All-New Bmw 3-Series Features Aggressive Pricing Strategies

Many Option Prices Stay the Same Despite Improvements Better than the outgoing model in every way, the all-new BMW 3-Series wont increase much in price when it goes on sale later this month. The 2006 325i will start at $30,995, only $1,695 more than the 2005 model, despite featuring an entirely new design, upgraded 3. 0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that now makes 215-horsepower compared to the 2005 models 184-horsepower rating, a new six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, enhanced chassis engineering and steering geometry, totally revised interior, and more. The top-line 330i is improved too, featuring all of the 325is upgrades plus an all-new 3. 0-liter engine that produces 255-horsepower compared to the outgoing models 225-horsepower rating, while torque is up from 214 lb-ft in the current car to 220 lb-ft. Like the 325i, the 330is base price will rise when it goes on sale, but only by $1,295 to $36,995. Both new engines are the first in large-scale series production to incorporate magnesium as a main component, a metal that is 30 percent lighter than aluminum. The engines are also the first six-cylinders in the BMW family to make use of Valvetronic, the brands variable valve timing system. Other option groups include the $2,200 Navigation package, up $400 from last years navigation system, but now featuring integrated voice recognition for hands free actuation of ancillary functions. A Cold Weather package, at $1,000, the same price as last years version, adds a ski bag, fold down rear seatbacks, heated front seats and retractable headlight washers. A Premium package, available on both models, is priced at $2,900 in the new 325i compared to $2,300 in the outgoing car. It features the same power glass sunroof, leather covered 8-way power front seats and drivers side emory, and Harmon/Kardon LOGIC7 audio system. The new model also features power folding mirrors in premium guise. The Premium package for the 330i is priced the same as last years version, at $2,200, and features everything that is available on the 325i Premium package, less the power seats with drivers side memory, which come standard on the 330i. Other Premium features include a universal garage door opene r, auto dimming exterior mirrors, drivers seat lumbar support, a compass in the mirror, Dakota leather seats and trim replace Montana leather seats and trim, and a Harmon/Kardon LOGIC7 audio system. The 2006 3-Series is also available with a Sport package, just like the 2005 model. At $1,600, it is $200 more expensive than the outgoing cars, and continues forward with updated versions of the same features, such as sport seats with electrically adjustable seat width, a 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus a sport suspension. The only difference, feature to feature, is the addition of performance-oriented run-flat tires. The price of the 330is Sport package has increased from $1,400 in 2005 model year vehicles to $1,600 in 2006, and also features the new run-flat tires. Other stand-alone options dont rise in price much either, and in the case of the new 6-speed automatic transmissions extra forward gear, offer major improvements in design and engineering. That transmission only goes up by $225 at $1,500 compared to the 2005 models $1,275 optional gearbox, while the Dakota premium leather upgrade will cost $1,450, the same price as the 2005 cars Montana leather package. Park distance control is once again $350, while metallic paint remains a $475 option. New for 2006 will be adaptive headlights, which point a set of bulbs in the direction the car is turning, active cruise control at $2,200, which will automatically slow the 3-Series down when approaching a slower vehicle, and active steering, a $1,250 feature that essentially adapts the steering ratio to vehicle speed, but its electric-motor-assisted, planetary-gear-motivated rack-and-pinion system is much more sophisticated than conventional speed sensitive steering counterparts, common to luxury cars of all stripes. Steering response to input is much quicker than any other car, at about 1. turns lock to lock, making maneuvering into, around and out of tight spaces such as parking lots incredibly easy. To put this in perspective, most cars need about twice that amount to turn the wheel from full left to full right, or about 3. 5 turns lock to lock. The reason for this is so steering input isnt too direct at high speeds. At 1. 7 turns a car traveling at highway speeds would simply da rt off the road with minimal input, not a good thing. Active Steering, however, electronically and mechanically adjusts the ratio to about 4 turns lock to lock when velocities demand. Both the 325i and 330i will be available with BMWs xDrive all-wheel-drive system in October, which is when the new 3-Series Touring, a sports wagon derivative, will arrive in dealerships. While there is no word on pricing for the 325xi or the Touring version, expect each models final window sticker to remain close to 2005 levels, if the pricing of sedan models is any indication. BMWs aggressive pricing strategy will help it maintain leadership in the compact premium class, a position it has enjoyed since the first 3-Series debuted in 1977.

Drugs, Sports, Body Image and G.I. Joe Essay

The thesis is â€Å"some researchers worry that Joe and other action-hero figures may, in minor fashion, help fan the use of muscle-building drugs among young athletes.† (486) Angier wants to convey to the audience that dolls can affect whether he or she will use muscle-building drugs to grow big like the G.I. Joe dolls. Dolls like Barbie, G.I. Joe helps to send a message to the kids that being strong or being thin like the dolls are what they should look like as adults. A) Angier’s tone throughout the essay is informative to prove her point that dolls help kids the use of muscle-building drugs. She tells the audience how outrageous the doll’s body’s proportions are. She states that G.I, Joe’s â€Å"biceps bulge so much that they are larger around than his waist . . . human size, they would be larger than even the arms of the grotesquely muscular Mr. Olympias of today† (486). She wants to inform the audience that dolls that kids plays with are abnormal. The fact that kids plays with these kinds of dolls can have an effect on boys and girls. Angier also conveys that because kids want the type of bodies the dolls have, they will do things in order to achieve that goal. One of the ways is to use anabolic steroids which can make â€Å"it possible for men to look as big as superman† (487). Showing what problems steroids can cause will inform people that people should not be taking steroids to achieve the muscular body. The fact that Angier uses specific people who are certified to know about drugs and the influence of toys like Dr. Harrison G. Pope Jr., and Shalender Bhasin with increases her credibility. Readers will likely trust what Angier says because she supports her evidence with people who knows about steroids well. Barbies, G.I. Joe, and other American dolls can have an effect on kids about their appearance but I do not think that it is a huge factor that makes kids think that big muscles and thin bodies are the norm. It can leave a message to the kids that muscles and thin bodies are the best but I think normally to attract the others, people want to have big muscles and thin bodies. Also the fact that society wants to make people think that thin bodies and having a nice body is the best.

Development of Greek Architecture

Same for Doric Style Visual Comparison -List the differences, similarities -Were the circumstances vastly different during the time periods of each (war, peace, etc. )? Conclusion Development of Greek Architecture: The Doric and Ionic Orders Undoubtedly, most eople have had the experience of driving around neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights with their family. We have all seen those humongous, beautiful houses or churches with the winding driveway, tall windows, or columns framing the face of the house.However, very few people may stop to actually examine the homes and wonder about why they were made the way that they were. People may not know of the architectural structures from hundreds of thousands of years ago that are influencing those modern buildings. Columns, for example, are remnants of an era that changed the way that many cultures build structures; the height of Ancient Greece. The Doric and Ionic orders arose during that time and remain a staple in structural design . I will explain the two orders as well as compare them using two different, specific temples.I will also give background information on the architects of each temple, on new ideas that sprung up during this time, and on events that could have influenced the development of structure in Greece and surrounding areas. During the Orientalizing Period in the seventh century, the Greeks built a temple at Prinias that resembled the Mycenaean megaron which travelers may have seen uring a Journey for trade. However, in sixth century BCE, known as the Archaic Period, Greek architects began to look to Egyptian structures such as the columnar halls in Karnak.With these in mind, they began to build the stone columnar temples that have become the iconic Greek style and have influenced architecture throughout the Western world. The basic Greek peristyle temple was put under the intense study of architects and philosophers who were trying the find a way to construct the ‘perfect temple'. Vitr uvius, a Greek writer, documented that both doric and ionic types eveloped while architects were trying to translate the styles of temples that were made of wood, mud bricks, and other less durable materials into stone and marble temples.These would undoubtedly last longer and if they could discover the optimal proportions, they could potentially build their ideal or ‘perfect' temple. People started searching for a mathematical formula that could be used to calculate the correct balance for all parts of the temple, which reflected the thinking of philosopher Pythagoras of Samos. He believed that that beauty resided in the harmony of ratios, so a Greek architect named Iktinos came up with a set roportional scheme that resulted in a formula for the best balanced temple.Within the bounds of this formulaic approach, there developed two systems, or orders of designing the three parts of ‘elevation' in a Greek temple. The three parts are the platform (stylobate), the colonnade , and the superstructure (entablature). The Doric order and the Ionic order differ in the detail and proportions of these parts. Their names are derived from the cultures and areas from which they supposedly originated (Dorians in central and southern Greece and Ionians in Athens and ‘Ionia', the west coast and Asia Minor).Both systems had the basic elements of a Greek temple (elevation from a platform, columns with a fluted shaft and a capital, entablatures with a frieze, a pediment, so on and so forth). The striking differences occurred in the designs ot these elements The Doric order was the tirst to develop during the 6th century. It had a much sturdier, squat look than the later ionic styles. The columns were thick, immense stone cuts that sat atop the stylobate. The fluted shafts were topped with a pancake-looking, simple capital that had a rectangular slab (abacus) between it and the bottom of the entablature.Resting on the columns is the entablature which includes an a rchitrave (closest to the columns), a frieze, a cornice, a pediment, and a raking cornice. (All of these describe the order of the temple from bottom to top). A distinctive feature of the doric order is that the frieze is broken up vertically by triglyphs and metopes. The plain, flat capital also marks a difference between the doric system and other styles. An example of a classic Doric order temple would be the Temple of Hera I which is located in Paestum, Italy (see Image #1).It was constructed around 550 BCE and is 80 feet tall and 170 feet wide. Also referred to as the ‘Basilica', its thick columns (nine across the front and back and eighteen down both sides) are closely spaced and resemble the shape of a cigar because they taper in slightly at the top. They are topped with the flat, circular capitals. Although almost the entire collection of columns remains, the majority of the entablature is no longer there. The Ionic order developed a little after the Doric Order, in th e a different area.The system began with the same basic structure of temple, including a platform or stylobate, columns (which occasionally had a base hat stood out from the shaft), a capital, and an entablature with an architrave, frieze, cornice, and pediment. However, the columns are slightly farther apart from each other and they are also more slender than the doric style. A good way to imagine an ionic temple is of it having ‘lost weight'. They are not significantly taller, but may appear so because thinner columns and spacing. The capital is made of two volutes and resembles the curling ends of a scroll.Some other distinct aspects of the Ionic system are that the frieze is left open and undivided, and also that the architrave is generally subdivided into three bands. As I previously mentioned, ionic temples also had columns with a base that was distinguishable from the fluted shaft. The Temple of Athena Sounias, located at Cape Sounia, still stands with a full entablatur e (see Image #3). You can see the volutes on the capitals of the slender columns. However, the frieze is divided up by triglyphs and metopes, and you can also see the smooth architrave.Both of these reflect the elements of the original doric craftsmanship, so this piece of architecture cannot be considered exclusively ionic, as it has some doric influence. This temple was built in the middle of the 5th century, which would xplain the dualism in the style of attributes on the temple. A more modern, but basically accurate example of the Ionic style would be the University of Oslo in Norway (see image #4). The frontal steps lead up to a colonnaded porch, with columns reaching from their bases to their scroll-like capitals. The architrave is banded, but the frieze is completely smooth and open.The pediment is also filled with figures all positioned so that they fit into triangle shape but still maintain proper proportions, which was used in previous eras. The temples themselves had vari ous internal structures which varied depending n the architect, the region, or the purpose of the building. Some temples had columns that only went across the front (prostyle) while some had them across the front and back (amphiprostyle). Temples like the Temple of Athena Sounias and the Temple ot Hera I are reterred to as ‘peristyle' because they nave columns all the way around the cella (inner sacred room) and the porch area.However, all of the distinctive qualities of both the Doric order and Ionic order are mainly centered in features at the front of the temples, as well as their columns. The Greek architects' insistence on proportional harmony was the driving force ehind many styles between the sixth and fourth centuries. The closest that they ever came to achieving a ‘perfect temple' was the Parthenon, built on the Acropolis of Athens in the mid-flfth century BCE (see Image #5).

Ethics in Busniess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics in Busniess - Essay Example For example, in U.S it is necessary for business accountants to implement given rules when conducting their businesses. The American system refers to these rules as the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) when they are involved in reporting the business financials. Therefore, every public company in U.S should follow the set accounting principles and report so that they can accurately release their financial information (Needles & Powers, 2011). Ethical Numerous fraud cases in the contemporary society constitute the moral and legal issues in accounting and financial reporting of businesses. The concerns include changes in the manner that fraudsters execute their operations. Consequently, most systems, which support financial reporting, are vulnerable to fraudulent activities. Therefore, it is necessary that the current accounting reporting adapt measures that would reduce immoral practices. Professionals usually create accounting rules because there are several emerging e thical issues in accounting. A need arises for accountants to follow all the ethical rules to minimize abuse on the profession (Albrecht, 2011). In addition, the issue of creative accounting is a concern to the ethical issues in accounting. This is because some accountants use their knowledge to create false crisis in the present world. These crises cause several damages, for example, misleading economic depiction. Consequently, ethical rules demand that businesses communicate about their respective financial positions. This will eliminate unreliable reports through annual accounting reports (Needles & Powers, 2011). The preparation of true reports is also a concern since some current accountants are immoral. They prepare false reports to the relevant people to benefit. For example, they account for money that was not even spent in their respective firms. Indeed, this allows them to keep the extra funds because no one came tell unless they are as professional as they are (Albrecht, 2011). Legal Presently, there are numerous legal requirements in accounting and financial reporting. This is because of the universal needs to protect both internal and external investors. In addition, several countries ensure that the legislation of their respective countries is against faulty accounting systems. There are also mandatory laws for all current accountants, which ensure that there are minimal illegal practices. For example, the creation of commissions enables accountants to counter legal issues in accounting (Albrecht, 2011). Other legal issues in the existing society include the emergence of audit firms. These audit firms visit organizations and in turn inspect their accounting books. This is a new phenomenon in accounting. Consequently, it forces organizations to be honest. This is because the audit firms take strict legal actions against firms whose accounting books display financial illegalities. For example, firms that fail to account funds have to be in court an d face respective fines. Finally, current legal concerns in accounting include the establishment of punishments that discourage people from committing accounting frauds (Needles & Powers, 2011). Technological concerns of accounting and financial reporting of business In the accounting and financial reporting of businesses, the accounting professionals are vital because they play a significant role within every successful business. The professional accountants

Apps of psychology ( application of psychology) Essay

Apps of psychology ( application of psychology) - Essay Example These principles govern the functioning and the growth experienced by the organization. Rationalism is a principle that expresses decision making and analysis in deductive and logical patterns. This principle emphasizes objectivity and logical patterns that are very useful in identifying the best procedures that will lead to enhanced productivity. Pragmatism is a principle that defines the need for emphasis on results, and the need to identify the procedures most effective in delivering the said end goal. Existentialism on the other hand is a principle that guides development towards individual and team growth through enhanced understanding of needs, values and goals. These philosophical constructs are very real to the process of Organizational Development. Freud’s Psychoanalytic constructs are best applied to individuals, but are also useful in understanding the motivations of an individual within an organization. His description of anxiety and defense mechanisms like projection denial and action formation have been found to be applicable to organizational settings; while the concepts of fixation, transference and regression have been found to adequately explain issues faced by individuals in the resolution of these said problems. Freud’s theory breaks life into stages, and the resolution of the dilemmas Faced by the person at each stage becomes a key component in the personality they form by the time they reach adulthood. Using this information, it is possible to select individuals who are equipped for certain jobs, and the avoid placing individuals in positions which will draw out their anxieties and inhibit their ability to work better. The understanding of personality afforded to us by the work of Sigmund Freud helps is in choosing the right individual for the right job, for understanding and resolving the anxiety and dilemmas faced in work groups; and to understand

Comparison of Ellis Island and Angels Island Essay

Comparison of Ellis Island and Angels Island - Essay Example Similarly, for an immigrant, it becomes difficult to adjust to the new surroundings, new customs and a new habitat altogether. Although both the parties mutually adjust and co-exist in the future, the initial phase would always be remembered.History of Ellis Island and Angel Island needs to be understood bearing this in mind. Both these points were recognized as entry points to America. Ellis Island is located in the upper bay just off New Jersey coast, within the shadow of a statue of Liberty. Today approximately 40% of America’s population can trace their origins back to Ellis Island and that is because the island has a history of processing twelve million immigration applications. Ellis Island got its name after its owners Samuel Ellis and was also known as Oyster Island earlier. Federal Government after procuring the island from Samuel Ellis primarily for the defense purpose. The immigration was processed at Castle Garden in New York which was later shifted to Ellis Island . The initial influx was of northern and western Europeans and much later southern and eastern Europeans also made their way to America through Ellis Island. Europe was mainly becoming stifling in terms of religion and socio-economic constraints. To escape from these conditions people migrated to a new land altogether. The quarantine ships examined the passengers while they were still in the waters and identified and separated people who were having contagious disease, disorders and were the potential threat to society. The passengers were then preceded to the island where rest of the formalities was carried out. Although it acquired a reputation of â€Å"island of tears† the usual proceedings did not take more than a few short hours to start a new life in America.

Literature review of five journal articles about The Shortage of Research Paper

Literature review of five journal articles about The Shortage of Qualified Workers - Research Paper Example Increased Demand for Labor: According to Barnow, Trutko and Schede (2010), if demand for labor increases continuously and faster than the supply of labor, there occurs a is equilibrium where some work will not be done. They argue that a special phenomena may occur which would require special skills which making the specialist take time and hence during that period there will be a labor shortage. For instance, after the 2nd World War, a situation occurred where engineers were needed to deal with effect of great shock of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During that period, the demand for engineers was high than the supply. Rasool and Botha (2010) argued that it is only in time of abruptly that demand of labor supply and demand can cause a labor shortage else people will be there since supply of quality laborers is increasing with population growth. Decreased supply of labor: Hajela (2012) indicates that when bodies entitled to train professionals cannot do so due to lack of the minimum qualification to join the course, there will be a low rate of producing graduates and this will lead to lack of personnel to work on specific positions. If I quote â€Å"Shortage of skills revealed may suggest that the educators do not impart them during training. An implication that would mean that the employees’ lack competences, since they do not have the requisite skills†. This leads to graduates who cannot perform and hence labor shortage. Research by Rasool & Botha, (2011) showed that the literacy rate was 36% and numeracy rate was 35% amongst Grade 3 children. Only 10% of the children scored above 70%. This is a clear show that competent people who get out of school with needed skills are very few. Emigration: According to Rasool & Botha, (2011), emigration is another worrying factor in South Africa for the role it is playing in skills crisis. South Africa is

Goal statement, which states my purpose for applying to graduate Personal Statement

Goal , which states my purpose for applying to graduate school, choice of specialty and role, and future plan - Personal Statement Example For one of the projects, I had to write an essay as to why I was pursuing higher education. As a woman, from a cultural background where education for women was not significant, as they were considered only as homemakers this topic was of interest to me. This class was a revelation to me, as it motivated me to empower myself, develop knowledge and skills in my career as well as being confident in my practice. It as well encouraged me to go into the community and serve the people that were underserved. I am privileged to work as a Med Surg nurse on a general medicine floor in one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. This experience has made me grow professionally and personally. It gave me the prospect to work with a varied cluster of patients and their families with varying diagnosis and from various socioeconomic cultures. Additionally, I interacted with members of the hospital’s multidisciplinary team made up of staff members from various departments, as we coordinated and ensured that patients got safe and ultimate care they deserve. This was an immense learning experience. Working in the hospital has been an elevating experience. It has helped me in understanding the theoretical and practical aspects of nursing, which is caring of a patient as a whole. It has also formed the foundation for me to center my dreams of a passionate nurse that I am as I embark in the nurse practitioner role. I am interested of being a family nurse practitioner because after having the opportunity to interact with so many people while working at the hospital, I find being involved with a diverse population inspiring. I would like to work with the entire family of all ages from pediatric to the geriatric population. This aspiration was further strengthened in me after attending to 57-year-old patient diagnosed with end stage liver disease and encephalopathy and was struggling

Agriculture in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Agriculture in Europe - Essay Example Agriculture in Europe Since Europe consists of the world famous country sides, laden with rich and fertile soil as well as a history of popularity in the farming sector, a great portion of the revenue for people also depends on farming. As a continent, Europe is almost as big as the whole of the United States of America and thus the size of the land that they possess is almost the same; however the agricultural production carried out in Europe is much larger as compared to the whole of the United States of America. As compared to other countries in Europe, Spain has a very dry climate thus requiring a great amount of water facilities and irrigation in order to grow crops. Spain and Italy together produce almost half of Europe’s olive oil and wine. Pears are also grown there and exported to other countries. Almost 35% of the area of land in France has been set aside for agriculture depicting the country’s need for and dedication towards the sector. Most of France’s exports including grapes, wines and sunflower seeds go to the United States of America. Germany and Switzerland are countries that need to import their food items from other countries because they focus mainly on the industrial and not the agricultural sector. Thus, more of their workforce is involved in the tertiary sector. Switzerland however has engaged itself a great deal in poultry and dairy farming, being one of the largest producers and exporters of dairy products and rearing of animals like sheep for wool. Iceland undergoes an extreme climate; almost no heat reaches the country and thus it has engaged itself mainly in rearing fish; cod being the largest produce. It exports cod to almost all parts of the world. Countries like Czech Republic and Austria are self-sufficient in terms of producing and consumi ng agriculture due to the large amount of land devoted to farming. Poland on the other hand, produces a great deal of food crops however not enough to feed its own population due to the irregular sizes of farms and the lack of fertile land in a uniform manner. Only about 19% of the people in Poland are engaged in agriculture because the country lacks proper industrial equipment as well as facilities to increase the number in the primary sector. (Utah State University) If there is one country that has significantly reduced its agricultural production, or to rephrase, faced a decline in the amount of agricultural production due to external hazards, it is Belarus. The country suffered the Chernobyl disaster and thus the nuclear fumes spread toxic fumes and wastes to the soil making it thoroughly infertile in this part of Europe. Since the year 1986 when the disaster struck, the arable land in the country faced a decline of almost 10% also contaminating the soil as well as the water pre sent towards the southern part of the country. Yugoslavia is a self-sufficient country but at the same time, the country does not produce anything to be exported elsewhere. Furthermore, it is completely dependent on farming; i.e. its economy is almost fully based in the primary sector because most people are engaged in farming and they tend to produce and consume everything personally, from food to clothing. Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey are some of the largest producers and exporters of agriculture in Europe. Turkey has almost 46% of its workforce engaged in the agricultural sector followed by

Operations management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations management - Coursework Example The culinary department encompasses kitchen affairs while the rest of the departments are self explanatory given the line of duty. The supply department is one of the key departments that carry a lot of significance in having the hotel and restaurant facilities running. A hotel usually has many amenities that keep it going and these include food and drinks, toiletry amenities, bedding, furniture and kitchen cutlery. Depletion of these supplies fluctuates depending on the high and low seasons of customer inflow to the facilities. However, the Olympic Games are a unique scenario that makes a long calling for hotel facilities. Attendance to this colossal sporting event is recorded as one of the largest in the sporting history that closely competes with FIFA World Cup. In such contexts, hotel organizations are keen to ensure quality services to the expected large number of customers. Quality services entail customer satisfaction, employee etiquette and above all reliable delivery of hote l goods and amenities from various supplies that keep the running of the hotel facility alive. Supply is an aspect in the hotel industry that concerns operational management. A relationship between operations management and supply will be discussed in this paper, in addition to the factors considered in reliable hotel supply. These details will be encapsulated with various analyses of the way hotels and restaurants could ensure reliable supply to their respective requirements, and a further analysis of some operational techniques that could be employed to ensure both quality and reliability in supplies broken under various subsections in this paper. Operations Management and Supply: Techniques to be employed by Operations Management Operations management is a management area that deals with planning and product management, procedures, various business services and most importantly, supply chains. This management level, though at the management level on the management hierarchy betwe en strategic and operational levels, is considered to be the epicenter that holds most businesses. Every efficiency and profit realized in most business franchises should be attributed to this management section and especially the personnel in charge. This might be despite the attribution always being to the strategic level of most organizations. In the hotel industries, among other tasks, operations management is also tasked in ensuring reliable hotel amenities supply for the smooth flow of activities in the facility. To do this, several personality traits for the operation manager are vital to ensure efficiency and effectiveness given the delicate environment of hotel activities that revolve on service delivery and employee etiquette. These traits will ensure efficiency in service delivery that would include reliable supply delivery that has the standard quality characters. They could also describe the various techniques that hotels need to undertake in order to ensure quality in supply from suppliers (Stevenson, 2008). The first trait that the operation manager should contain is leadership. This trait might seem a little bit general, but in the real sense, it has more than is defined by the first impression. Leadership entails the authority to spread influence among a team of subordinates and peers in a given context of society, either in work or other general scenarios. Qualities that may be exhibited by prominent leaders include trustworthy,

Be Happier by Consuming Less Essay Example for Free

Be Happier by Consuming Less Essay Consumerist is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever greater amounts. In the American consumption, people do not know how much is enough, do we really need all we buy? Or we just buy it because everyone else has it? Does it make us any happier? In the article â€Å"The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More That They Need† Juliet Schor shares with us her point of view about American Consumption. In Schor’s article says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Also that â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). Finally she believes that â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. Much of what we purchase is not essential for our survival or even basic human comfort but is based on impulse, a momentary desire, and there is a hidden price that we, and future generations will pay for it too. The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods, not better health care, education, housing, transportation, but to provide more stuff to consumers. First, in Schor’s article she says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Nowadays people have to work longer hours than 25 year ago, to be able to pay all their desires. Having more and newer things each year has become not just something we want but something we need. The idea of more, ever increasing wealth has become the center of our identity, and this looks like an addiction. For example, my aunt Maria works 5 days a week to be able to pay all her bills and sometimes does overtime. She might have a lot of new and cool things, but she doesn’t even have time to enjoy all these things because she has to be working just to pay all she has. My aunt has a salary of $9. 25 per hour and getting a check of $740 biweekly which she have to use to pay her car $200, plus her phone $85, personal stuff $150, and the list keep going. I have worked 40 hours a week, going to classes full-time with little satisfaction. Without working that long, I am less stressed, and I prefer to learn how to spend less money, than spending more, and live stressed all the time. People should take more responsibility for themselves and their families and think outside of the box when it comes to life. Working less hours and buying fewer products is a good way to start. Also, Schor says, â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). People try to be in the same level that everyone else; if they see that somebody bought something, they will try to have that, just because that person has it. An example is the iPhones people are obsessed with them. The first iPhone was the 3G, then 3GS, 4, 4S, and the 5 that is the last one that just came out. All of these iPhones do almost the same functions; they just changed the size, and some other little things. People spend a lot of money buying the iPhones; the prices are between $300 and $500. The point is that people want to keep up with the newest things, just because other people will have it. For example, my cousin Heysus who is 23 years old, have been buying all the iPhones, because all his friends have them, and whenever came a new iPhone, he ordered it immediately to keep up with what his friends have. Another point is that people with less income, tend to watch more TV, in Schor’s article says, â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Television and marketing are a big influence of how people spend their money. We watched an example of it in the movie of Super-Size Me, of how the companies spend a lot of their money on marketing, because they know that people is going to buy their products. We need to make people conscious about the problem that we all have as a society. Without our consumer impulse to buy the newest, coolest things on the market, there would be no market. People should think more about what they buy, and should not do unnecessary purchases I think that some people keep worrying more about what they can buy, and how they can have better and newest things instead of be worrying about how they can live happier, and less stressed. An individual does not necessarily have to live as a rich person to be happy. The thought of shorter hours working is a wealth of opportunity and adventure that no Disneyland or Las Vegas vacation can offer. It is actually stress-free and can help us to have time to more valuable parts of our life, like having more time to spend with our family and friends. Finally, as a student that works and studies at the same time, I have to be a smart consumer. I ask myself what I need and what I really don’t. Why do I need a car? Is it necessary to have a laptop when we have a library full of computers? We all need to learn that how to spend our money in a better way, and know that we do not need to have the newest and coolest things that the market offer us to be happy.

Qualitative research Essay Example for Free

Qualitative research Essay Abstract This paper is the first of a series of three articles relating to a case study conducted at Fairfield University to assess aspects of the rapid introduction of Information Technology at the institution. This article deals with the nature of the problem faced by Fairfield University, the characteristics of the case methodology, and lays the foundation for the selection of this research technique for the current study. The paper begins with an Introduction section to familiarize the reader with the case organization. The following section on Case Methodology explores the history, and some of the applications of the technique. The section ends with specific research protocols for researchers. Introduction Fairfield University is a private liberal arts institution of about 3,000 full time undergraduate students and about 1,000 graduate school students. The undergraduate students are distributed through the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. The graduate students are in the Graduate School of Education, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. There are also part time students in the School of Continuing Education and the BEI School of Engineering. As with many other private institutions of higher education, Fairfield University faces many challenges. These challenges come from the declining population of college age students and the growing cost of running the institution. The literature will support the preceding statement (Crossland, 1980), but provide little comfort to the institution. One of the areas of greatest concern to college managers is the continuing cost of information technology. With the constant need to increase staff salaries, it is like salaries, inadvisable to reduce the outlay on information technology. Interviews that were conducted by this researcher with the deans and managers indicated that some of the peer institutions of Fairfield University are in fact doing as much if not more in this area. Hence any interruption in the effort to maintain technological currency would result in a competitive disadvantage for the institution. Therein lies the administrative financial challenge. The expense on information technology must be maintained at a time of declining revenues (Nicklin, 1992). The field of information technology at a university is very broad and could encompass many technologies hitherto not considered within its purview. However, there has been a relentless and indeed accelerating pace of convergence of the technologies in telecommunications, library services, and video services. The current study is concerned only with the aspects of information technology as it relates to academic computing and will focus on instructional and research computing. The goals of this study include an examination of the (a) managerial and (b) economic aspects of the rapid acquisition of information technology. The objectives deriving from those goals are: An assessment of the categories of computer use in higher education. An evaluation of the managerial issues of computing, including the centralization/decentralization of computing, client/server computing and the aspects of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) Establish a basis for understanding the current and future economic aspects of information technology acquisition. The research questions arising from the above objectives were as follows: Objective 1 above is addressed by the question: What patterns of acquisition emerge from the current computing environment and the perceived needs for computing? Objective 2 is addressed by the question: What characteristics of the categories of computing use contribute to the patterns of acquisition? The five categories developed by King and Kraemer (1985) and adapted for use by Levy (1988) in his study at the University of Arizona, are used in this study, to examine the computing use at Fairfield University. Objective 3 is addressed by the question: What managerial issues arise from the rapid acquisition of information technology and how important have those technologies become to the organization? Objective 4 is addressed by the question: How will the institution balance the need for technological changes with the need to continue the accomplishment of routine tasks?. Samuel Levy (1988) conducted a study of instructional and research computing at the University of Arizona. This study replicates and extends the Levy (1988) study, and was conducted at Fairfield University. The current study extends the Levy (1988) study in its examination of aspects of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and Client/Server computing. Levy (1988) established the use of the case study as appropriate for the research project, and this researcher also used the literature to confirm the use of case methodology in the study at Fairfield University. The history and development of case methodology is reviewed, in support of the current case study at Fairfield University. There have been periods of intense use followed by periods of disuse of this technique, as documented by Hamel, Dufour, and Fortin (1993) as well as others. The relevance of that history to this study is important in that it establishes the known advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The particular technique of a single-case study is reviewed, since that is the specific implementation of a case study at Fairfield University and was also used by Levy (1988). Case Study Methodology The history of case study research is marked by periods of intense use and periods of disuse. The earliest use of this form of research can be traced to Europe, predominantly to France. The methodology in the United States was most closely associated with The University of Chicago Department of Sociology. From the early 1900s until 1935, The Chicago School was preeminent in the field and the source of a great deal of the literature. There was a wealth of material in Chicago, since it was a period of immigration to the United States and various aspects of immigration of different national groups to the city were studied and reported on (Hamel et al. , 1993). Issues of poverty, unemployment, and other conditions deriving from immigration were ideally suited to the case study methodology. Zonabend (1992) stated that case study is done by giving special attention to completeness in observation, reconstruction, and analysis of the cases under study. Case study is done in a way that incorporates the views of the actors in the case under study. The field of sociology is associated most strongly with case study research, and during the period leading up to 1935, several problems were raised by researchers in other fields. This coincided with a movement within sociology, to make it more scientific. This meant providing some quantitative measurements to the research design and analysis. Since The Chicago School was most identified with this methodology, there were serious attacks on their primacy. This resulted in the denigration of case study as a methodology. In 1935, there was a public dispute between Columbia University professors, who were championing the scientific method, and The Chicago School and its supporters. The outcome was a victory for Columbia University and the consequent decline in the use of case study as a research methodology. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) was careful to reject the criticisms of case study as poorly founded, made in the midst of methodological conflict. He asserted that the drawbacks of case study were not being attacked, rather the immaturity of sociology as a discipline was being displayed. As the use of quantitative methods advanced, the decline of the case study hastened. However, in the 1960s, researchers were becoming concerned about the limitations of quantitative methods. Hence there was a renewed interest in case study. Strauss and Glaser (1967) developed the concept of grounded theory. This along with some well regarded studies accelerated the renewed use of the methodology. A frequent criticism of case study methodology is that its dependence on a single case renders it incapable of providing a generalizing conclusion. Yin (1993) presented Giddens view that considered case methodology microscopic because it lacked a sufficient number of cases. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) and Yin (1984, 1989a, 1989b, 1993, 1994) forcefully argued that the relative size of the sample whether 2, 10, or 100 cases are used, does not transform a multiple case into a macroscopic study. The goal of the study should establish the parameters, and then should be applied to all research. In this way, even a single case could be considered acceptable, provided it met the established objective. The literature provides some insight into the acceptance of an experimental prototype to perceive the singularity of the object of study. This ensures the transformation from the local to the global for explanation. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) characterized such singularity as a concentration of the global in the local. Yin (1989a) stated that general applicability results from the set of methodological qualities of the case, and the rigor with which the case is constructed. He detailed the procedures that would satisfy the required methodological rigor. Case study can be seen to satisfy the three tenets of the qualitative method: describing, understanding, and explaining. The literature contains numerous examples of applications of the case study methodology. The earliest and most natural examples are to be found in the fields of Law and Medicine, where cases make up the large body of the student work. However, there are some areas that have used case study techniques extensively, particularly in government and in evaluative situations. The government studies were carried out to determine whether particular programs were efficient or if the goals of a particular program were being met. The evaluative applications were carried out to assess the effectiveness of educational initiatives. In both types of investigations, merely quantitative techniques tended to obscure some of the important information that the researchers needed to uncover. The body of literature in case study research is primitive and limited (Yin, 1994), in comparison to that of experimental or quasi-experimental research. The requirements and inflexibility of the latter forms of research make case studies the only viable alternative in some instances. It is a fact that case studies do not need to have a minimum number of cases, or to randomly select cases. The researcher is called upon to work with the situation that presents itself in each case. Case studies can be single or multiple-case designs, where a multiple design must follow a replication rather than sampling logic. When no other cases are available for replication, the researcher is limited to single-case designs. Yin (1994) pointed out that generalization of results, from either single or multiple designs, is made to theory and not to populations. Multiple cases strengthen the results by replicating the pattern-matching, thus increasing confidence in the robustness of the theory. Applications of case study methodology have been carried out in High-Risk Youth Programs (Yin, 1993) by several researchers. The effects of community-based prevention programs have been widely investigated using case methodology. Where the high risk youth studies assumed a single case evaluation, these studies have typically used a collection of cases as a multiple-case study. This has been true in the various substance abuse prevention programs that are community-based (Holder, 1987; Sabol, 1990; Yin, 1993). Numerous such studies sponsored by the U. S. General Accounting Office are distributed in the literature between Evans (1976) and Gopelrud (1990). These studies have gone beyond the quantitative statistical results and explained the conditions through the perspective of the actors. Thus case study evaluations can cover both process and outcomes, because they can include both quantitative and qualitative data. There are several examples of the use of case methodology in the literature. Yin (1993) listed several examples along with the appropriate research design in each case. There were suggestions for a general approach to designing case studies, and also recommendations for exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive case studies. Each of those three approaches can be either single or multiple-case studies, where multiple-case studies are replicatory, not sampled cases. There were also specific examples in education, and management information systems. Education has embraced the case method for instructional use. Some of the applications are reviewed in this paper. In exploratory case studies, fieldwork, and data collection may be undertaken prior to definition of the research questions and hypotheses. This type of study has been considered as a prelude to some social research. However, the framework of the study must be created ahead of time. Pilot projects are very useful in determining the final protocols that will be used. Survey questions may be dropped or added based on the outcome of the pilot study. Selecting cases is a difficult process, but the literature provides guidance in this area (Yin, 1989a). Stake (1995) recommended that the selection offers the opportunity to maximize what can be learned, knowing that time is limited. Hence the cases that are selected should be easy and willing subjects. A good instrumental case does not have to defend its typicality. Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies. In very complex and multivariate cases, the analysis can make use of pattern-matching techniques. Yin and Moore (1988) conducted a study to examine the reason why some research findings get into practical use. They used a funded research project as the unit of analysis, where the topic was constant but the project varied. The utilization outcomes were explained by three rival theories: a knowledge-driven theory, a problem-solving theory, and a social-interaction theory. Knowledge-driven theory means that ideas and discoveries from basic research eventually become commercial products. Problem-solving theory follows the same path, but originates not with a researcher, but with an external source identifying a problem. The social-interaction theory claims that researchers and users belong to overlapping professional networks and are in frequent communication. Descriptive cases require that the investigator begin with a descriptive theory, or face the possibility that problems will occur during the project. Pyecha (1988) used this methodology to study special education, using a pattern-matching procedure. Several states were studied and the data about each states activities were compared to another, with idealized theoretic patterns. Thus what is implied in this type of study is the formation of hypotheses of cause-effect relationships. Hence the descriptive theory must cover the depth and scope of the case under study. The selection of cases and the unit of analysis is developed in the same manner as the other types of case studies. Case studies have been increasingly used in education. While law and medical schools have been using the technique for an extended period, the technique is being applied in a variety of instructional situations. Schools of business have been most aggressive in the implementation of case based learning, or active learning (Boisjoly DeMichiell, 1994). Harvard University has been a leader in this area, and cases developed by the faculty have been published for use by other institutions. The School of Business at Fairfield University has revised the curriculum so that in place of the individual longitudinal courses in the areas of Management, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and Information Systems, students take one course. That course is designed around cases that encompass those disciplines, but are presented in an integrated manner. The students are therefore made aware of the interrelatedness of the various disciplines and begin to think in terms of wider problems and solutions. Later courses add the international dimension to the overall picture. Case studies have been used to develop critical thinking (Alvarez, et al. , 1990). There are also interactive language courses (Carney, 1995), courses designed to broaden the students horizons (Brearley, 1990), and even for technical courses (Greenwald, 1991), and philosophical ones (Garvin, 1991). This investigation is a case study of the aspects of Information Technology that are related to client/server computing, the Internet, and the World Wide Web, at Fairfield University. Thus this paper examines issues that will expand the readers knowledge of case study methodology as it relates to the design and execution of such a study. Yin (1994) recommended the use of case-study protocol as part of a carefully designed research project that would include the following sections: Overview of the project (project objectives and case study issues) Field procedures (credentials and access to sites) Questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection) Guide for the report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p.64) The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field, including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the study. The unit of analysis is a critical factor in the case study. It is typically a system of action rather than an individual or group of individuals. Case studies tend to be selective, focusing on one or two issues that are fundamental to understanding the system being examined. Case studies are multi-perspectival analyses. This means that the researcher considers not just the voice and perspective of the actors, but also of the relevant groups of actors and the interaction between them. This one aspect is a salient point in the characteristic that case studies possess. They give a voice to the powerless and voiceless. When sociological studies present many studies of the homeless and powerless, they do so from the viewpoint of the elite (Feagin, Orum, Sjoberg, 1991). Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy. Snow and Anderson (cited in Feagin, Orum, Sjoberg, 1991) asserted that triangulation can occur with data, investigators, theories, and even methodologies. Stake (1995) stated that the protocols that are used to ensure accuracy and alternative explanations are called triangulation. The need for triangulation arises from the ethical need to confirm the validity of the processes. In case studies, this could be done by using multiple sources of data (Yin, 1984). The problem in case studies is to establish meaning rather than location. Designing Case Studies Yin (1994) identified five components of research design that are important for case studies: A studys questions Its propositions, if any Its unit(s) of analysis The logic linking the data to the propositions The criteria for interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994, p. 20). The studys questions are most likely to be how and why questions, and their definition is the first task of the researcher. The studys propositions sometimes derive from the how and why questions, and are helpful in focusing the studys goals. Not all studies need to have propositions. An exploratory study, rather than having propositions, would have a stated purpose or criteria on which the success will be judged. The unit of analysis defines what the case is. This could be groups, organizations or countries, but it is the primary unit of analysis. Linking the data to propositions and the criteria for interpreting the findings are the least developed aspects in case studies (Yin, 1994). Campbell (1975) described pattern-matching as a useful technique for linking data to the propositions. Campbell (1975) asserted that pattern-matching is a situation where several pieces of information from the same case may be related to some theoretical proposition. His study showed, through pattern-matching, that the observed drop in the level of traffic fatalities in Connecticut was not related to the lowering of the speed limit. His study also illustrated some of the difficulties in establishing the criteria for interpreting the findings. Construct validity is especially problematic in case study research. It has been a source of criticism because of potential investigator subjectivity. Yin (1994) proposed three remedies to counteract this: using multiple sources of evidence, establishing a chain of evidence, and having a draft case study report reviewed by key informants. Internal validity is a concern only in causal (explanatory) cases. This is usually a problem of inferences in case studies, and can be dealt with using pattern-matching, which has been described above. External validity deals with knowing whether the results are generalizable beyond the immediate case. Some of the criticism against case studies in this area relate to single-case studies. However, that criticism is directed at the statistical and not the analytical generalization that is the basis of case studies. Reliability is achieved in many ways in a case study. One of the most important methods is the development of the case study protocol. Case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs. Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to represent a unique or extreme case (Yin, 1994). Single-case studies are also ideal for revelatory cases where an observer may have access to a phenomenon that was previously inaccessible. Single-case designs require careful investigation to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the investigators access to the evidence. These studies can be holistic or embedded, the latter occurring when the same case study involves more than one unit of analysis. Multiple-case studies follow a replication logic. This is not to be confused with sampling logic where a selection is made out of a population, for inclusion in the study. This type of sample selection is improper in a case study. Each individual case study consists of a whole study, in which facts are gathered from various sources and conclusions drawn on those facts. Yin (1994) asserted that a case study investigator must be able to operate as a senior investigator during the course of data collection. There should be a period of training which begins with the examination of the definition of the problem and the development of the case study design. If there is only a single investigator, this might not be necessary. The training would cover aspects that the investigator needs to know, such as: the reason for the study, the type of evidence being sought, and what variations might be expected. This could take the form of discussion rather than formal lectures. A case study protocol contains more than the survey instrument, it should also contain procedures and general rules that should be followed in using the instrument. It is to be created prior to the data collection phase. It is essential in a multiple-case study, and desirable in a single-case study. Yin (1994) presented the protocol as a major component in asserting the reliability of the case study research. A typical protocol should have the following sections: An overview of the case study project (objectives, issues, topics being investigated) Field procedures (credentials and access to sites, sources of information) Case study questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection) A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p. 64). The overview should communicate to the reader the general topic of inquiry and the purpose of the case study. The field procedures mostly involve data collection issues and must be properly designed. The investigator does not control the data collection environment (Yin, 1994) as in other research strategies; hence the procedures become all the more important. During interviews, which by nature are open ended, the subjects schedule must dictate the activity (Stake, 1995). Gaining access to the subject organization, having sufficient resources while in the field, clearly scheduling data collection activities, and providing for unanticipated events, must all be planned for. Case study questions are posed to the investigator, and must serve to remind that person of the data to be collected and its possible sources. The guide for the case study report is often neglected, but case studies do not have the uniform outline, as do other research reports. It is essential to plan this report as the case develops, to avoid problems at the end. Stake (1995), and Yin (1994) identified at least six sources of evidence in case studies. The following is not an ordered list, but reflects the research of both Yin (1994) and Stake (1995): Documents Archival records Interviews Direct observation Participant-observation Physical artifacts Documents could be letters, memoranda, agendas, administrative documents, newspaper articles, or any document that is germane to the investigation. In the interest of triangulation of evidence, the documents serve to corroborate the evidence from other sources. Documents are also useful for making inferences about events. Documents can lead to false leads, in the hands of inexperienced researchers, which has been a criticism of case study research. Documents are communications between parties in the study, the researcher being a vicarious observer; keeping this in mind will help the investigator avoid being misled by such documents. Archival documents can be service records, organizational records, lists of names, survey data, and other such records. The investigator has to be careful in evaluating the accuracy of the records before using them. Even if the records are quantitative, they might still not be accurate. Interviews are one of the most important sources of case study information. There are several forms of interviews that are possible: Open-ended, Focused, and Structured or survey. In an open-ended interview, key respondents are asked to comment about certain events. They may propose solutions or provide insight into events. They may also corroborate evidence obtained from other sources. The researcher must avoid becoming dependent on a single informant, and seek the same data from other sources to verify its authenticity. The focused interview is used in a situation where the respondent is interviewed for a short period of time, usually answering set questions. This technique is often used to confirm data collected from another source. The structured interview is similar to a survey, and is used to gather data in cases such as neighborhood studies. The questions are detailed and developed in advance, much as they are in a survey. Direct observation occurs when a field visit is conducted during the case study. It could be as simple as casual data collection activities, or formal protocols to measure and record behaviors. This technique is useful for providing additional information about the topic being studied. The reliability is enhanced when more than one observer is involved in the task. Glesne and Peshkin (1992) recommended that researchers should be as unobtrusive as the wallpaper. Participant-observation makes the researcher into an active participant in the events being studied. This often occurs in studies of neighborhoods or groups. The technique provides some unusual opportunities for collecting data, but could face some major problems as well. The researcher could well alter the course of events as part of the group, which may not be helpful to the study. Physical artifacts can be tools, instruments, or some other physical evidence that may be collected during the study as part of a field visit. The perspective of the researcher can be broadened as a result of the discovery. It is important to keep in mind that not all sources are relevant for all case studies (Yin, 1994). The investigator should be capable of dealing with all of them, should it be necessary, but each case will present different opportunities for data collection. There are some conditions that arise when a case researcher must start data collection before the study questions have been defined and finalized (Yin, 1994). This is likely to be successful only with an experienced investigator. Another important point to review is the benefit of using rival hypotheses and theories as a means of adding quality control to the case study. This improves the perception of the fairness and serious thinking of the researcher. Analyzing Case Study Evidence This aspect of the case study methodology is the least developed and hence the most difficult. As a result, some researchers have suggested that if the study were made conducive to statistical analysis, the process would be easier and more acceptable. This quantitative approach would be appealing to some of the critics of the case study methodology. However not all case studies lend themselves to this type of analysis. Miles and Huberman (1984) suggested analytic techniques such as rearranging the arrays, placing the evidence in a matrix of categories, creating flowcharts or data displays, tabulating the frequency of different events, using means, variances and cross tabulations to examine the relationships between variables, and other such techniques to facilitate analysis. There must first be an analytic strategy, that will lead to conclusions. Yin (1994) presented two strategies for general use: One is to rely on theoretical propositions of the study, and then to analyze the evidence based on those propositions. The other technique is to develop a case description, which would be a framework for organizing the case study. Lynd conducted a widely cited Middletown study in 1929, and used a formal chapter construct to guide the development of the analysis. In other situations, the original objective of the case study may help to identify some causal links that could be analyzed. Pattern-matching is another major mode of analysis. This type of logic compares an empirical pattern with a predicted one. Internal validity is enhanced when the patterns coincide. If the case study is an explanatory one, the patterns may be related to the dependent or independent variables. If it is a descriptive study, the predicted pattern must be defined prior to data collection. Yin (1994) recommended using rival explanations as pattern-matching when there are independent variables involved. This requires the development of rival theoretical propositions, but the overall concern remains the degree to which a pattern matches the predicted one. Yin (1994) encouraged researchers to make every effort to produce an analysis of the highest quality. In order to accomplish this, he presented four principles that should attract the researchers attention: Show that the analysis relied on all the relevant evidence Include all major rival interpretations in the analysis Address the most significant aspect of the case study Use the researchers prior, expert knowledge to further the analysis Stake (1995) recommended categorical aggregation as another means of analysis and also suggested developing protocols for this phase of the case study to enhance the quality of the research. He also presented ideas on pattern-matching along the lines that Yin (1994) presented. Runkel (1990) used aggregated measures to obtain relative frequencies in a multiple-case study. Stake (1995) favored coding the data and identifying the issues more clearly at the analysis stage. Eisner and Peshkin (1990) placed a high priority on direct interpretation of events, and lower on interpretation of measurement data, which is another viable alternative to be considered.

Manufacturing Process of Bricks

Manufacturing Process of Bricks A brick has been a common construction material used everywhere for more than 6000 years, and has been in various shape, sizes and were made by mixing many different type of materials, each of them having their own advantage and disadvantage; and formed the basic structure and the back bone of many civilisations and was used in a wide range of buildings in centuries from building palaces, housing factories, in tunnels construction, water ways, bridges, making it the oldest manufactured building material. For centuries, the brick making process was done by hand, and involved clay being moulded and then dried in the sun until the industrial revolution when the process turned to mechanization. Today technological and mechanical advancement has helped to have a more complete knowledge of the raw material and its properties, and better control of firing, improvement in the kiln designs, all have contributed to the advancement of brick quality and has made contemporary bricks more efficien t and has improved the overall quality of the products. Today, brick is found in various materials and made in various shapes depending on the use. There are concrete brick, calcium silicate brick, clay brick and Adobe brick. See Appendix 1 This report will be looking at the technology associated with the manufacturing process of automated and traditional soil clay brick, adobe brick plain mud brick which are still use today in certain part of the globe or sometimes and slump brick- and the future of brick. PART ONE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF AUTOMATED BRICK The first stage in the manufacturing process of the soil clay brick start with the selection of the raw material. RAW MATERIAL The main raw material in brick making is clay and it is one of the most abundant natural mineral materials on the planet. On earth, there is a wide range of clay which varies considerably in physical properties, colour, hardness and mineralogical content; making it difficult to pinpoint particular clay and say this is the best clay for brick making but they do, however, have certain properties in common. PROPERTIES and TYPES OF CLAYS Clay is complex material as individual, and their deposits is unique due to their specific modes of formation and physical characteristics, and are rarely present as pure minerals but rather are mixtures of the different clay types of one group or type normally being dominant. But the Clay entering in brick manufacturing must possess and fulfil some specific properties and characteristic such as the ability to be crushed and mixed with water to form a plastic material which can be moulded into various shapes; shrinkage or swelling percentage on firing, meaning when subject to appropriate temperatures the clay particles must fuse together; the bloating characteristics, meaning the percentage of water absorption; firing colour, meaning the colour of the brick after drying and percentage of fines produced upon crushing and fire strength and these physical properties determine their commercial value. The clays from which burnt bricks are made may be divided into three principal types, all of which have similar chemical compositions but different physical characteristics. They are: 2. A Surface Clays also called Alluvial and Drift Clays Found near the surface of the earth, may be the up thrusts of older deposits or of more recent, sedimentary formation; are readily worked and require little preparation. 2. B Shale clays or rocky clays Shale is sedimentary deposits clays that have been subjected to high pressures until they have hardened almost to the form of slate which are often difficult to work and necessitate the use of heavy machinery to extract but, may be brought into plastic condition by long weathering (i.e. by exposure to rain, frost and sun) or by crushing and grinding in water, and they then resemble ordinary alluvial clays in every respect. 2. C Fire Clays Fire clays are usually mined at deeper levels of the earth than other clays where they form the bed layer under seams of coal and have refractory qualities and a high degree of resistance to heat. MANUFACTURING PROCESS The process of making clay brick is generally uniform, although manufactures tailor their production to fit their particular raw materials. In general, the manufacturing process consists of essentially of six stages: Mining and Gathering raw materials Preparation of raw material (crushing, grinding, screening and mixing the raw materials) Making of the brick or Forming Process (forming, cutting and coating) Drying Curing ( firing and cooling) Packaging and storing Diagram of the industrial manufacturing process of clay bricks MINING and GATHERING RAW MATERIALS The choice of the mining method of clay will depend on the kind of clay, on the depth, thickness, hardness and physical geology of the clay location under the ground. The general method of extracting clay from the quarry is once or twice a year using heavy plant machinery to stock pile large amounts, so to ensure continuous brick production regardless of the weather conditions and because clays are rarely present as pure minerals but rather mixtures of the different clay types; laboratory testing of the clays from different parts of quarry will determine the characteristics of the layers and will be stock in separate different categories which will facilitate the blending of the raw materials. PREPATION OF THE RAW MATERIAL In the manufacturer, the clay rock is crashed and reduced in smaller particles, and then the material produced is screen through an inclined vibrating screening machine to control the particle sizes prior to water being added. During the screening, manufactures adjust and compensate the different variations in chemical composition and physical properties by blending clays from different locations and sources to fit their standard of the end product. Consequently, to fulfil their requirements of perfect clay for bricks making, or for the composition of the raw material to fulfil their standard, the different mixes and proportions of clay and chemical are blended together, prior to add water, as which of them affect the working properties of clays causing them to vary in their behaviour affecting the properties of the final product. At the same time, manufacture has standardized their end product and their manufacturing processes to limit variations in the processing and the inconsistency in end product. For instance, a clay brick that when cure turn white may be developed commercially because, by adding various minerals like oxide of iron will affect the propriety of the brick in such a way that when cure it will produce a red brick if also there is consistency in the manufacturing processes. Example: Clay containing from 5 to 8 % of oxide of iron will, under ordinary conditions of firing, produce a red brick; but if the clay contains 3 to 4% of alkalis, or the brick is fired too hard, the colour will be darker and purple. An excess of Alumina compound tending to make the colour lighter and brighter. FORMING OF THE BRICK The first step in forming process is to produce a homogeneous plastic clay mass work up into proper consistency by adding water to clay in a mixing chamber with one or more revolving shafts with blade extensions. After the kneading, the plastic clay mass is ready for forming. There are three different methods of shaping and forming brick: the stiff-mud process or extrusion process 6. A. The stiff-mud process or extrusion process In the stiff-mud process or extrusion process, the clay is mixed with just enough water to produce clay plastic mass with water in the range of 10 to 15 percent of the clay mass. Next, the clay is extruded through a die, producing a horizontal column of clay which passes by conveyor belt through an automatic wire cutter to create the individual brick. The cutter spaces and die size are precisely calculated to compensate for shrinkage during drying and firing. 6. B. Soft-mud process In the soft-mud process or moulded process, the clay contains too much water to be extruded. The plastic clay mass contain 20 to 30 percent of water per mass is used to produce brick either by hand or machine. In the machine driven soft-mud process, standard brick are produce in mass quantities as the machine replicate the hand-making process much quicker. 6. C. Hand making In the simplest form which is done by hand, the craftsman will produce one brick at the time by stuffing a lump of soft clay in a mould and the excess clay is stuff from the top of the mould and the brick is turned out. The mould is lubricated with either sand or water to prevent the brick from sticking in the mould. 6. D. The dry-press process In this process hydraulic or compressed air rams is used to press clay with very low plasticity, containing no more than ten percent of water by weight, into steel moulds under pressures from 500 to 1500 psi creating a very compact and dense brick. DRYING PROCESS Prior to the brick to be fired in the kiln, after the brick is formed using any of the method describes above, it containing 7 to 30 percent of moisture, depending upon the forming method. This moisture must be removed prior to the brick can be fired in the kiln otherwise, there will be formation of scum and certain mechanical defects from occurring or the brick will explode when the brick is subject to the intense heat of the kiln. This drying process which last about 18 to 40 hours, is normally done by placing the green brick in enclosed dryer which utilize excess heat supplied from the exhaust heat of kiln to maximize thermal efficiency. To ensure good result, devices are installed to measure and control humidity in the drying facilities. A. Firing After the drying, the brick are fired in furnace chamber called kiln for 10 to 40 hours, where there are subject to a temperature of ranging between 100 to 1200 degrees centigrade depending on clay type or material used and the type of finished brick required. During the process, clay particles and impurities will undergo changes as the temperature in the kilns rises. The remaining water in the brick will dry up or evaporate; unlike the metal, clay softens slowly and melts or vitrifies gradually in rising temperature. The clay molecules mass breaks down becomes soft enough to stick together; the mass becomes tight, solid and non absorbent giving the brick it texture and colour. To ensure a good product and avoid the brick to be deformed due to heat also called viscous fusion, kiln is fitted with sensors to control the temperature in the different stage the firing process. 7.A.1. What is a Kiln? In brief, kilns are just containers for heat; fuelled by natural gas, coal, sawdust, and methane gas from landfills or a combination of these fuels. There are many different types of kilns but the most common types are the continuous kilns (tunnel) which are always firing; they never cool and are capable of turning out large quantities of bricks at steady constant rate and the periodic (intermittent) kilns which are fired on an intermittent schedule. http://www.pottery-magic.com/pottery/history/bottle_kiln.htm PACKAGING Following the firing process is the packaging but prior to that the bricks are gradually cool down, for 10 hours for tunnel kiln and form 5 to 24 hours in periodic kiln, as the rate of cooling affect directly the final colour of the bricks. After the brick has cool downs, there are unload from the kiln; sorted, graded, packaged and place in a storage yard or loaded rail cars or truck of delivery. PART TWO MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ADOBE CLAY BRICK The adobe brick, this type of earthen building materials has been around since the beginning of civilisation and has been the main building material for most of the civilisation. In our day, Adobe are mostly used in hot and dry climates and become the characteristic of the third world. Although this is a very old material, it manufacturing process hasnt change since. As with the soil clay brick the main ingredient which enter in the manufacturing process is clay and the manufacturing process start with the choice of the raw material. SELECTION OF RAW MATERIALS Adobe brick are made from a mixture of mud or clay and small pieces of straw or reeds, and are formed by hand and left in the sun to dry. The secret of make adobe bricks lays on the choice of the type of clay to use as it is made of surface clay soil. Although the bricks are made in rural area where there is no sophisticated laboratory for testing but prior using the clay it has to be tested. The testing of the clay can be done by filling 2/3 of a graded glass jar with the clay you plan to use, and then fill the jar with water and put a lid on. Shake the jar for about two minutes making sure the clay is totally mix up with the water then let the jar and the mix to sit overnight. After about 24 hours, examine the jar and its content; the clay would have broken up into two distinct bands of sand on the bottom and clay on the top. There should not be more clay than sand on the ration of 30 percent clay and 70 percent sand for an ideal adobe brick making clay. EQUIPMENT NEEDED Clay soil Measuring Tape Hammer Hand Saw 24 timbers Nails Shovel Bucket Water Straw PREPARATION OF BRICKS After selecting the clay, an area must be clear prior to start making bricks and a shed to protect the newly made against the rain as it can take a couple of days for them to dry. In the nearby, dig a hole of about 3 to 4 feet long, 2 to 3 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet deep as a mixing pit for the different ingredients. Then fill the hole with water and let it drain out as this will strengthen the wall of the hole for it not to crumble while mixing the clay soil. This will take at least a day to dry out.  Make mould of the bricks using timber. The traditional size is 4 by 10 by 14 inches and this is made with 2 by 4 studs nailed into a ladder like shape. MAKING ADOBE BRICKS Once the water in the pit has dry out, fill the pit halfway with the clay soil then add water gradually as mixing with the feet our shovel until the mix is stiff. Straw can be added to reinforce the mix but it is not necessary.Fill the mould using a shovel or hand thenlevel off the excess with the shovel or with a straight edge, makingsure there are no air pockets or gaps.  Let the bricks set and then gently remove the mould from them leaving the wet adobe bricks to dry for several days (at least three) before handling. Wash the mould and repeat the process in a different area. DRYING PROCESS Leave the adobe brick where they are while they dry in the sun for several days before turning them on the edge to completely dry out and harden and put under the shed so that the drying time can continue. When the edges turn white, they are ready to be moved, but not used. This process could take at least 3 weeks prior the brick is use. PART THREE THE FUTURE OF CLAY BRICK As the world population is growing especially in developing countries, there is a need of urbanisation to accommodate this populace meaning more bricks are needed to answer to this demand of infrastructure development. With the growing problem of energy price soaring, with the world running out of fossil fuel, with the reduction of deforestation which encourages the expansion of the desert, the clay brick industry is now facing an energy crisis and this crisis is affecting and will affect everyone. In the developed country, it is affecting the price of the accommodation and the house price while in the developing country it is leading to the impoverishment of many. This crisis resound as called for innovation by funding a new way of making new type of clay brick or improving the firing process by a new design of kiln aiming to reduce energy consumption by minimizing the energy required by the process as firing time and temperature in the kiln are the two key factors which contribute in the making of solid brick. In the developed country, electricity and fossil fuel are use as the main fuel source for brick firing as they are abundant. Founding other alternative to these sources of energy could be the way forward. But investing in nuclear power will raise an environmental issue of dealing with the nuclear waste; investing in the renewable energy will be a gamble in the way that, most of this technology are still in embryonic state and will require funding a good spot to install them and a big area to cover to be able to produce enough energy necessary to power this industries such investment will impair on the price of brick. It will mean also to divert energy which will be helpful to thousand household into industry. UNFIRED CLAY BRICK The way forward will be probably in reducing the energy consumption by designing better kiln and improving our knowledge of the minimum energy required by the process as unnecessary prolonged firing time and too high temperature will eventually consume more energy but minimum firing temperature and shortening firing time do not only reduce energy but also increase the productivity. In the developing country, this crisis reverberates as called for innovation, finding an alternative for curing clay brick as they are facing desertification. Curing is done, depending on the area, by fire wood, rice husk and maize cob or residue as main fuel sources for brick firing because they are abundant in developing country. Even though other agricultural waste such as saw dust and oil palm shell are used as substitute for wood, a new design of kiln is necessary to cope with the small size of fuel. If thinking in term of innovation in finding a new way of making clay brick, the new brick should be energy efficient in manufacturing process especial if cure through a kiln. Although the adobe clay brick may seem to be the answer but this brick however is not very strong or durable and tend to crack on drying. But one of the modern additions is to compensate this weakness by mixing soil clay with sand and stabilizing it with 4 to 8 % of cement or gypsum and then compress these materials in a given mould form, which results in strong and durable bricks, which do not crack. This is done with simple and yet innovative manually or engine-operated brick presses made from substantial steel sections with axle steel shaft with a top round shaft is case hardened carbon steel with a lid and with a bottom that moves up and down; the compression given by the machine compact the soil particles together to make dense regular shaped brick, usually 300x300x 130 mm in size and it is use  to produce interlocking soil clay bricks without burning. MANUFACTURING UNFIRED CLAY BRICKS This process uses the same type of clay use for the adobe brick. After the soil clay has been selected, it must be properly mix with Portland cement or gypsum then add water to the content so that the final product is a dry mixture containing about 15% water by weight. The dry mixture is poured in the mould of the press machine which is compress by pushing the press lever from one side to the other after closure of the top with a steel lid, with a force of about12 to 14 tons mould pressure. After the compression finish, the brick is eject from the machine and stack in the way to prevent water loss. Water is added daily so that the cement can be hydrated properly. The curing process will take about 28 days.   ADVANTAGES This Environmentally-sound building process is practical, inexpensive and  environmentallyHYPERLINK http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.html  HYPERLINK http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.htmlfriendly, as well as significant in cost savings and on-going green benefits, building with unfired soil clay bricks is one of the solution for the housing crisis because it has a lot of environmental benefits. Figure 2 The environment is protected in several ways: It lessens the ecological impact of building construction, thereby reducing deforestation and the need kiln. There is hence no need to burn the bricks, which makes this process a very low-energy requiring one. It saves money as the brick can be made On-site eliminating transportation, middlemen and breakage cost. On the other hand, unfired clay brick provide a sustainable and healthy alternative as replacement to conventional masonry materials. The structures made with soil bricks are as beautiful and durable as housing made from conventional bricks with the higher acoustical qualities that shut out exterior noise for less stressful living and reduce the need to heat or cool the interior. The soil brick is suitable especially for use in multi storey buildings, due to its durability and robustness. The bricks are already strong enough to be handled for storage when they leave the machine. Brick presses allow countryside people to build independently their own affordable bricks to self-build their houses and not have to rely on salesmen and production in towns, bad roads, transport problems and fluctuating prices. CONCLUSION The lack of fossil fuels the world will face shortly will drive the world in an economical crisis which we havent experience before driving up the price of accommodation. Though the idea of compress clay bricks from soil is far from new in the developing country, but for some unknown  reasons this technology doesnt seem to have made its brake through the developed world. There is a need to implement this new product of a low carbon footprint in the building industry. REFERENCES http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/VITAHTML/SUBLEV/EN1/CLAYPROD.HTM /how_242553_.html www.ibstock.com/pdfs/technical/TIS16howbrickaremade http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.html http://www.newdawnengineering.com/website/brickandtile/tbrick/ http://opus.bath.ac.uk/16170/1/papers/Paper%2031.pdf www.bia.org/bia/technotes/t9.html REPORT: Manufacturing of Bricks 9.12.2006 Publish: The Brick Industry Association www.gobrick.com/omnisam/common/getfile.cfm?file=/bia/technotes/t9 Access 20.03.2010 Careful humidity control Publish: Vaisala news 1998 Www. Vaisala.com Access 24.03.10 ABCs of making Adobe bricks Publish: College of agriculture and home economics New Mexico state university March 2003 www.aces.nmsu.edu Access 24.03.10 Websites Mineral information institute www.mii.org 16.03.10 Bright Hub www.brighthub.com 13.03.10 University College London www.es.ucl.ac.uk 13.03.10 Answer.com/reference answer www.answer.com 17.03.2010 How to make adobe bricks www.ehow.com 17.03.2010 How to make Adobe bricks www.doityourself.com 07.04.2010

Education for Sustainable Development Essay -- Education

Sustainability development has three components: environment, society, and economy. If you consider the three to be overlapping circles of the same size, the area of overlap in the center is human well-being. As the environment, society, and economy become more aligned, the area of overlap increases, and so does human well-being. Therefore, education for sustainable development (ESD) is the use of education as a tool to achieve sustainability. Simply put, ESD is a way to make the world a safer, healthier, and more livable place for us and future generations (McKeown, 2002, pgs 7-9). Population Children in grades 3 through 5 are moving from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" and from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate". Students learn to work independently. They learn to read words and make mental pictures. Third through fifth graders also learn to write paragraphs, short essays and stories that make a point. The curriculum becomes more integrated. "Reading to learn" helps third through fifth graders better understand the scientific method and how to test hypotheses about the physical world. Additionally, "reading to learn" aids students in graphing and calculating scientific observations and then writing up their conclusions. Third grade science class will open new worlds of wonder and invite curious mind to explore (Williams, 2012). Children in grades 3-5 are highly social. They learn more about values and respect. Students are also encouraged to develop their written communication skills via diaries, journals, or short stories. They work quickly and have a limited attention span. Third through fifth graders are very competitive. This age group works well in small groups or with partners. The... ...e&_&ERICExtS earch_SearchValue_0=EJ774626&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ77462 6. EPA. (n.d.). What is Sustainability? Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm. Macnagthen, P. & Jacobs, M. (1998). Public identification with sustainable development: Investigating cultural barriers to participation, Global Environmental Change, 7(1): 5-24. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378096000234. Lange, J.M. (2012). Education in Sustainable Development: How Can Science Education Contribute to the Vulnerability Perception?, Research in Science Education, 42(1): 109- 127. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=1eb64274-ccca-4b62-b915- 2ea35d8a0d1e%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=24&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ %3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ949568.

Pro-Choice Abortion Essay -- Freedom of Choice, Pro-Choice Essays

Abortion Abortion is one of the most personal, widely discussed, and controversial topics in American culture today. In most cases, people on both sides of the argument take worthy and moral positions. Who can blame someone who wishes to prevent the termination of a teen pregnancy to save the life of an unborn child? On the other hand, who can blame anyone who advocates the soon-to-be mother's right to make such a personal, heartbreaking choice? No matter what she chooses to do, should anyone have the legal right to force her to bear an unwanted child? Most people in the US are pro-choice, and believe that abortion should be a legal, confidential decision that only a woman can make for herself. However, some are against the idea of terminating life, regardless of its current stage. People advocating this pro-life opinion believe that de-legalizing abortion will make it go away. Sadly, that is incorrect. Throughout American history, despite complications of legality, women have managed to have abortions without much difficulty, whether from a doctor, a back-alley abortionist pretending to be a doctor, or even themselves. Fittingly, about 80% of women are pro-choice, while 60% of men follow the pro-choice ideal. This is exemplified by the fact that nearly half of all American women (including teenagers) have had an abortion at least once. Abortion has been a very common part of American life since the eighteenth century. Both in times of public scrutiny, and acceptance, abortion has always been present in the United States. At the start of the 1900?s, it was common practice for doctors to refuse medical care to woman suffering from abortion complications, until she confessed to having an abortion. This cruel practice ... ...responsible, naÃÆ'Â ¯ve adolescent. For example, the possibility that a girl whom is ?flamboyant? in her physical excapades, demands an abortion every other month, is purely ridiculous. I do not condone such behavior, but I do believe that abortion is sometimes the most logical, least heart-wrenching choice. Although I do not whole-heartedly agree with the concept of terminating the possibility of life, it is sometimes necessary to prevent or even end one life, to save a massive amount of suffering, and rescue the livelihood of many others. Furthermore, the opinion of corrupt political officials and the twisted view of society should have no say in the personal matters of a single, suffering woman. As a result, it is the right of every woman in the United States to judge how serious the circumstances are, and make the decision to accept or decline abortion for her self.