Do You Like Surprises ? Why?

To be surprised is for the flow of life to reach you personally, to be a participant in the unpredictability of life, for better or for worse. To never be surprised is to live an incredibly sheltered life, or to be completely insensitive to the ebb and flow of live around you. I often like to be surprise even from the childhood. My surprises come just on holidays such as St. Nicholas or Santa Claus.I remember when my parents tried for years to make for us my holiday surprises, like putting at foot tree or in boots various gifts that always surprises me with joy. Lately, when I got married my husband was the one who started to make for me different surprises, surprised me with things material or spiritual. I remember with nostalgia, when I was kid looking forward to the winter holidays? to receive gifts. I have long believed in Santa Claus a holiday and in holy Romanian Orthodox calendar, where it comes my name â€Å"Nicoleta†.I love more than Santa Claus because my mom always surprises me with gifts twice. Once she put it in my shoes toy, candy, and later surprised me with cake, cookies, and we celebrate a birthday with neighbor’s children or from school that were my guest’s surprise. Nowadays, although I grew up with my mother surprised with call or gifts when we are closed. My husband the second person in my life who conquered surprises me is my husband. He fell in love with me since the first moment of surprise.We have met on the Internet, and the first surprise that I did it after two months of online conversation was coming to Romania to see me. Of course, he came laden with gifts for the whole family, although we do not knew very well. I thought he was a nice gesture and I took it as a charity. Another surprise was when he comeback next time with Engagement ring and he asked me to be his wife. However, after that come more, and more surprises from his part and my life became changes. In conclusion, I like to make surprises as well as to accept them,

The Fashion Channel Pros & Cons

Overview At the completion of this assignment you will achieve the following module objective: 1 . Measure the profit impact of marketing segmentation strategies. Instructions You will be responsible for analyzing the corresponding case and posting your individual work in your group discussion forum by the specified due date (see course calendar for details). Post your answers to the case questions # 2 to 3 directly in the forum, it will save you and your teammates some time, and attach the corresponding excel spreadsheet with the financial analysis.A word of advice: Read the case questions before reading the case. Focus only on the information you need to answer the questions. Do your assignment in Word and always save it and then copy it over, you never know when you will be the victim of technology failure. It would also be helpful if you read the grading rubric before submitting your work. You will know exactly what is expected from you. The Fashion Cannel 1 . What are the pros a nd cons of the three segmentation scenarios?Read carefully the case and make a list of the pros and cons of each segmentation scenario. Use the following table to summarize your findings. Scenario 1: Broad-based Segmentation Scenario 2: Fashions focus I Scenario 3: Fashion's + I Planners/Shoppers I Targeting Cheapest because of easy implementation and I Compared to the 2007 numbers this segmentation I Compared to the 2007 numbers this I there is no need to develop new programming. I produces $100 million more in terms of net Segmentation yields almost $115 million I ISticks with old marketing approach which had I income. I more in terms of net income. I caused TFH to grow so quickly in the past I This segmentation improved TV ratings from 1. 0% | This scenario improves TV ratings from I I land become popular in its early years. Tit 1. 2% 11. 0% to 1. 2 % and average CPM from $2. 00 | I I Keeps executives calm â€Å"why fix something I The average CPM would increase from $2. 00 to T it $2. 50 I that's not broken† new segmentation TFH could I | $3. 50 I With this I Hits the target market of valuable 18-34 |It would help compete against Lifetime because Differentiate its programming from Females in all clusters. The ages of I current and future competition by existing loyal viewers | 18-34. 150% of fashion's are between Ill not drive any I producing programs specific to this I audience. I because not much will change. I I Delivers $40 million more in terms of net I I income compared to 2007 base number. I Cons I Luke-warm approach by attempting to satisfy I Results in 0. 2% decrease in TV ratings. I Although this segmentation producesI liverymen- TFH will not satisfy anyone. I This scenario requires $1 5 million incremental Desirable numbers in terms of TV ratings I I I Risk losing viewers to more targeted I programming expense to cover new programming. Land CPM, this scenario requires a $20 | I programs like CNN and Lifetime. This cluster is also the small est of the four I million incremental programming expense toll I CPM is still $0. 20 lower than the current luster's which could lead to a decrease in I account for re-positioned programming. I I CPM.I viewers from the other clusters. I TFH would only be targeting about 50% of I TFH would still struggle to compete with I Because this scenario targets the smallest I us households. I Lifetime and CNN without changing the luster, TFH awareness by consumers would not I This could lead to a decrease in their I programming offered by the channel. I change, and their TV ratings might decrease I loyal viewers and might negatively affect I I level more. I their TV ratings. 2. Estimate the impact of each segmentation strategy on the company's revenue.You will have to estimate the financial of the company using the excel the following scenarios: 2007 Base: No segmentation; drop in ad unit pricing (average CPM). File. Consider Scenario 1: Multi segments, targeting 3 groups (excluding Basics); i ncrease in ratings, decrease in ad unit pricing (average CPM). Scenario 2: One segment, Fashions: drop in ratings, increase in ad unit pricing (average CPM). Scenario 3: Two segments, Fashions and Shopper/Planner; increase in ratings and increase in ad unit pricing (average CPM). Individual Case 2 Questions

Human Trafficking

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Business strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Business strategy - Assignment Example Objectives -The College aims at the provision of quality education to the whole computer interested fraternity. It also aims at creating competitive individuals in the society, who form the basis of computer development. Another objective is to be a first class university college that offers computer in the country. Lastly, the college has the objective of reaching out to the students through imparting skills that are beneficial and outstanding. Aims -The aim of the college is to increase the availability of the computer education to the growing generation of the computer era. The college also aims at growing to become a recognized institution in both Tripoli and other parts of the world. The running of the college will face many challenges from the external and the internal environment. The change in the landscape of higher education over the years is likely to cause detrimental effects to the college. The global economic crisis is exacerbating the effects of the external environment on the college. The income from the daily activities of the guardians of the potential students continues to deteriorate, causing the decrease in the number of students enrolled in the colleges. The impact of the economy on the family incomes and purported philanthropy has been detrimental over the current years. The families are unable to afford the tuition fees to aid in the education of their children. The philanthropists have also accrued higher expenses prompting them to cut on the endowment aimed towards the higher education. Competition for the available philanthropists has grown tremendously. This causes the reduction in funding the activities of higher learning. Another challenge is the crude alignment of the people towards art related subjects. Most students presume that the art subjects are easy and easy to work with. This causes them to abandon the science subjects such as computer science, and hence leading to inefficiency

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of Essay

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of any one (large, international) financial institution of y - Essay Example The organization has intensified their cost disciplines while investing in some selective growth areas that support the priorities of execution. Risk management is the process through which potential risks of the organization is identified, analysis is done and then precautionary steps are taken in order to reduce or cut down the risk. In the world of finance this practice is a very common one and is followed by almost every financial institution. Whenever an entity goes with some investment decision they are exposed to a large number of financial risks. The degree of risk involved depends on the type of financial instrument involved in the investment. These financial risks can be of various forms like recession, volatility in the capital market, high inflation and bankruptcy. Therefore, in order to control and minimize the exposure of the investment to such risks, the investors and the fund managers are seen to practice risk management. If adequate attention is not given to the risk management while making important investment decisions then disastrous situation may result during the financial turmoil in the economy (Webster, 2010; The Economic Times, 2013). Different categories of asset classes are attached to different levels of risk. Risk management is a vital function within Barclay, which is operating globally and enjoys great visibility. The risk team formed with the organization plays a significant role by aiding the senior management to incorporate informed decision taking the implications into account. The risk management team of Barclays operates across the organization protects the reputation of the organization by ensuring and securing the financial performance of the organization. The organization has dedicated team of experts who carries out valuable work in managing the issues that causes significant impact on the business (Barclays, 2013a). This study focuses on the risk management of Barclays bank, measures it risk appetite and discusses wheth er corporate governance supports these risk management activities. Figure 1 Source: (Youngberg, 2010) Risk Appetite Good risk management does not signify avoid all types of risk at any cost. It indicates the various types of informed choices that the organization makes related to the risk in pursuit of its measures and objectives that lead to mitigation of risk. Defining the risk appetite of an organization is an integral part of risk management. Best-of-class companies does not design or discuss their risk management as an isolated add-on process but it is viewed as an important part of their strategy execution and design. The new strategic initiative taken by the organization may open attractive opportunities for the organization but the rewards should be balanced properly with the risk that is generated. In order to integrate risk dimensions fully in the strategy design the company needs to be aware of how much risk it is willing to take and how it is planning to balance between opportunities and risks. Foe enterprise risk management defining the risk appetite is very essential (Barfield, R., n.d.). While deciding on the risk appetite of the organization the board of directors should categorize the different types of risk and decides on the capacity. This includes the type and amount of risk the organization is capable of supporting in pursuit to the business objectives and taking into account the access to the

How the marketing mix is used to create superior customer experience Essay - 1

How the marketing mix is used to create superior customer experience - Essay Example It is essential to understand why the topic is being researched. While most fast food companies have been trying to enhance customer experience, not all succeed. This is why the research objectives of this study are to ascertain the extent to which the four elements of marketing mix contribute towards superior customer experience. With the focus on McDonalds, the global fast food company, the study aims to understand the way the four elements have to be adjusted by McDonalds in its global operations. This would enable the restaurant and the fast food sector to understand where they lack and rectify their marketing mix strategy. Research design is the process of collecting, analyzing and presenting the data for the research. Knox (2004) suggests that there must be a link between the theory and argument, and the data collected. This enables the researcher to understand the constraints of the research and take an informed decision of the research process. Determining the research philosophy helps understand the issues involved in the research process and also understand how the data should be interpreted. There are different ways to interpret knowledge but the two most commonly used methods are the positivism (deductive/quantitative with hypothesis testing) and interpretivism (inductive/qualitative with hypothesis generalizations). The arguments are deductively strong if the conclusion is true, whatever may be the premises. On the other hand, if the premises support the conclusion then the argument is inductively strong (Rips, 2001). However, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages and hence the method chosen depends upon several factors. These factors include the purpose and the subject of the research, the size of the sample. Both these methods – the qualitative and the quantitative methods of research are linked to the interpretation of the philosophy – positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is based on the

Answer these two question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer these two question - Assignment Example When contrasted with expenses such as business space rent, operating an online shop can be more affordable. This assists small business vendors having no sufficient capital to rent prime space or hire employees to set up as well as operate business (Akhter,2009). Reach: having an online store enables one to do business worldwide provided s/he can communicate via email, as opposed to traditional commerce where one only deals with people who come to the physical store. This also facilitates other ways of marketing that can only be done online, which increases sales and customers (Akhter,2009). Return rates: In a conventional shop, the client purchases goods in person, in the process getting the opportunity to check the items, touch and try them effectively reducing the complaints and returned items. On the other hand, online shopping is characterized by high returns, because many clients order and try goods at home, they will return them if they do not meet their expectations (Akhter,2009). Over the years, the phrase â€Å"electronic commerce† has been changing. Initially,† electronic commerce† referred to the electronic facilitation of commercial transactions by use of technology such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that was introduced in 1970s.The EDI facilitated electronic sending of commercial documents such as invoices and purchase orders. The second major development involved the activities more accurately referred to as â€Å"Web commerce†-which is the buying of services and goods over the World Wide Web through secure servers such as HTTPS which is a unique server protocol capable of encrypting confidential ordering data to protect customers (Akhter,2009). Whereas the Internet, in 1994, started to progress in popularity amongst the general public, it took around 4 years to come up with security protocols such as DSL and HTTP which facilitated quick access in

Discourse Analysis on Zoos are internment camps for animals and should Essay

Discourse Analysis on Zoos are internment camps for animals and should be shut down - Essay Example The arguments that the author uses are mainly factual, which shows a reliance on logos in terms of rhetorical appeal. In the introduction there are some historical details about the origin of zoos in ancient history, and this situates the topic as a phenomenon which human beings have experienced over many centuries. A particularly offensive kind of zoo with human exhibits is cited and this example is an appeal to pathos, because the reader cannot fail to feel pity for the human beings who were treated in this offensive way. The first main argument concerns the rights of animals. An extended analogy is made between animals in zoo and human beings who are not able to think for themselves. This refers to young children, some very old people, and individuals who suffer from illnesses or conditions that prevent them from using full rational faculties. In human law, these individuals who cannot think for themselves have the same rights as other human beings. The author relies on scholarly literature to show that the same rights should be available to animals, who are similar to this category of non-rational human beings. Some evidence is drawn from PETA, which is an animal rights organization, and although it is useful in pointing out the worst examples of zoo mismanagement, it is a rather biased source. There is a lack of information on examples of remedial work or good care in zoos, for example in rehabilitating animals that have been rescued from poachers or from scientific experiment labs and this is a weakness in the essay. The reader feels somehow tricked if one side of an argument is pressed too strongly, and the other side is treated with less thoroughness, and with extreme examples. Anecdotal evidence about tigers dying of malnutrition in China represents a special case, and it is not very reasonable to cite this as a typical practice in zoos across the world. The author could have made the essay better by acknowledging that in a very few cases, there may be an argument for letting people view animals, in return for paying an entrance fee that helps to support these animals when they are no t well enough to return to the wild. The second argument against zoos is the harm that is done to animals, and the behavioural symptoms that animals show when they are badly treated in zoos. This is a logical, factual account that supports the main argument. The counter argument, that zoos help endangered species, is cited to demolish any views that the reader might hold in favor of retaining zoos. This is the weakest part of the essay, because further research would have shown that some species have been brought back from extinction through programs organized by zoos. The author uses a calm and reasonable tone throughout the essay, even though the subject is quite an emotional one, and many people have strong feelings about it. The persuasion mode is direct, starting with the assertion that zoos should be shut down, and citing a number of reasons why this is the case. One important rhetorical device that is used is the key metaphor expressed in the title: â€Å"zoos are internment camps†. This metaphor is very clever because it forces the reader to think of zoos from the point of view of the animals in them. It makes the reader think of animals as prisoners, which is a sort of personification, and the

One of each Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

One of each - Essay Example By the latter part of the 1960s, as the impacts of the economic development pursuit upon the environment turned out to be more obvious, environmental concerns began to receive more attention and gain more importance. The Torrey Canyon accident, a major oil-tanker that broke up resulting in to the discharge of oil onto England’s south-west coast, raised severe public concern and underscored the fact that elevated consumer consumption was vulnerable to environmental threats. The growing industrialisation of agriculture in the United States was also seriously criticised for the environmental harm attributable to the application of agro-chemicals on farmland. Scholarly criticisms eventually had a key influence on public awareness and later on policy making, with the restriction or prohibition of use being placed on agro-chemicals classified as being the most hazardous (Holden 2003). Nevertheless, the tourism industry remained basically invulnerable from environmental criticism, the tourism’s reputation being chiefly an environmental friendly affair, or what some referred to as the ‘smokeless industry’. This image was boosted by the descriptions of tourism, encompassing values of beauty and purity, as depicted in sceneries of lush mountain areas and glamorous beaches enclosed in sunshine. Still, there were disagreeing remarks about tourism’s ‘smokelessness.’ There are academics who argue that in 1961 there was interest being shown over the potential ecological imbalance that may lead to tourism growth in the island of Tahiti in the Pacific (Holden 2003, 67). The examination of the impacts of growing population of people going down upon scenic regions in the 1960s provoked Mishan (1969, 141) to comment: Once serene and lovely towns such as Andorra and Biarritz are smothered with new hotels and the dust and roar of motorised traffic. The isles of Greece have become a

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

Terrorism - Research Paper Example The united states need to use the all the tools, that are at its disposal including the international diplomacy, corporation and constructive engagement to economic sanctions in order to convert physical security and military force towards eliminating the vice. Therefore, this paper examines the international terrorist action and threats in the United States of America and the country’s response to the same. However, some countries like Iran seems to support and sponsor terrorism as their main specter for proliferation of weapons. Survey has also shown that Al Qaeda terrorist group has attempted to acquire biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Thus, the stake for war with the international terrorism is increasing becoming difficult and the margins for terror as well to select the appropriate policy to prevent the terrorists’ attacks (Hamilton 381). The United States policy towards eliminating the international terrorism has more of military significant componen t as in the case with Iraq. The major concern over this global phenomenon is how to maximize international cooperation and support that is unduly compromising. The state department is to release its annual report on terrorism. From the prior expectation, the current report carries more and advanced patterns of terrorism than earlier editions. The United States has set strategic approach in its anti-terrorist plan. These plans revolve around defeating the terrorist as a major source of threat to human life. The country also aims at providing an environment that is hospitable free of terrorism across the globe. Through this plan, the United States seeks to enhance the existing national strategy for combating terrorist across the world. The US must engage in realm of ideas that are in conjunction with the ongoing efforts to protect and defect the homeland against any form of terrorist attack (Gordon 79). International terrorism is increasingly becoming a threat to the United States bot h in its foreign and domestic security. Timing and target of the terrorist to the U.S. may directly affect its effort in controlling and preserving commerce on nuclear proliferation of the Middle East peace process. The radical Islamic groups have sought to exploit economic and the political tensions of the Asian countries. Their sole aim for this attack is to overthrow the secular regimes more so in the countries with large Muslim populations (Krueger 16). The main perception is that these groups are a main threat to the United States policy objectives. The report on Iran as the most active sponsor for terrorism has forced the United States to lay some strategic plans against Middle East countries. The report cites Pakistan as one of the most important partners of the United States on the war against the world terrorism. Pakistan securities services cooperate closely with the U.S.to eliminate terrorism. Sudan and Libya have currently collaborated with the United States in the globa l war on terror. Currently, the terrorism has assumed new characteristics of ideological movements thus; fight against it must be a hard task. The much intelligence conducted on terrorist show that, today, most of the terrorism is done on the United States (Jessie and Kinney 705). The terrorist sanctuaries are within the cities or democratic societies. Countries

Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food Essay Example for Free

Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food Essay In today’s society you walk into a grocery store and you always have the option of organic or non organic food. There are even grocery stores dedicated to organic foods like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Food market. I personally have gone organic and will never go back to eating or drinking non organic food. Organic food may be pricey but less hormones, less cow puss and blood in your milk, and less pesticides. The controversies about organic food vs non organic food is it worth it? My answer is 100 percent yes organic is the way to go. The fruits and vegetables you get at a normal grocery store that are non organic have several pesticides on it. According to the daily green, ‘ eating organic means avoiding the pesticide residue left on foods. † Though there are mixed reviews on if consuming pesticides hurt your immune system, pregnant women are taking the cautionary steps on making sure their future child will be born healthy and not be exposed to pesticides at an early age. On the Dirty Dozen list, apples are the number 1 food source of 2011, with over 40 known pesticides in just 1 apple. Not surprisingly, pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce, making all apple products smart foods to buy organic. Strawberries have over 60 pesticides on it, so while you â€Å"wash† your strawberries remember you are eating pesticide residue remains on those strawberries you bought at the food market. 93% of Americans tested by the CDC had metabolites of chlorpyrifos a nuerotoxic insecticide in their urine. Banned from home use because of its risks to children, chlorpyrifos is part of a family of pesticides (organophosphates) linked to ADHD. Women who were exposed to DDT as girls are 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer, according to Panna. Several people are allergic to the growth hormone farmers put in their animals, but are able to eat organic meats because animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Organic meat the animals are also killed more humane than non organic animals. The animals are raised in a healthier environment, fed organic feed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than those raised in factory farms (such as would be the case of free-range chickens and ranch cattle). Cbn. com stated, â€Å"In a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans surveyed stated they would like to be able to fit organic foods into their budgets. † Organic food may cost more but less exposure to unnecessary hormones and pesticides is worth it. Organic is the way to go, lower pesticide levels, more nutrients, no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, and environmental responsibility. Although research findings about benefits of organic produce are not conclusive, it is definite that organic stuff is safer than the produce with traces of pesticides. Organic milk, vegetables and fruits are much more expensive than the non-organic but if you can afford it then go for it. If more people start buying organic food then gradually their prices will gradually come down.

Apple Inc Social Strategy Essay Example for Free

Apple Inc Social Strategy Essay In the case â€Å"Apple Inc. in 2010†, we can see that between 1980 and 1996, the company struggled with different management style and strategies. During those 16 years, Apple was a computer-based company that was not trying to differentiate itself from its competitor. That is why, in 1996, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he started to focus on the social aspect of Apple but also on how to innovate and create new products in order to differentiate the company. First of all, when Steve job came back, the company name went from Apple computer to Apple Inc. Jobs goal was to change Apple’s image by creating a culture around the company. In order to create its culture around the brand, he developed an ecosystem of products that could be connected together. Furthermore, Apple not only developed products, they developed software and platform such as ITunes or Icloud that would help customers to use their products easily. Moreover, by creating this ecosystem, Apple was able to attract and retain customers because with their Icloud platform for example, â€Å"Apple users† were able to synchronize, store and share data from all their Apple devices in one place which made life easier for customers. Secondly, its product became the must have if customer wanted to be part of â€Å"the Apple Family† or â€Å"community†. Apple products were not anymore electronic products (iPod, iPad, IPhone) or computer; Apple products were seen as a social status since Apple product prices were higher than the competition. Thirdly, Customers are buying Apple products in order to have high quality products that are sold in huge bright store that gives customers a unique shopping experience. In addition, customers can now bring their product in store to have them fixed but they can also come in store to receive lessons on how to efficiently use their Apple products. By offering that type of services, Apple is able to develop customer’s loyalty that will make them feel like they are part of the â€Å"Apple community†. Finally, the culture force that Steve Jobs created is now Apple’s best social strategy in order to attract customers. Apple should focus on this culture force and try to improve its existing products to make them even more connected by creating new apps that are like â€Å"iMessage† or â€Å"Facetime†. Apple could also develop new products that could be integrated inside the product ecosystem that is already in place to increase its connected product line.

Management of Contractual Risks

Management of Contractual Risks 1 Introduction Managing risk should be a fundamental part of bidding for Building or Highways work. Risk is described by Atkinson (2001) as the probability of an occurrence of a hazard and the magnitude of the consequences. Consequently risk may also be considered as the possibility of an experience happening and the resultant effect of the experience if it ere to take place. As defined by RICS (2010) risk management is a means of processes where risks are recognised, examined and then of course controlled. It is a constant cycle that begins at the pretender stage; this means that risks of events are put into a bid from the start and also at the end of construction. During the different phases of a project, many new even previously un-thought of risks materialise throughout. Recognising them quickly allows faster mitigation; in order to reduce impact risk has on the project. This study has examined the inaccuracy of pretender process of managing risk with the use of both pretender and contract registers. There were also opportunities, they were recognised. The subject area of risk was selected following discussions with managers and work colleagues, during my 2010 placement year with Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM). This topic was considered as an ideal subject area for a research project because SRM were improving the system they currently incorporate. So the plan of the study was to advise any conclusions made on the research, so as to further enhance the pretender practice within SRM. My colleagues gave me some risk data sheets for a few projects. The emphasis being on highway construction, as this information was available from my placement and SRM. 1.2 Rationale The subject of what to research developed from consultations with colleagues and the line manager at SRM. My colleagues were interested in the managing of risk and were working to improve SRMs pretender risk process to ensure it replicated the contract phase a bit more. This therefore illustrated a requirement in the business and indeed construction for research in to this topic area. The main reason for eventually electing the subject area of risk was the open access of information provided by SRM and the contact with knowledgeable personnel in my placement. This gave a better understanding of the procedures, allowing greater understanding in subject area of risk. In addition access was gained during placement to potential data in the form of contract and pretender risk registers from various Highway works undertaken by SRM. The aim of the research as came about by undertaking literary research, up to that point none of the data was collected, or plan formulated of how to use the data. The aim was to understand how pretender recognition of risks may be inaccurate. After that considering how it could be improved and whether it was possible to do so. Subsequently, recording any conclusions of pretender process in order to develop and better it. 1.3 Hypothesis, Aims and main Objectives 1.3.1 Aims Were to see if management of the contractual risks identifies significant additional risks that the pretender risk process failed to recognise and thus determine how inaccurate the pretender risk process is. 1.3.2 Objectives Find the processes presently employed to deal with risk, in both contractual and pretender phases and in recognising and measuring them. Investigate if important additional contractual risks recognised were within the pretender phase register. Compare SRMs risk management processes with other contractors and analyse to find the best solution. If possible, note any resulting conclusions and input results within the pretender register then produce a new and accurate one. 1.3.3 Hypothesis The management of contractual risks in Highway construction successfully identifies additional risks, consequently pretender appraisal has become inaccurate. 1.4 Overview of work done / Methodology 1.4.1 SRM schemes/jobs The SRM jobs used on the research comprised of, M1 J25-28, and A19 upgrade (both Highways Agency jobs) and M74 Glasgow council, all Highway projects. A19 was Term Maintenance Contract (TMC) whereas M1 J25-28 and M74 upgrade were (MAC) contracts. When examining the A19 upgrade the contractual records were acquired but the pretender risk records were not. However the contractual records were compared to a risk bid from a different project. Not ideal but the only solution at the time. The majority of the items were related, so comparable/related items were drawn from the pretender items, then included in the A19 contract register. An evaluation was done involving the contract and pretender risks. To do this the max, min, probable costs in addition to the likelihood of a risk event were incorporated from contract and pretender appraisals. A total assessment of the risks was calculated via averaging the max, min as well as probable costs which are multiplied against the likelihood of the risk event. All risks types were identified, in order to distinguish trends in risks recognised at the pretender and found in contract phase or were not found at all. The A19 contract risk register was distinctive to M1 J25-28 and M74 upgrade registers as it didnt contain costs. Every risk was divided by its probability and impact, whether that was high, medium or low appraisal. The pretender register, risk items were fitted against the occurring contractual register items. To see if every item in the registers were done, costs and probabilities were assigned to the A19 contractual risk method of appraisal. In getting a total assessment, both probability and risk price were multiplied. These costs were then evaluated against the overall pretender costs. 1.4.2 Highway contractor Interviews Interviews via telephone were conducted with a few companies to really see what processes are used at post contract and pretender. Also to find out how precise these methods are. Companies interviewed were: Morgan EST. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney 1.4.3 Literature Review In order to understand the risk management procedures in construction and more specifically in Highways work a literary review was embarked on. This meant the research would gain an appreciation of the perception of risk by construction, prior to any literary review, my personal experience had only come from SRMs perspective and the processes they use. In order to gain real understanding and to funnel clearly on what my hypothesis stated, it was decided to split the literature review into two sections. One section, comprising of processes used by industry, taken from an assortment of books. The second section being that of SRMs highways process and accompanying documents. This makes it possible for an assessment to be conducted between SRM and the other contractors, like how different stages of a contract work in Highway works. 1.5 Overview of conclusions Both the information gained and analysis undertaken, imply the data could sustain the theory and main aims. Due to a large risk amount being found in contractual phase that was not previously seen at pretender. Even though assessments for any one risk were fairly inexact, overall assessment of pretender and contractual seemed strong. Showing pretender registers was inaccurate and needed to be better if assessments and risk management has to become more reliable. 1.6 Report Guide 1 Introduction An opening on the managing of risk in the dissertation while validating the basis in selecting the subject area. The introduction states the aims, objectives and hypothesis that the researched was established upon, as well as outlining the work done and an overview of the Conclusions. 2 Methodology Explains the methods used to investigate my hypothesis, from Literature review, approaches used in analysis and review of information and any outcomes. This expresses the reasons for utilising the techniques chosen also any research restrictions. Its meant to be a methodical, simple approach to how things were done. 3 Literature Review This chapter contains my understanding and Knowledge of the subject area. Done by means of, studying the risk process used in management through books, journals and the internet. Allowing a greater comprehension of risk in Highways work, and how its viewed and used. 4 Results and Analysis Confirms the outcome in the investigation and subsequent breakdown of SRMs jobs as well as the Highway contractors interviews. It outlines the judgments made concerning the pretender and contractual assessments. The Hypothesis was then tested against the information found, to see if its statement is true or false. 6 Conclusions- This analyses all the results in relation to the hypothesis and if theres is any basis that it will hold up. Detailing limitations affecting the research, while also imparting proposals for both industry and any future dissertations. 2 Methodology 2.1 Introduction Methodologies are vital to the accomplishments of research and must be dealt with care in order for the most appropriate research methods to be chosen (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The methodology outcome depended on the subject area, research aims and amount of literature review obtained. For data collection and analysis, the methods employed ought to be realising the aims and objectives so as to continually test the hypothesis and validate the research. The information that was obtainable and available played a huge role, as work on the dissertation could not be done if the information wasnt relevant. The information therefore can be decided by the hypothesis, as if the information was not on hand then one cant trial the hypothesis. Due to these factors, risk management was identified as an appropriate topic from the beginning, but it wasnt until the research was started that defining the hypothesis was possible, yet having an impression of the aims and objectives that were to be accomplished. From the off, the aim was to gauge how precise pretender risk management was, even if unsure of the data and information existing prior to consulting SRM team. Ultimately this section highlights the research methods utilised in the research, and the close association that has been made when doing so between the methods and Aim, hypothesis and objectives. 2.2 Aim Employed to help concentrate the methodology in choosing the right methods, also to clarify to the person who reads the dissertation what precisely was being investigated. So this shall be done by recalling the Aim set out: To see whether the post contract risk process identifies key additional risks that the pretender risk process failed to recognise and thus determine how inaccurate pretender risk process is. 2.3 Quantitative and Qualitative methods In Data collection there are two key styles; quantitative and qualitative forms of research. Quantitative method, being a grouping of information done using figures, which is then evaluated by arithmetical trials to trial an assumption or theory (Creswell, 1994). While the Qualitative method was quite different, instead using connotations, previous incidents and words (Naoum, 2007). Quantitative Methods can be less difficult in examining; it creates measurable outcomes that create analytical arithmetical results. They tend to be better for others to read and understand. While, qualitative information from research has a tendency to be complicated as it often requires researcher input and manipulation to ensure its appropriate for investigative procedures (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The methods adopted depend upon data obtainable as well as the research itself. By executing good research, its generally required and essential to use both quantitative and qualitative. Therefore a mixture o f the two was brought to play, for a more correct and more reliable conclusion; more is detailed further in this section. 2.4 Literature Review As mentioned previously literary appraisal was undertaken; providing a core subject knowledge in risk management of Highway construction. The idea in doing this was grasping how risk was analysed in Highway construction sector, and the procedures used in controlling it. Next research was done to discover how risk was managed, by using literature in form of books and journals. Then see SRMs risk management process from their risk management documentation. Dividing the literature review in two sections meant that one of the objectives could be fulfilled by comparing SRMs risk management approach with other construction companies. By doing the literary appraisal it imparted a better comprehension of the chosen topic of risk, and illustrated the problems and successes in risk management. While also showing the diverse and numerous ways in managing risk, and how the approach identified and selected can depend on many issues like project type, contract used or even size of companies and jobs themselves. The list literature sources below were used in delivering the dissertation:   Textbooks -were very useful in gaining the relevant knowledge of risk management, and procedures used. Books located in the library were discovered using the computer search engines. using. Chapters needed or thought appropriate were studied, and compared against searches that had been made on the internet. A check system, which assessed the validity of both sources of information against each other. With much of the research it became apparent that information in books available werent current especially in the older series of books. Despite this it wasnt a predicament for Risk management as texts of up to ten years old were and are significant and applicable now, with some techniques having improved. The books allowed for great comparison for up to date information on the internet. Journals were again located on the Loughborough University library database, which with the relevant buzz words located material of use. Finding journals proved difficult in comparison to textbook numbers, yet the sources were helpful.   Internet supplied a platform for research of literature. Being easy to use and handy, collating information could be done at speed and with relative ease. It allowed greater understanding of what type of book would be needed from the library. Information from the internet was important but it had its limits and it was vital to know that it can be inaccurate and cause misguidance, research can be more guaranteed with text and journals. This way of thinking about limitations in using the internet was in mind when searching websites on risk in the construction. Finding various helpful websites any information was compared other websites in order to increase reliability, but most importantly against book and journals. As with all research appropriate sources of reliability were identified and used like the RICS website. Two editorials from RICS site provided constructive, and were used in the literature review. In finding books the internet was most useful as many articles on websit es highlighted book of particular relevance and use.   SRMs Risk Management Procedures document SRMs risk management procedure document was used as section two of the literature review. Reading through the document and important information was used in the literature review, particularly, on the processes used by SRM in risk management. A comparison was made between SRMs procedures and with those found in the first half of the literature review. 2.5 Data Collection When actually collecting the data for the research the collection was again split into two parts. The initial data collection was from SRM projects, other data collection was associated to other contractors. The intention was to compare the risk procedures, and attempt at analysing which was the superior one. The next section shows how all the data collection was collected and prepared. 2.5.1 SRM Projects The information on the SRM jobs were formed while in placement during 2010, while working on the M1, involved in subcontractor packages and various Quantity surveying related work. Prior to any data collection, discussions with colleagues and senior managers took place in order to help formulate and aid the research as what would be required in terms of data. At this stage no hypothesis had been decided, the idea was to assess the accuracy of risks in the pretender assessments. Therefore colleagues stated and recommended the use of valid information in the form pretender and contractual risk registers could be provided. The contracts that would be made available were the M1 J25-28 scheme, A19 upgrade and M74 Glasgow project. Three similar Motorway/road maintenance projects that differ from each other contractually. A19 upgrade was a TMC to maintain, operate a network of strategic roads in the North East. M1 J25-28 and M74 are both MAC contracts for similar maintenance one in the midlands and the latter in Glasgow. A19 upgrade and M1 J25-28 are HA run, while M74 was for the Glasgow city council. The HA run their contracts by splitting their contracts into 13 sections in the UK, and in these projects cases offer for the extension and maintenance of the roads within these sections. The reason that A19 upgrade was a TMC but M1 J25-28 and M74, MAC based contracts were that previous to the MAC HA projects were also run with the TMC contract, but now all is done under MAC style. The contracts run for 5 years with optional extensions. Different sections of maintenance start and end at different areas on the motorway in question over a 5 year cycle, meaning that when MAC contracts were first used, some sections werent using them and using TMC etc A19 upgrade was a TMC completed in 2009, whereas M1 J25-28 scheme was a modern MAC contract just saw completion in late 2010. The difference in MACs and TMC are TMC two separate companies, one as managing agent the other as main contractor. MAC consists of the 1 contractor, running both as an agent to the client and as main contractor on site. Using the three contracts as the basis for the research the risk manager on the placement at SRM provided a pretender register for the M1 J25-28 risk management and A19 contractual phase, both of which he had involvement on. Trying to get pretender ones for M74 was problematic but couldnt find any. In order to have a full complete analysis, it was decided that for M74 to use another MAC pretender risk register. Pretty much similar to M74 except the location geographically. For sure this would create limitations but it could possible in using another risk register as SRM do when starting on a new comparable bids. So similarities would be high and that as long as it was noted in the dissertation as to its use and reasons why. Due to the generic nature of the risks they were deemed suitable as with what SRM do in practice. While on placement working on the M1 J25-28 contract meant developing contacts with colleagues who work day in day out on the subject are. Therefore requesting registers on M1 job was easier than the other jobs. The A19 contractual register came to me inn the same way. Getting the M74 contractual register, as the risk team on my placement had contact details for which to enquire with and the registers were duly emailed. 2.5.2 Rival Highway Contractors Obtaining information via rivals in the sector of road maintenance was much more difficult than from SRM sources, as they were very protective of information they gave out. The SRM jobs were Highways related, so the focus was getting some from Highway firms. By doing additional data collection it allowed for an honest comparison between SRM and other contractors. The methods were expected to have been alike if not the same, involving different construction projects; the data was likely to be different. The plan was to send questionnaires to the chosen contractors, but after unsuccessful returns it became apparent that another route would be needed, so interviews via telephone were deemed suitable. It seemed with written survey, contractors were inclined to take no notice of it or put a more generic thoughtless answer, While via a telephone interview response to the questions asked would be immediate and better, with no real confusion of what the question was asking as myself in person could explain. The Highway contractors contacted were: Morgan est. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney A semi-structured set of questions was planned in order to gain the information required but also allowed telephone participant to elaborate and discuss the subject in a friendly professional manner. Contractors in Highways works were contacted, the dissertation of Risk Management was explained with the aims and objectives that needed to be achieved and asked the below queries: Does your company possess a methodology for the management of pretender risks? How does your company detect risks in the pretender phase? How does your company calculate final risk totals? Does your company undertake risk management after the contractual phase? ould I obtain a pretender and or contractual risk register to use in my research (for the Highways project you are on)? Each Contractor interviewed was told research being undertaking intended in contrasting data in pretender phase against the contractual as well as any assessments made. The questions were supposed to see what processes companies used in managing risks. Overall the different companies were helpful in answering these questions. The Fifth and final question was done to get registers like that gained from SRM. It was the only difficult part as many refused to hand registers over from live projects due to the sensitivity of their data and company policies. However some registers were received but didnt really contain the crucial information required just a formatted company risk register. Throughout the interviews, notes were made on the first four questions and the results put into a table at the time of the interview showing the company and their response to each question. Thus, making analysis easier when looking at the responses later in the dissertation. 2.6 Analysis of data Prior to analysis, the research had assessed how SRM price risks. It was crucial in knowing this before as it established the type of analysis would that be approved, and is detailed below. Upon formulating the risks that have been identified each risk will be categorised with maximum, most likely, minimum values and probability. The data was put through a programme @ RISK formulates hundreds of simulations, creating a graph showing the data. The 75th percentile is put in the final pretender as the final risk total. SRM do this for all of their projects. For this dissertation we were concerned in the risks recognised and individual costing risks as shown in paragraph above with min, max and probable etc. The focal point being what was keyed in to @ RISK as opposed to what it produces. For the Data analysis the SRM contracts have been split into their individual projects and the Other Highway contractors. The reason for splitting the SRMs projects was that the analysis varied in parts by way it had been collected as mentioned earlier (some with full risk registers some in part). 2.6.1 M1 J25-28s scheme and M74 Glasgow Analysis for M1 and M74 projects were pretty much the same. The M1 contract and pretender risk register could be matched up to the pretender and contractual registers for the M74 contract risks, due to them being MACs. In evaluating the accurateness of the risk registers and appraisals made, comparable risks to contractual register were then removed from the pretender. When comparing values in matching risks, it was vital to have a total value for both pretender and contractual registers. The best and most impartial methods for pretender register were to average the minimum, maximum, probable figures then multiplying by likelihood of the event. These were a range of potential expenses which could be incurred by the risk, and any total cost was decided to be an average of these, as all projects had them. As its unknown as to its actually occurrence the average should be multiplied by the probability, which gives a total potential cost to the risk. While the contract risk registers should be considered by severity and possibility by scale of 1-5, and then an assessment of the risk was undertaken, figuring out the most likely value as well as minimum and maximum. Mitigation measures are identified for each risk, and then assessment was done again as before the mitigation. The M74 didnt have min prices in its contractual register, therefore all risks were assumed to be zero. Without any minimum values any overall assessments of the risk would not have been made. The reason for not using the likely value instead was so the data would use a range of values. It was decided greater accuracy would be found in setting the minimum as zero and range of values than the most likely. By setting all its risks as zero means they are an unimportant minimum value or a risk/event that doesnt happen. The M1 contract register had all the necessary values so no intervention was needed. Both contract risk registers failed to show any probability, just a likelihood scale from 1-5. Therefore it was assumed, giving the scale a percentage instead, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90%. Then the total appraisals of the contractual registers were done through an identical method. Where similar contractual risks could be distributable to a few pretender risks in a register or vice versa, the total appraisal amounts were split by the quantity of risk items, in preventing them being counted twice. This was tabulated under the headings; the contract risks, pretender risks, information put into the registers, and total assessment. The contract risks were then categorised: Unrecognised however is protected (No value). Unrecognised but not protected ought to have been recognised. Unrecognised unable to recognise. Recognised while also protected. Identified yet unprotected. Each risk was grouped by colour to state which category from above it fell in. 2.6.2 A19 upgrade The breakdown of the A19 job was began in a similar way to the M1 J25-28 and M74 contracts. The measurement total cost for pretender register was done the same as in the other projects by averaging and the different range of values and dividing by probability of them occurring. When totalling the contract risks differences became apparent as the register calculated risks another way, as there were no costs. So Instead they were measured under the probability and impact style grid, using severity status as guides, whether that be low, medium or high. So in order to measure the total value of risks would mean assigning each risk a value and probability based on the risk severity system used, then times the two numbers to get the total assessment for that given risk This therefore required the assignment of cost and probabilities to be accurate. So by using the Risk severity matrix as used by SRM, a cost could be associated to a certain risk level. With use of the grid SRM review probability/likelihood with a scale from 1-5 and assign costs in numerical order of the probability scale for impact: Below  £1,000 Between  £1,000  £10,000 Between  £10,000  £100,000 Between  £100,000  £1,000,000 Above  £1,000,000 The figures above seemed a very useful guide and perfect to use, create a good range that could be easily used in analysis. The likelihoods for the risks events were given percentages instead of low, medium, high, so as to fit in to correspond and be like the information found in M1 and M74 projects, so: Low being 10%, Medium at 50% High 90%. These numbers were chosen as the provided not too certain outcomes for low and high at 10 and 90 percent, while the medium suited to being the mid point between the two figures. So in getting the total risk value, costs times probability. Then the rest of the analysis followed the same steps taken by M1 and M74 data analysis. 2.6.3 Analysis summary The tables of data for all three projects showing the comparisons made are in the appendices. These tables were only a start in analysing data as they on their own only show limited information that cannot fully test the hypothesis. So Risk recognition was key objective and so a list was formulated of any risks recognised, not recognised and not assessed, were omitted. From this list, risks could be categorised and therefore see which type of items could or could not be seen in pretender by the bid team. Now having had risks recognised and risks unrecognised as threats in pretender meant potentially testing a hypothesis as to whether pretender stage is inaccurate. From this new data 2 graphs were made highlighting and representing more clearly the type of items in registers that was recognised in pretender and those that werent. A review table was then drawn to finally account for the contract risks and categorised as below: Unrecognised however is protected (No value). Unrecognised but not protected ought to have been recognised. Unrecognised unable to recognise. Recognised while also protected. Identified yet unprotected. This table only really accounted for risks in pretender register which corresponded with contract risk, but not the other way round. So it didnt account for all risks found in pretender bid or how many werent in the contract register. So a total evaluation of risks featured in the pretender bid but not in the contract register, so as to fully see the accuracy or inaccuracy of it. As a result a Pretender table of risks recognised at contractual phase was made and the total appraisals done at both pretender bid and contractual phase were compared and contrasted. Last part glimpsed through inaccuracies of pretender register. Done by removing risks identified in pretender and contractual documents, the disparities then tabulated. The variations were categorised, and detailed in a Histogram. 2.6.4 Rival Highway Contractors The ways in which the other Highway teams identified assessed risks at pretender stage, were investigated. This was done by referring back to the table formulated at the time of the interviews. Proceeding with recognition and classification methods, digging out the methods used, what company used what method type. The same was done for the appraisals of risk, so formed 2 pie charts showing the recognition and appraisal of the rival companies risk management processes. It illustrates the most popular methods used by the Highway Contractors interviewed. These methods were compared against the methods SRM use. Many of the companies did turn down the opportunity in handing over information, citied by them as the company policies not to do so and the information is delicate. However some registers were received but didnt really contain the crucial information required just a formatted company risk. Also it proved difficult to obtain pretender and contractual registers, instead receiving o ne without having the other to compare against. Need to fill in contractors interviewed etc!!!!! It was very helpful to look at the various formats of different registers that companys used, and the informatio

Creating a Robot to Tie a Knot with Lego Mindstorm :: Robotics

Abstract The point of building this robot was to have it successfully complete and tie a knot. The original idea was to have the robot tie knots creating a bracelet. Unfortunately, the process of tying a knot alone was too much work to try and move on to an entire bracelet. I had neither the time nor the insight to build a flexible and usable 'arm.' I tested and modified a design from the Lego Mindstorms book, but found that I could neither open nor close the hand. I continued to further modify the design to be able to grab and let go of string but the result was extremely bulky. Also I could not find a plausible and spaceconstrained way to attach the gears to each of the 'fingers.' The conclusion that I drew was not that the project was impossible but that it needed more time and research. Background The idea for a robot that could neatly and efficiently create a knotted bracelet became a reality after my own experiences of personal pain and triumphs over its creational process. Although the design is merely knotting in a line some people have neither the patience or ability to complete such a simple masterpiece. This is when the idea for a bracelet making robot was first manifested. It is being brought to life for all those who can't or don't want to make one themselves, hence, a robot to do it for them! Unfortunately, two weeks is not enough to make a full blown bracelet making robot. Instead my attempt will be to make a robot that can successfully tie a knot around a string. Which with more time would eventually lead to an entire knotted bracelet. The textile industry has prospered greatly since the age of industry and invention. Cotton, silk, and various other materials are processed and transformed into beautiful fabrics and cloths which soon become clothes and accessories. The flying shuttle was brought to factories in 1733 by the inventor John Kay, improving looms to enable weavers to get their work done even faster. Soon after there came the spinning jenny, and the water frame which became the first powered machine. To be or Knot to be? 3 The inventions kept spewing forth until at last the modern textile machine was born. Most of these are run by computer with nowhere near the machinery. This minimizes injury and ups the efficiency of production. While my robot won't be the next big factory design, it will make a simple but overly complicated knot for a robot. In future years at COSMOS in the robotics cluster, perhaps someone will see my design and continue it, until it completely finishes an entire

Descriptive Essay: A Beautiful Place :: Descriptive Essay Example

I think we all have a beautiful place in our mind. I have a wonderful place that made me happy a lot of times, years ago. But sometimes I think that I am the only person who likes this place and I'm asking myself if this place will be as beautiful as I thought when I will go back to visit it again. Perhaps I made it beautiful in my mind. This place is meaningful to me because it is part of the county I loved, is part of the county where I grew up and is part of my childhood. This place is in the country in an old region named Appalachia, a small piece of the Appalachian Mountains, in a town named Pikeville. Pikeville is a polluted town because of the coal industry. People live in apartment or condominium buildings because of its little space available. I grew up in one of the many buildings in Pikeville admiring from my bedroom window the beauty of the mountains, always exploring with my eyes the forest or the meadows, looking for a clean and quiet place. And, I found one on a hill in the back of the town. It is about 100 feet square, it has seven old trees, wild flowers and a lot of bugs and ants during summer time. I used to go there to sit down on a rock and watch the town and my trees. There was a very old tree, a maple tree, with a huge trunk. The others were smaller, three in the back, three on my left side and the old maple tree on my right. There were flowers, many kinds, white, yellow, purple and blue. It was nobody's place. Nobody owned that hill, but it was beautiful and peaceful and I dreamed many times about a white house over there. I think that, these kinds of places are meaningful to people because they are natural and people can be there alone, away from their everyday life. I used to go there to be alone or to dream with my eyes open admiring the blue sky or the clouds. I liked to go there to lay down on the grass, listen to the wind, kiss the flowers and watch the leaves moving. It was hard to go up the hill to get there, but I wanted to see everyday my seven trees, to see how the color of the leaves changed and to feel the softness of the grass. Descriptive Essay: A Beautiful Place :: Descriptive Essay Example I think we all have a beautiful place in our mind. I have a wonderful place that made me happy a lot of times, years ago. But sometimes I think that I am the only person who likes this place and I'm asking myself if this place will be as beautiful as I thought when I will go back to visit it again. Perhaps I made it beautiful in my mind. This place is meaningful to me because it is part of the county I loved, is part of the county where I grew up and is part of my childhood. This place is in the country in an old region named Appalachia, a small piece of the Appalachian Mountains, in a town named Pikeville. Pikeville is a polluted town because of the coal industry. People live in apartment or condominium buildings because of its little space available. I grew up in one of the many buildings in Pikeville admiring from my bedroom window the beauty of the mountains, always exploring with my eyes the forest or the meadows, looking for a clean and quiet place. And, I found one on a hill in the back of the town. It is about 100 feet square, it has seven old trees, wild flowers and a lot of bugs and ants during summer time. I used to go there to sit down on a rock and watch the town and my trees. There was a very old tree, a maple tree, with a huge trunk. The others were smaller, three in the back, three on my left side and the old maple tree on my right. There were flowers, many kinds, white, yellow, purple and blue. It was nobody's place. Nobody owned that hill, but it was beautiful and peaceful and I dreamed many times about a white house over there. I think that, these kinds of places are meaningful to people because they are natural and people can be there alone, away from their everyday life. I used to go there to be alone or to dream with my eyes open admiring the blue sky or the clouds. I liked to go there to lay down on the grass, listen to the wind, kiss the flowers and watch the leaves moving. It was hard to go up the hill to get there, but I wanted to see everyday my seven trees, to see how the color of the leaves changed and to feel the softness of the grass.

Galileo: A Man on a Mission :: History

Galileo: A Man on a Mission In 1632, Galileo Galilei published his book "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems." As innocent as this may seem, the implications that were associated with the publishing of the book were soon evident. In the time prior to the publishing of the book, Galileo had been warned several times not to publish it by the Catholic Church. The book was a fictitious dialogue between three men, whose purpose was to discuss two theories of Planetary Motion. The theory that Galileo was advocating was considered by the Church to be heretical, and he was told several times that publishing the book would have dire consequences. His pride, his impulsive nature, his arrogance, and his love for science influenced Galileo's decision. Galileo was a scientific genius, but he was also a human. He was too proud to compromise his beliefs under any circumstances. Before we can analyze this decision, we must understand exactly what the book contained. The idea behind the book was to demonstrate the superiority and validity of the Copernican model of the Solar System versus the Ptolemaic model of the Solar System. The Ptolemaic System was a model of the Solar System in which the planets, the sun, and all other objects in the universe revolve around the Earth. This system was supported by Aristotle and coincided with Holy Scripture, and therefore, was supported by the Church. On the other hand, the Copernican model of the Solar system was the basis for the system we use today. It stated that all objects in the universe, including the Earth, revolve around the sun. This idea was what caused problems with the Church. The theory that the Earth was not the center of the universe directly contradicted Holy Scripture. This was the foundation on which the Church based its threats against Galileo. Before we can truly understand the magnitude of this decision, we must also first comprehend the climate of the times in which his book was published. Europe was in the midst of a break from the old method of thinking to a new, increasingly scientific method of viewing the world and society. Until this time, Europe had been in what we call the "Age of Faith." This time period was characterized by a strong belief in the Church and religion. Although still a major force in the lives of the people, religion and philosophy were on a steady decline since the start of the Renaissance when the "Age of Exploration" began.

Fall On Your Knees Essay

* It is the story of James Piper, orphaned child, who becomes a piano tuner. When James was 18, he met Material, 13, and they elope to the close by village. Materia’s family were against her marriage. James then has three daughters, Kathleen, Mercedes, and Frances. James was a good man, but slowly dark side of his nature asserted itself. He serves in France during the Great War to make money. But the war comes to an end. He returns to his family. Kathleen is dispatched to New York City to study opera, she gets pregnant and later finds a lesbian partner. James finds out and brings his daughter back. Soon he is widower and Kathleen dies while giving birth to the twins. Mercedes tries her best to be the mother of Frances and her niece Lily, Kathleen’s daughter. Ambrose, Kathleen’s son is killed by Frances accidentally. Frances goes completely off track and starts doing prostitution to make money for Lily. Frances also gets pregnant and stops prostitution. James dies later on and everything depends on Mercedes since Frances is in a big shock. Later on, Lily goes to New York and Frances dies. Mercedes sends Ambrose, France’s son to New York. * Sacrifices are made by a lot of people in the whole universe for the sake of people who they love. In Ann – Marie Macdonald’s Fall on Your Knees, James and his family sacrifice important things that they desire or want for the sake of their family. Through the use of characterization, symbols and diction, Macdonald shows that healthy sacrifices benefit everyone. Similarly in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Sacrifice is shown throughout the play for the benefit of self or others that they love or want. This is also shown by Shakespeare by using the above elements, which proves that the sacrifices that are made for the benefit of everyone will lead to the happy ending. Characterization is used to show the decisions that are made for the benefits of other or self. In Fall on Your Knees, people make decisions that benefit others which have huge impact in their life, while in Hamlet, the decisions that are made are for the benefits of self for which someone else has to pay. * There are many characters in Fall on Your Knees that choose to live for the sake of others. One of them is Kathleen. Kathleen is a great singer who poses beauty and singing talent but she has no friends and is not even close to her mother. The only friend that she has is her father. She gave up everything that she could have just for the sake of her daddy. She wants to be singer just because her daddy wants her to be famous, so people can appreciate her talent. â€Å"At first she did it for daddy’s sake† (Macdonald 99). This shows that Kathleen gave up her whole childhood and teenage moments that she could have for herself for the sake of daddy. She never goes anywhere by herself. Later, James sends her to USA to study Opera. And she agrees without even saying anything. * Similarly her sister, Mercedes also sacrifices her educations and her future for the sake of family. Mercedes is a good girl who is taking the role of mother for her sisters. â€Å"Mercedes is so accustomed to doing everything for Daddy’s sake† (299). Mercedes does not tell her father about her dream of going to university. She knows that her father will be all alone if she leaves him. She buries her dream in her heart, so she stays home and takes care of the family. * Similarly in Hamlet, Hamlet sacrifices his future and his love for the sake of his father. He needs to take revenge. Hamlet is always sad and depressed since his father is no more. When he found that his uncle was the murderer of his father, he promised the ghost to take revenge for his father’s death. To accomplish his motive, he gave up the love of his life, Ophelia, so he can have no weaknesses. â€Å"You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot so/ inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you/ not. † (III. 1. 128-130). Hamlet is refusing that he never loved Ophelia. He also used her to confuse Claudius. * Kathleen has never got love from anyone else except her daddy, whose love also changes after coming from war. This causes her to crave for love. The crave for the love leads to many ironies such as her turning into a lesbian and eventually her death. However, this is not same for Mercedes. Even though Mercedes is not pursuing her education any further, she is learning to be a responsible women and she does not marry in the future because she needs to take care of her sisters and her father. She is gaining even though she is giving up something. Whereas, Hamlet’s sacrifice caused Ophelia to not trust Hamlet anymore and later on in the play, that lead to her death. * The other element that has been used is symbolism. Symbolism is used to show what each character has become because of the decisions that they choose to make. In both texts, there are a lot of symbols that represents the characters or the meaning of their life. * In fall on your knees, darkness is used to represent the sacrifices that the characters make without knowing the consequences. They do not know what lies ahead and what the result might be for taking that action. But, they continue to do it because they feel that they need to do it. The other symbol that is used is monster. It is used to represent Materia. It represents Materia because she has become a monster while searching for the happiness of the family. â€Å"Materia saw herself in a clear glass at last and it was Monstrous. † This shows that even she knows that she has turned into a monster. Materia thinks that she is happy without her daughter. She does not want her daughter to come back. She is ready to sacrifice her own daughter for the family’s happiness. This is similar to the monster since monsters are ready to eat their own children to fill their own stomach when needed. The other symbol that is used in the novel is scarecrow. Scarecrow is used to represent the memories that they had in the past. It was made by Materia. James tears it down because he does not want to remember his past since there had been a lot of incidents that have happened in his life. He wants to live without having to remember his past. * Similarly in Hamlet, sponge is used to represent Rosencrantz. Hamlet thinks that Rosencrantz is giving up his friendship to suck up to the King. He feels betrayed by his own friend. He calls Rosencrantz a sponge when he says â€Å"Besides, to be demanded of a sponge! † (IV. . 12). Since, he has become a messenger that acts as a carrier of messages and spills it in front of King, Rosencrantz collects all the information like a sponge collects water and spills it in front of a king, similar to how water spills off the sponge when it is squeezed. * In Fall on Your Knees, Materia meets her consequences when she was finally able to love Kathleen. She has to sacrifice Kathleen just so the twins can see the new world. As well as James lived a happy life in the future where he didn’t had to think about his past and died in peace. Similar to Materia, Rosencrantz is sent to England where he is to be executed with his friend, Guildenstern, as soon as he reaches there. * The last element that is used is diction. Diction is used to show the consequences of the sacrifices that are made by the characters for their benefit, where someone else pays the price of their sacrifice, or for the benefit of someone else, where they pay the price by themselves. The choices of their decisions give the characters several names in the both texts. * James is a widower. He has to take care of mother less children since his wife died. He needs to make money in the Great Depression time, so he does things that give him bad name. People in the town say â€Å"Mercedes’ father [James] was a bad man. A bootlegger. A scab. An enemy of this town† (232) He makes and sells illegal liquor in the town that gives him bad reputation. He is being called a â€Å"bootlegger†, â€Å"scab† and â€Å"enemy of the town† because of the illegal business that he does. But he does not care about what the other people say, because he needs to make money to support his family financially. He sacrifices his reputation in the town for the sake of family. Similarly, the business that Frances does is not giving her a good reputation that she wants. She becomes everything of Lily, her niece, whom she calls sister. Frances blames herself for Lily being disabled. She wants to make money for her, so she starts selling herself and becomes a stripper because she thinks that is the fastest way to make money. She becomes so bad that Camille calls her â€Å"The slut who lives only to dishonour the memory of poor Materia. † (316). This shows that Frances has been selling her stuff that she got bad reputation in the town. She does all this because she feels as if this is needed to do for the sake of Lily, since Frances thinks that Lily might need these money in future. * Similarly in Hamlet, Polonius does everything that he can to suck up to the King, no matter what happens. He is even ready to sacrifice his own daughter, Ophelia. This is one reason why hamlet calls him â€Å"Excellent well; you are a fishmonger† (II. 2. 190). Polonius is called a â€Å"fishmonger†, because he can sacrifice his own daughter to curry the King as much as he possibly can. He does this just to show how much he can be trusted. This keeps on hurting Ophelia and causes her to go through more pain even though Polonius is considered a trustable person by the king. * James dies without even having any friend because whatever he does for his family is affecting everyone in the town which makes the people in town hate him more. Similarly, Frances is never loved by anyone except Mercedes and Lily. At the end, the money comes to use of Lily, but to earn that money; Frances had to go through a lot of pain. Similarly, Ophelia goes through a lot of pain since she was being used by her father to curry the king. This attitude of sucking up to the King decides Polonius’s destiny and he gets killed. * In conclusion, there are a lot of different decisions that affect the whole novel later on. While some of them are good choices, some of them are bad that they decide to do for the sake of someone or self. This is shown by the use of narrative elements such as characterisation, symbolism and diction, which all show the choices that they made and the result of those choices. Even though we all make decisions and sacrifices in our life, one will learn whether the sacrifices that they made were worth of making or not after the sacrifice has been made.

Loomis

Throughout history, many different groups of people have been oppressed and taking advantage of. However, the African diasporas during the middle passage and the oppression of the people following it stands out amongst the rest. The oppression of people of African descent is unique because the effects of such are still prominent in new generations.August Wilson tackles the tones, moods, attitudes and feelings of generation after generation of oppressed people In his plays, In his play Joe Turners Come and Gone, he addresses the feelings and tones of the generation f African Americans that were struggling to find purpose and identity in the years after emancipation. Wilson Illustrated a number of deferent attitudes and moods ranging from those of African Americans who were born free to those of the vulnerable African American women living during that time.Wilson also highlighted the effects oppression had on African American spiritualism. He did so by Illustrating the traumatizing eff ects oppression had on African Americans in the south. In the last scene of the play Wilson uses the character Herald Loomis to exemplify the linings of African Americans caused by the effects of the oppression of generation after generation. Wilson uses the character Herald Loomis to shed light on the feelings of anger and anguish felt by generations of oppressed African Americans. Herald Loomis was depicted as a cold and distant man.He was beyond angry with the world around him after his ordeals. Wilson described him as, â€Å"†¦ Unable to harmonize the forces that swirl around him and seeks to re-create the world Into one that contains his Image. † Herald Loomis was angry with the world because he gave his life to God and the hurt as a deacon, but was held captive as a slave by Joe Turner for seven years. In the process. Loomis lost his family and religion, He felt neglected by the God he served, hence his anger. In the final scene, a sense of anguish is illustrated b y the drastic actions of Loomis.Wilson depicts feelings of anger and anguish as Martha quotes a scripture to Herald after he brandishes a knife. For example, when Martha quotes, â€Å"Even though walk through the shadow of death?†, Loomis' responds † That's Just where I be walking I† Martha continues with, â€Å"l shall fear no evil. For Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. † Loomis responds â€Å"†¦ L done been all across the valleys and the hills and the mountains and the oceans†¦ And all I seen was a bunch of naggers dazed out of their woolly heads. And Mr.. Jesus Christ standing In the middle of them, grinning. It Is evident that Loomis Is upset with God for the experiences he has endured; which is similar to the feelings of many generations of black men who felt neglected by the God they praised because of severity of their traumatizing experiences. It becomes clear that his ordeal being led captive as a slave and his sp iritual experiences being a deacon of a Christian church combined to have this effect on him. Like all the generations before and after the time In which the play takes place, the trauma of what black men have seen and the experiences they have been through creates feelings of anger and anguish.Wilson uses Herald Loomis' character to exemplify the feeling of desperation for a purpose in the world, besides being a black man to white people, for generations. Herald Loomis felt like he would know his purpose once he got to re- unite with his wife. The gravity of such desperation is felt in the final scene as Loomis commits to slashing himself. For instance, when Martha says â€Å"Jesus bled for you. He's the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. † Loomis replied â€Å"l don't need nobody to bleed for me! I can bleed for myself. One must truly be desperate for salvation and also have serious deep rooted anger to forsake Jesus Christ himself. Loomis' shedding of his o wn blood is a representation of the anger inside of black men caused by the effects of oppression. Like Loomis, black men of all enervation are angry and desperate for salvation for various reasons. However, majority of those reasons stem from the long term effects of oppression. Some go to church and seek the words of God, and then there are others whom have break downs and blow up and eventually hurt somebody or themselves as Loomis did.In current times, there are too many angry black men hurting themselves and shedding each other's blood. They rather shed each other's blood than bathe in the blood of Jesus because, like Herald Loomis, they too feel neglected by God. The strong influence of the black church was diminished by the effects of oppression. Many young black men don't fear the wrath of God and couldn't care less about their karma for casting evil into word. This ruthless anger is a direct result of the suffering of black men that can be felt from generation to generation .These young black men feel as if they have no purpose in the world like Herald Loomis before he found Martha. It is evident that all these angry and desperate young men need to find a purpose in this world, simply some where they can fit in. For example, in the final cane of the play when Martha tells Loomis, Mimi got to be something, Herald. You just can't be alive. Life don't mean nothing if you don't got a meaning. † Loomis replies by continuing to rant as he slashes himself and rubs his blood on his face. This part of the scene is so dramatic because it is when Loomis finds his song, he finds a purpose.Wilson illustrates, â€Å"Having found his song, the song of self-sufficiency, fully restricted, cleansed and given breath, free from any encumbrance other than the working of his own heart and the bonds of the flesh, having accepted the accessibility for his own presence in the world, he is free to soar above the environs that weighed him down and pushed his spirit into t errifying contractions. † This quote from the play works to cast a light upon the fact that one needs to let go of the hurt and pain and find their own presence in the world. When Benumb says, â€Å"Herald Loomis you shining! You shining like new money! , it leaves the reader with the sense that grounding oneself and finding one's purpose in the world can remedy some of the anger caused by the effects of oppression. By analyzing the character of Herald Loomis in the final scene of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, one will find why generations of oppressed African Americans felt, and still continue to feel such anger. The character Herald Loomis casts light on the effects the African diasporas through the Middle Passage had on African American men. Since the days of the Middle Passage, generations of black men have been traumatized by the same demons that haunted the generations before them.After slavery was emancipated there was already so much damage done to the psyches of darted to fight for their civil rights. After gaining civil rights, black men still endured the trauma of having those rights violated. The same problem still persists in current times. The trauma of being a black man goes back many generations and still can be felt now by today's generations. Black men were stripped of their manhood when they were sold and auctioned as commodities, and couldn't protect their loved ones from being sold off, hurt or killed. The trauma of slavery is etched in the psyches of every generation of black men thereafter.

The culture of management versus medicine

Are doctors, good managers? Are they even trained at all to be managers? These are poignant questions that have always arisen from the dichotomy that seems to exist between the arts of medicine for which a doctor is trained and the acts of management to which he is constantly exposed to within the hospital walls. Until a doctor actually seat down to ask the question sincerely, scrutinize his answer properly and task appropriate steps at merging the two indispensable qualities, he would constantly be faced with challenges that can be more Herculean than arriving at differential diagnoses. These two concepts are indispensable in the life of a doctor, and that of any other health professional. They can actually be merged. More than that, really, they must be merged for full and productive society. A medical officer trained in the art of medicine must develop the skills of human relationships: these skills would help him manage the enormous resources that are his disposal for sustaining a functional health care centre. These resources are human resources: the colleagues at work, other members of the medical team which he works such as nurses, physiotherapists, laboratory technologists etc, and even the patients that he attends to. A great deal of effort has to be put in organizing this group of people; it is in doing this that productivity is ascertained, excellence fostered and results become increasing forthcoming. Other health care providers need be aware of this important knowledge. Government officials who are involved in funding the health sector also need to be carried along in this train of Medicine and Management train for holistic and productive funding. It is therefore not far from the truth that the culture of medicine and management need prompt reconciliation. The need for reconciliation is more overwhelming and irresistible as facts abound for its emergency. The differences need to be reconciled as soon as possible. The reconciliation is possible. More than possible, it could be said that it is existing, only that it is silent. The clamor then would be for a formal and gradual or sudden erosion of the apparent dichotomy. This can be achieved through a foundational work. No strong change can be made to a structure without an overhauling of its foundation. The medical school for the health practitioners and the other institutions of higher learning are the major places where this can be achieved. For medical personnel, education among managerial skills in their medical training can be of tremendous impact in achieving this indispensable reconciliation. For managers interested in medicine, an introductory course on medical education would also help. If it is part of curriculum, it gradually becomes a way of life that would span ages. Apart of this consistent courses and seminars would also be of help for all health workers. These would insidiously push this point home. Really, if this is done, there would enhanced health care delivery as more managers of all forms of resources would be produced. With these, and the general Public benefit a lot. SOURCES Harvard Medical School [Medicine and Management] www.kff.org [Kaiser family foundation]

Innovative Technology: the Lead Cause of Employee Redundancy? A Literature Review

Introduction Technological developments have led to an increase in adoption of different innovative technological solutions in organisations. Several positive consequences have emanated from this, including the increase in efficiency of operations (Thompson, 2011). There have also been negative consequences, one of these being the fact that services of some employees are rendered unnecessary, leading to their possible dismissal (Klehe et al., 2011). This section intends to carry out an in-depth and critical review of literature on the adoption of innovation technology and employee redundancy. Workplace Innovation and Innovative Technologies In order to understand the need for innovative technologies, it is vital to develop an understanding of innovation at the workplace. Innovation is defined by Mumford (2012) as the process by which new ideas, methods or devices are introduced so as to provide better solutions for issues being faced by an organisation. The constant changes in the business environment, coupled with an increasing competition across all business industries have made innovation an inevitable option for almost all companies (Thompson, 2011). According to Sung and Choi (2014), workplace innovation is at the intersection of three organisational elements, which are technology, skills, and human resource management. The coexistence of these elements lies in the fact that when the adoption of technology is driven by the strategic human resource management policies, there is a likelihood of HR managers to improve organisational processes through investing in employee training programs to improve their skills. Con versely, static human resource management presents a barrier to the adoption of technology and thus, less workplace innovation (Tushman & O’Reilly, 2013). This perspective of workplace innovation clearly indicates that technology adoption plays a key role. Technological innovation is the development or extensive adoption of new and better technologies by organisations (Nordhaus, 2007). Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2011) argue that there has been an increasing pace of technological innovations, which is expected to further increase in future. There are a variety of innovative technologies, which is based on the differences in services and products that are offered by different companies. Whereas development of innovative technologies has been in place for a long time, it was accelerated by the onset of information and computer technologies in the 1960s (Teece, 2010). Often referred to as the computer revolution, it began with the initial use of computers commercially and went on t hrough the introduction of the internet and later, e-commerce (Nordhaus, 2007). Even though they may be expensive to acquire and maintain, there are several advantages that are associated with these innovative technologies (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011). For businesses, one of the advantages is the reduction of costs. This is because it reduces the overdependence on employees and as a result, eliminates expenses that could be incurred in form of salaries, benefits and training costs. It also eliminates the losses associated with employee turnover and reduces wastages in operations (Davenport, 2013). For manufacturing companies, it makes it easier for them to streamline their processes and implement lean manufacturing strategies (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). Innovative technologies also increase productivity and reduce downtime. Campbell-Kelly (2009) argues that algorithms used in computerisation of tasks in workplaces eliminate biases that are typical to humans. Whilst human have to ful fil other tasks that are unrelated to their occupations like eating, sleeping and grooming that often disrupt their work routines, algorithms are programmed to accomplish the range of tasks that it is allocated without these interruptions. As a result, it enables companies to meet demands from customers, expand their operations and increase their returns (Campbell-Kelly, 2009). Trends in Innovative Technologies In explaining workplace innovative technologies of the 21st century, Autor et al. (2003) categorise tasks into four. These are routine, non-routine, manual and cognitive tasks. Routine tasks are those that are accomplished by following explicit steps, and can be easily executed by machines. Non-routine tasks, on the other hand, are more complex, and have not been adequately understood by programmers to develop a specified computer mode for their operations (Autor et al., 2003). Both routine and non-routine tasks can then be classified into cognitive or manual tasks. Whereas manual tasks relate to physical duties, cognitive tasks relate to manual work. Historically, automation or computerisation was limited to routine manual and cognitive tasks, which are known to involve explicit activities that are rule-based. However, with the technological developments that have taken place over the years, even tasks that are non-routine are also being automated (David & Dorn, 2013). Examples of i nnovative technologies being used in present-day organisations are mobile robotics. These are widely used in the health and manufacturing sectors to accomplish tasks that were initially handled by manual labour (Gomes, 2011; Dudek & Jenkin, 2010). Other tasks, as illustrated by Autor et al. (2003), include navigation of automobiles, deciphering handwritings, fraud detections and healthcare diagnostics. In healthcare, for instance, oncologists in leading medical centres are the Watson computer from IBM to offer chronic care and diagnostics for cancer treatment (Cohn, 2013). The computer utilises data from 600,000 medical reports, 2 million pages of from medical journal articles and 1.5 million criminal trials and patient records to benchmark and recognize patterns. This enables the computer to make a near accurate comparison of a person’s genetics, symptoms and history of his/her family medications so as to come up with the most appropriate plan for treatment (Cohn, 2013). Nor mally, it could take many employees to analyse all this data in order to provide a near-accurate diagnosis and treatment prescription. The fact that all these can be executed by a single machine renders many hospital employees jobless (Walker, 2014). This is one of the examples that denote the milestones that have been reached in regard to technological innovation. Societal Impacts of Innovative Technologies There are several societal impacts that have been associated with the adoption of innovative technologies in organisations. Of interest in this study, however, are their impacts on the jobs of employees in different organisations. This concern has been raised by several researchers, including Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2011), who argue that automated or computer controlled equipment have widely contributed to the recent increase in the levels of unemployment across the world. They also state that automation is no longer limited to routine tasks in manufacturing industries (Autor et al., 2003). It is increasingly being applied on other autonomous tasks, which increases the possibility of a reduction on the demand for manual tasks. An example is the recent development of an autonomous driverless car by Google (Rathod, 2013). In another study by Beaudry et al. (2013), they also established that within the past 10 years, there has been a huge decline in the demand of manual skill as a resu lt of increased automation and dependency on computer and information technology. This is even with the increase in the number of people who enrol in and graduate from higher education institutions. This research, however, fails to put into consideration the jobs that have been created as a result of technological developments and the computer revolution. Among the industries that have prospered because of information technology and, as a result, absorbed many employees include the telecommunications sector (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). According to Acemoglu (2011), this has resulted into a situation where skilled employees have move down the occupational ladder to take up roles that were originally handles by semi-skilled or unskilled employees. This pushes the low-skilled labourers further down the ladder, forcing some of them to move out of employment. These findings concur with David and Dorn’s (2013), who established that there are increasing proportions of skilled workers in organisations. This does not, however, mean that there is an ongoing creation of jobs for skilled employees. It means that automation has taken up most of the jobs that were originally handled by skilled and semi-skilled employees. Several questions have been raised in regard to technological innovations and employee job security (David & Dorn, 2013). One of these is the extent of unemployment that will be brought about by innovative technologies. With the on-going trends of automating tasks that were originally considered as un-automatable, even skilled employees face the risk of losing their jobs. By losing jobs, these people also lose a source of income, making the impacts to spill over to their families and dependants (Acemoglu, 2011). Even with the widely available evidence on ‘technological unemployment’ resulting from these technological innovations, there are economists who still insist that it cannot happen (Campa, 2014). They argue that even though automati on leads to the displacement of workers, it reduces operational prices in several companies, leading to reduced prices. These reduced prices trigger increased consumer demands, which require more products and services to be satisfied. As a result, more industries will have to be created, which provide a basis for hiring more workers. This argument is often referred to as the Luddite fallacy (Walker, 2014). Even though this has been more or less true for the past two centuries, it is yet to be proved whether it will still hold true with the acceleration in technological innovations that has been facilitated by the computer revolution. Governmental approaches to employee redundancy The effect of automation on employment in the United Kingdom and across the globe has raised concerns among different stakeholders (Acemoglu, 2011). As organisations continue to take advantage of technological advancements to increase their competitive positions in their various industries of operation, more employees face the risk of losing their jobs. In response to this, there are several policies that have been put in place by the government to reduce redundancy (Gov.uk, 2014). However, these policies are general and do not focus on the redundancy that may be brought about by technological innovations in the workplace. Some of the reasons that are cited for redundancy, alongside adoption of technological innovations, include changing the location of business premises, acquisition of one company by another or reduction of staff members with the aim of cutting costs in the organisation (Griffith & Macartney, 2014). In case an employee is selected to be made redundant, employers are required to provide a clear explanation for the decision. Some of the reasons that can be included as explanations for this are skills and qualifications of the employee, their attendance and disciplinary records, success/lack of success at the workplace and their overall workplace performance (Gov.uk, 2014). Reasons for redundancy ought not to be related to prejudice or discrimination. There also has to be an appeal procedure that provides employees with a platform to question his/her selection for redundancy in case they feel that the selection is unfair in any way. On dismissal, companies are also required to pay their employees a statutory redundancy pay (Gov.uk, 2014). Whereas these policies offer a slight reprieve to employees in regard to losing their jobs to technology, there has been no quantifiable argument to pinpoint their effectiveness (Griffith & Macartney, 2014). Even with the extensive research that has been carried out on innovative technologies and their effects o n employment, there is still a shortage of literature that explains the approaches that companies can use to retain employees while adopting these innovative technologies. How to find a balance between innovative technologies and employment Referring to the literature that has been reviewed on innovative technologies and the ‘technological unemployment’, it is clear that the most likely trend will be an increased adoption of innovative technologies at the workplace, with a consequent increase in technological unemployment (Huizingh, 2011; Campa, 2014). However, there are different approaches that have been suggested by researchers that will help in reducing the adverse impacts of technological innovations on employment and employee living conditions. For instance, Piovarciova (2014) suggests that governments need to introduce an unconditional basic income for the growing number of unemployed people. This will result in the continuation of the market economy as the cycle of consumer spending will be propped up. Yet, this suggestion has been downplayed by many, with some arguing that providing everyone with a guaranteed basic income will mean that the working populations will have to part with more money in form of taxes (Gajewska, 2014). Another approach was offered by Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2012) who suggested that, in order to avoid being overtaken by machines in workplaces, people need to work towards advancing their capabilities faster than the pace with which technological advancements are taking place. In addition to this, super-intelligent minds ought to develop new desires that will trigger the creation of new industries (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2012). However, all these suggestions may be impractical because the acceleration in development of innovative technologies that has been facilitated by computer and information technology could be challenging to catch up with. Moreover, some of the human capabilities that will have to be advanced include skills in designing and developing new and more advanced innovative technologies, which are being fought against in the first place. Mitigating employee redundancy caused by technological advancement As earlier established, there are several reasons why companies lay off employees, one of these being automation of tasks. Automation reduces costs of operation, standardises quality of repetitive processes and increases the pace at which work is done. However, not all layoffs are necessary (Bartels et al., 2012). There are several measures through which employee redundancy can be mitigated. This section intends to address some of them. Effective strategic planning All successful organisations have managers who are strategic planners and future oriented. The ability to take chances and make future projections determines if the company will survive the tough times that are the norm of a globalised and competitive world. In line with this proposition, Autor et al. (2003) state that a clear, elaborate, well-planned and structured strategic plan ensures that the organisation is prepared for any eventualities. As such, organisations need to prepare for technological advancements and make the necessary adjustments in their workforce. One of the adjustments that can be made is distributing employees who could be redundant to other departments to reinforce their operations (Gall, 2011). Hiring highly skilled employees and offering employee training Based on analysis conducted by Waters (2007), technological advancement ordinarily automates most of the functionality of an organisation that does not require highly skilled and/or specialised labour. As su ch, companies whose larger population of employees is not highly skilled are susceptible to employee redundancy in case of technological innovations in the organisation (Walker, 2014). To mitigate this while still allowing the company to grow and advance, organisations should have a highly skilled, effectively trained and tested labour force, which will still be effective after acquisition of new technological innovations. Gall (2011), who concurs with this opinion, states that organisations are expected to invest heavily in training staff that can facilitate growth and stability of the organisation. The limitation of this strategy is that not all tasks in the organisation require a high level of skills to be accomplished (Bartels et al., 2012). In addition, if skilled employees are assigned tasks that they consider not to match with their skill set, they are likely to seek employees in other companies, increasing employee turnover. Continuous evaluation of employees Even with the automations of tasks in organisations, companies will still find it difficult to dismiss employees they regard as being valuable to the organisation. There is thus a need for standards to be set to gauge the performance such as performance appraisals (Waters, 2007). Rewards can be put in place for employees who positively contribute towards the organisation’s prosperity and punitive measures for those who do not. With such measures, employees will continuously upgrade their skills and increase their value to the organization (Palaiologos et al., 2011). This will increase their chance of retention in case of an automation of tasks. Even with such measures in place, there will still be employees who will be not as effective as others. Employee cross-training Cross-training refers to the provision of training for employees to enable them improve their levels of proficiency in roles other than those of their functional areas or departments (Ramanigopal et al., 2012). An example is when an employee in the production team of an organisation is provided with training on roles in the human resource department. Whereas this is commonly done with the aim of replacing employees who might have moved to other organisations, dismissed or on leave, it can also be used to mitigate employee redundancy occurring as a result of automation. Employees whose jobs will be taken over by machines can be distributed to other functional areas, where they will effectively fit (Abernathy, 2011). Cross-training, however, has the limitation of being costly to the organisation. Planned and progressive acquisition of innovative technology Most organisations tend to apply technological advancement as a reactive measures rather than an active measure (Gall, 2011). As a reactive measure, organisations apply technological advancement for purposes such as warding off competition, subscribing to the new standards set by the government or other regulatory bodies, meeting the unexpected high demand from the clients or any other reason which was not planned but rather as a result of unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, employee redundancy is normally high and there is need to take action against it (Campa, 2014). However, this can be mitigated through planned and progressive implementation of technological advancement. When technological advancement is planned, the organization will be ready for the change and the employees will be adequately skilled to tag along with the change and still be relevant (Teece, 2010). Progressive implementation will allow for critical analysis of the impact if the technological advancement a nd thus laying down better strategies or corrective measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the technology while at the same time reduce employee redundancy (Gall, 2011). All the suggested approaches towards mitigation of employee redundancy as a result of technological innovation only provide a slight solution. This is because of the fact that whilst the current employees in the organisations will be retained, there will be a shortage of employment positions to accommodate new workers (Walker, 2014). Thus, this will only provide a shot-term solution to technological unemployment. The relationship between technological advancement and unemployment Employee redundancy that is majorly caused by technological advancement is also regarded as one of the primary contributors to the high levels of unemployment in the society (Autor et al., 2003). In order to fully understand the concepts behind the relationship between technological advancement and unemployment, one has to understand the genesis of formal employment and technological advancement. From the onset of capitalism in the society, there was need for specialised labour to ensure that the high demand for goods and services was met. The surplus production of food led to larger populations and thus higher demand for goods and services. The industrial revolution helped to set the platform on which technology was used in industries to enhance productivity and maximise on the resources available (Huizingh, 2011). The use of technology helped to automate repetitive tasks and standardise the quality of goods. The more beneficial technology was to the organisations, the more it was harnessed to ensure that capitalism prevailed and the needs of the people were met. However, the unskilled labourers lost their jobs when machines were able to do the work that they did faster and at lower costs (Antonelli, 2014). This situation led to the term commonly referred to as technological unemployment where people lost their jobs to machines. The use of machinery led to the employment of only skilled labour (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011). The invention of computers was revolutionary to the way humans lived, communicated with each other and also the way they worked (Gajewska, 2014). There was more automation of functions in organisations and the skills that people possessed then were rendered obsolete. According to Ayres (2009), many organisations, such as Google, have specific departments that are focused on research and development of new technologies to make work cheaper, easier and faster. Each and every day, there is a new invention aimed at making life for humans better but the inventions could also lead to massive unemployment (Campa, 2014). The development of robotics is one of the forms of technological advancement that has led to unemployment. Robots are being used to perform the tasks that were initially being performed by people (Ayres & Warr, 2009). For example, as earlier stated, Google has recently launched a driverless car which is not prone to accidents (Rathod, 2013). These technologies require highly skilled labour to operate. However, since most of the world’s population is unskilled thus technology is leaving them jobless thus increasing the levels of unemployment (Campa, 2014). The acceleration if the digital revolution is conditioned by the basic human desire to be better. Tasks that were considered to be complex and had to be done by highly skilled professionals are also being overtaken by technology (Nordhaus, 2007). Careers, such as banking, are being taken over by automated teller machines and online banking leading to unemployment of skilled labour. The use of 3D printers and the integration of artificial intelligence in the technological advancement concepts are leading to obsolesce of skills that were considered impressive, such as surgery (Cohn, 2013). As much as technological advancement is criticised for causing massive unemployment in variou s industries for both skilled and unskilled labour, there are many jobs which may be related to the technological advancements which have been created as a result (Mumford, 2012). For instance, although the librarians and libraries are becoming less significant with the invention of computers and the internet, jobs for people who are manufacturing the computing devices have been created. In addition, other computer and information technology related industries, like telecommunications, have expanded and created more jobs (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). Technological advancement can thus be regarded as constructive destruction where it causes unemployment in some sectors while creating employment in others. The future of technological advancement Technology has been regarded as a solution for several problems within and outside organisations. This mentality has deterred people from considering the adverse impacts that it has on society. One of the many drawbacks of technological advancement is employee redundancy, which is the subject of this study. In this regard, researchers like Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2012) are for the opinion that technology is but an improved means to unimproved ends and cannot equal social and moral progress. According to Walker (2014), as technological advancements progress, there are resulting limitations in people’s learning abilities and their flexibility in adopting new ideas. This will in turn limit their innovation and as such, the rate of technological advancement will decline. However, Gomes (2011) presents a conflicting argument, stating that technological advancement is limitless and will continue to advance as long as humanity survives. This is because of the tendency of human beings to design easier approaches to day-to-day tasks. Human beings strive on a daily basis to make their lives better and are not satisfied with the level of progress made. Even though several strides have been made, there still is need for improvement (Huizingh, 2011). This is evidenced by the recent technological innovations that have been made, included the development of smartphones and driverless cars. In addition, for all innovations, there are often flaws or discoveries of better ways tha t they can deliver their intended tasks. Thus, there is a persistent need for further improvements of previous designs (Acemoglu, 2011). One of the factors that could limit the adoption of innovative technologies in workplaces is the increasing concern of their greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption (Wheeler, 2013). However, this concern is being addressed by a further development of technological innovations that are more environmental friendly, and use sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power (Hansmann et al., 2012). Based on these findings, unless raw materials needed to facilitate technological advancements are depleted, technological advancements are expected to endless. Summary This section has reviewed a wider range of literature on innovative technologies at the workplace and its impacts on employee redundancy. A wide range of literature suggests a positive relationship between the adoption of innovative technology and technological unemployment. However, the Luddite fallacy developed by some economists states that that there is no positive relationship between the two. Other issues that have been addressed in this section include the trends in innovative technologies, the affects that they have on social life and how the resulting employee redundancy can be mitigated. In regard to whether there will be an end to technological advancements, most of the literature that has been reviewed suggests that technological innovation will progress. This argument is supported by the trends in technology innovations in the 21st century, where tasks that are non-routine and were considered as being non-automatable, are now being automated. One of the gaps that have be en identified in literature is on the measures being taken by organisations to limit employee redundancy as a result of technological innovation. References Abernathy, W.B. (2011). An analysis of the effects of selected management practices on organizational productivity and performance. Performance Improvement, 50(6), pp.39-47. Acemoglu, D. (2011). 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