Learning Organization Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY are proliferating as corporations seek to better themselves and gain an edge. Unfortunately, however, failed programs far outnumber successes, and improvement rates remain low. That’s because most companies have failed to grasp a basic truth. Before people and companies can improve, they first must learn. And to do this, they need to look beyond rhetoric and high philosophy and focus on the fundamentals. Three critical issues must be addressed before a company can truly become a learning organization, writes Harvard Business School professor David Garvin. First is the question of meaning: a well-grounded, easy-to-apply definition of a learning organization. Second comes management: clearer operational guidelines for practice. Finally, better tools for measurement can assess an organization’s rate and level of learning. Using these â€Å"three Ms† as a framework, Garvin defines learning organizations as skilled at five main activities: systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from past experience, learning from the best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. And since you can’t manage something if you can’t measure it, a complete learning audit is a must. That includes measuring cognitive and behavioral changes as well as tangible improvements in results. No learning organization is built overnight. Success comes from carefully cultivated attitudes, commitments, and management processes that accrue slowly and steadily. The first step is to foster an environment conducive to learning. Analog Devices, Chaparral Steel, Xerox, GE, and other companies provide enlightened examples. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS  CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS are sprouting up all over as organizations strive to better themselves and gain an edge. The topic list is long and varied, and sometimes it seems as though a program a month is needed just to keep up. Unfortunately, failed programs far outnumber successes, and improvement rates remain distressingly low. Why? Because most companies have failed to grasp a basic truth. Continuous improvement requires a commitment to learning. How, after all, can an organization improve without first learning something new? Solving a problem, introducing a product, and reengineering a process all require seeing the world in a new light and acting accordingly. In the absence of learning, companies-and individuals -simply repeat old practices. Change remains cosmetic, and improvements are either fortuitous or short-lived. A few farsighted executives – Ray Stata of Analog Devices, Gordon Forward of Chaparral Steel, Paul Allaire of Xerox-have recognized the link between learning and continuous improvement and have begun to refocus their companies around it. Scholars too have jumped on the bandwagon, beating the drum for â€Å"learning organizations† and â€Å"knowledge-creating companies. † In rapidly changing businesses like semiconductors and consumer electronics, these ideas are fast taking hold. Yet despite the encouraging signs, the topic in large part remains murky, confused, and difficult to penetrate. Meaning, Management, and Measurement Scholars are partly to blame. Their discussions of learning organizations have often been reverential and utopian, filled with near mystical terminology. Paradise, they would have you believe, is just around the corner. Peter Senge, who popularized learning organizations in his book The Fifth Discipline, described them as places â€Å"where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together. â€Å"‘ To achieve these ends, Senge suggested the use of five â€Å"component technologies†: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. In a similar spirit, Ikujiro Nonaka characterized knowledge-creating companies as places where â€Å"inventing new knowledge is not a specialized activity †¦ it is a way of behaving, indeed, a way of being, in which everyone is a knowledge worker. â€Å"‘ Nonaka suggested that companies use metaphors and organizational redundancy to focus thinking, encourage dialogue, and make tacit, instinctively understood ideas explicit. Sound idyllic? Absolutely. Desirable? Without question. But does it provide a framework for action? Hardly. The recommendations are far too abstract, and too many questions remain unanswered. How, for example, will managers know when their companies have become learning organizations? What concrete changes in behavior are required? What policies and programs must be in place? How do you get from here to there? Most discussions of learning organizations finesse these issues. Their focus is high philosophy and grand themes, sweeping metaphors rather than the gritty details of practice. Three critical issues are left unresolved; yet each is essential for effective implementation. First is the question of meaning. We need a plausible, well-grounded definition of learning organizations; it must be actionable and easy to apply. Second is the question of management. We need clearer guidelines for practice, filled with operational advice rather than high aspirations. And third is the question of measurement. We need better tools for assessing an organization’s rate and level of learning to ensure that gains have in fact been made. Once these â€Å"three Ms† are addressed, managers will have a firmer foundation for launching learning organizations. Without this groundwork, progress is unlikely, and for the simplest of reasons. For learning to become a meaningful corporate goal, it must first be understood. What Is a Learning Organization? Surprisingly, a clear definition of learning has proved to be elusive over the years. Organizational theorists have studied learning for a long time; the accompanying quotations suggest that there is still considerable disagreement (see â€Å"Definitions of Organizational Learning† on page 77). Most scholars view organizational learning as a process that unfolds over time and link it with knowledge acquisition and improved performance. But they differ on other important matters. Some, for example, believe that behavioral change is required. for learning; others insist that new ways of thinking are enough. Some cite information processing as the mechanism through which learning takes place; others propose-shared insights, organizational routines, even memo. And some think that organizational learning is common, while others believe that flawed, self-serving interpretations are the norm. How can we discern among this cacophony of voices yet build on earlier insights? As a first step, consider the following definition: A learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. This definition begins with a simple truth: new ideas are essential if learning is to take place. Sometimes they are created de novo, through flashes of insight or creativity; at other times they arrive from outside the organization or are communicated by knowledgeable insiders. Whatever their source, these ideas are the trigger for organizational improvement. But they cannot by themselves create a learning organization. Without accompanying changes in the way that work gets done, only the potential for improvement exists. This is a surprisingly stringent test for it rules out a number of obvious candidates for learning organizations. Many universities fail to qualify, as do many consulting firms. Even General Motors, despite its recent efforts to improve performance, is found wanting. All of these organizations have been effective at creating or acquiring new knowledge but notably less successful in applying that knowledge to their own activities. Total quality management, for example, is now taught at many business schools, yet the number using it to guide their own decision making is very small. Organizational consultants advise clients on social dynamics and small-group behavior but are notorious for their own infighting and factionalism. And GM, with a few exceptions (like Saturn and NUMMI), has had little success in revamping its manufacturing practices, even though its managers are experts on lean manufacturing, JIT production, and the requirements for improved quality of work life. Organizations that do pass the definitional test – Honda, Corning, and General Electric come quickly to mind – have, by contrast, become adept at translating new knowledge into new ways of behaving. These companies actively manage the learning process to ensure that it occurs by design rather than by chance. Distinctive policies and practices are responsible for their success; they form the building blocks of learning organizations. Building Blocks Learning organizations are skilled at five main activities: systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from their own experience and past history, learning from the experiences and best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. Each is accompanied by a distinctive mind-set, tool kit, and pattern of behavior. Many companies practice these activities to some degree. But few are consistently successful because they rely largely on happenstance and isolated examples. By creating systems and processes that support these activities and integrate them into the fabric of daily operations, companies can manage their learning more effectively. 1. Systematic problem solving. This first activity rests heavily on the philosophy and methods of the quality movement. Its underlying ideas, now widely accepted, include: †¢ Relying on the scientific method, rather than guesswork, for diagnosing problems (what Deming calls the â€Å"Plan, Do, Check, Act† cycle, and others refer to as â€Å"hypothesis-generating, hypothesistesting† techniques). †¢ Insisting on data, rather than assumptions, as background for decision making (what quality practitioners call â€Å"fact-based management†). †¢ Using simple statistical tools (histograms, Pareto charts, correlations, cause-and-effect diagrams) to organize data and draw inferences. Most training programs focus primarily on problem solving techniques, using exercises and practical examples. These tools are relatively straightforward and easily communicated; the necessary mind-set, however, is more difficult to establish. Accuracy and precision are essential for learning. Employees must therefore become more disciplined in their thinking and more attentive to details. They must continually ask, â€Å"How do we know that’s true? â€Å", recognizing that close enough is not good enough if real learning is to take place. They must push beyond obvious symptoms to assess underlying causes, often collecting evidence when conventional wisdom says it is unnecessary. Otherwise, the organization will remain a prisoner of â€Å"gut facts† and sloppy reasoning, and learning will be stifled. Xerox has mastered this approach on a companywide scale. In 1983, senior managers launched the company’s Leadership Through Quality initiative; since then, all employees have been trained in small-group activities and problem-solving techniques. Today a six-step process is used for virtually all decisions (see â€Å"Xerox’s Problem-Solving Process†). Employees are provided with tools in four areas: generating ideas and collecting information (brainstorming, interviewing, surveying); reaching consensus (list reduction, rating forms, weighted voting); analyzing and displaying data (cause-andeffect diagrams, force-field analysis); and planning actions (flow charts, Gantt charts). They then practice these-tools during training sessions that last several days. Training is presented in â€Å"family groups,† members of the same department or business-unit team, and the tools are applied to real problems facing the group. The result of this process has been a common vocabulary and a consistent, companywide approach to problem solving. Once employees have been trained, they are expected to use the techniques at all meetings, and no topic is off limits. When a high-level group was formed to review Xerox’s organizational structure and suggest alternatives, it employed the very same process and tools. 2. Experimentation. This activity involves the systematic searching for and testing of new knowledge. Using the scientific method is essential, and there are obvious parallels to systematic problem solving. But unlike problem solving, experimentation is usually motivated by opportunity and expanding horizons, not by current difficulties. It takes two main forms: ongoing programs and one-ofa-kind demonstration projects. Ongoing programs normally involve a continuing series of small experiments, designed to produce incremental gains in knowledge. They are the mainstay of most continuous improvement programs and are especially common on the shop floor. Corning, for example, experiments continually with diverse raw materials and new formulations to increase yields and provide better grades of glass. Allegheny Ludlum, a specialty steelmaker, regularly examines new rolling methods and improved technologies to raise productivity and reduce costs. Successful ongoing programs share several characteristics. First, they work hard to ensure a steady flow of new ideas, even if they must be imported from outside the organization. Chaparral Steel sends its first-line supervisors on sabbaticals around the globe, where they visit academic and industry leaders, develop an understanding of new Xerox’s Problem-Solving Process Step Questions to be Answered What do we want to change? Expansion/ Divergence Lots of problems for consideration Contraction/ Convergence One problem statement, one â€Å"desired state† agreed upon What’s Next to Go to the Next Step Identification of the gap â€Å"Desired state† described in observable terms Key causes documented and ranked 1. Identify and select problem 2. Analyse Problem What’s preventing us from reaching the â€Å"desired state†? How could we make the change? What’s the best way to do it? Lots of potential causes identified. Key causes identified and verified 3. Generate potential solutions 4. Select and plan the solution Lots of ideas on how to solve the problem Lots of criteria for evaluating potential solutions. Lots of ideas on how to implement and evaluate the selected solution Potential solutions clarified Criteria to use for evaluating solution agreed upon Implementation and evaluation plans agreed upon Implementation of agreed-on contingency plans (if necessary) Effectiveness of solution agreed upon Continuing problems (if any) identified Solution List. Plan for making and monitoring the change Measurement criteria to evaluate solution effectiveness 5. Implement the solution Are we following the plan? Solution in place 6. Evaluate the solution How well did it work? Verification that the problem is solved, or Agreement to address continuing problems work practices and technologies, then bring what they’ve learned back to the company and apply it to daily operations. Inlarge part as a result of these initiatives, Chaparral is one of the five lowest cost steel plants in the world. GE’s Impact Program originally sent manufacturing managers to Japan to study factory innovations, such as quality circles and kanban cards, and then apply them in their own organizations; today Europe is the destination, and productivity improvement practices the target. The program is one reason GE has recorded productivity gains averaging nearly 5% over the last four years. Successful ongoing programs also require an incentive system that favors risk taking. Employees must feel that the benefits of experimentation exceed the costs; otherwise, they will not participate. This creates a difficult challenge for managers, who are trapped between two perilous extremes. They must maintain accountability and control over experiments without stifling creativity by unduly penalizing employees for failures. Allegheny Ludlum has perfected this juggling act: it keeps expensive, high-impact experiments off the scorecard used to evaluate managers but requires prior approvals from four senior vice presidents. The result has been=a history of productivity improvements annually avenging 7% to 8%. Finally, ongoing programs need managers and employees who are trained in the skills required to perform and evaluate experiments. These skills are seldom intuitive and must usually be learned. They cover a broad sweep: statistical methods, like design of experiments, that efficiently compare a large number of alternatives; graphical techniques, like process analysis, that are essential for redesigning work flows; and creativity techniques, like storyboarding and role playing, that keep novel ideas flowing. The most effective training programs are tightly focused and feature a small set of techniques tailored to employees’ needs. Training in design of experiments, for example, is useful for manufacturing engineers, while creativity techniques are well suited to development groups. Demonstration projects are usually larger and more complex than ongoing experiments. They involve holistic, system wide changes, introduced at a single site, and are often undertaken with the goal of developing new organizational capabilities. Because these projects represent a sharp break from the past, they are usually designed from scratch, using a â€Å"clean slate† approach. General Foods’s Topeka plant, one of the first high commitment work systems in this country, was a pioneering demonstration project initiated to introduce the idea of self-managing teams and high levels of worker autonomy; a more recent example, designed to rethink small-car development, manufacturing, and sales, is GM’s Saturn Division. Demonstration projects share a number of distinctive characteristics: †¢ They are usually the first projects to embody principles and approaches that the organization hopes to adopt later on a larger scale. For this reason, they are more transitional efforts than endpoints and involve considerable â€Å"learning by doing. † Mid-course corrections are common. †¢ They implicitly establish policy guidelines and decision rules for later projects. Managers must therefore be sensitive to the precedents they are setting and must send strong signals if they expect to establish new norms. †¢ They often encounter severe tests of commitment from employees who wish to see whether the rules have, in fact, changed. †¢ They are normally developed by strong multifunctional teams reporting directly to senior management. (For projects targeting employee involvement or quality of work life, teams should be multilevel as well. ) †¢ They tend to have only limited impact on the rest of the organization if they are not accompanied by explicit strategies for transferring learning. All of these characteristics appeared in a demonstration project launched by Copeland Corporation, a highly successful compressor manufacturer, in the mid-1970s. Matt Diggs, then the new CEO, wanted to transform the company’s approach to manufacturing. Previously, Copeland had machined and assembled all products in a single facility: Costs were high, and quality was marginal. The problem, Diggs felt, was too much complexity. At’ the outset, Diggs assigned a small, multifunctional team the task of designing a â€Å"focused factory† dedicated to a narrow, newly developed product line. The team reported directly to Diggs and took three years to complete its work. Initially, the project budget was $10 million to $12 million; that figure was repeatedly revised as the team found, through experience and with Diggs’s prodding, that it could achieve dramatic improvements. The final investment, a total of $30 million, yielded unanticipated breakthroughs in reliability testing, automatic tool adjustment, and programmable control. All were achieved through learning by doing. The team set additional precedents during the plant’s start-up and early operations. To dramatize the importance of quality, for example, the quality manager was appointed second-in-command, a significant move upward. The same reporting relationship was used at all subsequent plants. In addition, Diggs urged the plant manager to ramp up slowly to full production and resist all efforts to proliferate products. These instructions were unusual at Copeland, where the marketing department normally ruled. Both directives were quickly tested; management held firm, and the implications were felt throughout the organization. Manufacturing’s stature improved, and the company as a whole recognized its competitive contribution. One observer commented, â€Å"Marketing had always run the company, so they couldn’t believe it. The change was visible at the highest levels, and it went down hard. † Once the first focused factory was running smoothly -it seized 25% of the market in two years and held its edge in reliability for over a decade-Copeland built four more factories in quick succession. Diggs assigned members of the initial project to each factory’s design team to ensure that early learnings were not lost; these people later rotated into operating assignments. Today focused factories remain the cornerstone of Copeland’s manufacturing strategy and a continuing source of its cost and quality advantages. Whether they are demonstration projects like Copeland’s or ongoing programs like Allegheny Ludlum’s, all forms of experimentation seek the same end: moving from superficial knowledge to deep understanding. At its simplest, the distinction is between knowing how things are done and knowing why they occur. Knowing how is partial knowledge; it is rooted in norms of behavior, standards of practice, and settings of equipment. Knowing why is more fundamental: it captures underlying causeand-effect relationships and accommodates exceptions, adaptations, and unforeseen events. The ability to control temperatures and pressures to align grains of silicon and form silicon steel is an example of knowing how; understanding the chemical and physical process that produces the alignment is knowing why. Further distinctions are possible, as the insert â€Å"Stages of Knowledge† suggests. Operating knowledge can be arrayed in a hierarchy, moving from limited understanding and the ability to make few distinctions to more complete understanding in which all contingencies are anticipated and controlled. In this context, experimentation and problem solving foster learning by pushing organizations up the hierarchy, from lower to higher stages of knowledge. 3. Learning from past experience. Companies must review their successes and failures, assess them systematically, and record the lessons in a form that employers find open and accessible. One expert has called t9is process the â€Å"Santayana Review,† citing the famous philosopher George Santayana, who coined the phrase â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. † Unfortunately, too many managers today are indifferent, even hostile, to the past, and by failing to reflect on it, they let valuable knowledge escape. A study of more than 150 new products concluded that â€Å"the knowledge gained from failures [is] often instrumental in achieving subsequent successes†¦. In the simplest terms, failure is the ultimate teacher. â€Å"‘ IBM’s 360 computer series, for example, one of the most popular and profitable ever built, was based on the technology of the failed Stretch computer that preceded it. In this case, as in many others, learning occurred by chance rather than by careful planning. A few companies, however, have established processes that require their managers to periodically think about the past and learn from their mistakes. Boeing did so immediately after its difficulties with the 737 and 747 plane programs. Both planes were introduced with much fanfare and also with serious problems. To ensure that the problems were not repeated, senior managers commissioned a high-level employee group, called Project Homework, to compare the development processes of the 737 and 747 with those of the 707 and 727, two of the company’s most profitable planes. The group was asked to develop a set of â€Å"lessons learned† that could be used on future projects. After working for three years, they produced hundreds of recommendations and an inch-thick booklet. Several members of the team were then transferred to the 757 and 767 start-ups, and guided by experience, they produced the most successful, error-free launches in Boeing’s history. Other companies have used a similar retrospective approach. Like Boeing, Xerox studied its product development process, examining three troubled products in an effort to understand why the company’s new business initiatives failed so often. Arthur D. Little, the consulting company, focused on its past successes. Senior management invited ADL consultants from around the world to a two-day â€Å"jamboree,† featuring booths and presentations documenting a wide range of the company’s most successful practices, publications, and techniques. British Petroleum went even further and established the post-project appraisal unit to review major investment projects, write up case studies, and derive lessons for planners that were then incorporated into revisions of the company’s planning guidelines. A five-person unit reported to the board of directors and reviewed six projects annually. The bulk of the time was spent in the field interviewing managers. ‘ This type of review is now conducted regularly at the project level. At the heart of this approach, one expert has observed, â€Å"is a mind-set that †¦ enables companies to recognize the value of productive failure as contrasted with unproductive success. A productive failure is one that leads to insight, understanding, and thus an addition to the commonly held wisdom of the organization. An unproductive success occurs when something goes well, but nobody knows how or why. â€Å"‘ IBM’s legendary founder, Thomas Watson, Sr. , apparently understood the distinction well. Company lore has it that a young manager; after losing $10 million in a risky venture was called into Watson’s office. The young man, thoroughly intimidated, began by saying, â€Å"I guess you want my resignation. † Watson replied, â€Å"You can’t be serious. We just spent $10 million educating you. † Fortunately, the learning process need not be so expensive. Case studies and post-project reviews like those of Xerox and British Petroleum can be performed with little cost other than managers’ time. Companies can also enlist the help of faculty and students at local colleges or universities; they bring fresh perspectives and view internships and case studies as opportunities to gain experience and increase their own learning. A few companies have established computerized data banks to speed up the learning process. At Paul Revere Life Insurance, management requires all problem-solving teams to complete short registration forms describing their proposed projects if they hope to qualify for the company’s award program. The company then enters the forms into its computer system and can immediately retrieve a listing of other groups of people who have worked or are working on the topic, along with a contact person. Relevant experience is then just a telephone call away. 4. Learning from others. Of course, not all learning comes from reflection and self-analysis. Sometimes the most powerful insights come from looking outside one’s immediate environment to gain a new perspective. Enlightened managers know that even companies in completely different businesses can be fertile sources of ideas and catalysts for creative thinking. At these organizations, enthusiastic borrowing is replacing the â€Å"not invented here† syndrome. Milliken calls the process SIS, for â€Å"Steal Ideas Shamelessly†; the broader term for it is benchmarking. According to one expert, â€Å"benchmarking is an ongoing investigation and learning experience that ensures that best industry practices are uncovered, analyzed, adopted, and implemented. † The greatest benefits come from studying practices, the way that work gets done, rather than results, and from involving line managers in the process. Almost anything can be benchmarked. Xerox, the concept’s creator, has applied it to billing, warehousing, and automated manufacturing. Milliken has been even more creative: in an inspired moment, it benchmarked Xerox’s approach to benchmarking. Unfortunately, there is still considerable confusion about the requirements for successful benchmarking. Benchmarking is not â€Å"industrial tourism,† a series of ad hoc visits to companies that have received favorable publicity or won quality awards. Rather, it is a disciplined process that begins with a thorough search to identify best-practice organizations, continues with careful study of one’s own practices and performance, progresses through systematic site visits and interview and concludes with an analysis of results, development of recommendations, and implementation. While timeconsuming, the process need not be terribly expensive AT&T’s Benchmarking Group estimates that a moderate-sized project takes four to six months and incurs out-of-pocket costs of $20,000 (when personnel costs ax included, the figure is three to four times higher). Bench marking is one way of gaining an outside perspective; another, equally fertile source of ideas is customers. Conversations with customers invariably stimulate learning; they are, after all, experts in what they do. Customers can provide up-to-date product information, competitive comparisons, insights into changing preferences, and immediate feedback about service and patt ern of use. And companies need these insights at all levels, from the executive suite to the shop floor. At Motorola, members of the Operating and Policy Committee, including the CEO, meet personally and on a regular basis with customers. At Worthington Steel, all machine operators make periodic, unescorted trips to customers’ factories to discuss their needs. Sometimes customers can’t articulate their needs or remember even the most recent problems they have had with a product or service. If that’s the case, managers must observe them in action. Xerox employs a number of anthropologists at its Palo Alto Research Center to observe users of new document products in their offices. Digital Equipment has developed an interactive process called â€Å"contextual inquiry† that is used by software engineers to observe users of new technologies as they go about their work. Milliken has created â€Å"first-delivery teams† that accompany the first shipment of all products; team members follow the product through the customer’s production process to see how it is used and then develop ideas for further improvement. Whatever the source of outside ideas, learning will only occur in a receptive environment. Managers can’t be defensive and must be open to criticism or bad news. This is a difficult challenge, but it is essential for success. Companies that approach customers assuming that â€Å"we must be right, they have to be wrong† or visit other organizations certain that â€Å"they can’t  teach us anything† seldom learn very much. Learning organizations, by contrast, cultivate the art of open, attentive listening. 5. Transferring knowledge. For learning to be more than a local affair, knowledge must spread quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. Ideas carry maximum impact when they are shared broadly rather than held in a few hands. A variety of mechanisms spur this process, including written, oral, and visual reports, site visits and tours, personnel rotation programs, education and training programs, and standardization programs. Each has distinctive strengths and weaknesses. Reports and tours are by far the most popular mediums. Reports serve many purposes: they summarize findings, provide checklists of dos and don’ts, and describe important processes and events. They cover a multitude of topics, from benchmarking studies to accounting conventions to newly discovered marketing techniques. Today written reports are often supplemented by videotapes, which offer greater immediacy and fidelity. Tours are an equally popular means of transferring knowledge, especially for large, multidivisional organizations with multiple sites.

Business Organization

I started my Lawn Mowing Service as a sole proprietorship. I bought the lawn mover, edge trimmer, gasoline, and rake. I mowed neighbor’s yards. I got all the profits. If I did a bad job, or could not mow because of weather, I took a loss. I was very successful and made a lot of money and had 100 yards to tend every month. But I got tired of mowing 100 yards a month and working between 10 and 12 hour days. I needed help. I asked my parents if they would help and I would pay them half of what I made on each yard they mowed. They said: â€Å"No, we want the full amount for each yard mowed. The only way that they would be able to get the full amount is to produce their own yard service tools. If I had to provide them, I did not want to lose money for my material. We agreed to a deal that everything would be 50/50. This is when we formed a partnership. We agreed to 50/50 as they would take half the work and produce half the equipment needed. Even though it was my idea and business , 50/50 is better than no help at all and they are footing half the expenses. With this help, my business was growing faster and we were making money like crazy.With our business growing, other members of the family wanted in on the action. However, none of them wanted to actually work directly on the business as they had other jobs and did not want to work out in the heat. So, we formed a limited liability company. Each of them put up an investment, and we purchased more lawn service tools and trucks so we could easily move large mowers around town. The investment was also used to advertise the business. With having more customers now, we hired professional people what would do a great job of mowing yards and would be friendly with our customers.With having more customers, all the investors were paid back their investment and were now making a profit. At this point we were ready to expand our business to include tree service as well as landscaping. We wanted to expand so we could g et contracts with the county, city, and state to mow the grass along the highways, interstates, and county roads. To expand our business, we needed a loan. We went to the bank, but they bank said: â€Å"No. Your business is too small and you do not have any assets to cover the loan. So, we decided to form a joint-stock company and made the stockholders liable for debts. In other words, we used their houses and or vehicles as collateral. When we went back to the bank they said: â€Å"Yes, a loan is no problem. If you don't make good on the loan we'll use the collateral to repay the debt. † With the money we were ready to expand. At the last minute we decided to buy a piece of property and open up our own nursery. This now allowed our customers to come and pick out plants that they would like to see in their landscaping instead of us taking them to a competitor to purchase plants.

Market For Lemons Summary Essay

In this article, the author examines the relationship between quality and uncertainty and their implication on the theory of markets. Akerlof uses the example of the automobile market in order to illustrate the effects of uncertainty and quality on consumer behavior. In his example, Akerlof begins with the assumption that consumers have the option of either buying a new or used car. However, the consumer cannot predict whether the car that they buy is a good car or a â€Å"lemon†. Therefore, the probability of a car being good can have a probability of q while the probability of a lemon would be (1-q). This probability increases, however, as time progresses and you learn about your car. Therefore, it can be seen that the seller will have a more accurate prediction on the quality of the car as opposed to the buyer because the seller has more information on the car. The problem is that the seller is forced to sell his car at a price which disregards quality because buyers are unable to tell the difference between a good car and a lemon. Therefore, the seller is not able to receive the true value of his car and therefore forced to operate under a loss. Akerlof continues this analogy in other examples. In the insurance industry, the elderly have problems obtaining insurance due to the drastic spike in premium cost. Research has shown that as the price level rises, the people who insure themselves will be those who are increasingly certain that they will need insurance. This means that as the average medical condition of the insurered deteriorates, the price level rises, with the result that no insurance sales may take place at any price. Akerlof also uses the example of employing minorities, the cost of dishonesty, and the credit markets in underdeveloped countries to make his point. He has shown how â€Å"trust† is extremely important in any business transaction. Informal guarantees are preconditions for trade and business.

Business environment report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business environment report - Essay Example The oil and gas industry, established after the discovery oil pits near early civilisations and subsequent utilisation of the liquid, is characterised by numerous petroleum products that are because of purification processes accorded the crude oil. Petroleum is a crucial element to the economy with numerous applications across all industries, and it is, therefore, critical to maintain the supply to drive the global economy. Apart from driving the global economy, the industry provides employment chances to many workers around the world. BP plc is a major player in the oil and gas industry and is ranked fifth by market capitalisation as well as revenues. Owing to the significance of this company in the society, it is serves as a prime subject of evaluation based on performance in view various environmental factors. While focusing on environmental scanning, this paper seeks to explore the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that influence BP†™s performance. However, this paper overlooks the physical infrastructure and corporate organisation with regard to governance since these are internal aspects influenced by the institution’s service mandate. ... Governments exercise their regulatory powers in the oil and gas industry through trading policies that seek are geared to ensure sustainability of the much-depended commodity. The recent oil spill at the Gulf of Mexico involving BP asserts the role of political organs in organisations. Following this incidence, President Obama visited the site and offered to increase the work force in efforts to clean up the spill while calling for stronger oversight to avoid such incidences. Evidently, BP has been under enormous scrutiny following the incidence that caused rifts among entities calling for harsh penalties against the company and those assisting in the clean-up exercise (Kapucu 2011, p.23). It lies within the government’s responsibility to ensure that environmental accidents are avoided or responded to promptly. Similarly, the oil industry is often subject to political stability where prices fluctuate owing to harsh economic environments created. Political instability and tensi on affects the cost of production by encouraging hoarding, which creates artificial crisis in the sector. Moreover, diplomatic relations play a critical role in fostering international trade and expansion of multinational corporations. BP is placed in a unique platform that is supported by favourable political structures, which encourage foreign investment and understand the benefits realised by the endeavour. With its headquarters in the United Kingdom, compliance to the European Union’s regulation policies with regard to fuel components is key to BP’s operations. Economic Notably, prevailing economic factors play a major role in influencing the national and international economy. For this reason, it is

Special Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Special Education - Research Paper Example Special education is a very important field of study as it seeks to integrate the special needs child into the mainstream society and empower them to grow into autonomous citizens, despite their personal exceptionalities (Farrell, 2010). Essentially, special education seeks to find avenues through which to shun the victimization and discrimination against exceptional individuals in the society. This can be achieved through the enhancement of active learning and recognition of chief learning experiences for learners with special needs. The historical development of special education Special education has a history filled with challenges, breakthroughs, and disputes. According to Rotatori, Obiakor, &Bakken (2011) the period before the 16th century was characterized by inhumane treatment of people with exceptionalities. The society viewed such individuals as cursed people who had to be isolated from the conventional society. In line with this mindset, individuals with special needs were treated inhumanely and sometimes even killed to rid the society of curses. In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, there were rising philosophical campaigns on human dignity and the right of every individual to be treated equally and fairly, in spite of their exceptionalities. This period also witnessed the premier educators of special education who came up with different philosophies of educating individuals with exceptionalities

Fair Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fair Play - Essay Example 3. There was nothing wrong with Ward providing a letter of introduction if he was genuine and had interests of the organization at heart. However, the problem only arose when he sent an introduction letter on behalf of a friend. This indicates a conflict of interest where it can be seen that he wants to provide some favors to his friend. This is likely to compromise the integrity of the whole committee. Ward should not represent personal interests but should act in a professional and impartial way. The criteria for selection should be based on experience and integrity of the company not background information characterized by personal ties. 4. The CEO’s friend did nothing improper in this case. As long as they have the requisite experience to perform the task, they are also entitled to be considered for selection besides the fact that they know the CEO. As long as the principles of fairness and impartiality are taken into consideration, there is nothing wrong with the CEO’s friend being considered for the job. 5. The Ethics Oversight Committee did not operate effectively in as far as their mandate was concerned. They acted in solidarity while at the same time blocking investigations that would have unearthed certain unethical practices taking place within the committee. The committee’s major role is to ensure that ethical practices are upheld every time not to take a leading role in concealing some of the ethical practices taking place within the organization. 6. The ethics committee is not doing a great job in trying to balance the ethical breaches and the interests of the organization. By virtue of refusing to take part in the meeting that has been meant to resolve some of the issues that had emerged, it can be seen that the committee is not fully serving its purpose. This only created interests among other stakeholders since they believe that the

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Assignment

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services - Assignment Example The body is also responsible for upholding the activities of ‘Maryland’s Criminal Justice Information Repository’, ‘Criminal Injuries Compensation Board’ and the ‘Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions’ along with many other criminal related functions. The human resources play a considerable role in the operational procedure of this agency as well. The main mission of the body is to protect the public, its employees and control offenders under its supervision. The main vision of the legal body is to establish itself as the most recognized body in the nation which believes that their employees are the biggest strength and can stop any form of illegal activities. The leadership quality of DPSCS is well known all over the state for maintaining a strict form of leadership quality which helps in maintaining law and order in the country. Within the periphery of DPSCS, The Maryland Public Safety Education and Training Center (MPSE TC) is located in Sykesville in Maryland. It functions beneath the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions which is a division of DPSCS (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). ... It is a general overview of the operational and the basic safety measure of firearms, as applicable for the purchase, rental or transfer of regulated firearms. It does not allow students to pursue this training course as the law does not permit it. The institute includes staff office, class room for training the applicant, an armory for storing the firearms used during the training, weapon cleaning areas with solvent storage and a computerized shooting stimulation station. Though the institute provides no indoor range for practice however the FTF building consists of 4 pistols and one riffle range all with self-contained bullet traps (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). Drivers Training Facility (DTF): Another facility provided by the DPSCS is the facility of training drivers. The facility mainly deals in training new drivers the different rules and regulations which should be considered while driving. The institute is co-located and approximately 2 miles from the academic related institute of the agency. The institute consists of training vehicles, classrooms, fuel, automobile supplies and a DTF repair garage. The enrollment procedure for drivers training can be done online in the official website of DPSCS (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). Academic and Administrative Complex (AAC): Academic and Administrative complex controls all the administrative and most academic and training centers in this complex. The Public Safety Education and Training Center is located in the ground of Maryland Springfield State Hospital. The main aim of this department is to improve local infrastructure along with reducing the expenditure by establishing legal bodies such as Police

Analyzing Ragged Dick and comparing its depiction of status and Essay

Analyzing Ragged Dick and comparing its depiction of status and identity with that of Black Protest and the Great Migration and - Essay Example The boundaries which are created through each story show how culture is based on creating divisions within society because of stereotypes, status and ways in which relates to material goods. The first concept related to identity and status and the divisions which this creates in American society comes from the ideal of class. In each of the stories, there is a division of class which occurs, specifically between the lower, middle and higher classes. The point which is made with each of these classes shows that this is based on wealth and money, which allows any individual to change their class if they can make wealth. When these specific classes clash or the information about wealth is recognized, then it creates the division. For instance, in â€Å"Ragged Dick,† Dick is known to have lived on the streets and without a home; however, if this is disclosed to those in the middle class, which he is trying to turn to through wealth and money, then it will create division. For inst ance, when he is seen walking with Frank, there is recognition that Frank has a wealthy home while Dick has been on the streets.1 This information shows the divisions between class and how it turns from financial situations into social status. The concept of social status and the relationship to wealth is not only important in determining divisions between rich and poor. The concept of status created more divisions that were based on other stereotypes created within American society. One’s identity was furthered with divisions of color, race and the area which one was from, such as displayed in â€Å"The Great Migration†.2 This story is similar to that of Dick’s, specifically because the looks which one has and the ethnicity which they belong to create the same division. The identity then relates to the class which one belongs to. The revelation in this story is important because it defines not only divisions created in American society through race, but shows h ow society has created the boundaries of identity beginning with stereotypes of race, then leading to wealth expectations, neighborhoods which one should live in and the lifestyles which one has. Each of these attributes of division are seen with the movie â€Å"Lady and the Tramp† as a way of showing how the identity and status become a sense of conflict. The main plot of this story shows how a dog from the other side of the tracks falls in love with a mongrel from the other side of town. When looking at the division between these two, it can be seen that there are complexities with wealth, looks, race and the class divisions between the two. The boundaries are based on the identification of several attributes which are incorrect in the two being together3. This creates the central conflict in the story and shows how division is based on the superficial identities which are created in society. The differences which occurred within in society and identity, all which are divid ed according to the wealth, ethnicity and identity of an individual, come into conflict when the stereotypes of class are no longer effective. The economic, social and political concepts tie together, specifically because of the status which is held. If one has a specific social status based on wealth, then begins to change into a

It is up to you Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

It is up to you - Coursework Example The main components of syuzhet, often translated as plot or the presentation of the story, include actions, scenes and episodes and their distribution in such a way that these make sense and are interconnected, providing ease to understanding of audience. Mostly the syuzhet articulated in good films and dramas are those which describe exposition of characters, dispute, climax and ending of the story. Exposition of characters may be sometimes delayed and distributed across the whole film. Artists usually design syuzhet in such a way that it grasps attention of audience, and strengthens the gaps between cause-effect chains of a fabula. The syuzhets that provide knowledge about the characters such as family, location, profession, values, and class, among others, are usually selected. Events which seems expalinatory and communicative, are usually implied when designing syuzhet’s presentation of fabula, thereby interlinking the events seprated on a temporal or spatial scale. Provid ing details regarding main events and characters through syuzhet in a film untangle the complexity of fabula, grab the interest of audience and increase their curiosity about the end of story. Bordwell, David: Principles of narration. In: Philip Simpson ... [et al.] (eds.): Film theory: critical concepts in media and cultural studies. Vol. 2. London [etc.]: Routledge, 2004, 5. 245-267. [Ursprà ¼nglich in: David Bordwell: Narration in the fiction film. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985, 5.

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Research - Essay Example Despite the discovery, it is also vital to note the role of traditional design efforts, which focused on value rather than user feeling. Having landed in the discipline of interest provides a feeling of satisfaction to undertake various things in the field of design. My training contributes to user centred design in a number of ways. With regards to visibility, a user centred design should have a mental model that predicts significant elements such as navigation in the design. Additionally, it should offer accessibility through colour coding and organised information that allows viewers easy access. It is vital to note that my discipline plays a crucial role in initiating these factors. Moreover, legibility and language of user centred design should be appropriate. Evidently, my discipline is a key player in inducing ornamental designer fonts with rhetorical assistance; nonetheless, it ensures language used in any design remains relevant and understandable. From an aesthetic angle, the world is gradually transforming in terms of human taste and preferences. The change has left designers with a myriad of challenges on the direction to take. in response, a series of creativity initiatives have prevailed in the artistic world. Additionally, the human surrounding is continually changing with the continued development. The expansive development is taking away the aesthetic value, in the process replacing it with contemporary outlooks. These changes are driving designers to current survival techniques that constitute user centred design. Historically, the journey of design has traversed through different elements of design. It started with the reconnaissance period where designers had an upper hand in their products. They had autonomy to choose the colouring system, what to include in their design and even contextual components. It was a

A Learning Experience Essay Example for Free

A Learning Experience Essay In this content, there will be a discussion on how someone can learns how to not use drugs and what it was like for them before and after their initial use. There will be an identification of what someone would learn from using to not using. Also included in the discussion there will be a description of how someone’s learning could have occurred through classical conditioning, identifying the unconditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response, the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response. An explanation will be given in regards to how their learning could have occurred through operant conditioning, describing the behavior, consequence, and reinforcement. There will be an address of how the learning could have occurred through cognitive-social learning. Identifying the Learning Experience Let us say that someone has been doing drugs on a social basis, living a wild and carefree lifestyle. Until one day, a different way of using the drug becomes introduced. In that instance the drug is introduced, it becomes an automatic addiction. It becomes an overwhelming desire to have more to obtain that rush repeatedly. It is the loss of all control and the beginning of losing the power of life. The person frits at the thought of the drug and loses control when they cannot get a hold of it when they want it and how they want it. It becomes a part of their lifestyle and it becomes more difficult for them to lose the desire after a long period of using. It takes a power greater then themselves to quit and the help of people like them who have been clean. With the help and support of these people, the desire to use becomes less and less and the â€Å"disease of addiction,† becomes arrested. What is Learned through the Experience The long term learning experience is learning to live without the use of drugs. Living with the use of drugs causes many to live a life of unmanageability. It leads to a time in an addict’s life when they seek a place where they can receive help, therefore leading to a clean life. They no longer want to live with the obsession of using and no longer with a life of insanity. Classical Conditioning, Unconditioned Stimulus and Response, Conditioned Stimulus and Response Classical conditioning is a form of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditional stimulus capable of eliciting a given response after being repeatedly presented with an unconditioned (significant) stimulus (Oxford Reference, 2007). For example, an addict may use a pipe, cigarillos, roll up papers, or syringes (conditional stimulus) whenever an addict set out to use their preferred drug of choice. Eventually, the addict becomes craved at the presence of these items (conditional response), even when the drug was absent (unconditional stimulus). Therefore, the absence of the drug leads to the overwhelming desire to use (unconditional response). If the drugs and all the items are present and then something runs out, the conditional and unconditional stimuli occurs together and are presented at the same place, making the addict powerless. Operant Conditioning, Behavior, Consequence, Reinforcement  Operant conditioning (instrumental conditioning) is a form of learning where an individual forms an association between a particular behavioral response and a particular reinforcement (Oxford Reference, 2007). In the case of an addict, when an addict takes the first drug it may be pleasant, but then a thousand is never enough. Therefore, the cliche becomes an addict’s worst nightmare. They use to live and live to use, resulting in the disease of addiction. Once an addict realizes the more they use the more unpleasant it gets, they do not want to face the consequences of jails, institutions, or death. Therefore, they seek the help of recovering addicts, admit their powerlessness over the drug, and make a choice to come clean. As an addict attempts to come clean, they need the reinforcement of Narcotics Anonymous meetings on a daily basis. It is recommended that a newcomer attend 90 meetings in 90 days, associate themselves with other recovering addicts of the same sex, and to seek out a sponsor to work the Twelve Steps. With all these options that Narcotics Anonymous provides helps a recovering addict get well on their way to living a clean productive life. The recovering addict needs to be constantly reminded to take it a day at a time, remember that they didn’t become an addict over night, to keep going back (to meetings), and easy does it. If an addict keeps coming back, they are less likely to go out an relapse; but if they keep beating themselves up, do not change the people, places, and things around them, and continue to keep their old behaviors, they are just punishing themselves making it less likely for them to return to meetings and instead go out and use. Cognitive-Social Learning Cognitive-social learning incorporates the general concepts of conditioning, but rather than relying on a simple stimulus and response model, this theory emphasizes the interpretation or thinking that occurs within the organism, stimulus-organism-response (Carpenter-Huffman, 2010). In the case of an addict, addicts have attitudes, beliefs, expectations, motivations, and emotions that affect learning (Carpenter-Huffman, 2010). In the case of a recovering addict, these old beliefs, attitudes, false motivation and expectations, and lost emotions, being in the rooms of a Narcotics Anonymous meeting helps them to socialize with other recovering addicts and soon the newcomer is able to learn new behaviors through the observations, suggestions, and reading of literature given. In a roundabout way, the newcomer begins by imitating and sharing in meetings, gains a comfort, develops a sense of security, and becomes honest with themselves, allowing them to become honest with other recovering addicts. They learn that not one person is different from another in a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, but they are all alike, one addict reaching out to help another addict recover. Conclusion With the continued socialization and fellowshipping of Narcotics Anonymous, a recovering addict can lose the constant desire to use, find a power greater than themselves, and live a new life taking it a day at a time because any day clean is a day of success. Classical conditioning is a learned behavior that happens with or without the drugs being present. Operant conditioning is knowing that there are consequences for this learned ehavior (drug use), that results in punishment (an addict trying to recover but still having the presence of their old people, places and things resulting in relapse), and lead to a desire to have positive reinforcement (an addict entering into recovery after a life of defeat). Cognitive-social learning is coming to the realization that through participation in the Narcotics Anonymous program, it becomes easier to recover seeing that other addicts too have chosen to recover (imitating and practicing the principles, traditions, and completing the twelve steps).

Roll of Thunder Essay Example for Free

Roll of Thunder Essay Obviously the store-owner was used to not only treating blacks in this way, but in them putting up with it. However, Cassie was a high spirited young lady who, as yet, was not weighed down by the yoke of racism. The word recoiled also hints at what is to come; for it is Mr Barnett whose store is to be raided by T. J. and the Simms brother at the climax of the novel. While Cassie strives to elucidate the situation, Barnett is infuriated and shrieks whose little nigger is this! Cassie was angry and humiliated as everyone in the store turned and stared at her. Stacey appeared and held her hand. Cassie was thrilled to see her brother by her side, although when she yearned for help Stacey did not respond. Mr Barnett informed him to make sure she dont come back till yo mammy teach her what she is. He wanted Cassie to realize that she and other black people are second-class citizens; consequently deems that he has the power to treat them as he desires. Cassie was exasperated at the way Mr Barnett treats them in his store. The racial injustice makes her furious and she finds it difficult to control her tongue. Stacey angrily rushes outside with Cassie and orders her to shut up. He then crosses the street still irate to Cassies foolish act. While Cassie tries to figure out why Mr Barnett acted the way he did, she stumbles into Lillian Jean, Jeremys big sister. She tells her to apologize but Cassie exclaims that Lillian Jean had bumped into her. Subsequently, Cassie could not bother to have a quarrel with her as she had other things on her mind, so she says sorry. Lillian Jean doesnt find it adequate; she tells her to get down in the road then says maybe that way you wont be bumping into decent white folks with your little nasty self. This statement to Cassie discriminates and shows her how disgusting white racists the Simmss really are. Lillian Jeans father arrives, grabs Cassie by the arm and throws her into the middle of the street. He forces her to make an apology, but Cassie sprints directly for the wagon. Unexpectedly, Big Ma appears and stops her. She wrathfully urges her to apologize to Lillian Jean. Cassie was disorientated to why Big Ma didnt support her when she was in need for her help. Big Ma has a more complicated way of dealing with racism. However, she is an old woman and she had little choice. If Big Ma were to refuse, she knew that they would have to face the consequences, therefore she forced Cassie to act contritely. Crushed and heartbroken, she apologizes to Lillian Jean. Then turns round and runs into the back of the wagon. A day that began full of expectations went from bad to worse. Cassies silence on the return journey home is a reflection of the hurt and humiliation she had suffered. Cassies first real taste of racism had totally subdued this normally impulsive and lively nine-year-old. Cassie is an enthusiastic girl trapped in an inhumane and disgraceful racial system. Along with her brothers, Cassie is learning the hard way about racism prevalent in the deep south of the United States at that time. She cannot comprehend as to why people of her skin colour have to back down in the face of whites, even when they have done nothing wrong. This is even more incomprehensible as Big Ma is a very strong character who Cassie admires greatly. Apologising to Lillian Jean is mortification that the headstrong Cassie finds almost impossible to bear. She is not the sort of girl to forget what has happened and later in the novel, it is no surprise that she is able to avenge her current humiliation. There is a certain amount of irony in the name Strawberry which for Cassie left rather a bitter taste in the mouth. She has learnt from hard experience that things arent always what they seem. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Relationship Between Nubia and Egypt

Relationship Between Nubia and Egypt Art 327: Egyptian Art Dr. Sara Orel November 20, 2014 Throughout the history of ancient Egypt, Egypt had been in contact with numerous cultures near and far from their home. Each of those cultures provided some sort of contact and relationship; whether that was political or economic or even as an enemy. One culture in particular, Nubia (later known as the Kushites with the development of the Kingdom of Kush) had been in contact and had a relationship with Egypt since as early as the first century B.C. The term ‘Nubia’ is defined as a geographic region located in the northeast corner of Africa. It straddles the Nile River and is sometimes referred to in two parts, according to the flow of the river, Lower Nubia in the North and Upper Nubia in the South.[1] For upper Nubia, the most common term was Kush. Kush was located in what is now known as Nubia, near the third cataract in ancient times. The relationship between Egypt and Nubia as stated in the beginning was mainly trade and at times dealt with military aspects. However, as time progressed the relationship became more complex. It had changed depending on the political and economic climate of the time. To the Egyptians, the Nubians represented a trading partner, an enemy, a military asset, a conquered colony, and at times a conqueror. The beginning contact or relationship was not as complex as the end. The Nubians relied on their northern neighbor for some time. However towards the twentieth century that relationship soon changed. Egypt had control over Nubia for nearly five-hundred years. However, towards the twentieth century Egypt lost control due to the decline of the Egyptian government at the end of Ramses II. That lost control would be devastating to Egypt due to the gold deposits found in Nubia and opened up the door for Libyans to take control. However, it would give chance to Nubia to make a stance and take control themselves. The relationship between Egypt and Nubia changed drastically in the years from 750-730 BC when the Kingdom of Kush and the Nubian prince, Piankhy (also known as Piye) pushed northward to capture Egypt from Libyan control and establish their capital at Thebes. Just as a note, King Piankhy of Dynasty XXV reigned in Nubia for nearly thirty-one years (747-716 BC). We have archaeological evidence pointing to this through a large granite stela known as the ‘Victory Stela of Piy’ found in 1862 at Gebel Barkal in the Temple of Amun at Napata.[2] The stela measures 1.80 meters by 1.84 meters. It is inscribed on all four sides, with a total of 159 lines of hieroglyphs.[3] It now currently resides in the Cairo Museum. The relief at the top shows Amun enthroned on the left with Mut standing behind him and Piankhy before him. It is a narration of Piye’s conquest of all of Egypt. [4] It is much like the New Kingdom Annals of Thutmosis III in factualness but is much more vivid. It paints the portrait of a Nubian king who was â€Å"forceful, shrewd, and generous†.[5] â€Å"Hear what I did, exceeding the ancestors, I the King, image of god, Living likeness of Atum! Who left the womb marked as ruler, Feared by those greater than he! His father knew, he mother perceived: He would be ruler from the egg, The Good God, beloved of gods, The son of Re, who acts with his arms, Piye beloved-of-Amun.†[6] Piye always meant to rule Egypt but he had preferred treaties over warfare, unlike his later adversary the Assyrians. It states that he was extremely pious and especially devoted to Amun. Egyptians rather welcomed the Nubian prince, preferring him over the Libyans, scholars attest this to the cultural similarities between Egypt and Nubia and also the physical similarities as well. The Nubians ruled from Nubia to as far as the Delta, they portrayed themselves not with the Egyptian crown with one cobra uraeus but with two cobras. Nubian rule over Egypt was short lived, lasting less than a hundred years. The end came with an attack by the Assyrians, pushing them further south and relocating their capital from Thebes to Meroe. The Nubian rule was succeeded by a vigorous Egyptian dynasty coming from Sais in the XXVI dynasty. During this time the Egypt was rebuilt as a strong centralized and prosperous state.[7] The relations with Nubia at this time were at first peaceful, but in 592 BC, Psamtik II attacked Nubia and claimed a victory. However, he did not gain control. What prompted this attack is still not known, but is recorded on the ‘Victory Stela of King Psamtik II’ and is viewed by many as an act of revenge when Nubia controlled Egypt. â€Å"The troops your majesty sent to Nubia have reached the hill-country of Pnubs. It is a land lacking a battlefield, a place lacking horses. The Nubians of every hill-country rose up against him, their hearts full of rage against him. His attack took place, and it was misery for the rebels. His majesty has done a fighter’s work.† [8] The relationship between Nubia and Egypt remained strained with the Saite power in Egypt but improved in the Ptolemaic period with the Meroitic Kingdom. There were, as usual, times of trouble between the two nations during this period. There was one occasion were the Meroites invaded Egypt in the upper kingdom. However, trade between Egypt and Nubia appeared to have increased considerably. [9] The wealth and stimulation from this trade helped initiate a cultural renaissance in the Meroitic heartland with the border remaining near Maharraqa in the middle of Lower Nubia.[10] The cooperation between the two is symbolized in the temples at Dakka and Philae. As time went on, the relationship between the two continued until around 350 AD when the Axumite Kingdom attacked and completely destroyed the Meroe Kingdom. After this time Nubia became a Christian nation. From the beginning contact to the end, the relationship between Nubia and Egypt was very complex. The contact and relationship between the two always seemed to go back and forth from a peaceful relationship to one with hostility. However complex their relationship was, Egypt and Nubia both developed through political, economic, and cultural means depending on who held power at the time. It is no secret that Nubia played an important, however brief, in Egyptian history. What we know of them largely comes from the texts and inscriptions from Egyptians. However, with excavations still being pursued in Nubia there is still much to be discovered. Works Cited BBC. The Story of Africa: Nile Valley. 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section3.shtml accessed November 15, 2014. Harkless, Necia Desiree. Nubian Pharaohs and Meroitic Kings: The Kingdom of Kush. Bloomington: Author House, 2006 Lacovara, Majorie Fisher and Peter. Ancient Nubia: African Kingdom on the Nile. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2012. Lichtheim, Miriam. Ancient Egyptian Literature: The Late Period. Vol. 3. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1980. Redford, Donald B. From Slave to Pharaoh: The Black Experience of Ancient Egypt. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Shubert, Steven Blake. Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient. Edited by Kathryn A. Bard. London: Routledge, 2005. Smith, Stuart Tyson. Wretched Kush: Ethnic Identities and Boundaries in Egypts Nubian Empire. London: Routledge, 2003. Trigger, Bruce G. New Light on the History of Lower Nubia. Anthropologica (Canadian Anthropology Society) 10, no. 1 (1968): 81-106. Accessed 13 November 2014. url http://www.jstor.org/stable/25604760. [1] Majorie Fisher and Peter Lacovara, Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile, (Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press) 5. [2] Donald B. Redford, From Slave to Pharaoh: The Black Experience of Ancient Egypt, (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press) 101. [3] Ibid, 101. [4] Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, v.3, (Los Angeles: University of California Press) 66. [5] Ibid, 66. [6] Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, v.3, (Los Angeles: University of California Press) 68. [7] Ibid, 66. [8] Ibid, 85. [9] Bruce G. Trigger, â€Å"New Light on the History of Lower Nubia†, Anthropologica (1968): 95, access 15 November 2014, url: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25604760. [10] Ibid, 95.

Teen Alcohol Abuse Essay -- essays research papers

Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems. They also affect many teens between the ages of 12 and 18, even though drinking under the age of 19 is illegal. The topic of alcohol first came up when I was in grade 8 and became even more popular in high school. In high school alcohol was more readily available thanks to absent-minded parents who didn’t hide their alcohol and older students willing to make some quick cash by selling to minors. While some parents may feel relieved that their teen is â€Å"only† drinking, it is important to remember that alcohol is a powerful, mood-altering drug. Not only does alcohol affect the mind and body in unpredictable ways, but teens lack the judgment and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely. Some teenagers are brought up with the attitude that drinking is pure evil. But most of the time this just causes rebellious behavior and makes them want to try it even more, and once they try it they could possibly get addicted. According to associate professor Deborah Deas and assistant professor Suzanne Thomas from the Medical University of South Carolina, more senior high school students use alcohol than any other drug. Once a teenager gets completely smashed they are likely to do it again. Why? Well they will tell you that it’s fun, unless of course they had a really bad experience while drunk. The teens that do have fun will most likely continue drinking. Some teens will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency, possibly moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others. Sometimes drinking once a week can lead to 4 times a week or more, as I have witnessed wi... ...anti-social personality disorder. These problems can make a person very addicted to drinking because they already have an imbalance of chemicals in their brain. This is especially true for teens because they are still developing and are prone to chemical imbalances. Teens should realize that drinking does not make them cool or help them fit in. Alcohol use is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including increased risk of serious drug use later in life, school failure, and poor judgment puts teens at risk for accidents, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide. So what can be done The message is clear: The longer children and teens delay alcohol use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated with it. That’s why it is so important for parents to inform their children about alcohol and to discuss the topic frequently.

Choosing a Major Essay -- University College Education Essays

Choosing a Major Some people already know by the age of seven that they want to become a pilot or nurse; others, however, have more difficulties deciding what to do with their future. People who decided to go to a university or college have to make an important choice: what major are they going into? For many people this is a very difficult question. As the statistics show, one out of five students change their major between admission and the first day of classes. Nearly three out of four students change majors at least twice before they graduate. And three out of four college students express uncertainly about their major. These striking results raised some questions for me. Is it really necessary to choose a major? What influence has the choice of a specific major on the student and his or her education? What are the opportunities for the future? And how can these students be helped? Since I am still having trouble choosing a major myself, I decided to do some research on this topic and I hope it w ill help you a little bit to make the right choice. Before you start to think about a major, you might ask yourself why you should choose a major in the first place. There are several answers to this question. The first one is very simple: choosing a major is required by the university. Every college will request you to select an area of concentration, usually called a major. Each major has a set of requirements: number of courses, electives, and comprehensive examination. The general goal is to require the exploration and understanding of a body of material and of the techniques needed for mastery of that material. This is the university’s view on the requirement of a major. However, there are some other perspectives on t... ...y you have enthusiasm for and do well in,† is advice often given by employers. Lynn Cheney, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, agrees: â€Å"Students who follow their hearts in choosing majors will most likely end up laboring at what they love. They’re the ones who will put in the long hours and intense effort that achievement requires. And they’re the ones who will find the sense of purpose that underlies most human happiness.† Indeed, a major is required, but it will also influence your education and the perspective from which you will view the world around you. You don’t have to worry too much about your job opportunities, so choose a major you like. It will not only make your education more enjoyable, so you can get the best out of it, but it will also provide you with a more positive view of the world and make your life more pleasant.

Creon As The Tragic Hero Of Antigone by Sophocles Essay -- Greek Sopho

Creon As The Tragic Hero Of Antigone by Sophocles Greek tragedy would not be complete with out a tragic hero. Sophocles wrote Antigone with a specific character in mind for this part. Based on Aristotle’s definition, Creon is the tragic hero of Antigone. Creon fits Aristotle’s tragic hero traits as a significant person who is faced with difficult decisions. Creon is significant because he is king. This makes him both renowned and prosperous. Creon is not completely good nor completely bad; he is somewhere in-between, as humans are. The audience can relate to this and they admire his qualities of intelligence in political affairs. They can also relate to his ability to make hard decisions with apparent ease. These hard decisions are what lead Creon to fit Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Creon faces decisions that lead to a no-win situation, with confidence, and he makes the best decision he can, based on his beliefs. He believes that Polyneices should not be buried because he was a traitor to his family. This decision affected Antigone greatly, and Creon knew that the decision would be hard on some people. Family and burials are very important in society, and Creon is asking Antigone to not consider them, to onl y consider that Polyneices was a traitor to his home city. Creon is then faced with the knowledge that Antigone went against his will and law, and buried her brother. Again, Creon is faced with a hard decision. He must choose to kill his own family memb...

Computer Graphics and Visualization

Visualization is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualization through visual imagery has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of man. Examples from history include cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek geometry, and Leonardo da Vinci's revolutionary methods of technical drawing for engineering and scientific purposes. Visualization today has ever-expanding applications in science, education, engineering (e. g. roduct visualization), interactive multimedia, medicine, etc. Typical of a visualization application is the field of computer graphics. The invention of computer graphics may be the most important development in visualization since the invention of central perspective in the Renaissance period. The development of animation also helped advance visualization The use of visualization to present information is not a new phenomenon. It has been used in maps, scientific drawings, and data plots for over a thousand years. Examples from cartography include Ptolemy's Geographia (2nd Century AD), a map of China (1137 AD), and Minard's map (1861) of Napoleon's invasion of Russia half a century earlier. Most of the concepts learned in devising these images carry over in a straight forward manner to computer visualization. Edward Tufte has written two critically acclaimed books that explain many of these principles. Computer graphics has from its beginning been used to study scientific problems. However, in its early days the lack of graphics power often limited its usefulness. The recent emphasis on visualization started in 1987 with the special issue of Computer Graphics on Visualization in Scientific Computing. Since then there have been several conferences and workshops, co-sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society and ACM SIGGRAPH, devoted to the general topic, and special areas in the field, for example volume visualization. Most people are familiar with the digital animations produced to present meteorological data during weather reports on television, though few can distinguish between those models of reality and the satellite photos that are also shown on such programs. TV also offers scientific visualizations when it shows computer drawn and animated reconstructions of road or airplane accidents. Some of the most popular examples of scientific visualizations are computer-generated images that show real spacecraft in action, out in the void far beyond Earth, or on other planets. Dynamic forms of visualization, such as educational animation or timelines, have the potential to enhance learning about systems that change over time. Apart from the distinction between interactive visualizations and animation, the most useful categorization is probably between abstract and model-based scientific visualizations. The abstract visualizations show completely conceptual constructs in 2D or 3D. These generated shapes are completely arbitrary. The model-based visualizations either place overlays of data on real or digitally constructed images of reality, or they make a digital construction of a real object directly from the scientific data. Scientific visualization is usually done with specialized software, though there are a few exceptions, noted below. Some of these specialized programs have been released as Open source software, having very often its origins in universities, within an academic environment where sharing software tools and giving access to the source code is common. There are also many proprietary software packages of scientific visualization tools. Models and frameworks for building visualizations include the data flow models popularized by systems such as AVS, IRIS Explorer, and VTK toolkit, and data state models in spreadsheet systems such as the Spreadsheet for Visualization and Spreadsheet for Images

ID System

As computer technology changes in such a fast phase, many business firms and institutions try to cope up by upgrading computer system constantly in order to stay competitive. There is no doubt that computer is a must asset in all professions, because it offers more efficient way to process transactions. There are still institutions that use manual processing on their transactions and their system are not yet improved. Through this, it is inevitable to commit errors, troubles and it is time consuming.Access Computer College is a private school and has seven branches that are located in Metro Manila. It was established in 1981 and owned by Mr. Romeo T. Karate. Students, professors and staffs of these schools particularly in Cabaret branch are just using an ordinary ID card in entering and exiting the school campus. As long as an ID is worn, it is valid for the entry that is why outsiders are hardly identified. The school doesn’t have an organized and secure ID system that can ma ke everyone’s life easy and convenient to avoid the occurrence of problems in their transactions.So the proponents decided to propose an ID system with SMS notification and ID scanner to provide a better way of dealing with transactions like information and security purposes. This study is descriptive  and explanatory research endeavor. It seeks to inform the reader about the benefits and advantages of having more convenient and systematic ID system because indeed, high technology and security is related to each other.Having convenience in all task performed in daily living is very helpful using high technology equipment. The proponents will introduce a type of security system that will help a lot in terms of identifying and verifying students, faculties and staffs using the barcode scanner. Student’s ID card is a gate pass with a network-based system that will monitor the time in and out of the student inside the campus and directly send information to their parents /guardian. This system is about security and information that is stored in a database needed for future references.Conceptual framework Conceptual Framework is the clarification of all the activities and process of the entire ID system. This study used the System Development Life Process define as a logical process used by a system analyst to develop an information system, including requirements, validation, training, and user. The SDLP is originated by Elliott & Strachan & Radford (2004), The System Development LifeProcess used by the proponents to show the process of the entire development of the system.Figure 1.1 System Development Life Process of Access Computer CollegeThe importance of this study is to develop an ID system for Access Computer College. In the stage of Identifying the Problem, the proponents gathered information about the particular problem encountered by students and staffs of the school.In the stage of Planning, the proponents carefully analyzed the possible ex planation that will help to solve the identified problem of school in their current system. The proponents made some interviews on some students and staff about the problems they encountered.In the next process which is the designing, the proponents visualize or conceptualize a good interface that is suitable for the institution’s name and profile. In the stage of system development the proponents began to code using the Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 as programming language and Microsoft Access Key as Database.In the situation of system testing, the proponents try the system to identify some errors or inconsistency of it and if there are some inconsistencies, the proponents will debug or code the system. The proponents conducted the intensive testing program and updating to prevent errors and viruses and to assure that the system will not cause any malfunctions and inconsistency. Next stage is system evaluation, the proponents gathered feedbacks and comments from the user of th e system. The next is the system implementation where in the proponents will implement the system to the said school. The last stage is the system maintenance. The system will be under a warranty services, the warranty covers system consultation, system tutorials, system check up and debugging for possible and encountered errors. System enhancement will not be covered by the system warranty.Statement of the Problem The ID system study is created for the security and information for Access Computer College, Zabarte Branch. The study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the common situations usually encountered in using the current system of Access Computer College? 2. How can this ID system improve the security and information of students and staff of the school? 3. Is there any significant difference between existing system and the proposed system in terms of:Accuracy Accessibility Efficiency Security SpeedScope and Limitation This part tells the capability and limi tation of the program which the proponent will need to develop. Scope Log in modules can be used by Admin and/or authorized personnel. Searching files/records of students, professors and staffs are in order. Adding files/records will be done by a designated person only. Saving of files and records can be done according to the information. Only the Admin has the authorization to add, change, and delete the students’, professors’ and his/her accounts. The two command buttons; edit button and delete button will be enabled if the verification code is right. The system is using USB Modem as its gateway for sending mesagesLimitationLog in modules cannot be used by authorized person. The SMS notification is only applicable to the students. Significance of the Study 1. Students2. Professors This kind of system can now solve their problems in terms of dealing transactions and will achieve a safe learning environment, efficiency, security and accessibility of information. In add ition, this can help them fasten and lessen their work in every transaction.3. Proponents The study finds the proponent’s behavior in creativity of being a programmer. It is valuable because this will widen their knowledge and skills in programming and will encourage them to learn more about computer field.4. Access Computer College This will be a great advantage because Access Computer College will be known for its good education with regards in creating a program.Definition of Terms For better understanding of the readers, the following terms are defined: Accuracy – the ability of the system to be prà ©cised on its records and avoid errors. Database – Is an application that manages data and allows fast storage and retrieval of that data (en.wikipedia.org). Database helps the system to have a security in terms of storing information about a particular product or people. Efficiency – the ability of the system to achieve the desired result without wasted energy and effort. System – is a collection of automated transaction system (Microsoft EncartaDictionary, 2007).In this study, system refers to the Integrated Security with SMS Notification and Scanner for Access Computer College. Transaction – An agreement between a buyer and a seller to exchange an asset for payment (Webster Dictionary, William Collins, World Publishing Company Inc., 1990),the process of exchanging payments between the payment staff and the trainees. In this study, it is interaction between the students, professors and staffs having a transaction.CHAPTER IIMethod of Research Methodology includes the data gathering, Brainstorming, questionnaire, interviews, statistical treatment and testing activities.Data Gathering The following gathering data tools were used in this study. (1) Observation the existing traditional ID system to have a better understanding about it. The proponent observed how the old ID system works. (2) Interview was used to collect a fact regarding the current system to have a better idea on how ir works. (3) Research method was used by the proponents search and gather data that will support this study. We used internet and collected data from the library materials such as books and other thesis that will help guide us through the course of this study.Brainstorming This techniques of generating ideas during group meeting participants are encourage to generate any ideas, feasible in a short time period which any analysis until all ideas have been exhausted. Proponent talk about the  problem that encountered in Access Computer Colloge in their current system. Proponent gives ideas on haw to solve the problem.Questionnaire A set of prepared questions used in data system.Interviews The proponent conducts an interview by using both verbal and written for asking questions.

Last Product Purchased Essay

Think for a moment about the last product you purchased. What was the product? What is the brand name of the product? How would you describe the customer for this product? What is the product’s closest brand competitor? Explain why you chose this brand rather than the competitor’s brand. How did the marketing for the product influence your purchase? The last product I purchased was my new car. It is a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The customer for this product would be a young adult to middle aged adult. The customer for this car wants a car that is smaller in size but one that also has plenty of room for at least 4 people. The closest brand to this car would be, in my opinion, the Pontiac G8. When I purchased my Malibu I went to test drive the G8. It was a 2011 and had only a few miles on it. It was traded in for a different car because the car was too small for the current owner. I loved the G8 and it was everything I wanted. It was only a couple thousand dollars less than the Malibu and the Malibu was brand new with only 20 miles on it. My husband is the one who really liked the Malibu and talked me into test driving it. Needless to say that is the car I choose. I chose this particular car because with the FREE extended warranty and the rebates on this car it turned out to be a cheaper car than the G8 but also a better car. Honestly the marketing on this car did not influence my opinion at all. I never thought about this specific car until at the dealership that day. When I purchased this car Chevrolet has awesome rebates and interest on their new vehicles. After my purchase I stared seeing, or paying attention, to the commercials on this car and I am positive I made the right decision. If I would have paid attention to the commercials on this car it would have been the car I chose anyway.

Hamlet’s Psychological Aspect Essay

I decided to do this research work because I have enjoyed a lot reading this play: Hamlet. The inner motivations and psyche of this character have captured my attention. Therefore, the aim of this research is to depict Hamlet’s attitudes during the play. I will try to approach to his real feelings on life and death taking into consideration what critics and researchers have said about Hamlet. In order to clarify Hamlet’s personality and behaviour, I will provide some aspects of the historical context in which Shakespeare was inspired to write this play, and a brief summary of it to take into account the plot. Finally, I will make a conclusion in which I will try to summarise the most important impressions of this research. Historical Context of the play Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, who had been the queen of England more than forty years. As she had no children the question of who would succeed her was a situation that provoked anxiety at that time. Due to this fact, researchers agree that many of Shakespeare’s plays from this period concern transfers of power from one monarch to the next. Another important issue dealt with in his plays is the general sense of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, betrayal and revenge. For instance, Hamlet displays all the themes mentioned above. Shakespeare was able to sum up the most impotant values of the Renaissance. Cultural phenomenon that began in the fifteenth-century and proclaimed the humanism: a new thought that revalued the social and popular aspect of life. People who belonged to the Renaissance period claimed that human beings lived in a world of appearances, in which they tried to hide their realities, that is to say, their deepest desires and what they actually were. Hamlet had to face one of the most difficult realities: injustice. A task that presents a dilemma to him: â€Å"to be or not to be†. While pointing out questions that cannot be answered, the play as a whole chiefly demonstrates the difficulty of knowing the truth about other people: who are guilty or innocent, which their motivations and feelings are. Brief Summary of the play Shakespeare begins the play with the death of the King of Denmark and the possession of the throne by the King’s brother Claudius, instead of the King’s son, that is to say the prince Hamlet, who was supposed to be the next in line. What is more, the new king Claudius suddenly married Gertrude, the dead king’s widow. Thus, the prince Hamlet got depressed by the unexpected situation. One night, Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost to tell Hamlet that he had been murdered by his own brother Claudius, that is to say, Hamlet ´s uncle. In his anger, Hamlet decides to fulfill his father’s request, which is to avenge his death. In order to confirm what the ghost has said, Hamlet organizes a play in which he represents the assessination scene. While the play is being performed, Claudius stands up and goes out feeling guilty. At the moment, Hamlet confirms the truth and discusses the situation with his mother. As Hamlet notices that someone is spying on them behind the curtains, he stabs his sword without checking who this person is. As a result, he kills Polonius, Claudius’s chief councillor. When Ophelia, Polonius ´s daughter, is informed about her father’s death she reacts with madness and eventually falls in a stream and drowns. After that, Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, is told that Hamlet is involved in Polonius’s death and Ophelia’s madness. Therefore, he wants to avenge his father’s and sister’s death trying to eliminate Hamlet. As Claudius promised Laertes to help him with the revenge, they plan to kill Hamlet as if by accident with a poisoned sword in a fencing match. Claudius also plans to offer Hamlet a poisoned drink during the fight. When the fencing contest begins, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink before Caludius can stop her and she dies. Hamlet turns away and Laertes wounds him with the poisoned sword, but Hamlet goes on fighting. During the struggle, they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes, who confesses the plan telling Hamlet that he is also sure to die from the effect of the poison. After hearing the truth, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the poison, too. Finally, while Hamlet is dying by the effect of the poison, he orders one of his friends called Horatio to tell the terrible story of the happening to everyone.