Computerized Library System Essay

Introduction A library is a place in which literary and artistic materials such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for reading, reference or lending. A collection of such materials, especially when systematically arranged; a room of private home for such collection. At first glance, your library is a bunch of books with a librarian to check them out to you, and back in when you return them. Your librarian insures (of tries to, as money permits) your library is well stocked with current titles. These current titles include, in addition to  books, videos, tapes and CDs, magazines, encyclopedia, genealogical research stuff and more. The librarian also has to keep the building neat and in good repair and also these things only shows a few of the things which make up your library. Early modern libraries – Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type innovation in the 15th century revolutionized bookmaking. From the 15th century in central and northern Italy, the assiduously assembled libraries of humanists and their enlightened patrons provided a nucleus around which an â€Å"academy† of scholars congregated in each Italian city of consequence. Cosimo de Medici in Florence established his own collection, which formed the basis of the Laurentian Library. [20] In Rome, the papal collections were brought together by Pope Nicholas V, in separate Greek and Latin libraries, and housed by Pope Sixtus IV, who consigned the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana to the care of his librarian, the humanist Bartolomeo Platina in February 1475. [21] In the 16th century Sixtus V bisected Bramante’s Cortile del Belvedere with a cross-wing to house the Apostolic Library in suitable magnificence. Background of the Study Objectives of the Study: The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge about the library system. We developed a new library system for easier transactions of the library and a hassle-free job. General Objective – This study aims to design and develop library system for faster processing and hassle-free for borrowing of books of the students. Specific Objectives – In order to meet the requirements of the general objective, the following specific objectives were formulated: 1. To define possible problems in a library. 2. To analyze how the traditional library system works. 3. To prove that the proposed system is technically and operationally feasible for implementation. Statement of the Problems 1. When most users do not return books at the exact deadline. 2. When most people make noise in the library. 3. Not following a rule that one shouldn’t bring food or drinks. 4. When some of the books cannot be easily found due to unorganized compilation of it. 5. Sometimes it’s hard for the librarian to use the traditional library system so we must prefer a new system for the library. Scope and Limitation Scope – The primary objective is to develop a computerized library system that can help others in listing and manipulating the transaction throughout the borrowing and returning process of the book. The proposed system will provide an innovation for the current traditional system that others use. Limitation – Although this research was carefully prepared, I am still aware of its limitations and shortcomings. First, because of the limit, this research was only conducted only a small size of population like the also students in the entire campus. Therefore, to generalize the results for larger groups, the study should have involved more participants at different levels. Second, the population of the experimental group is small, only thirty-five students and might not represent the majority of the students of the intermediate level. Third, since the questionnaire designed to measure the students’ attitude towards the use of communication strategies might give useful information about the impacts of communicative strategies; it seems not to provide enough evidence of the students’ actual behaving to communication skills in their speaking performance. Significance of the Study The study is aimed at enhancing the existing manual processing system that will make operations more organized, efficient and convenient to use. It is also used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. A library system is usually comprises a relational database, software to interact with that database, and two graphical user interfaces (one for patrons, one for staff). Most library systems separate software functions into discrete programs called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Definition of Terms Database – An organized body of related information Library – A library is a collection of sources, resources, and services, and the structure in which it is housed; it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In the more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books. It can mean the collection itself, the building or room that houses such a collection, or both. The term â€Å"library† has itself acquired a secondary meaning: â€Å"a collection of useful material for common use. † This sense is used in fields such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, electronics and biology. It can also be used by publishers in naming series of related books, e. g. The Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology. Libraries most often provide a place of silence for studying. Librarian – A librarian a professional library worker. In most cases, a librarian holds at least a Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited library school. He or she may have additional degrees. System – A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose. The word sometimes describes the organization or plan itself (and is similar in meaning to method, as in â€Å"I have my own little system†) and sometimes describes the parts in the system (as in â€Å"computer system†). Data Flow Diagram – A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the â€Å"flow† of data through an information system. DFDs can also be used for the visualization of data processing (structured design). Flowchart – A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents an algorithm or process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting these with arrows. This diagrammatic representation can give a step-by-step solution to a given problem. Process operations are represented in these boxes, and arrows connecting them represent flow of control. Data flows are not typically represented in a flowchart, in contrast with data flow diagrams; rather, they are implied by the sequencing of operations. Flowcharts are used in analyzing, designing, documenting or managing a process or program in various fields. Chapter II Review of Related Literature Local Studies The Silliman University Main Library System began its services with only two bookcases and one small room in Silliman Hall. From this humble beginning, the library collection grew steadily. Today, with its present magnificent edifice, some observers have been heard to remark that it could well be among the best in Southeast Asia. The library aims to equip itself with updated materials, facilities, and equipment in support of the University’s quest for excellence in all its academic programs. The Library now holds more than 100,000 volumes of books on various subjects. It subscribes to local and foreign serials and maintains special pamphlet collections, namely, Filipiniana, Southeast Asia, and United Nations. It also has a Sillimaniana collection which is housed in an air-conditioned room located at the southern portion of the first floor of the library building. Materials in the collection include the Weekly Sillimanian, Sillimanian Magazine, Portal, Faculty and Staff publications, and others. Various plaques and trophies awarded to the University, as well as, portraits of present and past presidents of Silliman University are also on display. In terms of facilities, the Library provides individual study carrels for its users. In addition, there are also faculty study rooms for the use of faculty/staff members who are undertaking research work for the University, or writing their theses or dissertations. These faculty rooms are available upon application at the University Librarian’s Office. For group discussions, there are two discussion rooms available at the second floor of the library building, on a first come, first served basis. Foreign Studies It’s Time for a National Digital-Library System By David H. Rothman William F. Buckley Jr. , once denounced the growing popularity of CD-ROM’s in student research. Shouldn’t young people learn from real books? Tom Peters, a veteran public-library advocate, is coordinator of LibraryCity. org, a new online ad hoc group that will seek to deal with these matters, especially whether the national digital library should be mainly for the intellectual elite or also serve the rest of society in many directly practical ways. Peters is a former director of the Center for Library Initiatives of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a consortium of the Big Ten universities plus the University of Chicago. I am co-founder of LibraryCity, and like Peters, I hope that Darnton and others will agree with the idea of a genuine public library rich in content and services for the nonelite as well as the elite. Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society is sponsoring the March workshop to kick off its research and planning initiative for a â€Å"Digital Public Library of America. † With funds from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the project will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to define the scope, architecture, costs, and administration of such a library. LibraryCity’s intent is to augment the Harvard effort, rather than replace it, by offering a grass-roots perspective in depth. Chapter III Methodology and System Software Design Nowadays, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of electronic gadgets. Now, with the advent of such modernization in education, one way to globalize the process of research is to realize that technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in education is also vast. In addition, it is a place in which we get information in any format and from many sources. The librarian has to keep the room neat so that it is conducive for learning. The librarian is also the person who is liable for monitoring all the books that are borrowed and returned by the borrowers. The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of the computerized library system in order to support the continuous learning in various pedagogical settings. To achieve this primary goal, the study should consider the three objectives. First is to compare the existing library system from the traditional system and identify the pros and cons in both public and private learning institutions. Second is to compare and contrast the various schools or universities that successfully managed the computerized approach as new library system. Third is to identify the weaknesses and potential threats to make a recommendation on how to strengthen the computerized library system. Respondents of the Study We have asked 25 people randomly and mostly they are students and teachers. Since data for this study will be collected by mail or by giving them a questionnaire, the respondents have the convenience of answering the survey in their own home or wherever is comfortable with them. Data Gathering Technique The proponent gathered support documents and point of views of the target users and beneficiaries of the proposed system at the Customs office. The information gathered were compiled and processed for use in the development of the proposed system. The different ways of gathering information and ideas used in this study were: Interview – This technique, wherein the proponent discusses and poses question to the respondent, was used to gather data and information for the study. Refer to Appendix – B for the contents of the interviews conducted. Questionnaire – This data gathering instrument contains a series of formulated questions submitted to a number of people in order to obtain information on a particular subject matter. The proponent prepared printed paper questionnaires and distributed them to the respondents. Refer to Appendix – C for a copy of this Questionnaire. Observation – This instrument was used in analyzing the existing system. The proponent observed and noted the flow of work in the existing system. The researcher then used it to identify where problems are commonly encountered. The proponent would use the observations to suggest a better and effective system. Refer to Appendix – D for notes made during observation tours and meetings. Evaluation – This method was used to assess the capability level of the existing and the proposed system software using a set of criteria, namely: accessibility, accuracy, efficiency, and speed and user friendliness. Refer to Appendix – E for a copy of the Evaluation Form. Statistical Treatment of Data Information and data gathered in the course of the study were both qualitative and quantitative in form. For the quantitative data, the researcher applied statistical methods of analysis in order to the properly interpret and present data in a more understandable form. The following statistical methods were used to interpret the results: Percentage – This statistic refers to the relation between the part under consideration to the whole, expressed in hundredths. Ranking – This refers to arranging of scores of the data in numerical order. Frequency – This represents the number of respondents that obtained a particular score. Weighted mean Wm = f (x1 + x2 + †¦. xn) N Method Used in Developing the System This part shows the various phases of the software development which are presented as a step-by-step process for the proponent to understand better the development of the proposed system. It is in this stage where the important parts of the proposed system were put together. The proponent used the classical life cycle model which is also known as the waterfall model in developing the system. It views the software process as being made up of number of stages namely: the Planning phase, the Analysis phase, the Design phase, the Development phase and the Implementation phase. Refer to Figure 3. 0. Figure 2. 0 The Waterfall Model By: Ian Somerville Planning Phase – In this phase, a study is conducted with the aim of identifying problems in the existing system. It also determines the conditions for solving the problems, whether the proponent should spend more time and work, or gather additional information. The proponent needs an overview of the projected work to determine the, resources needed, the requirements of the system, a graphical outline of the project, and the timetable to adhere with and the projections to make. Analysis Phase – This phase is used to have a clear understanding of the existing system in order to identify problems encountered so that it may be corrected or modified. It also identifies the data and processes used in the existing system that would also be used in the proposed system but applied in an automated and organized manner. Design Phase – The proponent should design a program with a logical process flow that the target users could easily and clearly understand. Every object in the commands should be in the correct hierarchical position from main to specific functions and processes. The proponent should make a program that is designed to attract the users. Development Phase – In this phase, the proponent starts to develop the system using information from the previous phases. With the shortcomings of the existing system identified, the proponent incorporates the solutions that would make the proposed system better. The problems encountered in the existing system are now considered solved with the proposed system an enhanced version of the former. Implementation Phase – This is final phase wherein the proposed system is now installed, brought to operation and used. Prior to actual operation, the system is tested for bugs and a simulated run is conducted to verify if the proposed system indeed improves the operations of the existing system. Analytical Tools Analytical tools were used to highlight the various parts the proposed system. They served to give a graphical representation of the system to the system developer. The tools used in developing the software were: Data Flow Diagram (DFD), Visual table of contents (VTOC), Input process and Output (IPO) diagram, Program Flowchart. These were considered very important in developing the system. Program Flowchart – This is a logical chart containing symbols referring to computer operations that describe how the program works or performs. This tool was used to design and develop overall software architecture. See Appendix – (A) Context Diagram – The ‘context’ of any situation is the external environment in which it exists. In process terms, the context contains other processes that provide inputs and outputs to and from the process in question. See Appendix – (B) Visual Table of Contents (VTOC) – This shows the hierarchical structure of the system moving from general to specific. It is also the chart that allocates different entities within the main program. See Appendix – (C) HIPO (Hierarchy plus Input-Process-Output) – technique is a tool for planning and/or documenting a computer program. A HIPO model consists of a hierarchy chart that graphically represents the program’s control structure and a set of IPO (Input-Process-Output) charts that describe the inputs to, the outputs from, and the functions (or processes) performed by each module on the hierarchy chart. See Appendix – (E) Proposed System (Screen Layouts) – You can see the appearance of the entire skin layout of the system. See Appendix (F) Exploded Diagram – A more detailed than the context diagram. See Appendix – (G) Data Flow Diagram (DFD) – It represents all the entities to the system, the flow of the data from the beginning to the end, together with the processes undertaken. Refer to Appendix G for the Data Flow Diagram used in developing the system. See Appendix – (H) Gantt chart – is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. See Appendix – (I) Chapter IV. Recommendation This research study suggest that Conclusion APPENDICES Appendix A The Flowchart of the Proposed Library System F T NO YES Appendix B Context Diagram Appendix C Visual Table of Contents (VTOC) Appendix D Module: Login Title: Computerized Library System Reference: 1. 0 Author: Group 3 |INPUT |PROCESS |OUTPUT | |Mouse Click |If the choice is username then load and display|Username | | | | | |Login Form |If the choice is password then load and display|Password | Module: Information of the Student Title: Computerized Library System Reference: 2. 0 Author: Group 3. |INPUT |PROCESS |OUTPUT | |Mouse Click |If the choice is name of student then load and |Name of Student | | |display | | | | | | | |If the choice is course then load and display |Course | | | | | | |If the choice is section then load and display |Section | |Information of the Student | | | | |If the choice is year level then load and | | | |display |Year level | | | | | | |If the choice is add student then load and |Add Student | | |display | | Module: Details of the Book borrowed; date borrowed Title: Computerized Library System Reference: 3. 0 Author: Group 3. |INPUT |PROCESS |OUTPUT | |Mouse Click |If the choice is Name of the Book then load and|Name of the Book | | |display | | | | | | | |If the choice is Author of the Book then load |Author of the Book | | |and display | | |Details of the book Borrowed; Date | |Date Borrowed | |Borrowed/Returned |If the choice is Borrowed then load and | | | |display | | | | |Date that the book will be returned | | |If the choice is Date that the book will be | | | |returned then load and display | | Module: List of Borrowers Title: Computerized Library System Reference: 4. 0 Author: Group 3. |INPUT |PROCESS |OUTPUT | |Mouse Click | | | |List of Borrowers |If the choice is Table view of borrowers then |Table view of borrowers | | |load and display | | Appendix F SCREEN LAYOUTS OF THE SYSTEM The screen interface of the login form [pic] The screen interface of the error message [pic] The screen interface of the main form [pic] The screen interface of the adding students form [pic] The screen interface of the details of the book form [pic] The screen interface of the table view of the borrowers form [pic] Appendix G Data Flow Diagram Verify Filling up Info. Append Student Saving new student D1 Adding Student Table viewFilling up infos. Appendix H Exploded Diagram |Task Name |Nov. 7 |Nov. 14 |Nov. 28 |Dec. 5 |Dec. 12 | | |T | |2. Compile Question for Interview | | |3. Interview | | | |4. Problem Statement | | | |5. Initial Scheduling | | | |6. Gathering of Source Document | | | |7. Identifying Customer Needs | | | |8. Concept Design and Presentation | | | |9. Research Database Option | | | |10. Individual Idea Generation | | | |11. Select Top Concepts | | | |12. Understand Technologies To Be | | | |Used | | | |13. Design System | | | Appendix I Gantt Chart |Task Name |Nov. 7 |Nov. 14 |Nov. 28 |Dec. 5 |Dec. 12 | | |T | |15. Develop Alpha Version | | |16. Develop Beta Version | | | |17. Finalize System Version | | | |18. Final Revisions and | | | |Defense | | | |19. Defense of the System | | | |20. Revisions of | | | |Documentation | | | |20. Submission of Final | | | |Revision | | | Bibliography Credits: www. wikipedia. com www. ivythesis. typepad. com www. ideo. columbia. edu www. thesisblog. com www. thefreelibrary. com ———————– [pic] Planning Phase Analysis Phase. Design Phase Development Phase Implementation Phase 2. 1 Name of Student 2. 0 Information of the Student 1. 2 Password 1. 1 Username 1. 0 User Login Print Error msg Print FrmAdd FrmAdd Autho- rization r 4. 0 List of Borrowers 3. 0 Details of the book; date borrowed/returned 2. 0 Student Information 1. 0 Administrator Login Student 0. 0 Computerized Library System 0. 0 COMPUTERIZED LIBRARY SYSTEM Librarian Start Administrator Login Form Print FrmLogin Verification Error Message Saved A A Student Info. Print FrmMain Saved Details of the book; Date borrowed/returned. Print FrmBorrow Saved List of borrowers Print View End 2. 2 Course 2. 3 Section 2. 4 Year level 2. 5 Add Student 4. 0 Details of the book; Date borrowed/returned 4. 1 Name of the Book borrowed 4. 2 Author of the Book 4. 3 Date Borrowed 4. 4 Date to be returned 5. 0 List of Borrowers 5. 1 Table view of the Borrowers 3. 0 Add Student 3. 1 Name of Student 3. 2 Course 3. 3 Section 3. 4 Year level User Login Form 1. 1 User Login 2. 1 Information of the student 3. 1 Add Student 5. 1 Producing a table of view of the students 4. 1 Details of the book | date borrowed / returned.

James Jarvis Essay

In Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country there is two protagonists, Reverend Stephen Kumalo, and James Jarvis. Both characters play significant roles to the story but James Jarvis’ situation is noteworthy and inspirational. James is an influential, dynamic character because his opinion dramatically changes upon reading his son’s manuscript. A series of events influences James to shift his mindset into the mindset of his son. An analysis on James Jarvis’ changing mindset reveals that his son’s manuscript, realizing his shortcomings, and Reverend Kumalo are all things that cause him to change drastically. When James’ son, Arthur, dies he visits Arthur’s home and finds his incomplete manuscript. When reading his writings, James finds that his son would have risked anything to help other people, and ended up doing just that. Although James is hurt by the fact that Arthur writes about his parents in a negative way â€Å"..But of South Africa I learned nothing at all.† (207), James takes the criticism and improves from it by continuing his son’s battle. James discovers that his son researches tremendously on the problems of their society, and was seeking help in the development of the social structure in South Africa. Arthur’s house contains hundreds of books and â€Å"†¦between the books there were four pictures, of Christ crucified, and Abraham Lincoln, and the white gabled house of Vergelegen, and a painting of leafless willows by a river in a wintry veld.† (176) From these pictures of Jesus, Lincoln, the gabled hose, and the leafless will ow discloses the symbolism that Arthur admires. Jesus and Lincoln were men of action; they showed love for their friends, and at the same time, their enemies. These two men suffered and died for their beliefs, the same way Arthur did. A water willow represents freedom, therefore, it can be concluded that the painting of the leafless willows represents a loss of freedom for the blacks in South Africa and how Arthur wants to gain their freedom back and help them get equal rights. When his son is shot and killed, James gets to finally know and understand him and his values. â€Å"Jarvis filled his pipe slowly, and listened to the tale of his, to this tale of a stranger† (172). James reads his sons speeches and understands his country’s segregation, relieving him of his ignorance. This comparison enables James to better understand his son and realize how concerned and devoted Arthur was for a change in humanity. After James discovers his son’s views, James starts to realize his shortcomings, and realizes that the problems of others and not only of his own. James begins to help the minority. Since his son’s death and the acquaintance of Stephen, James donates 1000 pounds to the African boy’s club. Jarvis is not just giving the money as a gift; instead he gives the money to the club because he knew the club would improve the country’s condition. Using his son’s views again, James decides to do something about Kumalo’s village, which is falling apart. He sends milk for the children, an agricultural expert, and builds a church for Ndotsheni. James builds the church because the current church in Ndotsheni is old. James and Stephen both live in the farming areas of South Africa, share the love for the same land, and what is in their lives. They each have a son of whom they consider a stranger but after they lose their sons, they begin to understand them. They both learn the problems in South Africa through their sons, and after realization, they both try to do something to improve the social, and racial differences which plague Johannesburg. Both men are strong but James Jarvis has to be the strongest for his ability to take his son’s death the way he does. Instead of being an irate, cruel, sorrowful man; he picks up where his son left off. It’s realistic that James can be forgiving to Stephen even though he is the father of Absalom, the boy who killed Arthur Jarvis. James Jarvis reacts this way because he doesn’t want anyone else to experience the same thing that happened to him; instead he wants to fix the problem before it occurs again. When his son is shot and killed, James finally gets to know and understand him and his values. â€Å"Jarvis filled his pipe slowly, and listened to the tale of his son, to this tale of a stranger† (172). He reads his sons speeches and understands his country’s segregation, relieving him of his ignorance. James Jarvis was a dynamic character that changes throughout the novel. The representation shows how South African problems educated James Jarvis, and turned him into an understanding, and influential man. If Arthur Jarvis had never been killed, James Jarvis would’ve not been educated by his son’s writings or by Stephen Kumalo.

Leopard and human conflict in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leopard and human conflict in India - Essay Example Following the drastic reduction of human activities in the Chilla Range of Rajaji National Park in India, a highly populated tiger species is affecting the existence of leopards (Harihar, Pandav, & Goyal 1366). Therefore, the latter brings up a reason to investigate some of the mechanisms of niche partitioning mainly in the leopard (panther pardus) inhabited areas of India. Based on assumptions of scholars, they opted to research on the possibility of an overlap between the tiger and leopards species. Assumptions directed that optimal habitats would now have tigers as the dominance therefore forcing leopards to move to the periphery of the protected areas (Harihar, Pandav, & Goyal 1365). Leopards’ encroachment in the Indian protected areas inhabited by humans is highly rising and causing drastic effects. Attempts to minimize the effects of human –wildlife conflict in the area have proven futile and it has become necessary to understand the mechanisms by which the conflicts appear (Pradhan, Dar, Rather, Panwar & Pala, 916). The latter is the only way to find a lasting solution for the problem. In addition, in a densely populated state like India, protected areas are minimal. In this case, large carnivores are very many, therefore, humans use landscapes as important habitats required for gene flow to occur between protected areas. Besides, humans in these landscapes possess domestic animals, which appear as easy prey for the leopards that roam around. Consequently, leopards frequent the protected areas in search of prey such as livestock and dogs. Therefore, it is arguably very vital to take care of these protected areas for the good of the human species (Athreya, Linnell, Krishnaswamy & Karanth, 2013). In India, wild cats such as leopards, tigers and lions when captured along human protected areas, do not face lethal measures due to cultural affiliations but translocated to a faraway place (Athreya, Odden Linnell, &

Advance marketing strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advance marketing strategy - Case Study Example e factors that necessitated the requirement of a CEO was who will be able to maneuver these challenges and meet the company goals and expectations (Stern, Neil & Willard, 2008). They were the resultant effect of not meeting the company’s goals due to the high low pricing strategy. This is a case whereby the retailer has to do with frequent sales so that customers enjoy huge discounts on their purchases at the expense of the company maximizing on its high prices. Declining market share is a clear indication of the weakening value of the country’s currency. Closure of stores translates to loss of jobs and a clear indication of the likelihood of losing on the company’s revenue. To solve this situation there had to be major key actors in restoring confidence not just to the customers but to the shareholders as well. Johnson is one of the major key players in this strategy. He was the CEO of the company at a time when the company was expecting to make the major transition from the high low pricing strategy to the fair price strategy (Dongwon, 2009). He was the vice president at Target in the 1990s during which he saw to it that the mass merchandiser was transformed into a hot retail brand selling stylish and affordable brands. It was at this time that he also negotiated a contract with Micheal Graves who was a designer. This was to be the first of the company’s high end sales that helped to market the company as a high end store. It was intended to give the company a competitive edge over other competitors. With a shift from high low pricing strategy to a fair and square pricing strategy the company would make sales throughout the year. Shopping experience would not be seen as a seasonal affair but as an experience that a customer would choose to have at their own disposal and with their own terms. Another key player was William Ackman who was a major shareholder of the company of approximately 18%.he was very instrumental in advocating for Johnson to take up

Project times ans costs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project times ans costs - Assignment Example One would need to consider time and costs in project management since these are the major inputs that need accuracy. To control any project well, accuracy of estimates in mandatory since good project control entirely depends on the extent to which the estimates are accurate. There is no need for under/overruns in a project. In fact, poorly managed project shows such symptoms majorly because of inaccuracies that existed during estimation or estimations were totally absent Project managers usually need to make good and informed decisions concerning the amount of the estimates that they require for the specific projects. For instance, in a project to construct a building, the construction manager would need to make accurate estimates of all the materials required so that cost estimates can be made. This will enable the manager to make informed decision on how much the cost of completing the construction would be without making any losses. This show how important accurate estimates are i n decision making. Another important factor to know in a project is how long the project would take as well as the total cost that the project will need to completion (Michael, 2008). These are questions that can only be responded to well by carrying out accurate estimation of both costs and time. Resources are very scarce, therefore the available ones should be planned well with to meet the intended needs. This can only be achieved in project management by good management of time and financial resources through accurate estimates. To control and manage a project well, one needs to develop cash flow needs. This will enable the project manager to predict the payback period of the project and even make the breakeven analysis. From the payback period, is easy to know whether the project is viable or not. It also becomes easy to know how much funds are required for the project maintenance and to achieve all these correctly, accurate estimate is required. Any good managed project require s a time phased budget. To develop this and establish a baseline for the project, accurate estimates must be done. The time passed budgets include the prices of different materials and how they change with time. Time might cause changes in the prices of materials; therefore, proper estimates need to be done to give accurate allowance for such adjustments when they occur in the future. Errors normally occur to anyone doing anything. The only difference is to what significant is the error to the project. Normally errors occur when estimations are not done correctly or just not done at all. To avoid or reduce errors in a given project, there is need for an accurate estimation to be done. This also helps in reducing under/overruns. The differences between bottom-up and top-bottom estimation techniques One must first appreciate that both bottom-up and top-bottom are project estimation techniques. However, bottom-up technique proves more accurate as compared to the top-bottom technique an d this marks the major difference between the two (Mark, 1997). The bottom-up technique, however, takes much time to carry out in as much as it is accurate. The top-bottom technique on the other hand is very fast to execute but less accurate. Bottom up technique is carried out by thoroughly by estimating each and every package of work in a WBS. This technique is normally applied once the management and its client are already committed to the project and

MATH PROJECT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MATH PROJECT - Term Paper Example In this work the cross-section of a gutter has been optimized to contain maximum water with a fixed amount (length) of the material of construction. A gutter is to be made of plastic to catch water at the edge of a roof. Naturally the manufactures would like to have a design of a gutter that hold maximum of water with a given amount of material required to fabricate the gutter. Now the problem is what should be the shape of the cross section of the gutter. This appears to be a problem of maxima and minima. Looking at the suggested cross – sections the problem reduces to minimizing the periphery of the gutter cross section for a given area of the cross-section, this is because, while the periphery is made of the construction material (here plastic) the cross-section hold the water. Let us assume that the length of material (here plastic) is ‘l’ and this is folded to make different cross – sections for the gutter with area ‘A’. Now for a given area ‘A’, the length of the material ‘L’ should be minimized or for a given length of the material ‘L’, the cross-sectional area ‘A’ should be maximum. In this analysis, four shapes will be considered – Triangular cross - section, Rectangular Cross –section, Semicircular cross – section and circular cross –

Why does communsim work in some developing countries and democracy in Essay

Why does communsim work in some developing countries and democracy in others - Essay Example It intrudes further into the lives of people than socialism does. For example, some communist countries do not allow their citizens to practice certain religions, change jobs, or move to the town of their choice (Margonis, 1993). According to Nowotny (1997), communism has been perennially perceived to have been but a -- certainly disastrous -- evolutionary accident on the road of progress. Once this error would have been corrected and once the communist system was removed, the countries concerned would, without any great difficulties, resume their rightful place on the ladder of economic and political progress. This would occur spontaneously. Errors could stunt or thwart the development. But, on the other hand, no special measures would be necessary to promote it. Markets and with them wealth; civic society and political institutions and with them democracy would install themselves without further ado. Some even claimed that this step back unto the ladder of political and economic evolution would be easier (Nowotny, 1997). Although communism is always seen as ‘the big bad wolf’, there are still studies that suggest that it is much better that developing communist countries to embrace communism f irst before venturing into capitalism. Numerous researches argue towards the success of shifting governments from communism to democracy. McFaul (2005) cited the Serbian, Georgian, and Ukrainian cases of democratic breakthrough resemble one another-and differ from other democratic transitions or revolutions-in four critical respects. First, in all three cases, the spark for regime change was a fraudulent national election, not a war, an economic crisis, a split between ruling elites, an external shock or international factor, or the death of a dictator. Second, the democratic challengers deployed extra-constitutional means solely to defend the existing, democratic constitution rather than to achieve a fundamental rewriting of the rules of the political

Victoria Secret Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Victoria Secret Marketing - Essay Example By way of vast expansion it is felt that they may not be able to stick onto this concept of self preservation. But for expansion of the stores this aspect must be totally changed and a contradictory thought is required in this. There are also whole worlds of opportunities that wait outside the US. Even under calls for protectionism by several business and government leaders, the trade agreements and reconfiguration of certain countries are undergoing and becoming a global marketplace where new ventures can be and are willingly carried out. (The Wide World of International Trade) Though many limited brand companies do recognize the potentiality of the global marketplace, the thought of executing the new venture is found to be discouraging. By way of this expansion there could be a more-deeper amount of commitment and also by opening stores in various other countries we could learn and formulate strategic business plans in wake of the expansion and which specifically addresses the new realities. Firstly to measure the potential of our expansion and target markets, the market study should try to identify certain aspects like similarities in business culture, practices as well as the law in the countries that we are going to expand. There are also other communication barriers being the language. Even the thought of spending, national tradition and religious beliefs of the people have also to be taken into account. The stability of the economic and political background of the market has also to be taken into account. What are the barriers to the limited market e ntry And also the current market size and the potential for growth have also to be taken into account for expansion (The Wide World of International Trade) There are countries that are found suitable in all the above aspects for the opening of new stores and for the expansion of Victoria Sercret. They are Tokyo, Taiwan and Korea, Singapore, Philippines. There is a market open for expanding to nearly many hundreds of stores in Taiwan alone. This is because of the reputable and retailing know-how of the country and also due to the acceptance of the people perspective in inviting new markets. For example the Starbucks Coffee International have agreements signed in opening 12 retail stores in Tokyo, 7 in Hawaii, 6 in Singapore and also in Philippines in 1998. This shows that these countries are very open to new markets and also welcome the new stores and also accept the coming of more markets into their country. (Come one, Come all, Come Every Year!) As a member of the marketing team a very vast potential market could also be visualized in Taiwan and Korea. These countries are suitable for these market expansions due to their perspective of culture and religion. If new stores are opened in these countries there could be an inviting market waiting in these countries which could benefit our expansion in the perspective of culture and religious tourism throughout the year. In this study there were also countries that may not help in expansion. They are Iraq, Syria, Iran and Caucasian countries. There could be no gain in opening new stores in these countries due to less scope in potential market. Whereas, the Arab countries could also be another good place for our expansion for opening new stores, due to the importance given to tourism in these countries. We could gain a good amount of market from the Arab countries

Fiat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fiat - Assignment Example There are many reasons such as inflation, increased competitiveness from Japanese and Korean manufacturers, the emergence of low cost Asian manufacturers, change in policies and the global crisis. As a result, huge losses have been faced in terms of sales and turnover. There are many internal issues as well that have added to the existing problem of Fiat. This can be handled by identifying the key opportunities. The transformation of opportunities into strengths is the need of Fiat to come out from the crisis. Legal and consumer trends are looking for green technology and gas- efficient cars. This can be a major advantage for Fiat as it has always been addressing environmental concerns. In this report, an analysis of all such areas has been done which have contributed towards the decline of the Fiat’s performance and ranking in the automotive industry. The aim is to figure out the problematic areas where change and direction is required. In the first section, the background of the company is discussed. The external factors such as economic or technological which are the major indicators of growth or decline in any industry are evaluated to understand the current market trends and situation. The major challenges faced by Fait group are outlined keeping in mind its strengths and weaknesses. In the end, recommendations are given in the form of solutions that must be incorporated in the company’s strategy to address the major areas of concern. Company Background: Fiat is one of the founders of European Automotive Industry and has a history of more than 100 years. The acronym of FIAT is Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. It was established on the eleventh of July 1899 by a group of investors and has its headquarters in Turin, Italy. Today, it has been operating in more than 61 countries with 1,063 companies. It has diversified into a pool of industries and has been designing and selling cars, trucks, construction & agriculture equipment, engines, mil itary vehicles, aviation etc. At the time of its inception, Giovanni Agnelli, one of the members of the Board of Directors, stood out and was known as the company’s innovator and mastermind. He had a great strategic vision and determination to make the company highly successful. Due to his utmost efforts along with the other members of the company, Fiat gained recognition at a very early stage and it is said to produce more than 10% percent of Italy’s GDP. In 1900, the first factory was opened in Carso Dante with a workforce of 150 workers who produced 24 cars. As of 2009, only the domestic workforce has reached to 198,348 workers. It has a workforce of about 223,000 people. Out of which, 111,000 are outside Italy. Fiat logo was designed in 1904 which has become a status symbol due to the superior and world-class cars manufactured by the company. During the First World War, it aimed at the production of munitions. With the rapid technological changes, developments were made at the railway sector, commercial vehicles etc. The year 1958 was marked as an economic boom for Italy which was facing a downfall due to the advent of the Second World War. The automobile sector also grew as it was the driving force for the Italian economy. Fiat experienced an increased production along with the exports from 1965 to 1977. In the year 1979, an independent automobile sector came into existence which was named as Fiat Auto S.P.A which included Fiat, Autobianchi, Ferrari, Abarth

Integrating business perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrating business perspective - Essay Example Hence, the investor looks into certain factors with a keen eye before investing into something. First and foremost, it is important to know complete detail about the business that is about to start up, its complete assessment and the analysis of the risk involved in the business. Analysis of risk factor is very important thing to know when considering to invest in a small startup business since this risk is what actually defines how much money you will earn or how much money you will lose in the future. But in certain cases the loss is worthwhile since the profit gained after a certain time period is far from the losses. For this purpose it is important to look into the idea that the party is selling and whether it has potential to grow or not and whether it will go down the drain. Generally speaking those who want to invest in such type of business should have an open mind and should know that investing in such type of business always involves the factor of risk and the elimination of this factor is hardly ever possible. To be sure of the idea that the students are selling, w e should see the product sample being shown to us and various other factors which are all linked to ache other. Another important factor to look upon when investing in such small scale business is time. Time is one of the most important factors of such type of businesses because such startups may require more than average time to get a return i.e., there should be no expectations of getting any money out of this business for three to five years. In such a case, the investor can put in his money in the form of loan which can be returned to the investor within a specific time period but there will be no profit earned in such case. The team involved in the business should also be evaluated since they are the people who are going to run the business and these people will be responsible on giving you your money back in the form of profit or in case of losses. If the team is

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Essay Example for Free

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Essay Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis can be a life threatening disease, which was first discovered in 1922 by pediatrician A.M. Stevens and S.C. Johnson. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, also referred to as TEN disease, is usually a result of a drug reaction. TEN disease is not just limited to any one part of the world or group of people, but reaches all corners of the world. TEN symptoms can start out as a simple cough, headache or a fever. At this point if it is TEN disease the following, symptoms can be a rash turning into blisters across the face and parts of the body. Treatments for those who survive are given in the hospital. At this point, your Doctor will have taken you off any medications that may be causing this infection. The frequency of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in the United States is estimated to be between 0.22-1.23 cases per 100,000 people per year. However, in HIV-positive people the rate of the disease increases to one case per thousand per year. Additionally, the rate of infection in Germany and France is reported to be between 1 to 1.9 cases per million people. The worldwide frequency of TEN is 0.4 to 1.3 cases per million annually. Regardless of world location, TEN can affect any age group, but it appears to be more frequent in people age 46 to 63 years old. TEN is more prevalent in the elderly population because they tend to use more medications, thus increasing the rate of infection. On the other hand, unlike the elderly, children tend to contract TEN by infection rather than medication reactions. Furthermore, the blood relatives of those who have been affected by TEN can be at a risk of developing the disorder because heredity is suspected in skin disorders caused by drug reactions. Therefore, blood relatives of the infected person must not use the medication that is thought to be the cause, and they should be cautious when using similar medications. The first step of treatment is to stop taking the medications that can bring on TEN. While this may help prevent further complications, treatment will be painful and take some time. One who is treating a patient with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis main job is to keep infection down and to set up IVs for fluids and nutrition so that the body has the capability to start the healing process. As stated earlier, treatment may take some time so to keep the patient as comfortable as possible, pain medication such as morphine may be administered. Treatment for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis is usually done in the ICU, and is referred to more as supportive care, which means the ICU unit tries to create a positive atmosphere for the body to fight and heal its self of this attack. In conclusion, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis may not be one of the most common diseases out there, but it would behoove one to know the symptoms, such as a rash or blisters appearing or a persistent fever and possible blisters forming in the mouth and eyes. Many confuse this beginning outbreak as the flu. Therefore, if someone you know starts having a reaction that resembles TEN, then one should seek medical help before the body is plagued with an all-out reaction that resembles the blisters of a burn victim.

The role of gold and the gold commander

The role of gold and the gold commander This chapter will examine the role of Gold, attempt to identify what makes an effective Gold Commander, and seek to establish the extent to which the interaction between Gold and Silver requires technical knowledge and understanding. The chapter will also explore the cultural component of Gold Command, and whether organisational culture places informal barriers in the path of direct entrants being accepted to undertake the role within the Fire Rescue Service. The author intends to define and explain the research question in the context of contemporary ideas and thinking, and to develop a good understanding and insight into relevant previous research and the trends that have emerged (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003) The Gold Commander is expected to exercise leadership, which traditionally would have been developed whilst operating at the operational and tactical level (following the normal career progression path). However, the recent appointment of senior managers within the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) who have joined as direct entrants since the introduction of new appointment and promotion regulations, which has allowed multi-tier entry (ODPM, 2004) will have evidenced leadership skills, which will generally have been developed as a result of working in other occupations. As has been mentioned in a previous chapter, Adam Crozier is an example of a businessman who has demonstrated an ability to adapt and excel in different occupations, and exercise effective leadership with support from subject matter experts. With jobs as diverse as the Football Association and Royal Mail, is it possible that given an appropriate level of support, and a nominal amount of training, Crozier could also demonstrate effective leadership as a Gold Commander? A business leader may lead a team and make difficult decisions through an economic crisis, in the same way that the Gold Commander is responsible for leading their team, albeit remotely from the personnel who will be working at Bronze and Silver level. As it is recognised that effective leadership processes represent a critical factor in the success of teams in organisations (Zaccharo et al., 2001, quoted in Flin et al., 2008: 132), it is clear that the role of the Gold Commander in leading the team is vitally important to a successful outcome. The leader needs to be effective in order to play a positive role in the resolution of an incident, and it is therefore necessary to define what effective actually means, Oxford Dictionaries online simply states its meaning as successful in producing a desired or intended result (http://oxforddictionaries.com accessed 24/11/10). However the measure of that success, and therefore effectiveness, is very subjective, indeed in the case of a tragi c incident involving loss of life, the quality of the leadership may be subject to scrutiny by judicial review or public enquiry. The Role of the Gold Commander During an emergency it may be appropriate to implement strategic or Gold command, however the FRS will rarely instigate a Gold Commander solely for an FRS operation, which has minimal impact on other organisations. However, whilst a Principal Officer1 may be the Incident Commander at a large, complex, or high profile incident, they will be operating at the tactical level when in command. In this situation Gold command is not applicable, although some co-ordination at Silver level is likely to be required. If the same incident required a higher degree of interoperability and a Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) were formed (HMG, 2009), it will require the attendance of a commander, who may be a lower ranking officer, but who nevertheless should have an appropriate level of experience and authority to act. This individual, formally known as the Fire Gold Commander, will set tactical parameters for Silver to operate within, and will not be expected to direct or take charge of operations on the actual incident ground. As soon as circumstances permit the Principal Officer should assume command, indicating that the positions are role related (ICS, 2008, p.21-24). However, the Police will routinely designate Gold Commanders, who will assume overall command and have ultimate responsibility and accountability for the response to an incident. The Police Gold will have a secondary role to establish and chair the SCG in order to coordinate the emergency or major incident (ACPO, 2009 p.26). This would suggest a different expectation of the role of the respective Gold Commanders, with the levels of culpability/accountability appearing to contrast somewhat. If the Police Gold Commander is required to ratify and review the progress of Silver Commanders tactical plans (ACPO, 2009 p.25) and the Fire Gold Commander is required to set tactical parameters for Silver to operate within, and prioritise the personnel and resource demands (ICS, 2008), the latter suggests a more hands-off approach. This may explain why Police Gold Commanders appear to be more reluctant to accept direct entrants at the senior level. 1 Chief, Deputy or Assistant Officer 2 Gold Silver Bronze Experiential Decision Making The definition of an appropriate level of experience as stated above is subjective, and clearly open to debate. It raises the question of whether the skills required for effective command at the operational and tactical level, are identical to those required for strategic command? Since 1985, researchers have been trying to establish how decisions are made during stressful non-routine situations, with Fire Commanders being of particular interest (Klein et al, 1993). The study of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) is concerned with how experienced people, working as individuals or groups in dynamic, uncertain and often fast paced environments, identify and assess their situation, make decisions and take actions whose consequences are meaningful to them and to the larger organisation in which they operate Zsambok and Klein (1997) (cited in Flin and Arbuthnot, 2002. p. 207). It has been stated that decisions made under stress do not follow traditional decision-making processes, and inst ead fireground commanders rely on their well developed sense of intuition (Gasaway, 2007). The amount of information required to make a decision will depend on the experience and intuition of the commander, and this has been referred to as thin slicing by Gladwell (2005) which means making very quick decisions with small amounts of information, or the concept of thinking without thinking, or the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behaviour based on very narrow slices of experience. Gladwell contends that thin-slicing can have its uses or can be a mistake. If one takes a small amount of information to generalise or make decisions in whole then decisions may be made that really are incorrect. However, sometimes a small amount of relevant information is all that is required to make decisions and act. Gladwell hints that ultimately we should only rely on thin-slicing when our intuition has been honed by experience and training as truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking. Clearly, the ability to thin slice derives from experience of the situation or similar environment, where the commander has successfully or unsuccessfully dealt with an incident and can anticipate the next problem that may arise, which links to recognition primed decision making (RPD). The question of whether thin slicing has its place in the SCG environment is debatable, as RPD is not usually associated with Gold level decision making, for strategic commanders may need to be discouraged from making decisions based on intuition, if a more analytical approach is more appropriate (Fredholm 1997, cited HMG 2008). Flin and Arbuthnot (2002, p. 214) considered the fields of aviation, military and the police, and suggested that Incident Commanders (IC) may adopt one of four decision strategies, depending on their assessment of the available time and level of risk: Recognition primed (intuition, gut feel) (If X then Y- little conscious effort need to retrieve Y) Procedures (written or memorised) (If X then Y conscious search) Analytical comparison of the different courses of action available (If X, which Y?) Creative (designing a novel course of action) (If X, have no Y, design new Y). The decision strategies are based on increasing levels of mental concentration, not just to retrieve information from the memory stores (long term memory), but to consciously operate on or think about the information retrieved (working memory) (Flin and Arbuthnot, 2002). Most of the studies involving NDM have related to decision making in dynamic environments where there is little time for the luxury of creative or analytical problem solving (HMG 2008). So how are prior operational and tactical experiences of a Gold Commander utilised, when faced with never before experienced occurrences such as the Buncefield Fire, the largest fire in Europe since 1945 which relied on creativity rather than prior experience to resolve successfully? (Wilsher, 2006) If decision making is dependent on the experiences of the decision maker, it must also rely on the ability of the Gold Commander to be self reflective. If an individual is unable to effectively reflect and learn from their experiences, they will be unable to apply the learning to future events. Considering Kolbs experiential learning cycle (as shown in figure 1), it could be that they have twenty years experience, or one years experience, twenty times. So time alone is not a pre-cursor to being an effective Gold Commander, its what has been learnt from the experiences during that time. Figure 1 Kolbs Learning Cycle (University of Leeds 2010) Leadership One of the key responsibilities of the Gold Commander is to work with partner agencies (ICS, 2008 p24). This will require a positive working relationship both before an incident occurs, as true interoperability is built on mutual understanding, familiarity and trust (ACPO, 2009). According to Goleman (2002: 51-52) relationship management relies on the most visible tools of leadership including persuasion, conflict management and collaboration. More recently, this was confirmed by Bradberry and Greaves (2005), and of course collaboration, and to a lesser extent persuasion, are components of leadership which will often be tested in the Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) environment. Much research has been conducted to quantify the desirable attributes required for effective leadership (Kets de Vries 1993; Higgs 2002, Parry and Meindl 2002). Although there are many different types of leaders, people will often prefer to work with a leader who has outstanding soft skills. Evidence in creasingly shows that the higher one goes in an organization, the more important EI can be (Kemper, 1999, p. 16). The Gold Commander should have developed self awareness, as the leadership of an organisation or team, can influence the work environment and affect everything from morale, to effective performance. The selection and development of leaders is amongst the oldest of personnel functions (Fiedler 2001), but much of early leadership selection was conducted by birthright (Northouse 2007). Throughout the past century considerable research has been conducted into leadership which can largely be placed into three primary categories; leadership traits, leadership behaviours and the situational context of leadership (Sashkin and Sashkin 2003). Northouse (2007) states that Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse. 2007: 3). Flin et al (2008: 129) suggest that leadership relates to the personal qualities, behaviours, styles and strategies adopted by the team leader. They further suggest that leaders come in various forms, with some being task specialists, and others good with people. Trait theories of leadership were popular during the early to mid 1900s, and worked on the assumption that great leaders are born great (Sashkin and Sashkin 2003) and that by defining the necessary traits of effective leaders the secrets of leadership could be unlocked (Densten 2003). If leadership was a result of definable traits then it would be reasonable to expect that a defined list of those traits would have been found after over 100 years of research. This has not been found. The main criticisms of the trait theories are that they fail to take account of the situational and contextual aspects of leadership, and many of the definitions of various traits are highly subjective (Northouse 2007). The debate continues as to whether an individual must possess a definite set of characteristics in order to be a leader in any given situation. Some authors have suggested that the traits necessary for battlefield leadership would be effective in a school environment, dismissing the impact of the situation (Sadler 1997). Research indicates that there are varying opinions on the level of requirement of these very different qualities. Annotating these qualities into a list form results in a comprehensive summation but does the Gold Commander have to possess all, or just some of them? Conversely, if the list is not exhaustive and it is possible that someone might have other leadership qualities. How does that equate? Emotional Intelligence Commanding an emergency clearly requires effective leadership, and by its very nature a dynamic incident will sometimes require an autocratic style, but is this always necessary? Is it the case that in the Gold environment, the application of softer skills is more advantageous, with Emotional Intelligence (EI) becoming a more important component? EI was first mentioned in an unpublished thesis in 1986, and was the subject of a US article published in 1990, where it is described as the ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions (Mayer and Salovey, 1990). Since that time there has been a vast amount of research and published information on the subject of EI, evidenced when the author searched for books titled Emotional Intelligence on the website of an online bookseller, returning a total of 9507 results (Amazon UK November 2010). Golemans original work is open to some debate as he seems to contradict his theory by suggesting that emotion is a biological reaction on the one hand, whereas EI can be learnt and developed. Whatever the case, it is clearly more art than science, as the interpretation of EI is subjective. It would appear that the wide interest in the subject is due to the emerging recognition of the power of EI, both in terms of personal development, with the suggested opportunity to transform an individuals life experience, health and happiness, and for transforming the effectiveness of work organisations. The developing argument is that levels of emotional intelligence are inextricably linked to levels of performance, particularly in senior positions within an organisation, a viewpoint which is often repeated (Sparrow and Knight 2006). Some organisations have embraced the principles of EI, including the Royal Air Force, which in 2002 completed a comprehensive review of leadership development, leading to the establishment of the RAF Leadership Centre. The centres website informs that the RAF seeks a particular contribution from its leaders and lists nine attributes required for effective leadership. The second attribute listed, is concerned with the possession of EI, described thus; Emotionally Intelligent Self-awareness is one of the key foundations of effective leadership. Leaders who know themselves will be able to develop self-control and subsequently understand the needs of others. This will enable them to manage relationships at all levels better and remain calm under pressure. Thus individuals will be able to function as part of a wider team, invariably multidisciplinary, increasingly joint and often multinational, in the delivery of military capability http://www.raf.mod.uk/pmdair/rafcms/mediafiles/1E8488F4_5056_A318_A8AB0AC2CFC4589A.doc. (accessed 29/11/10). In 2006 the Centre for Leadership was established at the Fire Service College. The strategy for the development of tomorrows FRS leaders is enshrined within the leadership model Aspire (HMG 2008) which has been developed in response to the identification of the importance of excellence in leadership. The model is underpinned by the FRS core values, linking transformational models of leadership, and guiding behaviours to influence leadership actions and results. The Aspire model contains some elements which can be linked to EI, including; Openness to Change Situational Awareness Confidence Resilience Effective Communication The author finds it somewhat surprising that, whilst it is obvious that the RAF has recognised the connection between emotional intelligence and effective leadership, there is no direct mention of EI within the Aspire Leadership Model and Framework for the FRS. This is somewhat disappointing Notwithstanding the above, the FRS has recognised the value of people management competences, in addition to task competencies, and that both competency sets need to be included in assessing, training and evaluating effective incident commanders. The non-technical skills of an organisations emergency response personnel are as important as their technical expertise and knowledge and application of emergency operating procedures (Crichton and Flin, 2001). Competence A dictionary definition (www.dictionary.reference.com) of competence is: the quality of being competent; adequacy; possession of required skill, knowledge, qualification or capacity. Whereas Harvey (2004) describes it as the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities at a level of expertise sufficient to be able to perform in an appropriate work setting However acquiring skills are only part of the equation, for it is necessary to effectively perform a role as defined by Boyatzis: Effective performance of a job is the attainment of specific results (i.e. outcomes) required by the job through specific actions while maintaining or being consistent with policies, procedures conditions of the organisational environment. (Boyatzis, 1982:12) He further contends that maximum performance occurs when an individuals capability is consistent with the job demands and the organisational environment. (Boyatzis, 2007:2). Figure 2 Boyatziss model for competencies and effective performance Boyatzis model illustrates how an individuals personal values, knowledge, competencies and abilities contribute to performance in terms of the overlap with the job demands and the organisational environment. In simple terms this means that the bigger the overlap the better the performance. For the purpose of this research paper, Flins (1996) definition will be followed, which is the ability to perform consistently within an occupation to the standards expected in employment. The National Occupational Standard for a Fire Gold Commander working at the Strategic Level is EFSM 1 (www.skillsforjustice-ipds.com/nos/en/EFSM1.doc accessed 7/12/12). This standard details the technical skills and understanding which are required at this level. However, there is no mention of non-technical skills, as these are contained within the National Strategic Manager Personal Qualities and Attributes (CLG, 2009). In the emergency services, competency requirements for key decision makers are still very much based on rank rather than proven skill or ability though there is a move to change this. In the FRS, there is a shift from rank to role, where there is a role map of competences under the Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) designed to be relevant to each level in the service. However, as with any cultural shift, it will take some time for this reality to assert itself through all ranks within the FRS (Devitt, 2009). The author finds it interesting to note that whilst there is a role map for Brigade Manager, strategic uniformed mangers within the FRS still prefer to title themselves, Chief Fire Officer. Does this perhaps suggest that the senior leadership of the FRS are not culturally ready to embrace modernisation in its truest sense? Culture Organisational culture is a system of shared values, and beliefs about what is important, what behaviours are appropriate and about feelings and relationships internally and externally. Values and cultures need to be unique to the organisation, widely shared and reflected in daily practice and relevant to the company purpose and strategy. (CIPD, 2011). In simple terms it can be referred as the way we do things around here. The leader will be affected by the culture in which they operate, and its values, structure, hierarchy and rules will dictate how they are likely to command an incident, and ultimately whether they will be judged to be effective or ineffective (Devitt, 2009 p.37). Devitt refers to the work of Reiner (1991) who studied senior police officers and identified four different types of Chief Constable, the barons, bobbies, bosses and bureaucrats. Reiner contended that their different leadership styles will be reflected in the culture of the organisation which may influence the Chair of an SCG, and thus the style and approach with which a strategic multi-agency response is operated. If the Chair of an SCG adopts the style of a boss, who controls mainly through authority not power, dont suffer criticism gladly, and see community policing as idealistic in the face of an overwhelming tide of crime, this will clearly affect the dynamics of the group Devitt (2009). Chan (1996) undertook a study of police culture, and refers to Bourdieus relational theory, which explains cultural practice as the result of interaction between cultural dispositions (habitus) and structural positions (field), situating culture in the social and political context of police work. Sackmann goes on to describe the essence of culture as the collective construction of social reality. Her cognitive model encompasses all forms of shared organised knowledge: the form of things that people have in their minds; their models for perceiving, integrating, and interpreting them; the ideas or theories that they use collectively to make sense of their social and physical reality (Sackmann 1991: 21). She classifies cultural knowledge within an organisation into four dimensions: dictionary knowledge, which provides definitions and labels of things and events within an organization; directory knowledge, which contains descriptions about how things are done generally in the organization; recipe knowledge, which prescribes what should or should not be done in specific situations; and axiomatic knowledge, which represents the fundamental assumptions about why things are done the way they are in an organisation. Axiomatic knowledge, often held by top management, constitutes the foundation for the shape and future of the organisation. These may be adjusted or revised from time to time as a result of critical evaluations or growing experience. Sackmann sees cultural cognitions as being held by groups rather than individuals. These cognitions are socially constructed, and may be changed or perpetuated by organisational processes through repeated applications. In time, these cognitions are imbued with emotions and acquire degrees of importance; they also become habits of thoughts that translate into habitual actions. With the FRS implementation of the modernisation agenda under the National Framework (although this has recently changed with the election of the coalition government), some senior fire officers are reluctant to readily accept that direct entrants or non-operational staff may be effective at undertaking a Gold Command role, whilst a number of Police Gold Commanders have expressed th eir opposition to the idea, as evidenced by the authors research..

Role Of Analog Communication In Daily Life Computer Science Essay

Role Of Analog Communication In Daily Life Computer Science Essay This term paper is based on the analog communication and its role in daily life. Analog communication is performed on continuous signal. In electronics, a signal is an electric current or  electromagnetic fieldused to convey data from one place to another. Signal Sampling Quantizer Encoder Output Sampling: Quantising: Encoding: Signal is divided into two parts: Analog or Continuous signal: A  continuous signal  is a varying quantity whose domain, which is often time, is a  continuum. The function itself need not be  continuous. Digital or Discrete signal: A  discrete signal  is a  time series  consisting of a  sequence  of quantities. In other words, it is a time series that is a function over a  domain  of discrete integers.   2. Communication: Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another.   Information source transmitter channel receiver Noise destination Block Diagram of communication system modulating signal transducer electrical amplifier modulation Output signal demodulator receiver channel noise Block Diagram of analog communication system Basics of communication: Channel is of two types: Guided or wired Non-guided or non-wired Guided is of three types: Twisted pair Coaxial cable Optical fibre Non-guided is divided into two parts: Microwave Satellite Modes of Communication: Simplex Half-duplex Full-duplex Elements of communication system: Modulation: Change in one of the parameter of carrier wave in proportion to the instantaneous value of the modulating signal. Continuous Signal Amplitude modulation Angle modulation Frequency modulation Phase modulation Modulation Index: The  modulation index of a modulation scheme describes by how much the modulated variable of the carrier signal varies around its unmodulated level. It is defined differently in each modulation scheme. m=Em/Ec where m is the modulation index. Em=(Vmax-Vmin)/2 Ec=(VMax+Vmin)/2 Amplitude Modulation (AM): Change in amplitude of the carrier wave in proportion to the instantaneous value of the amplitude of the modulating signal. Amplitude modulationis a method used in electronic communication which is most usually used in transmitting information by means ofradio carrier wave. AM works by changing the power given to the transmitted signal in the message being sent. Example,changes in the signal strength can be used to reproduce the sounds to be reproduced by a speakeror to specify the light strength of television pixels. Compare it with  frequency modulationwhich is also commonly used for sound broadcasting in which thefrequency  is variable; and phasemodulation often used in  remote controls in which the  phase  is variable. AM is often used to refer to themedium wave  broadcastband. In telecommunications,  frequency modulation  (FM) conveyssine formation  over acarrierwave  by varying its  frequency  compare this with  amplitude modulation, in which theamplitude  of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant. In  analogapplications, the instantaneous frequency of the carrier is directly proportional to the instantaneous value of the input signal.   Advantages of Amplitude Modulation: There are several advantages of amplitude modulation It is very easy to implement it can be demodulated using a circuit containing of very few apparatuses AM receivers are very inexpensive as no particular components are required. AM has benefits of ease, though it is not the most effectiveway to use, both in terms of the quantityof space or spectrum uses and the way in which it uses the power that is transmitted. This is the reason why it is not extensively used these days both for broadcasting and for two way radio communication. Even the long, medium and short wave broadcasts will eventuallychange because of the truth that amplitude modulation is subject to much higher levels of noise than other modes. Its easiness and its wide usage means it will be hard to change rapidly and it will be in use for many years to come. Frequency Modulation (FM): It is the process of variation in frequency of the carrier wave in proportion to the instantaneous value of the amplitude of the modulating signal. While changing the amplitude of a radio signal is the best method to modulate it, it is not the only way. It is also possible to vary the frequency of a signal to give frequency modulation. Frequency modulation is widely used on frequencies above 30 MHz, and it is mainlyknown for its use for VHF FM broadcasting. It is not easy as amplitude modulation;however frequency modulationdeals with some dissimilarbenefits. It is able to provide immediate interference free response and this is the reason it isassumed for the VHF sound broadcasts. These transmissions could offer high fidelity audio, and this is the reason, frequency modulation is much more prevalent than the older transmissions on the long, medium and short wave bands. In addition to its extensive use for high superiority audio broadcasts, FM is also used for a variety of two way radio communication systems where amplitude modulation is a failure. Whether for fixed or mobile radio communication systems or for use in moveable applications, FM is widely used at VHF, mobile radio. Advantages of frequency modulation, FM: FM is used for a number of reasons and there are numerousbenefits of frequency modulation. Some of the benefits of frequency modulation are as under: Resilience to noise: Frequency modulation has elasticity to signal level variations. The modulation is carried as there are disparities in frequency. This means that any signal level variations will not disturb the audio output, on condition that that the signal does not fall to a level where the receiver cannot handle. As a result it makes FM perfect for mobile radio communication applications including more general two-way radio communication or movable applications where signal levels are likely to vary much. The additionalbenefit of FM is its elasticity to noise and interference. It is for this reason that FM is used for high superiority broadcast communications. Easy to apply modulation at a low power stage of the transmitter:  Ã‚   Frequency modulation is linked with the transmitters. It is probable to relate the modulation to a low power stage of the transmitter and it is not essential to use a direct form of amplification to escalate the power level of the signal to its ultimate value. It is possible to use efficient RF amplifiers with frequency modulated signals:  Ã‚   It is possible to use non-linear RF amplifiers to amplify FM signals in a transmitter and these are more effective than the linear ones required for signals with any amplitude disparities. This means that for a given power yield, less battery power is necessary and this makes the use of FM more possible for portable two-way radio applications. Frequency modulation is widely used in various areas of radio technology including broadcasting and fields of two way radio communication. In these applications its specificbenefits can be used to good consequence. In spite of these changes, FM will continue to be in use for many years to come as there are many advantages of frequency modulation for the areas in which it has addedaimportanthold in recent years. Phase Modulation (PM): Change in the phase of the carrier wave in accord to the instantaneous value of the amplitude of the modulating signal. Advantages of phase modulation: Phase modulation demodulation is less complicated as compared to Frequency modulation. Phase modulator is used in shaping velocity of moving target by removing Doppler information. Doppler information needs steady carrier which is probable in phase modulation but not in frequency modulation. Role of analog communication: Analog communication plays a very vital role.Either in the form of AM,FM or PM. It is used in audio, video, telephony, wireless communication, radar, emergency services, etc. Audio AM broadcast radio which sends voice or music in the Medium Frequency Radio Spectrum which ranges from 0.3MHz to 3MHz. AM broadcast uses amplitude modulation in which high sounds at the microphone roots wide variations in the transmitter power while the transmitter frequency remains constant. Transmissions are regularlyaffected by static since lightening and other some sources of radio add their radio waves to the one upcoming from the transmitter. AM radio stations are the original broadcasting stations. They are aform of connection of radio waves by changing the amplitude of the carrier signal in proportion to the instantaneous value of the amplitude of the transmitted signal. AMs simple signal can be detected with simple apparatus which turns into sound. If a signal is strong enough then there is no necessity of power source, Another advantage to AM is that it uses a narrow bandwidth than FM. FM broadcast radio transmits voice and music with high fidelity than AM broadcast radio. In frequency modulation loud sounds at the microphone causes the frequency of the transmitter to varyfurther than the transmitter power stays persistent. FM is transmitted in the Very High Frequency radio spectrum ranging from 30MHz to 300MHz. FM needs extra radio frequency zone than AM and at high frequency more frequencies are accessible and there are additional stations each one sending more information to the station. And when shorter VHF radio waves usually act like light which travels in straight line so the response range is usually limited to 50 to 100 miles. During higher atmospheric situation, FM signals are echoed back to Earth by the ionosphere layer which outcomes in Long distance FM response. FM receivers are subject to capture outcome which causes radio to receive the strongest signal when many signals are on the similar frequency. FM receivers are reasonablyprotected to lightening and spark interference. Aviation voice radios use VHF AM. AM is used so as to obtain multiple stations on the same channels. Aircrafts fly high adequately so that their transmitters can be received thousands of miles away. It uses VHF. Marine voice radios use narrowband FM in the VHF spectrum for very smaller ranges and use AM in the shortwave HF radio spectrum extending from 3MHz to 30MHz for very long distances. FM Subcarrier services areminor signals transmitted associated along with the main program. Special receivers are necessary to operate these services. Analog channels may comprisesubstitute programming, such as reading services for the blind, background music or stereo sound signals. In some countries, FM radios automatically retune themselves to the matching channel inanother district by using sub-bands. Government, police, fire and commercial voice facilities use narrowband FM on distinct frequencies. Fidelity is sacrificed to use a lesser range of radio frequencies, typically five kilohertz of aberration rather than the 75 used by FM broadcasts and 25 used by TV sound. Civil and military HF voice services use  shortwave  radio to communicate withships at sea, aircraft and remote settlements. Most use  single sideband  voice which uses a smaller amount of bandwidth than AM. SSB sounds like ducks quacking on an AM radio. This also makes the transmitter about three times more influential, because it doesnt need to communicate the unused carrier and sideband. Telephony Cell phones transmit to a native cell transmitter/receiver which associates to the public service telephone system through an optic fibre or microwave radio. When the phone leaves the cell radios zone, the central computer shifts the phone to a new cell. Cell phonesinitially used FM. There are many cellphone service providers in India nowadays. The main among them are: BSNL Airtel Vodafone Idea Aircel Videocon Tata Docomo Tata Indicom MTNL MTS Satellite phones come in two types:  INMARSAT  and  Iridium. Both types provide world-wide coverage. INMARSAT uses geosynchronous satellites, with directed high-gain antennas on the vehicles. Iridium provides cell phones, except the cells are satellites in orbit. Satellite phone communication is not available in public domain in India. It is used by the defence services. The main companies that provide the satellite phones in India are: Motorola Siemens GE Satellite phone communication can be provided in the public domains as the media persons in the remote areas etc. But it needs a special licence from TRAI. Video Television transmits the picture as AM and the sound as FM on the identical radio signal. Digital television encrypts three bits as eight strengths of AM signal. The bits are directed out-of-order to cutdown the effect of gusts of radio noise. Even if any data could be transmitted, the standard is to use  MPEG-2  for video, and five CD-quality (44.1 kHz) audio channels (centre, left, right, left-back and right back). With all this, it takes only half of the bandwidth of an analog TV signal because the video data is generallycompressed. India saw the advent of satellite communication in 1995. But it was limited to cable operators till 2007. But then, satellite communication stepped up inot DIRECT TO HOME channels. These providers are: DishTV Reliance BIG TV Airtel Digital TV Tata Sky. Videocon d2h Navigation All  satellite navigation  systems use satellites with accuracy clocks known as precision clocks. The satellite communicates its position and the time of the broadcast. The receiver listens to four satellites and can figure out its location as being on a line that is tangent to a circular shell around each satellite, determined by the time-of-flight of the radio signals from the satellite. Loran  systems also used time-of-flight radio signals, but from radio stations on the ground. VOR  systems (used by aircraft), have two transmitters. A directional transmitter scans or spins its signal like a lighthouse at a fixed rate. When the directional transmitter is facing north, an Omni-directional transmitter pulses. An aircraft can get readings from two VORs, and locate its position at the intersection of the two beams. Radio direction-finding is the oldest form of radio navigation. Before 1960 navigators used movable loop antennas to locate industrial AM stations near cities. In some cases they used marine radiolocation beacons, which share a range of frequencies just above AM radio with amateur radio operators. GPS i.e. Global Positioning System is in use from past decade. Vehicles using navigation with the help of GPS. GPS is being installed in recent luxury cars and in many business class vehicles. It relies on high frequency radio signals from satellites in space. Vehicles having GPS navigation systems can travel in some situations where they may lose the signal for some time. It usually provides accurate navigation information. The companies that provide the Navigation systems in India are: Map My India Nokia OVI maps Garmin GPS systems. Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) Radar detects things at a distance by bouncing back radio waves from them. The delay caused by the echo measures the distance. The direction of the beam determines the direction of the reflection. The polarization and frequency of the return can sense the type of surface. Navigational radars scan a wide 2 to 4 times per minute. They use very short waves that reflect back from earth and even stone. They are common on commercial ships and long-distance commercial aircraft. General purpose radars generally use navigational radar frequencies, however modulate and polarize the pulse so that the receiver can decide the type of surface of the reflector. The best general-purpose radars distinguish the rain of heavy storms, as well as land and vehicles. Some can superimpose sonar data and map data fromGPS  position. Search radars scan a wide area with pulses of short radio waves. They usually scan the area 2 to 4 times a minute. Sometimes search radars use the  Doppler Effect  to separate moving vehicles from confusion. Targeting radars use the same principle as search radar but scan a much smaller area. Weather radars resemble search radars, however use radio waves with circular polarization and a wavelength to reflect from water droplets. Some weather radar use the  Doppler  to measure wind speeds. This is how radar screen looks Emergency services Emergency position-indicating rescue beacons (EPIRBs),  emergency locating transmitters or  personal locator beacons are small radio transmitters that satellites can use to locate a person or vehicle need rescue. Their purpose is to help and free people in the first day, when survival is possible. Data (digital radio) Pioneers such as Marconi used the oldest form of digital broadcast which was Spark Gap Telegraphy. The operator could send messages in Morse coding just by reviving a rotating communicating spark gap b pressing the key. Simple spark gap generates a hiss when rotating commutator generates a tone in the receiver, same from the static. Spark gap transmitters are now banned because their transmissions span is several hundred MHz which is a waste of both radio frequencies and power. Its just inefficient and uneconomical. The next progress is to use continuous wave telegraphy (CW) in which pure radio frequency is produced by a vacuum tube electronic oscillator which is switch on and off by a key. A receiver having a local oscillator will heterodyne with pure radio frequency creating a whistle like audio tone. Less than 100Hz of bandwidth is used by CW. Amateur radio operators still use CW. On-off keying of a carrier should be known as Interrupted Continuous Wave or ICW. Radio teletypes usually run on short-wave (HF) and are much acceptable by the military since they generate written information with no skilled operator. They convey a bit as one of two tones. Groups of five or seven bits turn into a character printed by a teletype. From about 1925 to 1975, radio teletype was how on the whole commercial messages were sent to less industrial countries. These are still used by the military and weather services. Aircraft use a 1200 Band radio teletype service over VHF to send their ID, altitude and position, and get gate and connecting-flight data. Microwave dishes on satellites, telephone exchanges and TV stations frequently use  quadrature amplitude modulation  (QAM). QAM sends data by altering both the phase and the amplitude of the radio signal. Engineers like QAM because it packs the most bits into a radio signal. Usually the bits are sent in frames that repeat. A special bit pattern is used to position the beginning of a frame. Systems that need consistency or which allocate their frequency with other services may use corrected orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing or  COFDM. COFDM breaks a digital signal into countless several hundred slower sub-channels. The digital signal is frequently sent as QAM on the sub-channels. Modern COFDM systems use a small computer to make and decode the signal with  digital signal processing, which is more flexible and far less expensive than older systems that implemented separate electronic channels. COFDM resists fading and ghosting because the narrow-channel QAM signals can be sent bit by bit. An adaptive system or one that sends error-correction codes can also defy interference, because most interference can change only a few of the QAM channels. COFDM is used for  Wi-Fi, some  cell phones,  Digital Radio Mondiale,  Eureka 147, and many other local area network, digital TV and radio standards. Most new radio systems are digital, Digital  Satellite Radio,  Digital Audio Broadcasting. Heating Radio-frequency energy generated for heating of objects is generally not intended to radiate outside of the generating equipment, to prevent interference with other radio signals. For heating food and other eatables, microwave ovens use strong radio waves. It is a general misconception that the radio waves are tuned to the resonant frequency of water molecules. The microwave frequencies used are actually about a factor of 10 below the resonant frequency. Diathermy  equipment is used in surgery for sealing of blood vessels. Induction  furnaces are used for melting metal for  casting. Mechanical Force Tractor beams: There is a small electrostatic and magnetic force being exerted by radio waves which is enough for the performance of station-keeping in microgravity environment. Spacecraft propulsion: Propulsion method for an interstellar probe called Starwisp is proposed with the help of powerful radio waves which has a radiation pressure. Since the radio waves are long so the probe could be very light weighted metal mesh and hence it attains high accelerations. Other Amateur radio  is a pastime where enthusiasts who purchase or build their own equipment and use radio for their own enjoyment. They may also provide an emergency and public-service radio service. This can be of large use, saving lives in many instances. Radio amateurs are able to use frequencies in a big number of finebands all over the radio spectrum. Radio amateurs use all forms of programming including outdated and new ones. Several forms of radio were pioneered by radio amateurs and afterwards became commercially significant including FM, SSBAM, and digital packet radio and satellite repeaters. Individual radio services such as  Citizens Band Radio,  Family Radio Service,  Multi-Use Radio Service  and others offer simple, short range message for persons and small groups without the simplicity of licensing. Wireless energy transfer: Many schemes have been proposed which transmits power using microwaves and its techniques have been confirmed.These schemes consist ofsolar power  stations  in orbit beaming energy down to worldwide users. Radio remote control: Radio waves are used to transmit data to remote point as is done in some early forms of guided missile, TV remotes and a range of model boats, cars and airplanes. Remote controlled equipments which are used in large industries mostly use digital radio techniques for safety purposes and reliability. Such equipments are cranes and switching locomotives. Conclusion: From the one-way communication analog communication has now reached to two-way communication. From wired system to wireless communication. With the help of analog system one can find direction easily. It helps in spacecraft propulsion. Analog systems are inexpensive in many cases. It uses less bandwidth. Accuracy of analog systems is more. As the world is leaving from Wires to Wireless, The technology and swiftness or speed of wireless communication is also going leaps and bounds. The wired set-up often goes too crowded and offers obstruction to mobility needs of the users i.e. the wired system is not portable. If at all it is then it is very complicated. With wired Networks, although security characteristics and speed are however not matched by the wired networks, nevertheless the incapability to being flexible is what causes the wireless mediums to gain additional public awareness. Analog communication plays a vital role in our day to day life. It is used in many fields today and is growing each day. Its multi-tasking made the work easier. Just by changing the frequency range, it can be used differently. With the help of analog signals, the boom of communications is rising.