: surveillance of the employees at all point-of-sales; investigating of gaps in the transaction sequence or the pre-numbered receipts; and encouraging customers to ask for receipts for any purchases made so as to make employees ring up sales. Case management software refers to an immensely powerful tool used by investigators to conduct timely, effective and efficient investigations in an organization. It can be used to investigate issues such as workers’ compensation cases, customer cases, fraud and insurance claims among others (Silverstone & Sheetz, 2007). It works in a variety of forms including alerts to the mangers or investigators when a new case is entered, capturing of new referrals by employees when they notice any form of fraud but, anonymously, and identifying of repeat offenders of misconduct in an organization. Mostly, this software is used in internal investigations and risk management in a

Emergence of Integrated Marketing Communication Essay

Emergence of Integrated Marketing Communication - Essay Example The integrated marketing campaign cannot be successful if the different deliverables are not put in a direct fashion towards the target audience; no matter it is the primary one or the secondary target market. The marketing plan, however, remains the key in such a situation and it cannot be counted off, no matter how difficult the undertakings or executions of the IMC turn out to be. Thus IMC and MC must go hand in hand towards a successful execution of the product and/or service’s message geared towards the relevant target audience. Message consistency is indeed a significant aspect of the integrated marketing campaign since the old campaigns might just get mixed with the newer campaigns that are brought forward by the relevant brand, which could either be a product or a service and in some cases, a hybrid also works to some effect. The message must remain geared towards a selected target audience as this ensures that there are no shortcomings on the part of the people for which the message is put out, in the first place. With that, we must understand that a well balanced IMC campaign looks to plug the shortcomings which usually arise in the wake of changing messages and when certain strategies and tactics are amended for one reason or the other. The reasons could be aplenty but the most important thing here to understand is the fact that the message must remain synchronized and there are no double meanings or embedded messages beneath the new campaign brought forward by the product and/or service. Message consi stency within an effective and efficient IMC campaign suggests that the brand team has done its homework well and that there are no hindrances in the wake of it achieving short-term benefits and long-term, strategic profits.  

Impacts Of Industrial Urbanization On Working People History Essay

Impacts Of Industrial Urbanization On Working People History Essay Urbanization is a social process in which a countrys organized communities become larger, more specialized. There are both negative and positive consequences of this process. It involves a lot of economic , technological demographic, political , environmental factors and it is inevitably accompanied by other changes in society. Before moving on to industrial urbanization and its impacts , history and life of native people would be discussed. A lot of Native peoples lived by hunting and gathering. Agriculture was established between the Iroquoian groups (Huron, Iroquois, Petun, Neutral).Clothing was provided from fur bearing animals and silver and copper was used to make ornaments. Trading was common at that time but there doesnt seem to have any specialized merchant class. French and british traders began to buy furs, and in return they offered iron tools, weapons and alcohol , all of which the native peoples valued highly. This resulted in economic and cultural changes among the native peoples, who were to play a critical role in the early fur trade. Canada was a largely per-industrial agricultural society at confederation in 1867. People belonged to large families and lived on farms. Farms were only source of income for them as they often supported entire families generation after generation. Urbanization process passed four major phases. Canada became an urban nation quite early as compared to others. The first stage began with the founding of Quebec in 1608. Quebec City, Montreal, Halifax and St Johns tended to be the administrative centers. From the mother country there were entrepots, collection agencies for colonial staples and distribution centers of manufactured goods. Primary connection was the overseas metropolis because of which there was lack of significant connections with other towns in the colonies. Dependence on water transport powered byu wind and sail was another common feature of urban centers during this period. Fishery and fur trade were exploited by permanent European settlers who came to Canada. Due to the reason that the climate and soil were not encouraging, agricultural progress was slow until the end of 17th century. English-speaking merchants engaged in the fur trade; after the Conquest (1759-60), when many British businessmen began to control a large portion of the fur trade from Montreal, they also quickly extended their interests throughout commerce and finance.. The population grew through natural increase and through immigration from Britain. The good agricultural land in the St Lawrence Valley had almost been taken up by 1820s. In 1821, after the North West Company merged with the Hudsons Bay Company the transcontinental fur trade was no longer managed from Montrà ©al. By that time Upper and Lower Canada had developed an immense trade in timber, which went first to Britain and then, after mid century, to the US and domestic buyers. Second phase of urbanization started in early 1800s and was marked by the increasing control of commercial interests. By dominating their immediate region several cities began to assume metropolitan functions. There was a move away from an exclusive reliance on staples export to a new concern for regional and inter regional commerce and small scale artisanal production for a local or regional market. Industrial revolution took place in 1815 and 1914. The use of new technologies in transportation was a third aspect of the economic reorientation. In this phase, the form of cities is not readily definable but a number of features distinguish them from both their predecessors and successors. The most important factor was transport which played an essential role in the development of bigger, functionally more specialized towns from 1830. National rail network was established in 1840s due to which a fully integrated urban system developed and the constraints of time and distance . This led to a period of great change in the structure of the urban system and the extent, characteristics and internal and external relations. There was no significant European population until the 1780s in the present-day Ontario, although its waterways were used by the fur traders. There was a beginning of settlement with the arrival of the United Empire Loyalists, British and American settlers, and British troops and officials. export trades in wheat, potash and timber developed and forest land was cleared. A few roads and canals were built, of which the most important were the Welland Canal and St Lawrence River canals. most good land in the province had been claimed by 1867, although not all of it was under cultivation. Quebec contained 3 towns, Montreal, Quebec and Trios-Rivieras at the conquest. With settlement and with the development of commerce and government a lot of towns appeared. much of central Canadas industry, including the 2 great industries, milling and lumbering, was dispersed through the countryside or in small villages in 1871. Rapid industrialization and urbanization occurred in both provinces after c onfederation. By 1911 half of Ontarios population lived in cities and towns. less than one-fifth of the Quebec population lived in cities at the time of confederation. Thirty years later the proportion surpassed one-third. Urbanization was undoubtedly the most salient phenomenon in Quebec at the start of the 20th century. Only 36% of the population lived in cities; thirty years later, that proportion had reached 60%. Due to development in industry there was an increased rate in growth of cities. in Montreal the phenomenon was particularly visible, then the industrial hub of Canada. Within thirty years, its population more than doubled, growing from 107,000 in 1871 to 268,000 in 1901 (or 325,000 counting the suburbs). Montreal became Canadas uncontested metropolis when it outgrew Quebec city from 1830 onwards. Population comprised of working class, yet the countrys most powerful businessmen lived there as well. Population growth was slower in Quebec city. Population was just under 60 ,000 in 1871 and still below 70,000 in 1901. In smaller cities such as Hull, Sherbrooke, Valley field, Saint-Hyacinth, Saint-Jerome and Magog industrialization became evident. The largest of these had populations of only 11,000-14,000, but they bore witness to an important transformation in Quebec society. In british north American railway fever came a little late which had a small population and much of its capital tied up in the expansion of its CANALS AND INLAND WATERWAYS. But it did not take long for politicians and entrepreneurs to realize the potential benefits. In 1841 ,the Province of Canada (1841) was an enormous country. Its roads were poor and its waterways were frozen for up to 5 months per year. GRAND TRUNK Railway was the most ambitious pre-Confederation railway project in Canada. It was a bold attempt by Montreal to capture the hinterland of Canada West and traffic from American states in the Great Lakes region. But unfortunately Canadians did not have enough money and technicians to build it. In the process of Industrialization the railways played an integral role, tying together and opening up new markets while, at the same time, themselves creating a demand for fuel, iron and steel, LOCOMOTIVES AND ROLLING STOCK. Wooding-up stations were required at regular intervals along the line and the pioneer wood burning locomotives had huge appetites. James of Toronto made first locomotive in Canada in 1853. (the Toronto No. 2 of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron). As a consequence, railway greatly stimulated engineering particularly with the demand for BRIDGES and TUNNELS. There were a few inventions by Canadians, notably the first successful braking system (W.A. Robinson, 1868) and the rotary snowplough (J.W. Elliott, 1869; developed further by O. Jull), which made possible safe, regular travel in Canadian winters. Zone system was devised by the great railway engineer Sanford Fleming to over the confusion of clocks varying from community to community along the rail routes. Low rolling friction of iron-flanged wheels on iron rails and steam locomotion enabled George Stephenson (the first of the great railway engineers) to design and superintend the building of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830), which began the railway age in England. steam locomotion, the standard gauge (1.435 m) and the rolled-edge rail (bellying out on the underside for strength) were the characteristics of the railway which were established in the early stage. Ind ustries such as tailoring and shoe making were becoming factory activities, and provincial governments began to regulate working conditions from 1870 to 1900. the industries in the cities eventually won the competition with the rural industries.Urbanization started in 19th century because of the industrialization that took place. Because of bad sanitary conditions and diseases, cities still needed many new people every now and again. But gradually with the passage of time there was an increase in number of people and cities. There were several types of cities: cities with textile industry, cities with heavy industry and administrative/commercial cities. Transportation was affected by industrial revolution. Bicycles, steamships and trains made it easier for people to move further away. The third phase, which began with the industrial era in the 1870s and lasted until the 1920s, saw the development of a national urban system that tended to concentrate power in major central Canadian cities, notably Montreal and Toronto. It attracted a steady supply of rural Canadians to the cities. The working poor was the new class that spawned instead. labor force, weak government protection, and social discrimination was faced by these families. Industrialization had caused Canadian cities to double, which brought wealth to the society, but that wealth was not shared. Although industrialization did provide thousands of jobs, it did not create an egalitarian society. With the arrival of railway numerous cities expanded or took advantage of railway development to consolidate their position in the economy. Montreal, for example, which was already the business and financial hub of British North America owing to its port installations, would extend its commercial influence over an increasingly larger zone following the arrival of the railway. The political economy of this industrial era was marked by the emergence of industrial capitalism and its counterpart, the industrial working class. The extent and nature of urban development was dependent on major improvements in the technological capacity of Canada. Science and engineering were systematically applied to transportation, communications, building methods and production. The outstanding physical characteristics of cities were the enormous spatial expansion of the suburbs and the tall office towers of the central core. The social landscape of cities was affected by the changing scale of development. A kind of giant ism prevailed, from the size of suburbs and the height of the buildings in the central core to the organization of new business enterprises and the building of enormous factories. Land use was increasingly specialized. Urbanization also affected cities less closely associated with the railway system. Saint John, New Brunswick, saw its population rise from 27,000 in 1840 to nearly 39,000 in 1861. The rise in population benefited from the growth in shipbuilding and maritime transportation, in particular. Due to this , the proportion of urban dwellers in the colonies as a whole went up from 13% in 1851 to 16% in 1861. The largest cities in British North America were Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Toronto, Halifax, Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa and London on the eve of Confederation. Between 1896 and 1914, Central Canadas industrial advance was especially rapid when the whole nation experienced investment and export booms. A few industries such as carriage-making and blacksmithing declined after 1900. But soon after this new industries appeared like electrical equipment and chemicals in the 1890s, cars and aluminum after 1900, pulp and paper in. 1890-1914 Montreal and Toronto were the great cities of Central Canada by 1867. Montreal began as a port and a commercial centre. By 1900 it was producing large amounts of clothing and textile products, electrical equipment, railway rolling stock and many light industrial products. Finally by mid 19th century it was a place of industry. After 1867, Toronto after a slow and inauspicious beginning, developed after 1867 on similar lines, much of its early prosperity being based on Great Lakes shipping. Both cities had energetic banks and insurance companies and active stock exchanges. Immigrants were attracted to both cities from Europe and Italy. Cities of Central Canada were built by largely natural increase from britian between Confederation and 1914. Atlantic Canada Initially fur trading was common here but later on with serious economic development in the Atlantic provinces really began with the sea fisheries, whose markets were in Europe and later in the West Indies. Some francophone and anglophone migrants arrived during the 17th century on mainland, but the European population was small until the arrival of the Loyalists, partly because there was little good agricultural land. Scots settled on Cape Breton in early 19th century. Prosperity came from the fisheries, forests and maritime carrying trades. Western Canada In western Canada economic development began with fur trade. In 1812, settled agriculture began with Lord Selkirks RED RIVER COLONY. In 1880s the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway gave Manitoba a wheat economy. Prospects for development brightened as world prices rose, transport costs fell, methods of dryland farming improved, and more appropriate varieties of wheat became availablein 1890s. More progress was made and Prairie provinces enjoyed an immense expansion of the wheat economy, onto which was grafted, before 1914, a very much larger rail system, a network of cities and towns, coal mining and ranching. Because of this many migrants were attracted from many lands. T that time Alberta began to produce small quantities of oil and gas. In Early times most of the city dwellers got around on foot; only the richest could afford the services of a coachman or own their own horse but with the urban expansion , organized public transit came into being. In 1861, the first street cars appeared in Montreal and Quebec City. Then by 1982,electric streetcars made their appearance. At the start of 20th century , 46 urban centres had streetcar lines. Electric streetcars inaugurated in 1892 favoured the expansion of suburbs, since they allowed people to live further away from their places of work without having to travel long distances on foot Industrialization and urbanization brought about a lot of changes in work and family by early 20th century. The seniors who had retired and couldnt do any more work ended their lives in poor houses or old age homes, as they had come to be known. In the late 19th century the number of seniors who became poor increased as the process of industrialization began to affect Canadian society. More workers were needed as the factories were built in the cities. In the countryside the population grew to the point that people began to be forced off their farms into urban areas to work for wages. Later on, a revolutionary transformation occurred in human use of energy. Burning of wood to produce heat, plus human and animal muscle power were the biomass energy for human society. Then world entered the age of coal and steam power. It was the beginning of fossil fuel era and this is the era we live in today. the harnessing of steam power enabled humans to vastly multiply the energy generated from b urning coal, thereby greatly expanding the amount of energy. Petroleum was the second major fossil fuel by 1914. There was a significant development in communications and transport. Migration to long distances within continental spaces was done through steamships and railroads. Asian migrants, especially South Asians and Chinese, settled in many parts of the tropical world as well as in the Americas. Standard of living was increased and people were looking for more opportunities than they had in their native places. Another major environmental change was the enormous increase in population growth. The environmental impact of this dramatic population increase, combined with the surges in economic growth and energy consumption, was colossal. In Canada the earliest significant social piece of legislation was the Canadian Government Annuities (Act of 1908). It benefited and encouraged a lot of people to prepare financially for their retirement. With this facility, Canadians began to purchase various annuities for different amounts and leghts of time. There was a specific age when the recipient began to receive benefits from it. This system was carried out very nicely and all the costs were administered by the government. Federal civil servants were given pensions according to superannuation Act in 1870. Then the national pension programs were developed and enhanced more. In 1867, most of the Canadians did not retire. At that time Canada was predominantly an agricultural society. Majority of the population lived on farms and worked till old age as their was no other source of income. Canadian way of living was totally changed by urbanization and industrialization. With the invention of industries and new technology , farm life and family support system was completely dissolved. Before the old people had no choice except to work to earn their living but now they lived the rest of their live in old homes or poor houses.

Compulsive Disorder Essay -- essays research papers

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a lifelong disorder, which can cause a person to do things repeatedly. This disorder is identified by two general symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. An obsession can be defines as an unwelcome, distressing thought or mental image. (Schwartz, 1996) It is a thought that annoys you so much that it causes distress and anxiety. Compulsions are the behaviors that people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder perform in an attempt to get rid of the fears and anxieties caused by their obsessions. (Schwartz, 1996) The disorder which usually starts in adolescence or early childhood, is more common that asthma or diabetes. (Baer, 1991) It affects one in forty people, or more than five million Americans. (Baer, 1991)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain that can be treated effectively without drugs. This starts with a biochemical problem in the brain called â€Å"Brain Lock†. (Schwartz, 1996) Four key structures of the brain become locked together and the brain sends false messages that the person cannot recognize as false. (Schwartz, 1996) One of the main signal-processing centers of the brain, made up of two structures called the caudate nucleus and the put amen, can be thought of like a gearshift in a car. (Schwartz, 1996) The caudate nucleus is like the automatic t...

Mans Search for Meaning in Fight Club and Siddhartha Essay -- Comparin

In 1922, Hermann Hesse set the youth of Germany free with the glorious peace of Siddhartha. Nearly a century later, Chuck Palahniuk opened the eyes of countless Americans with his nihilistic masterpiece, Fight Club. These two novels were written in different times, in different cultures, for different readers, and for different purposes. One is the poster child for love of self and nature; the other focuses on the destruction of both man and culture, yet the two hold a startling similarity in their underlying meaning, that in a darkening world of sin and distraction, letting go is the only true path to freedom, peace, and happiness. Though vastly different, Fight Club and Siddhartha both essentially tell the same story of man's search for personal meaning. Siddhartha is the story of a young man who leaves established society to find and create for himself a true doctrine for bliss. Raised and trained as a Brahman in a well-established religious family, Siddhartha feels vain and incomplete. He departs from his people and their lore, peacefully searching for his own dogma, what Hesse refers to as "The Self". "Siddhartha embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes him through a period of asceticism and self denial followed by one of sensual indulgence ("Siddhartha" 255)." Siddhartha soon finds, however, that nirvana is not so easily attained. Hesse follows Siddhartha through his lifelong journey of mental confusion, emotional turmoil, physical pain and pleasure, and, ultimately, spiritual unity between himself and the world. In short, it is "Hesse's attempt to restore his faith in mankind, to regain his lost peace of mind, and to find again a harmonious relationship with his world ("Siddhartha" 262)." Fight Club also is... ...uary 2003. http://www.newimprovedhead.com/club.htm Freedman, Ralph. "Hermann Hesse". Contemporary Literature. 10: 3 (1969): 421-426. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1973. 146-147. Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam, 1971. Margetts, Jayne. "Fight Club". Between the Lines. Ed. Wendy Cavenett. 27 April 1998. 19 February 2003. http://www.thei.aust.com/tssmusic1/contents.html Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club. New York: Henry Holt, 1997. Sahni, Chaman L. "Siddhartha". Masterplots Complete. CD-ROM. Englewood Cliffs: Salem, 2000. "Siddhartha". Novels for Students. Ed. David Galens. Vol. 6. New York: Thomson Gale, 1997. 255-275. 16 vols. Wake, Bob. "Fight Club". Culture Vulture. Ed. Arthur Lazere. 21 September 1998. 19 February 2003. http://www.culturevulture.net/Books/FightClub.htm

Ethics of Hydraulic Fracturing Essay

Large gas companies have been wreaking havoc on Midwestern United States. These companies’ practices of hydraulic fracturing have been very detrimental to the local populace. Hydraulic fracturing has been known to damage the environment through earthquakes and gas spills. In addition, it has been said that these companies have certain law exemptions that only they enjoy. These unsafe practices have contaminated local’s water supplies. There have even been cases where people have been able to light the water from their faucets on fire. Stricter government regulation should be enforced on these gas companies. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has recently (in the last ten years) been used extensively by gas companies (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). Fracking involves drilling down below shale formations (over a thousand feet) in the ground and pumping water, sand, and chemicals until the rock fractures. When the rock fractures it releases natural gas that can be collected at very inexpensive cost. The problem is that this can contaminate local water supplies, including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, and ground water. The documentary Gasland stirred up interest in the American population to the effects of fracking. After being offered one hundred thousand dollars for his land from a gas company, the director Josh Fox traveled around America investigating the effects of fracking on the local rural populace. Josh Fox did an excellent job at exposing the gas industry for what it really is. The film won an Oscar nomination and has been praised by environmentalists nation-wide. One of the environmentally damaging effects of hydraulic fracturing is that it has been known to cause earthquakes. Reports of minor tremors of no greater than 2. 8 on the Richter scale were reported on June 2, 2009 in Cleburne, Texas, the first in the town’s 140-year history† (Fox). On the other side of the argument, they claim â€Å"Given the ubiquity of fracking without seismic impact, the risks would seem to be remote† (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). This is irrelevant considering that earthquakes are happening where they otherwise would not have occurred. In addition to earthquakes, they also damage the environment by causing environmentally damaging oil spills. In the past two years alone, a series of surface spills, including two blowouts at wells operated by Chesapeake Energy and EOG Resources and a spill of 8000 gallons of fracking fluid at a site in Dimock, Pa. , have contaminated groundwater in the Marcellus Shale region. The amount of water required to drill all 2916 of the Marcellus wells permitted in Pennsylvania in the first 11 months of 2010 would equal the amount of drinking water used by just one city, Pittsburgh, during the same period, says environmental engineering professor Jeanne VanBriesen (qtd. n McGraw). Spills like these cause water contamination for the locals. In this case, a large portion of the spilled fracking fluid flowed into a nearby stream (McGraw). The level of contamination is still being investigated. These irresponsible and selfish practices must be regulated before irreversible collateral and environmental damage occurs. Gas companies have even been able to exploit certain loopholes in the law. An employee from the Environmental Protection Agency stated that the fracking industry enjoy certain legal exemptions from the Clean Water Act – courtesy of Dick Cheney (qtd. in Fox). The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 contained a provision that has come to be known as the â€Å"Halliburton Loophole,† an exemption for gas drilling and extraction from requirements in the underground injection control (UIC) program of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Other exemptions are also present in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act (Fox). This is an injustice to the local people whose water has been contaminated by these companies. If the government will not regulate these large companies, what will stop these large companies? Furthermore, chemicals contaminating the locals’ water supply have been shown to be a serious health risk. It is reported that â€Å"Last year the EPA found that some chemicals known to be used in fracturing were among the contaminants detected in 11 residential drinking water wells†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lustgarten). These chemicals have even been known to be carcinogenic (Lustgarten). Contaminated groundwater becomes a problem for locals when their cattle have to drink the contaminated water. There are even cases of sick animals where all their hair falls out (Fox). Many farmers worry about the welfare of their cattle’s health which is sometimes their only source of income (Fox). Landowners in shale gas drilling areas have reported foul smells in tap water, and toxic chemicals, such as benzene, have been detected in water from wells near drilling sites (Fox). In addition, there are cases of air pollution from the machinery from the drill sites (Fox). Many claim that the air pollution is the cause of a lot of cancer in the locals (Fox). In Dish, Texas, Mayor Calvin Tillman claimed that the fracking industry created carcinogenic pollution in his town (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). He then quit his job and left his hometown to protect his sons from this pollution (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). These unsafe practices can be very harmful to the local rural populace, and must be regulated. Scientific studies have shown that the drilling has caused local drinking water to be contaminated with methane. In fact, it has been shown that locals can light their water on fire. â€Å"â€Å"Our results show evidence for methane contamination of shallow drinking water systems in at least three areas of the region and suggest important environmental risks accompanying shale gas exploration worldwide. A scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire. While most of the wells had some methane, the water samples taken closest to the gas wells had on average 17 times the levels detected in wells further from active drilling† (Lustgarten). This shows that their gas drilling in fact causes this contamination. The contamination can get so bad that it directly affects the local’s safety. There is a case that is being investigated where a large portion of a river is highly contaminated from seeping methane gas; it is so highly contaminated that all wildlife has died along a large portion of the river (Fox). Along the banks of the river are dead bodies of birds, squirrels, and other wildlife (Fox). One local even claims that her father died from drinking the water many years earlier (Fox). In Josh Fox’s documentary, it shows a clip of someone lighting seeping gas coming out of the ground on fire (Fox). â€Å"In several cases, homes blew up after gas seeped into their basements or water supplies. In Pennsylvania, a 2004 accident killed three people, including a baby† (Lustgarten). This irresponsible, disregard for basic human rights must be stopped. Large corporations that run free and unregulated will do whatever it takes for their own gain. The local rural populace has been very badly affected by the practices of hydraulic fracturing. It is clearly shown that these locals are not being heard and little is being done for compensation for the locals (Fox). These gas companies have too much freedom to operate and must be put to stricter government regulation. The question is not whether we should frack or not, but rather how do we regulate these practices to minimize the collateral and environmental damage.

Final Project Essay

To turnaround an unprofitable company, Joan imposed new management ideas despite her father’s business practices and culture. With her leadership, Joan will lead and motivate Invitations Inc. employees, and the company will become more profitable. This leadership void threatens Invitation’s Inc â€Å"sustainable pattern of customer focus and profitable growth† (Millikin 9). Invitations Inc. needs to continue the momentum and motivation to accomplish growth. Replacing Joan with as the new CEO by use of a search committee represents the obvious solution to the problem. However, this assumes a replacement could and would be Joan’s equal, including leadership and management style, vision, and knowledge. Garrett could allow Joan to transition the leadership role to a replacement of her choice, with approval of Invitations Board of Directors, after a mentoring and trial period. On the other hand, Invitations Inc. could negotiate with Garrett to extend Joanâ€⠄¢s stay as CEO to ensure the status quo. This would allow Joan to continue her successful leadership and strategies, or run the company as CEO of Invitations Inc, while decreasing redundancies and increasing operating efficiencies. Analysis of the Alternatives Search committees often replace the traditional hiring of upper management and leadership. The committee must define present conditions and develop a consensus of criteria used in evaluating candidates, including the leadership qualities needed at this stage in the company’s revival plan. Next, the committee can identify, screen, and interview candidates. Afterwards, the committee can recommend candidates to the board for consideration and their eventual decision (Poston 1). Alternatively, if one exists, Invitations Inc. should implement their succession management plan. Evaluation criteria are critical to the search committee. To build consensus, the committee should examine the past and the present to understand the future. With her recent success and credibility, Joan might become a benchmark for the search committee. An  examination of Joan would reveal her background and multicultural experiences, which have enabled her to embrace the cultur al differences between her dad and her. She fervently believes that â€Å"cultural conflict, if paced and channeled correctly, could provide opportunity for rapid innovation† . In hindsight, as the case suggests, Joan recognized the primary need to focus on corporate culture without passing judgment, recognizing its pros and cons. As an example, Joan confronted her dads method of performance evaluations and employee advancement. In US, factors like age, education level, and years of service to an organization determine career advancement. Except for those whose actions reflect poorly on the group and its members, seniority is the key factor for recognition and promotion. This paradigm often resulted in delays to the decision making process in an effort to achieve consensus,† thereby impeding the company’s decision-making (Millikin 3). To address these corporate cultural issues, Joan successfully balanced eastern collectivism and teamwork with western individualism. First, to develop a trust with employees, Joan displayed her strong interpersonal skills; she was the first manager to walk around the entire company and meet every employee in perso n (Millikin 5). Next, she developed systems for employee opinions and recommendations instead of hiring outside consultants. She also exposed managers to unfamiliar cultures, different areas of the business outside their boundaries, and more information through transparency and cross-functional teams. Nevertheless, she demanded personal commitment within the team environment by demanding accurate work, playing off the strength uncertainty avoidance (Millikin 8) Joan felt could use adjustment is the extent to which the people focus on the past, present, or future. Joan recognized that Invitations Inc. employees did not have a sense of urgency about the future, a potential bankruptcy. It makes sense for employees not to worry about such financial matters when the government bails out large employers. Thus, after careful detailed analysis, Joan recognized management did not have a vision for employees to follow. Therefore, he developed a long-term plan focusing on profit and listening to the customer. By mixing the cultural norms, Joan capitalized on the strength of the Invitations Inc. employee. As a leader, she understood cultural behaviors while appreciating their differences. Her cultural sensitivity coupled with her people skills helped turnaround the company. These skills  and decision-making ability are not mutually exclusive to Joan’s normative decision model, which assumes decision-making styles are learnable. Therefore and a possible near-identical substitute could exist. One major problem with search committees are the significant amount of time and effort necessary by the members, who are often upper management, might produce less than ideal candidates (Poston 1). Although best practices exist for search committee, Joan’s replacement might not harmonize with the company. The replacement might undue the corporate cultural changes under Joan, reverting to old habits, or tip the balance of cultures too far in the other direction. According to the case’s timeline, Joan would continue as CEO of Invitations Inc. for as long as needed. This could be time spent by Joan to mentor a successor of her choice. Joan should follow the succession management system, if one exists, to find the future leader for the company. If such a system does not exist, Joan will need to follow a similar process to that of a selection committee: identify, screen, and interview candidates, and make the recommendation of a candidate to the Board of Directors. There must be full confidence and trust in Joan’s decision by the board and the company, and in return, Joan needs to be fair and as objective as possible, using the same criteria and documenting all steps during the selection process. During her time with the company, Joan stablished relationships with other managers and leaders, some of high-quality, some of low-quality. According to the Leader-Member Exchange model, â€Å"those followers with high-quality relationships are in the in-group (Nahavandi 87). Applying this model would assume Joan’s in-group enjoyed her attention, support, confidence, respect, and more favorable job performance ratings, often leading to promotions. Remember, Joan moved away from the cultural norm of the seniority promo tional system to a pay for performance system. Moreover, Joan might know those in the in-group intimately from non-work related social networks. Since she developed employee-based programs to eliminate the hiring of consultants, using the in-group as a pool of replacement candidates seems the most logical. However, should Joan feel her option, the entire company, are not suitable, she could use this time to search outside of the company, maybe her personal in-group. As part of Joan’s selection criteria will be support for her change management principles, including establishing cross-functional teams to address silos; focusing on key basic  metrics of quality, cost, and customer satisfaction; ensuring transparency and communications that connect all levels of employees across the company. Additionally, Joan believes the CEO should align employees with company goals and strategies through the leader’s vision, which initially would be the revitalization plan established by Joan. Once Joan chooses her successor, she can personally groom and mold this individual. However, as Fiedler and his Contingency Model suggest, leadership effectiveness is a function of the match between a leader’s style and the leadership situation (Nahavandi 70). Essentially, Fielder proposes the leader cannot change his style but can change the situation. As such, unless Joan wants significant change within the company, she should not tolerate candidates lacking the core values necessary to meet leadership needs, like respect for employee buy-in. LEADERSHIP VERSUS MANAGEMENT From these definitions, it should be clear that leadership and management are related, but they are not the same. A person can be a manager, a leader, both, or neither. In the company, there are many different activities, the manager and leader would have different function in the activities. On create an agenda, the manager needs to planning and budgeting. The manager establishes detailed steps and timetables for achieving needed results. The manager needs to allocate the resources necessary to make those needed result happen. The leader needs to establish the direction. The leader develops a vision of the future, often the distant future, and strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision. On develop a human network for achieving the agenda, the manager needs to organizing and staffing. The manager establishes some structure for accomplishing plan requirements, staffing that structure with individuals, delegating responsibility and authority for carrying out the plan, providing policies and procedures to help guide people, and creating methods or systems to monitor implementation. The leader needs to align the people. The leader communicates the direction by words and deeds to all those whose cooperation may be needed to influence the creation of teams and coalitions that understand the vision and strategies and accept their validity. On executing plans, the manger needs to control and solve the problem. The manager needs to monitor the results vs. plan in some detail, identifying  deviations, and then planning and organizing to solve these problems. The leader needs to motivating and inspiring. The leader needs to energize people to overcome major political, bureaucratic, and resource barriers to change by satisfying very basic, but often unfulfilled, human needs. On outcomes, the manager needs to produces a degree of predictability and order and has the potential to consistently produce major results expected by various stakeholders. The leader needs to produces change, often to a dramatic degree, and has the potential to produce extremely useful change. Joan and her father will need to establish a knowledge of the above to strengthen their relationship. Works Cited â€Å"Face Value: The $10 Billion Man.† The Economist – World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. The Economist Newspaper Ltd, 24 Feb. 2005. Fonda, Daren. â€Å"CARLOS GHOSN, RENAULT: He Did So Well, Lets Give Him Two CEO Jobs – TIME.† Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews. Time, 1 Dec. 2003. Moffett, Sebastian, and Mike Ramsey. â€Å"Renault CEO’s Image Takes Hit.† MarketWatch. Wall Street Journal, 12 Apr. 2011. Millikin, John P. The Global Leadership of Carlos Joanat Nissan. Publication no. A07-03-0014. Thunderbird, 2003. Muller, Joann. â€Å"The Impatient Mr. Joan- Forbes.com.† Information for the World’s Business Leaders. Forbes, 22 May 2006. Nahavandi, Afsaneh. The Art and Science of Leadership. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 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