Globalization of the Microsoft Corporation Essay

Globalization of the Microsoft Corporation - Essay Example This process is not necessarily between the people but also amongst various companies and organizations. Jaffe, Bacchus and Alon (2006) believe that anything that happens around the world is labeled as globalization. Hence, the fact that whether it is related to the business world or not, the term globalization is of an immense importance, but it is necessary for us to discuss further how or why this notion is raised an essential question. It has been elucidated that globalization is relevant to money making only, whereas, it has also been verified that not only money is exchanged through globalization but cultures, customs, traditions, values and beliefs are also a product of transference in the current era. In my perspective as the further study is related to an organization which is business related, hence, I shall support the former outlook. The reasoning behind the goodwill of the former topic lies in the explanation that customs, traditions, values, beliefs and cultures are tra nsferred and exchanged through globalization. Hence, when people circulate through borders they tend to circulate money of that specified territory as well. Hence, when money is circulated from country to country and from region to region, this process causes the mingling of businesses. This is the reason why the notion of today’s globalization holds such an importance as the circulation of almost everything throughout the world that is related to it. Hence, the world is now called a global village. Brawley (2008: pp.198) correctly states that â€Å"One of the most important aspects of globalization is the integration of economies across great distances.† THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: We might have heard Bill Gates’ name somewhere. Gates; someone everyone is well... This essay discusses that the major question that is to be analyzed is that how shall an organization like Microsoft should develop a strategy in order to achieve what they are working upon and what the market and customer requirements reveal. This notion can be spurred by the answer of Davenport, Leibold, and Voelpel that â€Å"Strategy generally requires careful, analytical calculation and choice, which assumes that there is a great deal of reliable information available.† As this organization climbs up the mountain of success it shall keep the future conflicts and divergences in mind. In Sà ¤Ãƒ ¤ksvuori and Immonen’s (2002) perspective business strategies affect the product strategies, which could work the other way as well. Looking at the diverse product nature of the products offering by Microsoft and the way the products are designed to cater the customer all around the world like providing language options in its products by using National Language Support (NLS) . The codes written for the products at Microsoft required the developers to understand the concepts of globalization and localization.When the runners of this organization will look upon it as their personal asset, they will understand the complete methodology of a transparent system. This can be done when they think less about their profit and more about the success of the entire organization as an institution of a society. How this organization can help in the improvement of various aspects which not only include economy but also other factors.

Action report 4 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Action report 4 - Article Example The most affected are the young workers looking for the first opportunity to have a job as they have no experience. Also, the increase in the minimum wage reduces the freedom of the American citizens in spending. This is because there will be increase in the price of services and products in the economy (Schmitt, 18). Also according to the article, â€Å"Why Does the Minimum Wage Have No Discernible Effect on Employment,† research has evidently shown that minimum wage has no discernible effect on the employment practice of the low-wage earners. This is because the cost of the minimum wage in most firms is relatively small and that employers have many channels of adjustments. One channel of adjustment is that employers may reduce their expenditures on job training for low wage workers. Employers may also adjust by upgrading the skill level of their workforce and work against the employment of the less-experienced and less-educated workers. Employers in a highly competitive economy may also respond to a high minimum wage by passing the added cost to the consumers in form of high prices (Schmitt, 16). In conclusion, employers can cut pay to more highly paid workers, shift the composition towards higher skilled workers and accept a smaller profit margin as minimum wage has no discernible effect on employment. As for the workers, they may respond to the higher wage by working harder on the job and reducing labor turnover which enables the employers to save on

Critical approach

Critical approach Introduction Critical theory sets out to critically examine organisations in contemporary society. This approach has emerged from the radical humanist paradigm (Morgan, 1995, Burrell, 2000). This approach argues that a positivist (functionalist/modernist) approach to the management of organizations if not utilised cautiously it may result in the dehumanisation of the employee and the workplace. Individuals are generally seen as machines and work as a technical process (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, pp. 21-22). It is the humanist approach that focuses on placing people first rather than those of the organisation. It also argues that organisations need to be ethical and humane. Unfortunately, these ideals are not always pursued by organisations. A critical approach sets out to improve the practices and traditions of the positivist/functionalist approach to management. For example, a critical perspective sees work as the problem rather than the positivist view of the worker as the problem. However, critical theorists are not focused on removing the system but rather prefer to improve it through raising awareness, critical reflection and self analysis (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 22). Learning outcomes After completing this module/topic, you should be able to Outline and analyse the basic assumptions of the radical humanist paradigm. Outline the various critical theories and analyse the implications they have for managing organisations. Analyse the basis of and the need for an ethical approach to managing organisations Analyse the link between critical theory and the radical humanist paradigm Define and explain the concept of ‘alienation and its implications for organisations Develop an understanding of the radical humanist concept of power Critically evaluate the concept of ‘ideological trap Explain and analyse issues such as diversity, equity and fairness in organisations Critical theory Critical theory has its origins in the Radical Humanist Paradigm (see Crowther and Green, Chapter 9 on E.Reserve). This approach questions the current accepted views of organisations and their impact on society. Previous examples of now outdated views that would not be accepted today would include ideas such as, women should not be encouraged to work and that organisations can freely pollute the environment. The basic assumptions of this paradigm are according to Morgan (1995), Ideological traps: Tunnel vision is based on our previous experience becoming the blueprint for interpreting our current experience (we often let myths and our past experience becomes our reality). We are unable to interpret reality without prejudice. Power dimension: The right to define reality or the right of some to have power over others overt use of power. Power is also used in a subtle or covert way (soft domination) and its use and abuse is often unquestioned. Eg. How is power distributed in organisations? We discuss empowerment and participation but we rarely see this happening in organisations. Ethical dimension: Organisations need to act in an ethical manner. How do the actions of managers and organisations impact on employees and society? People first Work is the problem Critical theory proposes that the functionalist approach to management is based on a technical and mechanistic view of organizations rather than understanding organizations as social and human activity. This technical view of organizations reinforces the view that managing organizations can be achieved by developing more efficient and effective technical control (Alvesson and Willmott, 1996). However, the focus on efficiency and effectiveness may overlook the needs of people in organisations. The use of control in organisation may become authoritarian if not carefully monitored. A critical approach is often viewed as being negative; however, a critical approach is important skill to develop. A critical approach means that we do not take things at face value and question the current way things are done. Contemporary social movements such as environmentalism, feminism and consumer issues often take a critical approach because they question the current belief systems and practices in society and organisations (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 115). Conflict: Questioning may give rise to conflict but this does not necessarily mean that the conflict needs to be dysfunctional. Critical theory is clear that any conflict should be dealt within the system and in democracies this is done through political debate, academic debate, education, legislation, Television (Australian Story ABC; 7.30 Report, ABC), Documentaries (Who Killed the Electric Car: An Inconvenient Truth), Films (see Erin Brockevich; The Devil Wore Prada) and good journalism (eg. Financial Review; Washington Post; The Economist; The Observer; New Scientist; Business Week). Functionalist theories focus on unifying different ideas and blending peoples ideas into one view of the world. While this idea has merit, taken to its extreme it can result in the demise of the company eg. One Tel and Enron and others. So some conflict, questioning and critique is important in order to ensure that organisations do not descend into group think (see module 6). An example of a critical approach that has been viewed as negative until recently has been the environmental movement. This movement has been seen by business and governments to be overly negative toward business and in particular energy organisations. However, the scientific support (Stern Review and the Report by the United Nations) is so strong that people now take this movement seriously. Therefore organisations need to examine the implications that climate change may have for their business otherwise they may not survive in the long term. In addition a critical approach recognises that there are different and shifting realities and that the interpretation of the issue should be considered within the framework of the context in which it occurs (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 118). A critical approach (Radical Humanism) consists of many theories that were developed to critique the excesses of the capitalist/business world. Theorists include the Frankfurt school who argued that the over use of technology may prove to dehumanise the workplace. Other critical theorists include; Marcuse argued that consumerism was becoming a problem for society and people were becoming ‘one dimensional. In other words individuals did not question whether they needed to consume but rather they consumed unquestioningly, for example buying bigger cars when oil supplies are diminishing and the problems associated with global warming (The West Australian, 2007). He argued that the creation of ‘false needs that serves to keep people happy and working long hours and in difficult conditions (cited in Burrell and Morgan, 1988, p. 293-294). An important aspect of this theory is the unquestioning acceptance of technology. Habermas argues that work is the dominant form of social action in society. Habermas also suggests that work is a form of communicative distortion because the power relationships in organisations are not equal. Organisational structures do not enable the empowerment of individuals so that they can be free to communicate so that genuine consensus can occur. An ‘ideal speech situation is one where dialogue is open and not influenced by those who are more powerful (Burrell and Morgan, 1988, pp. 294-295; Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 121). An example of this would be the ‘One Tel situation where employees could not discuss the organisations problems with Jodee Rich because he did not want to hear bad news (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Habermas proposes that there a three main issues that need to be addressed to ensure empowerment. They are, Technical Reason: the value given to science and technology has taken precedence over human and ethical issues. Control is the main aim with the ends being more important that the way things are done. Practical Reason: this concept refers to the importance of achieving mutual understanding instead of focusing on prediction and control. The means are as important as the goal. The needs of employees and society should be taken into account. Emancipatory reason: communication needs to focus on consensus and be conducted in a climate free from domination. Critical self reflection is important. That is individuals must question their own ideas and values. This self questioning enables the development of critical thinking and frees individuals from past practices (ideological traps) which may not be relevant for the present or the future (Crowther and Green, 2004, pp. 121-122). Critical theorists agree with the interpretivists that assumptions and beliefs are taken for granted by people. However, although they share the idea that organisational life should be explored from a subjective, they prefer to question these beliefs rather than just understand them. Therefore a critical approach is more concerned with developing a questioning and critical approach to organisational life. Journalists, lawyers and researchers are trained in this approach. Academic training focuses on questioning and extending knowledge rather than accepting the status quo. A good example of this focus on questioning are Barry Marshall and Robin Warren who are from Western Australia and received the ‘Nobel Prize† for their work on ulcers in 2005 and made Companions of the Order of Australia in 2007. Their findings challenged the prevailing beliefs and assumptions that ulcers were caused by stress. They found that ulcers were caused by bacteria could be cured by antibiotics. However, the consultant specialists in the field were unimpressed and it took Ten years before they were listened to and almost 20 years before their findings were accepted by the medical establishment and business (Knowles, 2007). Another group that have challenged conventional wisdom have been the environmentalists. Our headlines now are raising the issue of climate and its impact on society (Hartcher, 2007; Stern Report) scientists now are in agreement that climate change has the capacity to severely impact life on earth as we know it is still seen by business as not a major issue. Although the Stern Report (commissioned by the British Government) concluded that climate change is the consequence of the greatest market failure and called for business to take action to control greenhouse emissions, American CEOs were far less concerned about climate change than the Europeans (Kitney, 2007, p. 40). Critical thinking is concerned with the development of foresight and learning (Fulop, 1992). Organisations and society cannot always wait until the problem has been experienced objectively because by the time we experience the event it may too late to rectify the situation. The lack of a Tsunami warning system in the Indian ocean was an example of this problem. Scientists had been warning for many years that a warning system was needed. Many lives and businesses were lost as a result of the Tsunami. Without critical thinking we cannot have innovation and change. Change requires questioning what we are doing currently and if it can be done better. The radical humanist concept ‘ideological trap illustrates how people can become trapped in a non-reflective and unquestioning way of thinking. Stop and Consider: Why should people and society question current thinking? Can you outline any examples of ‘ideological traps Business leaders have that need to be challenged to ensure a focus on the human side of organisations? A critical approach to organisations: Placing people first Critical theory proposes that organisations should be concerned with the emancipation and empowerment of employees in organizations. Critical theory also recognises that the placing of people first is not always the primary concern of organisations. For example, although organisations argue they foster empowerment, there is evidence that employees are working longer hours and extreme jobs are becoming the norm (Hewlett and Buck Luce, 2007). If employees are over controlled then organizations face the prospects of employees experiencing alienation. Alienation results in employees experiencing low motivation, low morale, poor mental health, job dissatisfaction, job stress, anxiety and depression (Kanungo, 1992). Work alienation is defined as ‘an experienced psychological state of the individual that represents a cognitive separation from ones job and other work contexts; a sense of frustration and accompanying negative affect, that is the result of the workers perception that they have failed to achieve their objectives through their job, and results in the experience of apathy (Kanungo, 1992, p. 414). Empowerment is considered by critical theorists to be a way of overcoming alienation. Empowerment involves giving the worker more control over their work by participating in decision-making. In addition it involves giving the worker encouragement, and to provide workers with meaningful goals. According to Kanungo (1992) empowerment has an ethical foundation and goes beyond the focus on the bottom line. Thus Kanungo (1992) argues that organisational ethics begins with the humane treatment of workers. Soft domination The central tension in organisations is often between resistance and obedience. Management control excessive use of coercion invites overt resistance because is used in an obvious manner. However, power as a form of control can also be used in a more subtle way. According to Courpasson soft domination is characterised by the administration of rule that give managerial discretion to managers while reinforcing the strength of centralised authority. It is based on the appearance of equality and fairness but ultimately in organisations the power lies with only a few (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis, 2005, p. 169). Processes such as performance appraisals, promotion systems, discipline procedures and being made redundant all contribute to feelings of powerlessness and that others have the right to define the workers reality. Teamwork is often seen associated with the rhetoric of empowerment but it can be a form of soft domination. Single solutions such as TQM, Lean production, Learning organisations, and BPR appear to reverse the individualistic approach of Scientific Management. Teamwork and in particular self managing teams does not isolate workers and set them competitively against each other. In contrast to scientific management teamwork encourages communication and sociability among workers. However, Barker notes that it is a form of ‘concertive control because the team members watch over each other because the responsibility for rule making is shifted to the team who then set their own limits. It is more difficult to argue with team members than it is to argue with a supervisor. The subtlety of ‘concertive control is powerful and very difficult to escape (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis (2005, p. 172-174). Concertive control has the capacity to promote the notion of overwork and extreme jobs because people feel they cannot take time off such as a sick day because they will let others down. A study by Deery, Iverson and Walsh (2002) studied five call centres (480 telephone service operators) in the communications industry has show that the use of teams alone cannot overcome problems in the workplace. The study also showed that elements of scientific management contributed to worker exhaustion. These researchers carried out a well designed study and used good quality scales of measurement and analysis. Workers in this industry are often subject to customer hostility and verbal abuse. Workers were measured on employee withdrawal, emotional exhaustion, customer interactions and scripted conversational rules. Workload items included were the pace of work, role overload, and routinisation of work, team leader support and physical health. They found that customer abuse along with scripted and rigid rules of response also contributed to emotional exhaustion. Workers experience exhaustion because although the scripted approach facilitates a more efficient approach to the custom er, less time is spent with them so that workers can deal with more calls. Consequently customers feel that they are not important and often become abusive. This streamlined approach is based on Taylors scientific management principles. However, it only serves to dehumanise the worker and irritate the customer. The researchers initially thought that the longer a person stayed with the organisation they would become more competent and therefore less likely to experience exhaustion. However, this was not the case. The longer workers stayed the more they were likely to experience emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was also associated with withdrawal (levels of absence). Withdrawal was related to a high workload and customer abuse. The symptoms of withdrawal and emotional exhaustion are linked to the concept of ‘alienation. A critical approach: Are organisations ethical? A critical approach argues that organisations should have an ethical approach when conducting their business. This means dealing with their employees, clients, society and other business associates in an ethical manner. This contrasts with the functionalist theories that are concerned with efficiency and effectiveness. Functionalist theories focus on survival and profits. Now these are important for without organisations the majority of people would not be able work and survive. However, if organisations only focus on their own interests then the ramifications may ultimately be detrimental for their survival and lose the good will of the community. The pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness may become an ideological trap (tunnel vision) that prevents organisations from seeing the bigger picture. Activity: Read James Hardie from fibro in suburbia to mesothelioma and the US siding market in Robbins and Barnwell (2006, p.254). The focus on organisational success in terms of profits etc can lead an organisation and its management to develop tunnel vision (ideological trap) which stops them from considering ethical issues and how society views its actions. The idea of unquestioned obedience needs to be explored. The question ‘why do people do morally bad things whey they are asked to do so by those in authority? What aspects of organisational life make unquestioning obedience occur? The technique of power, i.e. the right to define reality enables leaders to ask people to do things they would not normally do. Therefore if employees are authorised to do something then it takes away the responsibility for questioning their leader. Milgram (cited in Clegg et al., 2005, p. 181-182) showed how easily this could be done. He found that individuals are inclined to follow the commands of people who are in authority. He created an experiment where ordinary people were directed by scientists to do cruel things to other people (participants) as part of a laboratory experiment. When the individuals were instructed to deliver electric shocks to the participants they did so (however, they did not know that the shocks were not real and the parti cipants were actors). The individuals believed that each shock they gave was higher than the previous one. If the individuals could see the participants only 30% administered the shock if they, however, if they could not see the participant then 62% were willing to administer the shock. Milgram showed that the obligations of the situation were stronger than the individuals ethical and moral values. Milgram also found that when the expert was questioned then individuals were less likely to follow instructions unquestioningly If organisations do not empower employees to speak up and contradict ideas and thinking, then CEOs will not be exposed to different perspectives and/or limit the probability of unethical behaviour in organisations. Therefore it is easy to regard the person speaking against the issue to be incompetent, a trouble maker and/or a whistleblower. In module five it was noted that the functionalist to culture focused on developing a single corporate culture. However, a critical approach would argue that this may lead to an organisations downfall if taken to the extreme (One Tel, Enron) or experience major problems such as James Hardie (Robson, 2007; Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 254). The power of the organisation to facilitate organisational commitment and loyalty has advantages and disadvantages. A study by Ahern and McDonald (2002) found that nurses who were more traditional in their behaviour and deferred to the surgeon and others in authority in a hospital were less likely to report misconduct. However, nurses who were committed to their profession and the nursing code of ethics tended to report misconduct because they were advocates for their patients. Traditional nurses felt powerless to alter the status quo were restricted in their moral and ethical development. Nurses who believed they were advocates for the patient were more likely to blow the whistle in hospitals. These results are not good for either the patients or the organisation because patients like to think their life and health is placed first. In contrast organisations such as hospitals would prefer to have undivided loyalty and that the problem be dealt within the organisation rather than read ing about it in the newspaper. Ethical issues such as insider trading have created difficulties for organisations and their shareholders. It is difficult to prove; however, in 2002 the burden of proof was lowered with the introduction of civil penalties. One of the recent cases involved Steve Vizard who was fined $390, 000 and banned from managing a corporation for more than 10 years. (Johnston, 2007, p. 32). Johnston (2007) also draws attention to other Australians and overseas people who have been prosecuted for insider trading. The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) is a corporate watchdog that oversees companies to ensure they abide by Australian company laws. The legal system attempts to ensure that corrupt and unethical behaviour does not occur in organisations, however, the legal framework, cannot ensure businesses are ethical and moral. For example, large mining companies now accept that closing a mine is not just walking away from a ravaged landscape. Closing a mine is now an environmental and sustainable process (Mellish, 2007). Legislation and public sector organisations in Australia attempt to ensure that employee and community safety is ensured, that minorities are treated fairly and that the environment is not compromised. Until recently Australia had one of the best legal systems in the world for ensuring the workplace treated workers fairly. The new ‘Work Choices legislation, according the Professor of Law at Sydney University is now comparable with the US and Australians will find that their jobs in the future will be less secure and less well paid (Mccallum, 2007). An ethical approach: Diversity in organisations A critical approach to organizations also examines the decisions and practices of organizations for their ethical approach. It challenges the notion that management is a scientific and impartial process. The pursuit of gender equity in organizations is a humanist and ethical approach to organizations. For many years women in organizations were not given equal pay for equal work. The view that women should receive less pay than men was an outcome of the historic industrial wage decision by Justice Higgins in the Harvester Judgement in 1907. Justice Higgins determined what was needed by a man to support his wife and children at a reasonable standard of comfort. It was also argued that women should receive 54% of the male wage because she only had to support herself and/or supplement her husbands salary. Societys values supported this approach and the unequal pay and unfair treatment of women at work continued until 1972 . Married women usually had to resign their positions on marriage and married women were not allowed to join the Public Service until 1966. Following the introduction of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in the states of Australia the workforce was generally gender segregated. However, there are still very few women in senior management positions in large organizations and fewer women directors of Australian Companies. Barriers to womens progression in organizations occur through social and organizational practices and the final barrier to senior position is called the ‘glass ceiling (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Learning Activity: Read pages 501 to 512 in Robbins and Barnwell (2006) and outline the different barriers that inhibit womens progression in the workplace. What does the ‘glass ceiling mean? Do question three on page 528 of your text. A critical approach by women and men has questioned the early ideas of women and work and enshrined a fair go for both women and minority groups into legislation. The main feminist theories that emerge from critical theory are Radical Feminist Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory and Anti-capitalist feminist theories (see table 16.1 in Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 516). These theories explore the reasons for the unfair and discriminatory treatment of women. In 1986 Federal legislation was introduced to ensure that women were treated fairly at work was the introduction of the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Act 1986. The Act specified a number of provisions that organizations must meet to fulfil the requirements of the Act (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 522).

Fed and Interest Rates Essay example -- essays research papers

The Fed and Interest Rates Dave Pettit of The Wall Street Journal writes a daily column that appears inside the first page of the journal's Money & Investment section. If the headlines of Mr. Pettit's daily column are any accurate record of economic concerns and current issues in the business world, the late weeks of March and the early weeks of April in 1994 were intensely concerned with interest rates. To quote, "Industrials Edge Up 4.32 Points Amid Caution on Interest Rates," and "Industrials Track On 13.53 Points Despite Interest-Rate Concerns." Why such a concern with interest rates? A week before, in the last week of March, the Fed had pushed up the short-term rates. This being the first increase in almost five years, it caused quite a stir. When the Fed decides the economy is growing at too quick a pace, or inflation is getting out of hand, it can take actions to slow spending and decrease the money supply. This corresponding with the money equation MV = PY, by lowering both M and V, P and Y can stabilize if they are increasing too rapidly. The Fed does this by selling securities on the open market. This, in turn, reduces bank's reserves and forces the interest rate to rise so the banks can afford to make loans. People seeing these rises in rates will tend to sell their low interest assets, in order to acquire additional money, they tend move toward higher yielding accounts, also further increasing the rate. Soon this small change by the Fed affects all aspects of business, from the price level to interest rates on credit cards. Rises and falls in the interest rate can reflect many changes in an economy. When the economy is in a recession and needs a type of stimulus package, the Fed may attempt to decrease the interest rates to encourage growth and spending in the markets. This was the case from 1989 until last month, during which the nation's economy was generally considered to be in a slight to moderate recession. During this period the Fed tried to keep interest rates low to facilitate growth and spending in hard times. However, when inflation is increasing too quickly and the economy is gaining strength, the Fed will attempt to raise rates, as it did late last March. This can be considered a sign that we are pulling out of the r... ..."slight" increase as opposed to one of "somewhat greater" magnitude. This article is interesting because it shows that even the Fed can be uncertain about what is best for the economy, but it still focuses on the power of Allen Greenspan, as well as the committee as a whole. It compares the two arguments of each method, and shows a weakness in the Fed that may have been unknown to the reader before. The Wall Street Journal (Mon. April 11, 1994) - "Fed Moved Too Slow On Increasing Rates" This recent article criticizes the Fed's actions in raising the interest rate, and complains that the Fed has fallen behind in it's job. It discusses the plan for a "Neutral" policy and what the Fed has tried to do and not do to maintain this so called policy. It argues the motives and reasons for wanting a lower interest rate and compares past decades to today's standings. Overall it focuses deeply on the need to check inflation and if it is valid. It shows that the Fed tends to take a more conservative approach to the economy than some analysts would prefer, but that the Fed will probably continue to raise interest rates.

International Students Essay

Most young people believe that studying in a different country is a privilege because they are able to experience other cultures, and learn from them. However, in the United States it is not as good as they thought because International students have much more pressure being in this country, and sometimes they cannot handle it very well. Therefore, in the United States the life of an international student is very unfavorable if people compare it to the life of an American student. International students have to learn a new language to study, they cannot work while studying, and their tuition is much more expensive. When people moves to the United Stated to study they imagine that it will be very helpful, and they believe that learning a new language (English) will not be a problem. However, when they really start studying their major, they find out that it is not easy since people have to really understand and appreciate the language. First of all, in order to have success in university in the United States people have to compose a number of essays which if people do not understand their structure, they will be incorrect , so international students have to really learn English, and they have to know how to write it in order to have success. Also, for them to have success in university they have to participate in class, and analyze an amount of readings, and because they are international students, it is very difficult to achieve since they believe that Americans are going to laugh at them or make jokes of them if they say something incorrectly. For example, some Americans do not realize sometimes how hard is for international students being in a different country, with different people, learning a new language, and experiencing different cultures, so some of them do not really appreciate the effort that international students put on being in the United States. They just think that it is easy and do not care about how they feel. On the other hand, American students since they are in middle school they are taught how to write very good essays , so when they get in college they do not have any problem creating essays. They know their structure and have a very superior vocabulary, so they can compose excellent essays. In addition, since American students speak English very well, they do not have any problem participating in class. They have confidence in themselves, so they will not be afraid of saying something wrong. Consequently, because American students do not have to learn any language to study their mayor, it is much easier for them to achieve excellent grades. Most university students feel the necessity of working since they would like to have their own money in order to be independent from their parents. It is not the exception for International students because they also feel the necessity of working to be independent from their parents or whoever is responsible for them. However, for international students to work in the United States it is very difficult because they are only allowed to work on campus. These kinds of jobs are very limited since some of the campuses in which they study are very small. Also for an international student to find a job on campus is difficult because people prefer to employee an American student who is not going to have any problem speaking the language. For example, last semester a friend from Venezuela who is studying at Miami Dade College decided that he wanted to get a job in order to have his own money. He went to every single place where he could be employee. However, when he went to all these places, all the people told him that at that time they did not need any person, so he realize that to get a job on campus was very difficult, and not only that but a few weeks later he noticed that a new person was working in the campus coffee, so he proves that for an international student to get a job on campus is very difficult. On the contrary, American students can work wherever and whenever they want and it does not matter if they are studying or no. They can have their own money and support themselves while being in university. As a result, the fact that they can work while studying really helps them to have more confidence and to achieve better possessions. Because American students can work while studying, it is better to be a citizen of the United States than an international student. The most important difference between International students and American students is the tuition that they pay. International students are require to pay a very expensive tuitions if it is compare with the tuitions that American students have to pay. The tuition is very inequality, and it is only because they are international al students. Sometimes it seems to be very difficult for international students to pay the tuition because it is very expensive. For instance, an international student who studies in Miami Dade College is require to take twelve credits or more per semester which represents three thousand seven hundred dollars. However, an American student only has to pay for the same amount of credits twelve hundred dollars per semester. It is very inequality and unfair that just because they are from a different country, they would have to pay so much more money than an American student. On the contrary, it is very easy for American students to pay the tuition that the university requires. They can even pay for it with their own money. Therefore, it is easy for them to achieve their goals, and to have their independency from their parents. In conclusion, an international student has to put a lot of effort if he or she wants to be success in college. However, although American students also have to put a lot of effort to be success, it is easier for them since they already know the language, they can work while studying, and their tuition is pretty much inexpensive. Also, people have to keep in mind that being an American student is a privilege, and they should take advantage of it in order to achieve their goals in life.

Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens was the painter of the first part of the Seventeenth Century in Catholic Europe. How he became so is an interesting story. Rubens was educated to be a humanist but like all great artists choose his profession for himself. The combination of first rate classical education with innate visual genius made for an unprecedented combination in an artist, which is what made him so great. It has been said that no artist has ever been as well educated as Rubens. After training with three minor artists in Antwerp.Rubens set off for Italy to complete his education; a position at the court of the Duke of Mantua was quickly accepted and he stayed in Italy for eight years. His job was to travel to all the major artistic collections, especially Rome and Venice painting copies of famous works of art, especially paintings of beautiful women, for the Duke's collection. He was also sent to Spain where he had an opportunity to study the enormous collection of Titian masterworks in the R oyal Collection in Madrid.Copying the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance especially and the recently unearthed sculptures of classical antiquity, Rubens sketched and painted and encompassed all that was best in Italian and Classical art. Rubens combined the lessons of Antique Sculpture with the vaunting ambition of the High Renaissance giants in an unprecedented way. He used the lessons of sculpture as a composition model but insisted that flesh should look like flesh in a painting thus developing his breakthrough approach to the naked body.In this he never forgot the earthy luminous realism of the old Netherlandish tradition of the fifteenth and sixteenth century used by Van Eyck, Van Weyden, and Breughel. You won't appreciate Rubens, the master of the female nude, until you consider that he was the greatest influence on French painting from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The fact that Watteau, Fragonard, Delacroix, and Renoir were among Rubens’ loyal follower s attests to his great influence.Rubens was to develop a phenomenal ability to analyze the different styles of painting and sculpture and then synthesize them into whatever his clients and patrons wanted. His clients included just about every Catholic monarch, as well as Catholic leaning Protestants like King Charles I of England, and every major religious order in Western Europe. Not to mention every wealthy connoisseur of painting in Europe at the time. To satisfy an ever growing demand, Rubens opened the largest art workshop Europe has ever seen.He would paint an small initial oil sketch which, when approved and contracted, would be given over to one or more of his students to paint the full length canvas. Finally, Rubens would add the finishing touches to the works and sign them. Thus he became both a teacher and a hugely successful businessman. Fame was for Rubens something that went beyond material worldly success; he sought above all to bring the blessings of humanistic reaso n to bear on the Europe riven by religious and dynastic wars.In 1609, because he spoke several languages and was so well educated, Rubens was appointed court painter to the Archduke Albert and his wife the Infanta of Spain named Isabella, the Spanish Viceroys in the Netherlands. Isabella later became his close confidant and sent him on important diplomatic missions to Spain, Holland, and England. Rubens went to England to negotiate a peace treaty with the King of England and Spain and while he was there he became a favorite of the court of King Charles I, as did his most brilliant student, Anthony Van Dyck, in the next decade.When Rubens retired from public life he wrote about ripping off the golden chain that had bound him to the courts of Europe. In his last years he remarried to a young beautiful wife, retired to his estate, and he painted some of the most astonishing paintings he had ever painted. Peace, harmony, abundance, and love these are the great themes of Rubens and his a ge. His works exhibit and illustrate these qualities so well. I have not begun to express to you the brilliance of Peter Paul Rubens; he is just such a great artist that there is too much to say about him.

Media Synthesis Essays

Media Synthesis Essays Media Synthesis Essay Media Synthesis Essay â€Å"Shouldn’t grown men and women be trusted to judge their own dosages, just as they would decide on the number of drinks they can handle at the bar? (234). I disagree because I can see how some might react to this by saying that sometimes people don’t know their limit and can’t stop. This is 100% accurate when it comes to most things such as drugs, alcohol, and media. People might read that and think that media shouldn’t be placed into such a category, but all three of these things can start as small doses and turn into addiction within the blink of an eye. Parents who watch a lot of television as a child will most likely end up watching more and more television as they get older. If parents are not too concerned about the amount of television they are watching, it’s almost expected that they won’t be too concerned with the amount of television their children are watching. With television over flowing with violence, this will only result in children watching televisions shows that will have a negative effect on them. Parents need to order a wakeup call for themselves so they can be more productive in screening the shows their children are watching. Finding entertainment in such heinous and violent shows is disappointing yet becoming more common in today’s world. Reality Television: Oxymoron†, an article written by George F. Will, tells us how people get such enjoyment out of watching such ridiculous and tactless events. He then goes on to tell us about â€Å"That British pastime involved pitting a chained bear against a pack of dogs, who fought, and usually killed, the bear. The historian Macaulay famously said that the Puritans opp osed bearbaiting not because it gave pain to the bears but because it gave pleasure to the spectators. † (295). This example couldn’t have hit the nail on the head any better. Media is like this in today’s world. Shows like The Real World and Jersey Shore get thousands of viewers each week because America feeds off of watching the mistakes and pain of other people. With this being said, it’s so easy for anyone to just turn on the television and have this cruel and unnecessary type of entertainment right in front of them. Children can be easily influenced by these shows distinct type of behavior. They should not even have the opportunity to watch such shows, but with parents sinking into the unrealistic world of media, they need to open their eyes and be more aware of the toll these shows can take on the becoming of their children’s future. Although media is an uncontrollable part of today’s civilization, television can be controlled by the parents of the children watching it. They need to be more alert when it comes to the violence their children are experiencing when they turn on the television. Some shows out there will show kids nothing but negative cruelties and should not be parentally approved. With this being said, all you parents out there who don’t wish to raise a replica of Peter Griffin or a mini Michael Myers, get up off the couch yourselves and start monitoring the shows your children are watching.

Choosing the Dreaded Day Job

Choosing the Dreaded Day Job Teachers-Teachers.com K-12jobs.com Higheredjobs.com Jobs.stc.org (Society for Technical Communications) Flexjobs.com/jobs/technical-writing PRSA.org/jobcenter (Public Relations Society of America) Journalism.columbia.edu/page/60-job-hunting-resources/60 Mediabistro.com sej.org/library/jobs/overview (Society of Environmental Journalists job links) ebizmba.com/articles/job-websites (list of top job websites)

Estimates of Taxes Paid by Undocumented Immigrants

Estimates of Taxes Paid by Undocumented Immigrants The generally-held belief that undocumented immigrants pay no income tax is generally incorrect. The fact is that many undocumented immigrants find ways to pay both federal income and payroll taxes even though they might not have a Social Security number and even if they are working illegally. According to estimates by the nonpartisan American Immigration Council, households headed by illegal immigrants paid a combined $11.2 billion in state and local taxes during 2010. Based on estimates compiled by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, the American Immigration Council reported that the $11.2 billion in taxes paid by illegal immigrants in 2010 included $8.4 billion in sales taxes, $1.6 billion in property taxes and $1.2 billion in state personal income taxes. In spite of the fact that they lack legal status, these immigrants and their family members are adding value to the U.S. economy; not only as taxpayers, but as workers, consumers, and entrepreneurs as well, states the  American Immigration Council. Why Would an Undocumented Immigrant Pay Taxes? While it is true that many undocumented immigrants who are illegally paid â€Å"under the table,† for their work do not pay taxes on their income, many others choose to pay income tax hoping that doing so will eventually become American citizens. While evidence for this is largely anecdotal, several attempts at comprehensive immigration reform legislation over the last decade, including S.744- the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, have contained provisions listing attributes such as â€Å"good moral character† and â€Å"paying back taxes† as requirements for obtaining citizenship. Should such an immigration reform bill ever become law, undocumented immigrants could use a provable history of paying taxes as one way to show good faith and moral character.   Which States Got the Most? According to the American Immigration Council, California led all states in taxes from households headed by undocumented immigrants, at $2.7 billion in 2010. Other states gleaning significant revenue from taxes paid by illegal immigrants included Texas ($1.6 billion), Florida ($806.8 million), New York ($662.4 million), and Illinois ($499.2 million).Note: While California may have realized $2.7 billion from taxes paid by undocumented  immigrants in 2010, a 2004 report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform showed that California spends over $10.5 billion annually on the education, health care and incarceration of its illegal immigrant population. Where Did They Get These Figures? In coming up with its estimate of $11.2 billion in annual taxes paid by undocumented  immigrants, the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy say it relied on: 1) an estimate of each states unauthorized population; 2) the average family income for unauthorized immigrants, and 3) state-specific tax payments.Estimates of the undocumented  or unauthorized population of each state came from the Pew Hispanic Center and Census 2010. According to the Pew Center, an estimated 11.2 million undocumented immigrants lived in the U.S. during 2010. The average annual income for households headed by an illegal alien was estimated at $36,000, of which about 10% is sent to support family members in countries of origin. The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the American Immigration Council  assume  undocumented immigrants actually pay these taxes because: Sales tax is automatic, so it is assumed that unauthorized residents would pay sales tax at similar rates to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants with similar income levels. Similar to sales tax, property taxes are hard to avoid, and unauthorized immigrants are assumed to pay the same property taxes as others with the same income level. ITEP assumes that most unauthorized immigrants are renters, and only calculates the taxes paid by renters. Income tax contributions by the unauthorized population are less comparable to other populations because many unauthorized immigrants work off the books and income taxes are not automatically withheld from their paychecks. ITEP conservatively estimates that 50 percent of unauthorized immigrants are paying income taxes. But One Big Disclaimer Looms There is no question that undocumented  immigrants do pay some taxes. As the American Immigration Council  correctly points out, sales taxes and property taxes as a component of rent are basically unavoidable, no matter a persons citizenship status. However, when the U.S. Census Bureau so emphatically states that illegal immigrants are the most difficult individuals for them to locate and count in the decennial census, any figure as elusive as the total taxes they pay must be considered a very rough estimate. In fact, the  American Immigration Council acknowledges this fact by adding the following disclaimer:Of course, it is difficult to know precisely how much these families pay in taxes because the spending and income behavior of these families is not as well documented as is the case for U.S. citizens. But these estimates represent a sensible best approximation of the taxes these families likely pay.

Marketing of General Electrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing of General Electrics - Essay Example The focus in this paper is on marketing as a wider sphere that encompasses all of the most crucial aspects like increasing the visibility of the products and therefore increasing the sales to a great extent. There is no hard and fast rule available when it comes to marketing and one needs to be aware that a thorough watch of the market and the events surrounding that is what is needed in order to gain maximum benefit out of it. In the business arena, a good marketing is definitely a must and without marketing even the finest of products and services will not be able to get the results and attention on the whole. A competitive advantage is something every business will look forward to and it is through marketing can a business attain the essential reach. Decisions making is an important aspect of marketing and is a determining factor of a business to a great extent. It is a process through which the consumer opts to go for a particular product or services which they have got used to w ith time. The concept of decision making is very crucial and is a winning point for any product in the competitive world. If a deeper look into decision making is taken it is a kind of psychological feeling or attachment that one gets towards a particular products or brand overall. It is a common thing in the marketing sphere for people to get attached to particular brands or products rather than other factors. If they are convinced of the fact that a particular brand will always provide quality product or service then consumers will go for it irrespective of all other available options. Brand perception is an aspect that rules the world of marketing (McLucas, A 2003). In this paper, let us see the strategies followed in decision making by reputed brands on their products. General Electrics is one of the most famous companies of all time that is famous all over the world. It is a corporate giant that has established it to be the best brand and it has capitalized well on the brand as pect. It is a company that is operating all over the world and has got a huge resource base as well. The company is known for its best services and initiatives which are set to turn around the entire line of sales in its favor. A more comprehensive study regarding the company, its initiatives and services that keeps things working the right way is discussed in the paper (Salaman, G 2001). If we take GE into consideration, it can be understood that the company gives more importance to that of human resources aspect. For the purpose of a stable business, it is important to have some good and reliable resource base with them. A good HR program is the backbone of the proper channel and organize of work, thus it is the absolute necessity to show importance in this are. GE seems to have understood about this fact and is known to provide with all the effort it can in order to keep the human resource aspect intact. There is several HR initiative programs carried out by the company in order to make it beneficial for the company as well as the employee. There are several ways through which the company aims at streamlining and molding its resource in order to get the best out of it on the whole (Gelder, S 2005). The best strategy that is used by GE is that it trains as well as cares on its HR sphere. It becomes very much important for one to keep the internal space in a steady way to get a positive wave from outside and GE exactly does that. The idea is to drive its brand as a group to get better result for the brand. GE aligns human resource with that of administrative function as it has its business spread across all over the world. The decision making prowess of the company is well known in the business field and it has always manage to take ultimate control of its resources. The human resource aspect is integrated into the management system of the company. The company’s top management makes it a yearly affair to formulate a set of HR rules for the year along w ith that of the goals and objectives. It shows a great deal of interest in decision making

Problem Customers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem Customers - Essay Example When we consider the above problem we can mention 7 types of problem resolution and recovery procedures. They can be termed as follows: 1. The problem resolution regarding the customers who claim services like electricity, telephone, internet and mobile phone services. 2. The problem resolution regarding the customers who buy goods on instalments and do not pay citing different reasons. 3. The problem resolution regarding the customers who bargain on price of the goods without compromising on quality 4. The problem resolution and recovery procedures for the customers who stop the payment of bills in post paid services due to unnecessary dissatisfaction. 5. The problem and resolution and recovery procedures for the customers who pay the deposit and use the services that cost more than the deposit without paying for the post paid service 6. The recovery procedures regarding the customers who do not handover the articles that are supplied for the utilisation of the company's service even after disconnection of the service 7. the problem resolution regarding the customers who value quality of service, goods and nice treatment from the sales persons. In dealing with the 1st type of customers they try to pay the bill a little bit late but want to avoid the penalty. If the late is understandable and not a loss to the company, the executive or a manager can take the decision of not imparting on him the penalty and it can be conveyed to the customers. This makes the problem customer who delays the payment but not fails, stick to the company. In dealing with the 2nd type of problem customers they delay the payment of instalment due to the dissatisfaction of the working of the instrument they buy on... Before talking about the three types of scenarios for three types of problem customers, let us talk about the problem customers who should be fired out of the marketing circle of the company. This is possible when the company is sure about the service offered by it is up to the point of maximum quality. They can rely on the point that the complaint of more than one customer only can be considered. If only one customer continues to complaint more than once and twice and if other customers are not facing the problems faced by this customer, it is fine for the company to fire him out. The reason behind is maintaining the customer is not cost effective for the company. 1 In dealing with the 1st type of customers they try to pay the bill a little bit late but want to avoid the penalty. If the late is understandable and not a loss to the company, the executive or a manager can take the decision of not imparting on him the penalty and it can be conveyed to the customers. This makes the problem customer who delays the payment but not fails, stick to the company. In dealing with the 2nd type of problem customers they delay the payment of instalment due to the dissatisfaction of the working of the instrument they buy on instalments.

SOCIAL EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

SOCIAL EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA - Essay Example After some days of disaster, the flood water gradually went down so that officials could identify the losses caused by the Katrina. Although the deaths had been estimated as 10,000 in New Orleans, the actual numbers were much more than that. Dead bodies were found even after six months from the disaster. Louisiana lost 1,080 people out of the confirmed deaths whereas it was more than 200 in the case of Mississippi. The elderly people had been mainly struck by the disaster and 75% of them lost their life out of 15% elderly population of New Orleans (66-67). In addition to the massive deaths, there were countless people who got seriously injured. At the same time, many people missed their family members and they did not get any information about their loved ones. Similarly, huge numbers of animals, birds and other pets also perished. Although the rescue volunteers had saved number of animals from the damaged building parts, they could not properly handover these animals to their master s. The intensity of the disaster was immeasurable for it destroyed acres of land and trees and thereby a wide range of mammals and reptiles lost their habitats. The violent attack of Katrina shattered a large number of people who had mainly depended on fishing and forestry. Gallons of oil spilled across various parts of the country including Gulf coast and neighborhoods of St. Bernard Parish (Palser). The oil components and other chemicals were mixed together and formed different toxic compounds. Scientists reported that this mixture compounds would affect the ecosystem for decades. The remnants of the buildings caused many allergic reactions and breathing problems. Similarly, large amounts of sludge formed across the affected parts of the United States; it dried later thereby the dust mixed with air, which caused adverse health problems. The Hurricane Katrina produced heaps of dirt in the cities, which would result in sequences of immunity problems. Although officials had declared that the city was safe enough to live, some scientists disagreed with the argument since they could find some poisoning substances in the soil (Palser). The Hurricane Katrina was the most ‘expensive’ natural disaster in the US history. The government spent billions of dollars for the rescue operations, financial assistance, and rehabilitation activities. There are no accurate data available on indirect financial losses such as job losses, impact on fishing and forestry, and other soil related consequences. The disaster also raised some political problems in US due to the delayed governmental response; and it led to the resignation of Michael brown, the head of FEMA. Likewise, great dilemma prevailed regarding the renovation of the city, New Orleans. The FEMA took considerable efforts in structuring schooling facilities in the city. Part II Rehabilitation After the flames of the disaster had been removed, there arose a cumbersome task of rebuilding the cities and providi ng rehabilitation to people. Since the Katrina completely swept away the whole and soul of the affected cities, the government had to take huge efforts to rebuild the town from ‘vacuum’. As we described above different politicians had different views on the matter. Similarly, some people argued that New Orleans should not be rebuilt (Palser, 2007, p.79). They pointed out that

Learning assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Learning assessment - Essay Example In this regard the most basic elements of procedural writing should be taught to the students. Writing is an art that is noted as one of the most used expression of the human civilization. It could then be observed that through the numerous written works of different authors of books, of paper articles and other readable materials alike, there is a certain pattern that they follow. Why is it important to make effective use of these procedures' A.L. Trupe says that "Effective intervention results in better papers. Students who are asked or required to spend more time on a paper will think more about their topic, retain more information, and develop more powerful insights" (2001, Internet).Not everyone might easily see this obvious presentation of thoughts in a fine pattern. However, as it has always been said everybody and everything starts with the basics. Through this particular discussion, there are numerous factors that would be considered to be able to identify the essential proc edures that even expert or professional writers take into consideration when they are putting their thoughts into writing. When writingWhen writing a paper, or in this case a letter, there are at least three major preliminary procedures that should be considered by the writer. These procedures are called the "primary procedures". The said procedures include: (a) Prewriting Prewriting is the process by which a writer tends to scribble the words in his or her mind on paper. The words may mean nothing yet as they are all serving as key words to the main thoughts of the writer. From this so-called "scribbles" of thoughts, the writer is then able to create a plan on what he or she would more likely focus on in his writing. (b) Planning From the "scribbles" comes along the plan of the plot of the idea that is to be presented by the writer in writing. The ways by which the writer wants to layout the topic is done through outlining the primary topics of concern that needs to be addressed within the context of whatever it is that is being written about. Most often than not, this particular stage of writing makes it easier for the writer to see what the expected result of the written article or composition would actually look like. (c) Drafting From the outline comes the first-hand draft of the paper. The paper's draft looks like the actual approach of the writing, only that it is a much more basic type. It is a type of the composition that requires refurnishing. Meaning there are a lot of points that still needs to be redone in this particular step in writing. The writer is much freer when it comes

Package Marking RFID 351 wk 8 forum Research Paper

Package Marking RFID 351 wk 8 forum - Research Paper Example For long RFID has been of great influence especially in manufacturing and packaging industries in that, their tags are fixed on any object and used to track as well as manage any inventory, as well as assets. However, RFID can be used in a variety of applications including tracking of goods, access management, contactless payment, toll collections, smart dust, and verification of authenticity, airport tracking logistics, and timing sporting events (Angell, 2006). While RFID is presently utilized within an expansive scope of uses, stress is moving progressively to use in the store network. RFID can have an immense effect on every feature of inventory system administration from the common, for example, moving merchandise through stacking docks, to the overwhelming, for example, overseeing terabytes of information as data about products close by is gathered continuously. The impact of RFID on the supply chain leads to optimization and enhancement of passenger experience especially in airports (Angell, 2006). In conclusion, RFID technology as the Radio frequency identification system that transmits a unique serial number termed as identity on a wireless platform and by help of radio waves eases the total operation in the packaging industry and saves time for any work in progress for any prevailing industry. This in turn leads to profit maximization since supply chain is of great influence and in continuous perception that the consumers receive their preferences just on

Questions answering 2053 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Questions answering 2053 - Essay Example The firm is incorporated in one country and opens foreign subsidiaries in the countries (Cullen and Parboteeah, 2013). The existing literature identifies that globalization can take two different forms namely forced globalization and participative globalization (McCann and Acs, 2011). MNCs enter the globalization through the avenue of participative globalization. The opening of companies in foreign land has received huge boost during the past three decades and this is entirely because of globalization. It has been estimated that multinational companies comprise two-third of the global trade (McCann and Acs, 2011). Reduced cost of production, expansion of market for products and earning higher profits are driving forces to expand business. The cost of labour is considerably lower in the developing countries compared to the developed countries and this motivates firms to relocate production. When domestic markets become saturated it becomes imperative to capture other consumers and foreign expansion is a lucrative option for companies (Dunning, 2012). Difference in cultures is perhaps the most formidable challenge that has to be faced by companies in their quest for expansion. Management of interpersonal relationships in the MNCs require integrating the national culture of the managers and employees (Sweeney and McFarlin, 2014). Additionally MNCs requires modifying their products and services according to the niche taste of the masses depending on the country. For instance, when New York Fresh Deli opened franchises in Dubai, vinegar had to be removed from the salad dressings as it was considered as spirit in Dubai (Guffey and Loewy, 2010). According to Hofstede (2011) culture can be treated as mental software that affects the way in which a person thinks or behaves. Effective management of human resource is important for the MNC’s as people are often exposed to

Package Marking RFID 351 wk 8 forum Research Paper

Package Marking RFID 351 wk 8 forum - Research Paper Example For long RFID has been of great influence especially in manufacturing and packaging industries in that, their tags are fixed on any object and used to track as well as manage any inventory, as well as assets. However, RFID can be used in a variety of applications including tracking of goods, access management, contactless payment, toll collections, smart dust, and verification of authenticity, airport tracking logistics, and timing sporting events (Angell, 2006). While RFID is presently utilized within an expansive scope of uses, stress is moving progressively to use in the store network. RFID can have an immense effect on every feature of inventory system administration from the common, for example, moving merchandise through stacking docks, to the overwhelming, for example, overseeing terabytes of information as data about products close by is gathered continuously. The impact of RFID on the supply chain leads to optimization and enhancement of passenger experience especially in airports (Angell, 2006). In conclusion, RFID technology as the Radio frequency identification system that transmits a unique serial number termed as identity on a wireless platform and by help of radio waves eases the total operation in the packaging industry and saves time for any work in progress for any prevailing industry. This in turn leads to profit maximization since supply chain is of great influence and in continuous perception that the consumers receive their preferences just on

The Japanese Managerial System Essay Example for Free

The Japanese Managerial System Essay Takeo Hoshi and Anil Kashyap have in the last chapter of their book; Corporate Financing and Governance in Japan explained the future of the Japanese Investment and Fund Raising market. This future prediction can be assessed taking into consideration the trend of the Japanese market from 1930’s where banks and traditional money lenders were predominant and trusted, to changes that took place and led to the gradual overtaking of the security market over the banking sector as means for fund raising and investment. The early Japanese era saw Banks and traditional means as major avenues for investment and funding. The Security market was unpopular and had no regulations or Corporate governance. The investors were mere profit sharing bystanders with no rights in the companies hence the banking sector started to gain importance. The 50’s and 60’s saw the banks as well established entities with regulations; hence the Government did not want to amend an already ongoing system. By 1968, Japan became the world’s second most strong economy and the banking sector was booming. With the change of the U.S. structure, Japan too took a decision and established a securities market to provide investment and fund raising opportunities. The bigger Japanese companies jumped to this opportunity as this was a good way to finance their increasing needs for expansion. Over time, the Japanese security market grew stronger and overtook the banking sector as means of investment and fund raising. And with the turn of the 21st century, it is predicted that the future of the Japanese market will be one that is a securities dominated market. TWO SURPRISING FEATURES OF THE JAPANESE TREND Pre 1937, the principle mode of investment for households were securities. The security market had very less governance or regulations, yet they were popular. The surprising feature is the popularity of this sector even without governance or regulations. Logically speaking investment in any market that has less regulations or governance is unsafe. The next surprising feature was the Banking Sector pre 1937 also. Banks are considered the safest option to invest money and obtain funds from around the world, yet the Japanese households preferred to keep their investments in postal saving schemes showing that the traditional methods were still dominant. LINK WITH DISCUSSIONS This Chapter speaks about the position of Japan’s household and corporate sector and highlighting changes that took place with respect to investments and funding over a period of 70 years, speaking about Pre Wartime Scenario where securities played a more important role and Post Wartime Scenario where banks established their supremacy †¦ finally giving way to the securities market to once again establish their dominance. The changes that gradually took place from traditional methods of savings and investment to more modernized governed modes. The strengthening of the Banking sector contributing to Japan being established as the world’s second most strongest economy in 1968, to the decline of the role of banks and the emergence of the securities market as the preferred mode for investment and funding, establishing the future of the Japanese economy to be prosperous and optimistic, yet uncertain. References Corporate Financing and Governance in Japan by Takeo Hoshi and Anil Kashyap (2001). The MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. ISBN: 0-262-08301-9

Operation of the Power Transformer

Operation of the Power Transformer CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Overview A factor of main economic importance and safety in electrical utilities and industrial customers of electricity is dependent on the operation of the power transformer. In the current economic situation, most of the supply utilities and industries tighten their control on production spending of capital and make savings in maintenance as well as ensuring the reliability of electricity supply. A power failure can increase the electrical loads. These loads will defer purchasing additional plant capacity and can cause the stress on the transformer increases. Thus, monitoring should be conducted to ensure the reliability of the net effect of the thermal voltage, electrical and mechanical service requirements brought about by the increase. Regular sampling and testing of insulation oil taken from the transformer is a valuable technique in the preventative maintenance program. The transformer can be used longer if a proactive approach undertaken based on the transformer oils condition. During an operation of a power transformer, transformer oil is subject to form electrical and mechanical stresses. Besides that, there are also contaminations caused by chemical interaction with windings and other solid insulations, catalysed by high operating temperature. Consequently, the original chemical properties of transformer oil changes gradually, cause it no longer function effectively after many years. Therefore, this oil should be tested periodically to ascertain its basic electrical properties, and make sure it is suitable for further use or necessary actions like filtration has to be done. The details of conducting these test is available in the standards issued by the IEC, ASTM, IS, BS. 1.2 Background Problem The dielectric strength of insulating oil is the oils ability to withstand electrical stress without failure. This test is done by applying a controlled ac voltage to two electrodes which are immersed in the insulating oil. The gap between two electrodes placed in a specified distance. The voltage recorded when the current arc across this gap is the dielectric strength breakdown strength of the insulating liquid. Contaminants such as water, carbon, sediment and conducting particles can reduce the dielectric strength of insulating oil. Clean dry oil has an inherently high dielectric strength but this does not indicates the absence of all contaminates, it may indicate that the amount of contaminants present between the electrodes is not large enough to affect the average breakdown voltage of the liquid. Power transformers are often operated under aged conditions. Thus the moisture content in oil increases, aging products become dissolved and particles are dispersed. Besides that, transformers are operated under novel environmental conditions, were low or high pressures exist. A safe service necessitates the thorough investigation of these influences. 1.3 Problem Statement Monitoring system of transformer oil existing is usually done in periodically. Duration of each use of transformer oil has been established within a time period for the replacement of the new transformer oil. So, the used transformer oil cannot be fully ensured in accordance with the standards set and this could cause a disruption in the operation of transformer. In addition, the monitoring system of transformer oil existing is expensive as well as the impact of waste oil is hazardous and cannot be disposed of. Thus, a permanent monitoring system of transformer oil with minimal costs should be established to ensure the transformer oil is always good quality to use. 1.4 Objectives The objectives of the project are important to ensure the research will fulfill the solution of the problem of the research. There are intentions conducting the research are shown below:- To study on the transformer oil and the maintenance procedures. To design a dielectric test device for transformer oil with using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. 1.5 Scopes The scopes of the project are important to ensure every step is followed in completing the research. The scopes also could be important reference to gain related data or information of the research. Those are the scopes of the project:- To study on the quality of transformer oil. To study on the dielectric strength of transformer oil. To study the maintenance of oil immersed distribution transformer. Literature research about the monitoring of Dielectric Breakdown of transformer oil. To design a Dielectric Strength testing circuit. To analyze the result of Dielectric Strength testing. 1.6 Thesis Outline In preparing this project, the development of any information obtained should be gathered and described in each chapter are contained in the project report. Each chapter will discuss some important issues. Through this project, Chapter 1 as an introduction to the project discuss on overview of the project, background problem and problem statement. The objectives and scopes of the project were also discussed in this chapter. Then, Chapter 2 will explain in an inclusive literature review of transformers, transformer oil, the methods of monitoring and maintenance of transformer oil, equipments or tools required and software programming suitable for design the Dielectric Strength testing circuit. Next, Chapter 3 will describe the methodology used in preparing this project. This chapter is important to ensure that methods and tools used systematically and effectively. Chapter 4 will give an explanation and analysis of the circuit to be designed. This chapter also includes the methods and results of tests carried out by using the circuit designed. Problems occur in doing this project and steps to overcome the problems also discussed in this chapter. Finally, Chapter 5 which is the last chapter in this project as the conclusion of the project and some suggestions for further research on this project. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Transformer is one of the most useful appliances ever invented. Transformer can raise or lower the voltage or current in alternating current (AC) network, the circuit can be isolated from one another, and to increase or decrease the apparent value of a capacitor, inductor, or resistor. Furthermore, the transformer allows us to transmit electricity long distances and to circulate safely in factories and homes. (Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems, 6th Edition). The cost of a transformer is high. The failure of one transformer resulted in a loss in terms of the price of one transformer or in terms of energy supply disruptions to consumers. Therefore, to monitor the transformer oil is one the right way and good for detecting the causes of damage to transformers. 2.2 Transformer Transformer is one of the most important electrical devices. Transformer is widely used in power systems and electronic devices. Transformer can also raise and lower voltage levels and the alternating current to suit application. Transformer can transfer power from one section to another on the same frequency but different voltage levels and currents. Transformer basically consists of two coils of a conductor which acts as an inductor electrically separate but magnetically attached. Transformer consists of two loops wrapped around the core base, core and coil which are a part of the transformer structures. Figure 2.1 shows the general structure of a transformer. When alternating current connected to the transformer primary windings, current will flow through the primary winding. Alternating current flows will create an alternating magnetic flux in the transformer core. The magnetic flux can flow to the secondary winding of the transformer through the transformer core. According to the Faraday law, the electromotive force or voltage is induced in the coil-winding transformer when the flux is changes in value. Because of the magnetic flux in the transformer core is an alternating flux whose value is constantly changing over time, the electromotive force or voltage is always induced in the coil-winding transformer. Electromotive force in the primary winding is known as the self-induced electromotive force is due to the flux generated by the coil itself. While the electromotive force induced in the secondary winding is known as mutual induction electromotive force due to the induced electromotive force is caused by magnetic flux generated from the primary winding. In an ideal transformer, the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is comparable to the primary voltage (Vp), and is given by the ratio of the number of turns in the secondary (Ns) to the number of turns in the primary (Np) as follows: VsVp= NsNp (2.1) By the selection of the ratio of turns, a transformer thus allows an AC voltage to be stepped up by making Ns greater than Np, or stepped down by making Ns less than Np. There are many types of transformer are designed to meet the specific industrial applications. These include autotransformer, control, current, distribution, general-purpose, instrument, isolation, potential (voltage), power, step-up, and step-down. To avoid rapid damage of the insulating materials inside a transformer, sufficient cooling of the windings and the core must be provided. Indoor transformers below 200 kVA can be directly cooled by the natural flow of the surrounding air. The metallic housing is equipped with ventilating louvres so that the convection currents that can flow over the windings and around the core. Large transformers can be constructed in the same way, but the forced circulation of fresh air must be provided. Such as a dry-type transformers are used inside the building, away from the hostile atmosphere. Distribution transformers below 200 kVA are usually immersed in mineral oil and sealed in a steel tank. Oil carries the heat away to the tank, which it is lost by radiation and convection to the outside air. Insulating oil is much better than air, consequently, it is often used in high voltage transformers. As the power rating increased, external radiators are added to increase cooling surface of the tank contains oil. Oil circulates around the transformer windings and moving through the radiator, where heat released into the surrounding air. For still higher levels, cooling fans blow air over the radiators. For transformers in the megawatt range, cooling can be effected by the oil-water heat exchanger. Hot oil drawn from the transformer tank is pumped into the heat exchanger where it flowing through the pipes that are in contact with cold water. Such as heat exchanger are very effective, but also very expensive, because water itself must continuously cool and recirculated. Some large transformers are designed to have multiple ratings, depending on the cooling method used. Thus, the transformer may have triple ratings depending on whether it is cooled by: the natural circulation of air (AO) for 18000 kVA, or forced-air cooling with fans (FA) for 24000 kVA, or the forced circulation of oil accompanied by forced-air cooling (FOA) for 32000 kVA. These elaborate cooling systems are nevertheless economical because they enable a much greater output from the transformer of a given size and weight. The type of transformer cooling is designated by the following symbols: AA dry-type, self-cooled AFA dry-type, forced-air cooled OA oil-immersed, self-cooled OA/FA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled AO/FA/FOA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled/forced-air, forced-oil cooled The temperature rise by the resistance of oil-immersed transformers is either 55Â °C or 65Â °C. The temperature must be kept low to preserve the oil quality. By contrast, the temperature rise of dry-type transformer may be as high as 180Â °C, depending on the type of insulation used. 2.3 Transformer Oil Transformer oil or insulating oil is usually a highly refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in oil-filled transformers. Transformer oil is like the blood in the body of transformer. It must be periodically tested to monitor condition of the transformer. Transformer oil serves three basic functions which are to insulate, to cool and maintain the transformer functions at all times. To keep these functions the industry has agreed on certain standards. The two leading transformer oil specifications in the world are IEC 60296 and ASTM D 3487. In these standards there are many specific requirement and limits based on physical and chemical properties. Many of these properties and their limitations derived from the chemistry of refined mineral oils in combination with application specific requirements of electrical insulation. In an age when alternative to mineral oil being developed, it is important both to know what is desirable and what is likely to achieved in technical terms. Whereas some brands of transformer oil could only meet the specifications, the others excel. In the end, transformer oil consumers should decide which properties are most important to their intended use. Technical specifications also have an impact on issues such as asset management, maintenance planning and investment budget. To help make decisions in these areas it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the science underlying specifications and limitations. In Malaysia, mostly used transformer oil is mineral crude oils (uninhibited mineral oils) which contains Paraffic, Naphteric or mixed. It is supplied by Hyrax Oil Sdn. Bhd. 2.3.1 Transformer Oil Properties The main function of transformer oil is insulating and cooling of the transformer. Thus, it should have the following properties: High dielectric strength and good dielectric properties resulting in minimum power loss. Low viscosity improves cooling. Freedom from inorganic acids, alkali, and corrosive sulphur. Resistant to emulsification. Rapid settling of arc products. Low pour point. High flash point resulting in low evaporation losses due to high thermal stability. High resistivity gives better insulation values between windings. Excellent interfacial tension for quick water separation. Proven resistance to electrical stresses. High electrical strength. Remarkably low sludge and acidity formation in both ageing and oxidation tests gives longer life to oil and equipment during storage and service. 2.3.2 Theory of Transformer Oil Parameters a) Water Content The standard for measuring water content in oil is IEC 60814. (Marcel Dekker, 1990). The important function in transformer oil is to provide electrical insulation. When oil has higher moisture content, it can reduce the insulating properties of the oil, which can cause dielectric breakdown. This is the particular importance with fluctuating temperatures because, transformer will cools down if any dissolved water will become free and this oil become poor insulating power and fluid degradation. (Azliza binti Mohd Jelan,2009). b) Breakdown Voltage Dielectric strength is one of the important characteristic in insulation field. Breakdown voltage of the insulating material is the maximum electric field strength that it can be withstand intrinsically without breaking down and without failure of its insulating properties, dielectric strength also means that a certain configuration and electrode dielectric material that produces minimal damage to the electric field. (Rohaina bt Jaafar, 2003). Breakdown strength in liquid according to various factors influenced in the experiment which is electrode material and surface state, geometry electrode, the presence of chemical pollutants, the presence of physical pollutants, oil molecular structure, temperature and pressure. There also various factors in the theory of voltage breakdown which is like electronic theory, suspended particle theory, cavitations theory and bubble theory were postulated. (Olive Oil from the Tree to the Table). Dielectric strength also depends on the time and method of tension, purity materials, the type of tension as well as experimental and environmental parameters, until set of dielectric strength unique to the specific material is difficult, a range of values can be found and used for application purposes. (Noraniza binti Toriman, 2003). 2.3.3 Types of Transformer Oil a) Mineral Transformer Oil (Mineral Based Oil) A mineral oil is a liquid by product of the petroleum refineries to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products from crude oil. A mineral oil in this sense is transparent and colourless oil composed mainly of alkenes and cyclic paraffin, related to. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large amounts. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores. There are three basic classes of refined mineral oils: Paraffinic oils, based on n-alkenes. Naphthenic oils, based on cycloalkanes. Aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbons. Table 2.1 Properties of Mineral Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) b) Silicon Transformer Oil (Polydimethylsiloxane based fluid) Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds that is often referred to as silicones. PDMS is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer, and is known for its unusual rheological properties. PDMS is optically clear, and, in general, is considered to be inert, non-toxic and non-flammable. It is called dimethicone and is one of several types of silicone oil (polymerized siloxane). Its applications range from contact lenses and medical devices to elastomers; it is present, also, in shampoos, caulking, lubricating oils, and heat-resistant tiles. Table 2.2 Properties of Silicon Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) c) Synthetic Transformer Oil (Organic Esters Based Fluid) Synthetic oil is a lubricant consisting of chemical compounds which are synthesized using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil. Synthetic oil is used as a substitute for lubricant refined from petroleum when operating in extremes of temperature, because it generally provides superior mechanical and chemical properties than those found in traditional mineral oils. Table 2.3 Properties of Synthetic Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) 2.3.4 Transformer Oil Testing Regular sampling and testing of insulation oil taken from the transformer is a valuable technique in the preventative maintenance program. The transformer can be used longer if a proactive approach undertaken based on the transformer oils condition. Hence, transformer oil must be periodically tested to ensure its basic electrical properties. These tests can be divided into: a) Liquid Power Factor The IEC standard method for this test is IEC 247. This involves measuring the power loss through a thin film of liquid test. Water, contamination, and the decay products of oil oxidation tend to increase the power factor of oil. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) b) Dielectric Breakdown Strength The dielectric breakdown voltage is a measure of the ability of the oil to withstand electric stress. Dry and clean oil showed the inherent high breakdown voltage. Free water and solid particles, especially the latter in combination with high levels of dissolved water, tend to migrate to areas of high electric stress and dramatically reduce the breakdown voltage. The measurement of breakdown voltage, therefore, serves primarily to indicate the presence of contaminants such as water or conducting particles. A low breakdown voltage can be indicating that one or more of these are present. However, a high breakdown voltage does not necessarily indicate the absence of all contaminants. This test was conducted in accordance with IEC 156. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) c) Moisture The purpose of dielectric tests are conducted is to ensure the monitoring moisture can be done directly. IEC 733 is a well established and can measure the moisture down to the low part of the million levels. While the acceptable values have been set by the voltage class for moisture, these are somewhat misleading. A truer picture of moisture in the transformer must be taken into account so that percentage saturation of the oil by moisture and percentage moisture by dry weight of the solid insulation can be calculated. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) d) Neutralization Number (Acidity) This value, measured by IEC standard method IEC 1125A reported as mg KOH / g sample, reports the relative amount of oil oxidation products, especially acids, alcohol and soap. As oil continues to oxidize, the acid increased gradually, generally over the years. Running the acid number regularly provides guidance as to how far oxidation of the oil has proceeded. The acceptable limit by the test is usually used as general guidelines to determine when the oil should be replaced or reclaimed. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) e) Interfacial Tension The test methods for interfacial tension (IFT), IEC 6295, measuring the strength in mN/m from the interface that will form between service aged oil and distilled water. Because the decay products of oil oxidation are oil and water soluble, their presence would tend to weaken the interface and reduce the interfacial tension value. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) f) Colour/Visual Field inspection of liquid insulation (IEC 296) includes examination for the presence of cloudy or sediment and the general appearance as well as a colour inspection. As oil ages, it will be darken gradually. Very dark oil or oil that changes drastically over a short period of time may indicate a problem. Any cloudiness or sediment indicates the presence of free water or particles that may be harmful to continued the equipment operation. Taken alone, without considering the past history or other test parameters, the colour is not very important to diagnose transformer problems. If the oil has an acrid or unusual odor, consideration should be given to carrying out further tests. (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) g) Sludge/Sediment The IEC 296 test distinguishes between the sediment and sludge. Sediment is an insoluble substance present in the oil. Sediment may consist of insoluble oxidation or degradation products of solid or liquid materials, solid products such as carbon or metallic oxide and fibres or other foreign matter. Sludge is polymerized oxidation products of solid and liquid insulating material. Sludge is soluble in oil up to a certain limit. At sludge levels above this, the sludge comes out of the solution contributing an additional component to the sediment. The presence of sludge and sediment can change the electrical properties of the oil and prevent the exchange of heat, so encouraging damage to the insulating material. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) h) Inhibitor Content Inhibited oil deteriorates more slowly than uninhibited oil so long as active oxidation inhibitor is present. However, after the oxidation inhibitor is consumed, the oil can be oxidized at a higher level. Determination of oxidation inhibitor remaining in the in-service transformer oil is based on IEC 666. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) i) Dissolved Gas Analysis The purpose and functions of the DGA is to provide an indication as to whether there may be an active or incipient tran

Bound for Success? :: Journalism Journalistic Essays

Bound for Success? Boston is a city overrun with institutions of higher education. These universities and colleges dictate the way of life in their small areas of the city. But how do these multi-million-dollar universities help students in the area? Not the thousands of college students who flock to Boston for a pricey higher education, but the junior high and high school students who live in the shadows of these great universities? The colleges and universities of Boston are extremely diverse. They range from institutions such as Harvard and MIT, attracting attention from around the globe to the small area of Cambridge, Mass, to small colleges such as Simmons, a woman’s college, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, which tends to be primarily male. So do these universities, big and small, attempt to make higher education a likely possibility in the eyes of local city high school students whose families or financial status may be unfamiliar to the likes of major post secondary schools? Boston College, located in Newton six miles from downtown Boston is ranked 38th in U.S. News and World Report among national universities. Costing roughly $37,000 a year, the price alone is enough to dismay thousands of perspective students from attending the college. BC is located in a residential area surrounded by Boston public schools such as Brighton High School and West Roxbury High, to name a few. Do these students, some of whom come from low –income families, stand a chance of attending Boston College? In 1987 Boston College, in partnership with Boston public schools, started the College Bound program. Its mission is to help urban youth and their families aim to succeed in high school, higher education and beyond. Through mentoring, tutoring and exposure to a college environment, College Bound hopes to send Boston youth, who come from either Brighton or West Roxbury High, on to college. Eighty-five percent of college bound students will be first in their families to pursue a higher education. The program appears organized and on the website it states that all of its students (142 to date) graduate from high school and are admitted to colleges. However, the program requires a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 in high school to participate. This rules out many students who may also dream of attending college, but haven’t acquired the skills to do better in school. A survey was conducted by Professor George Ladd, director of college bound, in order to assess Boston College’s contribution to the Boston public school system.