Environment Analysis of Toy Industry

Doing business in the worlds toy industry today, is anything but plain sailing, with the toy industry as a whole generating $21.47 Billion in 2009 and $21.65 Billion in 2008 (Riley, 2010) This producing a fiercely competitive market, but a market that is very open to new entrants,right throughout the industry. The market is also growing year on year with birth rates rising throughout the world, with the U.K. Birth rate growing this year (2014) by 13%.Risk of entryThe barrier of entry to the Toy industry is very low, this given new and up and coming entrepreneurs and companies a chance of success in this very fast paced and fiercely competitive market, to create products to capture the attentions of children and adults alike. The market environment has also pushes many well known brands to invest a major part of their budgets on research and development, allowing them to introduce new products continuously. Many well known brands such as as Hasbro, Mattel, BanDia and many other compan ies also invest huge amounts of money to compete for licensing of products connected to characters from TV shows, Films and video games,to expand their market share.Power of the BuyersThe toy industry is very concentrated, this leaving manufacturers I a very weak bargaining position with its customer, for example fives stores including Wall-mart and Toys â€Å"R† Us make up 54% or Hasbro's net Revenue in 2009. (Hasbro inc., 2009) Target, Wall-mart and Toys†R† Us also had 43 % of Net Sales of Mattel, (Datamonitor, 2007)these both figures being massive  amounts of products and given these companies power on pricing. The rise in online activity had also gave the manufacturer a door to sell direct to customer, but most of the large manufacturers still use the traditional route through supply chain.Power of the SuppliersThe materials used within the production of 1UpToys products, for example plastics, paper, cardboard, computer chips and cables, are available from a wide range of suppliers , but are susceptible to market related pricing, (e.g., copper for wiring, plastics etc.) some of which are controlled by legislation due to the chemical compounds (like Phthalates and BPA) Which could incur higher taxation brackets and could be subject to government legislation.Threat of substitute productThe threat of substitutes are growing with the continuous growth in demand, with children at a very young age having access to high technological gadgets and platformsThis has driven toy companies to incorporate more technology within their products, as toy companies are now in direct competition not only with other toy products but also with traditionally non toy products such as, Tablets, computers, smart phones and even Mp3,s offering gaming within their technological platforms. The risk from these platforms is very high and is on the increase, as with prices continue to drop on cell phones and technological other gadgets, children are adopting to them earlier in their lives, with these devices offering gaming and entertainment at a very low cost and on occasions no cost at all to download.The phenomenon of these technological devices has added extra pressure to the toy industry as a whole , to create toys with enough bells and whistles to compete with these digital device alternatives, with the cost of traditional toys significantly much higher to invent and manufacturer in comparison to  the digital format. As a result to this the profit margins of the more traditional product is significantly lower, adding to the need to sell more units per product to make profit in today’s toy market.Another major factor for the toy industry is that children at different ages have shifted preferences. Young children are expecting more stimulation from their playthings than before to capture and hold their attention. Hasbro calls this phenomenon of kids â€Å"Getting older, younger.† This threatens everyone in the toy industry b ecause the window toys and games have to make their way into children’s lives keeps shrinking. The toy industry also relies heavy on the intellectual properties of any given toy business, which they may not be able to protect from countries with loose copyright laws and regulations.This may not be a problem throughout the E.U and the United States, but is very rampant within emerging economies, for example China where products such as, DVD’s, Action Figures and nearly every other product thinking able can be copied and reproduced at a fraction of the retail price though piracy, which is a huge problem for the toy industry and a great threat to any companies looking to soften their domestic revenue losses by expanding to China or any other emerging economy.Competitive Rivalry in the IndustryThe Completive rivalry in the toy industry is fierce and diluted with numerous alternatives popping up everyday, with new platforms arising contentiously within this business sector, with companies and new toy products fighting for the limited shelf space, within all the same stores throughout the retailing world, with companies using all the resources possible to gain the competitive advantage over their competitors.This competitiveness has seen all toy companies jockeying for position and has over all lowered companies profit margins, as they compete with pricing with each other, using lower pricing strategies and offering exclusives and unique features to their customer base, at a cost to them.There is also fierce competition within the supply chain, with most toy companies have the majority of its manufacturing done in China, it can only stock as much shelf space as there is available space on large cargo container ships., with many companies fighting for the space, especially just before the holiday season, the price per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) may go up in these peak seasons and shipping costs are also very vulnerable to changes in fuel pricing, which is forever on the rise.SLEPT Analysis (see appendix 2),we can look at the (Macro) external environment for the toy industry.Social EnvironmentThe social environment of today’s toy customer base is increasingly becoming more technically driven, with children and â€Å"tweens† spending more and more of their time on the internet and social media platforms, as accessibility to these high speed internet and mobile devices enter more homes everyday. A study released in January 2010 by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation found that young people, aged 8-18, spent seven and a half hours seven days a week consuming media (Music, videos, blogs, social media, etc.) While consuming, they are also multitasking. So they can fit almost eleven hours of media into that seven and a half hours (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010) and this is growing year on year, with easier accessibility and reduced cost to online access.This has rising to in 2013 and said to be having serious con sequences , with kids ages 8 to 18 spending on average 44.5 hours per week in front of screens, with parents being increasingly concerned that screen time is robbing them of real world experiences. Nearly 23% of youth report that they feel â€Å"addicted to video games† (31% of males, 13% of females.) These are the results of a new study of 1,178 U.S. children and teens (ages 8 to 18) conducted by Harris Interactive (2007) that documents a national prevalence rate of pathological video game use.Dr. Douglas Gentile, Director of the Media Research Lab at Iowa State University reports, â€Å"Almost one out of every ten youth gamers shows enough  symptoms of damage to their school, family, and psychological functioning to merit serious concern.†The industry could be more drawn to the needs of the consumer and promote games and toys that cross over online and offline platforms,and also incorporate a educational value or the use of learning a musical instrument or techniqu es involved in doing so.Legal EnvironmentThere are increasingly tight rules and regulations about the materials that need to go into toy construction in order to make them safer and more resistant to fire hazards. This has had the impact of raising costs on production within the industry, but these regulations can vary in different countries, but are generally set the same throughout the EU, with safety at the forefront of production.The Toy industry has to be very careful to follow these regulations, especially when out sourcing to places such as China who have generally a loose safety standards and could have serious consequences to any company importing products from theses areas. Loose safety standards in Chinese factories caused the massive toy recall of 2007 which over 10 million toys that contained unsafe levels of lead and small magnets which, if swallowed, could cause serious injury or death. This recall cost not only millions of dollars but severely damaged the costumer co nfidence. A problem like this looms over every toy company that uses manufacturing plants in China.The Legal environment of the toy industry is also continuously protecting and fighting for its copyright on its products. This can be very complicated and confusing for example both Mattel and Hasbro have the rights to the board game Scrabble (Hasbro has rights in North America, Mattel has them everywhere else.) Two India based brothers and programmers created free to play version of Scrabble on Facebook called Scrabulous. At the height of its popularity, Scrabulous attracted a half million players a day. Mattel and Hasbro both sued the Argawalla brothers and forced them to remove the game  from Facebook.Hasbro then made a slow and clunky official version bemoaned by fans of Scrabulous.The official version now draws 90,000 players daily. Instead of working with the creators of the knock-off and bringing the game into the fold of officially licensed content, Mattel and Hasbro caused r esentment and hard feelings in customers on the world’s most popular social network. These actions of putting a substitute cheap version of the game, could have a negative impact on your customer base, especially in the public eye, on a network like facebook that has billions of users and potential customers.Economic EnvironmentThe manufacturing of products for the toy industy for any years has mainly relied on Chinese manufactering, due to the combination of cheap labor and undervalued currency has been a very attractive recipe for keeping production costs as low as possible. This arrangement might be very profitable to the toy industry, but does make them very susceptible to problems within in China itself.In recent times with the up and coming working classes of Chinese people are demanding more pay and benefits, some that we in the UK take for granted on a daily basis (health and safety, Severance pay, etc.) in the working environment. These demands can have explosive aff ects, with the toy company Hasbro feeling the full effects. In November, 2008,a worker riot broke out at a Hasbro factory in Dongguan, China (Foreman, 2008). 80 senior migrant workers, who felt they were being jilted by management on their severance pay, quickly organized a mob of 500 people that overturned a police car, stormed the factory offices, and damaged computers.Political EnvironmentThe politiacl envirment is more driven towrds trade restriction within China and Chinese currency develpoments, as most of toy trade is manufactoered within its counry. This has been mentioned by the US in recent times, with the Chinise undervalued currency being a target by plolicy makers within the  US. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought up the possibility of a new China currency bill that would give the â€Å"†¦ the [Obama] administration leverage in its bilateral andmultilateral negotiations with the Chinese government so that U.S. businesses and workers have a more level playing field in world trade.† No one really knows how much this would affect export prices from China, but it is an issue that should remain onthe radar.Technological EnviromentThe Technological Environment of the toy industry is very highly paced ,with toy fads coming and going within the toy market continiusly. Toy companies need to innovate and keep moving forward with demand and try to create the next big toy breakthrough.The toy customer in today’s market are mostly looking for intractability within the game, with many offering these platforms, such as Wii, Xbox, Playstation for example, using various platforms do so, even smaller toys such as Furbbie and tamagotchiis being very popular in their time, selling millions of units in their day or Fad as its known.This fast moving technological environment relies on getting product to the market first and is very prone to company espionages fast moving technological environment relies on gett ing product to the market first and is very prone to company espionage, which is wide spread throughout the toy industry.

Peace †from what source.? Essay

On 28 June 1914 a hand grenade was rolled beneath a car travelling in a motorcade in the city of Sarajevo in Yugoslavia. The grenade missed its intended target and exploded beneath the following car, injuring several people. The first car continued on its way and the occupants attended a welcome ceremony at the Sarajevo Town Hall. Just a short time later, the VIPs from the first car decided to visit the injured ones who had been taken to the local hospital. On the way there the car stalled, this provided an opportunity for another assassin to shoot and kill the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the Heir to the Austrian Empire and his wife Sophie. These assassinations began a short series of events that led to the start of the Great War – now more commonly called World War 1. This war was so named because it involved countries right around the world. Although centred on Europe, the effects of the War were felt around the world, in fact every inhabited continent had countries involved. The First World War is recognized as a turning point in History. It was the first war where major technological advances contributed to huge casualties. The use of tanks – planes – submarines – huge fighting ships and deadly gas all provided evidence that the modern weapons of War were now so destructive. The devastating effects of World War 1 brought great attention to the  question of global peace. For the first time in history it is recognized that wars between Nations can involve and affect inhabitants of the entire earth. This destructive threat to world peace was continued in the Second World War. Powerful weapons were developed that culminated in the ultimate weapon – the Nuclear bomb. The nuclear bomb has also spawned another close relative. The so-called â€Å"dirty bomb†. This is a deadly device that can spread radiation or a toxic bacteria over thousands of kilometers perhaps killing millions at once – a terrible weapon of war. But it’s not just nations at war that can use these weapons. Terrorists have now become a huge threat to worldwide peace – and the terrifying fact that just one bomb can kill millions of people has awakened an awareness that Global Peace is imperative for the continued future of mankind. The American Historian and Writer Arthur Schlesinger makes a point about the changing nature of the threat to world peace. He wrote at the turn of the last century; â€Å"One set of hatreds replaces another. Lifting the iron grip of ideological repression in Eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union releases pent-up ethnic, nationalist, religious, and linguistic antagonisms deeply rooted in history and in memory. . . . If the 20th century has been the century of the warfare of ideologies, the 21st century begins as the century of the warfare of ethnicities.† The respected magazine †The Atlantic Monthly† summarises its forecasts for the decades to come; â€Å"Nations break up under the tidal flow of refugees from environmental and  social disaster. . . . Wars are fought over scarce resources, especially water, and war itself becomes continuous with crime, as armed bands of stateless marauders clash with the private security forces of the elites.† Nations or terrorists don’t even need a deadly weapon or vial of bacteria to start an apocalyptic style confrontation anymore. All that’s required is one of these†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and malicious software designed to disrupt Yes – cyber-tage can start a global war. In fact special malware has already been used by Governments to disrupt vital electronics facilities of rival nations. Governments have even proudly acknowledged their use of this type of sabotage. We could discuss the weapons and means that threaten worldwide peace for a long time. We all know these threats are real and as they say, present. But what about our efforts to curb or even eliminate all threats to peace? What are the measures and steps that have been taken by Governments and Organisations? To eliminate conflicts and bring word peace? 5.00 2 GLOBAL PEACE NOT ATTAINABLE THROUGH HUMAN EFFORTS What has been noted by Historians and scholars has been the effect of WW1 on World Peace. Since the end of that war there has been numerous attempts by mankind to put in place systems to prevent conflicts and ensure we can live in a worldwide peace. Yet can anyone say we live in a peaceful world? Well no we do not. Is it because mankind has lacked effort in trying to make a lasting Peace? Perhaps we can examine efforts to create a worldwide peace but before we do so lets just see what the Bible has to say about man controlling his own  destiny. If we can turn to Jeremiah 10:23 Another scripture we can examine echoes this theme Ecclesiastes 8:9 So we can see that the Bible questions the ability of humans to control their own destiny. Well these words were written thousands of years ago – so what has History proven about our ability to bring about worldwide peaceful conditions for mankind. Modern History is littered with Treaties and Peace Agreements†¦ yet we still live in a World dominated by unrest, conflict and †¦.war. The Treaty of Versailles was the first treaty signed after the end of the First World War and it was a peace settlement between the main combatants in that war. The Treaty though had contentious and controversial points and the politicians of the day knew they urgently needed something else– anything – to bring stability to the world. The League of Nations was then created in1919. The Leagues’ task was simple – to ensure that war never broke out again. The League of Nations was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. Its primary goals, as stated in its Covenant, was to prevent wars through collective security and disarmament, and settle international disputes through negotiation and arbitration. The League was also tasked with improving labour conditions, ensuring just treatment of native inhabitants, preventing human and drug trafficking  slowing the arms trade, promoting global health, protecting prisoners of war, and the protection of minorities in Europe And after the turmoil caused by the Versailles Treaty, many looked to the League to bring stability to the world. However the League of Nations was unable to bring peace to the world. During its existence, there were wars between Russia and Poland, wars between the Baltic States, between Italy and Albania and then of course the League could not prevent the Second World War. Between the two Great Wars political alliances were made and broken, Peace agreements were made †¦. then broken, treaties weren’t worth the paper they were written on. So one could say the League failed to achieve it’s adjectives. No-one could dispute that The Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini said of the League of Nations†¦.. that †¦.†the League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out.† That is – it was toothless when it came to making big decisions, especially between nations on the verge of war. Following WW2 and the failure of the League of Nations there was again a call for an organisation that could assure world peace†¦. And so the new organisation the United Nations was born in October 1945. I’d just like to take a moment to read from The UN’s charter. The Purposes of the United Nations are: To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; To achieve  international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nati ons in the attainment of these common ends. What about the founders and leaders in the United Nations? What is their take on how successful the organisation has been for global peace? The UN recently celebrated a major anniversary of over 50 years of existence on the UN. One leading Member the president of Finland had this to say; â€Å"Do we live today in a better world than we did 40 years ago? Is there now less violence and warfare? Is there less human suffering in the world? Do the nations feel more secure and confident in their future?† An Online encyclopedia has this to say about the UN: Criticism of the United Nations has been ideologically diverse, although much of it is focused on the UN’s †¦.. inability to handle international conflicts, even on a small scale In 2004, former ambassador to the UN Dore Gold published a book called Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fueled Global Chaos. The book criticized what it called the organization’s moral relativism in the face of (and occasional support of) genocide and terrorism that occurred between the moral clarity of its founding period and the present day. While the UN during its founding period was limited to those nations that declared war on at least one of the Axis powers of World War II, and thus were capable of taking a stand against evil, the modern United Nations has, according to Gold, become diluted to the point where only 75 of the 184 member states during the time of the book’s publication â€Å"were free democracies, according to Freedom House.† He further claimed that this had the effect of tipping the scales of the UN so that the organization as a whole was more amenable to the requirements of dictatorships. The UN General Assembly decided to hold a moment of silence in honor of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il following his death in 2011. Western diplomats criticized the decision. â€Å"An  official at the Czech Republic’s UN mission said the Czechs did not request a similar moment of silence for Vaclav Havel, the playwright-turned-dissident who died† a day after Kim Even organisised crime has cause great concern in the corridors of Power of the the United Nations Evidence is now mounting that criminal groups are spreading their influence worldwide. For years organized crime, with its â€Å"crime families,† has had its links between Italy and the United States. But now UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has warned that â€Å"organized crime on a transnational scale . . . scoffs at frontiers and becomes a universal force.† He said: â€Å"In Europe, in Asia, in Africa and in America, the forces of darkness are at work and no society is spared.† He also said that â€Å"transnational crime . . . undermines the very foundations of the international democratic order. It poisons the business climate, corrupts political leaders and undermines human rights. It can’t be denied that that the UN has failed in It’s primary objective to attain world peace. It fact many true Christians feel as the prophet Jeremiah wrote thousands of years age†¦ Jeremiah 8:15 a hoping for peace, but no good [came];+ for a time of healing, but, look! terror!+ Jeremiah wrote about the failure of peace in Judah but his prophetic words for his people then still ring true today. Why would that be so ?†¦ a hoping for peace, but no good [came];+ for a time of healing, but, look! terror!+ We are intelligent beings†¦.we seem to have a natural inclination to – on the whole- help those less fortunate than ourselves so why and where have we failed over the thousands of years? Did you know the Bible has the answer for mankind’s failure to bring about world peace? Let’s turn to a very salient scripture that really is at the heart of our discussion today. We can find this scripture at 1 John 5:19 19 We know we originate with God,+ but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one.+ So what does that mean? It means that Satan is in control of this world and has been since 1914, this control that Satan has can be elaborated upon in another discussion but Bible prophecy has indicated that since the year 1914 – and not coincidently when WW1 broke out – Satan has overseen the degrading and peaceless world conditions we witness today. Surely you say though that not all can be fooled. There are plenty of intelligent men and women who trust in the power of man to bring about world peace? We looked at some politicians statements..what about some religious leaders? The Catholic Pope. Leader of millions of catholics around the world, how does he and his predecessors view the UN as a tool for peace. Well as far bac as 1965, after Pope Paul VI visited the United Nations, to read that he had said he had said: â€Å"The peoples of earth turn to the United Nations as the last hope of concord and peace† And more recently the current Catholic pope visited the UN and said Well recently the Pope put all his support behind a solution to peace initialled by the UN Recent quote from this year: The Vatican said the discussions referred to the November 29 UN vote upgrading the Palestinians to the same status as the Holy See: non-member state observer.†¨The Vatican had warmly welcomed the vote, and a Vatican statement said â€Å"it is hoped that this initiative will encourage the commitment of the international community to finding a fair and lasting  solution† to the conflict. The 193-nation General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution to upgrade the Palestinian Authority’s observer status at the United Nations from â€Å"entity† to â€Å"non-member state,† the same status as the Vatican. The Vatican welcomed the resolution, which amounted to an implicit recognition of a Palestinian state. So though decades of failures the major co-called Christian church in the world still puts its faith in a flawed man-made organisation. Even the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of millions of Tibetans, mainly respected around the world, – how does he think world wide peace will come about Well he too is a supporter of the UN but he also makes an interesting point; He recently said; global peace starts with personal peace. We can start eliminating conflict if we work to eliminate anger and hatred as well as other negative emotions within ourselves. By cultivating peace within ourselves, in our families, in the community, we contribute to world peace. ..and that is true isn’t it. Although his trust remains with the UN he recognizes that if we do not have peace within our family, – within our community – or within our town – then how can man achieve global peace? Again it’s time to turn to the Bible our one constant of wisdom that hasn’t changed over the centuries. In this case lets turn to a scripture many Jehovah’s Witnesses are familiar with; 2 Corinthians 4:4 4 among whom the god* of this system of things*+ has blinded the minds* of the unbelievers,+ that the illumination*+ of the glorious good news+ about the Christ,* who is the image+ of God, might not shine through.+ That is really a statement that holds true today just as much as it was written thousands of years go. Satan – Jehovah’s Adversary – a spiritual creature that is now in his role as the God of This System – has actively blinded the minds of imperfect humans. In fact his role was also predicted many years ago – even from the first century ce . Revelation 12:9 9 So down the great dragon+ was hurled, the original serpent,+ the one called Devil+ and Satan,+ who is misleading the entire inhabited earth;*+ he was hurled down to the earth,+ and his angels were hurled down with him. We don’t have time to discuss the reasons why Satan has been allowed by Jehovah to continue to mislead mankind – that’s for another discussion – but the fact is Jehovah’s wisdom and law allowed a time period for Satan to challenge God’s Sovereignty. If God then has allowed this why doesn’t he intervene so save His followers from man-made destruction? Well we can be assured that Jehovah has provided a contingency plan. And this is through His Kingdom rule.

The purpose of Building Standards Dissertation

The purpose of Building Standards - Dissertation Example In the UK, over one third of the carbon dioxide emissions come from buildings. The emission of carbon dioxide is very harmful to the environment and in order to protect the ozone layer we have to emphasise the importance of standards. Building Standards are fundamental to the health and safety of us all. In this regard the authorities are working hard to ensure that standards are achieved and continuously improved. Compliance and enforcement has become new issues as standards are being adapted to keep abreast with design, technology, materials and construction, as well as energy conservation issues. However, there has been increasing concerns with regards to the level of compliance, frequency, pace and increasing complexity of these changes. Construction standards have evolved overtime with frequent and more complex Building Regulations since the 1990’s. These changes relate to: Structure of buildings, Fire safety to both dwelling houses and other buildings, Site preparation a nd resistance to contaminants and moisture; Toxic substances; Resistance to the passage of sound; Ventilation; Hygiene; Drainage and waste disposal; Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems; Guidance and Supplementary Information on the UK Implementation of European Standards for Chimneys and Flues; Conservation of fuel and power to existing dwelling houses, other buildings, new dwelling houses and other new buildings; access to and use to buildings; Glazing – safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning.

Theorising Art, Media and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theorising Art, Media and Design - Essay Example It advocates their independence and their role in the society – a role which is more than that inside the household (Chodorow). This paper will discuss feminism in the context of visual culture and the means by which this particular movement was theorized and historicized in the past three centuries. Before delving into the discussion of the historiography of the femininity in the context of visual arts, it is appropriate to explain the projection of women in contemporary art by citing varying texts published by feminist writers. In particular, this research will use Amelia Jones’ book, The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader, as its primary basis for said study. Jones’ work focuses on the collates different accounts and writings concerning art, film, architecture, popular culture, new media, and other visual fields in the point of view of feminist thinkers and writers. The author describes feminism as, â€Å"... in most of its forms, proposes and demands a polit ical and/or ethical stance towards cultural experience...† (Jones 2). She also argues that the presence of visual culture, â€Å"... is a rubric and a model of critical thinking about the world of images saturating contemporary life.† (Jones 2). ... of critical models of reading visual imagery in visual culture and its related disciplines of art history, film theory, television studies, and the visually oriented arm of media, new media and culture studies.† (Jones 3). There is no need to explain what had been cited from the work of the author. She directly applies the leading role of such movement in contemporary forms of art and media. However well established feminism is as a major movement that advocates the emphasis of the female gender in a patriarchal society, the depiction of femininity and its degradation in some visual arts has had a lengthy discourse. According to Judith Butler in the book, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, â€Å"The notion of an original or primary gender identity is often parodied within the cultural practices of drag, cross-dressing and the sexual stylization of butch/femme identities. Within the feminist theory, such parodic identities have been understood to be either degrading to women...† (187). Butler makes clear that not all contemporary art can be beneficial to the cause of women empowerment. The example that she had presented gives light to the misuse of the feminist movement which had inevitably resulted to the lampooning of the feminine gender. Indeed when the ideological basis of feminism is used but the medium of expression is deformed, the outcome may cause harm to the ultimate goal of uplifting femininity as gender in the arts. If Jones depicts feminism as the major player in the context of contemporary visual arts and Butler argues that the proper expression of feminism in the mentioned media is a must, other feminist writers regard that feminism in visual arts can create liberal and complex image of the female subject. Judith Williamson

The value of marketing research to organizations Essay

The value of marketing research to organizations - Essay Example Marketing research is key to implementing the marketing concept of an organisation as it reflects the genuine market orientation of an organisation through extensive and regular studies of customer, competitors and environmental trends. Market research helps firms become more market oriented, as such, the firm is able to implement its market concept and shape its cultural orientation in a way that focuses its efforts to the needs of the market (Xu, 2005 P.234).   Market research informs the organisation on the current consumer needs enabling it to develop future products that will tap latent needs thus strengthening the organizations position over time. Using market research data, the organisation is able to execute value-based differentiation strategies that drive product development processes, communication programs and delivery processes. For example, McQuarrie asserts that when AT&T entered the credit card business in 1990, its most important competitive advantage was an in-dep th knowledge of its prospective customers. This enabled it to launch the highly successful Universal card ( McQuarrie, 2006, P.167).   Research has indicated that the most important factors in developing new product is understanding user preferences and incorporating them into the design of the new product. McQuarrie in his research on new products asserts that users are an alternative source of new ideas ( McQuarrie, 2006, P.167).   Pride and   Ferrell argue that market research provides organizations with an opportunity.

Diplomacy in the international system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Diplomacy in the international system - Essay Example ubmitted at the outset that within the current framework, the globalisation of world politics and the complex nature of international relations in the contemporary environment has meant that increasingly the dynamic of international relations is intrinsically dependent on where the balance of political power lies within the international framework (Siracusa, 2010). As a result, the role of diplomats in contemporary international relations is very wide and can often take a multifaceted role depending on the priority of state objectives (Siracusa, 2010). Indeed, Randin comments that: â€Å"one aspect of the existing literature on co-operation in the international relations context is that most of it stems from a view of international relations that often fails to take into account security challenges other than those posed by states to states† (2006, p13). Accordingly, on this basis it is argued as a central proposition in this paper that the role of diplomats is fundamental not only as a method of facilitating co-operation between states; they also serve as important tools in implementing state objectives. In turn, the extent of diplomatic influence will be intrinsically dependent on where the balance of power lies within the international framework as evidenced by the post September 11 system of international relations (Baylis & Smith, 2005). As such, in reviewing the contemporary relevance and role of diplomats, this paper will review international relations theory and highlight the gap between theory and reality due to the multifaceted and wider roles falling within the ambit of diplomacy duties within the contemporary socio-political framework of international relations (Baylis & Smith, 2005). With regard to the theoretical models, a central theory in international relations is realism, which developed in the aftermath of the Second World War as reflected by the United Nations Charter, which focuses on mutuality of obligations in preventing a repeat of the

Reading Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading Summary - Essay Example to identify changing customers’ requirements, identify adjacencies that may complement its existing products and in general, developed new products that anticipate customers’ needs. The networked solution generates pool of creative ideas that are tested for their relevance and undergo comprehensive R&D, marketing research, marketing and other functions before they are launched. It has given P&G significant competitive advantage in the market. ‘Tapping the World’s Innovation Hot Spots’ informs one about the different ways firms innovate in order to meet their strategic goals. The authors have broadly identified five major models of innovations that are used by firms: focused factory; brute force; Hollywood; large-scale ecosystem; and system integration. Focused factory model concentrates on few tasks or fields using talent pool to innovate. Brute force utilizes large number of ideas to develop highly useful and creative products. Firms forge alliances with universities and academia to tap new ideas. Hollywood model helps create special place like Silicon Valley where smart entrepreneurs gather and thrash out new ideas for innovation. Large-scale ecosystem is developed as response to emergencies or external environment like economic breakdown. Initiatives are often taken by national governments that give incentives to domestic agencies. System integration refers to services including R&D facilities and infrastructure that may be used by other firms to align their corporate strategies with models of innovation that best complement their competencies or requirements. The article is important as it expands on firm’s innovation

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market Essay

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market - Essay Example Every buyer in a financial market is an investor. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Risk management is a very important concept in both money and capital market. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: Systematic risks and Unsystematic risks. Systematic Risks Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. (Kidwell et al. 2007) It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Systematic risks are those risks which nobody can predict. As you cannot foresee it, you cannot reduce it or protect yourself against it. For example, the recent political turmoil in Egypt sent all the share markets in the world downward. All investors lost a lot of sum. This political crisis was unpredictable and no investor was able to protect his investment against this downf all. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Economists use the term ‘beta’ to show the relationship between a stock’s return and the general market movement. For example, if you assign beta 1 to general market (index) and 2 to a particular share, it means if the market goes up 20%, the share goes up 40% and if the market goes down 10%, the share goes down 20%. It means, this particular share is twice as volatile as the market index. Shares with betas greater than 1 are called aggressive shares as they carry more risk than the market. In addition, they affect the entire portfolio in a greater degree than the market...This paper describes financial market, outlines different types of risks in that market and methods for buyers to reduce the risk. Financial market is a mechanism that enables buyers and sellers to meet their financial requirements. Buyers are the investors who purchase short term or long term financial assets while sellers raise funds for their short term and long term requirements. The globalization made world markets more integrated and provided more opportunities in overseas investments. Based on the instruments dealt in the market, financial market divides into money market and capital market. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Money market deals with short term trading (buying and selling) of financial assets which have maturity period of one year or less. Capital market deals with securities (debt or equity) which companies and governments used to raise long term funds. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: systematic risks and unsystematic risks. Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Unsystematic risk is defined as â€Å"The unique or security specific risks that tend partially to offset one another in a portfolio Foreign exchange risk occurs due to changes in exchange rate

Illegal Immigration and US Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Illegal Immigration and US Policy - Essay Example Illegal immigration is one of these issues. Illegal immigration is a multifaceted problem for the United States, and therefore politicians are unwilling to develop a solution, at least not yet. It seems that our representatives in Washington are more concerned how their actions will affect their political base, and thus their ability to remain power rather than making honest evaluations of the impact 11 million illegal immigrants are having on the American economic engine. After all, if the politician isn't able to engender support and win voters by his or her policy decisions, why make a decision at all Why not pass the problem onto the next senator or congressman, and make them deal with the political hot button rather than risk taking a dive in the next popularity pole. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the current estimate on the number of illegal workers in America is over 12 million, with 400,000 arriving each year. 1 This number breaks down to 1100 illegal immigrants per day entering this country. For the Democratic Party, who typically builds large social support programs in order to influence voter support, this group represents an up and coming power base. For the Republicans who lean toward supporting business efforts in order to stoke the fires of our economic engine, this group represents huge amounts of inexpensive labor. However, for the people of our nation, these groups if immigrants represent the following problems rather than a potential voter block. For the labor unions, inexpensive labor represents a virtual coup which will undermine for their stranglehold on American labor force. For the American social services sector, these illegal immigrants represent a drain on the limited economic resources allocate to serve the poor and the needy of our country. For the educational system, the influx of non-English speaking students has created a significant strain on educational progress, and educational quality at a time during which the educational system is already lagging behind world standards. Affecting union and organized labor, education, medical and social services, and finally legal systems - this growing people group represents a threat to the very establishments which make our nation great, and set up apart from countries like Mexico, from which the majority of illegal are escaping. Illegal Immigration and Labor At the heart of the argument is the claim that illegal immigrants are only here to do work that Americans will no longer do. They work the fields, landscape, and take low wage jobs which Americans refuse to do. Vicente Fox, the Mexican president, has recently said that "Mexicans do jobs that even blacks won't do." 2 While this idea is distasteful to hear, the general concept is unfortunately accepted by many politicians. Therefore, according to those who support illegal immigration, they are a necessary part of the American economic landscape. To some level this claim is accurate. Our nation has always had a class of peoples which worked below the economic parity, and produced much for little pay. When our nation was settled, African slaves were imported in the South. Their work fueled the textile industry, and made it possible for America to move to the forefront in this industry. During the 1800's, and the nation's westward expansion, the Chinese immigrants,

Discuss the importance of nature in Hardys Essay Example for Free

Discuss the importance of nature in Hardys Essay Nature was extremely important in the Victorian era, after God and religion, Hardy shows the importance of nature throughout ‘Tess of the D’urbervilles’ by certain techniques of language and structure. Hardy uses nature to explain and portray aspects that happened within the Victorian society, and Tess’s life itself; there is always a underlying piece of information. ‘They followed the way till they reached the beginning of the ascent on the crest of which vehicle from Tantridge was to receive her’ this extract informs us, as readers on several things, not only about Tess but also about the society in the Victorian era. ‘They followed’ in this context Tess is shown to be moving on with her life, and as she is about to move social class, her family are seen as beneath her in this aspect behind her, within the eyes of society itself. The extract goes onto say ‘beginning of the ascent’ this could be interpreted two different ways, either as Tess was moving on with her life, she is experiencing the change from a girl to a woman, a she becomes more independent and leaves her parents behind. However, it could be viewed in society eyes, that Tess is climbing the ascent, from the lower class to the higher class as she goes to meet Alec. These two interpretations, portray both society and the development of Tess’s character, society could also support the change within Tess, as when a girl becomes to work, she is vied as a woman. Another word in this quote that shows a strong aspect of society and current government threats is the word ‘vehicle’ as this portrays the threat of England and the industrial revolution, as well as presenting the equipment available to the upper class, that isn’t available to the lower class; again nature shows the importance of most things. At the very end of the quote the words ‘receive her’ presents Tess’s move up the social hierarchy as easy, as the upper class was waiting on her arrival, perhaps hinting that Tess’s appealing appearance and character at first to a stronger, however this hypothesis contrasts to earlier in the book when Tess is described as ‘queer’. There is another quote that supports the importance of nature, ‘far away behind the first hills the cliff-like dwelling of Shaston broke the line of the ridge’ Here Hardy develops interestingly the split in society between the classes, he uses ‘cliff-like dwelling’ to describe the D’urberville’s highness in society, where as Tess is described to be ‘broke the line of the ridge’ portraying her breaking the line that society places firmly between the lower and upper class. ‘They were just beginning to descend†¦ Down, down, they sped, the wheels humming a top, the dog-cart rocking right and left, its axis acquiring a slightly oblique set’ Hardy informs us on several details throughout this short passage, ‘they sped’, portrays how fast Alec was moving within there relationship, showing nature been used to foreshadowing the future, and also maybe spiraling out of control. ‘the dog-cart rocking right and left’ this is presenting the sexual aspect to the novel and foreshadowing how there relationship will end, leading to the rape/seduction. This quote finally ends with ‘slightly oblique set’ this concludes nature showing the danger/caution towards Tantridge itself, and nature enhances this. In conclusion, Hardy successful uses nature to portray the underlying details of the novel, informing us on both the aspects of Tess’s character and mind set that has not yet appeared, as well as the society at the time, giving the reader a deeper view. However, all of the parts that nature shows, builds a conclusion that nature is very important in general, and especially within this novel as it explains a great deal of detail to the reader.

Comparing Nuclear Energy To Other Energies Sources Environmental Sciences Essay

Comparing Nuclear Energy To Other Energies Sources Environmental Sciences Essay This report contains information on five different types of energy sources. It is a literature study that compares two renewable (solar and wind) sources and two non-renewable (coal and natural gas) sources to nuclear energy. The comparison is based on factors such as usage, cost (both capital costs and running costs), safety and stability, storage of waste and the impact on the environment. The sources are individually compared to nuclear energy. In the comparisons only the factors relevant to the two energy sources being compared at any given time are considered factors are not repeated in the comparison. It also looks at whether the medias portrayal of the dangers of nuclear energy is accurate or whether it overestimates the dangers involved in producing nuclear power. The aim of the report was to determine the viability of nuclear energy as a source of power to support electricity needs of the population in the future. This is a literature study addressing the portrayal of nuclear energy by the media and its viability as an energy source in comparison to other methods of generating electricity. The report compares Nuclear energy to energy generated by coal, natural gases, wind and the sun (i.e. solar energy). The energy types are individually compared to Nuclear energy. Each section highlights specific problems and advantages associated with Nuclear energy as it relates to the energy to which it is being compared. Factors taken into consideration include the costs involved with the various types of energy, how much it is being used globally, impact on the environment, storage of waste, safety and stability. The report was written to meet the requirements laid down by JSQ216, a second year engineering subject at the University of Pretoria. The report was completed by allocating each of the four group members a specific energy to research and compare to nuclear energy. The research was then completed by using journal articles, books, internet sites and approaching two engineers about the problem. The information was processed, the reliability of the sources assessed and a short portion of the report was generated by each group member. All four parts were then put together for the final report. Figure 1: Break down of solar energy[2]The sun has been around since the beginning of time but only recently has it been used as a source of renewable energy. Approximately 120000 TW of solar energy is absorbed by the Earths surface which is equal to 10000 times the total global demand for energy. Only 0.1% of this energy would be required to satisfy the worlds present consumption of fuels.[1] There are three main ways to harness the suns energy. These include solar cells which convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar water heating where heat from the sun is used to heat water inside panels on roof tops. And lastly solar furnaces that make use of mirrors to concentrate the suns energy into a small space to produce high temperatures. As illustrated by figure 1. There are close to 440 nuclear power plants in the world today which supply 16% of the worlds energy demand, however only 1% is useable energy with the rest being nuclear waste. If 1% of the area where there is recoverable energy utilised solar energy devices all the worlds energy needs could be met with solar energy alone. If 10% of the area were to be utilised then in two years the electricity produced would be equal to all known reserves of fossil fuels.[1] Cost problems with solar energy are the high capital costs involved in the installation of solar panels which can be very expensive. The need to store energy because of solar availability due to factors such as time of day and weather conditions is also costly. Countries at higher altitudes with daily cloud cover will have an economic disadvantage due to long distance transfer of energy. Maintenance of panels also has to be considered. Nuclear energy is presently cheaper than solar power however the construction of the facilities and the disposal of radioactive waste is costly and can affect the environment.[3] Solar power is relatively safe to use as long as you do not look directly into the suns rays or come into contact with hot solar panels. In the case of nuclear power it is also safe to use as the nuclear reactors are equipped with redundant systems to make sure there is no nuclear meltdown. This makes it a very stable energy source. Nuclear energy starts to get more dangerous in the form of spent fuel rods and radioactive waste. Even though nuclear energy is reliable and stable as a whole, when something does go wrong it can become very serious and very dangerous. Solar energy does not have any form of waste as replaced panels and components can be reused or recycled. Nuclear energy has two types of waste products, the spent fuel rods which if not stored properly in pools of water to cool down could become very unstable. The other form is radioactive gasses and other waste products that if released into the atmosphere can pose various risks. Solar energy produces no waste or pollution. Waste from nuclear power must be sealed and stored underground for long periods of time. This waste must be kept safe from external factors and from human contact in order to prevent a threat. Such a threat is currently under way at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan where a pool of spent fuel rods caught fire this year. Solar power is a renewable power source therefore it is environmentally friendly. It is silent and requires no fuel therefore there is no pollution. It even decreases the amount of harmful green house gasses. Although there are many advantages to solar energy there is still the fact that a large amount of panels is required to produce the needed electricity. This becomes very costly. It is reliable and has no risks that are associated with nuclear energy. Nuclear energy on the other hand is not a renewable source and if not handled in the correct way could impact the environment in a negative way. Even though it does not contribute to global warming like other fossil fuels, the waste gasses it does produce could potentially cause radioactive sicknesses and cancer in humans and other life forms. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of solar and nuclear energy can be found in the tables below Table 1: Advantages of Solar and Nuclear Energy Solar Energy Nuclear Energy Renewable energy source Does not emit green house gasses Has no volatile waste Plenty of resources available Once panels are in place the energy is free Cheaper than solar power Table 2: Disadvantages of Solar and Nuclear Energy Solar Energy Nuclear Energy Does not work at night Radioactive waste Currently very expensive Long-term storage required for waste products Requires big fields in order to harvest a suitable amount of energy Some reactors produce plutonium which can be used to make nuclear weapons All around the world we require every energy source that we can get including nuclear. All energy sources have both pros and cons. Even though nuclear energy is portrayed as an unstable source of energy it is in fact one of the most reliable and stable types in the world today. The downside is in its waste that if treated incorrectly could land in the hands of terrorists. In the next 20 years there will be emerging economies throughout the globe that will require low cost, environmentally friendly alternative energy sources and Nuclear power is expected to satisfy this demand. Wind Energy Wind power is the generation of electricity through the use of wind to spin turbines, which in turn, convert the winds kinetic energy into electricity. [1] The process of using wind as a power source has been in use throughout history from around the 12th century where windmills were used to mill grain. [2] Wind power generation uses wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power and wind pumps for pumping water. [2] It is a renewable energy source that not many countries have attempted to develop. Wind Power Worldwide June 2010 [3] Country Capacity (MW) USA 36.3 China 33.8 Germany 26.4 Spain 19.5 India 12.1 Rest of the World 46.9 Total 175.00Table 3: Wind Power Worldwide June 2010 In June 2010, The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) published that 5 countries alone accounted for approximately 73% of the worlds total wind energy production namely USA, China, Germany, Spain and India. [3] Figure 2: World Electricity Production 2008 On the other hand, nuclear energy production seems to be far more popular in a lot of countries with some countries such as the USA and France having no less than 104 and 59 nuclear reactors in operation respectively [4] in early 2010. A study done in 2008 to find the percentage of each type of energy that is globally produced showed that wind forms part of only 2.8% whereas nuclear energy accounts for 13.4% of the worlds total power. The main disadvantage of wind power is the unreliability of the wind itself. In most areas the winds strength is too low to spin a turbine. However, if wind energy were to be used in unison with solar and/or geothermal energy it could be developed into a stable and reliable source of power. The wind turbines themselves are quite safe with only a few reported cases worldwide of damaged blades caused by bad weather, none of which has resulted in any known injuries. [5] Nuclear reactor plants make use of radioactive materials to generate electricity. The idea that these materials could become unstable and get out of control is one of the main concerns (along with radiation poisoning) for countries producing nuclear energy. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 lead to better, more efficient protocols being put into practice leaving most countries to believe that they are now better prepared to handle any destabilizing of the nuclear materials. [6] Nonetheless, wind energy remains theoretically a lot safer than nuclear plants even with all the safety precautions they take. The consequences are much higher for a nuclear disaster than for a wind turbine failure. Wind turbines do not emit any waste products as they do not burn any sort of fossil fuels or radioactive materials, so there is no concern over where to store or dispose of emissions safely- unlike nuclear energy. The radioactive materials (like Uranium and Plutonium) that are used up in nuclear power plants continue to produce dangerous radiation for thousands of years after they have been used up as a fuel for nuclear energy. The most effective way to store these depleted materials has not yet been found but for now they are being kept in underground storage pools where they will not be harmful to anybody. [7] The initial setups of both wind turbines and nuclear power plants are quite costly. But once built, wind turbines are cheaper to maintain than the power plants, but they are both relatively cheaper to maintain than their fossil fuel counterparts with the nuclear materials lasting a very long time and with wind being a free resource to be used. Environmental Impact: Both wind and nuclear energy as it is being produced, is friendly to the surrounding environment (except in the tragic case where radiation is leaked from the power plant). However, wind turbines do make more noise than the power plants which is disruptive to any locals staying near the turbines. [8] The amount of space that a wind turbine takes is less than that of an average nuclear power plant and the disruption to the environment during construction is worse for the power plants because they take so much longer to be built. [8] Coal Energy Coal, the most abundant and affordable of the fossil fuels (1), is a non-renewable energy source. It has been used as a source of energy for thousands of years and has numerous important uses such as in electricity generation, steel and cement manufacture, and industrial process heating. Coal often proves to be the only alternative when low-cost, cleaner energy sources are unable to meet the growing energy demand faced with today (1). Fossil fuels are formed from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals that have undergone changes due to heat and pressure over millions of years. The process is still taking place today but the rate of energy storage is small. The annual biomass production stored this way represents only around 0.001% of the current world energy use (2). Even though charcoal can be made artificially, it is not possible to produce it at the rate of consumption (3). Therefore, coal is regarded as a non-renewable energy source and is bound to get depleted. According to BPs (British Petroleum) Statistical Review of World Energy 2010, there is a estimated 826001 million tons of proven coal reserves worldwide, or 119 years reserves-to-production ratio(length of time that the remaining coal reserves would last if production were to continue at the previous years rate )(4). However, compared to other fossil fuels, coal reserves are the largest ones and are more evenly distributed worldwide. Nuclear energy is also a non-renewable source as it is reliant upon a finite source of fuel that can be exhausted. Although, the worlds known uranium resources increased by 15% in two years to 2007 owing to increased mineral exploration The uranium (and sometimes plutonium) used in nuclear power is a natural resource and is a common metal found in rocks all over the world. The World Nuclear Association suggested that there is approximately (13) 160 years of supply at todays rate of consumption. Coal is mainly used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat. The coal is usually pulverized and then combusted in a furnace with a boiler for the generation of electricity. The steam which results from the combustion is then used to spin turbines, which drives the generators thus creating electricity. When coal is heated at approximately 1000 degrees Celsius in an airless environment, Coke is produced. The Coke is then used is used to smelt iron ore for the production of steel. A by-product of this heating is Coal gas, which is a composition of methane and hydrogen, is produced. Coal gas was used for residential lighting and cooking in the 1940s; but it was very costly and so it was stopped. However, in recent times, these gasification processes are being developed to be more cost effective and so coal gas is often used as fuel for engines. Nuclear power plants create electricity through a process called fission in which subatomic particles called neutrons split uranium atoms, producing tremendous amounts of energy. The result of the fission of these large atoms is the creation of smaller atoms and radiation. The energy produced is then absorbed by water which heats it and so stream is produced. The steam is then used to spin turbines as in the case with coal power plants. According to the Key World Energy Statistics 2010 (5), 27% of the worldwide energy demand was fulfilled by coal in 2009.Coal was the second largest source of energy followed by Oil supplying 33.2%. China is a major producer with coal with coal always playing a dominant role in its primary energy consumption. China consumed a high 46,9% of the coal supplied and produced the most coal (45,6%) according to the BP Statistical World Energy Review 2010. World primary energy demand is expected to continue to grow steadily, as it has over the last two decades According to the International Energy Outlook 2010 (an assessment by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the outlook for international energy markets through 2035), world consumption of coal increases by 56% over the next two decades(6). Nuclear energy supplies the world 5.8% of the worlds consumption which is less than a quarter of what coal supplies. This is expected as there are only 442 operable nuclear power stations world-wide, the first one being created about 50 years ago which is relatively recent. The extraction of coal involves two types of mining: surface (strip) mining and underground mining. Surface mining involves the removal of coal deposits close to earths surface whereas underground mining is removing deposits found hundreds of meters below the earths surface. Underground mining accounts to approximately 60% of the worlds coal production (7) and requires the creation of shafts and tunnels that are dug in to the coal layers. There have been numerous tragic occurrences in the history of coal mining as it is a very risky business and devastating accidents occur in all countries that produce commercial quantities of this mineral. Most mining accidents occur as a result of cave-ins, methane explosions, mine wall failures, vehicle collisions or the flooding of the mine shafts. Also suffocation, gas poisoning, respiratory ailments (mainly Black Lung Disease) were common. Over 100,000 miners have dies over the past century in coal-mining accidents in the U.S (2nd largest producers of coal) only (8). However, most of these risks have been reduced in present-day mines owing to modern technology and health and safety acts setting stricter standards. Nevertheless, in lesser developed countries and some developing countries, continue to experience significant numbers of mining fatalities each year. The abundance of coal makes it easily accessible and the use of cheaper modes of transportation makes this resource an inexpensive form of energy when compared to energies such as solar, wind or hydro. It is also slightly cheaper than the costs involved in producing nuclear energy. When comparing the economics in producing energy from these two sources, it is important to consider several different types costs associated with both coal and nuclear energy. This includes costs associated with the fuel used in the production of energy which tend to be lower in a nuclear plant even though more intricate steps are involved in the production of the fuel assemblies used in the reactors. Transportation costs are, however, high for coal because a significantly large amount of coal is needed to generate the same energy as with the nuclear fuel. The capital costs are the costs associated with the initial construction of the plant and the modifications forms an important part when comparing the costs. For a nuclear plant, these costs are usually higher than for any other energy forms as the buildings used for containment or the safety-related equipment need to meet higher standards than those met by traditional coal plants. On the other hand, coal plants are required to include scrubbers to remove airborne pollutants as a result of the burning of the coal. Another consideration is the operation and maintenance costs involved. These are the costs involved in the day-to-day operation of the coal and nuclear plants. This includes labour costs, material costs, government fees and property taxes. It is found that the costs are very similar in both the plants. The costs associated with the by-product waste should also be taken into account. For a coal plants, this is the coal ash and for a nuclear plant, these costs include a charge levied by the government for ultimate storage of the high level waste. This charge is a flat fee based on energy use. The waste costs for nuclear energy is considerably higher than the costs for coal plants. Thus, the costs involved in producing coal and nuclear energy are roughly the same (9). The burning of coal is known to contribute to global warming, and is linked to environmental and health issues such as acid rain, smog and asthma owing to the particulate emissions that are emitted from power stations. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that air pollution kills more than 2 million people annually (10). Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2, a greenhouse gas which causes global warming and climate change in the air (11). Strip mining causes large areas of land to be temporarily disturbed and this causes soil erosion and impacts on local biodiversity as after the land has been scraped and quarried for coal, it is usually abandoned. The waste after coal has been combusted is often disposed of in landfills or surface impoundments, which are lined with compacted clay soil and a plastic sheet. As rain filters through the toxic ash pits over years, the toxic metals are leached out into the local environment. Coal sludge i s the liquid coal waste generated by washing coal and is known to contain toxins, and so leaks or spills can pollute underground and surface waters. (12) Natural Gas Energy The Natural Gas used in power production is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas made primarily of methane and other hydrocarbons (including ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes). It also contains carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen, in smaller quantities. Natural gas is a molecular compound with Van Der Waal attraction between its molecules[1]. It has a boiling point of -161oC and is stable at a wide variety of temperatures and pressures[1]. Natural gas is transported in its liquid form as it taken up 600 times less space as a liquid than it does as a gas and weighs 55% less than the same volume of water. It is a result of the decomposition of plants and animals and is found in pockets beneath the earth and ocean. Natural gas is an important source of power in the modern world. According to Makogen (2010:49) if we were to use 17 to 20% of the worlds natural gas resources, we would be able to provide the world with energy for 200 years. Although it currently only accounts for 20% of the worlds energy, the demand is expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years. It is a cleaner fuel source than any other fossil fuel[2] emitting nearly no sulphur dioxide and far less carbon dioxide and NHx than either oil or coal. Natural gases can also be used in conjunction with other power generation methods, such as biomass[3], to produce energy which will change the amount of pollutants emitted. Nuclear stations do not produce the same pollutants as fossil fuels do but waste management remains the primary concern in nuclear technology. The waste products of a nuclear station are isotopes with extremely long half-lives. The storage of these waste products means creating a safe storage space that needs to last longer than all the human civilisations combined. There are three different levels of nuclear waste, high level, medium level and low level. Low level waste is not very dangerous and disposing of it is not a problem. The danger comes in with high level radioactive waste. The waste is encased in concrete drums and buried up to a kilometre and a half into the ground[5]. However, high level radioactive waste cannot be stored near any other high level radioactive waste as it will interact with the other waste. It is also important to find stable ground in which to store the waste, as concrete can crack and break in the event of an earthquake or tremor. South Africa is one of the safer places to store nuclear waste as it has a geologically stable countryside. Some areas, like the northern Karoo, have experienced about 30 000 years of stability. In between the removal of the waste from use and the final storage of the waste it needs to be left to soak in water for a period of time, to get rid of some of the residual radiation. In this time the fuel rods need to be safely guarded as the waste products are used in the creation of dirty bombs and nuclear bombs. A dirty bomb is a normal bomb containing high level radioactive waste and is detonated above a city, allowing the radioactive particles to contaminate the water supply in addition to other damage. [5]Plutonium, one of the waste products of a nuclear power station, is a primary component in atom bombs and the rods often have to be processed to remove all plutonium before they can be disposed. The use to which the waste products can be used also means that measures need to be taken in ensuring that any country with a nuclear power station does not use the waste in a nuclear weapons program. It also leaves a country more vulnerable to nuclear attack as should a dirty or atom bomb land near a nuclear station the products of the two would react with each other, compounding damage. The waste from a nuclear station can be greatly reduced by the correct management of the station but it still remains a serious threat. Cold fusion could theoretically produce energy without radioactive waste but experiments with cold fusion have produced very little energy, not even enough to power a light bulb. Cold fusion is also regarded as a scam by many scientists and has the same notoriety as perpetual motion and free energy in many scientific circles[9]. The level of efficiency of natural gas as a power source is, however, very much dependent on the technology used to produce the power. In a comparison of different technologies[4] it was found that Natural Gas combined cycle technology was the most efficient of the Natural Gas technologies. The technologies were compared based on efficiency, capital costs, maintenance costs, the service life and electricity costs (calculated based on the cost of the fuel, the maintenance costs, capital cost and service life). The capital costs of the combined cycle technology were just over à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬500 with an expected maintenance cost of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.005 per kilo Watt hour and a service life of 20 years (i.e. the time the plant operates before equipment needs to be replaced.) A nuclear station has to replace its one third of its fuel rods annually[5] Comparatively, a nuclear stations capital costs are higher than any other fuel source[6] but they produce electricity at a very low cost which offsets the initial high cost. This can be seen in figure 2, below, which shows a comparison of the cost to generate energy for various technologies. The cost of power from a nuclear plant also tends to remain stable[7] even if the cost of uranium varies as up top 75% of the fuel cost in a nuclear plant is to cover the start-up cost. On the other hand, natural gas prices are very dependent on the supply and so prices tend to vary. Natural gas is also subject to carbon taxes in some countries because of its emissions, which reduces its cost efficiency. Figure 3: Cost of Energy Generation for Different Technologies Location also plays a very important role in determining whether or not natural gas or nuclear energy is the most efficient solution of a country. A country that is abundant in fossil fuels and does not pay carbon taxes would find that natural gas was a far more suitable technology. However, when it becomes necessary to import natural gases, the supply security of the plant becomes compromised and it Nuclear may be a more financially viable option. Both Nuclear and Natural Gas sources have the advantages of being able to supply on demand. Most renewable energy resources are offered on an as-available basis[8]. This means that you do not need to run a coal station alongside a nuclear station in case it does not produce enough energy to meet demand. Conclusion Media is incorrect in portrayal, too extreme but still not safe Waste disposal is dangerous, careful consideration as to storage facilities Safety, security Vulnerability to nuclear attack

Albert Camus The Outsider and Robert Brolts A Man for All Seasons :: essays research papers

What could a deeply religious, devout Christian nobleman and an existential, indifferent common man separated by roughly four hundred years have in common? Furthermore, what could Sir Thomas More, an eventual saintly martyr as portrayed in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons, and Albert Camus’ Meursault from The Outsider, an apparent murderer who does not believe in God, possibly have in common? For starters, both men have led similar lives in a search for the truth, and have very strong personal belief systems. It is for this that they are persecuted and “who, without any heroic pretensions, agree...to die for the truth'; (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). Both characters, More and Meursault refuse to compromise their beliefs and as a result society condemns them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite their obvious differences More and Meursault were similar men in many ways. Both men led routine lifestyles. More is a very devout Christian and as such is immersed in repetitious behaviour. Throughout the play More is often found praying, even during the arrival of the King at his home. More enters the scene just in the nick of time wearing a cassock, just as the King is nearly upon him, and knowingly risks disfavour with his liege because his prayer is that important to him. Norfolk is indignant at this behaviour, “What sort of fooling is this? Does the king visit you every day'; (A Man For All Seasons, Robert Bolt, Act One, p. 26). Also, according to his Steward “Sir Thomas rises at six ... and prays for an hour and a half';, “During Lent ... he lived entirely on bread and water'; and “He goes to confession twice a week'; (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, I, p. 23). It is in this way that More endeavours in a search for truth about l ife, he looks to God for the answers. Meursault is also immersed in routine, but his is a routine of a simple lifestyle. His week is made up of breakfast at Celeste’s and his nine to five day job and he “used to wait for Saturdays to embrace Marie’s body'; (The Outsider, Albert Camus, p. 75). Meursault also had found his truth, but as Camus states in his after word, “This truth is as yet a negative one, a truth born of living and feeling'; (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). It is this truth that results in Meursault’s very strong beliefs. Albert Camus' The Outsider and Robert Brolt's A Man for All Seasons :: essays research papers What could a deeply religious, devout Christian nobleman and an existential, indifferent common man separated by roughly four hundred years have in common? Furthermore, what could Sir Thomas More, an eventual saintly martyr as portrayed in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons, and Albert Camus’ Meursault from The Outsider, an apparent murderer who does not believe in God, possibly have in common? For starters, both men have led similar lives in a search for the truth, and have very strong personal belief systems. It is for this that they are persecuted and “who, without any heroic pretensions, agree...to die for the truth'; (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). Both characters, More and Meursault refuse to compromise their beliefs and as a result society condemns them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite their obvious differences More and Meursault were similar men in many ways. Both men led routine lifestyles. More is a very devout Christian and as such is immersed in repetitious behaviour. Throughout the play More is often found praying, even during the arrival of the King at his home. More enters the scene just in the nick of time wearing a cassock, just as the King is nearly upon him, and knowingly risks disfavour with his liege because his prayer is that important to him. Norfolk is indignant at this behaviour, “What sort of fooling is this? Does the king visit you every day'; (A Man For All Seasons, Robert Bolt, Act One, p. 26). Also, according to his Steward “Sir Thomas rises at six ... and prays for an hour and a half';, “During Lent ... he lived entirely on bread and water'; and “He goes to confession twice a week'; (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, I, p. 23). It is in this way that More endeavours in a search for truth about l ife, he looks to God for the answers. Meursault is also immersed in routine, but his is a routine of a simple lifestyle. His week is made up of breakfast at Celeste’s and his nine to five day job and he “used to wait for Saturdays to embrace Marie’s body'; (The Outsider, Albert Camus, p. 75). Meursault also had found his truth, but as Camus states in his after word, “This truth is as yet a negative one, a truth born of living and feeling'; (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). It is this truth that results in Meursault’s very strong beliefs.

Critique of A Biography of the Continent Africa by John Reader Essay

A Critique Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Biography of the Continent Africa, written by John Reader is an extensive chronological and topical study of Africa. Support reveals the earliest corroboration of the existence of human antecedents was discovered in east Africa at locations scattered north and south of the equator. The discovery shows fossilized bones, stone tools, and the most significant of all, a trail of footprints in the preserved mud pan surface. The trail shows they walked across the pan more than three million years ago toward what is now called the Serengeti plains. â€Å"These human ancestors made their living from and among the animals with whom they shared the landscape. They were neither diminutive, large nor numerous- who existed nowhere else on earth for over four millions years. The modern human species, Homo sapiens, with large brain and a talent for innovation, evolved from ancestral stock towards the end of that period.† (p.1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Africa, also know as the â€Å"dark continent† encompasses the second biggest landmass but it has only twenty-two percent of the earth’s land surface. (The United States could fit within the Sahara desert alone). About a 100,000 years ago family groups left the continent for the first time and progressively colonized the rest of the world hence â€Å" the cradle of civilization† term for Africa. The Reader states that it was estimated that â€Å"about 1 million people inhabited African when the emigrants left the continent 100,000 years ago†¦and by A.D. 200 numbers are said to have risen to 20 million- of whom more than half lived in North Africa and the Nile valley.† (p.5) Book Organization Overall composition The book contains eight parts, which have several chapters each that outline the history of Africa from the first knowledge of the continent to the â€Å"Dreams and Nightmares† (p.663) along with a large number of references, notes, appendixes, preface, and prologue. The book is a fine documented copulation of fact and information that any Reader from the novice of the general public to the serious history student would find as a great tool for their enlightenment and study. (Part 1) Starts with the known beginning history of the continent as well as the first recognized history of humankind. Africa is the Earth’s most ancient and perm... ...around the world. Representative countries The regions, of the continent have been uniformly represented by the text. There is however, missing information on a few of today’s countries in the book, this might be the result of the Copyright or the change in the status and control of these countries, as a consequence of internal struggling for power and Sovereignty. To date there are thirty- three different countries including the Canary Island within the continent. Conclusion Africa is continent with few rivals in size or in a history as ancient as the beginning of the World, it would be very difficult indeed to cover every detail and aspect. The text of the book is a marvelous and thought-stimulating piece of work. A cornucopia of information, rich in diversity, evolution, and triumphs for the environment of a continent and the legacies of her people. The renewed interest for conservation of land and animals within the interior of Africa shall leave for the world and future generations a magnificent place to live and visit. Like the Alaskan wilderness of North America it is truly â€Å"God’s country†.

Use of Mise en Scene in the Chen Kaiges Movie Yellow Earth :: Movie Film Essays

Use of Mise en Scene in the Chen Kaige's Movie Yellow Earth The movie Yellow Earth by Chen Kaige utilizes mise en scene to encompass the full power of the messages that are being sent throughout the movie. By allotting the abundant use of mise en scene instead of montages, the audience is better able to grasp the in depth of the struggles in the film. Using montages would take away from the surroundings, due to the quick shots adding various scenes together to create a meaningful message, which would be lost in the editing. Most audiences would never grasp the overwhelming landscape unless seen in a continuous mise en scene shot. When the soldier (Gu) helps Hanhan and the father plow the fields, the audience gains a sense for the surroundings. We are better able to understand how the surroundings may be a haven of sorts, yet at the same time act as the entrapment that these people have to cope with. The land is magnificent and imposing, giving a sense of space and freedom, yet at the same time completely trapping the people in a noman’ s land, with no way out. The land provides for its people, yet at the same time they are its mercy. (Rottentomatoes.com) One of the most powerful scenes in the movie, is when Qiaocui learns the plans for her wedding. The scene is introduced with the father talking to a woman, Qiaocui enters the house and the woman leaves. The shot encompasses both father and daughter as the father tells Qiaucui about her upcoming wedding. As he continues to talk the camera focuses on Qiaucui – even though her father is the speaker. This is an overwhelming moment for the girl, which we are able to see through the reaction in her eyes. The continuous shot of only Qiaucui allows the audience to understand the depth of her disappointment and suffering. This is a vital moment in her life, and thus allowing the focus to fully encompass her reaction gives her reaction that much more power.

Attendance Monitoring System for Sydney Hotel

Chapter 2 Methodology In order to come with good and quality software for the Sydney Hotel, the researchers had undergone into systematic and appropriate stages. Each stage that the researchers choose to venture is surely supplementary to the outcome of the study. Rapid Application Development Model On the other hand, the proponent made use of the RAD (Rapid Application Development) as their methodology. RAD (Rapid Application Development) is a development lifecycle designed to give much faster development and higher-quality results than those achieved with the traditional lifecycle.RAD is used by the researchers to develop a high quality system that can both meet the needs of the customers and the call of versatility of the model that can adopt with the changes of the real world requirements. The study will only cover up to the 3rd phase of the model excluding the Implementation or the Deployment Stage since this study is restricted for deployment. 2. 1 Requirements Planning/ Concep t Definition Phase In this phase, the proponents gathered information in the form of interview with the help of the Sydney Hotel manager Mr.Elmar Fabiala. Though he was busy to accommodate the request for an interview, he asked Mr. Erwin Genotiva, IT Head, to entertain the queries of the researchers. The interview that happened last January 12, 2013 and January 15, 2013 was conducted upon the availability of the interviewee. After gathering data, the researchers brainstormed and summarized the given information and had identified the requirements of the system to be built. The study will only focus on the attendance monitoring system of the hotel and not the system of the hotel as a whole.In order for the proponents to come up with the best output, the researchers also conducted an actual intervention/ observation on the hotel. This was to observe how the current attendance monitoring system of the hotel behaves. Through this activity the researchers were able to determine the input and output needs of the system. The main purpose of this research is to provide solution to the hotel’s state of dilemma with regards to their attendance monitoring system by developing a stand alone ttendance monitoring system. 2. 2 User Design/ Functional Design Phase The researchers will make use of the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD), Context Diagram, and Data Flow Diagram (DFD) to chart the input, processes, and output of the business function in a structured graphical form. These diagrams will help the researchers to conceptualize the necessities in making the proposed attendance monitoring system for the Sydney Hotel. 2. 3 Construction/ Development StageIn this stage the researchers will utilize the information being collected from the first two phases to model the actual attendance monitoring system. They have also worked with the users, to design the outputs that satisfy the needs of the hotel. During this stage the researchers prefer to use VB. Net as their progr amming language in order to create a good form and screen designs. The recommended system design was highly patterned upon the needs of the company itself. The researchers will make a GUI (Graphical User Interface) out of the given resources.

Challenges Facing the Nontraditional Female Student

There are many challenges that come with a college education for a nontraditional female student. These hurdles can have a negative effect on a college student or be the catalyst that drives them to succeed. A college degree can be an attainable goal for the nontraditional college student by accepting the challenges that come and staying true to the goal ahead. The three articles that I will refer to are; â€Å"Inspiration from Home: Understanding Family as Key to Adult Women’s Self-Investment†, by Annemarie Vaccaro and Cheryl Lovell, â€Å"Good Times to Hard Times: An Examination of Adult Learners’ Enrollment from 2004-2010. by Sara B. Kimmel, Kristena P. Gaylor, M. Ray Grubbs & J. Bryan Hayes, finally, â€Å"Nontraditional College Students: Assumptions, Perceptions and Directions for a Meaningful Academic Experience,† by Lakia Scott and Chance Lewis. These studies describe both the positive and negative challenges faced by the nontraditional student. Fi rst, the positive points are: â€Å"[i]n studies comparing traditional-age and adult learners, older students outperform young women,† and â€Å"adult women learners may experience a†¦ different and more positive transformation than their†¦younger†¦ counterparts† (162). Then other positive impacts are the gratification of going to college which increased skills, self- respect and personal freedom. Also, they write, â€Å"[i]n a sense, family was key to women’s inspiration to remain engaged in school. Earning a degree and†¦. family pride were strong motivators to invest in education. One way women were motivated by kin was the prospect of being the first person in their family to graduate from college†(168). These points are from the article, â€Å"Inspiration from Home† by Vacarro and Lovell. In the Scott and Lewis article, Nontraditional College†¦Ã¢â‚¬  found that â€Å"older learners are highly goal-oriented and expect feedback on assignments from their instructors, are likely to be active participants in their college courses† and â€Å"that older students will be more engaged†¦ persist longer, and even ask relevant questions when they are interested and motivated to learn about the subject† (2). Then there are negative challenges for the student as well. According to Hayes et al in their article â€Å"Good Times†¦,† some barriers to adult learners returning to college include personal and family commitments, financial limitations and a fear of returning to school (20). There have been numerous studies conducted with nontraditional age female students that state personal and work responsibilities are stressors that distract students. They purport that family and education are greedy institutions that are demanding of a woman’s time, attention and emotional strength. Also, it was found that many women do not have emotional support from family and receive not just negative reactions but downright hostility. There is a great chance that women will drop out of college because of the burdens that come with work, school and family (Vaccaro & Lovell 162). In the article â€Å"Nontraditional College.. † Scott & Lewis reference a study of college students over the age of 50 and they found â€Å"students age fifty and older†¦lack responsibility and motivation to study†¦compared to traditional students. † There has been an argument that the aging brain will not be able to absorb and learn college level courses (2). Then the finan cial issue, â€Å"[f]irst generation students are more likely to come from poor, working-class, and lower-middle–class backgrounds†¦although juggling family and work was extremely difficult, working-class women†¦realized there were no other options†¦ women in this study worked full-time jobs† (Vaccaro &Lovell 168). I concur that there are numerous positive and negative challenges confronting the female nontraditional student. The negative aspects are family demands interfering with the student’s time to study, the work obligation that conflicts with their schedule, or adult women students don’t have the motivation to do the necessary work assigned. Then there are financial ramifications of working a job while trying to attend college. On the other hand, the positive findings are that these learners are highly motivated, goal oriented people that want to achieve their college degree and become the first in their family to graduate from college. All these are very real issues that the adult student faces but if the student accepts these challenges and stays true to the goal ahead, a college degree is attainable.

Reasons For Choosing Corporate Human Resources

The grounds for taking Corporate HR – NCC are because NCC is the Norfolk local authorization where a broad scope of information and cognition is transmitted and managed every twenty-four hours. In add-on, Corporate HR is a squad that supports the bringing of Council services by pull offing, back uping and developing NCC ‘s employees. Therefore, it is convenient to happen out how people interact and learn from each other. Furthermore, the fact that Corporate HR – NCC are willing assistants facilitated the execution of survey in this administration. The visit to NCC was carried out on Thursday, 4 March 2010.Scope of Study ( what will you analyze, what will you cover and non cover )Since NCC is a big administration with different sections responsible for a assortment of services, it is impossible to detect and cover all activities of it. As a effect, this study simply concentrates on the cognition direction patterns within one unit of NCC – Corporate HR. The c ountries of cognition direction in NCC studied in this paper are knowledge types, acquisition degrees, cognition making and sharing, and cognition storing.Methodology of Study ( how you studied it and why )Methodologies used in this survey are detecting how Corporate HR Team communicate and learn from each other in their workplace, questioning an HR officer of Placements – Ms. Sarah Holloway and utilizing secondary informations from NCC web site and the available literature on cognition direction. After analyzing all collected primary and secondary informations, findings and recommendations are presented.Literature ReviewDefinition of KnowledgeKnowledge has become a concern of doctrine since the ancient Greek. However, there remains a deficiency of consensus about the nature of cognition. Harmonizing to traditional epistemic Western philosophers, cognition was described as ‘justified true belief ‘ whose indispensable property is truthfulness ( Alexander et al. , 1 991 ; Nonaka & A ; Takeuchi, 1995, p.21 ) . However, this position appears to be obscure and headlong since things people believe to be true may non be true cognition. Furthermore, it is difficult to warrant cognition claims because no 1 can gauge accurately how much grounds is sufficient to vouch the truth of a cognition claim ( Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) . Another school of idea defined cognition by separating it from information, and informations. ‘Data is a set of distinct, nonsubjective facts about events ‘ ( Davenport & A ; Prusak, 2000 ) . Information is meaningful informations that have been processed and organised to accomplish a peculiar intent ( Davis & A ; Botkin, 1994 ; Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) . Knowledge, likewise, is an collection of organizational information and expertness ( Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) ; accordingly, it can be stored, manipulated and applied ( Zack, 1999 ) . Again, this apprehension could non comprehensively explicate the significance of ‘knowledge ‘ as cognition and information do non chiefly differ in the content, construction or truth but in the location. As stated by Alavi & A ; Leidner ( 2001, p.109 ) , ‘knowledge is information possessed in the head of persons: it is personalized information ‘ . Furthermore, cognition is broader and deeper than inform ation ; it is besides created due to the impacts of external stimulations. As a consequence, towards a clearer working definition of cognition, this paper agrees that: Knowledge is a unstable mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a model for measuring and integrating new experiences and information. It originates and is applied in the heads of apprehenders. In administrations it frequently becomes embedded non merely in paperss or depositories but besides in organizational modus operandis, procedures, patterns, and norms. ( Davenport & A ; Prusak, 2000, p.5 )Knowledge Types and Oganisational Knowledge CreationDifferent attacks result in assorted categorization of cognition. Harmonizing to Garud ( 1997 ) , there are three types of cognition, consisting of know-what, know-how and know-why. Know-what refers to minimal apprehension of the facts such as cognition of targeted clients of a merchandise ( Neef et al. , 1998 ) . Such sort of cognition is generated by a procedure of ‘learning by utilizing ‘ , largely through interaction between manufacturers and users, Sellerss and clients. Know-how relates to accomplishments and accrued practical experience ; it is the consequence of ‘learning by making ‘ procedure and exists in persons, organizational modus operandis and fabrication patterns ( Garud, 1997 ) . Know-why, on the other manus, involves ‘scientific cognition of rules and Torahs of gesture in nature, in the human head, and in society ‘ ( Neef et al. , 1998, p.116 ) . It is deep cognition found in persons and acquired through ‘learning by analyzing ‘ . Polanyi ( 1967 ) and Nonaka & A ; Takeuchi ( 1995 ) , in contrast, argued that there are fundamentally two types of cognition: explicit and tacit. Explicit or codified cognition refers to knowledge that is easy to pass on, transportation and express in text signifier ( Ahmed et al. , 2002 ) . Tacit cognition, on the other manus, is embedded in human head through practical accomplishments and experiences, hence, is hard to be articulated. It is considered work-related know-how that is merely transferred among people through a long procedure of apprenticeship ( Polanyi, 1967 ) . Nonaka ( 1994, 1995 ) argued that cognition in an administration is created by persons through the interaction of tacit and expressed cognition in four transition procedures, get downing from socialization ( tacit/tacit ) , externalization ( tacit/explicit ) , combination ( explicit/explicit ) to internalization ( explicit/tacit ) . However, as argued by Gourlay ( 2006 ) , this position seemed to be flimsy since the categorization ignored the fact that cognition, in some instances, may non be wholly silent. In other words, whether there is such thing as silent cognition or merely cognition which is silent. Furthermore, the mechanism does non reflect how new ideals are created or how deepness of understanding develops. It is ill-defined why cognition transition has to get down with socialization instead than others ( Gourlay, 2006 ) and besides diffident whether silent cognition is wholly and accurately transmitted from a individual to another by merely observation, repeat and pattern s. Hence, it is said to be barely a representation of cognition creative activity.Degrees of LearningAs argued by Argyris & A ; Schon, there exist two degrees of acquisition in the administration: single-loop acquisition and double-loop acquisition. Single-loop acquisition is lower degree of larning which concentrates on problem-solving, chiefly detects and corrects mistake, and as a effect, consequences in incremental betterments. Double-loop acquisition is the higher degree one which emphasises on uninterrupted self-reflection and scrutiny of ways the administration defines and solves jobs ( Ahmed et al. , 2002 ) . Consequently, it frequently leads to transformative betterments which are critical to the success of the administration, particularly during times of rapid alteration.Knowledge CodificationKnowledge codification, as defined by Cowan & A ; Foray ( 1997 ) , is ‘the procedure of transition of cognition into messages which can so be processed as information ‘ . In the epoch of cognition economic system, as cognition residing in the human heads can greatly lend to the sustainability and development of administrations, the codification of cognition, viz. the transition of silent cognition to explicit cognition in a functional signifier, is truly indispensable.Knowledge ManagementKnowledge direction as presented by Huczynski & A ; Buchanan ( 2007 ) is the transition of single tacit cognition into expressed cognition in order to be shared among people in the administration. It is the procedure of identifying, pull outing and capturing the cognition assets of the house so that they can be to the full exploited and protected as a beginning of competitory advantage. In order to better the productiveness of cognition direction, it is necessary for the administration to use information engineering to increase the single and group ability of cognition creative activity and storage every bit good as to beef up the linkages among persons and between g roups ( Alavi & A ; Leidner, 2001 ) .Knowledge Management in Corporate HR – NCCA Typical Day at Corporate HR – NCCCorporate HR are responsible for all kinds of HR issues, embracing HR scheme and Policy, Learning and Development, Health & A ; Safety and the Employee Services Centre. Their purpose is to back up the bringing of Council services by pull offing, back uping and developing the people who work for NCC. A normal twenty-four hours at Corporate HR begins at around 8.00 am when people come to the office and look into all latest electronic mails they received. They answer the electronic mails and if there is any affair that they do non cognize, they email or ask their co-workers for information or their ain HR senior director for advice. Besides, they check assignments in their computing machines, answer the phones, talk to each other about work and how to cover with the undertakings. They besides complete their ain electronic flexitime sheet with the clip when they start working and go forthing. The employees here are encouraged to self pull off their working hours. However, they must non be absent from work during nucleus clip – between 10.00 am and 4.00 autopsy and must work for at least 37 hours a hebdomad. In add-on, HR staff have to go to the scheduled meetings with the whole Corporate HR squad or with people involved in their ain undertakings, or with the directors to info rm about the undertaking processs and advancement, other facets of work and show their feelings at work. During my visit, there was a meeting between HR officer, Corporate HR between Ms. Glenda Bennett – Corporate HR Manager, Ms. Jane Hanrahan – HR and Organisational Development Manager of Learning – Adult Social Services Department and Ms. Sarah Holloway, HR Officer of Placements about Apprenticeships at 10.00 am. After the meeting, Ms. Holloway came back and wrote carefully in her computing machine what she took note while other people continued working at their desk until 4.00 to 4.30 autopsy.Knowledge Types and cognition CreationAfter one-day detecting how employees work and interact with each other, I recognise that cognition transmitted in Corporate HR is the combination of both expressed and silent cognition. It is clearly illustrated when the HR staff and her senior director discussed how to reply a inquiry she received via electronic mail, when the staf f showed an learner how to utilize a photocopier and asked her to show utilizing the photocopier to her, and particularly through the meeting between Ms. Holloway and other two directors about Apprenticeships undertaking. In the meeting, the tacit cognition was externalised into expressed cognition when Ms. Hanrahan explained the content of the Apprenticeships undertaking to Ms. Bennett and Ms. Holloway. Then, the combination procedure occured when Ms. Hanrahan gave them a cusp incorporating some activities of Apprenticeships programme and when Ms. Holloway wrote down the information and apprehension about the undertaking in her notebook. After that, the explicit cognition once more was converted into silent cognition as Ms. Bennett and Ms. Holloway repeated some contents of the undertaking Ms. Hanrahan has merely said to guarantee they understood right and exhaustively. From the world of Corporate HR, it could be said that Nonaka ( 1994 ) was right when asseverating the duologue be tween tacit and expressed cognition is uninterrupted and dynamic. Nevertheless, in this instance, the cognition making procedure did non purely follow the theoretical account of Nonaka since cognition is produced from the externalization procedure non stiffly from the socialization. This, once more, has strengthened the aforesaid unfavorable judgment of Gourlay ( 2006 ) toward the theoretical account of Nonaka and Takeuchi. Besides silent and expressed, cognition in Corporate HR besides includes know-what, know-how and know-why. Know-what and know-why are generated largely through different preparation classs designed by Corporate HR. For illustration, Corporate HR have cooperated with member co-workers such as UEA and City Colleges in Norwich to supply HR practicians with necessary HR formal makings – CPP ( Certificate in Personnel Practice – degree 3 ) and CIPD ( Postgraduate Certificate in Personnel and Development – degree 7 ) . Additionally, they have developed Learning Hub, a website offering e-courses such as informations protection and client services, and organised seminars and conferences sing some peculiar subjects to assist any NCC staff to better cognition at work. Know-how, conversely, is acquired through ‘learning by making ‘ . Namely, when an employee of a section has grudge and it can non be sorted out by his ain HR section, it will be passed to Corporat e HR to work out. After settling the grudge, HR staff will enter it as ‘a instance jurisprudence ‘ for them to work out similar jobs if go oning.Knowledge SharingPeoples in Corporate HR use legion ways to interact with each other and with other sections, from face-to-face treatments and meetings, electronic mail, telephone, facsimile to formal authorship. However, the most widely used manner is to portion knowledge electronically via PeopleNet. PeopleNet is an intranet site designed, updated and monitored on a regular basis to supply clear, concise HR information and cognition to all NCC staff. This site holds all HR related information from processs, policies to signifiers and often asked inquiries so that employees can happen the replies for their inquiries as a first point of contact. Furthermore, Corporate HR besides tailored an electronical newssheet called HR Matters. It is produced monthly and emailed to HR community to inform them about impending statute law, ass orted undertaking updates and messages from the Head of Human Resource & A ; Organisational Development. With other organisations and public, the squad chiefly interacts by utilizing electronic mail, telephone, meetings and presentation, seting information on the Press or Website ( extranet ) for enrolling or set uping work experience.Information and Knowledge StoringAll information and codified cognition of HR are stored in three systems – electronic filing system, paper filing system including papers booklets, books and transcripts, etc. and Outlook Calendar incorporating information of meetings, seminars and conferences. Storing information and cognition is really indispensable for any HR staff to recover if necessary and do it go their cognition indispensable at work.Knowledge LearningBased on the interview with Ms. Holloway, I found that most of larning activities in Corporate HR is merely single-loop acquisition. It is because Corporate HR is merely a unit within NCC. M ost of work and undertakings they handle are given by Senior Management in NCC or come from the authorities. Cardinal authorities develops enterprises and as a portion of local authorization, Corporate HR has duty to develop the enterprises that are relevant to them such as Apprenticeships. During the execution procedure of undertakings, if HR staff gain some arising jobs, they will speak to their directors about that. The directors can propose a solution or organize a squad meeting to discourse. Other members, so, will lend their sentiments and recommendations to work out the jobs or develop and hone thoughts of the undertaking. Furthermore, the acquisition activities, different from the theory of Agyris, are still ongoing even when there are no errors and no alterations made to the undertakings. As Ms. Holloway said, the employees continue lending their thoughts and sharing them to other squad members in order to better the quality of the undertakings even when the undertakings ar e in advancement. This reveals a spread in the theoretical account of Argyris and recommends that larning is a dynamic procedure and should be defined in footings of procedure itself.Summary and ConclusionDrumheadThis paper is about how Corporate HR – NCC pull off their cognition. The chief literature reappraisal chiefly refers to knowledge types, cognition creative activity, degrees of acquisition, cognition codification, and knowledge direction. The objects of observation and interview mostly concentrate on the nature of cognition shared, how cognition is created, managed and transmitted and the information system that supports it, how HR staff interact and learn from each other, and how they store information and cognition. Weaknesses in the organizational cognition creative activity theory of Nonaka and Takeuchi every bit good as in larning theoretical account of Argyris and Schon are pointed out and proved by the operations of Corporate HR.DecisionDue to the clip bound o n observation and interview, all aspects of cognition direction in Corporate HR – NCC could non be wholly discovered and discussed within the range of this paper. Given the fact that the NCC is a big administration with different sections, farther survey could concentrates on happening out more inside informations of cognition making and sharing procedure ; NCC ‘s norms, values, and modus operandis which are affected by the cognition direction as Davenport & A ; Prusak ( 1998 ) suggested about administration cognition ; every bit good as the larning procedure of the Corporate HR in peculiar and the NCC in general.