sam Essays - Love, Emotions, Philosophy Of Love, Romance

What is a successful relationship? Too many people constantly search and strive to attain that bond with some without fully understanding the component involved in making it happen. According to Dr. Phil there are ten relationship myths that everyone should be aware of so that they might think their relationship is a failure simply because they aren?t following or meeting the ground set ?rules?. Here is a list of the ten relationship myths: A great relationship depends on a great meeting of the minds. A great relationship requires a great romance. A great relationship requires great problem-solving. A great relationship requires common interests that bond you together forever. A great relationship is a peaceful one. A great relationship lets you vent all your feelings. A great relationship has nothing to do with sex. A great relationship cannot survive a flawed partner. There is a right way and a wrong way to make the relationship great. Your relationship can become great only when y ou straighter your partner out. In Dr. Phil?s article about the ten relationship myths I think that his approach and suggestions to how one should view and base their relationships is real and applicable. Myth number one states that ?A great relationship depends on a great meeting of the minds?. Personally I don?t believe that statement simply because there are major differences between a male and female. According to Dr. Phil men and women are differently wired. Because of the fundamental differences in males and females it is highly unlikely to come across partner that would share common goals and values. Throughout this article Dr. Phil continues to talk about the relationship myths that most people abide by. Surprisingly most of the arguments that he makes against these myths I come to agree on. Although I don?t rely much on outside sources for relationship help, I find the works of Dr. Phil to be true and benefiting to my relationship. I think that books and references such as Dr. Phil?s help me understand why some things turn out the way they do. Being a guy, I never relied on my friends or family for relationship solutions. My philosophy is buying and believing everything that values who I am. Overall I think that Dr. Phil and his views on relationships tie into the very things that I live by. I would recommend his works to anyone who is looking for relationship guidance.

How To Calculate the Margin of Error

How To Calculate the Margin of Error Many times political polls and other applications of statistics state their results with a margin of error. It is not uncommon to see that an opinion poll states that there is support for an issue or candidate at a certain percentage of respondents, plus and minus a certain percentage. It is this plus and minus term that is the margin of error. But how is the margin of error calculated? For a simple random sample of a sufficiently large population, the margin or error is really just a restatement of the size of the sample and the level of confidence being used. The Formula for the Margin of Error In what follows we will utilize the formula for the margin of error. We will plan for the worst case possible, in which we have no idea what the true level of support is the issues in our poll. If we did have some idea about this number, possibly through previous polling data, we would end up with a smaller margin of error. The formula we will use is: E zÃŽ ±/2/(2√ n) The Level of Confidence The first piece of information we need to calculate the margin of error is to determine what level of confidence we desire. This number can be any percentage less than 100%, but the most common levels of confidence are 90%, 95%, and 99%. Of these three the 95% level is used most frequently. If we subtract the level of confidence from one, then we will obtain the value of alpha, written as ÃŽ ±, needed for the formula. The Critical Value The next step in calculating the margin or error is to find the appropriate critical value. This is indicated by the term zÃŽ ±/2 in the above formula. Since we have assumed a simple random sample of a large population, we can use the standard normal distribution of z-scores. Suppose that we are working with a 95% level of confidence. We want to look up the z-score z*for which the area between -z* and z* is 0.95. From the table, we see that this critical value is 1.96. We could have also found the critical value in the following way. If we think in terms of ÃŽ ±/2, since ÃŽ ± 1 - 0.95 0.05, we see that ÃŽ ±/2 0.025. We now search the table to find the z-score with an area of 0.025 to its right. We would end up with the same critical value of 1.96. Other levels of confidence will give us different critical values. The greater the level of confidence, the higher the critical value will be. The critical value for a 90% level of confidence, with a corresponding ÃŽ ± value of 0.10, is 1.64. The critical value for a 99% level of confidence, with a corresponding ÃŽ ± value of 0.01, is 2.54. Sample Size The only other number that we need to use the formula to calculate the margin of error is the sample size, denoted by n in the formula. We then take the square root of this number. Due to the location of this number in the above formula, the larger the sample size that we use, the smaller the margin of error will be. Large samples are therefore preferable to smaller ones. However, since statistical sampling requires resources of time and money, there are constraints to how much we can increase the sample size. The presence of the square root in the formula means that quadrupling the sample size will only half the margin of error. A Few Examples To make sense of the formula, let’s look at a couple of examples. What is the margin of error for a simple random sample of 900 people at a 95% ​level of confidence?By use of the table we have a critical value of 1.96, and so the margin of error is 1.96/(2 √ 900 0.03267, or about 3.3%.What is the margin of error for a simple random sample of 1600 people at a 95% level of confidence?At the same level of confidence as the first example, increasing the sample size to 1600 gives us a margin of error of 0.0245 or about 2.5%.

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion - Assignment Example The benefits of maximizing health and safety for the workforce as well as the organization include improved productivity of workers, improved psychological and emotional well-being of workers, and their increased motivation. The beneficial effects of maximizing the health and safety of the workforce become evident in terms of achievement of organizational goals, expansion and growth of business, and increased profitability for all. Organizations can promote the health, fitness, and psychological adaptation of their employees in a variety of ways. For example, the organization should disallow smoking in the office. This would not only keep other employees safe, but would also discourage the smokers from smoking which might drive them out of this habit. The organizations should provide the workforce with only healthy meals as snacks and for lunch. Workers would only drink soft-drinks if they would be available at the cafeteria. Organizations can substantially control their workers’ eating and drinking habits by carefully deciding the menu. The psychological adaptation of workers can be increased with thoughtful design of jobs, leadership approaches, organizational culture, and organizational policies. Generally, organizations should try to develop and foster a culture wherein employees think of the organization as their second home, and where they live and work together like a family, where seniors should be respected and juniors should be loved, and where leaders work in close collaboration with the followers rather than maintaining distance from them. Major sources of stress for me at work include but are not limited to overburden of work, lack of sufficient resources, unrealistic expectations of the boss, lack of a cooperative team, and racism and bullying. I have observed that many people feel stressed on jobs because of these or

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

System Analysis and Design - Essay Example Due to the dificulties that the company has experienced, the manager has decided to hire a team that will implement an enterprise information system that will improve the comapanys revenue by autotamtic all the business processes.The new system primarily targets the processing of prescriptions since the process is still paperwork. This report gives details of the analysis and preliminary findings of the existing system. It covers the analysis of different business operations which requires automation. All the activities and task mentioned in the case study are captured in the report. These include prescription processing and generation of reports. The details of how the daily processing of the order is given. The report tries to identify and analyze the business problems that SC Company faces. Fundamental causes of these business problems are deliberated on. The report also gives a blueprint of each and every aspect of the business that requires to be automated. The analysis of whether the problems identified in the system can be solved throught the implementation of new information system (Yang 2010). The report will also gives details of the intial finding and recommend other relevant sources where the information about the system can be found. The preliminary finding covers all the sections that need to be automated. The finding involves analyzing how the current business processes are carried out. The company has issues with customer-delivery billing system. The system has become cumbersome to manage because the work load is becoming too much and complex. The medicare and nursing home reimbursement procedures and care providers contracts. The people who used the system have been forced to pay for the cost incurred due to inefficient system. There is also an issue with the billing software. The company which used to carry out routine maintenance has closed the business and hence the maintenance is done by the company’s employees, who lack

Marketing Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing Cultures - Essay Example Subway India unlike USA offers various veg and non-veg stations specialized in fast food services. These stations give fast food service ranges from: This is a crunchy, crispy, and delicious Veggie Delite sandwich. It is a tasty combination of tomatoes, garden fresh lettuce, green peppers, olives, onions and pickles sandwiched on freshly baked bread Most vegetarian who loves this subway fast food livened up! It is a light, golden brown patty that combines the flavors of high-quality carrots, beans, bell peppers, and other assorted ingredients. As Indians say, the spice of life is variety! All these varieties emerge from the various veg and non-veg stations in Subway India but one may not necessarily get them in Subway USA due to the fact that there is only one veg and non-veg station in Subway USA. The Subway sandwich chain intended to team up with Softcard in an effort to offer customers a means of buying food via their own mobile phones (Gong, 2013:28). Indeed, Subway lived to its words and kicked off the NFC-based mobile payments using Softcard, a payments venture engineered by T-Mobile USA, AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. Previously known as Isis Wallet, Softcard provided an app which supported mobile payments in at least 80 mobile devices sold by T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon and was preloaded on at least 30 different devices. Consumers were now able to utilize their NFC-enabled mobile devices to access payment terminal at their regional Subway restaurant in USA when paying for their food. This pilot program was only launched in Subway USA in 2013 and not in Subway India. The intention of payment service from the NFC-enabled mobile device was to reach at least 26,000 Subway locations within the US. The question as to whether iPhone 6 users will tap into Apple Pay to take advantage of these new systems was still valid by late 2013. However, Softcard and

Construction Techniques for Bridges

Construction Techniques for Bridges Structure of report An extensive part of this report was dedicated to the literature review. Though actually the most interesting part is the one which concerns to the results of the vulnerability of bridge of the case study, it is not admissible to neglect all the general considerations based on an extensively research in technical text, through which was possible to determine the specific structure, the method and the phases of construction, the type of analysis to be carried out and in which way the results have to be read. Indeed close attention is needed in interpreting the results due to limitations of the specific case under consideration and at the same time because of the need to generalize the specific results for use on a larger scale of projects. In the literature review section of the report a general study about bridges has been developed. This has been done investigating the history, the evolution, as well as the technologies and trends of bridge design, with particular attention to recent developments in California. Construction techniques have also been analyzed in more details referring to many important projects, based on international literature, scientific journals and technical books. Then the earthquake section was covered. In the section about Codes of practice an overview of the most important aspects has been made and few tables of interested have been attached to justify the choices made in the case study. Type of Analysis of previous papers The second part, elaborated with the support of the software SAP2000 BRIDGE Modeler, follows the development of the project of a common bridge in California according to the local and currents codes of practice. Literature review An extensive literature review was conducted to understand which is the state of the research and the interest of the codes in assured performance behavior of the bridges during phases of construction. Bridges Among all the engineering sciences, bridge engineering is one of the most complex because involves in itself a lot of disciplines, from technical to aesthetic, from environmental to social, from economic to political aspects. Without any doubt the technical and the economic factors are those that strongly influence engineers choices in designing a bridge, but they do not cover all the design process. Using Troitsky words Planning and designing bridges is part art and part compromise (Chen, Lian Duan, 1999). For understanding recent trends in bridge design and construction it is of high importance to consider the development that bridge engineering has undergone during centuries. History illustrates that social and economical changes in a nation have been reflected on bridge engineering development. At different historical moments, various types of bridges have been built for many purposes with the new technologies at each time. From the 19th century, due to the big industrial growth, bridges have been built essentially as part of the transportation system. During the 20th century, bridge engineering has been characterized by big changes in the structural solutions and methods of constructions because of the diffusion of the reinforced concrete. The designers had finally a large possibility of choices between materials, methods of constructions and technologies of analysis. This led to the actual scenario where multiple type of bridges are in operation highlighting the wide creativity of bridge engineers. Designing a bridge, the main important parameters to take in account in choosing the best solution are: location, span, material, type of foundation, scheme of the bridge, type of superstructure, type of supports, method of construction. Regarding materials, nowdays timber is used only for temporary bridges, then for ordinary bridges the choice is between reinforced concrete and steel. Depending on the span of the structure one material is to be preferred to the other. For spans between 65ft and 330ft reinforced concrete gives the best compromise, for spans greater than 330 ft steel is recommended. The span influences also the system of the bridge: for small and medium spans a beam bridge is commonly used, for spans longer than 160 ft an arch system could be adviced and a suspended bridge can be the solution for very long span bridges. These are only indication, and every single case has to be evalued considering limitations due to location, codes, cost and typical bridge of the area . It is a good rule of practice to consider typical projects recent designed in the area in which there is the purpose of insert a new bridge structure, if the medium-span is the one of interest. (Chen, Lian Duan, 1999). Structural Types This paragraph intends to provide a list of the several commonly used types of bridges, highlighting the differences for geometry, analysis, economy. This list is not to be intended complete, as other type of bridges may be design, in which case, specific deep studies have to be done in order to analyse the particular solution. According to Raina it is possible to categorize bridges in six different types of superstructure regarding the material which is made of. Materials commonly used for building the superstructure of permanent bridges are: Reinforced Concrete Prestressed Concrete Masonry Steel Mix of steel and reinforced concrete or mix of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete Special superstructures with cables For each material there are possibilities of different kinds of sections. 1. Reinforced Concrete Superstructures can be simple span or continuous span; balanced cantilever, arch or frame, tipically utilized for short span bridges. Some parts may be precast. Solid Slab Used for spans between 5 and 14 meters Slab and girder (T-beam bridges) Used for spans between 14 and 25 meters Hollow box girder Used for spans between 25 and 70 meters Characterized by a high torsional resistance, is suitable for curved paths. 2. Prestressed Concrete Superstructures can be simple, balanced or free cantilever, or continuous span. It is possible to have segmental cast in situ or precast solutions. Prestressed Concrete superstructures cover medium spans. Hollow slab Used for spans between 10 and 25 meters Slab and girder (Girder bridges) Hollow box girder 3. Masonry superstructures have been associated with arch bridges in the past centuries. This type of bridges is not of relevant importance for this study, which is relative to new bridges under construction. 4. Steel Superstructure typically consists in a steel truss deck and covers long spans. 5. Composite superstructures can have the following deck types: Longitudinal plate girder and transverse beam girder with concrete slab Longitudinal and transverse beam girder with concrete slab Longitudinal box girder with concrete slab The deck arrangement can be simple span or continuous span, or arch and covers medium and long spans. 5. Special superstructure Cable stayed bridges Suspended bridges These structures are of relatively new conception and in last century have been used for long span solutions. (V.K.Raina, 1994). New trends According to Caltrans informations, in California the majority of bridges have been built with the cast-in-place (CIP) technique (See also fig.x?). This method of construction provides a good compromise between bridge cost and seismic performance of the structure. Commonly CIP system requires big effort in design and preparation at the site; often needs framework to support and long time for casting and finishing. An ever-increasing requests of new way of transportation has been registered due to the rapid growth of population and the high economic standards, added to the aging of infrastructures and the introduction of new seismic design criteria. The transportation planners are searching for new solutions that can accelerate highway and bridge construction in alternative to the traditional ones. Caltrans engineers are looking at precasting to try to achieve the Accelerating Bridge Construction (ABC); they are developing research and studies to understand the effectiveness of precas t solutions in reducing construction time on site and delays in the decongestion of traffic. In the beginning, Caltrans was concerned about the behavior of the precast structures in high seismic zones, because there was not a long tradition in the earthquake prone areas. Precasting has been usually considered having too many points of connection which are weaknesses for seismic performance capabilities. The University of California-San Diego conducted tests on the seismic behavior of precast segmental bridge and the results showed that this kind of method gives desirable performances also for high seismic zones. (Aspire, Spring 2007) In the last 3 years few projects have been completed successfully in California with prefabricated elements, and even if they costed 30% more than it they were built with traditional CIP method, the reduced time-on-site guarantees a overall gain. Economic analysis and Quantity trends In the figure above is graphically shown the trend of the Bridge Construction Cost Index in California over the last 45 years. It is evident how the index cost has been increasing over the decades, although sometimes decrements have been registered. This is possibly due to periods of regressions in the economy of the State or due to improvements in various technical aspects of construction and consequently in the adoption of new, cheaper and better designed solutions. It is very difficult to forecast the cost of bridge engineering works, as they are related to a lot of uncertainty parameters like economic situation, inflation, local environment. By the way an effort in this sense has been done to have some costs of Seismic Codes WHICH SEISMIC CODE AASHTO Standards Specifications give provisions of minimum requirements for conventional bridges with span not exceeding 300ft. There are some general indications about cable-stayed bridges, suspended bridges, arch bridges but these are not fully covered. The fundamental principles on which the Standards are based on are the following points: Structural performance should be ensured without significant damage (elastic range) under small and moderate earthquakes Design has to be carried out applying realistic ground motion accelerations Large earthquake should not cause collapse The Codes are valid for all United States and the seismic risk varies a lot through the Country. Reading the acceleration contours on the hazard map (fig.20?) the acceleration coefficient A, relative to the place of interest, is determined dividing by 100 the value read; the map is based on a return period of 475 years for events with 10% probability of exceedence in 50 years. Four Seismic Performance Categories (SPC) from A to D (AASHTO SDC) or from 1 to 4 (AASHTO LRFD) are defined (fig.20?) on the base of the Acceleration Coefficient (A) and two Importance Classification (IC) parameters categorize every bridge as Essential (I) or Critical (II) regarding its importance (fig. 22?). To take into account the soil conditions a Site Coefficient (S) has to be used in the design process for all type of foundation for approximates the effect of the soil modification on the structural behavior (fig.22?). S coefficient varies from 1 to 2 for soils from rock to soft clays or silts. For those c ases in which is not possible to determine the characterization of the site, a soil Type II with S=1.2 should be assigned. With this specifications the elastic seismic response coefficient Csm has to be calculate for the Tm period of vibration of the structure that corresponds to the mth mode. Csm is defined by the Code (3.10.6.1 AASHTO LRFD) as a function of A, S and Tm. Seismic design forces for substructure and connections have to be determined dividing the elastic forces by the appropriate Response Modification Factor given for each Importance Category of bridge. To consider the variability of the directions in which the earthquake may occur, two combinations of orthogonal seismic forces have to be apply to the superstructure of the bridge with the proportion of 100% and 30% in each direction. The Code (AASHTO LRFD) defines a vertical support as a column if the ratio of the clear high to the maximum dimension of the cross section is not less than 2.5. If the ratio is less than 2 .5, the requirements for piers have to be satisfied. A pier can be analysed as a pier in its strong direction and as a column in the weak one. Analysis Method The objective of seismic design is to define forces which structures are subject to, calculate elastic and inelastic deformations, study the ductile behavior of the structure and verify the ability of the single elements to resist. Different methods of analysis were found in the literature review with different assumptions and for different scopes. Briefly it will be given a list of the methods covered by the codes. Analytical Methods ESA Equivalent Static Analysis EDA Elastic Dynamic Analysis ISA Inelastic Static Analysis Structural System Global Analysis Stand-Alone Local Analysis Transverse Stand-Alone Analysis Longitudinal Stand-Alone analysis Simplified Analysis ESA Equivalent Static Analysis can be used to estimate the displacement demands of those structure with uniform stiffness, responding by the predominant mode of vibration, where dynamic analysis would not give significantly different results. (Cetinkaya, Nakamura,Takahashi,2005) EDA Elastic Dynamic Analysis can be used to estimate the displacement demands of those structures where ESA does not give a good response of the dynamic behavior. The effect of applying design spectral acceleration likely results in stresses exceeding the linear range. This is due to the contribution of the soil, yielding in the structural elements, expansion of the joints. According to recent Caltrans specifications (Caltrans SDC (v.1.5)) an Ordinary Bridge can be analyzed either with Equivalent Static Method or Linear Elastic Dynamic Method for estimating the displacement demands. For establish the displacement capacity of the elements a nonlinear analysis is required to take into account the ductility of the structure. Pushover analysis Case study The case study has been chosen after evaluating the trends in bridge construction in California in the last ten years. The trend shows that the majority of bridges designed in recent past are of medium span, built with the cast in place technique. A very high percentage of these are prestressed box girder built by segments with the balanced cantilever erection method. Since the interest of this study is aimed at predicting the likely behavior of the bridges that will be probably built in the next future in California, the choice was made in that direction. Precast!!!!!NEW TRENDS The main objective of this study is to study the vulnerability of the bridge under the seismic load if the earthquake is going to occur during the construction phases. Before doing this, however, is fundamental to be sure that the bridge (case of study), after work completion and during life time under live loads, will respond satisfying all safety criteria required by the current local codes. We are talking about small earthquakes if the performance behavior of the structure has to stay in the elastic range, because this is a principle that governs the bridge design according to the codes of practice. Structural System The solution adopted consists in a prestressed cast on site concrete box girder constructed with the segmental balanced cantilever method, with a mixed system of prestressing cables in post-tension. Stages of Construction One of the most significant aspect of the bridge under consideration, that affects the all the design phases, is the definition of the bridge behavior during construction in the sequential progression of structural configurations. Therefore, issues relating to structural analysis during construction and those due to the actions in the final phase, have been examined in depth. Modeling The modeling has been conducted The capacity demand of vertical supports is a complex function of a lot of variables including: Ground motion characteristic Required design level Period of vibration of the structure Material behavior Elastic damping coefficient Soil condition and foundation type The geology of the ground and the morphology of the site play a key role in the design stage and govern the choices to be made in terms of foundations, maximum span length and construction type. A subsurface investigation in the vicinity of piles and abutments is necessary to identify a suitable foundation type. The economic aspect is also affected because, depending on the geological situation, in case of high risk of liquefaction or slope stability the cost of foundations can vary greatly and reach very high costs in proportion to the total cost of the structure. In the case study taken into consideration, there was no possibility to determine the required type of the foundations due to the lack in knowledge of the geology of the soil. The feasible foundation options that could be proposed are many and, depending on the particular one chosen, they could significantly change the behaviour of the structure under seismic load. It was therefore preferred to leave the type of foundations as undefined and study the behaviour of the superstructure (piers and abutments) by assigning a good degree of restraint at the base of the substructure. Basically in the analysis model the base of the substructure has been fully restrained neglecting the possibility of deformation. This decision is based on the assumption that a fully fixed restraint (as the one simulated/assigned in the analysis model) will never occur in reality, regardless the type of foundation chosen; this means that the reactions at the base obtained from the model will be higher than the ones expected in reality, guarantying a conservative approach of the study. On the other hand the scope of this study is not the full design of the bridge, but the variation of the seismic vulnerability during the construction process, hence the previous assumptions, constant during the study of all construction stages, do not affect the final results. This means that making sure that the limitations deriving from these assumptions are taken into consideration, it has been possible to interpret the results appropriately as described in the following paragraphs. Analysis procedure The project of the bridge should be feasible in the near future at the location indicated and therefore the completed structure has to be able to withstand to all the loads defined by the codes, including seismic loads. Therefore, the first phase of this study involved the design of the bridge sections by analyzing bending, shear and torsion in superstructure and substructure. Usually, while conducting a push-over analysis, the structure is pushed till collapse is reached. This means that the structure would be allowed to pass the linear state and undergo to the non-linear one with the progressive formation of plastic hinges. Plastic hinges are a exemplification of cracking and initial damages in the structure. Wherever they occur, is not admissible to have cracks in the structure during construction of the bridge. For this reason the capacity of the piers to resist to seismic loads during construction has been evaluated through linear pushover analysis. Therefore the structure behavior has always been considered linear and when plastic hinges started occurring, which means that the structure was dissipating energy while cracking, the pushover has been stopped because the piers were considered damaged. Since the structure was reproduced with a 3-dimensional model, two different pushover analysis were carried on: one in the longitudinal direction and one in the transverse direction. The two chosen directions correspond to the first and the second mode of vibration of the bridge. Longitudinal pushover analysis was performed applying a slowly increasing seismic load on the superstructure of the bridge in the same direction of the span, and transverse pushover analysis similarly in the perpendicular direction. Summary and Conclusion The discussion in this study was carried out looking at a single bridge and making some simplifications (assumptions of fixity supports, two orthogonal directions of seismic forces, no admissible damage, linear behavior) to limit the number of variables that could affect the analysis. The previous push-over results refer to different models for the different construction phases of the same bridge. It would be hazardous coming to the conclusion that these results are representative of all bridge behaviors. Surely this study can be considered a good starting point for further investigation to be carried out on bridges with different characteristics for compare and group them in classes with analogue behavior to reach a generals conclusions about seismic vulnerability during construction.

Essay --

According to our research, our analysis and our experiences, we can assume that the following statements could help us to have a better understanding on how and why there is such a big difference of suicide rate at workplace between two companies competing in the same sector: The following statements are based on Geert Hofstede organizational dimensions model and on Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s different researches about organizational culture and management style. Between those two research projects, not all of the statements would be relevant for our research, so we will highlight the ones that can give us some answers about the reason of a higher suicide rate in France Telecom than in Claro even though both are competing in the same sector. 1. Means vs Goal oriented culture This first aspect is directly related to the effectiveness of the organization. Hence, in a means oriented culture, people identify with the â€Å"how†, in other words, how they will carry on a project, while in a goal oriented culture, people identify with the â€Å"what†, that is to say that they need to achieve a specific task or results within the organization. According to our research, we can say that Claro (Colombia) is a means oriented culture while France Telecom (France) is a goal oriented culture, the â€Å"what† and the obsession of achieving goals no matter how, gives stress and pressure to the employee. â€Æ' 2. Internally driven vs externally driven With this aspect, the idea of satisfaction is not about the employee, but about the customer. In an internally driven culture, honesty and business ethics matters, while in an externally culture, the only important thing is to meet the customers’ requirements. In Colombia, the employee feel like that if they r... ...anagement orders, while the solar system tends to have an impersonal bureaucracy and a high individualism within the different management levels. 8. Deal vs relationship management In deal-oriented cultures, managers tend to focus on the task and on the project itself and want to keep the head down to business. At the extreme, some of those managers may even avoid discussions with their employees. France is a good example of deal oriented culture; indeed, managers care more about business than about people. On the other hand, in a relationship oriented culture, as it is in Colombia, managers care more about people and put value on relation with them. It is important for managers to build a trustworthy relationship with their employees and to get to know each of them in order to understand how each of them work and therefore create a nice atmosphere within the team.

The Odyssey as a Classic

Classic literature often provides insight to an ancient society, their values, and their beliefs. Many books that are considered classics today focus on ancient Rome and Greece. Revenge, hubris, and other themes, and the relation of this book to modern life, classifies the poem The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Fitzgerald, as a classic. For this reason, it is still read today. Classic themes of The Odyssey are a reason that it is a timeless tale. The concept of revenge is often shown throughout Odysseus’ journey. The reason Odysseus kills the suitors is to avenge their plunder of his abode. Odysseus kills Antinoos first since he was the leader of the suitors. Not only do mortals believe in revenge, the gods do too. They encourage Odysseus to take revenge, and Zeus even sends a thunderbolt down to signal the right time for Odysseus to strike. Another theme in the Odyssey is hubris. In most classic, the hero or protagonist demonstrates this quality. This was followed up on in The Odyssey, where Odysseus was the character who demonstrated hubris the most. After he blinded Polyphemos and successfully escaped, he screamed out his name to the monster, who did not know his real identity previous to this. This was a mistake caused by his excessive pride, because he wanted the Cyclops to know that he, Odysseus, was powerful enough to blind the son of Poseidon. Polyphemos then prayed to his father that Odysseus would have a long and difficult journey, which of course Poseidon honored. Lastly, the use of the loom in The Odyssey helps to make the poem a timeless classic. The loom is used multiple times by women throughout the story. It often demonstrates hearth and home. Penelope uses it to trick the suitors. She says that she must complete the shroud of Laertes before she chooses a new suitor. This makes the suitors respect Penelope since it displayed her kindness and honor. In reality, Penelope was really avoiding marriage by unweaving the shroud every night. Kirke also used the loom to lure Odysseus’ crew into her house and make it appeal to them. This constant use of the loom is a motif. The use of motifs makes a piece of literature a classic because they create a sense of continuity and security, and they get the reader to react. The themes of revenge and hubris, and the use of motifs allow The Odyssey to be a timeless classic. The relation of The Odyssey to modern life accounts for its continued appeal. The story of Odysseus’ journey can in many ways relate to the typical life of humans today. The story is life, but mythologized. For example, missing a loved one is something that often occurs today. In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ mother dies because she misses her son too much. Her story is told while Odysseus sees her in Hades. Second, individuals intervene in the matters of others. Other people provide their input of a problem today, while in the epic poem it was the gods. This intervening of the gods was a large part of the story. For example, if it wasn’t for Athena â€Å"erasing† the memories of the suitor’s deaths to their families, then the families would have attempted to assassinate Telemakhos and his father. Also, Odysseus’ journey would have been incredibly shorter if it weren’t for Poseidon intervening after Polyphemos prayed to him to make Odysseus’ journey longer. One of The Odyssey’s universal qualities is the relation of it to life today. Themes such as revenge, hubris, motifs, and reader-to-text connections are examples of universal qualities included in the poem The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Fitzgerald. These qualities classify this poem as a classic. 3000 years after it was published, it is still thriving. One of the oldest works of literature is still considered a timeless piece of literature today.

Civil Engineering Essays - Building Engineering, Civil Engineer

Civil Engineering Essays - Building Engineering, Civil Engineer Civil Engineering Civil Engineering Why do I want to be a civil engineer? Until recently, I did not know the answer to this question myself. I was lost when choosing a career. Then, I read about civil engineering, an occupation involving the construction of buildings, roads, and bridges. As I looked farther into civil engineering, I liked many of the other aspects involved with the career. Although the education will be difficult, I have determined that civil engineering is the career that I want to pursue. What is civil engineering? This career can not be defined using just a few words. The many obstacles that civil engineers must overcome cover a vast area of responsibilities. Civil engineers conceive, plan, construct, and operate facilities that meet basic human needs and reach out toward the realization of societys most noble goals (Auburn 106). Civil engineers solve real world problems with the combination of applying mathematics and natural sciences (Hagerty and Heer 2-3). Upon deciding to pursue a career in civil engineering, I must have many attributes that help me decide for myself if I am right for this career. Probable civil engineers can be found occupying their childhood time with mechanical toys and structural sets instead of traditional toys. These people will get enjoyment from planning, designing, and constructing works or facilities. They also have the ability to see how intelligent use of nature has made our civilization today possible and have the desire to want to improve it (Golze 41). As a child building blocks filled my toy chest, and erector sets filled my playroom. I loved the challenge of building things and making things work. A young passion for the work of a civil engineer leads me to believe I could succeed in this field. The education of a civil engineer deals mainly with math and natural sciences. The first four semesters of curriculum required, which I will take at Northeast Alabama Community College, are the basics such as Calculus I - IV, differential equations, statistics, English, history, literature, speech, chemistry, and physics (Northeast 40). After completion of the requirements at Northeast Alabama Community College, I plan to attend Auburn University. Auburn Universitys institutional mission is to prepare students for the ethical practice of civil engineering (Auburn 106). When beginning my studies at Auburn University, I will be required to take classes that go even deeper into civil engineering. Classes such as hydraulics, statics, and water treatment, are required to give an engineer a base to help solve problems in real world situations (Auburn 106). By taking classes such as these, I will be more prepared to face any problems encountered on the job. At many schools, students are able to study and gain work experience at the same time through cooperative programs. These programs allow students to get a first-hand look at experiences related to the job while still pursuing their education in that career. The close relationship between the school and the industry is important because both continue to educate the student (Hagerty and Heer 47-50). After completing my requirements at Northeast Alabama Community College, I plan to attend Auburn University and enter its cooperative program and engineering school. I hope that the knowledge I will gain from both institutions will lead me into a successful career as an engineer. Civil engineers use their knowledge of material science, engineering theory, and economics to devise, construct, and maintain our physical surroundings. The work duties depend on many different areas of specialization in engineering. A structural engineer, who is concerned with loads to which the structure is exposed, must calculate the maximum load that the structure can hold. On the other hand, a public works engineer must anticipate and be responsive to social needs. A company will start a young, inexperienced engineer out with few responsibilities. As the engineer gains experience, he or she will also gain additional responsibilities (Hagerty and Heer 89). The practice of civil engineering pays the lowest salary of all engineering fields. However, over the past few years, civil engineering graduates have seen a 2.7 % increase in their starting salaries. The average annual starting salary, according to an article in the Memphis Business Journal, is $30,618 dollars (Scott 4). Those who pursue a career in civil engineering do not make their decision based on salary. Instead, they derive satisfaction from the good done by helping meet the social and economic needs of the people (Hagerty and Heer 88). Aiding the publics most common needs is what interests me

Free sample - A Comparison of Life in the US and Life in the USSR in the 1960s. translation missing

A Comparison of Life in the US and Life in the USSR in the 1960s. A Comparison of Life in the US and Life in the USSR in the 1960sThe Soviet Union also known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a state based on socialism (Martin, 1995). This state existed on what was formerly the Russian Empire. In the 1960’s, this state had one communist Party and a planned economy. Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, led this state with dictatorship leading to economic depression, and political repression (Smitha, 2000). In the 1960’s, the United States of America’s President, Lyndon B. Johnson, led America to large-scale industrialization, egalitarianism and calmed political turbulence as Civil Activism raged. He ensured that the blacks and other minority groups had their civil liberties thus making America a democracy. During this time, America was a capitalist economy and could not tolerate Soviet’s communism. This essay explores how capitalism boosted the economy of America as communism and socialism ruined the economy of the Soviet Union. After World War 1, the capitalist economy of America got a boost from the sale of arms and other military equipment. It used the gains to build its military power and used it as a â€Å"sphere of influence† thus dividing Europe with an Iron Curtain (The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 2003). Eastern Europe embraced capitalism and thus aligned itself with U.S. while Europe’s Western Nations aligned themselves with the USSR and adopted communism and socialism. The U.S economy was market based. The price of products and services was dictated by the supply and demand curve. Economic growth saw the expansion of infrastructure, industries, and urbanization (Frieden, 2006). Suburbs emerged with the middle class transforming in search of better wages. In the education system, students were taught business management, critical thinking, and questioning authority. These educational foundations geared the emergence of successful multinational corporations that changed the business face of the world. In USSR, communism dictated that the people or the citizens should worship the leaders. The state of government was more of a police state where freedom is controlled or curtailed. This limitation to human freedom and basic rights led to decline in production from agriculture to the industry and consequently the economic decline. Socialism ensured that workers were organized to form cooperatives. They produce goods and services, the leaders take them and redistribute them to the people (The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 2003). This is what led to the slowdown of the USSR economy because the worker toils to produce and he or she is not motivated. The USSR economy was a planned economy. Price controls, state owned and controlled industries lost a lot of revenue because there was poor governance and little motivation. The education system was structured along the lines of communism. Students were taught to follow rules without questioning authority. This is what has largely contributed to the unsuccessfulness of Russian corporations because people do not want to question authority even when they see a problem. Because of this, life expectancy dropped, many people lived on less than a dollar a day, poor housing, and lack of good food made them a disillusioned lot (Martin, 1995). The USSR government could not tolerate America’s capitalism. They used socialism and communism as their â€Å"sphere of influence† and thus gained support from Europe’s Western Nations. In the 1960’s the economy of the U.S and that of the Soviet Union grew at almost the same rate-6-7 percent (Smitha, 2000). Both countries made economic gains that made them to be the world’s leading superpowers and producers of manufactured goods. The existence of two equally powerful nations led to strained relations and hostility. The main cause was competition for support from the emerging economies and third world countries. References Frieden, J. (2006). Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. New York,   W.W. Norton Company. Print. Martin, M. (1995). Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia. New York, Free Press.   Print. Smitha, E. F. (2000). End of the Cold War and the Soviet Union: The Soviet Economy to the mid-1960s. Macrohistory and World Report.

The film Solaris Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The film Solaris - Essay Example The film unsettles the audience in very many ways. The first instant where it does this is the part where Kelvin gets to the station and discovers that Gibarian has committed suicide (Solaris, 2002). This is unsettling because death or the visualization of a body is very uncomfortable. Moreover, it is unsettling as it signs to show that the film would have many such scary scenes and thus they become uncomfortable due to uncertainty. The next unsettling is seen not long after this as Kelvin goes around the station and sees many bodies. This is bound to make the audience even more uncomfortable to the site. The techniques used to achieve this unsettling is through the use of visual effects. In such a site where there are many bodies, dim light is used with several flashes of maximum light to show the large amount of bodies in the station. The lights dim again and this is used to instill some form of rush on the viewer because a dim light in an area with many bodies is bound to scare the ordinary human. Another element included in order to enhance such an uneasy scene is by zooming. As the movie progresses, parts where there are bodies present are zoomed in and this is quite uncomfortable for the site of a body is not appealing. This zooming is also used to frighten young children watching the movie for children fear death. Sound is the vastly used technique in the achievement of unsettling the audience. There are parts of the film that are calm, and even some soft music is played in the background. However, other sections of the film there exists suspense and the audience is anxious to understand what will happen next. During such times, the type of music played is quite high toned and fast. Combination of the two makes the section even scarier. At the scene Kelvin and Gordon found the stashed away body of Snow, they are surprised and shocked. Prior to finding the body, the sound produced is quite calm as a signaling of

E-Learning, the Possibilities of Replacing Traditional Learning Essay

E-Learning, the Possibilities of Replacing Traditional Learning - Essay Example This type of learning is also delivered via multimedia programmes that use text, graphics, video conferencing, and animations to better engage the learner, beneficial for auditory and visual learners as well (Takiya, Archbold & Berge, 2005). Traditional learning generally involves one or more instructors in an environment that promotes physical or auditory interaction with an instructor in the pursuit of knowledge sharing. E-learning, theoretically, provides this same function allowing for students in multiple environments to glean important knowledge using technology as the medium and replacing the physical interactivity between instructor and learner. As technology continues to improve, more and more colleges, businesses and universities are promoting new e-learning possibilities as a means to save on costs and improve the learning process. However, it is unclear as to whether e-learning maintains the same quality outcomes of traditional learning as the research evidence conflicts in relation to results of this type of learning. ... red it a vital tool for staff training, whilst 54 percent already had an e-learning programme in place or were considering developing and launching e-learning in the next year (isoph.com). This is a high volume of real-time environments that believe in the quality and integrity of these systems to achieve their learning goals. One benefit of e-learning is the self-paced functionality of the educational materials. Students or employees who learn via technology rather than in traditional format are able to schedule their own working times so as not to conflict with lifestyle needs. What this produces is more flexibility and also improves the level to which slower learners impede the progress of other students in a typical classroom environment. â€Å"Advanced learners are allowed to speed through or bypass instruction that is redundant while novices slow their own progress through content† (Kruse, 2009, p.1). What this theoretically produces is much less disruption to other stud ents and eliminates frustration with fellow learners (Kruse). In a typical environment, more gifted students often feel this frustration when content and progress is slowed by redundant learning efforts. In the United States, the state of Maine established e-learning in middle schools that reached over 42,000 students and included 5,000 instructors. When surveyed, more than 80 percent of educators believed it created more engaged students who produced higher quality learning outcomes (Intel, 2009). In Malaysia, e-learning programmes measured in 10 primary and secondary schools reported 85 percent of teachers believed it created a more collaborative and innovative learning environment when implemented in the classroom (Intel). According to Lowes (2005) students demand certain criteria when learning