Strengths and Weaknesses of Porters Five Forces Analysis Essay - 1

Strengths and Weaknesses of Porters Five Forces Analysis - Essay Example From this study, it is clear that the model was framed way back in the 1980s when the business trend was much more different than it is today. It provides a general overview of the external environment. Any new business can use it to analyze the market they are entering before starting their venture and customize their plan according to the results obtained from it. Though there are certain limitations, it covers more or less all the aspects a businessman should consider before starting a new venture. As the study outlines Porters five forces model is by far the most simple and easiest tool to understand the industry structure. Understanding the industry structure is vital to plan effective strategies to gain a competitive edge. Industry structure is nothing but a set of characteristics which is shaped by the economic and technological factors prevalent there. Understanding the causes which determine the success or profit of one particular brand will help others plan their strategy accordingly. Porters five forces analysis helps them do the same. For example, consider a person wants to start an online shopping website. There are already thousands of shopping websites on the internet. They have to give something new and attractive to the customers and manage the heavy competition from others. Porter’s five forces model acts as a checklist of the new businessman enlisting all the important entities to be checked. They prompt them to check the core competitors in the industry first like eBay. The website owner might decide to cater the needs of certain kind of people interested in high-class antique products, as there are so many websites selling apparels and related accessories. Second, Porters model prompt them to check the threat of new entrants and substitutes.

Commercialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Commercialization - Essay Example The accomplishment of various objectives and goals of the organization will be done through excellent commercialization techniques (Environment.fi, 2012). Commercialization includes technological services like linking of technological delivery and endorsements (Harzing & Noorderhaven, 2000; Cai, 2000). In order to commercialize new product development the technology used must match with the specifications and requirements (Santamaria & Ni, 2008). Commercialization of a new product allows the company to create differentiated products with and against the customer’s choices along with various values dimensions (Narotama, n.d.). To gain maximum value from the products and product developments services commercialization helps in gaining high return on investment from product development and also attain a market position relative to its competitors (Shirani, 2009). External Factors Responsible for Commercialization in the International Markets Cost: The cost of the raw materials an d labor is required for the manufacturing of a new product and whether these factors would turn out to be costly or cheap or huge determinants for the success of the new product development. Materials and technology: The availability of the raw materials and technology influence the product design. Customer Requirements: The customer tastes, preferences and requirements influence the product design. The changes in the product design are done accordingly to the customer wants and requirements. Culture: Culture plays an important role in the determination of the new product launch. The culture of a particular country plays an important role in determining the success of new product launch. Environment factors: While designing a new product, factors like whether the materials (Edgell, Ruf & Agarwal, n.d.) can be recycled or they are environment friendly or not are important determinants for new product development. Company Image and Identity: Perception of the brand image among the cus tomers plays an important role in the new product development process and the product design. Competitors: The impact of the brand image of the competitors needs to be considered while executing a new product development process. Government rules and regulations: The government rules and regulations play an important role in the development and commercialization of new product. Internal Factors Responsible for Commercialization Changing Market Dynamics: The standardization of the product design would be affected by changing market dynamics and would be established which would lead to an increase in the organizational outcome. Dominant Product Design: Dominant design would be defined as establishing a standard which would be inherent to the overall industry standards. Network Externalities: Network externalities would be existent only in those products where the perceived customer utility is available and the success of the product depends upon the taste of the existing customers and the easy availability of the complementary products (Morrello, 2013). Commercialization Models: A commercialization model is prerequisite for the companies

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay It is highly believed within the health care industry that Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) are a grave worry and concern for the public of the United Kingdom (Nunkoo and Pickles 2008). When it is considered that Clostridium Difficile, commonly referred to as C-diff, is a HCAI it is made apparent that the public are greatly aware of this problem due to the fact that a high percentage of people are aware of this infection (Bosanquet 2009). The Healthcare Commission (2005) have also noted their concerns over this problem both the actual problem clinical areas have at the moment and also the potential problems that C-diff actually poses within hospitals a concern that the Department of Health (2009) also holds. These problems are also acknowledged by numerous additional sources who suggest that infection control in itself is required to be heightened in awareness and practice (Jenkinson et al 2006) making it a significant factor within primary care, a statement which is reiterated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2006). Due to the significance of this issue the author has chosen to reflect on an incident that she encountered whilst on placement within an acute hospital ward regarding this matter. The author has chosen to reflect on this particular incident she encountered using Johns reflection model (1990) with the intention of accessing, making sense of and learning through a specific experience (Johns 1994). The situation chosen for reflection has been classified by the author as being a critical incident. This claim is due to the fact that the experience resulted in thought provocation. Smith and Jack (2005) agree with this when they claim that a critical incident is an experience that results in individuals thinking about what has happened or indeed what is happening, resulting in the provoking of thought within an individual, just as happened in the authors experience. Description Whilst on placement within an acute hospital I encountered a situation that provoked thoughts and feelings within me alongside a desire to further research the subject. I was on a morning shift and was asked by another staff member to help them with a lady patient in a side room that was being barrier nursed due to her being positive for c-diff. Before entering the room to assist the staff member I washed my hands and put on my apron and gloves and then continued to help the staff nurse with the patient. When the task had been completed I proceeded to take the cardboard liner out of the commode and checked with the staff nurse that I was to leave my protective clothing on whilst leaving the room to go to the sluice and dispose of the patients waste and the cardboard liner. The staff nurse told me that hospital policy stated that I would be right in doing exactly that and therefore I proceeded to do so before removing my protective clothing and washing my hands. REFLECTION For this reflective assignment the author has chosen to use Johns (1990) model of reflection due to the belief that she holds that this will ensure that she is to delve through her rationale for actions and the feelings provoked. With regards to this particular incident the author intends to reflect-on-action so that the experience of the situation can be turned into knowledge therefore providing the oppurtunity of being able to learn from what occurred. Jasper (2003) suggests that this is credible due to the fact that reflecting-on-action as opposed to in-action changes the experience of the individual into knowledge. What is c-diff? what does it do? How often does it occur? In 2007 The Health Protection Agency (2007a) reported that there were over fifty thousand noted cases of c diff that presented within individuals over the age of 65. What is it now What does office of national statistics say HPA claim reduction Who does and who doesnt All hospitals are legally bound to ensure that legislation is followed by all staff something that is stated by numerous differing government led organisations including the Health and Safety Executive (2003) who reiterate the statement made by the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) that states HOW MANY HOSPITAL TRUST DO THIS? STATISTICS The documents Winning Ways (DH 2003a) and the Matrons Charter (2004) outlined important areas in the control of infection and acted as a catalyst for local action. According to Shuttleworth (2007) local targets have been set to reduce C diff by twenty five per cent by introducing initiatives to improve knowledge, practical skills in infection prevention and control such as guidelines recently updated (Pratt et al 2007) and DHs and National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agencys Saving Lives: A Delivery Programme to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection (2005). The government (DH 2007b) provided tools and resources to embed robust infection prevention endorsed by the HCC (DH 2007c) by publishing Essential steps to safe, clean care that mirrors Saving Lives but is specific to primary care. These are based on standard principles of infection control such as isolating patients and implementing barrier precautions that must be applied routinely to prevent HCAI transmission (Gould 200 9). Defining the role of the nurse is a difficult task however the role the nurse has within infection control measures is that they are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are always followed. It is agreed by Health Protection Agency (2007) AND The Royal College of Nursing (2008) that one of these roles of the nurse is to ensure that individual patients that are confirmed to have c-diff are placed in a side room where they have access to their own toileting fascilities. WHY IS THIS. As stated this is the nurses role however this is not always possible to fulfill due to the fact that side rooms are not always available and the actual layout of wards within hospitals often limit the possibilities of individual toilet fascilities HOW DO I KNOW THIS/. WHEN THIS IS NOT POSS WHAT ARE THE RISKS? HOW FAR CAN SPORES TRAVEL? WHO SAYS WHAT ABOUT THIS SITUATION Johnson and Gelding (2004) claim that even after thoroughly cleaning patient areas C-diff spores can still be found a claim that suggests that after a patient is moved out of a sideroom if they had c-diff confirmed whilst they were being nursed in the room even after cleaning the contamination risk is still apparent. WHAT DOES HCC SAY ABOUT THIS? AND ANYONE ELSE? EXPAND THIS. How does cdiff spread? Hands, environment? Air? Hall and Horsley (2007) suggest that c-diff spores can be spread to patients from the environment however it is individuals who visit the hospital not following the requested hand hygiene that is blamed by Banfield and Kerr (2005). WHICH IS IT OR IS IT BOTH WHO SAYS SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THERE ARE NO SPORES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AT ALL BUT WHO HAND WASHING After washing hands they must be completely dried using a paper towel that is then disposed of (Johnson and Gerding 2004) however this is not agreed by Yamaoto et al (2005) who claim that drying washed hands using warm air may well be a more successful way of limiting bacteria that may be on the hands. WHAT DO NICE SAY AND RCN AND DOFH Arguably hand washing can be classified as being one of the important and utmost effective methods of reducing HCAI (Pittet et al 2000). The World Health Organization (2004) holds this to be at the forefront of its Global Patient Safety Challenge something that Gould et al (2007) supports. Hand washing is advised to be done at specific times within situations in a healthcare setting one of which is before and after contact with any patient (Department of Health 2008). The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2003) support this statement along with numerous additional governing bodies. The Department of Health (2008) continue that when hands are washed they should be done so with soap and water. The rationale behind this method was recommended in 2001 by the Infection Control Nurses Association due to the fact that soap and water supporting the correct technique helps the skin oil layer to be removed which is the one that retains c diff spores. In addition to this it is suggest ed that the hands are dried once again by a specific and rigorous technique which uses a paper towel that is deemed to be disposable (Johnson and Gerding 2004). This claim is not supported by everybody, Yamaoto et al (2005) believe that drying hands with a paper towel is less effective than leaving them to dry by air, suggesting that this technique would minimize the amount of becteria present on the hands. Alcohol gels are nowadays commonly used therefore rendering soap and water as replaced in many situations and environments. Using alcohol gel prior to and post patient contact is a recommendation that NICE (2003) supported with the exception of when hands can be seen to be soiled to the naked eye. NICE (2003) recommend using an alcohol-based hand-rub before and after patient contact, unless hands are visibly soiled of which case then implement liquid soap and water and an effective hand-washing technique. EPIC 2 (DH2007e) support this claim though believe alcohol is not effective against C diff microorganisms and suggests the nurse must consider the need to remove transient and/or resident hand flora. Non-compliance of this suggestion EPIC 2 (DH 2007e) believe presents a direct clinical threat to patients. Wilson (2006), Pellowe et al (2007) believes hand hygiene technique and the principles of infection control are too complex for staff to comply or perhaps too complicated for healthcare professionals to in-cooperate into everyday routine (Yamaoto 2005 et al). Jenkins (2004) recognizes staff hand hygiene is poor and is part of the nurses role (Supported by DH Chief Medical Officer 2002). IS IT LOW STAFFING LEVELS OR WRONGLY PLACED EQUIPMENT OR INDIVIDUAL NURSES ATTITUDES THAT AFFECTS HAND WASHING IT IS PART OF THE NURSES ROLE Jenkins (2004) suggests that hand hygiene of health care staff is not at a high level despite it being part of the nurses role within the hospitalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.WHO SAYS IT IS NURSE ROLE The following of stringent infection control policies and regulations often are not carried out which is something that can be due to numerous different factors. Different organisations and individuals put the blame for any lapses in infection control procedures down to different things including the belief that it is the mixture of skills and qualifications that are employed on a ward (Pellowe et al 2007). Additional factors believed to be responsible include the attitudes held by individual staff and the social norms of the actual ward environment (Pellowe et al 2007) however this is not the main influencing factor believed by all. Hugonnet et al (2007) suggest that they are in agreement with the idea of the ward environment playing an important part as they claim that the positioning of equipment for example sinks and cleaning products is something that can increase or decrease infection control guidelines being followed. This in itself is not something that is agreed by the HCC ( 2006) who state that the spread of infection within hospital settings is heightened due to shortage of staff on wards. However, the author believes that if shortage of staff was to blame then poor infection control would be evident on all wards that have this denominator which is not the case. DISPOSABLE GLOVES, APRON It seems that numerous organisations agree that to reduce the risk of cross contamination and infection itself protective clothing should be worn. The government themselves state that disposable aprons and gloves should be worn by all staff when caring for individuals whom are not only confirmed to be infected yet also when they are suspected to be (Department of Health 2007a). This is reiterated by the Royal College of Nursing (2008) who also suggest that this is important in reducing infection. There is some contradiction in beliefs regarding the use of plastic disposable aprons after hand washing with Hateley (2003) suggesting that this prevents any microorganism to clothing transmission, this is reiterated by numerous people including Wilson et al (2007) and HCC (2006). This is not agreed by Babb et al (1983) when they claimed that microorganisms are not completely prevented by the use of these specific aprons however a reduction was believed to occur. Gould (2009) take this one stage further in the suggestion that upon exposure to any excreta aprons should be worn before stringent disposal immediately after exposure, a statement that is supported by NICE (2003). Although there is agreeance between NICE (2003) and Gould (2009) there is no specific specification that denotes when gloves should be changed, be it before leaving the particular isolated environment or after. It is stated that wearing protective clothing of any sorts is not necessary upon the entry into an isolated environment (Gould 2009) however this same author claims that when in practice protective clothing should be worn at all times due to the chance of patients requesting assistance. This somewhat contradicts the first claim that protective clothing is not required when entering high risk areas yet is actually required in general practice upon the pretense that help could be asked for. It can be seen from this that the evidence and recommendations with regards to protective clothing are somewhat confusing at times. Derbyshire County Barrier Precautions Policy (2007) further add to this confusion when they stipulate that before leaving any infected area gloves should be removed suggesting that they should actually be worn in the first place. This policy then continues with a suggestion that any members of staff with any materials needing maceration should indeed change their gloves at just before the point of actually handling the door to the sluice, alongside this they claim that protective clothing should indeed be worn throughout the whole of the task until completion. If Gould (2009) is to be followed then no protective clothing would have been worn in the first place in the isolated area. This confusion only enhances with the addition of clinical waste disposal, something that by admittance by is found to be confusing to members of the healthcare team (Gould 2009). Following the recommendations of Gould (2009) any items for the macerator should be taken directly into the sluice whilst protective clothing is still being worn resulting in immediate disposal in the macerator. The protective gloves and apron is then said to be required to be discarded into correct refuse prior to washing hands. Gould (2009) continues to state that in an ideal world any patients that may be infected with c diff should have one of either their own individual en suite toileting facilities or their own individual commode. The later of these two statements has enhancement from the Department of Health (2008) who state specifically that this commode should not leave the patients room. So clearly from these authors and organisations it can be clearly seen that the evidence and suggestions are indeed confusing. The Royal College of Nursing (2008) claim that when wearing gloves a warm and moist environment is created which in turn leads to the possibility of microorganisms growing in vast numbers. Hateley (2003) reiterates this claim alongside Pratt et al (2007) who suggest that upon glove removal soap and water be used to wash hands as mentioned earlier in this text. When I was tasked with disposing of the infected waste I wanted to ensure that I did so using evidence based practice so as to minimize, if not completely eradicate, any risk of cross contamination whilst taking the waste from one area to another where the macerator was based. I was aware of the potential risk of contaminating the environment along the corridors of the ward and did not want to do this and put other patients and staff at risk therefore I needed to question my practice. The contents of the bed pan could have spilled on the floor or the paper towels which would have resulted in spores being released into the surrounding environment. I did consider using my elbow to open the door handle in the patients room and the one leading to the sluice yet came to the realization that this could have resulted in spillage onto either myself or the surrounding environment. O Callaghan (2005) stated that any challenge that nursing practice may receive could possibly add to any changes to policies and or practice regarding infection control procedures and barrier nursing. If Mohanna and Chambers (2001) is to be believed then risk management can be deemed to be an integral factor within clinical governance. Throughout this experience I did hold an awareness of the principles of barrier nursing. This led me to challenge this specific wards policies on the best practice for taking the bed pan from the patients room to the sluice. When I walked down the corridor with only paper towels covering the bed pan I was aware of the possibility that I may well have been spreading c diff spores. This could have had huge implications for all within the surrounding environment. Upon opening the door handles I was more than aware that my gloves had a high risk of being contaminated yet there was nothing I could do to eliminate this. My feelings at the time, are as they still are, ones of hypocrisy. I felt slightly shamed at the fact that I lacked the knowledge to stand and challenge the policy in a greater depth. INFLUENCING FACTORS. One of the first influencing factors of this situation was the recognition that the ward, its patients and staff were intitled to the very best of care. The NMC code of conduct (2008) state that all nursing staff have a duty of care. Within this very code it is stipulated that nursing staff hold a role that means they are expected to prevent patients from infection and protect them at all times. It also stipulates that nurses have a professional duty which includes providing evidence based practice and care that is up to date. The whole scenario was obviously one that would cause the patient to lose their dignity thereofr eI was more than aware of the need to dispose of the excreta immediately and safely. This dignity was what I was trying to protect when covering the bed pan with the paper towels, something that has been agreed as ethically right and correct practice by Timby (1996) alongside the Department of Health (2003b). Not only is this noted as being best practice within the circumstances yet also practice that would provide a reduction within the chance of spillage, therefore I was showing risk management skills. COULD I HAVE DEALT WITH THE SITUATION BETTER? In hindsight I feel that the confusion I encountered at the time of the incident could have been avoided had I had made myself aware of the wards policies on infection control and barrier nursing at the beginning of my placement. Other than this I think that I handled the situation well by questioning what I was being asked to do, however I wish I had held the knowledge that I have gained through this reflection prior to the experience. If I had then maybe I could have foreseen the situation arising and possibly found a solution to a potential problem instead of being confused by an actual problem. In addition to this one thing that I realize I did not do yet could well have done is to have used alcohol gel after washing my hands. This could have reduced the risk of cross contamination further (RCN 2008) which could have resulted in easing my concerns slightly. LEARNING. Numerous issues still remain with regards to infection control and infection prevention however this experience resulted in my awareness of the subject matter being raised. Prior to this experience I encountered I was unaware of factors that potentially predispose individuals to infection. Disease is not always caused by c diff when it is present in the bowel, it is only when bowel flora is changed from being deemed to be normal that disease occurs. This alteration of normal bowel flora can potentially be caused by specific antibiotics, a claim that has had wide spread support throughout the past twenty plus years (Lyerly et al 1988, McFarland et al 1989, Association of Medical Microbiologists 1998, DH 2007a ). Despite my actions being that of best practice within the specific trusts policy I appreciate that isolating any patient into an individual room of their own so as to decrease the risk of cross contamination. However it has to be considered that c diff spores are never truly eradicated completely from the environment. In compliance with evidence based practice guidelines (2009) I ensured that I washed my hands correctly prior to going into the patients room and also wore protective clothing. I placed two disposable paper towels over the bed pan liner due to my awareness that to get to the macerator I would have to walk down the corridor of the ward. I believe that covers for these cardboard liners should always be supplied and used. However upon searching for such a product I could not find any such thing. This is still not an idealistic solution as the risk of spillage would still remain therefore in an ideal world, as suggested earlier, all patients should have their own toileting facilities. So as to resolve the confusion of opening door handles with gloves that pose the risk of contamination it could be suggested that doors within ward environments be handle free. This would limit the contamination risk however the handle on the macerator would also need to be redesigned so as to enable that t oo to be touch free, from hands at least. This suggestion is something that the Department of Health (2008) could be argued to support due to the fact that they claimed to be researching touch free designs for specific equipment. Hand washing and protective clothing can be deemed to be a priority within the spread of c diff yet from the research and literature reviewed within this assignment it is clear that some confusion is apparent, probably steming from the noted contradictions. This experience of a critical incident enthused reflection as explored by the use of Carpers (1978) methods and ways of knowing, namely personal, ethical, aesthetic and empirical. The thorough acknowledgement of these patterns is claimed to expand not only the bredth of understanding yet also the expansion of personal thinking beyond specific approaches (Ashburner 1996). Upon placing paper towels over the bed pan the patients dignity and privacy was maintained, alongside professionalism being shown. Factors that are not only thoughtful yet also a part of the NMCs code (2008). Throughout the experience I was led by the theoretical knowledge that I had gained throughout the journey of my life. Moral decision making is said to be solely focused upon what should actually be done within a specific scenario or situation (Davis 1995). Prior to my reflection upon this practice I was not fully aware of the rational for my actions and the theory that underpinned it however I acted as I did through, as stated above, my knowledge and moral decision making. Using the reflection model of Johns (1990) guided me through an exploration of numerous and varied differing knowledge sources that led my individual actions. My whole level of understanding and awareness of infection control within healthcare settings has been raised which in turn will heighten my confidence within the subject matter for the future. This assignment has noted differing cultures within ward settings and policies that lead to contradictions and often confusion. Despite this numerous attributes that I personally hold have been credited and become aware to myself; including critical thinking and problem solving which has allowed me to explore a thought process that led to alternatives to current practice being explored. One of arguably the most important realizations I have gained from this reflection upon practice is that healthcare workers within any setting all play a part within infection control. It has been suggested that hand hygiene, namely hand washing, prior to dealing with any patient and again afterwards is at the heart of infection control (Storr et al 2005). Alongside this and the previously mentioned infection control procedures I believe that the policies and their appliance within day to day practice is indeed the key. Despite all my fore mentioned research into this subject I am left wondering and concerned that even if all staff members follow their specific policies, due to confusion within the literature a risk of cross contamination, resulting in the spread of c diff, will still be present.

A Global Perspective on Schooling :: Education Technology Essays

A Global Perspective on Schooling Universities and colleges across the country, as well as the world, have one goal. This goal is to educate citizens to the best of their ability. Although they all have the same objective, each of these schools has a different approach from all the others. One aspect of education that is constantly changing is technology. These changes can occur from school to school, or within a specific school. I have chosen to research and compare the different approaches of several universities from both the United States and throughout the world. This paper discusses the schools I have chosen to research, the variety of majors available at these schools, and how technology is presented in the schools. The United States is a very diverse country regarding both its people and its education styles. The State University of New York College at Fredonia, University of South Carolina, Utah State University and the University of California Davis are four very different schools within our country. The College of the Bahamas, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Qatar, and Kazan State University are also very diverse schools located throughout the world. Although these schools were chosen to sample techniques used with technology, this is an extremely small sampling of what is available to students all over the world. SUNY Fredonia, located in Fredonia, NY is a college that offers many degree options and is very culturally diverse. The website itself is somewhat plain, but as we all know from the Penn State website, many things lie hidden within. I believe that I would not have know about many of these things if I hadn’t been a student at Fredonia State at one point. This site has a search engine that allows the user to search for educators, students, degree programs, and student life to name a few. The University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC has an interesting website that draws the user in. This site, once again, has a search engine and allows the user to choose from several areas of interest. There is also a specific link to Technology Resources that leads to several other technology related issues. The University of California Davis, in Davis, CA, has a businesslike appearance to its website. Their main objective is to get across the importance of academics. On a secondary page I found a link to Information and Educational Technology. On this page the user will find information on computer rooms, computing accounts, security, technical support and training.

Leadership and Organizational Behavior Essay

A Proposal: †¢ precisely defines your research topic and the need for studying it—what is the organizational issue and OB topical area that requires attention and further study †¢ provides a research question to summarize the problem statement, however tentative it may be †¢ explains the sources critical to your proposed research, demonstrating that they are adequate for your project Proposal Organization: Your project proposal must include the following four labeled sections: Your Name (top of first page). Organization. Give the name of the organization and very briefly describe it. If you are focusing on one department in the organization – tell which one and describe it briefly. Be sure to include a description of your role in the organization. Set the context for the problem statement. Problem Statement. Identify and clearly state the problem—the leadership / management issue in which an element of the identified organization is not meeting expectations. The problem statement is usually phrased in terms of questions considerably more focused than the subject of the paper. End this section by stating the problem in the form of a question. For example, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem statement might be, â€Å"How can group performance be improved?† rather than simply â€Å"Poor group performance.† A well-formed problem statement has four main characteristics: 1. Unity – the problem statement articulates a single controlling idea. The idea may be complex and have several parts, but it should be one idea nevertheless. 2. Focus – the problem should be restricted and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the OB topical area and the direction of your study and research. 3. Structure – if the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper. 4. Interest – the problem statement should sharpen the reader’s interest in the OB topical area of interest. Research Plan. Provide an overview of what specific research/actions you will be taking on your problem statement. (surveys, journals, etc.). Do not be vague in this section. Note: Interviews are discouraged unless you secure management approval in advance. Scholarly Sources. You are required to use scholarly sources for your course project. Stay away from textbooks as your primary source. †¢ Within DeVry University Library Services (link can be found within The HUB), you have access to EBSCOhost, which offers full-text access to articles in all subject areas. Within EBSCOhost, you can do an advanced search where you have the choice to search for only â€Å"scholarly (peer reviewed) journals†. †¢ You might also consider using the Google Scholar search engine. Proposal Deadline: The proposal is due at the end of Week 2. Format of Your Proposal †¢ Header should include the title â€Å"Your Name Project Proposal† and the date †¢ Typically this is a one page document—if your need two pages, you are exceeding what is required for the proposal. †¢ Spell check / grammar check / proofread! †¢ Save your document in the following naming convention: â€Å"your last name first initial† Project Proposal.docx and leave it in the Week 2 Project Proposal Dropbox

Unit 3 Assignment

Unit 3 Homework – Template Problem 1: Suppose that the supply schedule of Belgium Cocoa beans is as follows: Price of cocoa beans(per pound)| Quantity of cocoa beans supplied(pounds)| $40| 700| $35| 600| $30| 500| $25| 400| $20| 300| Suppose that Belgium cocoa beans can be sold only in Europe. The European demand schedule for Belgium cocoa beans is as follows: Price of Belgium cocoa beans(per pound)| Quantity of Belgium cocoa beans demanded(pounds)| $40| 100| $35| 300| $30| 500| $25| 700| $20| 900| a.Draw the demand curve and the supply curve for Belgium cocoa beans. What are the equilibrium price and quantity of cocoa beans from Belgium? . . . . . | $40 $35 $30 $25 $20 700 600 500 400 300 The equilibrium price and quantity of cocoa beans from Belgium is $30. 00 / 500 pounds Now suppose that Belgium cocoa beans can be sold in the U. S. The U. S. demand schedule for Belgium cocoa beans is as follows:Price of Belgium cocoa beans(per pound)| Quantity of Belgium cocoa beans deman ded(pounds)| $40| 200| $35| 400| $30| 600| $25| 800| $20| 1000| b. What is the demand schedule for Belgium cocoa beans now that U. S. consumers can also buy them? Price of Belgium cocoa beans| Quantity of Belgium cocoa beans demanded| Quantity of Belgium cocoa beans demanded| Total Demanded| (per pound)| (pounds)| (pounds)| (pounds)| $40 | 200| 100|   | $35 | 400| 300|   | $30 | 600| 500|   | $25 | 800| 700|   | $20 | 1000| 900|   |Draw a supply and demand diagram that illustrates the new equilibrium price and quantity of cocoa beans from Belgium. What will happen to the price at which Belgium plantation owners can sell cocoa beans? What will happen to the price paid by European consumers? What will happen to the quantity consumed by European consumers? Problem 2 On Tuesday nights, a local restaurant has a kid’s meal special. Nina’s son, Braden likes the restaurant’s chicken nuggets, but Braden seems to be growing bigger every day and the kid’s meal is usually not enough.The restaurant does allow for additional purchase of chicken nugget servings. Nina’s willingness to pay for each serving is shown in the table below. Number of Chicken Nugget servings(servings)| Willingness to pay for chicken nuggets(per serving)| 1| $5| 2| $4| 3| $3| 4| $2| 5| $1| 6| $0| a. If the price of an additional serving of chicken nuggets is $3, how many servings will Nina buy for Braden? How much consumer surplus does he receive? b. The following week, Nina and Braden are back at the restaurant again, but now the price of a serving of chicken nuggets is $4.By how much does his consumer surplus decrease compared to the previous week? c. One week later, they return to the restaurant again. Nina discovers that the restaurant is offering an â€Å"all-you-can-eat† special for $12. How many chicken nugget servings will Braden eat, and how much consumer surplus does he receive now? d. Suppose you own the restaurant and Braden is a â€Å"t ypical† customer. What is the highest price you can charge for the â€Å"all-you-can-eat† special and still attract customers?

Battle of Chattanooga in American Civil War

Battle of Chattanooga in American Civil War The Battle of Chattanooga was fought November 23-25, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and saw Union forces relieve the city and drive away the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Following its defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga (Sept. 18-20, 1863), the Union Army of the Cumberland, led by Major General William S. Rosecrans, retreated back to its base at Chattanooga. Reaching the safety of the town, they quickly erected defenses before General Braxton Braggs pursuing Army of Tennessee arrived. Moving towards Chattanooga, Bragg assessed his options for dealing with the beaten enemy. Unwilling to incur the heavy losses associated with assaulting a well-fortified enemy, he considered moving across the Tennessee River. This move would force Rosecrans to abandon the city or risk being cut off from his lines of retreat north. Though ideal, Bragg was forced to dismiss this option as his army was short on ammunition and lacked sufficient pontoons to mount a major river crossing. As a result of these issues, and upon learning that Rosecrans troops were short on rations, he instead elected to lay siege to the city and moved his men into commanding positions atop Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.   Opening the Cracker Line Across the lines, a psychologically shattered Rosecrans struggled with the day-to-day issues of his command and showed no willingness to take decisive action. With the situation deteriorating, President Abraham Lincoln created the Military Division of the Mississippi and placed Major General Ulysses S. Grant in command of all Union armies in the West. Moving quickly, Grant relieved Rosecrans, replacing him with Major General George H. Thomas. While en route to Chattanooga, Grant received word that Rosecrans was preparing to abandon the city. Sending word ahead that it was to be held at call costs, he received a reply from Thomas stating, We will hold the town till we starve. Arriving, Grant endorsed a plan by the Army of the Cumberlands chief engineer, Major General William F. Baldy Smith, to open a supply line to Chattanooga. After launching a successful amphibious landing at Browns Landing on October 27, west of the city, Smith was able open a supply route known as the Cracker Line. This ran from Kelleys Ferry to Wauhatchie Station, then turned north up the Lookout Valley to Browns Ferry. Supplies could then be moved across Moccasin Point to Chattanooga. Wauhatchie On the night of October 28/29, Bragg ordered Lieutenant General James Longstreet to sever the Cracker Line. Attacking at Wauhatchie, the Confederate general engaged Brigadier General John W. Gearys division. In one of the few Civil War battles fought entirely at night, Longstreets men were repulsed. With a way into Chattanooga open, Grant began reinforcing the Union position by sending Major General Joseph Hooker with the XI and XII Corps and then an additional four divisions under Major General William T. Sherman. While Union forces were growing, Bragg reduced his army by sending Longstreets corps to Knoxville to attack a Union force under Major General Ambrose Burnside. Armies Commanders: Union Major General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George H. Thomas56,359 effectives Confederacy General Braxton BraggLieutenant General William Hardee44,010 men The Battle Above the Clouds Having consolidated his position, Grant began offensive operations on November 23, by ordering Thomas to advance from the city and take a string of hills near the foot of Missionary Ridge. The next day, Hooker was ordered to take Lookout Mountain. Crossing the Tennessee River, Hookers men found that the Confederates had failed to defend a defile between the river and mountain. Attacking through this opening, Hookers men succeeded in pushing the Confederates off the mountain. As the fighting ended around 3:00 PM, a fog descended on the mountain, earning the battle the name The Battle Above the Clouds (Map). To the north of the city, Grant ordered Sherman to attack the north end of Missionary Ridge. Moving across the river, Sherman took what he believed was the north end of the ridge, but was actually Billy Goat Hill. His advance was stopped by Confederates under Major General Patrick Cleburne at Tunnel Hill. Believing a frontal assault on Missionary Ridge to be suicidal, Grant planned to envelop Braggs line with Hooker attacking the south and Sherman from the north. To defend his position, Bragg had ordered three lines of rifle pits dug on the face of Missionary Ridge, with artillery on the crest. Missionary Ridge Moving out the next day, both attacks met with little success as Shermans men were unable to break Cleburnes line and Hooker was delayed by burned bridges over Chattanooga Creek. As reports of slow progress arrived, Grant began to believe that Bragg was weakening his center to reinforce his flanks. To test this, he ordered Thomas to have his men advance and take the first line of Confederate rifle pits on Missionary Ridge. Attacking, the Army of the Cumberland, which for weeks had endured taunts about the defeat at Chickamauga, succeeded in driving the Confederates from their position. Halting as ordered, the Army of the Cumberland soon found itself taking heavy fire from the other two lines of rifle pits above. Without orders, the men began advancing up the hill to continue the battle. Though initially furious at what he perceived to be a disregard for his orders, Grant moved to have the attack supported. On the ridge, Thomas men advanced steadily, aided by the fact that Braggs engineers had mistakenly placed the artillery on the actual crest of the ridge, rather than the military crest. This error prevented the guns from being brought to bear on the attackers. In one of the wars most dramatic events, the Union soldiers surged up the hill, broke Braggs center, and put the Army of Tennessee to rout. Aftermath The victory at Chattanooga cost Grant 753 killed, 4,722 wounded, and 349 missing. Braggs casualties were listed as 361 killed, 2,160 wounded, and 4,146 captured and missing. The Battle of Chattanooga opened the door for the invasion of the Deep South and the capture of Atlanta in 1864. In addition, the battle decimated the Army of Tennessee and forced Confederate President Jefferson Davis to relieve Bragg and replace him General Joseph E. Johnston. Following the battle, Braggs men retreated south to Dalton, GA. Hooker was dispatched to pursue the broken army, but was defeated by Cleburne at the Battle of Ringgold Gap on November 27, 1863. The Battle of Chattanooga was the last time Grant fought in the West as he moved East to deal with Confederate General Robert E. Lee the following spring. The Battle of Chattanooga is sometimes known as the Third Battle of Chattanooga in reference to the engagements fought in the area June 1862 and August 1863.

Daycare Necessary Education essays

Daycare Necessary Education essays Daycare has become a controversy because of the great quantity of advantages and disadvantages that it involves. While a very large number of parents have to rely on child care centers because of career ambitions or financial needs that only their jobs can fulfill, most child psychiatrists believe that the ideal growing environment for an infant is at home with the family. The problem is that choosing the right caregiver, a good substitute for the parents, is very hard, and the consequences of a wrong decision can be very detrimental to the childs personality development. This choice depends on many factors like culture, education and especially income. In fact, the financial availability plays the most important role in the possibility to choose the child care with the highest quality, which means, the lowest danger of a negative impact on the infant. In March 1970, twenty-six percent of mothers with children under two years of age were in the labor force. By the same month in 1984, that figure was 46.8 percent (U.S. Department of Labor, 1984). In the present day, that number is even higher and the children under five years of age who need daycare assistance reached ten million (Bureau of Census, 1995). This strong increase of demand for external caregivers brought to the creation of many specialized centers and the growth of the sector of non-professional assistance like part-time babysitters. Unfortunately, the most part of these offerings are incompetent and low quality. As the average age in which children are placed in extra-parental hands is decreasing, the risk of later behavioral consequences increases, so the choice of the right solution becomes always more critical. At this time, over half of the children under one year need this kind of assistance and approximately sixteen percent of them belong to families very close to the poverty line (NAP chap.1). The problem is accentuated by the widening of the gap between ric...

Bookstores

Bookstores You all know that most of my editorials come from the little seeds planted When you email me, my heart breaks, or my anger seethes, and my brain kicks into gear. This time an author wrote me about the sucky booksigning she had at an indie bookstore. Finally I had an excuse to write this op-ed. Bookstores are not sacrosanct, people. While some of them shine, some of them can stink. This author had an atrocious signing, with the store owner obviously not a fan of her story, her title, her hair color, who the heck knows? They stuck her in the back of the store near this tiny rack of her genre (which screamed that the owner didnt love the genre, BTW), and left her to rot for hours on a Saturday when shopping shouldve been hot. The author was mad; she was hurt. And this author has an award-winning book Because someone throws up a bookstore does not make them a god, a celebrity, or an all- knowing bibliophile. A bookstore is a business first and foremost, and some of these owners dont appreciate authors. Well, unless those authors are Stephen King, Pat Conroy, Karen White, fill-in-the-blank. Those are okay. Those are worth groveling over. The rest, well, they are hatchlings, and most of them wont live long. My point is that you need to be selective of your bookstore signing just as you are about anything else in your writing career. You dont jump at the first agent that speaks your name. You dont self-publish with the first vanity press that shoots you spam. You dont hire the first editor who quotes you a cheap rate. You dont listen to all criticism from your writing group. In other words, be true to yourself. If the fit doesnt feel right, trust your instincts and walk away. You have to be able to look at yourself in the morning. Some bookstores are fabulous. I have some in my circle Id die for. Theyve been so kind to me, and so supportive. A couple of them, however, I wont name. They shunned me because I wasnt big enough. They have their business . . . but so do I. Do not feel you have to sign . . . theres the Internet. Do not feel any bookstore is king . . . there are good and bad ones. Do not let them stick you in the back of the store . . . speak up. Too many writers think they are at the mercy of whoever will carry, sell, mention their book. No. You deserve some pride. And you have a right to be selective so you can feel proud.

Reflections on Connection of Chemistry to Franciscan Values Research Paper

Reflections on Connection of Chemistry to Franciscan Values - Research Paper Example In school, the value of transformation transcends what is merely physical for the necessitated change comes with spiritual maturity and accountability for others since our transforming thought and act affects not only our state of well-being but as well as our circle of influence within the society. It is, however, saddening to learn that in the modern world of the present, transformation rather bears with it a more physical meaning or something identified as chiefly material in nature. There widely exists, for instance, an extensive research on chemical substances and methods by which to reverse spontaneous reactions and defy aging thereafter yet the main underlying objective has been to improve the quality of commerce and trade for further acquisition of profits by prominent industries. Through recent discoveries in chemistry, majority of us have managed to obtain knowledge and experience of the latest in anti-aging technology and beauty phenomenon. As such, the market of chemical and pharmaceutical goods largely consist of items like BB creams, firming and lifting gels, reconstructing serums, whitening soaps and pills, and other skincare products or services coupled with attractive laser technologies that most people particularly the female population buy into. In the article â€Å"One Chemist’s Accidental Anti-Aging Discovery† by Nina Elias, the author expresses â€Å"What if there was a single naturally occurring ingredient that could fuel a plane, replace saturated fats in baked goods, and repair wrinkles?† Herein, she makes reference to the environment-friendly algae that addresses both health and beauty concerns and somehow, her illustration of the value of transformation coincides with the Franciscan’s insight into transformation with responsibility as the biotech company Solazyme, according to Elias, has come up with innovative solutions which ensure no hazardous impact toward the ecological surroundings. On the other hand, the cosmetic inventions presented via the brand Etude House exemplify a kind of transformation focused on the sole enhancement of external looks and which makes no sensible agreement to the Franciscan attribute of change which ought to include internal foundations of beauty. Moreover, the findings demonstrated in the article â€Å"Can This Drink Save Your Skin?† by Kiera Aaron, nevertheless, may be claimed credible compared to the aforementioned sources in being further responsible to convey the truth despite the product benefits. While Aaron’s composition recognizes the advantage of transformation with respect to drinking collagen, he criticizes the product by using perspectives of other specialists who performed cross-examination of it. Based on this picture, one must have observed the attitude of courage to reveal the truth besides regard for transformation which also constitutes a Franciscan principle. â€Å"Diversity†, as another Franciscan value of choice may be perceived in the flexibility of allowing student body to be variedly comprised of distinct socio-cultural backgrounds to serve the dynamic interest of globalization in helping youth from all over the world unite with each

Technology in World Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology in World Civilization - Essay Example The developed overreliance on technology that is predicted to persist therefore means that people are not able to effectively, as they did before, handle tasks manually. This however identifies a critical problem should a global calamity occur and disable all technology-based systems (Fema, 2011). The problem would be similar to the Ireland’s potatoes famine of the nineteenth century. In the case, social conditions had led to reliance of potatoes as the chief food crop. The crop’s disease that broke out in the year 1845 however cut the society’s only source of food, leading to famine. The consequences were fatal with further implications such as â€Å"cholera, dysentery, typhus, and manifestation of lice† that led to death and displacement of people from the region (Digital, 2012, p. 1). The two instances therefore identify similarity in societies that can barely survive, should their staple application fail. Like the potatoes’ plight disrupted people’s social, political, and economic lives in Ireland, disruption in technology will stall professional and industrial operations that have entirely depended on it. Economic processes, healthcare services, and communication will therefore stop. The current society can however slowly adjust to its manual operation system, like in the potatoes’ calamity, or bear the consequences until another technology is developed (Fema, 2011; Digital, 2012). A fault that incapacitates all processor-based applications such as application of computer and computer-based devices would require solutions. One of the possible solutions that the society can use is reverting to the traditional manual operation system, a process that will depend on human resource for decision-making and process implementations. The society would also try to investigate causes of the problem in order to restore the processor applications.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Leadership - Essay Example 2003). The purpose of this paper is to describe the topic of leadership through applications and theory. Leadership plays an important role in the political game. Barack Obama won the presidency of the United States due to the fact that he was a transformational leader. â€Å"Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate† (Cherry, 2013). A transformational leader cares about the needs of his followers. The four key components of transformational leadership are intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, idealized influence, and inspirational motivation (Cherry, 2013). A firm led by a transformational leader has greater chance to succeed due to the ability of this person to motivate and inspire others. Two important leader styles are charismatic leadership and transactional leadership. A transactional leader does the necessary tasks to ensure his subordinates perform their job to a satisfactory level. Charismatic leader involves crea ting an inspirational self image that makes people drawn to you (Changingminds, 2013). An example of a charismatic leader is Steve Jobs. The managerial profession requires leadership skills to successfully perform the job. Managers are responsible for their actions and for the actions of their subordinates. An important skill that a leader must possess to be effective is excellent verbal and written communication skills. A person that does not possess superb communication skills cannot be a leader. Communication skills can be developed through education initiatives and training and development. Another important factor that can improve a person’s communication skills is active listening. â€Å"Active listening skills are conversational techniques that enable better understanding and more productive communication† (Palkoner, 2013). Listening well to what others have to say can help a leader recognize the needs and concerns of the work staff. Employees that are heard bui lt a greater bond of trust with the managerial staff. The ultimate goal for a leader is to achieve synergy. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The performance of a company is enhanced if it has a good leader in charge of the firm. Bill Gates is an example of a leader that started out small, but due to his superb decision making and leadership skills he turn Microsoft into the market leader in the software industry. A good leader recognizes that teamwork and cooperation are keys to success. The greatest ideas are often hidden in the minds of the floor workers because they are constantly exposed to the manufacturing operations of the firm. Exceptional leaders obtain input from the workers to then use that input in the decision making process. Input can be obtained directly or anonymously. Direct input is gathered by talking to specific employees in private or openly during employee meetings. A way to collect indirect input is by placing a feedback box in the premises of the company. A feedback box is useful only if management seriously considers implementing the ideas of the workers. People are not born leaders instead they acquire leadership skills through experience and education. Unique work experiences such as serving in

The ethical topic is Doctors giving narcotic orders for nurses to Essay

The ethical topic is Doctors giving narcotic orders for nurses to carry out to addicts even though the doctors know their patie - Essay Example The conclusion will be evident that nurses must keep the patients’ best interests at heart as they seek to be the patient advocate and do no harm. Ethical Dilemma: Doctors Giving Orders for Nurses to Carry Out to Addicts Even Though the Doctors Know Their Patients Are Addicted to the Narcotics There are many documented instances where nurses have been placed in ethical situations when it comes to following doctors’ orders. One of these situations is whether or not to carry out those orders if they mean giving narcotics to known addicts. Revised over the years, the Nurse’s Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements strictly conveys the importance of accountability and patient advocacy. Primary to the subject matter of this article are several Provisions directly stated in the Code. In Provision 2, â€Å"The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group or community.† Provision 3 st ates, â€Å"The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient,† And Provision 4 reads,â€Å"The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care.† To gain a clearer understanding of the scope of ethics in relation to the subject matter, a definition of some terms would be beneficial. â€Å"Ethics† is defined by Merriam-Webster as â€Å"a set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values† (ethics, 2011), while the American Heritage Dictionary defines a â€Å"narcotic† as â€Å" an addictive drug, such as opium, that reduces pain, alters mood and behavior, and usually induces sleep or stupor† (narcotic, 2011). In the article â€Å"Nurses Struggle with Ethical Dilemmas,† Christine Mitchell (RN, MS, FAAN, Director of Ethics at Bo ston Children’s Hospital and Associate Director of Clinical Ethics at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts) is quoted as saying, â€Å"The important thing is for nurses to listen to their inner voices and ask themselves, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ Pay attention to that voice.† (Boivin, 2009) In seeking to do the right thing, the nurse must minister to the whole person, as Marg Hutchison quotes Joyce Travelbee in â€Å"Unity and Diversity in Spiritual Care,†A nurse does not only seek to alleviate physical pain or render physical care - she ministers to the whole person. The existence of suffering, whether physical, mental or spiritual is the proper concern of the nurse.† (Hutchison, 1998) In adhering to this principle, the Hospice Patient’s Alliance focuses on five rights of drug administration that apply to nurses employed in any medical setting. These rights, as listed in the article â€Å"Dangers of Leaving Medicat ions Out† include the right patient, drug or medication, dose of medication, route of administration, and time (frequency). (The Hospice Patient’s Alliance) The nurse must, therefore, forever be aware of the patient’s best interests. It is obvious that serious consequences could occur if either of these rights was violated. In the process of giving medication to patients, the nurse might question why the doctor would prescribe narcotics to a known addict. There lingers the possibility that the nurse may be unaware of the total reasoning behind a doctor’s orders. Perhaps the patient is seeking chronic pain relief. Perhaps it is a

Personal Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal Finance - Essay Example The raising of the state pension age to 68 by 2048 will generally make individuals look for other income and pension alternatives which will sustain them since the current retirement age is 65. Thus, for the three years after the retirement, they will need to find a way in order to finance the lifestyle that they choose. In this case, it is expected that individuals will be opting to compensate their state pension by occupational and personal pension in order to bridge the gap. Personal pensions are more likely noting the fact that the package of benefits under this scheme is based on the discretion of individuals. Other people can also opt to find employment even after the retirement age. This is especially true noting the fact that there are some individuals who augment their pensions by retaining their jobs. Having an employment before the retirement is the most probable action that individuals will take especially those who cannot afford to purchase additional pension scheme. Inc reasing the age at which the pension plan will be received also means that the state will be paying pensioners three years less than what is previously practiced. For pensioners this can mean that lower priced packages will be made available since the expected payment time is now shorter. The establishment of a low-cost pension scheme which is coupled with automatic enrolment will allow more individuals to avail of these packages.

Westover electrical Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Westover electrical - Case Study Example These rejected products are usually found in the course of the manufacturing process. The company had not identified the primary cause of the problem. Robert Gagnon found that for the duration of two months, costs sustained as a result of these rejected products have risen. This report by Robert Gagnon has prompted the company to take quick actions to solve this problem. Robert Gagnon’s report outlines problems facing the company,Possible solutions to the problems,Recommendations received from the investigation done. The investigation was done through the identification of the problem by reviewing the supply chain. The supply chain starts from the production process (winding department) to the packaging department. The Pareto analysis chart provides a systematic flow of the results. It is simple to understand. To use of this mechanism, we are able to easily view that abraded wire is a Winder 3 problem. Therefore, in view of this, winder 3 that should be replaced so as to reduc e the high number of rejected abraded wires. Broken Lord has a Winder 1 problem. For this, it is important that Winder 1 be replaced so as to reduce the number of rejects. Graphs can be used as well. The plotting p chart could be done when an assumption is made that for any defect that results in production of a defective unit, there is only one defect per each inspected unit. A c chart could be used to plot the quantity of defective units per sample. Each will be separate graphs. Use of tables causes much confusion. It is difficult to understand the results without explanation. These modes of presentations are both easy to understand and they also present a neat exhibit of data. 3. Gagnon’s recommendation Robert Gagnon recommended that Westover Electrical Inc. focus on finding the cause for abraded wire and the failed electrical test on the Winder 3. It may be possible that there exists a conflict between abraded wire and the electrical test. This conflict causes the two to overpower winder 3. Problems of the winder cause problems with the output. By fixing this, 53% of the total Winder rejects could be eliminated together with 88% of all Winder 3 rejects. This is a surprising reduction in total costs incurred by Westover Electrical Inc. Further, Gagnon stated that it is important to pay much attention to the source for broken leads on Winder 1. This problem could be caused by the fact that Winder 1 may be of low quality in dealing with broken leads. It may not be strong enough or fully equipped to handle these broken leads. By eliminating this problem, 80% of Winder 1 total rejected product together with 24% of all total rejects will be eliminated. Moreover, Robert Gagnon stressed that it was vital to find the cause for wrong core and wrong wire failure early within the month on Winder 2. The assumption made was that it might have been one of their new personnel who failed to handle the equipment properly. The new personnel may have placed a higher number of wires on the winder than its capacity could support. The mistakes made were reflected in the number of rejected units produced. In time, the new employee gained experience thus a decrease in the number of rejected units was observed. 4. Prepare the detail necessary to supplement Gagnon’

Personal Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal Finance - Essay Example The raising of the state pension age to 68 by 2048 will generally make individuals look for other income and pension alternatives which will sustain them since the current retirement age is 65. Thus, for the three years after the retirement, they will need to find a way in order to finance the lifestyle that they choose. In this case, it is expected that individuals will be opting to compensate their state pension by occupational and personal pension in order to bridge the gap. Personal pensions are more likely noting the fact that the package of benefits under this scheme is based on the discretion of individuals. Other people can also opt to find employment even after the retirement age. This is especially true noting the fact that there are some individuals who augment their pensions by retaining their jobs. Having an employment before the retirement is the most probable action that individuals will take especially those who cannot afford to purchase additional pension scheme. Inc reasing the age at which the pension plan will be received also means that the state will be paying pensioners three years less than what is previously practiced. For pensioners this can mean that lower priced packages will be made available since the expected payment time is now shorter. The establishment of a low-cost pension scheme which is coupled with automatic enrolment will allow more individuals to avail of these packages.

Time Value of Money Paper Essay Example for Free

Time Value of Money Paper Essay INTRODUCTION The concept of Time Value of Money Paper has sprung from the concept of the depreciation in the value of money paper with time. It is the concept of the reduction n the purchasing power of the same quantity of money in a future period. Put another way, it is the theory that a certain quantity of money held today will have a more purchasing power than the same quantity of money in a future period due to the depreciating value of money caused by the interest rate and inflation, There are various financial applications for TVM. In fact, financial calculations, assumptions and business is primarily based on the concept of TVM. Because it is this factor which has to be taken into account during long-term loans, annual borrowings and lending, in order for the business to recover the time costs it incurred for the period. [Ross E. (2006)]    APPLICATION 1 A football club is borrowing $1,000,000 from ABC Bank for the purchase of new training equipment. The entire loan is paid back in 4 semi-annual installments. The interest rate is 10% compounded semi-monthly. We want to investigate the â€Å"value† that this money will hold at the end of two years so that we can devise an appropriate interest rate to recover the â€Å"lost value† as well as get some markup. 1st payment: 250,000 * (1-0.05) = 237,500 2nd payment: 250,000 * (1-0.05)2 = 225,625 3rd payment: 250,000 * (1-0.05)3 = 214,343.8 4th payment: 250,000 * (1-0.05)4 = 203,626.6 Total Value; $881,095.3125 We can see that the flat $1 million paid back is not worth the ‘original† amount due to the changes in â€Å"value with time†. Thus the bank can levy a higher interest rate to recover the money lent as well as some markup. [http://www.executivecaliber.ws/sys-tmpl/timevalueofmoney/] APPLICATION 2 A mother is saving for her daughter’s college education for 10 years from now. She knows that it will costs her $500,000 for her daughters’ entire college expenses. She does not know how much she should save today in order to get $500,000 after 10 years, if the interest rate is 8% compounded annually. Using the formula: FV=PV(1 + r)t FV=500,000 r=0.08 t=10 PV=? Therefore, PV=FV(1+r)-t PV=500,000(1.05)-10 PV=$306956.6 Thus, she has only to deposit $306,956.6 in her account for a period of 10 years compounded annually at 8% to be sure that she will be able to have the amount necessary for her child’s education when required. APPLICATION 3: You want to purchase a new car and you are willing to pay $20,000. If you can invest at 10% compounded annually and you currently can invest $15,000, how long will it take you to generate enough cash to pay for the car?    FV=20,000 PV=15,000 r=0.01 t=? Rearranging the basic formula [FV={PV(1+r)t] t = ;n (FV/PV) / (1+r) t = ln(20,000 / 15,000) / ln(1.1) = 3.02 years So, it will take approximately 3 years for this amount to be able to pay for the car through compounding.    COMPONENTS OF DISCOUNT/INTEREST RATE As we saw in the previous applications that the value of money depreciates as time progresses forwards, financial lenders and institutions are always looking to earn back the exact â€Å"value† of the money that they lent over the period of lending plus a service charge, which will be the actual profit for the lender. Therefore, there are two components in the interest rate: The actual capital recovery factor The profit factor    EXAMPLE A Man borrows $1,000 from a bank. He pays it back in 10 monthly installments.   What interest rate will the bank charge if the bank wants to make a net real 10% profit on the lent amount? The inflation rate is 5%. Payment 1: 100 * (1-0.05/12)1=99.58 Payment 2: 100 * (1-0.05/12)2=99.17 Payment 3: 100 * (1-0.05/12)3=98.76 Payment 4: 100 * (1-0.05/12)4=98.34 Payment 5: 100 * (1-0.05/12)5=97.93 Payment 6: 100 * (1-0.05/12)6=97.53 Payment 7: 100 * (1-0.05/12)7=97.52 Payment 8: 100 * (1-0.05/12)8=96.72 Payment 9: 100 * (1-0.05/12)9=96.31 Payment 10: 100 * (1-0.05/12)10=95.91 Total = $977.37 There is a difference of $22.63 between the lent amount and the value of the recovered amount. To make the â€Å"value† equal, the bank has to adjust the interest rate so that they earn $22.63 more to break-even. Further they have to earn an additional $100 as profit. They need a net $1100. So, the difference is $123.63 which has to be adjusted into the monthly installment to result in the desired figures. Therefore, with an effective interest rate of 13% compounded annually, this amount can be generated sufficiently. There are various methods for determining this interest rate: Implicit Rate Return on Investment Method Weighted Capital Opportunity Cost [Block, Hirt (2005)]                            REFERENCES: Block, Hirt (2005). Foundations of Financial Management (11th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill.   Chapters 9 and 14.    Ross, E. (2006). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (6th ed.) New York: Westerfield and Jordan.   Chapter 5. Time Value of Money. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from Leasing and Time Value of Money Web site: http://www.executivecaliber.ws/sys-tmpl/timevalueofmoney/

Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water

Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water This experiment aims to determine the diffusion coefficient of a liquid mixture, sodium chloride solution, in de-ionized water. This is done through the use of a honeycomb diffusion cell which consists of 121 vertical capillaries which are 5mm long and 1mm in diameter. Ficks Law of Diffusion is used in this experiment to calculate the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride solution in de-ionized water. The change in concentration of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is measured by using the conductivity meter, since sodium chloride dissociates in water. The calculated value of diffusion coefficient was compared with the literature value derived from Eletrochemistry textbook, and the difference in values will be discussed. Some assumptions are being made to make the calculations much simpler. The concentration at the lower end of the diffusion cell is assumed to be equal to 2M, which is the molarity of the sodium chloride solution. The concentration at the upper end of the diffusion cell is taken to be effectively zero. Certain factors that affect diffusion and the calculation of the diffusion coefficient are also discussed to understand more about their effects on diffusion. However, this experiment did not place emphasis on these factors, and these factors are assumed to be negligible in the experiment as steps have been taken to minimise their presence in this experiment. Objective The objective of this experiment is to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. Principles 1. Diffusion Molecular diffusion, or simply known as diffusion, is a spontaneous process that results in the net transport of molecules from a region of higher concentration to another region of lower concentration. This net transport is a result of the intrinsic thermal energy present in all molecules at temperatures above absolute zero. The phenomenon of diffusion can be mathematically described using Ficks Law (or Ficks 1st Law), which states that for a two component system consisting of A and B, the molar flux, Ni , of the individual component (i = A, B) is defined as: (1) where D is the diffusion coefficient , Ci is the concentration of component i, and is the concentration gradient in the z-direction. The negative sign indicates the flow of transport is from region of higher concentration to region of lower concentration. In the context of this experiment, Ficks law in one-dimension is considered, and there is no mean flow of mixture in the experimental set-up. Therefore, Equation (1) for the molar flux is valid for this experiment. 2. Experimental Set-up A diffusion cell is an instrument that is used to study the diffusion of liquid or gaseous mixtures. The diffusion cell used in this experiment consists of a honeycomb of 121 accurately dimensioned vertical capillaries that are 5mm long and 1mm wide in diameter. This is to restrict the diffusion to a one -dimensional diffusion. To prepare the diffusion cell for use, a small volume of concentrated solution is first placed on one side of the honeycomb, whilst the other side consists of a large volume of pure solvent (de-ionized water). The concentration within the larger volume will increase gradually as diffusion of the solute occurs. This change in concentration is monitored closely with a conductivity sensor and meter. To ensure a uniform concentration within the larger volume, the mixture is continuously stirred with a magnetic stirrer. (Figure 1) The concentration at the lower end of the tube is in fact constant and is equal to the molarity of the solution. The concentration at the upper end of the tube is effectively zero (Figure 2). Honeycomb structure with capillaries Concentration of solution outside tube is zero Concentration of solution inside tube is 2M NaCl Therefore it can be said that: (2) where M is the molarity of the solution and L is the length of the tube. The amount of sodium chloride diffusing per unit time from the capillary is approximately: (3) where d is the diameter of the capillary, n is the number of capillaries and L is the length of the capillary. Outside the tube, since sodium chloride is able to dissociate in water into sodium and chloride ions, the accumulation of the sodium chloride salt in the de-ionized water can be easily calculated by the measurement of change in the conductivity k of the solution with respect to time t. The amount of sodium chloride accumulating per unit time outside the vessel is approximately: (4) where V is the volume of water in outer vessel and CM is the conductivity change for unit molarity change and has the value of 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 for the solution used in this experiment. Mass balance requires that the amount of sodium chloride going out of the capillaries must be equals to the amount of sodium chloride accumulated in the de-ionized water. (5) Therefore, (6) By rearranging Equation (6), (7) All the terms in equation (7) are constants and known, except for . However, to determine, we can plot a graph of conductivity as a function of time and find the gradient, which is equals to. Thus, by plotting conductivity as a function of time, the value of the diffusion coefficient D for the sodium chloride solution can be determined. Equipment and Materials One litre vessel with cell holder (Figure 3) Magnetic stirrer with variable speed (Figure 3) Magnetic stir bar (Figure 3) Diffusion cell (Figure 4) Conductivity meter (Figure 5) Conductivity leads Stopwatch (Figure 6) A bottle of de-ionized water (Figure 7) 50 ml beaker (Figure 8) 2M sodium chloride solution in a 100ml glass bottle (Figure 9) Experimental Procedure The one litre vessel was filled with de-ionized water up to 1cm below the graduation (black) mark. The magnetic stirrer was set to the lowest setting. The conductivity meter was connected to the electrodes and then switched on. The reading on the conductivity meter was noted to be less than 10-4ÃŽÂ ©-1 (1 ÃŽÂ ©-1 = 1 Siemens). The diffusion cell was completely filled with 2M (molarity) sodium chloride solution (116.9g NaCl/litre). Excess solution on top of the capillaries and on the sides was wiped off gently with a soft tissue. The diffusion cell was clamped in its position with the top of the capillaries lying parallel with the graduation mark on the vessel. The vessel was carefully filled to the graduaton mark with the provided de-ionized water bottle. The nozzle of the bottle was aimed away from the capillaries and towards the wall of the vessel, so as to minimise the turbulence caused. The timer was started immediately when the vessel was filled to the graduation mark. The reading on the conductivity was noted down at the same time. The conductivity readings were noted down every 200 seconds till 3600s. After the end of Run 1, the solution in the vessel and diffusion cell was disposed. Both the vessel and the diffusion were washed thoroughly with de-ionized water. Steps (1) to (10) were repeated to get another set of readings for Run 2. Results The results are tabulated in Table 1. Questions Plot conductivity (k) versus time (t) and determine the slope of the best fit straight line through the points. From the plot, the gradient of slope of the best fit straight line for Run 1 and Run 2 are 4 x 10-8 and 3 x 10-8 respectively. Determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M NaCl using equation (6). To use equation (6), we need the value for . The value for is determined from the graph. We will take the average of the gradient of the 2 slopes we get from the graph. = = 3.5 x 10 -8 Where, V = 1 Litre = 0.001 m3 L = 5mm = 0.005 m CM = 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 n = 121 M = 2M d = 1mm = 0.001 m (gradient of slope) = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1 For = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1, How does your value(s) compare with literature values? Comment on sources of error. Table 2 is obtained from the literature of an Electrochemistry textbook. The data in the table are obtained by various experimental techniques, such as tracer diffusion determination. The diffusion coefficient of Na+ and Cl- ions in water, extracted from relevant data in Table 2, are found to be 1.33 x 10-5 cm2/s and 2.03 x 10-5 cm2/s respectively. These ionic diffusion coefficients do not take into consideration the effect of solvation of the water molecules on the ionic species. From Table 2, both the sodium ion and chloride ion have different diffusion coefficient from each other. However sodium chloride diffuses with only one coefficient, therefore we need to compute the average diffusion coefficient, DNaCl. From the equation: (8) j1 = j2 = Dc1 = [] c1 The average diffusion coefficient of the electrolyte NaCl , DNaCl = 2 (9) (1/DNa+ + 1/DCl- ) = 2 (1/1.33 + 1/2.03) x 105 = 1.607 x 10-5 cm2/s = 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s Percentage difference between experimental and literature values of diffusion coefficient = (2.246 1.607)/(1.607) x 100% = + 39.8% The experimental diffusion coefficient values of 2.246 x 10-9 m2/s is slightly higher than the literature value of 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s, and this could be due to some possible sources of error (Will be further discussed in the next section). The calculated value (DNaCl) based on Table 2, equation (8) and (9) does not take into consideration the effect of hydration of the water molecules on the ionic species. The phenomenon of solute-solvent interaction between sodium chloride and water is called hydration. The solute and the solvent both interact to form a new species, which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent Hence, it should be expected that our experiment value will be different from the literature value (DNaCl), as hydration do play a part in the experiment. In addition, the high concentration of the sodium chloride solution (2M) may result in convection, which will also affect the rate of diffusion. (Will be further under Discussions) Possible Sources of Error S/N Possible Sources of Error Solution 1. If thewalls of the capillary tubes arewet, or if the diffusion tube is filled up too slowly or wrongly, air bubbles may form underthe capillariesin the honeycomb structure. The bubbles can significantly impede diffusion through the capillaries, affecting the rate of diffusion. Ensure that no air bubbles are formed in or under the honeycomb structure. This can be achieved by filling the diffusion cell slowly. 2. Evaporation of water from the 1 litre vessel during the experiment could affect thevolume present in the vessel and hence diffusion coefficient would be affected, since the calculation of the diffusion coefficient involves the volume of water present in the vessel. The vessel could be covered with a cover or lid to minimise evaporation of water. 3. The stopwatch should be startedas close as possible to the instant when the water covers the surface of the capillaries. This is because significant changes in concentration can occur at this pointintime due to the steep concentration gradient between the 2 solutions. However, human reaction time will result in some delay. Have one person to fill up the vessel until the honeycomb structure is fully submerged in water, while another person looks from the side and starts the stopwatch once the honeycomb structure is fully submerged. This will minimise the human reaction time. 4. The solution may not be well-stirred enough, thus resulting in a higher concentration at the diffusion surface than the rest of the solution. Have more than one conductivity sensor at various locations or depth along the vessel enables us to get more accurate conductivity readings by averaging the values obtained. 5. The needle was fluctuating at some of the instant when readings were supposed to be taken, making it hard to determine the value to be recorded. By the time the needle stabilised, it has already exceeded the stipulated time (e.g. 1000s), and the reading obtained from the meter would not reflect the conductivity of the solution at that particular time but instead for another timing. A data logging system should be used where signals from the conductivity meter used for the diffusion cell can be recorded into a computer at fixed regular time interval. This helps to eliminate human error from poor judgment in the reading of results as well as allows for a more accurate reading of the conductivity. 6. The vessel may not be thoroughly cleaned from previous experiment by other students, therefore leaving sodium chloride residue at the wall of the vessel. This may add to the conductivity of the solution during the diffusion experiment when the vessel is filled with de-ionised water and therefore lead to an error when calculating the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride. Clean the equipments thoroughly once more with de-ionised water to ensure that no residues are present on the equipment. 7. Small air bubbles could have been trapped at the opening of the capillaries of the diffusion cell before the start of the experiment. This would affect the diffusion rate of the sodium chloride solution. A porous plate can be used. It enables the solute and solvent to pass through freely, minimizing the chance where the molecules are stuck at the pores or in the capillaries. 8. Convection occurred in the experiment is a major factor that will affect the accuracy of our experiment. Effort has been made to minimized convection. However, the extent in which convection has affected our experiment values is unknown. The rotation of the magnetic stirrer could introduce convection currents in the water. The addition of dye to the vessel containing watercan be used to determine whether the magnetic stirrer is causing too much convection. This should be done before the commencement of the actual experiment to ensure minimal or no convection are present. The dye should never be used during the commencement of the experiment as it might interfere with the diffusion rate of sodium chloride solution. 9. The changes in the conductivity may be so small such that the analog meter is not able to detect the changes. The use of an analog meter also depends on how the person judges the values of the readings when the needle is in between the markings on the meter. This might result in random errors. A digital conductivity meter or data logger should be used to minimise the random errors that might be introduced if an analog meter is used. A digital conductivity meter or data logger would be more able to reflect the small changes in conductivity of the solution, giving us readings that are more accurate and more precise. 10. The temperature of the sodium chloride solution in the diffusion cell and the water in the vessel is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. However, this may not be true due to the fact that the experimental setup is exposed to the surroundings, thus it is very difficult to ensure constant temperature within the system, unlike the case of a water bath. Temperature, however, does affect the diffusion coefficient. Conduct the experiment in an enclosed environment to minimise contact with the surroundings. Measure the temperature of the water and sodium chloride solution constantly to ensure constant and identical temperature throughout the experiment. Discussions Solute-Solvent interaction (hydration) In the experiment, the species that are diffusing are not just pure sodium and chloride ions. In fact, sodium chloride and water interact to give a new species which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent. The effect of hydration can be studied by using the following flux equation: (10) j1 = D0 (1 + ) c1 (11) j1 = (1 + ) c1 where D0 is the new diffusion coefficient, ÃŽÂ ¼ is the solvent viscosity, R0 is the solute radius, and Ɔ1 is the activity coefficient. Equation (10) and (11) can be affected by hydration in two ways. These two factors are the hydrated species radius R0, and the concentration dependence of diffusion. From equation (11), the solute radius R0 is that of the hydrated species. This can be related to the true solute radius R0 by the following equation: à Ã¢â€š ¬ R03 = à Ã¢â€š ¬ (R0)3 + n() (12) Where VH2O is the molar volume of water and n is the hydration number. The third column of Table 3 shows the values obtained from equation (12). If we were to take the values of Na+ (0.5) and Cl- (-0.7) and compute the average radius R0, the radius obtained will be a smaller value as compared to the case when no hydration is considered. Therefore, we will obtain a larger D0 if we substitute a smaller R0 into equation (11). This explains why we get a larger D0 from experimental results as compared to literature values. Convection In our experiment, the sodium chloride solution has a molarity of 2M, which is a concentrated solution. Such concentrated solution may cause convection in our experiment, thus affecting the rate of diffusion. Total mass transported = Mass transported by diffusion + Mass transported by convection (13) The total mass flux n1, (mass transported per unit area per unit time): n1 = j1a + c1va where j1a is the diffusion flux and c1va represents the convection. From equation (7): (7) D = If we add in the convection term, it becomes (7.1) D = + (convection) From equation (7.1), we can see that the presence of convection in the experiment will mean a bigger value for diffusion coefficient since the total mass transported is now dependent not solely on diffusion only. Convection does play a part in the transporting of mass. In order to examine whether the effect of convection is significant in our experiment, we can carry the experiment with sodium chloride solution at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient obtained will then be compared against literature values. If the degree of difference between experimental results and literature values is similar to that of using 2M sodium chloride solution, then we can say that the effect of convection is negligible in our experiment, and vice versa. Temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient In our experiment, the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. The dependence of diffusion coefficient on temperature in liquids can be determined using the Stokes- Einstein equation: (14) where T1 and T2 denote temperature 1 and 2 respectively D is the diffusion coefficient is the dynamic viscosity of the solvent From the equation, we can see that temperature does affect the diffusivity of the sodium chloride ions. In order to ensure that this problem does not affect our experiment, we should continuously measure the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution to ensure identical and constant temperature throughout the experiment. Conclusions The aim of the experiment was to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. The purpose of the experiment is achieved through the use of diffusion cell and the conductivity meter to study the change in concentration along the vessel at regular intervals. The value of our experimental result is of the order of 10-9 m2/s, which is common for liquid mixtures. This implies that the method of using honeycomb diffusion cell and measuring the change in conductivity to calculate the accumulation of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is appropriate for the determination of diffusion in a liquid mixture in this experiment. However, one should be aware that the conductivity method is only applicable for solute which fully dissociates in water. Solutes which do not dissociate in water will not give any changes in conductivity of the de-ionized water. It was found that the diffusion coefficient determined in the experiment is 39.8% larger than the literature values. This is most likely due to the fact that the literature values did not consider the effect of hydration on the sodium and chloride ions. The effect of hydration tends to increase the rate of diffusion, and this was the case for sodium chloride solution. Therefore, if we were to take into consideration the effect of hydration on the ions in our calculation of the literature values, the diffusion coefficient calculated will be close to our experimental value. We have discussed that convection is an important factor that might affect the reliability and accuracy of the experimental results. Due to the limitations of the experiment procedure, we were unable to determine the extent in which convection affects the experiment. Dyes could have been used to detect the presence of any significant convection currents due to the rotation of the magnetic stirrer. This experiment has showed that it is very difficult to calculate the actual diffusion coefficient very accurately using mathematical models and scientific concepts that we currently have. Due to the fact that the values of diffusion coefficients for liquid mixtures are very small, of the order of 10-9 m2/s, any slight error during the experiment will result in a big difference from the actual value. This difference might be small in magnitude, but the application of this value may have large implications in actual situations, such as in chemical plants. Therefore, much effort should be utilised for future research works to accurately determine the actual diffusion coefficients under different situations and conditions.

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