Master of Criminal Justice for subjuct ( 7022CCJ Research, Evaluation Essay

Master of Criminal Justice for subjuct ( 7022CCJ Research, Evaluation & Policy Analysis ) - Essay Example In the preference of drug related crimes, the consideration that rehabilitation will do right for individuals than jail time. When an individual commits a drug related crime and serves a jail time the difficulties in the jail will not prevent the individual from doing future crimes. They will in turn push the individual to revert to the same acts that led to the crime. Dean (1990) argues that rehabilitation assists the individual blend back to society. The consideration associated with rehabilitation is that when one goes through incarceration the criminal record will hinder the individual from obtaining employment and, therefore, revert to the crimes. While incarceration secludes the offender from the society in order to reform, the individual rehabilitation ensures that the offender is functioning in the society while at the same instance assisting the offender cope with the problems (Glen et al, 2011, p.150). According to Douglas (2005), rehabilitation is effective to young offend ers who have drug related offences. This is because jail cannot change them, rehabilitation deals with drug-correlated offences by addressing the social ill that cause the crime. On the other hand, prisons address only the offence and leave the cause of the problem unaddressed and upon completion the person who committed the offence does not benefit because at the end of the jail term the problem still exists, and the problem remains unresolved and there is a high likelihood of reverting to the same. In rehabilitation, the individuals are not only detoxification but also counseling and education. In order for the program, to be effective the rehabilitation program should be specific and in accordance to the individuals required treatment. Rehabilitation takes the belief that each problem has a different perspective and that it receives attention in order to make the system effective. The desired effect of a rehabilitation program is

Unknown Citizen Essay Example for Free

Unknown Citizen Essay Social Security Number? Birthdate? Nine digit telephone number starting with area code? In many ways, we are simply numbers to modern society, not individuals with feelings and emotions and dreams. As the world around us evolves so does technology. With the fast paced advancements occurring in technology it seems that the humanity of the world is decreasing. This makes it harder for people to develop their own personal identity. In today’s society people are being seen more as â€Å"faceless† citizens rather than individuals. This is because they are given numbers and labeled based upon how society sees them. In â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†, W. H. Auden shows us how the government sees society as statistics rather than a group of individuals. The unknown citizen of Auden’s poem is unknown because his name has become unimportant. The subtitle â€Å"To JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument is Erected by the State (Auden 864)† is a fictional concept that the government enforced by an alpha-numeric tag. This tag is used to distinguish who each person is. Throughout the poem the individual is being referred to as â€Å"JS/07/M/378†. The random letters and numbers followed by forward slashes are all representations of the government. Meaning each section of letters and numbers are representing something. â€Å"JS† could possibly be the first letters of his first and last name and â€Å"M† could represent his gender being male. However, the fact that his name is never mentioned and a marble statue was built in his honor in very ironic. Instead of writing his full name the government chose to use the name they had given to him. This automatically is seen as a form of dehumanizing. The statue can also be seen as a form of symbolism representing the chilling manner in which the government chose to honor this man. Auden gives the audience the perceptive that the government is honoring people who they never knew really existed while they were alive. Auden uses irony to describe how the unknown citizen was seen by the government. â€Å"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be one against, who there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree (Auden 864)†, is an ironic way to start off portraying him. The Bureau of Statistics is a fictional sector of the government that finds people and categorizes them based upon facts and figures. This suggests that tatistically speaking he would be considered normal. â€Å"That in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint for in everything he did he served the Greater Community (Auden 864)† is another perfect example of irony. A saint in an old-fashioned sense is someone who actually stands alone to defend their beliefs and often perish while trying to overcome those enormous challenges. This life is normally seen as an extraordinary one. A saint can also be used in reference when referring to religion. However, Auden suggests that the modern saint is the complete opposite. The unknown citizen lived a life in which he was not devoted to God but to a Greater Community. The government would be considered the Greater Community. It is almost like Auden gives the government godlike qualities because they believe everyone should follow what they say. He always acted in a manner that was expected or accepted by this society. Even though Auden sounds like he is praising all of the unknown citizen’s accomplishments he truly is not. He goes on to say â€Å"he was popular with his mate† and â€Å"he was fully sensible† to show how conformed he was to society. He also followed all rules passed by the state. The way he lived his life was considered normal. He brought a paper every day and reacted in the â€Å"normal† way expected. Advertisers benefited from this because they gained statistics of their own allowing them to help their business profit. He never got involved with his children’s education allowing the government to have more control over him. â€Å"When there was peace he was for peace; when there was war, he went (Auden 865)† suggests he had no mind of his own. This man never questioned anything himself but, instead followed everyone else. Not once did he take a second out to think about something on his own. If the government said it is right then he went along with it. â€Å"He worked in a factory and never got fired, but satisfied his employers Fudge Motors Inc. Yet he wasn’t a scab or odd in his views for his Union reports that he paid his dues (Auden 864-865)† shows that his performance was based upon how his employer felt. Fudge Motors Inc. would be a parody for Ford Motors Inc. He basically dehumanized himself just so he could please the state. Auden intentionally wrote this poem in a very clinical way to make a point about how flawed the government is. Auden compares the Eugenics from the odern society to the Nazi’s in Germany. â€Å"He was married and added five children to the population which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation (Auden 865)† can be used as connection between the two. The Nazi’s were known mainly for trying to create the perfect society. From this it is possible that Auden could be suggesting that with conformity comes chaos. Auden wrote â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† during World War II leaving the perception that maybe he wrote it about an unknown citizen who served in the war and warning the soldiers to question the government who are sending them out to fight. He points out that the government judge people based off of reports and documents and what they considered to be right. The title suggests he is talking about one person when in reality he is talking about society as a whole and how the government saw it. We as people see the government as leaders who represent and enforce our values while we are considered to be just another number. Lastly an unknown citizen falls prey to government control. The government itself is the speaker in Auden’s poem. This is why Auden uses plurals like ours. In the eyes of the state, the man they considered a saint was the governments idea of the perfect man. The government does not truly care about him just the fact that he does what he is told. Words such as Greater Community, Installment Plan, Modern Man, and Public Opinion are capitalized to show the emphasis that the government puts on these concepts. Everything about his life is closely monitored, even his private life. The fact that the government knows things like he likes to drink helps support that. Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard (Auden 864) suggests that the government does not care about people’s happiness or freedom. It is human nature for a person to want to belong and be part of something. Even though the poem was written over sixty five years ago it does have some truth. As technology becomes better, faster and accurate we are becoming more of a statistic and less human. Yet in a society that dehumanizes us, we still want to be a part of it. No one wants to be considered as an outcast or looked down upon for being different.

Optimum Currency Area (OCA) Theory

Optimum Currency Area (OCA) Theory What criteria did Mundell use to identify an optimum currency area and how relevant are these criteria today in deciding whether two countries constitute an optimum currency area? An Optimum Currency Area (OCA) is a geographical region in which maximise economic efficiency is attained by the entire region sharing a single currency (a monetary union), or by several currencies pegging to each other via a fixed exchange rate. National authorities have come to the realisation that by merging with other countries to share a currency, everyone might benefit from gains in economic efficiency. An example of this can be seen in the formation of the euro where the countries involved do not individually match the criteria of an OCA, but believe that together they come close. The aim of national authorities is to establish the correct form of economic integration to maximise efficiency. One of the original founders of the OCA theory was economist Robert Mundell. In his first paper ‘A Theory of Optimum Currency Areas (1961) he presented several principal criteria to create a functioning monetary union. To support these criteria for an OCA I shall on occasion refer to an example of consumer preferences switching from French to German-made products by Paul De Grauwe (2003). The change in consumer preferences will cause an upward shift in aggregate demand in Germany and a downward shift in France as shown in 1 below. The output decline in France and increase in Germany is most likely to cause unemployment to increase in France but decrease in Germany. The first of the criteria for an OCA is price and wage flexibility throughout the geographical area. This means that the market forces of supply and demand automatically distribute money and goods to where they are needed. For example, with regards to France and Germany under perfect wage flexibility, the unemployed workers in France will reduce their wage claims, and conversely excess demand for labour in Germany will push up the wage rate. This inevitably shifts aggregate supply for France outwards making French products more competitive, and stimulating demand, whereas the opposite occurs for Germany. 2 below shows the effect of wage flexibility as an automatic adjustment mechanism. Mundell cited the importance of factor mobility as an â€Å"essential ingredient of a common currency† (Mundell, 1961) and thus labour mobility across the geographical region is one of Mundells main criteria for an OCA. In the case of De Grauwes example, French unemployed workers would move to Germany where there is excess demand for labour. This free movement of labour eliminates the need to let wages decline in France and increase in Germany solving both the unemployment problem in France, and the inflationary wage pressures in Germany. The existence of labour mobility relies on the unrealistic assumptions of free movement of workers between regions regardless of physical barriers such as work permits, cultural barriers such as language difficulties and institutional barriers such as superannuation transferrals. Indeed Peter Kenen referred to the additional costs of retraining workers and there is an â€Å"unrealistic assumption of perfect occupational mobilityâ€Å"(Kenen, 1969). Ronald McKinnon observed that â€Å"in practice this does not work perfectly as there is no true wage flexibility† (McKinnon, 1979). McKinnon is simply highlighting the point that in reality wage flexibility, as well as perfect labour and capital mobility do not always exist. Considering a case where wages in France do not decline despite the unemployment situation (no wage flexibility), and French workers do not move to Germany (no labour mobility) both Germany and France would be stuck in the original position of disequilibrium. In Germany the excess demand for labour would put pressure on the wage rate, causing an upward shift in the supply curve. The adjustment from the position of disequilibrium would in this case come exclusively from price increases in Germany making French goods more competitive once more. Therefore if wage flexibility and labour mobility does not exist then the adjustment process will be entirely reliant on inflation in Germany. Mundell stated product diversification over the geographical area is an important determinant of the suitability for a region to share a currency. This has been supported by many economists, such as Peter Kenen who says â€Å"groups of countries with diversified domestic production are more likely to constitute optimum currency areas than groups whose members are highly specialised† (Kenen, 1969). Finally Mundell stated that an automatic fiscal transfer mechanism is required to redistribute money to sectors with adverse affects from labour and capital mobility. This usually takes the form of taxation redistribution to less developed areas of the OCA. Whilst this is theoretically ideal and necessary, in practice it is extremely difficult to get the well off regions of the OCA to give away their wealth. Mundell produced two models in relation to OCA theory. In the first, under a model of Stationary Expectations (SE), he takes a pessimistic view towards monetary integration, however in his second paper he counters this, and focuses on the benefits of a monetary union under the model of International Risk Sharing (IRS), which has conversely been used to argue for the forming of monetary unions. ‘The Theory of Optimal Currency Areas paper by Mundell in 1961 portrays OCAs under stationary expectations. The assumption is made that asymmetric shocks undermine the real economy and thus flexible exchange rates are considered preferable because a shared monetary policy would not be precisely tuned for the specific situation of each constituent region. This paper led to the formation of the Mundell-Fleming Model of an open economy which has been used to argue against the forming of monetary unions as an economy cannot simultaneously maintain a fixed exchange rate, free capital movement, and an independent monetary policy. Whilst the Mundells criteria for an OCA is held in high regard my many economists, there are some criticisms levelled at him. Capital mobility is seen to have been a â€Å"greater adjustment mechanism than labour mobility† (Eichengreen, 1990) and this is a factor John Ingram criticises Mundell for ignoring. Clearly the openness of the region to capital mobility is crucial to the makeup of an OCA, as for trade to exist between participating regions, free movement of capital is necessary. However in the years that followed his 1961 paper on OCAs Mundell realised the criticisms of his previous paper and began to doubt the basic argument for flexible exchange rates as an adjustment mechanism. He became more appreciative of the adjustment mechanism under fixed exchange rates, â€Å"It was not that I had forgotten the Mundell-Fleming model, but that I had gone beyond it† (Mundell, 1997). In Mundells 1973 paper, ‘Uncommon Arguments for Common Currencies, he discarded his earlier assumption of static expectations to look at how future uncertainty about the exchange rate could disrupt the capital markets by restraining international portfolio diversification and risk-sharing. Here he introduces his second model of OCAs under IRS. He counters his previous idea that asymmetric shocks weaken the case for a common currency by suggesting that a common currency can reduce such shocks by sharing the burden of loss. He uses the example of two countries, Capricorn and Ca ncer. In spring, Cancer ships half of its crop to Capricorn and in return it receives evidence of Capricorns debt, a claim to half of Capricorns food crop in autumn. While one country is expanding its money supply and running a balance of payments surplus, the other will be running a balance of payments deficit, and the process is reversed during the next period. Mundell points out that this system is very satisfactory in a world of certainty, however in reality there is speculation about the convertibility of foreign currencies. If Cancer had a bad harvest and produced less crop, to redeem all of notes from the Capricorn would involve providing them with their promised share of crop as usual, leaving Cancer short. The only defence against paying out the promised share of crop would be a devaluation of Cancers currency and thus a reduction in the claim by Capricorn on the crop. Capricorn needs to get enough crops to survive and produce food in the autumn, so Cancer will not also be left short on supplies in the next period. The solution would appear to be a partial devaluation of Cancers currency, so that the burden of loss would be shared between the two countries. Mundell has shown that with different currencies comes the uncertainty of devaluation, a problem which a common currency would not have. Under a common â€Å"world† currency if Cancer has a bad crop the total amount of world currency will exchange for full quantity of crop, irrespective of who holds the money as competition and freedom of arbitrage assures a single price. So long as competition exists, and there are no time lags in the transmission of goods or information, the price of the food will rise for both countries and so the burden of shock is shared automatically and equally by the two countries. To reconcile Mundells two papers and assess the appropriateness the criteria on determining two countries suitability as a currency area I have decided to look at the case of the European Monetary Union (EMU) and its success as a monetary union. There are many examples of countries within Europe that would struggle to maintain international competitiveness without the currency area. The areas of the EU with low labour mobility are furthest away from meeting the criteria of a currency area. However, while the removal of legal barriers (such as visas) has improved this labour mobility, issues such as language barriers remain, for example, a French worker may not wish to move to Spain because they cannot speak Spanish, also people tend to have ties to the places they currently live and may not be willing to move away from them. Bayoumi and Eichengreen (1992) compared the US and Europe with respect to how disturbances in separate regions match shocks in a selected benchmark region. They chose Germany as the benchmark for Europe and found that there is a relatively high symmetry of disturbances within the core of the EU such as Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France and Germany. They also found that the symmetry was lower for western European countries. When compared to the USA, the EMU had a higher probability of asymmetric shocks. However according to Fidrmuc and Korhonen (2001) the extent of the asymmetric shocks is declining in the EU economies. Bayoumi and Eichengreen believe that countries within Europe are further from an OCA than regions in the USA, and so are less appropriate as a currency area. These studies suggest that two countries in the EU are less suited to forming a monetary union than the regions of the USA, although the situation is improving. Frankel and Rose (1998) argued that the higher the trade integration, the higher the correlation of the business cycles among countries, in other words there is greater symmetry of shocks. They also propose that business cycles and trade integration are inter-related and endogenous processes to establishing a currency union. Frankel and Roses empirical findings noted that EMU entry encourages trade linkages among countries and causes the business cycle t o be more symmetrical among the unions participants. Rose and Stanley (2005) find that a common currency generally increases trade among its members between 30% and 90%. These findings agree with Mundells argument that a common currency can help to deal with asymmetrical shocks. Frankel and Roses findings suggest that although two countries considering creating a common currency may not meet the criteria before they join the currency area they may do afterwards. Economists are divided in opinion between Mundells two OCA models. The contrasting views which Mundell presents in his papers have earned him a title as â€Å"the intellectual father to both sides of the debate†. While some economists support the theory of stationary expectations, preferring flexible exchange rates, and conclude against the euro, others advocate the IRS model, preferring the fixed exchange rate, and conclude in favour of the euro. Mundell himself seems to have eventually settled in favour fixed exchange rates in a monetary union however he does still advocate the use of flexible exchange rates in two cases. In the case of unstable countries, whose inflation differs significant from its currency sharing regions and in large countries where there is no established international monetary system, e.g. the USA. From Mundells studies I can conclude that two countries which are heavily integrated through highly mobile factors of production which are highly diversifie d in their goods should join a common currency. With regard to the relevance of Mundells theory today I would say his studies are still valid and used heavily as complementary theory to monetary integration occurring in Europe and throughout the world. References Robert Mundell ‘A Theory of Optimum Currency Areas, 1961 ‘Uncommon Arguments for Common Currencies p. 115, 1973 A Conference on Optimum Currency Areas at Tel-Aviv University, 5th December 1997 Paul De Grauwe ‘Economics of Monetary Union p. 7, 2003) Robert McKinnon ‘Money in International Exchange: The Convertible Currency System, 1979 Peter Kenen ‘The theory of Optimum Currency Areas: an Eclectic view‘, 1969 ‘Monetary Problems of the International Economy, 1969, pp. 95-100 Barry Eichengreen ‘One Money for Europe? Lessons from the US Currency Union, 1990 ‘Is Europe an Optimal Currency Area, 1991 J. Fidrmuc I. Korhonen ‘Similarity of supply and demand shocks between the Euro area and the CEECs, 2001 J. A. Frankel A. K. Rose The Endogeneity of the Optimum Currency Area Criteria pp. 1009-25, Jul 1998 A. K. Rose T. D. Stanley ‘A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Common Currencies on International Trade, pp 347-365, 2005

Metaphors :: Argumentative Philosophy Argument Papers

Metaphors With the possible exception of completely formal exercises in logic, philosophy is thoroughly metaphorical and largely conditional. Moreover, the purposes served by metaphors and conditionals in it are similar. Metaphors ask us to imagine the world in a new way, while conditionals may ask to imagine a new world. Yet some conditionals and metaphors are incompatible. There are limits to how metaphors can occur in conditionals, and how conditionals can themselves be metaphors. Specifically, only certain kinds of metaphors can be accommodated in the antecedents of conditionals, and even then only within a restricted class of conditionals. This paper focuses on the linguistic tension between metaphors and conditionals. I argue that this echoes a tension at the heart of philosophy between two modes of philosophizing: a speculative-revisionary mode that is metaphorical and an analytic-explanatory mode that is conditional. The tasks are generally complementary so that the difference can be i gnored with impunity. However, if we do not respect that difference, we may find ourselves analyzing metaphors and seeing logical analyses as metaphorical, and thus missing the point on both fronts. Life is not really a bowl of cherries, and kangaroos do have tails. We know this full well, and yet are willing to entertain their negations in one way or another--the former as metaphor, the latter as counterfactual hypothesis. These are common moves to make in trying to understand the world — indeed, characteristically philosophical moves — but they are very different in kind. Their similarities, differences, and conflicted interaction reveal something about metaphors and conditionals, but mostly about philosophy itself. Specifically: (1) "Philosophy" is a term that covers an extraordinary array of discourses, but with the possible exception of completely formal exercises in logic, philosophy is thoroughly metaphorical and largely conditional. (2) Some conditionals and metaphors, however, are incompatible. There are limits to how metaphors can occur in conditionals, and how conditionals can themselves be metaphors. Thus, (3) there is a tension at the heart of philosophy between two moments to philosophy or modes of philosophizing, a speculative, radical-revisionary mode that is metaphorical, and an analytic-explanatory mode that is conditional. Philosophers have special reason not to mix their metaphors (at least not with their conditionals). In this paper, I will focus on that linguistic tension. Â §1. Metaphors in Philosophy: Metaphors are invitations to see things in a new way — Communism as a spectre haunting Europe, philosophy as a series of footnotes to Plato, or all the world as a stage.

Baby Bottle Syndrome

Baby-Bottle Syndrome Putting an infant to bed with a bottle can result in aspiration or decay of all the upper teeth and the lower posterior teeth (Nainar & Mohummed, 2004); (Fig. 28. 21). Decay occurs because while an infant sleeps, liquid from the propped bottle continuously soaks the upper front teeth and lower back teeth (the lower front teeth are protected by the tongue). The problem, called baby-bottle syndrome, is most serious when the bottle is filled with sugar water, formula, milk, or fruit juice. The carbohydrate in these solutions ferments to organic acids that demineralize the tooth enamel until it decays.To prevent this problem, advise parents never to put their baby to bed with a bottle. If parents insist a bottle is necessary to allow a baby to fall asleep, encourage them to fill it with water and use a nipple with a smaller hole to prevent the baby from receiving a large amount of fluid. If the baby refuses to drink anything but milk, the parents might dilute the mil k with water more and more each night until the bottle is down to water only. | | |FIGURE 28. 21 Baby-bottle syndrome. Notice the extensive decay in the upper teeth. (K. L.Boyd, DDS/Custom Medical Stock Photo. ) | Obesity in Infants Obesity in infants is defined as a weight greater than the 90th to 95th percentile on a standardized height/weight chart. Obesity occurs when there is an increase in the number of fat cells due to excessive calorie intake. Preventing obesity in infants is important because the extra fat cells formed at this time are likely to remain throughout childhood and even into adulthood. If a child becomes obese because of overingesting milk, iron-deficiency anemia may also be present because of the low iron content of both breast and commercial milk.Once infant obesity begins, it is difficult to reverse, so prevention is the key (Benton, 2004). Overfeeding in infancy often occurs because parents were taught to eat everything on their plate, and they continue to i nstill this concept in their children. This appears to be the case most often with formula-fed infants whose parents urge them to empty their bottle or finish a cereal serving. It can occur any time parents automatically feed an infant when the child cries, rather than investigating what the cry might really mean. As a general rule, an infant should take no more than 32 oz of formula daily.When solid food is introduced, a bottle of water can be substituted for formula at one feeding. Nonfat milk should not be given because it contains so little fat that essential fatty acid requirements may not be sufficient to ensure cell growth. Another way to help prevent obesity is to add a source of fiber, such as whole-grain cereal and raw fruit, to an infant's diet. These prolong the stomach-emptying time, so they can help reduce food intake. Caution parents about giving obese infants foods with high amounts of refined sugars, such as pudding, cake, cookies, and candy.Encourage parents to lea rn more about balanced nutrition and to provide this for their entire family. Care of Teeth It is well accepted that exposing developing teeth to fluoride is one of the most effective ways to promote healthy tooth formation and prevent tooth decay. The most important time for children to receive fluoride is between 6 months and 12 years of age. A water level of 0. 6 ppm fluoride is recommended because this is the level that protects tooth enamel yet does not lead to staining of teeth.In communities where the water supply does not provide enough fluoride, the use of an oral fluoride supplement beginning at 6 months or the use of fluoride toothpaste or rinses after tooth eruption is recommended (AAP, 2001). P. 849 Teach parents to ask about the presence of fluoride in the drinking water in their community and help them to determine what, if any, supplementation is necessary. Breast-fed infants do not receive a great deal of fluoride from breast milk, so it may be recommended they be g iven fluoride drops once a day.Teach parents to begin â€Å"brushing† even before teeth erupt by rubbing a soft washcloth over the gum pads. This eliminates plaque and reduces the presence of bacteria, creating a clean environment for the arrival of the first teeth. Once teeth erupt, all surfaces should be brushed with a soft brush or washcloth once or twice a day. Children lack the coordination to brush effectively until they are school-age, so parents must be responsible for this activity well past infancy. Toothpaste is not necessary for an infant, because it is the scrubbing that removes the plaque.

Critical Thinking Application Paper

Critical Thinking Application Paper All people make decisions when they are faced with situations that require decisive solutions. Large companies and organizations depend on the decisions made in achieving their goals and objectives. Decision making process involves the use of critical thinking when a situation arises. Critical thinking is defined as the ability of thinking in a rational and clear manner. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Thinking Application Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It involves the capability of engaging in an independent and reflective thinking. The process of critical thinking ensures that conscious decisions are made (Lutchman, 2010). The application of critical thinking is in some situations is able to make the thinker make effective decision. Decisions are made using gathered information that relates to the problem (Lutchman, 2010). These are critically analyzed and through different assessment a decision is arrived at in solving a situation. Marquis and Huston (2009) notes that critical thinking is also called reflective thinking that uses evaluation; this makes it broader than problem solving and decision making processes. According to Lutchman (2010) critical thinking is a behavior that is learned and enables the thinker make conclusions based on the information but not the obstacles that may arise. The evaluation critical thinking paper gives an example that required critical thinking as well as the importance and benefits of critical thinking in decision making process. After closing the college during the summer holidays I had an internship program with one of grocery chains stores. I was placed as an assistant supervisor in charge of the customers care department. I had to report all the complaints brought forward to the supervisor or the manager if supervisor was not available. The decision I would make would be taken seriously and applied. I received a complaint from one o f the customers that one of the employee’s was rude and unethical. This was a serious offence in the company and any employee who broke it was either fired or suspended from work. After getting the full details of the complaint, it was evident that the employee had used words that portrayed racial discrimination. The worst part of it was that the employee was my classmate and a close friend. Decision had to be made on this indecency behavior that had violated the company’s policy and even the federal law. Racial segregation is a federal crime in the United States of America and racial profiling is not acceptable. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other than being my friend the employee who held the position of a cashier was the fastest and reliable one. So decision that required critical thinking had to be given in the next 24 hours. The fate of the e mployee depended on my decisions. The company didn’t want to loose a dependable employee, so did I not want to disappoint and lose a friend. Different viewpoints and scenarios of dealing with the matter were evaluated. At the end of the day two options on the decisions to be made remained, to either fire the employee or to suspend the employee and transfer him to another store. This was the hardest point to make a decision but through critical thinking a verdict that served the employee appropriately was achieved. The decision was not influenced by any external factor like friendship or influence of the company. The decision making process is made of several stages that are interrelated. For decisions making process to be complete critical thinking process is applied. The importance of critical thinking in decision making process is that it allows individuals make appropriate judgments (Lyer, Levin, Shea Ashton 2006). Judgments make a positive decision making process that m ay have an impact on the general welfare of an organization. For example, in the hospitals the assessment of patients is based on critical thinking of nurses. According to Lyer et al (2006) critical thinking helps in alleviating errors during the decision making process. For example, the Toyota Company uses critical thinking in deciding the stability of a car. This is to avoid errors that may affect the customers and its credibility. Through critical thinking decisions errors are avoided and minimized. Because critical thinking involves the use problem solving process and behavior that evaluates collected information or data. This aids in the decision making process because it forms the basis of the whole process. Iyer, Levin, Shea and Ashton (2006) notes that the benefits of critical thinking is that it helps in setting priorities, making inferences’ as well as constructing effective plan that can be followed in decision making process. Critical thinking helps in enhancing the thinking process where an individual becomes acquainted to the critical thinking (Marquis Huston2009). This enables to automatically respond to critical thinking when a problem is triggered. Lutchman (2010) notes that critical thinking gives the right conclusions on a particular issue from set of given information. After developing the skills a critical thinker can never be swayed away by emotions, or any other obstacle. The process of critical thinking acts as motivating agent in encouraging people to become better critical thinkers (Lutchman, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Thinking Application Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In conclusion, critical thinking involves a learned process of evaluating a situation based on given information. It is used in decision making process and its importance is that it helps in solving problems. It also helps decision makers make right judgments and avoid unnecessary errors. The major benefit is that it helps in developing skills and motivates a critical thinker to become better. Reference List Lutchman, C. (2010). Project Execution: A Practical Approach to Industrial and Commercial Project Management. New York: CRC Press. Lyer, P. W., Levin, B. J., Shea, M. A., Ashton, K. (2006). Medical legal aspects of medical records. Tucson, AZ: Lawyers Judges Pub. Co. Marquis, B. L., Huston, C. J. (2009). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Difference of Opinion in American politics.

Difference of Opinion in American politics. "Difference of Opinion"Due to the fact the structure of our government allows for differing points of view to have a say there have been 'verbal wars' over whether or not the states have too much or too little power (people.memphis.edu/~kenicls/FedandAnti-FedArgue.htm). This all can be traced back to the Constitutional Convention in which these points of view began to take root in the document that is now the basis of the entire United States of America. During the drafting of the United States Constitution there were, basically, two differing points of view argued by the committeemen of the Constitutional Convention and these two points of view were commonly known as the Anti-Federalist and the Federalist. Federalists, essentially, believed that a government that was more centralized would be more efficient and lessen the burden upon individual states. The Anti-Federalists, in comparison, believed that this centralized system was more like a monarchy than a democracy and that it lef t little power in the hands of the states (people.memphis.edu/~kenicls/FedandAnti-FedArgue.htm).English: Painting, 1856, by Junius Brutus Stearns,...To this day, there is a constant power struggle between political parties, most notably the Democrats and the Republicans, and both parties can be paralleled to the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, with the Democrats being most like the Anti-Federalists and the republicans being most like the Federalists. Over time, these two main points of view have been known to split the country apart on many issues and will more than likely do the same in the coming future.Perhaps the most apparent disagreement between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists was over whether the system of government they were outlining was too much like a monarchy or not. The Anti-Federalists believed that if they instituted a system in which one man basically ran everything that it would be too much like a monarchy and...

Differences Between 17th and 18th Centuries essays

Differences Between 17th and 18th Centuries essays Before the Revolutionary period of politics and patriotism began in the 18th century, the last thing on the minds of the colonists of the new world was politics. These colonists of the 17th century were more concerned with their religion, religious revival, and reasonable thought. They were far more theological. Many of the first settlers of the new world made the dangerous journey to the new world to escape religious persecution. Puritans, Pilgrims, and Catholics, as well as some Jewish and Muslim peoples, came to America to flee the maltreatment that they were faced with in their homeland England, or, for the Pilgrims, Holland. The politics of England were of no concern to them. England was not yet unjustly taxing them or placing unrelenting restrictions upon them. They wanted to escape the ways of societies that did not agree with their beliefs, societies that they felt were corrupt. While the Pilgrims did draft the Mayflower Compact before disembarking, this was about as far as the concept of politics went in the 17th century. The early 18th century brought about the Great Awakening. As religious zest and appeal began to fade, some ministers strove to revive the spirit in their parishioners. "Churchgoers increasingly complained about the 'dead dogs' who droned out tedious, over erudite sermons from Puritan pulpits. Some ministers, on the other hand, worried that many of their parishioners had gone soft and that their souls were no longer kindled by the hellfire of orthodox Calvinism" (The American Pageant, page 94). Puritan ministers such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield attempted to revitalize the spirits of their followers. Edwards most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," helped in his cause. It scared many of his followers into believing that one false move on their part would result in eternal damnation because they upset God. "The wrath of God is like great waters that are dam...

Marketing Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Analysis - Essay Example The high portaging prices, and bureaucracies imposed by sale of bionic products is based on the high production costs and minimized vendor efficiency. The economic policies promote competition through influencing positive performance of sales in artificial limbs. The bionic limb products have extensive sales in the country based on the expected turns of lower annual performance and differences in economic aspects. Primarily, the connection bases its application on global financial crisis that affects most countries’ financial statuses. The governments of such countries predict slow economic growth of their GDP leading to reduced levels of incomes. The implosion on customers’ buying behavior is reduced purchases and solicitation of alternative forms of therapy (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 74). The component is a significant implication of the consideration of bionic components used in making life easier for the users’ lives (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 47). The growth in global population includes various elements of influences within the bionic limb industry. There is an increasing ratio of bionic devices in use through higher levels of patients. The competition increment allows for developments in technology and growth in influence of financial positions for each element of the market. The application of technology offers a viable approach to embracing diversity based on manufacturing’s maturity and capacity (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 23). This concept impacts differently on various levels of innovation in the company. Diversification of technologies allows for increased innovation, interaction, integration, and development potential. The increase in healthcare expenditure coupled with the emergence of extra healthcare facilities the emerging economies to provide more growth opportunities among markets for medical bionic implants. The customers

Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human Resources - Essay Example This paper is going to unveil various recommendations for how organization should staff its operations by focusing on decisions pertaining to staffing levels and quality. Taking into account the Tanglewood case study, which is a chain of retail stores featuring items such as clothing, appliances, electronics, and decor we realise that Tanglewood retail stores have taken into consideration the aspect of quality, durability and as well taking care of the customer’s preferences. For an organization such as Tangle to staff its operations by focusing on decisions pertaining to staffing levels and quality, a mission statement should be availed to act as guidance as far as effective service delivery is of concern. A mission is termed as an action statement that gives customers an overview on how the prevailing organization like in our case Tanglewood works towards realizing its vision. Tanglewood have executed its mandate through visionary actions and this is evidence through its statement that states that â€Å"We are committed as a company to providing maximum value to our customers, shareholders, and employees. We will accomplish this goal by adhering to the core values of responsible financial management, clear and honest communication, and always keeping performance and customer service in the forefront† Every emerging business globally is characterized by a dream and a vision. In order to progress and grow financial for the purpose of profit maximization, it is not the matter of summing up money but incurs taking into consideration customers preferences and serving them well (Rothwell, and Stavros, and Sullivan, and Sullivan, 23-27). For an organization such Tanglewood to succeed well, core values should be unveiled. The aspect of underpin works when the prevailed philosophy of business is taken into account and core principals executed as well. Going by the history of Tanglewood, its process of growth has been quick in the last 5 years. Various reason

The Key Features of Islamic Banking Business in Dubai Research Paper

The Key Features of Islamic Banking Business in Dubai - Research Paper Example Among the two distinct trends of revivalism, modernism emphasized on the religious aspects substantiated by the Shari’a and debated the premise that interest can amount to Riba only if it is perceived as unfair, while neo-revivalism staunchly upheld its notion that interest in any form tantamount to Riba and hence should be abolished. During 1970s neo-revivalists, augmented by â€Å"the oil-wealth of the conservative Gulf countries† (Saeed, 1996, P. 15), were successful in establishing their interpretation that interest is equivalent to Riba. Consequently, Islamic banks were established across the globe with the primary aim of abolishing interest from the banking as well as financial systems. The Dubai chapter of Islamic banking has vital significance to the Islamic financial system. Though neo-revivalism had given rise to semi-Islamic banks in Egypt and Malaysia back in the 1960s, Dubai came up with the first Islamic bank per se in the form of the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), whose operations started simultaneously with that of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in 1975 (Shoult, 2006, P. 213). The banking sector as observed in Dubai is a prominent subset of that of the UAE and reflects most of the trends shown by the latter. UAE’s banking sector has benefitted immensely from the stupendous economic development and the factors that have contributed to its prosperity are low rates of interest coupled with high price bands of its most precious natural resource – oil. An important feature of UAE’s banking sector is that the government holds huge stakes in it which signifies its enhanced control over the oil based macroeconomy of the Gulf nations (Global Investment House, 2007, P. 7).

Introduction To Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction To Management - Essay Example As of now this market is mainly dominated by two players, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The rising popularity of soft drinks has contributed immensely towards the growth and prosperity of Europe and America. Today the soft-drink industry employs more than 110,000 Americans with a payroll of more than $5 billion payroll dollars. Historically Coca-Cola has dominated the industry. Until 1950 Pepsi raised hardly a flicker of recognition. But now Pepsi has become a force to reckon with. Let us underline the present circumstances; Political Factors: During the Second World War Pepsi and Coke both enjoyed increased sales as they followed the flag around the world. However, after the war ended, and incomes improved, Pepsi's sales figures started decreasing. Things improved for Pepsi mainly when after Mr. Alfred N. Steele took over the Presidency. Mr. Steele could bring in this turnaround mainly in two phases. The first phase lasted from 1950 to 1955. In this phase all out efforts were made to overcome the shortcomings of Pepsi. During the second phase, lasting from 1955 to 1960 Pepsi started direct offensive against Coca-Cola. That was the time when Coca-Cola started accepting the formidable presence of Pepsi and responding to its overtures as well. The present political conditions in US and Europe are more or less stable, with the respective governments not taking sides. Both Pepsi and coca-cola have been contributing in good measure towards the political campaigns of diverse political parties and the governme nts. One factor which has certainly come to the advantage of coca-cola is the FIFA world cup 2006 in Germany, a formidable part of European market. Euro is now the currency of twelve European Union countries, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle (namely Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland). Euro came into existence on 1st January 1999 when eleven (later twelve) EU countries established the conversion rates between their respective national currencies and Euro with formal circulation of bank notes and coins from 1st January 2002. Coca-Cola being the official partner of World cup soccer under these changed circumstances, not only brought it closer to the respective establishment, but having a borderless big area where people could move freely to see the football matches the frenzy generated has indeed helped coca-cola by leaps and bounds. Pepsi too appear to have recognized the trend and is focusing mainly on the markets of developing countries for now. Economic Factors: While analyzing the markets the economic factors that need to be taken care of are; Current and project economic growth, inflation and interest rates Labor supply, labor costs and unemployment Levels of disposable income and income distribution Stage of business cycle Impact of globalization Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. The soft drink industry is more than liquid refreshment and jobs and dollars. It is an industry that strongly believes in preserving the ideals and principles that helped it

Introduction To Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction To Management - Essay Example As of now this market is mainly dominated by two players, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The rising popularity of soft drinks has contributed immensely towards the growth and prosperity of Europe and America. Today the soft-drink industry employs more than 110,000 Americans with a payroll of more than $5 billion payroll dollars. Historically Coca-Cola has dominated the industry. Until 1950 Pepsi raised hardly a flicker of recognition. But now Pepsi has become a force to reckon with. Let us underline the present circumstances; Political Factors: During the Second World War Pepsi and Coke both enjoyed increased sales as they followed the flag around the world. However, after the war ended, and incomes improved, Pepsi's sales figures started decreasing. Things improved for Pepsi mainly when after Mr. Alfred N. Steele took over the Presidency. Mr. Steele could bring in this turnaround mainly in two phases. The first phase lasted from 1950 to 1955. In this phase all out efforts were made to overcome the shortcomings of Pepsi. During the second phase, lasting from 1955 to 1960 Pepsi started direct offensive against Coca-Cola. That was the time when Coca-Cola started accepting the formidable presence of Pepsi and responding to its overtures as well. The present political conditions in US and Europe are more or less stable, with the respective governments not taking sides. Both Pepsi and coca-cola have been contributing in good measure towards the political campaigns of diverse political parties and the governme nts. One factor which has certainly come to the advantage of coca-cola is the FIFA world cup 2006 in Germany, a formidable part of European market. Euro is now the currency of twelve European Union countries, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle (namely Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland). Euro came into existence on 1st January 1999 when eleven (later twelve) EU countries established the conversion rates between their respective national currencies and Euro with formal circulation of bank notes and coins from 1st January 2002. Coca-Cola being the official partner of World cup soccer under these changed circumstances, not only brought it closer to the respective establishment, but having a borderless big area where people could move freely to see the football matches the frenzy generated has indeed helped coca-cola by leaps and bounds. Pepsi too appear to have recognized the trend and is focusing mainly on the markets of developing countries for now. Economic Factors: While analyzing the markets the economic factors that need to be taken care of are; Current and project economic growth, inflation and interest rates Labor supply, labor costs and unemployment Levels of disposable income and income distribution Stage of business cycle Impact of globalization Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. The soft drink industry is more than liquid refreshment and jobs and dollars. It is an industry that strongly believes in preserving the ideals and principles that helped it

Government Accounting and Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Government Accounting and Reporting - Essay Example The major features of government reporting are the summarized plans and programs, fiscal and economic policies capsulated in facts and figures. A government wide reporting is a reporting method that brings together the three types of government activities, such as governmental, business-type and other detached units. Each entity is required to report the activity in economic terms, describing the â€Å"flow of economic resources† that measures its impact, and follows the accrual basis of accounting (Klashy and Williams, 2000). Further, the report is historical since the report is compared with previous year’s performance to identify the financial and performance position of the entity. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of Davis School District in Utah has the same accounting reporting procedure; however, the state requires the School District to publish their report within five months of the close of each fiscal year in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, which also required to present a report of financial activities to parents, taxpayers and citizen (Roberts, 2008). Furthermore, as differentiated from regular public accounting, Roberts (2008) said that the reason of preparing separate financial statements is to â€Å"support state or federal applications and a financial statement for use in an official statement for bond issuance purposes†. The school is supported by the County through the proceeds from bonds. The CAFR report of Davis School District is divided into three segments (Roberts, 2008): 1) Introduction of the report - Illustrates the description of the report including the transmittal letter, the lists of elected board and directors, the chart of the School District organizations, the model of the School District for its education, and excellence certificate of financial reporting. 2) Financial Report Section – This section is

Major event happened in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Major event happened in China - Essay Example This places China on the same level as Trinidad and Tobago and Serbia. The index also reveals that China is indeed more corrupt than most of the developing countries like Sri Lanka. Corruption in China takes various forms such as either structural or non-structural. Non-structural corruption is also common in other parts of the world and includes illegal or criminal acts such as embezzlement of public funds, bribery, nepotism, and patronage. Structural corruption, on the other hand, is very difficult to tackle because it emerges on from weakness in political and economic structures in the country. This includes backdoor deals, statistical falsification, and graft. What is worse, corruption in China takes place at both individual and institutional levels. Political corruption has been a major obstacle to China’s development over the years and despite the government taking significant steps to curb the problem, there are still major instances of corruption in the country. Some analysts such as Yan Sun, a professor at City University of New York claim that there are more corrupt members in China’s leading political party, CPP than there are honest members. The current Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken a tough stance against corruption and has vowed to fight the vice. Impacts of widespread corruption include undermining democracy and good governance, reduces accountability, weakens institutions, and compromises both international and national laws. Corruption is a major threat to China’s development in its bid to overtake the US the world economic powerhouse. Most of the cases of corruption in China do nt6 find their way to the international stage due to unwillingness of the government to share such data with f oreign agencies. This has, however, not stopped some cases from attracting headlines in both local and international media. This essay is based on Makinen Julie’s article titled â€Å"In China, Corruption Cases Keep

Introduction To Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction To Management - Essay Example As of now this market is mainly dominated by two players, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The rising popularity of soft drinks has contributed immensely towards the growth and prosperity of Europe and America. Today the soft-drink industry employs more than 110,000 Americans with a payroll of more than $5 billion payroll dollars. Historically Coca-Cola has dominated the industry. Until 1950 Pepsi raised hardly a flicker of recognition. But now Pepsi has become a force to reckon with. Let us underline the present circumstances; Political Factors: During the Second World War Pepsi and Coke both enjoyed increased sales as they followed the flag around the world. However, after the war ended, and incomes improved, Pepsi's sales figures started decreasing. Things improved for Pepsi mainly when after Mr. Alfred N. Steele took over the Presidency. Mr. Steele could bring in this turnaround mainly in two phases. The first phase lasted from 1950 to 1955. In this phase all out efforts were made to overcome the shortcomings of Pepsi. During the second phase, lasting from 1955 to 1960 Pepsi started direct offensive against Coca-Cola. That was the time when Coca-Cola started accepting the formidable presence of Pepsi and responding to its overtures as well. The present political conditions in US and Europe are more or less stable, with the respective governments not taking sides. Both Pepsi and coca-cola have been contributing in good measure towards the political campaigns of diverse political parties and the governme nts. One factor which has certainly come to the advantage of coca-cola is the FIFA world cup 2006 in Germany, a formidable part of European market. Euro is now the currency of twelve European Union countries, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle (namely Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland). Euro came into existence on 1st January 1999 when eleven (later twelve) EU countries established the conversion rates between their respective national currencies and Euro with formal circulation of bank notes and coins from 1st January 2002. Coca-Cola being the official partner of World cup soccer under these changed circumstances, not only brought it closer to the respective establishment, but having a borderless big area where people could move freely to see the football matches the frenzy generated has indeed helped coca-cola by leaps and bounds. Pepsi too appear to have recognized the trend and is focusing mainly on the markets of developing countries for now. Economic Factors: While analyzing the markets the economic factors that need to be taken care of are; Current and project economic growth, inflation and interest rates Labor supply, labor costs and unemployment Levels of disposable income and income distribution Stage of business cycle Impact of globalization Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. The soft drink industry is more than liquid refreshment and jobs and dollars. It is an industry that strongly believes in preserving the ideals and principles that helped it

Major event happened in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Major event happened in China - Essay Example This places China on the same level as Trinidad and Tobago and Serbia. The index also reveals that China is indeed more corrupt than most of the developing countries like Sri Lanka. Corruption in China takes various forms such as either structural or non-structural. Non-structural corruption is also common in other parts of the world and includes illegal or criminal acts such as embezzlement of public funds, bribery, nepotism, and patronage. Structural corruption, on the other hand, is very difficult to tackle because it emerges on from weakness in political and economic structures in the country. This includes backdoor deals, statistical falsification, and graft. What is worse, corruption in China takes place at both individual and institutional levels. Political corruption has been a major obstacle to China’s development over the years and despite the government taking significant steps to curb the problem, there are still major instances of corruption in the country. Some analysts such as Yan Sun, a professor at City University of New York claim that there are more corrupt members in China’s leading political party, CPP than there are honest members. The current Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken a tough stance against corruption and has vowed to fight the vice. Impacts of widespread corruption include undermining democracy and good governance, reduces accountability, weakens institutions, and compromises both international and national laws. Corruption is a major threat to China’s development in its bid to overtake the US the world economic powerhouse. Most of the cases of corruption in China do nt6 find their way to the international stage due to unwillingness of the government to share such data with f oreign agencies. This has, however, not stopped some cases from attracting headlines in both local and international media. This essay is based on Makinen Julie’s article titled â€Å"In China, Corruption Cases Keep

Problem Solving & Spreadsheet Modeling Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Spreadsheet Modeling Essay This paper talks about the problem solving process along with examples, as well as one of more commonly used modeling and analytical techniques, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. It also talks about its dependency, its uses, disadvantages and well as explores ways to better this very new, but powerful technique. | Modeling is the process of creating a simpliï ¬ ed representation of real life problems and representing them in an organized fashion in order to understand a particular problem. These models can take many forms such as mental, visual, mathematical or electronic spreadsheets to name a few. Their uses can be seen in almost every field of our daily lives such as businesses, governments, human resources, science and engineering, and medicine etc. Their primary function is to gain insight into a specific problem and after getting a clear understanding of the topic, one can easily approach it from different directions with possible solutions. This paper discusses this process in detail, starting with gaining insight into a specific problem by using a problem solving model, and then moves on to how it applies to spreadsheet modeling. It also discusses different aspects of electronic spreadsheet engineering, its uses and caveats, as well as its dependency in the business world these days. Before creating any models, visual, mathematical or spreadsheets, one has to start with the problem solving process. The problem solving process consists of six stages that can be followed to solve almost any problem. These stages or steps are employed and are repeated multiple times, not necessarily in the same order, to obtain an efficient and refined solution to a particular problem. The first of these stages is exploration of a â€Å"mess†. â€Å"A mess is a morass of unsettling symptoms, causes, data, pressures, shortfalls, and opportunities† (Baker Powell, p.18). One of the key issues in solving any problem is to be able to take any given situation and extract key information, problems, issues as well as opportunities from it. A problem never presents  itself in a clear, well-posed statement. It is usually hidden in a scenario, along with a lot of other trivial information and any problem solving should start by understanding a given situation and be able to extract key information from it. â€Å"During this phase, questions that are explored include listing problems or opportunities that are to be faced, gaps between current and desired situations, and thinking about stated and unstated goals.† (Baker Powell, p.21) Baker and Powell use an example of a pharmaceutical company in their book, where majority of that company’s revenue is generated from the production and distribution of a single drug, and present a scenario where the patent for that drug heads towards its expiration date in upcoming months. Using this scenario, exploring the mess stage would involve the company officials to perform individual researches and evaluate any threats and affects the expiration of the drug patents would have on their revenues as well as taking initial steps to address the upcoming problems (Baker Powell, p.21). Second stage of the problem solving process involves searching for information. â€Å"This includes opinions, raw data, impressions and published literature etc. and involves casting about widely for any and all information that might shed light on what the problem really is† (Baker Powell, p.22). This is basically a â€Å"brainstorming phase†, and usually involves approaching the mess from different directions. In the case of the pharmaceutical company, for example, senior managers would handle this phase by holding meetings and addressing their discomfort towards the upcoming problem as well as hiring outside consultants to perform company as well as industry research and gathering all the necessary facts involving this problem. â€Å"This stage is usually complete when relevant information for the situation at hand if found and organized and when initial hypotheses about the source of the problem and potential solutions are discussed.† (Baker Powell, p.22) The next phase of the process, known as â€Å"identifying the problem†, st arts out in its divergent phase with a few possible problem statements that can be inferred from earlier stages. These problem statements are evaluated and results in a final, more detailed, problem statement that may or may not be an aggregation of one or more initial statements. It is imperative that each of the initial problem statements are examined individually and eliminated carefully and the end result is an unambiguous problem statement. For  example, the pharmaceutical executives may initially come up with two different problem statements, one dealing with somehow extending patent dates and focusing on revitalizing their strategy around the existing drug, while the other group thinking about how to come introduce other drugs into the market to cover the decline in revenues. Another option looks at decreasing costs and expenses overall to cover the losses incurred. From these initial statements, developing a portfolio and introduction of new drugs seems to win the general consensus. The next phase of searching for possible solutions to the now defined problem statement involves open-ended process searches for good, even radical, solutions. This can only be done however, when a problem statement has already been described. â€Å"Considering possible solutions to an ambiguous problem is not only inefficient but also dangerous as well, since it can lead to solutions that were nowhere close to the original problem and can result in a lot of wasted time and resources. This stage is complete when a list of potential solutions is produced and perhaps a list of advantages and disadvantages for each one† (Baker Powell, p.23). In the case of the pharmaceutical example, this phase can start out with solutions including speeding up FDA approval process for the new drugs, investing RD resources and funds towards drugs with the highest percentages of approval and focusing on a new portfolio of drugs in the same medical category, and thus providing expertise in one or two specialty areas (Baker Powell, p.23). Next comes the stage of evaluating all possible solutions and deciding on the preferred solution. This is done through evaluating each of the initial solutions against a set of given criteria. â€Å"This can lead directly to a preferred alternative. More often, this process leads to changes, and improvements, in the solutions themselves. Often, stronger points of multiple solutions are grafter together while less attractive aspects are removed and through this process, a final, preferred solution is refined† (Baker Powell, p.24). For example, for the pharmaceutical drug scenario, after evaluating and grafting various solutions, it can be decided that one most critical area for improvement is how RD funds are allocated over time. And finally, the problem solving process concludes with implementation the preferred solution. In this phase, a problem-solving team will identify sources of resistance as well as support for their solution. During this stage, once a  solution has been implemented, a final evaluation is done after some time to see if the implementation has been successful or not. This stage concludes when an implementation plan is produced and executed enough so that the team may begin to evaluate how well it is succeeding. For example, the pharmaceutical problem solving team will have to get approval and support from the senior management for their solution and when they carry the plan forward, they must monitor its impacts and modify it as needed, and solve a new set of problems as they arise. In order for a solution to be refined, these six steps must sometimes be repeated multiple times, each time creating a new solution to the problems in the previous cycle. â€Å"It is also worth stating that only rarely are these six stages followed in a strict sequence. Most problem-solving processes move back and forth from one stage to another, perhaps rethinking the problem statement while evaluating solutions, or returning to an information-gathering mode while searching for solutions (Baker Powell, p.25).† Now a brief overview of the problem solving process has been outlined, we can discuss one of the more common problem solving and analyzing techniques used in the business world today, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. Baker and Powell explain it in their book that â€Å"spreadsheet is the second best way to do many kinds of analysis and is therefore the best way to do most modeling (p.4).† Basically what this means is that for any singular modeling task, there is always some better, more powerful software available that can handle that specific task. However, due to the complexity and costs related to such applications and their very narrow scope of problem solving capabilities, it becomes inefficient for most companies and analysts to use separate software for separate models. Therefore, most of the modeling in the business world is done in electronic spreadsheets due to its nature of being able to handle and process a wide scope of modeling and analytical tasks. There are, however, limitations to electronic spreadsheets due to its broad capabilities but most modeling tasks in many companies can be easily handled through spreadsheet modeling and analytical tools. Despite their limitations, spreadsheets allow modelers to build more detailed and more complex models and also have the advantage of being pervasive in business analysis. On the other hand, however, using ele ctronic spreadsheets is not without its downsides. The business world is still at an early stage of understanding how to develop error-free  spreadsheets. And one of the caveats of using electronic spreadsheets is assuming that they are error free. In fact studies and research have shown that only less than ten percent of spreadsheets in individual studies have been free of any errors (Graves, p.1). These errors may be small and would seem very insignificant, such as improper sorting or entering numbers as text, but in larger companies, the results can be devastating and can cause effects ranging from ineligible candidates becoming police officers to a school losing more than $50,000 in funding due to budget understatements (Baker Powell, p. 6). When using electronic spreadsheets, or any software for that matter, it is also imperative to ensure that the software packages are always up to date. This can range anywhere from applying security updates to upgrading software versions altogether. â€Å"Upgrading a business software is more than just an economic business decision. It is a matter of security, productivity, lower costs, and employee morale† (Garger, p.1). The longer any software has been around, the more vulnerable it gets to malicious viruses and security breaches. Therefore any software must be updated or upgraded routinely since newer versions would be safer from a security standpoint guarding against vulnerabilities from previous versions. Another reason to keep software up to date is from a budget point of view. Usually, older versions of any software are more expensive to maintain than the newer versions (Garger, p.1). And probably the most important reason to update any software, and especially spreadsheets, is an increase in productivity. Software companies are continually adding newer features to their applications that increase productivity and are efficient in handling various tasks. More often than not, newer versions usually have larger set of capabilities and tools under their belt and can perform more tasks in lesser time and with more ease (Garger, p.2). Even though electronic spreadsheets are still quite new in the business world, their dependency has been increasing drastically in the past two decades. About 25 years ago, the idea of personal computers was unknown to most and â€Å"modeling was performed only by specialists using demanding software on expensive hardware. This meant that only the most critical business problems could be analyzed using models, because only these problems justified the large budgets and long time commitments required to build, debug, and apply the models of the day (Graves, p.1). However, since then, the ever evolving technological advances  starting with personal computers, spreadsheets and now the add-on features for specialized analyses have greatly changed the business world. Nowadays, anyone with a laptop and little background in spreadsheet modeling can easily handle tasks that would have been thought of as quite complex 25 years ago and would have required teams of specialist to perform (Baker Powell, p.5). In fact, â€Å"these applications have become a staple of end users and business professionals and are widely used by businesses, service agencies, volunteer groups, private sector organizations, scientists, students, educators, trainers, researchers, journalists, accountants and others† (Graves, p.2) In conclusion, spreadsheets represent an ever-present platform for businesses and our dependency on them cannot be understated. However, as with any great tool, there are many stipulations. Any tool can be only as useful and powerful as its user. Therefore, in order to use electronic spreadsheets properly, one has to be proficient in their use and must acquire the necessary skill set to create and analyze powerful and effective business models. Knowing the capabilities of any given software as well as its limitations is crucial. And finally, planning a spreadsheet model properly and never assuming that it will be error-free are necessary to create successful business models. â€Å"Only with a solid foundation in spreadsheet engineering can the business analyst effectively generate real insights from spreadsheet models (Baker Powell, p.8). References Baker, Kenneth R.; Powell, Stephen G. (2010-10-08). Management Science: The Art of Modeling with Spreadsheets, 3rd Edition. John Wiley Sons, Inc. Kindle Edition. Garger, John. â€Å"The Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Software†. Bright Hub. Nov 8th, 2010. Accessed Dec. 12th, 2012. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/43180.aspx Graves, Sherry. â€Å"The Importance Of Excel In The Workplace†. SparkNET. Sept. 10, 2007. Accessed on Dec.12th, 2012. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-Of-Excel-In-The-Workplaceid=724646

The Planning And Scheduling Of Maintenance Construction Essay

The Planning And Scheduling Of Maintenance Construction Essay Building with safety place is an asset that people need to occupy either for shelter or work. It is important to maintain the building in order to ensure that there is no depreciate value of building. British Standard (8210) defines a building is an asset which needs to maintained so that the value of building not depreciate. As an owner or tenant, we must realize that building is important asset for us to keep it in a good condition to prevent any effect that can cause damage or failure on the building. Any damage occurs on the building must do the maintenance work in order to avoid the critical damage occur on the building. The small damage will need less money rather than critical damage. So that, owner or tenants should call the maintenance contractor to carry out the maintenance work on their building. Maintenance as the combination of all technical and administrative action to retain it, restore it so that it can perform as required (British Standard, 8210). Other than that, Building Standard (3811) defines the maintenance as a work that carry out the restoration of every part of building and its contents with compliance with standard. Servicing, rectification and replacement are separate components in maintenance (F.C. Harper, 1969). Servicing work is done regular interval or sometimes day-to-day maintenance. Rectification work usually occurs at early life of the building that may reduce cost of maintenance. Replacement work is done for building with physical breakdown of materials or element. British Standard (3811) subdivides maintenance into two which are planned and unplanned maintenance. Planned maintenance comprises planned preventive maintenance and planned corrective maintenance which are having different definition among them. Planned preventive maintenance means work which carried out to prevent the failure of item or facility within the expected life of facility meanwhile planned corrective maintenance means work carried to restore the items or facility that failure to bring it back operation. Nick Robinson (1982) explain maintenance should be shown to give value for money like anything else, and many maintenance plans can be improved through closer control. The maintenance should be control at the beginning with less cost without to use more money if not maintain it next. 2.0 ORGANISING MAINTENANCE WORK Failure building will need restoration from expertise person such as maintenance contractor who working for profit and direct labour who absence of profit motive in order to keep the building as at the original state. Ivor H.Seeley (1976) explain maintenance work can be undertaken by contractors, direct labour forces or a combination of both systems and the decision may be based on a number of criteria. Both type of labour have a cost to employ them. The cost of direct labour is from wages and materials such as administrative overheads such as labour oncosts, and associated clerical, travelling and supervisory costs, and depot costs meanwhile the cost for employing contractor are contractors charges plus administrative overheads, such as inviting and comparing tenders, drawing up contracts, work supervision and checking invoices (Ivor H.Seeley, 1976). Bampton (1967) said it may be preferable to confine direct labour to little more than emergency and scheduled maintenance, and to use contractors for the seasonal, major and specialist work. 2.1 Maintenance Organization Organisation can mean an organization or a firm or enterprise of some kind or it can mean the process of getting something organised. It is important for the maintenance manager to make sure that the maintenance work are done efficiently in order to keep everyone feel happy. So that, to get the efficient work, maintenance manager should organized the maintenance work in their department in order to ensure that they can meet tenants need and their objectives. There is only one manager can carried maintenance organization in one department. Poor organization work such as planning of work will result poor maintenance work. Maintenance manager is important to apply the management function in department to achieve their goal. There are four managerial functions which are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Successful organization is important to ensure that the staffs will their work respectively. Maintenance staff must know what work is approved, what parts have arrived and wh ere parts are located to keep everything run smoothly. It is important to record who the maintenance worked after the task is complete. Nick Robinson (1982) said all maintenance managers operate from a maintenance plan whether it be a manually operated of resources available, or sophisticated computerized setup. It is the duty of maintenance management to plan the maintenance plan which means the organization of maintenance within an agreed policy. In order to achieve the maintenance objective, maintenance manager should ensure that the maintenance work will follow the statement in maintenance policy as well as a guide for maintenance management for make decision making. 2.2 The Planning and Scheduling of Maintenance Maintenance planning and scheduling is types of plan of organization to organize their department for maintenance work. Chris Hykin (n.d.) explains planning and scheduling is a disciplined approach for utilize the existence of maintenance resources in order to reduce time and production costs. Richard D. Palmer (2007) explain the maintenance system is an effective if there are effort applied to eliminate in every case the cause of lost production due to equipment failure or to maximize equipment effectiveness. Richard also considers that proper maintenance planning and scheduling will achieve the organization goal. The most efficient way for achieving this goal is to plan proper maintenance scheduling and planning because it will contribute to reduce the maintenance cost due to scheduling the work to be done. Besides that, by maintenance planning and scheduling, it will increase the use of maintenance workforce then will reduce delays and interruptions. By adopting the best methods a nd appoint the qualified workers may improve the quality of maintenance work. Umar M. Al-Turki (2009) explain an effective planning and scheduling will contributes the quality of maintenance work by adopting the best methods, procedures and assigning the most qualified crafts for the job. 2.2.1 Planning Planning is the process whereby the manager set up the decision for the future and the action taken to achieve that future decision. Normally, at planning stage, maintenance manager will create or plan the company goal such as to achieve the tenant satisfaction. During planning also maintenance manager will plan the actions need to be taken to achieve the goal such as provide service for tenants property with a minimum time. According to Umar M. Al-Turki (2009), the process of planning can be divided into three basic levels which depending on the planning horizon which are Long range planning, Medium range planning, and Short range planning. Long range planning It is the planning process that covers a period of several years. This long range planning normally empowers maintenance planners to access essential information in real time, analyze inputs and scenarios, and highlight areas of concern. Plan progress can be easily tracked across the organization and dynamically updated in response to sudden changes or opportunities. Medium range planning It is normally covers a period of one month to 1 year. Umar M. Al Turki (2009) said minimum range plan is the plan which specify how the operation of maintenance force and it will provides details for construction jobs, major overhauls, plant shutdowns, preventive maintenance plans, and vacation planning. For medium range planning, maintenance management should plan with aim to prepare more the maintenance work. Umar M. Al Turki (2009) explain the medium range planning process is coupled with a scheduling process which is considered long range scheduling known as the master schedule due to the maintenance work including the routine and preventive maintenance. Short range planning It is the planning process that concerns periods of 1 day to 1 week. Short range planning will determine the elements required in order performing task and it is prepare once starting to execute the work. 2.2.2 Scheduling Any works that intend to make in order or sequences will put in schedule so that the work will planned together in sequence. There are three levels of maintenance schedule that can be prepared which are long-range (master) schedule, weekly schedule, and daily schedule. Maintenance manager will prepare scheduling to guide or planned for their staff to do the maintenance work. The preventive maintenance are done by follow the schedule to prevent the major damage occur on the building. Long-Range (master) schedule is work schedule for major maintenance work that cover period of three months to one year. Normally the master schedule is planned for long term demand of maintenance work with available resources. Along this period, the maintenance manager will identified the spare parts and ordering material in advance. Meanwhile, weekly schedule is maintenance work that covers in 1 week and it is normally generated from master schedule. Weekly schedule will prepare for the current week and it is allow 10% to 15% of workforce available for emergency work. Daily schedule are prepared by covering 1 day and its normally generated from weekly schedule. Maintenance manager will prepare it the day before. 2.3 Classify of Maintenance Work People will call maintenance manager if there are problem occur in their building and maintenance staff have their liability to maintain the owners or tenants building in good condition. There are three classification of maintenance work which are corrective, preventive, and modification. Maintenance manager will classify the maintenance work according to the three categorized either the maintenance are corrective maintenance or preventive maintenance, or modification maintenance. First of all, maintenance manager will define that the damage or failure of building is emergency to do maintenance due to major damage and it will interrupt the operation so that maintenance manager will appoint contractor maintenance to do the corrective maintenance as soon as possible because it also may damage the occupier of building. Besides that, for the preventive maintenance work, maintenance manager will plan or make schedule at early stage of building design the routines work that should carried out by contractor maintenance or direct labour daily or weekly such as any services on the machine. Other than that, the modification maintenance will be carried out depend on eliminating the cause of repeated breakdowns. 2.4 Recording of Information Any information regarding details of property owner or tenant and any details regarding repairs work done should record by maintenance manager. Ivor H.Seeley (1976) explain recording of information concerning properties and repairs is best undertaken on a card system providing ready means of communication by means of a computer. The records are sometimes described as a property register. The information that recorded should include the tenants and owner details to ease contractor maintenance do their routine services for preventive maintenance. Tenants who want make any complaint should issues notice to maintenance department so that contractor maintenance can do the corrective work as soon as possible. 2.5 Execution of Maintenance Work Once the property or building had detected any damage, the maintenance work then executed. The maintenance manager who want to contract out the maintenance work to outsource contractor will prepared open tender in order to select the best tender and contractors whose expertise in such field will choices. Normally the contractors will interview their report. The maintenance contractor will appoint their staff or subcontractors to run maintenance services and the services provided are based on anything statement that state in contract or maintenance policy. Normally the more urgent task will be maintain or assessed first and it will divided into those need to be done in the current year, in the next five years and the next ten years (Gurjit Singh, TT). 2.5.1 Work in Progress Once work has start, tenant will sign the contract and then the contract will keep in safety place like drawer. The contract should easy to find if any case happen. Any work done on site should compliance with the corrected contract. Figures 2 represent the flow of maintenance work is carried out. Supervision Brian Wood (2009) explains supervision is a management activity carried out to ensure that the work intended is carried out correctly and expeditiously. The supervision activity is normally will conducted by maintenance contractor that had skill to practice. Inspection The inspection work is conduct at the planning stage which is during the establishment of standard, manager should differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable work. Manager should inspect and ensure that the work which not in conformity with contract must be removed due to the re-doing of work may take time. So that, the work must be check regularly to ensure work done compliance with contract and the inspection work normally will carry out at periodically. Payments Normally the payment will be made on the work that has been done by someone. The allowance payment that specify in form of contract will made to contractor at interval for the work done by them. According to Brian Wood (2009), the contract should specify the time at which interim payments will become due and the basis on which the amounts of such payments are to be determined. Feedback Brian Wood (2009) said often all parties involve client, contractor and all others are so pleased when a building is completed that they forget to assess how well things went and how they could be done better next time. They are no alert what the condition of their building is until big damage occurs. There are also no good communication among contractor and client without recognize that they will need each other soon and continuing relationship. Figure 2 Executing building maintenance Sources: Brian Wood, Department Of Real Estate and Construction School of the Built Envirinment Oxford Brookes University Does contract continue? On complete satisfaction, confirm arrangements for notification and rectification of defects. Issue Certificate of Practical Completion Ensure satisfactory correction of all defects-take possession of any certificates and all user manuals Discuss, agree and put in hand arrangements for continuing recording, review and repair of defects Time to end contract? If possible extricate yourself as smoothly as possible. Likely to be an expensive option to break the contract-if possible try to re-establish smooth working relationship Make periodic payments as appropriate per tender contract Candid discussion with supervisor (do not approach operatives) agree new arrangements CONCLUSION From the explanation, it can be concluded that organizing maintenance work are important to ensure that the maintenance work are carry out in order. The good planning will provide the best and efficient maintenance work. Contractor maintenance or direct labour will appointed by maintenance manager to carried out maintenance work. The works done by contractor or direct labour will paid by maintenance manager as specified in contract that had been sign by both parties. Maintenance work will carried out based on scheduling that had been planned by manager. The planning maintenance comprise three basic levels of planning maintenance which are long range planning, medium range planning, and short range planning. After the planning was set up, the action to be taken will classified to different type of maintenance which comprise corrective, preventive and modification. Preventive maintenance should apply according to scheduling to prevent the building failure. Normally minor service will c arry out interval either per day, or per week. Major services will carry out per year. Manager should inspect and ensure that the work which not in conformity with contract must be removed due to the re-doing of work may take time. Lastly, Maintenance manager is responsible to keep information details about tenants property well to easy work by contractor maintenance. The good communication also encouraged between client and contractor maintenance due to they will need each other in future.

A Bloody Night :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare once said, â€Å"For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art as black as hell, as dark as night.† Deception plays a big part in the play Macbeth. The play is about a king who is murdered by one of his most trusted men trying to gain power. During the play Shakespeare heightens the mood by using various accounts of imagery. The blood and night imagery that Shakespeare uses adds to the evil, darkness and deception surrounding the play. Night has a role of great importance during the play. Lady Macbeth beckons, â€Å"Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry "Hold, hold!" Without the obscurity of night, she would not have urged Macbeth to kill the king as she did. The night, however, gives her the impression that Macbeth can indeed kill King Duncan with no one uncovering his contemptible crime, the same idea that Macbeth had when he said, "Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires" It seems as if the whole plot revolves around the night and the many roles it holds throughout the play. Shakespeare often uses darkness and storms to depict that evil happenings are occurring or are about to take place. There are at least three examples of this in Macbeth. Most of the evil things that Macbeth does in the story occurs in the nighttime. Lennox states, "... the obscure bird Clamored the livelong night. Some say, the earth Was feverous and did shake," in reaction to Macbeth's first evil act, killing the king of Scotland. "The night has been unruly: where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i’ the air; strange screams of death,..." "Three score and ten I can remember well; Within the volume of which time I have seen Hours of dreadful and things strange, but this sore night Hath trifled former knowings." Both these quotes are talking about the night of Duncan’s death. They are showing the comparisons between the natural unruliness and the unusual disaster. In the play, the word â€Å"blood† is mentioned numerous times. Shakespeare’s use of this particular word is significant; he uses it to develop the character of Macbeth and the unfolding events of the drama.

the time is now :: essays research papers

If... he has committed murder, he must die. In this case, there is no substitute that will satisfy the legal requirements of legal justice.There is no sameness of kind between death and remaining alive even under the most miserable conditions, and consequently there is no equality between crime and the retribution unless the criminal is judicially condemned and put to death." Immanuel Kant. About 2000 men, women, and teenagers currently wait on America's "Death Row." Their time grows shorter as federal and state courts increasingly ratify death penalty laws, allowing executions to proceed at an accelerated rate. It's unlikely that any of these executions will make the front page, having become more and more a matter of routine in the last decade. Indeed, recent public opinion polls show a wide margin of support for the death penalty. But human rights advocates continue to decry the immorality of state-sanctioned killing in the U.S., the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter violent crime. While it is difficult to produce direct evidence to support this claim since, by definition, those who are

Braking History Essay

In a little over a hundred years since the automobile took hold of people’s imagination, technologies designed to make them accelerate faster and reach higher speeds have evolved with a fury. The brakes that were used to decelerate vehicles just over a hundred years ago (when cars were first invented) has evolved from plain wooden blocks to discs that are monitored by Anti-lock Brake Systems and Electronic Braking Distribution systems. The earliest braking system that used by vehicles consisted of nothing more than a block of wood and a lever system. The wood brake system worked fine in conjunction with early vehicles that were equipped with steel rimmed wheels. However, when the Michelin brothers started to replace steel rimmed wheels with rubber tires on most vehicles towards late 1890s, the wood block braking system just does not create enough friction with rubber. Since the need for a new method of braking was necessary in order to replace the old wood block braking system, inventors scrambled for new ideas. The French manufacturer Louis Renault took crude concepts of inventors before him and developed method: The drum based braking system. Basically, the system involved a single flexible stainless-steel band, wrapped around a drum on the rear axle. When the driver engaged the brake, the band would apply pressure to the drum and car to come to a stop. However, the drum braking system did have a number of problems. Since the drum brakes were external, the exposer caused a very rapid wear-out of the system and had to be replaced often. The band itself would sometimes unwrap on hills and proved to be very unsafe for the driver and passengers. Even though people came up with ideas to internally place the brakes, the era of mechanically-activated brakes was coming to an end. In 1918, A four-wheel hydraulic-brake system was invented by Malcolm Loughead. This system used fluids to transfer the force on the pressed pedal to the pistons and then to the brake shoes. In other words, it was the enhanced drum based system added with power support. The system quickly became popular due to the fact that it is much easier to operate and more effective than mechanical systems. Thus, it was adapted quickly by most of the automotive world. As the vehicles evolved to be heavier and faster, heat distribution started to become a major problem for the drum hydraulic-brake system due to increased friction. Disc brake system that was made from iron was invented to solve the problem. In order to stop the car, the brake pads are squeezed by a calliper which is pressured by the hydraulic, and then the discs are squeezed by the braking pads. Lining was placed on the braking pads to reduce the noise when the metal came in contact. This was as far as the braking system went in terms of mechanics. However, additional features such as the ABS (Anti-Lock Brakes), EBS (Electronic Braking system), and EBD (Electronic Braking Distribution) were implemented to further enhance the performance and safety of brakes. Since the industry was constantly seeking for replacements and innovations, achieving â€Å"the Minimum Winning Game† (MWG) is extremely important in not only the auto industry, but any high-technology ventures in general. By definition, the â€Å"Minimum Winning Game† is: Defining the first major market opportunity that is limited enough to provide a clear target for technology and product development efforts in the short-to-medium term, and sufficiently large that successfully pursuing it provides a foundation for long-term corporate development. Defining the â€Å"Minimum Winning Game† of any new breaking system is a difficult yet critical responsibility of management to keep the new innovation focused and able to learn from its ongoing efforts in the face of rapidly evolving technological and market uncertainties. Balancing a combination of the three drivers is essential in achieving the â€Å"Minimum Winning Game†. The drivers are: technology development, product development, and strategy development. Effectively pursuing these drivers will contribute positively, but allowing one to become the sole driver is likely to derail the venture from the path toward its Minimum Winning Game. Since braking technology is in such high-tech environments the pace of change is extreme. Instilling strategic discipline early on can prevent the new innovation of brakes to fall into the â€Å"Field of Dreams† trap: building the technology and it will become useful, while simultaneously increase the chances of its success.