Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Actuary Essay

Introduction I. Good afternoon to Ms. Parimala and my fellow classmates. II. The topic of my presentation today is Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Actuary. What is an actuary? Experts in risk management Uses mathematical skills to measure probability and rise of future event Useful information to many industries III. The advantages of being an actuary are  High earning potential Corporate respect received IV. However, the disadvantages are Examination requirements for advancement Stressful and hard work Content A. Advantages a. High earning potential Actuaries makes incomes well above average Entry level work commonly pays between $45000 and $55000 Median annual salary for an actuary was $87600 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics Actuaries are well compensated, which vary significantly according to years of experience, industry and responsibilities Refer to the salary chart, experienced fellows with 10 years experiences have potential to earn from $130000 to $500000 b. Corporate respect Actuaries earns wide respect in the business and financial community Actuaries often command a good degree of respect from fellow co-workers Actuaries are given authority within a company and corporate environment Actuaries deals with high-level strategic decisions which can have a positive impact on legislation and businesses B. Disadvantages c. Examination requirements for advancement It is a long and hard process to be a qualified actuary, on average of 5 to  10 years Besides the degree program they had completed in university, they need to pass all the professionals SOA exam papers Upon graduation, there will still be hundreds of hours of study and revisions all the while still having to go to work d. Stressful and hard work Daily routine of an actuary can be a rather stressful ordeal, being dealt with numerous tasks of analyzing statistical data Presenting reports and explaining their implications to managers and directors within specific deadlines Considering the risk of financial decisions for employers is some level of stress Continuous of stress can rather be tedious, feel meaningless and pretty boring Conclusion I. In conclusion, I would like to end my presentation by saying II. Summary of main points a) Advantages High earning potential Gain in corporate respect b) Disadvantages Examination requirements for advancement Stressful and hard work III. Q & A

12 Angry Men Sociological Analysis

â€Å"12 Angry Men† focuses on a jury’s deliberations in a capital murder case. A 12-man jury is sent to begin deliberations in the first-degree murder trial of an 18-year-old Latino accused in the stabbing death of his father, where a guilty verdict means automatic death sentence.The case appears to be open-and-shut: The defendant has a weak alibi; a knife he claimed to have lost is found at the murder scene; and several witnesses either heard screaming, saw the killing or the boy fleeing the scene. Eleven of the jurors immediately vote guilty; only Juror No.8 (Mr. Davis) casts a not guilty vote.At first Mr. Davis’ bases his vote more so for the sake of discussion after all, the jurors must believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. As the deliberations unfold, the story quickly becomes a study of the jurors’ complex personalities (ranging from wise, bright and empathetic to arrogant, prejudiced and merciless), preconceptions, backgro unds and interactions.That provides the backdrop to Mr. Davis’ attempts in convincing the other jurors that a â€Å"not guilty† verdict might be appropriate. A huge feel of the film is gotten through the time period it took place in.People’s views on race were made very publicly within the jury. Many of them seemed to have personal vendettas against different races. They deemed the boy’s Hispanic race to be slum and nothing more than that. A universal problem that is shown in several ways throughout the film is personal prejudice getting in the way of judgment.Juror number ten’s reason for saying the accused boy was guilty was because he felt people from slums should not be trusted and that they kill one and another for fun. His prejudice lead him to discriminate against the boy initially by voting guilty earlier in the film, before being convinced in voting not guilty.This was during the civil rights era and all of that. We all know blacks werenâ €™t treated equally and this makes it apparent that it wasn’t easy for any minority within the US. They’d rather lock them up and throw away the key than give them a fair trial. Tensions run high the second the jury went into the private room to deliberate.It was a very hot day outside and the fan wasn’t working nor would the windows open. No man wanted to  spend more time than what they thought would be efficient to determine the verdict. Some even spoke about their plans for right after, thinking it would be a sure bet they’d be out of there soon with the whole night ahead of them.They were wrong. From then on the film turned into an example straight out of a sociology textbook. Everyone didn’t deviate from the norm of the group†¦ All except one, Juror #8. The rest of the jury was outraged and deemed him a radical. They could not believe two things.One, that he voted not guilty, and second, that he went against the group norm. He tried not one bit to conform. Rather, he stood up in grand fashion and presented his doubts to his fellow jurors. Slowly but surely his grand scheme was working. He did not know for sure whether he was guilty or not guilty, but he had a reasonable doubt and that’s all about what the justice system stands for.It’s so interesting when you bring a group of 12 random people into a setting like a jury and see what you come up with. All of these men, from different walks of life , they all brought something special to the table that was vital to their key decision. The sociological theory that tone of this film could easily fall under is the conflict perspective.At the very beginning, viewers can clearly see the tension is between the jurors whom most have a personal prejudice against the boy for certain reason. Some jurors simply expected that a boy from the slums would commit an act like that they were stereotyping that all people who come from slums are criminals.Even if a per son is not personally prejudiced against and individual or group, stereotypes can have them make discriminatory actions such as vote guilty. The reason most of the jurors stereotyped the actions of the accused boys is because of socialization.The way of transmission was most likely through media; crimes shown by television new or new papers are frequently from neighborhood of low economics standing. Deviance a topic I touched on earlier, is another sociological aspect that can be examined in this film. Deviance is a very relative term where depending on the group and situation, it varies.Juror 8 was the only that felt from the beginning the boy was not guilty. When the first vote most of the other jurors by the fact he could think the boy was innocent and even were upset at him for thinking that. As the film progressed the jurors began changing their votes, eventually the roles were reversed; juror number 3 appear to be the one committing the deviant act since it is revealed his own reason for voting  guilty is because of issues with his own son.One of the most important things I learned in observing the sociological aspects of this film is how easy norms can change. The norms of eleven out of the twelve men voted guilty, changed entirely to guilty as the film came to a chose.

How Far Was the Provisional Government Responsible?

S13hsm 2 Joe Pendlebury How far was the Provisional Government responsible for its own downfall? There are many factors which were responsible for the Provisional government’s downfall. Some are more important than others because they had more impact on the downfall. The War, the distribution of land and the people in the provisional government all contributed to the downfall of the provisional government. They each had different amounts of impact. The Provisional Government had a programme initially designed to create a better Russia.The main aims of this government were to abolish Tsarist governors and hold elections based on a universal adult franchise. However, the members that made up the provisional government were from the Duma of masters, priests, and lackeys. This meant that, because of the weighted elections, it was not representative of the population, and therefore lacked legitimacy. They had little support from the working class because it was dominated by the Lib erals; members of the elite.The government also lacked control because of the dual authority with the Petrograd Soviet, who issued the Soviet Order Number One which directly challenged the Provisional Government. All ideas had to be agreed by the Petrograd Soviet, specifically to do with the military. In the Second Provisional government (the first coalition), the composition had become more left-wing, with Kerensky (a social Revolutionary) as president. Although this could be argued that this would have happened naturally, because the majority of the population were peasants, it definitely contributed to the downfall of the Provisional Government.The decision to stay in the war was largely responsible for the Provisional Governments downfall. Arguably they were restricted and had to stay in the war, due to having to keep strong relations with Britain and France that funding was continued, and making sure Russia was defended. However this caused huge shortages in coal and food which led to unemployment and discontent. Furthermore after deciding to lead a defensive war, the Brusilov offensive occurred in June. This was an offensive attack launched against Austria-Hungry. Due to this loss, many men died.This resulted in wide spread desertion, which increased when the Bolsheviks encouraged men to stop fighting. Following the desertions and the failure, this caused mass uprising and seizure of land in the countryside. This was the PG’s downfall as they lost the support of the largest social group in Russia. The land issue was a key feature in the downfall of the provisional government. Their decision to defer solving this problem until a constitutional assembly had been elected this left the peasants extremely dissatisfied and they continued to seize land.The provisional government’s hands were tied because they did not have a loyal military force to send in and stop the peasants taking land. This was worsened by the fact that most of the soldiers se nt to disrupt this from happening were peasant conscripts who also took land for themselves. A further problem was desertion from the front as more peasants went back to secure land for them before it was too late. Due to so much land being procured by the peasants farming and crops took a back seat, eventually creating food shortages creating even more pressure upon the provisional government to do something about the land situation.However they didn’t, creating more hatred towards them making revolution more of a threat. The Bolsheviks were responsible for the provisional Governments own downfall to a small extent. For example during the Kornilov affair, the provisional government were left with little other choice than trusting and arming the Bolsheviks. This decision contributes to their downfall as the Bolsheviks had hidden ulterior motives (they intended to use their government funded arms to overthrow the government itself in the future. However, the Bolsheviks did oth er things that were out of the governments control and that lead to its downfall.This includes the growing influence they gained within the Soviets of Russia. This was created by volunteering themselves for the unpopular jobs that nobody else wanted to do, this gave them a disproportionate influence meaning there influence was greater than their numbers and audience would have suggested. There influence was also helped by the irregular attendance of other parties. Because of the way the soviet system was set up and the lack of control this gave the provisional government, they had little control over what the Bolsheviks did.And even though the government helped them by rewarding them with the â€Å"Red Guard† this was only the final straw of an uprising they could not stop. Overall I think the government was responsible for its own downfall considering the decisions and actions it took. They decided to stay in the war and change their plan. They did have to stay in the war du e to many reasons but it was their choice. But also they made an agreement with the Petrograd Soviet so they actually didn't actually have much power so it is really the provisional governments own fault for there downfall.

Nutritional protocol for hypothyroidism Research Paper

Nutritional protocol for hypothyroidism - Research Paper Example Based on reliable clinical studies and experience of the medical experts on the field, he or she points out the array of nutritional factors that may affect thyroid functions as to lead the readers in making informed choices in their pursuit for a problem-free thyroid and in the end live healthily. Pathology and Etiology The thyroid gland which is located in front of the neck, is the particular body part central to the study of hypothyroidism. However, some cases are due to the malfunctions in the pituitary gland or in the hypothalamus. The most common cause of hypothyroidism all over the world is iodine deficiency -- prevalent among impoverished nations. A number of women develop hypothyroidism after pregnancy, called postpartum thyroiditis (Lowrance 15). Other common causes include congenital or birth defects, radiation treatments targeted in the neck area which may damage the thyroid gland, radioactive iodine used in treating hyperactive thyroid and surgical operations on the thyr oid gland (Koumourou 53). Certain substances such as amiodarone, lithium, methimazole, propylthiouracil and ultimately excessive amounts of radiation precipitate hypothyroidism. People over 50 years old and mostly female have high-risk determinants to develop such disease (Pratt and Levy 22). Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are the hormones that account for the total thyroid hormones that flow in the bloodstream. These hormonal constituents maintain biological activities in the body that affect the metabolism of cells. When these processes are disrupted, then the anatomical regularities will also be disturbed that may lead to the following symptoms: sensitivity to cold, joint or muscle pain, fatigue and weakness, constipation, brittle hair or fingernails, pale and dry skin, weight gain, and depression. If left untreated, late manifestations such as thickening of the skin, thinning of bodily hair, slow speech, hoarseness, and decreased sense of taste and smell will occur (Fe nton 26-30). Myxedema coma, the most serious form of hypothyroidism though rare, can result in death for people who remain untreated. Dietary Restrictions Laboratory tests and medical examinations are required to know exactly what type of hormonal malfunctions or thyroid defects are suffered by the patient. Whether it is autoimmune thyroiditis or hypothalamic disease or just a severe case of iodine deficiency, diagnosis is needed in order to establish the most appropriate and efficacious nutritional protocol (Rubin 70). With the exception of certain conditions, the treatment of hypothyroidism necessitates a life-long medical attention and care. The commonest procedure focuses on hormonal replacement using Levothyroxime, however, clinical studies and experience show that the dietary intake of those with hypothyroidism is also a determining factor in the alleviation or in the worsening of the disorder (Hueston 1718). Because hypothyroidism slows down the metabolic process, knowledge o n what to eat and how to eat is pivotal for those who have the disease (Ain and Rosenthal 258). Goitrogens, or foods containing enzymes which catapults the growth of goiter, block the absorption of iodine in the thyroid gland and may disable thyroid functions, should be religiously avoided. Soya, cassava,

Is there such a thing as genuine emotion Discuss with reference to the Essay - 1

Is there such a thing as genuine emotion Discuss with reference to the concept of emotional labour in the workplace - Essay Example Many CEOs believed that emotions would get in the way of managers being able to make good decisions (Grandey, 2000). Research has shown however, that emotions can be a very positive aspect of the workplace and can be used to meet organizational goals. In his play, â€Å"As You Like It,† Shakespeare wrote, â€Å"All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shakespeare, 2003). If this is true, then each of us is an emotional actor who plays various roles upon the state of home, work and the community. At home with family and friends, we act one way and with friends we act in a different way. In the workplace, most people have a totally different persona because they want to do their best and they may feel that emotions make them vulnerable. The challenge is that the average person cannot leave who they are totally at home; they will bring some of who they are to the workplace and this includes their emotions. According to Grandey (2000) emotional labor can involve â€Å"enhancing, faking or suppressing emotions to modify the emotional expression† (p. 95). Emotional labor has display rules that decide how emotions are to be expressed inside the organization. The rules may be told in some way to employees through training materials or they may be learned by observing other co-workers. There may be specific emotions that must be used in specific situations in organizations. As an example, anyone working in customer service will need to smile and be friendly to customers in order to keep customers happy. This is one example of how emotions come into an organization and can be used successfully. There are many theories about emotional labor in the workplace. The first theory began with Hochschild in 1983. Hochschild is a sociologist and saw emotional labor as â€Å"the management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display† (Grandey, 2000, p. 96). He observed this from the perspective of the

The Population Variance and Standard Deviation Speech or Presentation

The Population Variance and Standard Deviation - Speech or Presentation Example The standard deviation of the sample was 4.1 million. Find the 95% confidence interval of the true mean. Â  12. It has been reported that 20.4% of incoming freshmen indicate that they will major in business or a related field. A random sample of 400 incoming college freshmen was asked their preference, and 95 replied they were considering business major. Estimate the true proportion of freshmen business majors with 98% confidence. Does your interval contain 20.4? Â  16. A recent study indicated that 29% of the 100 women over age 55 in the study were widows. How large a sample must you take to be 90% confident that the estimate is within 0.05 of the true proportion of women over age 55 who are widows? Â  8. Find the 90% confidence interval for the variance and standard deviation of seniors at Oak Park College if a sample of 24 students has a standard deviation of 2.4 years and the variable is normally distributed. What would be the 95% confidence interval? Â  12. The percentage rates of home ownership for 8 randomly selected states are listed below. Estimate the population variance and standard deviation for the percentage rate of home ownership.

Public Policy Current Events Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Policy Current Events Analysis - Essay Example Chesapeake Bay is a crucial waterway. The bay is presently in critical condition and is facing a lot of challenges especially through pollution. Perhaps, the greatest source of pollution arises from increased nutrients in the bay especially phosphorus and nitrogen. Though, these nutrients are fundamental to sustain aquatic biological growth, if present in quantity excessive of the basic requirements, like in the Chesapeake Bay, they lead to excessive growth of algae and phytoplankton. This has had a twin effect. The algae have blocked sunlight, thus, preventing penetration to the deeper end water, thus, compromising the growth of bay grass. Secondly, when the algae die they use available oxygen in the deeper areas for decomposition creating dead zones, whereby the dissolved oxygen levels becomes too low to sustain marine life. This has led to dwindling of fishery resources in the bay. From the documentary, it is clear that these nutrients arise from a horde of sources notably from ag ricultural farms and sewage.Chicken manure is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus which when carried to the bay by the rivers culminates in the dead zone. Hedrick smith also points to the fisherman as a source of the problems facing the Bay. He states that humans have drastically overfished the fisheries resources. This information has been known by the formal policy makers for quite a long time. Charles fox, EPA assistant administrator between 1998 and 2001, admits to this. They tried several methods to combat the problem such as trying to enact regulations and laws and initiating programmes to treat the sewage system. Nevertheless, they have been unable to combat this menace due to a horde of factors. Key among them is the lack of political will, despite available information showing what is necessary to save Chesapeake Bay. Leon Billing, US senate staff from 1966 to 1980 compares the same situation to the passage of Clean Water Act, which when it was passed in the senate, and the house, President Nixon vetoed it despite pressure from the people to enact the law to govern pollution. Charles Fox also points to preferential treatment to successful business stating that the Reagan administration had a deregulatory agenda often inviting successful businesses for a list of regulation they would want to relief. Further, he blames the administration for being an obstacle to the operations of EPA, stopping its operations for a period of about seven years and instead appointing people to run the EPA, people who were opposed to its mission. Informal policy actors have played a prominent role too.This is through active lobbying. Leon Billings states that the big chicken companies have hired top guns to lobby against the enactment of any meaningful regulations on the agriculture sector and, thus, influenced policy makers. When the Maryland legislature tried to compel mandatory nutrient management by farmers, they were opposed to the bill. Jim Perdue argues that the bill was a threat to survival of the industry in totality. Other informal policy actors include the public pressure, interest groups such as the non-governmental organization. PART 2 Gay marriage has emerged on the agenda because of both formal and informal actors. Same sex marriage has been a problem in the society for a while. It has captured public interest and as a result led to public debates whether to legalize it or not. With regards to New York, it was made an agenda due to electoral pledges, as

Benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing strategies in the context of Essay

Benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing strategies in the context of attempting to improve the management of the supply chain - Essay Example It is outsourcing, as in off-shoring, which is a novel addition to contemporaneous supply chain management paradigms (Teece, 2005). While corporate experiential and empirical evidence pertaining to the outsourcing of some functions and steps within the totality of the supply chain management framework have fortified arguments in favour of the referred to business phenomenon, others have solidified opposition to it. Certainly, and as the experiences of both Nike and Dell Computers indicate, outsourcing has evolved into an integral componential element of the supply chain management paradigm, not only significantly reducing production and service costs while maintaining the integrity of quality standards but, it has significantly contributed to organisational capacity for efficient and effective operation and resource allocation. That, however, does not imply that outsourcing is not without its problems or that organisations do not have to contend with often formidable challenges prior to reaping the benefits of outsourcing. The failure of many organisations to do so, or to fully appreciate the importance of the o utsourcing planning stage, concomitant with a comprehensive articulation of the areas of supply chain management to be outsourced, and the outsourcing paradigm of each, should not be interpreted as evidence against the outsourcing of supply chain management functions. Instead, it should be more accurately understood as evidence for the exigencies of planning. 2. Introduction While popularly perceived of as a new phenomenon for which globalisation is held responsible, Domberger (2005) contends that outsourcing, as contracting, is a historical practice, solidly grounded in economic imperative and principle. As defined by Domberger (2005), outsourcing is best understood as a form of extra-contracting whereby, to reduce overall operational and manufacturing costs and maximise efficiency, firms and manufacturers have, traditionally and historically, contracting out specific steps in the work process, preferring to allocate work process steps according to specialisation, rather than the organisation assuming responsibility for the totality (Domberger, 2005).Outsourcing, from this definitional perspective is, thus, a cost reductive strategy, based upon the precept of specialisation. Concurring with the above definition, Sako (2005) maintains that outsourcing is the redesign of relationships within product manufacturing, organisational operation and supply chain management architecture. The components and principles of the aforementioned architecture have remained, despite technological evolution and innovation, the same but, the componential relationships within them have changed. Hence, while the supply chain management (SCM) architecture are still comprised of procurement, inventory planning, customer

CTE 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CTE 3 - Essay Example The Syrian opposition accused the Syrian government of shelling that led to the mass killing. When asked, the government of Syria denied the responsibility and referred to the accusations as baseless allegations, though the accounts could not be verified because of the restricted observers and journalists. â€Å"Those responsible for perpetrating these crimes must be held to account. We cannot allow mass killing to become part of everyday reality in Syria† (Annan cited in Khan, 2012). Last year, commencement of the street uprising among the Syrians has led to the development of a scattered and sprawling force of opposition that attempted to bring the President’s regime down. The White House spokesman Jay Carney noticed elements of threat for the US in the uprisings that he revealed in these words, â€Å"We’ve certainly noted that there are some elements of the opposition that are not necessarily friendly to the United States. They do not make up the bulk of the opposition, and the opposition is not entirely unified, as you know† (Carney cited in Childress, 2012). In December 2012, the US joined the Gulf states, France, Turkey, and Britain to formally identify the opposition of Syria in the National Coalition as Syrian people’s legitimate representative (BBC, 2013). Syria and Turkey have placed ban on providing air space to each other’s planes after five civilians were killed as a result of the Syrian mortar fire on the border of Turkey. President Obama then said that the National Coalition includes and represents the big step. Syria has an effective program of research and development in the area of nuclear energy. Syria is working with Russia and China to develop a program of civilian nuclear energy. In addition to that, in spite of the fact that Syria has signed the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Syria has not yet signed the Additional Protocol NPT. Likewise, Syria has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention. Currently, Syria is running a

The Pantheon Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Pantheon - Term Paper Example From the research "The Pantheon" it is clear that even though the traditional porch was a popular thing among the Romans, combining it with a giant rotunda resulted into a completely new and unique structure. Those visiting the building would approach it via a large courtyard referred to as forecourt. The forecourt was bordered by marble columns on each of its sides (DuTemple22). â€Å"At the far end, they would see the traditional porch with its carved stone columns† (DuTemple22). However, there was no clear view of the rotunda at the back of the porch. When approaching the building from the forecourt, the dome appeared to be large, but not particularly fundamental. The rotunda resembled a gigantic saucepan fitted with a lid on its top (DuTemple22). It is only after entering the porch that anyone could come into the reality of the beautiful sight inside the rotunda, which was â€Å"a perfect hemisphere, 142 feet (43 m), in diameter, curving upward from the top of a giant rou nd wall† (DuTemple22). After clearing the ground on which the building was to be built, the measurements of the building were done by Hadrian’s architects. The measurement was in circular form because it was easier to measure a circular building than a rectangular one. Because the place in which the Pantheon was to be built was near a river, which often flooded, the architects knew the only solution was to lay a strong foundation for the building. The strong foundation was very important owing to the massive weight that the dome of the Pantheon would exert on it.

Hypothecated taxes are easy to administer and as effective in terms of Essay

Hypothecated taxes are easy to administer and as effective in terms of revenue as any other tax. They can be also useful tool for politicians. Critically analyse this statement - Essay Example The authorities are relieved of the worry to distribute the tax revenue among various sectors. These taxes can be very effective. For instance, there are times when the economy is booming but a particular sector of the economy is facing a consistent decline. In such cases, the revenue collected from a specific tax can be used in the development of that sector. Also, it provides the authorities with a clear mechanism for the preferences of the public. When it comes to the monitoring of the working of these taxes, it is a very helpful tool. There is a direct accountability in the sense that it can easily be seen whether the revenue is being allocated in the correct direction or not. Politically, it can be very useful. In UK, there was a suggestion by the Liberal Democrat party that a rise of one penny in the marginal rate of income taxation would be hypothecated for expenditure on education. Assuming that this suggestion was accepted and put into effect, the people who want more Government expenditure on education would have welcomed a rise in taxation. This suggestion falls into the category of weak hypothecation. The aforementioned example of television licenses pertains to strong hypothecation. It is commonly believed that people are more willing to pay a tax when they know what this tax would be used for. If they are deprived of this knowledge, they are less willing to pay. Hypothecation of tax allocates the collected revenue in a specific direction and people normally know what they are paying for and they are more willing to pay. There are occasions when Government faces a shortfall in the hypothecated taxes but there are also occasions when there are surpluses. In such cases, the surplus can be appropriated for the development of other sectors. Hypothecation is a tool that is neither right nor wrong by itself. It depends on the ability of the Government to utilize the

Human Motivation Essay Example for Free

Human Motivation Essay A drug users are those individuals who have tried or continue to use alcohol or other drugs but who are not dependent or addicted. They also fall into different subgroups: a) those who have tried a substance but have discontinued use; b) those who use infrequently and primarily in response to social circumstances; and, c) those who use periodically but infrequently enough to avoid dependence or addictions (Lorion, Bussell Goldberg, 1991). This all started during the adolescent stage around 12-13 years old. First they used by smoking then use of alcohol then progress to something more like using of illicit drugs Initially, drug use is limited to weekends. Later, however, use may begin to take place during the week, but only in the evenings. Adolescents learn that the drug will provide the feeling they desire and that it will provide it every time. They learn to control the degree of this feeling by regulating the amount of drug they use. At this point they can either take the drug or leave it. Since drug use usually takes place with friends, this stage is sometimes referred to as social use (Milhorn, 1994) Drug abuse is using drugs because of its psychoactive effects without any supervision of a doctor or other medical professionals. There is an increase in frequency of drug use. They maintain their own supplies and may begin to use drugs when alone than with friends. Drug addiction is perhaps the worst of all because a drug addicts’ life is mainly focused on using and possessing drugs. They use drugs every day, more often is much better and there is an increase of dosage of drug intake to satisfy themselves and reach their â€Å"high level†. Users prefer to use drugs alone than with friends or company. Addiction is powerful motivation for some people. The craving for certain drugs can become overwhelming. Addicts may crave their drugs strongly that they are willing to give up everything including their families, jobs and relationship because these drugs that they take gives them incomparable pleasure. These drugs work on the drug addicts’ brain neurons and give intense pleasure. If an addict stop using them it will be very difficult because their brains were used to this drugs and the pleasure it brought to the users’ body thus motive to resume on using drugs again become strong and intense. Addictive drugs produces permanent changes in the brain reward system that causes craving even after withdrawal are over. Repeated use of drugs can cause neural sensitization, this last much longer than withdrawal. This may be one of the reason why recovered addicts are in danger of relapse into drug use even after they completed their rehabilitation and detoxification. The combination of these factors sheds light on why psychoactive drugs, more than many other incentives, are able to produce addictions. These drugs directly activate brain pleasure mechanism to unmatched levels, produced withdrawal syndromes that drive a recovering addict back to the drugs and perhaps permanently hyperactive the brain system that causes drug rewards to be desired. This combination is hard to resist. References Lorion R. , Bussell D. , and Goldberg R. ( 1991). Identification of youth at high risk for alcohol or other drug problems. National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. In E. Goplerud (ed. ), Preventing Adolescent Drug Use: From Theory to Practice. OSAP, DHHS Pub. No. (ADM) 91-1725. Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office. Milhorn, Thomas (1994) Drug and Alcohol Abuse. MA: Perseus Publishing.

Development of the Boeing-797

Development of the Boeing-797 Boeing-797 1.0 Introduction: Boeing is the worlds largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes and military aircraft and worlds leading aerospace company. Boeing operates the space shuttle and international space station for his major client National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Customers of Boeing spread around the world more than in 90 countries. Its head quarter is in Chicago, it employs more than 157000 employees across the United States and in 70 countries. Boeing has made a commercial plane like 767, 777, and his recent successful plane 787 which create history in getting the maximum orders from the customer. Since the late 1990s, the rivalry between The Boeing Company (Boeing) and the European consortium Airbus Industries (Airbus) has been intense. Recently Airbus mounted a direct challenge to Boeings dominance in the large aircraft category (the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet) with the development of the Airbus A380, unveiled in January 2005. Boeing has only one competitive model in the form of the 787 when compared to Airbus A 380.But after 10-12 years again the need of new plane will emerge which will compete with the rivalrys modern Aircrafts. So for the future perspective Boeing has planned to go for a plane which will start a new era of Aircrafts with its latest blended wing technology, body of composite fiber material and 1000 passengers capacity and create a bench line in the aviation industry for the next generation future aircraft. The Boeing-797 is the double Decker plane which will help the Boeing to make their position much stronger in the aviation industry and capture the largest mar ket share for Boeing. 2.0 Project Roles and Responsibilities: Ø Stakeholders: Stakeholders are those persons who directly-indirectly influence the design of the project. They will provide project requirements and after completions they are the one who will reap the benefits of the project. Primary Stakeholders: Airlines around the world Secondary Stakeholders: Passengers, Crew of Airplane, Employees of Boeing, Government, and NASA (for its blended wing technology). Ø Contractors and Suppliers: Supplier: The organization which supplies parts or services to another organization known as supplier Contractor: People who provide his/her services to another entity according to the term and conditions prescribed in the contract. He/She is not a permanent employee of the organization and doesnt work regularly for the company. This project would require more than 100 contractors including major contractors and sub contractors. For detailed List of suppliers and contractors please see appendix no.2 Some Major Sub contractors: Rolls-Royce or GE aircraft engines which was hired to develop engines for the plane. Green Hills Software of Santa Barbara to write the operating system for the on-board flight-control computers. Astronautics Corp. of America to built instrumentation system. LMI AEROSPACE St. Charles, Mo. LMI supplies sheet-metal parts used on the wings, fuselage, and interior. KREISLER INDUSTRIAL Elmwood Park, N.J. to make fuel lines WESTERN FILTER GROUP Valencia, Calif supplies filtration equipment for the hydraulic-control lines. Honeywell for Navigation Package, Health Management System, and Flight control electronics. Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Main Landing Gear Wheel well. Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse for Environmental Control Systems Kaiser Electro precision (Rockwell Collins) for the pilot controls (i.e. wheel, column) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries a Japanese company for the wings manufacturing Ø Project Team: The project team is the combination of resources like analyst, designer, engineers etc. They can be part time or full time resources. Responsibility: Understand the allocated task Complete the allocated task within assigned budget, time and quality. Ø Project Manager The Project manager is the person who is responsible for the management of the project on the day-to-day basis. He/She ensures that resources are effectively allocated to the tasks through out the life cycle of project. He/she has to manage and monitor the progress of the project against the baseline of the project. According to the PMBOK, the project manager has four major areas of responsibilities: Identify the need for the project Establish achievable objectives Maintain the balance between Scope, Time and Cost. Understand and satisfy the persons involved in a project Ø Designer: Designer understands the business need and designs a solution which will meet the business need. His responsibility is to design model and framework with the help of required technology to achieve the optimum solution of the business need to the client. Customer: People who actually use the deliverable of the project. They help to define the business requirements. 3.0 Communication Plan: A communication plan is a document that defines: Information of what tasks need to finish. The ways in which those task can be finished. To whom the associated information will be addressed. Please see communication plan for Boeing-797 project in appendix no.5 4.0 Project Schedule: Project schedule shows the timing allocate to the work packages in the WBS and it shows the position and timing of milestones and specific events of the project (Lock, 2007) Schedule: Initiation phase 1.5 years Planning Phase 2.5 years Execution Phase 3 years Closeout Phase 1 year Total duration of the project 8 Years Milestones: Milestone is a schedule event which shows the completion of major activity in the project. There are seven major milestones establishes during the scheduling of execution phase: Ø Milestone 1: Concept Approval. Ø Milestone 2: Distribution of work packages. Ø Milestone 3: Completion of Major Assembly Ø Milestone 4: Completion of Power-On stage of aircraft. Ø Milestone 5: Completion of Wing-break test. Ø Milestone 6: Completion of Gauntlet test. Ø Milestone 7: Market Launch of Aircraft. Resource Loading: Resource loading is the process to assign a task to each employee of the working on the project by project manager. For the definition of the Power-On stage, Wing Break test, Gauntlet Test please refers Appendix no. 11 and for the dependencies of activities, resource loading please refers the Gantt chart of Boeing-797 in Appendix no. 4 5.0 Budget: Budget estimation is very important measure to control the cost through out the project life cycle against the estimated cost of the project (Turner, 1999). The estimated budget for the project is 8 billion pound. Approximate 50% of the total budget around  £4 billion is allocated for the research and development of the project. The estimated budget for the Planning and Execution phase is  £2.8 billion  £1 billion respectively. And estimated budget for the closeout phase is  £.2 billon. For the allocation of the budget during execution phase please refer Appendix no.8 6.0 Issues and Challenges at each phase of the project: Issues Challenges in Initiation Phase: Concept Approval: The concept approval is a big challenge for this kind of aircraft. It involves lots of research and development and so many changes in design until the concept get approval. Financial Aid: As this project involves lots of research and development it will need a continuous flow of money for the smooth and uninterrupted completion of this phase. Copyright issues: During RD stage due to the use of highly advanced technology there is chances of copyright issues of technology imposes by another competitor organization. Issues Challenges in Planning Phase: Resource Allocation: This is one of the major tasks involved in planning stage. Allocation of resources to the task need to be very accurate and prices because project cost and speed is depend on the efficiency of the resources used in the project. Efficient Project plan: Development of an effective project plan is a major challenge for the project manager. This is the document on which project success depend. The bad project plan can cause an overrun of the project schedule and cost. Issues Challenges in Execution phase: Supply Chain: Managing a supply chain is a major challenge of this project because delay in one sub assembly or important component from supplier could cause a delay of whole project. Major Assembly: completion of major assembly on time for the first prototype is challenge. Issues Challenges in Close out phase: Market Launch: Market launch of prototype on schedule is major challenge for an organization. As the orders of the product would have already received and the customer is waiting for the product the delay in launch of product could cause a cancellation of orders and damage to the image of the organization. Decommission: Successful decommission of such a big project is a challenge for project manager because decommission of project is very important task of this phase as it involves creation of important documents like closeout reports. These reports will help in same kind of future projects for referencing. If source of referencing is not correct or accurate then it may affect the future projects. 7.0 Project Environmental Appraisal: It is the systematic and comprehensive method to review the project in terms of environment, technical, social, and economic aspect to find out whether project will meet its objectives or not. SWOT Analysis: The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is the analysis of factors that will the impact the effectiveness of the organization. Ø Strengths: Highly skilled trained engineers: Boeing has highly skilled and trained engineers to work on this project. The certified and highly experienced engineers and scientist are the strength of Boeing. Strong and efficient RD teams have been delivered many big and complicated projects in the past. Employees are enthusiastic about this project: The enthusiasm of employees toward this project is big strength of this project. This project provides a platform to the engineers and scientist to learn the new technologies. Specialized Crew Training: Boeing has the highly advanced training rooms and highly skilled trainers to train the teams of this project with the latest tool and technologies. A comparatively large scale use of composites material: The uses of composite materials make this plane lighter in weight, and help in less fuel consumption. Boeing has already used composite material in its recent aircraft so they have experience of using the composite material. Advanced Design and technologies: The expertise of Boeing in latest technology like fly by wire technology and blended wing technology ensure the success of the project. Boeing has already used fly by wire technology in its recent plane 787 successfully. This plane unique design accommodates 1000passengers without much increase in shape as compared to Airbus A380. Up front involvement with airlines and engineering: This project needs strong relations with the stakeholders and customers, which Boeing already has. The Boeing understands the requirements of each airline very well and regular communication with the airlines regarding their requirements help Boeing to plan their future planes. The regular updating in engineering field is one of the strength of Boeing which helps this project to become successful. Foundation for the future aircraft designed for long journeys: With the help of this plane the Boeing will start a new era of planes in the aviation field. The designed of this plane used as a milestone for the next generation future aircrafts which travel the long journey with the less fuel consumptions at higher speed. Ø Weakness: †¢ Big capital expenditures on manufacturing facilities and Training: To train the employees on specific high end technologies for this project requires a high class infrastructure training rooms. Also require a expensive tools and machinery help in manufacturing the plane. †¢ If the 797 failed, Boeing may have difficulty in obtaining money for future aircraft development: This project involves a large amount of money and the failure of this project could cause a big financial damage to the Boeing. In future project stakeholders might not get ready to invest on this kind of big projects. †¢ Extensive outsourcing strategy led to major delays: The use of innovative supply chain strategy of â€Å"buying more, make less† increase a dependency on the suppliers. The delay of major sub assembly could lead to a delay in major assembly. These delays affect the planned schedule and could incur an extra cost. †¢ RD prices are high: The RD cost of this project is very high. Approximate 65%-70% of the total project cost is going to use in RD phase. The research and development of new technologies and materials for this plane require large amount of time and money. †¢ Matching with defined Timescale, deadlines and pressure: Delays in supply chain or any other department can cause a delay in production of plane which increases the pressure of completing the project within the specified timescale. Ø Opportunities: †¢ Projecting the airline and passengers needs: This project is the opportunity to project the airline and passengers need and filling the holes of requirement in market not met by existing planes. This project attracts the customer due to its capability of meeting the requirements or needs of the user. †¢ Acquiring a long range market: By launch of this plane Boeing will able to acquire the aviation market for a long time as there is no another plane in the market which can compete with Boeings 797 plane. †¢ Market poised for growth: This project boost the market growth by strengthens the place of Boeing in market. †¢ Fulfill the need of change in aircraft market and get large market shares to Boeing: From a long time the need of change in aircrafts is emerging, this plane not only showing changes in its shape also in its design too. The changes can be seen in the use of technology and process used in the manufacturing of the plane. All these changes results into a unique plane which fulfill the need of customer and as there is no such kind of plane is available in the market it helps the boeing to get market shares. †¢ Global influences: Influence the world with the capability of Boeing in aircraft manufacturing. This project provides a platform where Boeing has an opportunity to show his capability to build such a unique plane with the use of high end technology. Ø Threat: Reaction of passengers of plane: Not sure how passengers would react on a plane which looks completely differently what they used to travel. It may time to adjust them with this design and understand the benefit of this design. Restriction of use at old airports: This plane face a problem of parking due to small size aircraft stands at old airports. Due to its size and requirement of modern tool and techniques for maintenance and repair this plane face problem at the old airports. Legal threat: The Legal threat from the competitors over technology or information issues is very common in such kind of big project. As sometime competitors try to slow down the speed of project or stop the project so that they can make they ready for the competition and speed up and modified their projects to compete with Boeing plane. Changes of Government policies: The changes in regulation and policies imposed by government like new environmental act, noise standards etc could lead to a delay or stop the project. Sometime change in policies and regulation also cause the change in design of the plane which incur the extra cost and time to the project. Lose of Key Staff to the competitive organization: There is a risk of lose of key staff working on the project to the competitive organization. This may slow down the project speed and progress, risk of leakage of sensitive and important information to the competitors. 8.0 Investment Appraisal for Boeing-797 NPV of this project is positive and IRR of this project is more than the standard Rate of interest or Weighted Average Capital Cost (WACC) of company. Suggestion: As the value of calculated IRR is more than the standard Rate of interest, NPV is positive and early returns of the investment shows that project is favorable and organization must take for a organizations future growth and benefit. 9.0 Procurement Plan: Procurement Plan is the document which provides information regarding the purchasing of goods and services, criteria to choose the supplier, type of contract, procedure to manage the suppliers. The Boeing procurement plan governs the purchase of the material in right quantity of right quality at right time and at right price from the right sources. All procurement actions follow the all applicable laws, regulations and contractual obligations. All suppliers and their representatives are treated fairly and impartially. For faster and effective procurement Boeing used an e-procurement technique known as Exostar. This website provides a platform for Boeing to share the information, the technology and help to maintain an effective communication with contractors and suppliers. Exostar is a online aerospace and defense trading exchange and its co-founded by Boeing with other aerospace and defense equipments leading manufacturers like BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Co. and Rolls Royce. Following are the important procurement steps followed by Boeing during different phase of the project life cycle: I) Initiation Phase: Requirement Step Requirement Step: In this step Boeing conducts a â€Å"make vs. buy† analysis, if company decides product (equipment, services, project resources, etc.) will be purchased, then company go to the Requisition Step. Company creates a statement of work, define the product specifications (e.g. design, performance, functional), and identifies major project milestones. II) Planning Phase: Solicitation Step Solicitation Step: This step includes receipt of proposals, negotiation with vendors, evaluation of the proposals and award of contract. III) Execution Phase: Contract Administration Contract Administration: In this step company manages the contract by working closely with vendors and by regular reviews to ensure that terms, conditions and requirement of the contract are met. IV) Closeout Phase: Closeout Closeout: In this step company receive the product and verify it with the contract requirements, if it is met the requirements then accept the product or service. And company makes final payment after ensuring that there are not any outstanding invoices. 10.0 Contract Strategy: The contract strategy determines the level of integration and complexity of design, construction and ongoing maintenance of the project, and it should support the prime objectives of the project in terms of risk allocation, delivery, incentives etc. There are a number of different contract strategies, but each company has its own specified contract strategies for the specific projects because one contract and its strategy will not be able to meet with the requirement of each project. The Boeing contract strategy emphasizes on the importance of competitive bidding as they believe its a very effective business practice. Before awarding a contract they consider the ability, capability, financial status, integrity, reliability, geographical conditions and performance, quality of product offered, delivery and overall relations with the customers of the potential supplier. 11.0 Administration of Contract: The purpose of the contract administration is to ensure that supplier/contractor delivering the product or services met with the requirement of contract. There are some important steps of contract administration: Interpret the specifications. Ensure the quality of the product or service. Manage the Administrative, Budget changes and contract modification if needed. Resolve the contract disputes. Terminate the contract if supplier or contractor failed to met the requirement of the contract. Manage the risk associated with the contract. The Boeing Company administers the contract with the help of different kind of forms, which contains all the conditions and regulations help to administer the contract successfully. For e.g.: To administer the purchase contract the Boeing has a Form D1 4305 1500 (Rev. 2/96). This form consist 46 terms and condition to review and administer the purchase contract. For further information of this form please refer Appendix no. 10 II) Boeings Contract Administration Form 12.0 Supply Chain Strategy Issues: Supply chain is the entire network of different entities like organization, resources, People etc to supply the end product to the final customer. Strategy: Design and Efficiency are not the only things about this new aircraft this project contains a production supply chain strategies which make it possible for Boeing to complete this aircraft in a record time. This kind of projects requires a very effective and efficient supply chain because the slightest delay at any point in supply chain can paralyze the production of the aircraft. For Boeing this new aircraft means the revamped supply chain. Traditionally Boeing used a strategy in which it is a main manufacturer and contracting with the thousand of suppliers for individual parts and systems later when parts and supplier reached to Boeing they labouredly assemble them into finished product. But for the 787 project they had used new supply chain strategies which includes major suppliers will design build the entire sections of the aircraft and later shipped them to the Boeing for the final assembly and testing i.e. â€Å"Making less, buying more†. In this way major portion of the aircraft will actually be built by Boeings global partners. To speed up the assembly Boeing need to achieve a whole new level of collaboration with key suppliers around the word. For effective Supply chain process Boeing used a internet trading exchange tool known as Exostar. All the suppliers need to register on the Exostar and direct procurement of design and part can be done on Exostar. Exostar is an e-tool which ensures that all the partners and suppliers of the project were in close communication about every aspect of Production, logistics, and design. For effective supply chain process the visibility of updated and latest data from Boeing to the required suppliers is very important. It helps suppliers to ensure that they are adhered to the production plan. On the Exostar the supplier can view the information regarding the engineering changes, production delays, part orders and the like. Whenever there is a specific major changes in the process or design suppliers came to know about it and do the changes within specified time without incurring extra cost to the project. With the help of Exostar the Boeing can have a better control of the whole supply chain. Exostar allows a Boeing to control and limit the flow of information to the tier1 or tier 2 suppliers. The Exostar work as an â€Å"Early warning system† it warns any disruption and error in a supply chain so that Boeing knows about the potential problem in advance to head off the impacts of those problems further along the chain. E.g.: If the supplier delivered an invoice through the Exostar with wrong unit price then Exostar identify the discrepancy between invoice and purchase order and send it back to the supplier. Issues and Challenges: The supply of the major sub assemblies from the different suppliers for the major assembly of the aircraft need to arrive on time and in precise order so that plane can roll out the assembly line on the schedule. Major risk involved in the supply chain is Schedule risk. The issues like delay in one major subassembly could cause delay in the production of the aircraft and increase and change in defined schedule. Some of the major issues are as follows: Design changes of the aircraft leads to the supply chain delays. Limited engineering resources inside the Boeing. Improper communication leads ambiguity between supplier and client. It could cause delay in supply of sub assemblies or parts. Some of the major challenges are as follows: Synchronizing thousand of suppliers and deliveries to build an aircraft. Assuring safe and on time deliveries of the sub assemblies from the supplier. Benefit of this strategy: Strategy focuses on making less buying more, driving the supply-chain complexity and supplier dependency. But with this strategy Boeing set out to do something revolutionary by tapping suppliers not only for parts, components and material but also innovation. And this helps Boeing to set out the new platform to market as soon as possible. It also help to reduced the business risk by reducing its dependence on its own operations like organized the labor in the production process. Some other benefits of this strategy are as follows: Control on spending the money. Performance Incentives and Delivery reliability. Focus on partnerships- Best practices, data exchange etc. Early problem detection, to implement control measure in advance. 13.0 Type of Contract: Boeing used a FFP (Firm Fixed Price) contract and they have their own specified designed contract forms based on FFP contract type. A firm-fixed-priced contract is a type of contract which made for a price that is not subject to pay any extra cost on the basis of contractors cost experience during performing the contract. This contract type places maximum risk to the contractor and full responsibility for all costs resulting profit or loss. It provides maximum incentive for the contractor to control the costs and perform the task effectively and imposes a minimum administrative burden upon contracting parties. 14.0 Type of Contract Form: Boeing does not have any traditional contract form. Boeing has different specified contract form, each contract form especially designed according to the product or goods. For procurement of goods or services for defense helicopter or for commercial plane they have different contract forms. Each contract form varies according to their product or services but all the contract forms are based on the prime contract i.e. â€Å"FFP Contract†. There is a sample contract form of Boeing is attached in Appendix no. 10, I) Boeings Procurement Contract Form for further information. 15.0 Legal Issues: Following Legal issues might arise during this project:  · Financial: The financial laws of any business are many in number and they varied from location to location. There are always new rules, regulation and taxes are imposes by government and they are changing regularly so its necessary for us to keep update with the latest tax laws and other financial regulation. This project involves large amount of money so its necessary for the Boeing to follow all the financial laws to protect themselves from any financial laws infringement which can cause an extra cost to the project.  · Contractual: This is the most common legal issue in any business. In this project where the suppliers and contractors are more than hundred in numbers the legal issues are very common. To minimize these issues it is necessary for both the parties involved in contract should read and understand the contract properly. * Advertising: Advertisings legal issues arise when a company says pretty much anything they want to in advertising to sell their product. These legal issues arise generally in small business where the product is small and cheap, and then it is easy to fool the public. But its not easy to do in the big projects like making of aircraft for the world renowned company because the big product like aircraft is not going to advertise on the television for the general consumers.  · Operations: The way company runs his business is one of the most important legal aspect need to be consider. Company must make sure that his business operations are governed by federal, state and local laws. In the organization there are so many laws of different department need to be considered during operation of the company or project like laws regarding human resources, tax reporting deadlines, and required insurance. The common saying â€Å"better safe than sorry† definitely applies to laws that govern the business of the organization because company needs to be extra careful as competitors are always ready to pick this kind of mistake or error so that they can highlight this issue and damage the brand image of company and fail the project. 16.0 Disputes between Stake holders and Competitors: Disputes: The dispute between stake holders will arise when there is disagreement between the stakeholders regarding their personal interest or when interest of one stakeholder is opposite to another stakeholder. If the dispute between stakeholders will not solve early then it may lead to the change in projects definition, scope and objectives. Mostly dispute between stakeholders resolved by any one of the form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method i.e. Arbitration, Mediation and Negotiation. Usage of ADR form depends on the complexity of the dispute. â€Å"Litigation† is the last option for the company to solve the dispute as it involves lots of money and time. Disputes between stakeholders can be reduced and solved by following methods: Improved communication: More attention need to be given to dispute management in the organization so that it helps to increase more open relationship with the stakeholders. Stronger relationships: The relationship between stakeholders will improve with the help of effective communication between the stakeholders. The stronger relationship helps to build a better understanding between the stakeholders. Encouragement of appropriate solution: Problem and issues should identify at early stage and dealt with appropriate and most satisfactory outcome for the stakeholders. Corporate culture: The culture of the organization should be flexible and solution oriented. And the management and the employees take the responsibility to solve the problem or issue at their level. Early ide

Leadership is about Forging Relationships

Leadership is about Forging Relationships â€Å"In a nut shell, I believe leadership is about forging relationships and perpetuating communication centered on and around a common vision, goals, and values.† Leaders set vision, strategies, goals, and values in order to guide for desired action and behavior. Leaders are characterized by certain traits which distinguish leaders from non-leaders includes Drive, desire to lead, honesty, cognitive ability, self-confidence and knowledge. Leaders are defined by their personal core values and they lead with their hearts.   In the winter of 1987, I was born in a farmer’s family and I grew up in a joint family of fourteen. Teamwork was not a choice, it was a necessity! I believe my greatest leadership asset is that I am socially resourceful. I can communicate effectively and am comfortable one-on-one or with a large group. I truly believe that learning from the experiences of others is an incredibly valuable resource. Learning about others is also a valuable tool. Exhibiting sincere interest in people empowers a leader with knowledge, perspective and insights they may not have considered. In addition, others are likely to increase their receptiveness to anything you have to say or hope to accomplish when they sense your genuine interest in their point of view. Genuine people who are true to themselves and to what they believe in turned into an authentic leader. They are more concern about serving others than they are about their own success or recognition. My journey into leadership is full of peaks and valleys. Leadership has not always been an easy road for me, but has provided me with several challenges. One of my first experiences was in high school and has continued throughout my professional career. My first experience in leadership was my being elected to represent my high school-Birla school, Mumbai for a state level event named India culture quest. We were team of 22 including dancers, singers, gymnastics, science innovation project team, and team to handle brainstorming and quizzes. I remember being so nervous not knowing how to lead or communicate effectively with my fellow students. It was my primary role that to engage and coordinate my fellow student and also represent our school as of the example for discipline and talent on a state level. I knew I could handle this challenge if I organized the team and prepared the charter. My charter was including everyone’s details about their strength and weaknesses. I organi zed all of them into their respective small groups based on their role in an event and asked each team to choose one leader among them. I distributed my responsibilities among these leaders and kept the track of quality of the performance. I also organized special event and outings to encourage my fellow students to engage them. This to me was my first experience in leadership and it helped me in college where I was pushed to organize and managed the annual cultural event named – ‘Odessy’. I felt challenged, but I knew by extending an outline of my high-school leadership. I agreed to commit that my leadership style improved a lot during those days. It became more authentic. Authentic leaders need to sustain high levels of motivation. Keeping that in mind I started my work by delivering motivational speech to my team and asked them to give best of what they have. I outlined my leadership style in such a way that my team mates should feel comfortable to speak up an d share their views. My contributions allowed others to have a better understanding of the overall planning and execution of the Annual Culture Event. This also helped me overcome challenges and differences by expressing myself among different personalities, ethnicities, and cultures. I learned that leadership has multiple dimensions. Articulating the vision and managing the task are not only the responsibilities of a leader. It’s more than that. It’s to influence others by your core values, your unique characteristics and your authentic and positive approach. You will be most effective as a leader when you find opportunities that highly motivate you and utilize your greatest capabilities. One without the other is insufficient. To find them you must understand your deepest motivations and be honest with yourself about your capabilities. Being motivated by something you are not good at will not enable you to succeed as a leader, nor will pursue leadership roles that do not motivate you. But when you find the role that meshes your motivations with your capabilities, you will discover the sweet spot that maximizes your effectiveness as a leader. I also learned one more lesson that accept both success and failure. My every step, whether it is a mistake or success strategy, will always give me an uncountable experience. I have to learn through that experience. Never afraid of failures because each mistake teaches us the important lessons to succeed. I also developed my listening ability during the whole event. I gained the experience of discovering capabilities which I did not know I had. Another example of leadership includes my managerial experience at my company. The greatest challenge I faced was building a product team at my company. On November 7, 2012 Vice president of my company, Mr. Mahesh Patil, sent me an email and asked me to join him in the cabin. Mr. Patil just returned from a meeting with board of directors. He reported that the company facing challenges to beat the high market competition and we will lose thousands of customers if we are not able to improve our product’s features. As a recently promoted product manager, I was asked to lead the project. I never had experience of leading a huge team of 17 people before. In past, I was working as an associate product manager for the same product and hence I was pretty sure about functionality and technical constraints about the product. I decided to take the opportunity and to challenge myself to enhance my leadership graph. When I entered into my current position, I knew I had to make changes in t he methodologies and product development process. The previous product manager had short of vision and neither organized research work, and process documents. The company relied solely on him, which caused inconsistency in products quality and customers dissatisfaction. I led and supervised 17 employees, coordinated the work of forty two people, and two months later implemented a solution. In order to start with I formed four distinguished teams and re-defined responsibilities and tasks. During the initial discussion with Mr. Mahesh Patil and 5 senior managers, I suggested the methodology for solving the problem. I presented the feasibility of the proposed solution and an initial estimate of the costs, and operational implications. I convinced them that how the new methodology will give us an edge over our competitors and innovative marketing strategy will help us to regain the brand name. However, I felt I have not yet consider all the real time risk factors and it may turn into operationally premature solution due to lack of ability in handling the risk. I asked for more days to conduct trials. I knew that the financial consequences of failure would be tremendous and hence I was very much stressed by this project. Leaders do not succeed on their own. Every leader defined by the members of his team. Strong-support team provides affirmation, advice, perspective, calls for corrections when needed, and, above all, team bonding. I knew that I want to lead a team where I should create comfort and open environment so that during the hard days and low points, as a whole team we should not lose our boost to achieve the target. I knew that it is easy to divert by the expectations of others but as a leader my role is to grounded my team mates with their core values and help them to stay on track. In our first team meeting, I shared my strength and weakness and asked others to join me by expressing their thoughts. Three of seventeen Team members were not open with one other about their mistakes and weaknesses. Such things make it difficult to build a foundation for trust. Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. Instead, they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments. Again I felt challenged. Whether you are a leader or a team member, you can never take trust for granted. It was a big challenge for me to build a trust and create extremely harmonious and independent environment that embrace my personal values and principles. I took the opportunity and passed Quote of Trust and Accountability a.k.a. QTA based on our discussion. Our Quote of Trust and Accountability (QTA) stated as – ‘Trust lies at the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Without it, teamwork is all but impossible. Unfortunately, the word trust is used—and misused—so often that it has lost some of its impact and begins to sound like motherhood. That is why it is important to be very specific about what is meant by trust. For me trust and accountability is what I perceive and conceptualize my core values and I am responsible to develop authenticity, integrity, knowledge, authority, respect for others, and trust’. We all agreed to Quote of Trust. Next day I gathered my staff and I presented the issues, emphasized the significance of the business opportunity, and defined a timetable. I also asked my marketing team to evaluate the magnitude of the problem in other markets. I set the vision of our team and also specified the norms of team. I distributed the task among four teams and created guidelines of communication and execution. It was two-way communication session where I asked my teammates to share their views, expert knowledge and level of confidence. It was a great session we had. I learned that being with your team-mates face-to-face; inquiring about their work, their families, their personal lives, and their careers; and being open and vulnerable with them creates an intimacy with people. As we moved forward in the project, I able to developed the series of positive interactions, suggestions, and problem solving methodologies. Initially, few members of my team were hesitating to open up due to language barrier. I organ ized Saturday late afternoon party at my home. I invited all to join and made them to participate in the musical chair game. I had also organized activity exercises’ for my team. We had great fun. The enjoyment ended with musical evening where everyone was singing and all were connected to the music. I was listening to the music with closed eyes but I was experiencing the engagement and strong bonding as a team with open heart. I succeed to diminish the language barrier. Whenever I feel stressed or down, I close my eyes and recollect those memories of empowerment. The breeze of empowerment boosts me to stand again.

Brave New World-A Sterile Society :: essays research papers

â€Å"Cleanliness is next to Fordliness†, was an attitude impressed upon the people of Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World. A society free of disease and suffering was achieved through a technique of conditioning called hynopaedia. â€Å"Civilization is sterilization†, was a hynopaedic slogan used to achieve the ideal society. This idea was manifested through the anesthetizing people’s emotions, the sterilization of humans and the cleanliness of society. The Brave New World sterilized people of emotions through the elimination of families and the promotion of soma. To eliminate close bonds between two people promiscuity was advocated. This was achieved through hynopaedia during childhood. Through this technique intimate relationships between people were eliminated. People of Brave New World did not know what a family was. At the mention of the words mother and father, during a tour of the London Hatchery, the students became silent and many began to blush. Soma was another devise used by citizens of Brave New World to let them escape and forget their emotions. It was a tranquilizer widely used in Brave New World. It allowed people to go into a trance whenever they wanted to escape their surroundings. This was shown when Lenina Crowne and Bernard Marx were visiting the reservation. During the Warden’s speech to the couple, Lenina Crowne swallowed half a gramme of soma to escape the boredom of the Warden’s speech. The som a allowed her to seemingly be paying attention when in reality she wasn’t listening or thinking of anything. The attitude of civilization is sterilization was also achieved through the sterilization of the female population. Bokanovsky’s Process made it possible for the Brave New World to control the amount of fertile women in society. Even with the advancement of scientific technology human ovaries were still needed for the manufacturing of embryos. Fertile women were encouraged to undergo a hysterectomy. In return for selling their ovaries, women received six months pay. Around seventy percent of the women in Brave New World were infertile. These women were called freemartins. Freemartins were produced through injecting female embryos with a dose of a male sex-hormone. The society of Brave New World believed civilization should be composed of clean and robust people. The nurses in the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms were described as, â€Å"trousered and jacketed in the regulation white viscose-linen uniform, their hair aseptically hidden under white caps.† This image expressed how everything was done in a systematic and sterile way.

preparation of isopentyl acetate :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Isopentyl acetate, "banana oil", is a naturally occurring compound that possesses a distinctive odor. It is found in bananas, as well as many other organisms. This experiment attempts to produce isopentyl acetate by heating under reflux, which involves heating the mixture in a flask with a condenser placed vertically in the neck since any escaping vapours condense and run back into the flask, by combining isopentyl alcohol with acetic acid and an acid catalyst. The product was isolated using a combination of techniques -- acid-base extraction, drying, and distillation -- and was characterized by its boiling temperature and its refractive index. Esterification is a condensation reaction where two molecules are joined together to form a larger molecule with the simultaneous loss of water. This ester in this experiment is isopentyl acetate formed from acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol. The reaction is catalyzed by hydrochloric acid, a Fisher esterification process, (McMurry, p780-781) but the catalyst affects only the rate of reaction, and not the extent of reaction. The desired product accumulates only if the equilibrium constant is favorable. As it happens, the equilibrium constant for this reaction is rather small (~4) (comparing bond energies in the reactants and products will tip you off as to why the equilibrium constant is so small). Therefore, simply mixing equal amounts of the starting materials will convert only about 67% of the starting material into product. To drive the equilibrium forward Le Chatelier's principle is used, in this case there are two ways to adjust reagent concentrations to force isopentyl alcohol to become isopentyl acetate. One way is to remove product as it forms. The other way is to use a large excess of acetic acid. This experiment is based on the latter approach, but it raises two issues. We can use excess acetic acid only if acetic acid is cheap, and if unreacted acetic acid can be removed easily from the product mixture (Organic chemistry lab. Manual, p32). In this lab had to use acid- base extraction process. Since isopentyl acetate is soluble in diethyl ether, but acetic acid is soluble in both solvents. Therefore, a simple extraction procedure would remove only some of the acetic acid from isopentyl acetate, but it would not completely separate the two compounds. An acid-base extraction improves on the simple two-solvent extraction scheme by using acid-base reactions to change acetic acid into another compound with different solubility behavior. Hence, we convert acetic acid into, sodium acetate, and obtain a compound that is soluble in water, but not in diethyl ether.

International approaches to learning Essay

E1. Provide an explanation of three different international approaches to learning. One international approach to learning is Forest Schools. A Forest School is an outdoor education in which the children who attend get the opportunity to visit forest and woodland areas and develop different skills such as, personal, social and technical skills. Forest Schools offer children and young people the opportunity to develop their confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment. Forest Schools are also a unique way of building independence and self-esteem in children and young people. â€Å"Forest Schools aim to develop a greater understanding of their own natural and man-made environments, a wide range of physical skills, social communication skills, independence and a positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence.† Carolyn Meggitt, 2012, Childcare and Education, London, Hodder Education Another international approach to learning is The Maria Montessori Approach . The Montessori Approach is an educational approach created by a woman called Maria Montessori. Montessori education is focused on a motivated aim: To aid the child’s development into a complete adult human being, comfortable with themselves, the community and everyone around them. The Montessori Method to education is a child-centered educational process based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. This approach values the human spirit and the development of the whole child – physical, social, emotional, cognitive. â€Å"Montessori education offers children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible and respectful citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life†. http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori/Benefits-of-Montessori Another international approach to learning is The Steiner Approach. The Steiner Approach to education was formed by Rudolf Steiner who was an Australian philosopher. When it came to education, Rudolf Steiner believed in developing the whole person. â€Å"The education approach differs from mainstream education in several ways. For a start, Steiner schools put a strong emphasis on the important of spiritual values and social skills and the teaching method is based on a balance of intellectual, practical and artistic teaching†. Physical skills is considered as important too and they use dance to help the children’s development. Steiner as considered color as important especially for helping the children with their imagination skills.  In Steiner Schools, children tend to have the same teacher from the age of six or seven until the age of fourteen and in each class there will be a mix of different age groups. E2. Choose one international approach from E1 and give reasons for your choice. The international approach to children’s learning which interests me the most is the Forest School approach. The reason I have chosen this approach is because E3. Explain the background to the approach you have chosen and write about it. Philosophers, naturalists and educators in Europe and the UK such as Wordsworth, Ruskin, Baden Powell, Leslie Paul, Kurt Hahn, Susan Issacs and the Macmillan Sisters all laid the foundations for what is known as Forest Schools today. Forest Schools were originally based on a rich heritage of outdoor learning going back to the 19th century. Forest schools originated in Sweden in the 1950’s as a way of teaching children about the natural world. Denmark adopted the idea of Forest Schools and it became an important part of early year’s provision. The Forest School concept was then brought to England in 1993 by the staff of Bridgewater, Somerset after an exchange visit to Denmark. Forest Schools have had a huge impact on children within the UK. Forest Schools have made differences in children’s confidence; the children have the freedom, time and space to learn and develop independence. Seen differences in their social skills; the children have learned to gain awareness of the consequences of their actions on other children through different activities, for example sharing tools and playing with one another. Differences have been seen in communication; the language development has been supported by the sensory activities children have been taking part in. Seen differences in their physical skills; these improvements were characterized by the development of physical stamina and gross and fine motor skills. Also, differences were seen in their knowledge and understanding; the children and developed interests with the environment and natural surrounding which meant they were willing to learn more and they gained respect for the environment. E4. Describe the key principles of your chosen approach. Forest Schools have six main key principles. The first one is ‘A Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School.’ This means that the same group of learners should ideally attend a Forest School at least once every other week and continue to do so for a long period of time. A Forest School programme has a structure which is based on the observations and joint work between learners and practitioners. This will show progression of their learning. The early sessions of any programme begin to form physical and behavioural boundaries as well as making their first observations on which to base future programme development. The second key principle is ‘Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natu ral world’. This means that the woodland area is ideal for the Forest School practice and the individual needs of learners as it provides them with space and the environment in which they are able to explore and discover. This links to The EYFS – A unique child – play and exploration. Forest School aims to develop relationships with nature through regular personal experiences in order to develop long-term practices in staff and learners and the wider community. Also Forest Schools uses natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage key motivation. The third key principle is ‘Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners’. Holistic development means to develop everything†¦ their physical, social, cognitive, verbal, emotional, artistic, creative skills and spiritual aspects as well. The Forest School leader/practitioner will also try a link Forest School experiences to the children’s home and school life. The fourth key principle is ‘Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to th emselves’. This means that the Forest School leaders provide the children with sharp tools and allow them to build fires when under supervision; this allows the children to take safe risks and learn how to use these tools properly providing them with lifelong skills. Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed by the practitioner and the child that is personalised to the developmental stage of the child. This also means that  Forest School opportunities are aimed to build on the individual’s motivation and positive attitudes and interests of the children. The fifth key concept is ‘Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice’. This means that a Forest School must be ran by practitioners who hold a minimum qualification of Level 3 Forest School qualification and also must hold a Paediatric First Aid qualification which include outdoor elements. It means that there must be a high ratio of practitioner/adult to children. The Forest School leader must have working documents which have all the up to date policies and procedures which are required to run a Forest School and which have the correct information for all the roles and responsibilities of the practitioners and any volunteers. Also the Forest School leader is a reflective practitioner and sees themselves as a learner too. The final key principle is ‘Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning’. This means â€Å"A learner-centred pedagogical approach is employed by Forest School that is responsive to the needs and interests of learners.† http://www.forestschoolassociation.org/full-principles-and-criteria-for-good-practice/ Also, play and choice is an essential part to the Forest School learning and play is seen vital to the learning and development of children at the Forest School. Forest School provides motivation for all learning preferences and dispositions. Also reflective practice is a key feature of each session to ensure learners and practitioners can understand their achievements, develop emotional intelligence and plan for the future. Practitioner observation is an important part of Forest School pedagogy. Observations link into ‘scaffolding’ and adapting experiences to learning and development. Scaffolding links to Jerome Bruner and his theory on Scaffolding. â€Å"A ‘scaffold’ ensures that children aren’t left to their own devices to understand something. The support is removed when the student is ready, like the scaffolding that supports workers who’ve been constructing or repairing a building, which is removed when construction is complete.† http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/jerome-bruner-scaffolding-and-constructivism-theories.html#lesson E5. Describe the materials and resources that support the children’s learning  in your chosen approach. E6. Provide information on how these materials and resources are used to promote learning. E7. Explain the role of the practitioner in supporting learning in your chosen approach. In a Forest School, the role of the practitioner to boost and develop self-esteem and self-belief and confidence by suggesting small, manageable tasks and ensure that they have time and freedom to learn at their own pace without pressure. This supports the children’s learning because they are At a forest school, the role of the practitioner is to constantly model suitable behviour and encourage the children to develop better awareness of their own and other’s emotional needs. The role of the practitioner is to complete all health and safety and risk assessments. They must follow all policies and procedures. The role of the practitioner is to administrate first aid when needed and maintain a first aid it at all times. The role of the practitioner is to count the equipment in and out as well. All this is done to make sure the children and kept safe from any kind of harm and to maintain the safety and welfare of all the children. The role of the practitioner is to always take into consideration the specific needs of a particular group of children or an individual child and will ensure that every child is respected as an individual, that bullying is not tolerated and that the rules and guidelines are followed. In the event of an emergency they will direct the group to safety. Another role the practitioner must do is complete child observations. This helps the practitioners to understand how individual children learn and play. Also helps with planning so the practitioner can tailor activities to meet each child’s individual needs. The role of the practitioner is to make sure that they complete planning, ensuring that all the children are getting the best out of their experience and by making sure it is a stimulating and inspiring experience for all children and meet the individual needs of all children and the developmental stages of The Early Years Foundation Stage. The role of the practitioner is to maintain the Forest School site. Ensure environmental considerations are being met by making sure the site is kept clean and tidy after every session at the Forest School.

Swire Swot

Such issues increase the operating costs of the group which may adversely impact Swore Pacifism's results of operations profitability. Swore Pacific has operations in Asia, Europe and North America. Despite having a global presence, the group's operations are concentrated in Asia, mostly in Hong Kong. During PAYOFF, the group generated about 89. 4% of its revenues from Asia out of which 51. 3% were generated from Hong Kong only. Overconfidence on one geographic region makes it susceptible to changes associated with the economic and political situation of the country.Concentrated operations could also make Swore Pacific uncompetitive against rivals who have globally diversified operations. Partnerships and Joint ventures enhancing business The group is expanding its presence through partnerships and Joint ventures. In December 2013, Swore Foods Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Swore Pacific, formed a 60/40 coffee Joint venture for Hong Kong and Mainland China with Movements Foods Lic ensing, a subsidiary of Movements Holding GAG.Movements Foods Licensing will contribute its brand and its coffee expertise to the new company, while Swore Foods Holdings will provide an area-wide distribution network and its knowledge of the Mainland Chinese market. Similarly, Swore Properties, through Marvel Glory Limited, a joint venture company formed with other partners, entered into an agreement to acquire a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITE Pacific Limited which indirectly owns DC Commercial Centre, in December 2013. These Joint ventures could enhance the group's business and improve its market share.Increasing spending on food in merging markets As the global economic shift towards the emerging economies continues, opportunities for several industries including the food and beverage manufacturing sector are created. According to industry estimates, approximately 58% of processed food is consumed by developing countries, owing to factors like a rapid increase in population in th ese countries. Furthermore, by 2050, it is expected that nearly 72% of the food consumption will happen in the developing countries supported by the fact and India. Swore Pacific derived 21% of its total revenues in PAYOFF through its beverages segment.The beverages segment of the group has the rights to manufacture, market and distribute the products of the Coca-Cola Company in Hong Kong, Taiwan, seven provinces in Mainland China and in the western US. Counting on these huge markets being created, companies like Swore Pacific are increasing their investments in emerging countries and looking at expanding their businesses. This trend of increasing spending on food in emerging markets is likely to increase the group's Beverages business. Page 6 As a global business, Swore Pacific is vulnerable to several local business risks in different countries.The group may increasingly become exposed to changing political, social, legal and regulatory obligations at the national and internationa l level, such as those required by the European Union or the World Trade Organization. These regulations include changes in tariffs and trade barriers; competition law requirements, such as restrictions on the group's ability to own or operate subsidiaries or acquire new businesses in certain Jurisdictions; delays in the process of obtaining or maintaining licenses, permits and governmental approvals necessary to operate certain businesses; and environmental laws and regulations.These regulations could have an adverse impact on the group's strategic planning and geographic expansion. Swore Pacifism's principal business operations face significant competition across the diverse markets in which they operate. New market entrants, intensification of price competition by existing competitors, product innovation or technical advancement could adversely concern the group's financial condition and results of operations. The group faces several competitive risks across its divisions.In mari ne services division, with a large number of newly built vessels continuing to enter the offshore racket, increased competition is expected to result in further pressure on charter rates. This could result in a decline in Swore Pacifism's revenues. Similarly, in the property business, an increasing number of developers are undertaking property investment and development in China, which could result in lower returns achieved on the group's property developments.Intense competition in the group's key divisions could impact the group's financial condition and results of The demand for petroleum and related products has historically been cyclical and sensitive to the availability and prices of oil and related feedstock. Historically, international prices of crude oil and refined products have fluctuated widely due to many factors that are beyond the control of companies like Swore Pacific, which has substantial interest in the aviation business through Catchy Pacific group, the HASTE gr oup and YACHT.Fuel prices and availability are subject to wide price fluctuations based on geopolitical issues and supply and demand, which can neither be controlled nor accurately predicted. The high Jet fuel price had a major impact on Catchy Pacifism's operating results in 2012. Regardless of the effect of fuel hedging, Catchy Pacifism's fuel costs increased by HOOK$323 million ($41. 6 million) (or 0. 8%) in 2012. The Jet fuel price, which was $12. 7 per million British thermal unit (Btu) in 2009 is expected to reach $23. 7 per million Btu in 2015.It is further forecast to grow to $27. 6 per million Btu by 2030. Furthermore, the political turmoil in the Middle East has impacted the oil prices. Page 7 Historically, fuel costs have generally represented 10% to 15% of an airline's operating costs, but due to volatility in prices over the past few years, fuel costs have been in the range of to 40% of total operating costs. Thus the increase in global ND regional oil prices exposes th e group to extreme fluctuations in earnings, which is likely to have an adverse consequence on its growth initiatives.Any inability to obtain Jet fuel at competitive prices would materially have an impact on Swore Pacifism's results of operation and financial condition. Page 8 Copyright of Swore Pacific, Ltd. SOOT Analysis is the property of Marketing, a Denominator business and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.