Platinum Essays (896 words) - Chemical Elements, Transition Metals

Platinum I am a silvery metal that is as resistant to corrosion and tarnishing as gold. I am almost as rare and consequently am the likewise highly valued and used in Jewelry. I am also used in chemicals industry as a catalyst, in medicine as an anti-cancer drug, and in catalytic converters for car exhausts. I have an atomic number ok 78, my atomic weight is 195.09 (when rounded 195) and a symbol of Pt. Who am I? I'm platinum of coarse! Platinum is a member of the six transition elements in Group VIII of the periodic table known collectively as the platinum metals (ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum). The name is derived from the Spanish platina, meaning, silver. The element was discovered in South America independently by Antonio de Ulloa in 1735 and by N. Wood in 1741, but it had been in use by pre-Columbian Indians. The platinum metals are extremely rare elements; platinum itself is the most common, with an abundance in the Earth's crust of about a millionth of 1 percent, whereas the others of the group have abundance's of about one ten-millionth of 1 percent. Platinum occurs in nature as the pure metal and also in alloys with other metals of the group, principally in the alluvial deposits of the Ural Mountains, of Columbia, and of some parts of the western United States. In addition the element occurs in the mineral sperrylite and in the nickel-bearing deposits of Ontario in Canada. The large-scale production of nickel makes it feasible to recover the small amounts of platinum (only 1 part of platinum to 2 million parts of ore). The recovery of the individual platinum metals from the natural alloys is a complex process that depends upon the distinct properties of the individual elements, even though all members of the group are generally similar in their chemical behavior and are quite unreacti ve. For example, when the natural alloy of platinum, palladium, osmium, and rhodium is digested with aqua regia, the palladium and platinum dissolve and are extracted as a solution of chloropalladic acid and chloroplatinic acid. Platinum is then precipitated from this solution as ammonium chloroplatinate. Platinum is an attractive silvery white metal with a melting point of 1,774 deg C, a boiling point of 3,827 deg C and a density of 21.45 g/cu cm at room temperature. It has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of soda-lime-silica glass and is consequently used to make sealed electrodes in soft-glass systems. The predominant oxidation states of platinum are +2 and +4. Platinum is chemically inert and will not oxidize in air at any temperature. It is resistant to acids and is not attacked by any single mineral acid but dissolves readily in aqua regia. The metal is rapidly attacked by fused alkali oxides and by peroxides and will react with fluorine and, at red heat, with chlorine. On heating, platinum combines directly with elemental phosphorus, silicon, lead, arsenic, antimony, sulfur, and selenium, a fact that influences the use of platinum laboratory equipment. In keeping with the other members of the platinum group, the metal shows a fairly strong tendency to form complex ions. The most common Pt (II) complexes have square planar structures and are diamagnetic. Because of its inertness and attractive appearance, one of the major uses of platinum is in the manufacture of jewelry. Gold-platinum alloys, referred to as white gold, are widely used in dentistry and in the making of jewelry. Platinum and its alloys are used in the manufacture of crucibles and evaporating dishes for chemical analyses. Other applications include the formation of thermocouple wires, electrical contacts, corrosion-resistant apparatus, and the manufacture of platinum resistance thermometers used in the temperature control of furnaces. The alloy, consisting of 76.7% platinum and 23.3% cobalt by weight, forms an extremely powerful magnet. More recent applications of the metal involve the coating of missile cones and jet-engine fuel nozzles. Along with palladium, the metal absorbs large volumes of hydrogen, retaining it at ordinary temperatures but desorbing it at red heat. The fact that the absorbed hydrogen is extremely reactive suggests that it is present either as atomic hydrogen or as a very reactive platinum-hydrogen compound or complex. In finely divided form platinum

Profile and Common Characteristics of a Pedophile

Profile and Common Characteristics of a Pedophile Pedophilia  is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent is sexually attracted to young children. Pedophiles can be anyone- old or young, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, non-professional or professional, and of any race. However, pedophiles often demonstrate similar characteristics. These are merely indicators and it should not be assumed that individuals with these characteristics are pedophiles. But knowledge of these characteristics coupled with questionable behavior can be used as an alert that someone may be a pedophile. Profile and Behavior Often male and over 30 years of age.Single or with few friends in his age group.Some  have mental illness, such as a mood or personality disorder.If married, the relationship is more companion based with no sexual relations in the early stages.Vague about time gaps in employment which may indicate a loss in employment for questionable reasons or possible past incarceration.Often talk to or treat children like adults. Interests and Hobbies Often fascinated with children and child activities, appearing to prefer those activities to adult oriented activities.Often refer to children in pure or angelic terms using descriptive words like innocent, heavenly, divine, pure, and other words that describe children but seem inappropriate and exaggerated.Hobbies are childlike, such as collecting popular expensive toys, keeping reptiles or exotic pets, or building plane and car models. Specific Age Targets Specific age of child they target; some prefer younger children, some older.Often his environment or a special room will be decorated in child-like decor and will appeal to the age and sex of the child he is trying to entice.Often prefer children close to puberty who are sexually inexperienced, but curious about sex. Relationships In most cases, the pedophile  turns out to be someone known to the child through school or another activity, such as a neighbor, teacher, coach, member of the clergy, music instructor, or babysitter. Family members like mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, stepparents, and so on may also be sexual predators. Employment The pedophile will often be employed in a position that involves daily contact with children. If not employed, he will put himself in a position to do volunteer work with children, often in a supervisory capacity such as sports coaching, contact-sport instruction, unsupervised tutoring or a position where he has the opportunity to spend unsupervised time with a child. The pedophile often seeks out shy, handicapped, and withdrawn children, or those who come from troubled homes or underprivileged homes. He then showers them with attention, gifts, taunting them with trips to desirable places like amusement parks, zoos, concerts, the beach, and other such places. Pedophiles work to master their manipulative skills and often unleash them on troubled children by first becoming their friend, building the childs self-esteem. They may refer to the child as special or mature, appealing to their need to be heard and understood, to then entice them with adult activities with sexual content like x-rated movies or pictures. Grooming like this often goes along with consumption of alcohol or drugs to hamper the ability to resist or recall events that occurred. Minor children cannot consent, and sex without consent is rape. Stockholm Syndrome It is not unusual for the child to develop feelings for the predator and desire their approval and continued acceptance. They will compromise their innate ability to decipher good and bad behavior, ultimately justifying the criminals bad behavior out of sympathy and concern for the adults welfare. This is often compared to Stockholm Syndrome- when victims become attached emotionally to their captors. Friendship With Parents Many times pedophiles will develop a close relationship with a single parent in order to get close to their children. Once inside the home, they have many opportunities to manipulate the children- using guilt, fear, and love to confuse the child. If the childs parent works, it offers the pedophile the private time needed to abuse the child. Fighting Back Pedophiles work hard at stalking their targets and will patiently work to develop relationships with them. It is not uncommon for them to be developing a long list of potential victims at any one time. Many of them believe that what they are doing is not wrong and that having sex with a child is actually healthy for the child. Almost all pedophiles have a collection of pornography, which they protect at all costs. Many of them also collect souvenirs from their victims. They rarely discard either their porn or collections for any reason. One factor that works against the pedophile is that eventually the children will grow up and recall the events that occurred. Often pedophiles are not brought to justice until such time occurs and victims are angered by being victimized and want to protect other children from the same consequences. Laws such as Megans Law- a federal law passed in 1996 that authorizes local law enforcement agencies to notify the public about convicted sex offenders living, working or visiting their communities, have helped expose the pedophile and allows parents to better protect their children.

Problem Solving Approach to Patient Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Problem Solving Approach to Patient Care - Essay Example Jones since it is holistic and is concerned with how disease progress alters the activities of daily living of the patient. Upon applying the RLT model on Mr. Jones, three problems have been identified: eating/ drinking, mobilization, and death and dying. The nursing model will be implemented for the preparation of the nursing care plan since it is not only a holistic mode, it is also flexible, accessible, and hence can be modeled to suit the specific needs of the client. Respect of Mr. Jones and his preference in care and partnership with other health practitioners will be inculcated in this assignment. At the end of the assignment, care accorded to Mr. Jones with the help of the RTP model will be evaluated and a reflection of my nursing management delineated (Agleton & Chalmers, 2000, p. 10). Nursing models overview Nursing models serve as the foundation of nursing activities since they outline the professional interaction that takes place between a nurse and the patient. Prior to the use of nursing models, nursing was anchored on the medical model. According to this model, the patient gets ill as a result of pathology, once the pathology is detected; treatment modalities are channeled towards eliminating the pathology. It was a mechanized form of managing the patient since it did not take into consideration the other aspects of a patient that may be causing the illness; it did not provide holistic care to the patient. Nursing models are not delicate opinions of nurses, but they are the values, knowledge and ideas that nurses inculcate while taking care of the patients. They are developed following years of practice hence enhancing the validity and reliability of nursing models. They act as a guide in the management of patient, and above all, nursing models are patient centered. This is since they inculcate the nature of the individual, the causes of his problems; the diagnosis arrived at as a result of assessment, the interventions, and assessment of interve ntions. It is important to determine the nursing model that will be used in the management of a patient so as to have a guideline that aids in optimal care of the patient (Aggleton & Chalmers, 2000, p. 10). The Roper-Logan-Tierney (RLT) model The nursing model chosen to manage Mr. Jones is the Roper- Logan- Tierney model. This is a nursing model that has also been described as the human needs model or the activities of daily living model. This model was chosen in the management of Mr. Jones since it is a holistic model. This is since it focuses on the 12 activities of living and assessment how the illness has affected these activities hence identifying the cause. Priorities are then arrived out aimed at eliminating the cause and hence restoring the health of the patient. The activities are outlined as maintaining a safe environment, communication, eating/drinking, elimination, controlling temperature of the body, play and work, mobilization, personal hygiene, sexuality, sleeping, an d death and dying of the patient (Roper, Logan, & Tierney, 2000, p. 20). The model is effective in the management of Mr. Jones since it stipulates the factors that may alter the activities of daily living. It inculcates the environmental, psychological, biological, politico economical, sociological, and educational influences on health of an individual. This cuts across Mr. Jones and how various aspect of his life influences his wellness and illness continuum. Consequently, the Roper- Logan-

AC PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AC PROJECT - Essay Example We have set a budget of $ 132000 for software expenses. The cost includes an allowance that will cater for unexpected costs during writing of different software. Travel expenses will amount to $ 71500. This amount will meet the travel demands of our team as we seek to participate actively in the growth of this company. To cover all the depreciation costs, we will require $255,000. Due to the complexity of the tasks being performed by this department, various unplanned costs are bound to be incurred. To cater for such miscellaneous costs, the department will require $ 110000. We hope that our budget demands will be looked into so that we can have a successful business year this year. The figure below shows an outline of the proposed budget. Our company has been very successful in the recent years. The massive financial support to the sales department has been of great importance. This year, our budgetary expenses are bound to reduce by a small percentage. This is because most companies have already invested in communication software and hence there are few numbers of potential customers. We expect to maintain our past growth rate despite this challenge. To achieve this, we will lower our sales revenue expenses to $4, 500, 000. This amount will be sufficient to help us reach the available customers in the market. The salaries for our staff will amount to a total of 360000. This amount will help us maintain our competent employees and hire more qualified employees if need arises. The nature of our duties demands a lot of travelling. The travel expenses are estimated to amount to $210,500. Compared to the previous years, this amount has been lowered since the numbers of available customers has decreased. The total amount for the proposed budget is $507000. With this budget, we will be able to maintain our growth level and hence move the company to another level of success. The budget outline is presented below. Our division has enjoyed the continued

Ebonics dialect Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ebonics dialect - Research Paper Example The better understanding of a language does not come through following the strict rules that prescribes how the grammar and structure of the language should be applied. The understanding of language clearly sets in, when the learners â€Å"choose not to follow the prescriptive usage† (Curzan, 870). There is dispute on the fact that learning to apply the rules of Standard English language is essential, most especially considering that it is the formal and official language that is applied in business meetings, news reading and in different other global social and political platforms. In addition, the education, general publications and any other formal documents also apply Standard English (Curzan, 873). Thus, there is no doubt that there is a need for learners to understand the application of the Standard English, if they are to become effective communicators beyond their current classroom contexts. However, while teaching the Standard English language, it is only essential th at it is not applied as the standard of measure against which other non-standard or derivative English languages should compare their grammar and sentence structure. This position has been advanced by Anne Curzan, who argues that it would certainly be wrong pretending that â€Å"written Standard English is above question† (Curzan, 871). This essay, then, aims to emphasize that it is the social perception, as opposed to the inherent superiority of a language, that gives language its meaning. According to David Wallace, the essence of a language rests in its prevalence over everything and its applicability everywhere, such that the grammar purists, whom he also refers to as snoots, have a more glorious moment than the computer nerds (Wallace, 48). This argument serves to drive to the point that language derives its meaning from its applicability, more than from the actual fact that it is a superior or inferior language. Therefore, Wallace then holds that the application of

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay The American international group has a history that dates back to 1919. The company was started when Cornelius Vander Starr established an insurance agency in shanghai the capital city of china. Starr was the first person from the western to sell insurance policies to the Chinese. Starr sold policies until the company which is the current AIG left china in 1949. In the same year the companys headquarter was moved to New York in United States from where it expanded through venturing into other markets in the parts of Latin America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. In 1962 the management of the company moved from Starr to Maurice Greenberg who diverted its concentration from personal insurance sales to high margin corporate coverage where he eliminated agents by bringing in independent brokers whom he used in selling insurance polices. This strategy helped the company to price insurance depending on its probable return even at times when there were reduced sales of certain products and for a long period and still incur very little extra expenses. After Greenberg took over the management of the company it sooner went public in 1969. Starting from 2005 the company was caught up in a series of frauds that were investigated by the justice department of U.S., the office of attorney general in new state and the securities exchange commission. The then CEO Greenberg was suspended and replaced by Martin Sullivan in Feb. 2005. In June 2008 some financial losses were disclosed which led to the fall of AIG share price in the stock market. This resulted to resignation of Sullivan who was then replaced by another CEO Edward Liddy in sep. same year. American international group is the biggest underwriter of industrial and commercial insurance. The financial scandals of 2008 led to great losses to the company which made it suffer a liquidity crisis as its credit rating was downgraded. AIG it a globally recognized insurance company with branches in different parts of the world. Its vision is to be the leader in innovative mortgage solutions while its mission is to be the mortgage insurer of choice through: professional and dedicated staff, entrepreneurial leadership, disciplined risk taking, customer satisfaction, and through solutions to facilitate Canadian homeownership. The companys global benefits network has lately introduced the AIG atlas as one of its strategies. This atlas is a basically a range of products meant to assist in meeting the unique benefit needs of the employees. This will then enhance the utility of the capability of the companys employees in over 100 countries hence be able to provide the best services as well as cost effective solutions to its customers all over the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The unique benefits to the employees will include medical insurance, life insurance and long term disability insurance. The company al so intends to provide full time services through charge-free phone number as well as management and monitoring of emergency medical cases. Strategies of AIG The company is one of the leading international insurance and financial organizations. It has partnered with several business groups including CRM, which is the number one credit management solutions provider in Europe. This partnership has enabled the company to provide better customer satisfaction and hence improving its sales of insurance policies while accomplishing efficiency gains. Currently, American international group operates in more than 130 countries while its member companies serve institutional, commercial, as well as individual customers through the widest property, life, and casualty of any insurer in the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The company is thus going through a period of drastic reviews of its of the processes and structure in all its centres so as to maximize and establish its B2C customer management. By making use of its resources more effectively the company aims to improve the efficiency of CRM and provide the best responsive customer care. Having partnered with other outsourcers, AIG realized the importance of outsourcing partners with whom they can combine the breadth of experience by providing well managed and high quality services. In 2002 AIG and finalized a business strategy with Transom with outlined a number of challenges such as developing organizational skills to secure maximum profitability and customer satisfaction. The company also had to act according to the desired outcomes for improved organization, quality and management as well as provide cost effective high quality and fulfilment solutions (AIG Group Management Division 2009). Following the deal between the two companies Transcom began to handle the inbound customer care service on behalf of AIG. Transcom then enhanced the quality of services by dealing with the mistakes in the existing program of AIG. Leveraging its long experience and first class technology, Transcom has been able to strengthen and expand the CRM activities of AIG through addition of telemarketing campaigns. Transcom has also succeeded in bolstering AIGs customer revenue and base through contacting its potential customers and presenting them with persuasive offers to coverage commerce. The general improvement in the quality of service of AIG has come from the enormous improvement in customer relations which has in turn strengthened AIGs image as a professional organization. All this was possible since Transcom kept within the service level boundaries as well as constant customer contact (AIG Group Management Division 2009) Organizational Behavior Analysis Organizational behavior analysis is an evaluation of the way individual work in an organization. The organization does not need to be a business institution like the American international group but can also be a religious institution. The ultimate goal of organizational behaviour analysis is to understand in a better way the relationships between individuals in an organization, the relationship of the employees and the organization and the organizations relationship with the rest of the society (Harigopal 2006). This information is then used by the management of organizations to increase the efficiency and productivity of and achieve the goals and objectives of the institution as a whole. According to Harigopal (2006), by gaining and understanding this knowledge the employee are able to realize the contributions of their individual efforts to the bigger image of the organization. The progress and success of every organization rests on the philosophy of management as well as on its vision, goals and values. These factors then drive the organizational culture that is made up of the social environment, formal and informal organization. The culture then influences the type of communication, leadership and group dynamics within the institution. The employees or workers in the institution then take these aspects as the quality of their work life and therefore they determine their rate or degree of motivation. The ultimate results of these will be individual satisfaction, performance, personal growth and the general development of the organization. Organizations are undergoing exceptional radical change in all systems of operation ranging from decision making to global competitive pressures and technology to acquisitions and mergers(Harigopal 2006). Organizations have therefore to respond quickly and effectively while remaining flexible and transforming themselves for the new world of work. Organizational behavior is therefore written with these changes and it explains through what leaders and managers need to know about organizations as they struggle to bring productivity and success in them. Organizational behavior and leadership development is institution wide responsibility that stretches across all functions and departments. Culture is described as the conventional behavior in a given society that includes beliefs, knowledge, customs and practices. Although it rarely finds its way into the conscious mind, it often affects the behavior of human beings within a given society or organization. Employees in an organization like the AIG usually depend on its culture since its culture gives them stability, understanding, security and the ability to react to a given situation. Organizational culture creates a number of concepts, situations and strategies that affect every level of planning in any institution. Understanding the operation of culture and organizational structure and the machinery that it runs behind the scenes helps the employees to organize and strengthen the effective cultures and remove the bad ones thus establishing and environment that promotes success within the institution. According to leadership theorists, diminishing and weakening of an organization together with the employees resistance to change is usually caused by ineffective leadership (Harigopal 2006). For instance the American international group underwent financial crisis in 2008 as a result of poor leadership. The bad culture of impunity that had been developed in the company led to corruption and mismanagement of funds as well and some other unscrupulous deals. Strong leadership and organizational culture are necessary for long term success in every corporation. However some institutions may show signs of success for a long time even without a strong organizational culture but when the culture starts to erode, the big organizations take only a short period of time to collapse. Strong leadership is necessary for a strong organizational culture although the reverse is also true. Without strong leadership to maintain everything running, a strong organizational culture will only dull and eventually erode. Practising business people and theorists have found out that organizational culture and leadership are tightly intertwined. Leaders require having a clear understanding of the impact and identity of the organization culture so as to determine the kind of adjustments and management systems needed within the organization as well as have the right styles of effectively communicating their visions to rest of the institution. The study of the operation of organizational culture and organizational structure makes the practical study of organizational culture and structure implications important. In all organizations from government groups to sport teams, the study of the impact of culture and structure on the general picture of an organization shows a better way of making an entity work. Good organizational structure ensures balanced distribution of responsibilities among the top management of groups as well as among the workers (Harigopal 2006 p.102). This has shown that good organizational structure with excellent personnel that ensure all are focused at the same goal, works well than excellent but conflicted personnel. Organization structure generally deals with the culture set up. It deals with the working of the management, the specific responsibilities of the supervisors, and the manner in which a complaint is passed through the ranks. Organizational structure ensures that. Managing change in organizations A significant change in an organization occurs when the overall strategy of an organization are changed for success, or when an organization adds or removes a major section or practice or when there is a change in the operation nature. Organizations develop by undergoing through significant changes at different points in their progress. Successful organizational change is usually very difficult to achieve thus it usually calls for skilful leadership in change management. In work organizations there are different approaches in guiding change whereby some are structured, planned and explicit while others are more unfolding, organic and implicit. These approaches work in different styles. Some work from the future to the present for instance when an organization develops a vision to be achieved in the future and then lays down strategies on how to acquire that vision. Some other approaches will work from the present to the future. In this approach the organization will identify its current problems issues and goals and then lay down strategies on how to deal with those priorities and how to achieve them (Harigopal 2006 p.97). The variation in the type of strategies used depends on the culture of an organization or on the leadership style of the managers. When starting from the present to the future the organization looks at its past in relation to the present and then looks at the present in relation to the future and then evaluate whether it can still go on with its activities just like it has been doing. For an organization doing business in this fast changing and advancing environment, doing thins like has been doing before may not help it compete fairly with others in the industry (Harigopal 2006 p.98). Even doing the same thing harder or even fine tuning it may sometimes make no difference. What organizations need to do keep doing things different as the changing business environment demands. In the daily operation of organizations the structures, methods, processes and technologies that were appropriate in the earlier market conditions may not be applicable in the current or future conditions. This implies that organizations may be forced to reset themselves on different assumptions and business prospects that are in accordance to customer focus, innovativeness, competitive intelligence, and competency base. For the best results in a change effort, the change agents should first of all have a comprehensive understanding of the context of the change effort such as the right strategies needed and the kind of results expected. This means that the change managers should have a clear understanding of the basic structures and systems in an organization as well as their typical terms and roles (Harigopal 2006 p.98). The leadership style and management systems of an organization in relation to its culture are also necessary. Change management encompasses thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation of necessary strategies. Before a change is initiated and during the change process the change leaders should conduct extensive consultations with the people affected by the change and also involve them in the change process. The managers should also find ways of aligning the aims of the business with the needs of their people. The managers should check if the people affected agree with or at least understand the need for change and that they have a chance to decide or give views on how the change should be managed. The sensitive aspects of the change management should be handled through face to face communication so as to convey meaning and understanding. According to Harigopal (2006), managing change therefore demand establishing different management structures, like the interim structure to deal with the business of the business, the transition management structure to smoothen the change process and a structure to stream line the new state of the organization (p.95). Before starting the change process, an organization should be clear on its purpose, direction and vision as well as have a clear analysis of its prevailing strengths and weaknesses in relation to opportunities and threats. The dynaminism of business environment will then determine what should be changed and the required pace of change. Impact of technology on business According to (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009), business today is inextricably entangled with technology starting from the smallest business to International Corporation with a number of monolithic applications of legacy. In todays world one cannot be in successful business activities and fail to come across the issues of technology. This is because the way business processes are carried out today is very different from the way they were being carried out 30 years ago. Technological advancements have occurred in several areas from communication, stock market, travel i.e. by air, land and water and technology has also evolved around our lives. Information technology has revolutionised the systems of business operation around the world. Local business have now gone international as a consequence of simple website information technology that than enabled them to advertise internationally (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009). Information technology (IT) has helped in customer service where big organizations like Microsoft and American international group attend to needs of their customers through online services like email and chart. Internal and external networking in organizations has improved business operations around the world. Through networking staffs and clients in organizations can effectively get in touch with their leaders for feedback and updates on progress and extensions. Communication within firms as well as between firms has really bloomed with the current developments in technology. Business between organizations has even become easier and more effective. For instance the American international group has been able to work with other organizations and improve its services due to improved IT and communication. However due to high technology computer systems in organisations todays business calls for extensive and careful planning. This planning can be done on organised pattern, with formats schedules and Gantt charts. Due to improved computer systems huge data bases can now be managed and stored on network and back up drives for future records. Accessibility of stored data and files has also become easy with the discovery of a series of shared folders and password keys. According to HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert (2009) Cash transactions are easily made hence reducing delay which then gives liquidity to business and makes the overall processes i n business faster. Information technology has enabled the businesses to put up an easier and effective coordination with their suppliers. This then has enabled them to benefit from production economics when they operate with the large specialized suppliers. Furthermore the drastic reduction of in the IT cost as well as the reduced risk of transaction in explicit coordination has been it possible for extensive application of explicit coordination with the suppliers. The resulting economized transactions and other factors thus enable a long term business partnership with a smaller set of suppliers According to Johnson Redmon Mawhinney (2001), communication is an essential part of any organization regardless of its operation size. It helps in building public relations via effective interpersonal relations and enhancing teamwork for high performance. Effective communication basically entails relaying messages in a clear and precise manner making it easy to be understood without altering the message being conveyed. Communication is composed of a couple of stages: sender as the source of communication, encoding involves the sender internalizing the message, channel of communication, decoding is relaying the message to the receiver. Receiver in this case is the intended recipient of the message and the reaction/feedback of the receiver completes the cycle. The effectiveness of the communication depends on both the degree of attention from both the listener and the recipient of the message. For effective communication one strives to reduce the mistakes likely to occur at every stage of communication discussed above. Encoding involves synthesizing the information to be communicated. The precision and ease with which you communicate will depend on the level at which you internalize the message (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Special attention should be placed on the critical issues, the likely mistaken assumption the communication might generate and the missing information. One should understand well the message he wants to convey, project the likely impact and reaction it will be getting then relay it at the best time possible Wrong interpretations or assumptions may result to communication breakdown. Communication breakdown slows the implementation of ideas and creates stumbling blocks for the path towards the success of an institution. Both the sender and conveyer of the information should have the same understanding of the information. Well conveyed message helps th e listeners understand your thoughts, your perspective on a certain idea. Channels of communication vary from electronic communication electronic communication (fax, internet, video conferencing) face to face, telephone, mails, reports, memo and notices. Choosing an appropriate channel adds value to the information being relayed since each channel has its advantages and weaknesses. Decoding of the message by the listener also requires skill. One should be keen in order to note things like the mood of the sender the feelings in the message and its relevance. Poor decoding which mostly arises from lack of deep understanding of the issue at hand limits the importance of the message. Feedback by the receivers both verbal and non verbal helps in assessing how effective the communication was received. Upon failures it might be important to repeat the message. Circumstances at which you relay your information has impact on the communication. Many organizations like AIG have maintained success and goals achievement due to use of effective communication methods which have enabled participation of all employees towards accomplishing common goals. Removing mistakes from all the stages of communication is very important. The message should be organized, summarized and with minimum or no errors at all. Recent studies point out that communication skill both written and spoken is the biggest factor in isolation that is used in determining managers of cooperation. This is a major boost on the ability to relate well with your subjects and respect you. Poor communication skills will lead stand in the way of career progression as it leads to poor coordination of ideas. Conclusion In todays world, whether an organization is a profiting or non-profit making, it very important that the organization motivates and utilizes its talent. Understanding the organizational behaviour is a major factor for increased opportunity and chances of success in the business world (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). On the other comprehensively understanding the organizations culture ensures continued growth in a diverse manner. In order to attract talents and high quality skills into an organization there is need for a culture of open communication and diversity. Once the institution has the best culture it needs in its activities then it can improve its efficiency and have more widespread viewpoints from which it can learn from hence expanding its systems and operations. However there should be good care to ensure that the organizational culture and structure are in accordance or compatible with the strategic goals of the organization. In todays fast moving global world fro business, organizations need to quickly learn their threats and opportunities and adapt to them. The rate at which an organization learns these factors, affects the speed and efficiency at which the organization handles these opportunities and threats. Effective communication is also a very important factor in the productivity and success of every organization (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Communication can either be formal or informal which are both used in all institutions whether directly or indirectly. Formal channels of communication in organizations usually follow the chain of command which is usually from top to bottom. On the other hand the informal channel tends to be more open and spontaneous. Gossip is some form of informal communication. The informal communication is a very effective method of communication and its mostly used by small companies. Investments aimed at increasing the level of explicit harmonization with the outside agents has resulted in enhanced risk to organizations. This has traditionally made organizations to avoid this increased risk by under investing in coordination. However information technology has been found to have the ability of reducing coordination cost without increasing the associated risk of transactions resulting in more outsourcing and less vertically integrated firms. Lower relationship specificity of IT investments and better capability of monitoring, means that organizations can safely invest in information technology. This will then enhance coordination between firms than in traditional investments. The rate and importance of organizational change has not slowed in the past years but it has actually been improving. The continued rapid technological innovations are bringing in changes in organizational processes and systems. The faster growth in internet has enabled much easier and faster access to information and knowledge which has then changed the way people operate businesses. The expectations of employees in their movement from one organization to another have also increased hence necessitating more and more organizational changes so as to meet the current market demand. American international group is a constantly changing organization due to the changing customer demands among other factors. According to AIG Group Management Division (2009), the rate of change portrayed a good culture of AIG that does not show resistance to change in the organization. Although the company experienced some hard times in 2005, its culture of good change enabled it to come out of the crisis. Organizational change has seen the abolition of some of the international market barriers which has then helped many organizations like AIG to venture into partnership with foreign institutions thus improving its market and services. This therefore illustrates the importance of constant organizational change. In spite the importance or organizational change not all the undertaken changes that deliver the expected benefits to the organization. This is the reason why any change in an organization should be carried out through the right procedures. Strong leadership qualities for the managers are also necessary for successful organizational change (Harigopal 2006). Failure for organizational change to deliver is usually brought by reasons such as absence of a change agent with qualifications or the change agent being too junior in an institution. Lack of support by the senior management and their committed executive should be available in any organization. Poor definition of organization objectives and diverse dimensional solutions helps in building confidence in the involved participants hence enabling them to take part in every process of the change. Failed organizational change initiatives do a lot of harm to the employees both in their spirit and strength which creates more difficulty in the accomplishment of the consecutive change initiatives. Actually todays managers face a great challenge in managing change. In order to ensure success therefore all managers are required to understand their organization together with their real needs. According to Harigopal (2006), the change leaders should also understand that bringing positive change in any organization is primarily about changing the employees behaviour in certain ways. Leadership, and powerful management skills like visioning, planning, prioritizing, giving feedback and rewarding are key issues in the success of any organization.

A Review Paper of Internet Banking Services -- internet banking, bankin

Today, Information Technology revolutionized our life almost in every filed. One of among several blessing of information technology is Internet Banking services that brings ease and comfort for our banking activities. Over few years Internet Banking has evolved as convenient, self-serviced technology, cost-reducing and time saving channel. Internet banking is available 24x7 across geographies. In last few years, the number of internet banking users has been increasing rapidly. In present hyper competitive environment internet banking works as a competitive differentiator among banks. Internet banking has become an important revenue builder for banks. Increased competition in the banking sector and customer demand is forcing banks to provide their services online (Southard, P. & Siau, K, 2004). Banks try to gain competitive advantages in technological atmosphere by adopting new technological developments in their area as soon as possible (Ozcan, 2007; Chang 2002). Information technology developments in the banking sector have speed up communication and transactions for clients. It is vital to extend this banking feature to clients for maximizing the advantages for both clients and service providers (Safeena, Abdullah and Hema, 2010, 2011; Qureshi et al, 2008). In the past, internet banking has been adopted by banks mainly to decrease costs and increases revenue by reducing staff and branch networks. Today, banks are visualizing the internet banking as a strategic enabler of customer services and others view internet banking as the key to expansion. Internet banking has gained acceptance throughout the world as a new delivery channel for performing various banking and financial activities. Internet Banking is an internet portal,... ...ility of technology and infrastructure to support the new model of banking. Second, the need for Internet banking itself – Internet Banking or an efficient system of instantaneous banking or convenient banking. Third, an adequate mechanism to tackle the security risk and operational risk aspects (Sharma, 2001). Fourth, a proper legal framework to take care of the rights and obligation of the consumers. While most of these issues have been somewhat addressed, an important issue still remains - what existing and potential consumers feel about Internet banking and on the basis of this how an appropriate banking model can be developed in Indian context. (Sharma B.R., 2001; Gupta P.K., 2008). Perceived Factors behind the Growth in Internet Banking: †¢ Competition †¢ Cost Efficiencies †¢ Geographical Reach †¢ Branding †¢ Relationship building †¢ Customers Demographics

Okonkw’s Insecurity

There are a lot of factors in a person’s life that contribute to their feeling of insecurity. Certain events might cause that, mostly it tends to be childhood events. Men usually try to hide their insecure feelings by making sure they appear strong and masculine while deep down they could be very weak. A person feeling insecure is normal but insecurity taking over a person might result in his downfall. That’s what happened to Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart.Okonkwo’s obsession with what others think of him started from an early age, which would drive him to be insecure. Okonkwo’s father is the reason for Okonkwo’s insecurity. His dad being viewed as a nothing would make Okonkwo wants to be viewed as everything his father wasn’t. Okonkwo’s first priority is to maintain his masculinity in front of people, which would lead him to success at first. But, later on he would be so afraid to look weak, that he breaks a lot of tribal rules just to keep his image intact.Okonkwo starts breaking the rules by beating his youngest wife Ojiugo during the week of peace because she left the hut without cooking dinner. He later one does another fatal error that would start leading to his fall down, he kills the boy which called him father although the clan’s leader and the authorities told him not to. Okonkwo loved Ikemfuna but he still killed him because he resembles any feelings with femininity and for him any sign of femininity is being weak. Feeling weak inside, Okonkwo would do actions to make people feel down.Insecure people insult others because they think that, by making someone else down; it will make them feel better about themselves. That's exactly what Okonkwo does when he tells Sugo – a man without titles- â€Å"This meeting is for men,† who implies that he is not a man, but actually a woman, who is a weak creature in Okonkwo's view. The reason why Okonkwo specifically attacked Sugo by implying that h e is a woman is because insecure people attack the things they are most afraid of.Another reason why he constantly criticizes people is because, deep down, he feels inferior. This particularly shows when his wife, Ekwefi, says â€Å"guns that never shot†. He immediately translates that as a critique of his masculinity. As a result, he starts beating her, thinking that this will prove his masculinity, while it totally shows the opposite. It actually makes him seem weaker. Okonkwo hides all his emotions under a mask because he associates any form of emotion, such as compassion and love, to being feminine.Okonkwo tries to hide his emotions from his daughter Ezinma. Although she is his favorite child, he refuses to show her any kind of emotion, supposedly, to maintain his masculinity. Another example of how Okonkwo tries to hide how he feels is when he kills his â€Å"son† Ikemefuna. Upon killing him, Okonkwo feels too much pain inside of him that he thinks of himself as a â€Å"woman†. However, afraid of being viewed as weak, he keeps trying to hide his feelings. Instead, his body responds and starts to weaken without him noticing it.

digital signal processing essays

digital signal processing essays Philosophy of Time in Relativity: Time in relativity theory modified mathematically and used in combination with the usual three spatial dimensions to specify the location in space and time of events. Dimension, in geometry, a property of space. In common, experience the world is three-dimensional. Three measures-breadth, width, and depth-are needed to define a volume. In mathematics and physics the concept of dimension is used more abstractly; spaces of four or even an infinite number of dimensions are commonly used. The spaces with many dimensions that are used in mathematics and physics have no commonsense meaning, but are very powerful tools that are crucial to subjects like quantum physics. In addition, dimension need not always be a whole number. For example, fractals are mathematical objects that have fractional dimension. Time, conscious experience of duration, the period during which an action or event occurs. Time is also a dimension representing a succession of such actions or events. Time is one of the fundamental quantities of the physical world, similar to length and mass in this respect. The concept that time is a fourth dimension-on a par with the three dimensions of space: length, width, and depth-is one of the foundations of modern physics. Time measurement involves the establishment of a time scale in order to refer to the occurrence of events. The precise determination of time rests on astronomical and atomic definitions that scientists have established with the utmost mathematical exactness. Time, conscious experience of duration, the period during which an action or event occurs. Time is also a dimension representing a succession of such actions or events. Time is one of the fundamental quantities of the physical world, similar to length and mass in this respect. The concept that time is a fourth dimension-on a par with the three dimen ...

Government Steps in When Tobacco Industry Steps Out essays

Government Steps in When Tobacco Industry Steps Out essays Government steps in when Tobacco Industry steps out Back a few years ago, all we heard on the news was John Doe vs. Big tobacco industries. Every day, people who had been harmed by smoke-related illnesses sued tobacco companies for liability in respect that they would compensate the medical bills. Though some believed these individuals were only interested in the money, others think they had good reason for their claims. Well, some ground-breaking research explained that smoking was infact dangerous and that tobacco companies were trying to hide the evidence. The individuals who filed these claims were far from crazy, but were actually doing to right thing: to make the industry take responsibility for the effects of their products. Half a million people die each year due to smoke-related illnesses such as heart disease and lung cancer. These illnesses exceed $20 billion annually in associated health-care cost. The harsh fact is these illnesses are caused by some of the harmful ingredients in cigarettes. Knowing that tobacco smoke contains over 4,700 chemicals and 50 human carcinogens, it is understandable that smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S. In an issue of Current Health 2, the National Academy of Sciences reports ... that smoking is responsible for 3,000 deaths from lung cancer each year in the United States. In the same article, a study found that passive smoking raised a nonsmokers chance of getting lung cancer by 26 percent. The American Heart Association estimates 40,000 die each year from heart and blood-vessel disease and the risk of heart disease is increased by 30 percent. This research proved that tobacco industries were responsible and s hould be held responsible for the harmful products they manufactured. When faced with this research, the tobacco industries just turn their heads and deny it. In July of 1999, tobacco industri...

Nature and landscapes are nothing more than sedimented history Essay

Nature and landscapes are nothing more than sedimented history - Essay Example Once it regains, its original shape one may not be able to tell the difference between the original and the restored form (McKibben, 2009). Thus, is easier to say the landscapes and nature are just but a sentiment of history. The views can change but with time, they can regain their original shape and appearance. This fact makes the idea that the landscape and nature to be termed to just but a history. Since history repeats itself the same, the nature can repeat itself once it has been altered. When people settle in a place, they change position in a manner that the area can be habitable. If the same place can be abandoned for a while, it regains its original shape, and the earlier vegetation can cover the ground. Thus, the landscape and nature is just a repetitive occurrence that can repeat itself like the way history does. Taking a case of the white settlers who invaded the Zimbabwean country and settled there. This aspect can be treated as a case of the British where they found the nation being scorched and had no enough water to allow them to practice farming. The British had to change the landscape, and the landscape was changed they brought a new one. The new landscape was full of water from the dams, and they had conserved the soil well and the land was good for arable purposes. Thus, the new appearance of the area was good enough to allow many farming activities. Wildlife could at that time be well supported by the new look of the environment. The British changed the landscape to own it and performed their activities (Hughes, 2010). They used the water that was in the dams that they constructed to irrigate and support the wildlife. Maybe long ago the same place had a lot waters and was supporting wildlife, and it reached a point that the climate changed. It to be so dry that the animal was no mo re supported by the prevailing conditions. When the British came to the place, they changed the nature may be top the look of

Is President Barack Obama a Good President Essay

Is President Barack Obama a Good President - Essay Example In a reflective analysis of the various aspects of the President-ship of the current president of the US, one may undoubtedly argue that Barack Obama is one of the most prominent and effective leaders and presidents in the history of this great nation. First of all, his life story very well reflects the true American story – incorporating the â€Å"values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.† (President Barack Obama). Therefore, the President has been aware of the American story very well which has helped him tremendously to shape his opinions and policies as a president of the people. The vast amount of experience in the public service arena has contributed to the success of Obama as a great leader and president of the nation which is also reflected in the nation’s unwavering belief in his ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. Some of the fundamental points to argue why Barack Obama is good president and effective leader of the nation include his intelligent leadership; he is not war-hungry or money-hungry; the effect of his genial and luminous personality on diplomacy; his civil rights struggles; his awareness of an overall reform of the various political policies of the nation, etc. In consideration of these features of his leadership and many others, one must argue that President Obama is one of the most effective and successful presidents that the people of the United States have ever seen. It is important to remember that, when President Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States, there was a great expectation about his ability to lead the nation from the front to a great period in the history of the nation and he seemed like a different kind of leader in comparison with many of his predecessors. Definitely, he has lived up to those expecta tions which earned him high reputation even in the international scenario. As the BBC Radio 4’s Today program evaluates, President Obama has not just been the first black man in the White House but also ‘a new sort of American president’: thoughtful, reflective and determined to represent all of his country. (Mardell). This remark about the leadership of the president very well reflects the various aspects of the policies of his government. All through his tenure, the President has given great thought and reflective attitude towards the various issues facing the nation, be it economic crisis, employment issues, or matters of international affairs. Most of the Americans considered, and still consider, President Obama as the most important transformational figure of the nation who can lead this great nation to meet the demands of the contemporary world. The former state secretary Colin Powell was right when he endorsed Barack Obama describing him as a ‘transf ormational figure’ who was the right president for this moment in time. In his words, President Obama is the right choice for leading this great nation as he has both style and substance. (Bennis, 2009, p. 223). One of the major factors that contribute to the success of Barack Obama as the transformational president of the nation is his leadership qualities. It is important to recognize that the world’s hunger for effective leadership at the international scenario has been satisfied by the election of this charismatic new leader as the president of the United States on November 4, 2008. Millions of Americans wept with pride in their country and relief on the night of his victory as he had triumphed over old prejudices. â€Å"One result of Barak Obama’s extraordinary election is to remind us of just how thin our leadership bench is.†