Technology Forecast

Technology forecasting is considered to be vital in today’s business environment. There have been many success stories as well as failures. Forecasting technology impacts many aspects from acquiring a new technology to developing a new technology. The course will start with reviewing several methodologies and then will analyze those impacts and how to make them beneficial for the organizations through many case studies, professional and research articles. Case Studies are selected from Harvard Business School Case Studies. Articles are selected from journals such as Technology Forecasting and Social Change. GRADING AND DELIVERABLES Specific Deliverable Cases (team – in class)30%Presentations Project (team)40%Paper + Presentation Readings (individual)30%2 article discussions ———————————————————————————– TOTAL100% GUIDELINES FOR DELIVERABLES CASES – Cases will be analyzed and presented in class by teams. You should read and get yourself familiar with the case before the class, READINGS – You will be assigned 2 articles to discuss in class. PROJECT – Identify an emerging technology as a team and develop a forecast using Technology Forecasting Tools. Examples of such projects will be provided. Your team is required to present the progress and results of your project during the scheduled times in class. Progress presentations should not exceed 20 minutes and the final presentation will be limited to 45 minutes. You also will need to submit a report which should follow TFSC journal guidelines for a journal paper. Your report should include a literature search justifying the topic and methods used. CASES 1. Strategic Planning at United Parcel Service, David A. Garvin, Lynne C. Levesque, Product#: 306002 2. Forecasting the Adoption of a New Product, Elie Ofek, Product#: 505062 – AND – Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books, Elie Ofek, Peter Wickersham, Product Number: 9-505-063 3. Illinois Superconductor Corp. : Forecasting Demand for Superconducting Filters, Mohanbir Sawhney, Lisa Damkroger, Greg McGuirk, Julie Milbratz, John Rountree, Product#: KEL096 READINGS Introduction to Technology Forecasting 1. Linstone, H. A. , TFSC: 1969-1999. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 1-8. 2. Ayres, R. U. What have we learned? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 9-12. 3. Martino, J. P. , Thirty years of change and stability. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 13-18. 4. Porter, A. L. , Tech forecasting an empirical perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-Septem ber 1999, Pages 19-28. 5. Linstone, H. A. , The 21st century: Everyman as Faust – technology, terrorism, and the multiple perspectives approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 3, March 2003, Pages 283-296. Technology Forecasting Techniques 6. Mishra, Somnath, S. G Deshmukh and Prem Vrat, Matching of technological forecasting technique to a technology , Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 69, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 1-27. 7. Technology Futures Analysis Methods Working Group, Technology futures analysis: Toward integration of the field and new methods, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 71, Issue 3, March 2004, Pages 287-303. 8. Silberglitt, R. , Hove, A. , and Shulman, P. Analysis of US energy scenarios: Meta-scenarios, pathways, and policy implications. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 4, May 2003, Pages 297-315. 9. Rowe, G. and G. Wright, The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: Issues and analysis, International Journal of Forecasting, Volume 15, Issue 4, October 1999, Pages 353-375. 10. Lena Borjeson, Mattias Hojer, Karl-He nrik Dreborg, Tomas Ekvall and Goran Finnveden, Scenario types and techniques: Towards a user's guide, Futures, Volume 38, Issue 7, September 2006, Pages 723-739. 11. Winebrake, J. J. , and Creswick, B. P. The future of hydrogen fueling systems for transportation: An application of perspective-based scenario analysis using the analytic hierarchy process, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 4, May 2003, Pages 359-384. 12. Sager, B. , Scenarios on the Future of Biotechnology. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 68, Issue 2, October 2001, Pages 109-129. 13. Modis, T. , Technological forecasting at the stock market. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issue 3, November 1999, Pages 173-202. 14. Devezas, Tessaleno C. , Harold A. Linstone and Humberto J. S. Santos, The growth dynamics of the Internet and the long wave theory, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 72, Issue 8, October 2005, Pages 913-935. 15. Ilonen, Jarmo, Joni-Kristian Kamarainen, Kaisu Puumalainen, Sanna Sundqvist and Heikki Kalviainen, Toward automatic forecasts for diffusion of innovations, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 2, February 2006, Pages 182-198. 16. Martino, Joseph P. , A comparison of two composite measures of technology , Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 44, Issue 2, September 1993, Pages 147-159. Emerging Technology Forecasting Techniques 17. Inman, Oliver Lane, Timothy R. Anderson and Robert R. Harmon, Predicting U. S. jet fighter aircraft introductions from 1944 to 1982: A dogfight between regression and TFDEA, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 9, November 2006, Pages 1178-1187. 18. Anderson, Timothy, Rolf Fare, Shawna Grosskopf, Lane Inman and Xiaoyu Song, Further examination of Moore's law with data envelopment analysis, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 69, Issue 5, June 2002, Pages 465-477. 19. Barley, S. R. , What Can We Learn from the History of Technology. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, Volume 15, Issue 4, September 1998, Pages 237-255. 20. Bowonder, B. , T. Miyake, and B. Muralidharan, Predicting the future: Lessons from evolutionary theory, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 51-62. 21. Guice, J. , Designing the Future: The Culture of New Trends in Science and Technology. Research Policy, Volume 28, Issue 1, January 1999, Pages 81-98. 22. Phaal, R. , Farrukh, C. J. P. , and Probert, D. R. , Technology Roadmapping – A Planning Framework for Evolution and Revolution. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 71, Issues 1-2, January-February 2004, Pages 5-26. 23. Kayal, A. , Measuring the Pace of Technological Process: Implication for Technological Forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 60, Issue 3, March 1999, Pages 237-245. 24. T. U. Daim, G. Rueda, H. Martin, and P. Gerdsri, Forecasting Emerging Technologies: Use of Bibliometrics and Patent Analysis, Technology Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 8, October 2006, Pages 981-1012. 25. Watts, R. J. and A. L. Porter, Innovation Forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 56, Issue 1, September 1997, Pages 25-47. SCHEDULE Subjects to be CoveredAssignment/Readings 1/4 †¢Teams Formed 1/11 †¢Introduction to Technology Forecasting †¢Technology Planning †¢Case Study 1: Strategic Planning at United Parcel Service †¢Case Preparation and Presentations †¢Article Discussion Articles 1-5 1/18UNIVERSITY CLOSED 1/25 †¢Extrapolation by Regression – Guest Speaker: Jisun Kim †¢Project Proposal Presentations 2/1 †¢Delphi, Analogy, Scenarios, Environment Monitoring, Growth Curves †¢In Class Exercise: Cable TV Diffusion Article Discussion ?Articles 6-16 2/8 †¢Case Study 2: Forecasting the Adoption of a New Product †¢Case Preparation and Presentations †¢Project Progress Presentations 2/15 †¢Emerging Technology Forecasting Methods: TFDEA – Guest Speaker – Tim Anderson 2/22 ?Emerging Technology Forecasting Methods: Bibliometrics, Pa tent Searches, †¢Article Discussion? ?Articles 17-25 3/1 †¢Project Results Presentations 3/8 †¢Case Study 3: Illinois Superconductor Corp. : Forecasting Demand for Superconducting Filters †¢Case Preparation and Presentations 3/15 †¢Final Reports

African Americans: Fighting for Their Rights Essay

During the mid 1950s to late 1960s African Americans started responding to the oppressive treatment shown to them by the majority of white people in the country. They responded to the segregation of blacks and whites during that time and the double standards the African Americans were held to. African Americans responded to their suppression by participating in boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and trying to get legislation passed so that they could overcome their degrading situation. They were successful in many of these actions and through them brought around more rights for African Americans. Boycotts were a major way that the African Americans got their voices and wants heard. The most famous boycott was probably the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man, Martin Luther King Jr. , urged the people of Montgomery to boycott the bus system. African Americans didn’t want to be considered substandard to white people, and they didn’t want to be forced to be subservient to them on buses. They didn’t think it was fair that they had to sit in the back of buses and give up their seats to white people. As King put it, â€Å"[†¦] there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression† (King 347). Because African Americans were ready to do something to support their rights they followed King’s advice to â€Å" [†¦] work with grim and firm determination to gain justice on the buses in this city [through boycotting]† (King 348) The Montgomery bus boycott made the public transportation system realize how important African Americans were to the transportation system. The combined effect of loss of money and pressure from around the country created a victory for the African American Civil Rights movement. The boycott lasted 382 days, until the law allowing racial segregation on buses was lifted and white people and African-Americans were able to sit wherever they wished to on buses. There were also boycotts of businesses where the segregation of African Americans was still very prevalent. Many of these boycotts were successful. The boycotts caused enough financial difficulties that the segregated businesses either had to close or integrate. Diners where African Americans had to sit separate from white people or where African Americans weren’t served at all were boycotted against as well until that diner served African Americans and allowed them to sit wherever they wanted and with whomever they wanted. Diners also faced the difficulty of sit-ins if they refused to serve African Americans. In Greensboro, North Carolina, a black college student named Joseph McNeill was refused service at the counter of a restaurant. The next day he and three of his friends came and sat at the lunch counter waiting to be served. They weren’t served that day. The four of them returned to the lunch counter each day, but were never served. The students were aware each day that they came to the lunch counter that they would probably not be served, but â€Å"they were also aware that this form of nonviolent protest could be a powerful method in accomplishing the desegregation of lunch counters† (McElrath 1). Then, an article in the New York Times, brought notice to this sit-in and many other students joined in on the sit-in. This started a chain of sit-ins around the country to protest the ill-treatment of African-Americans. Despite many hardships, including being beaten and doused with Ammonia, more people kept showing up at these demonstrations. The sit-ins were effective in the fact that restaurants either served the African-Americans at the counter, or closed down. In one case a restaurant took out all of the chairs in the restaurant so that no one could be served anywhere, which ended up causing him to have to close down. In addition to sit-ins, there were also kneel-ins at churches where African-Americans were not allowed to worship due to race. Sit-ins and kneel-ins were very effective. As John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"[the protestors] have shown that the new way for Americans to stand up for their rights is to sit down† (Kennedy 1). Marches were also a prevalent way in which African Americans showed their discontent and fought out for their rights. Black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. led marches on major cities, trying to voice their support of the Civil Rights movement. One of the first marches in support of Civil Rights was the protest march led by three ministers, including Martin Luther King Jr. , in Birmingham, Alabama. The march was met by policemen and dogs and the three ministers were put into jail. This was where King wrote his inspiring, â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail,† which set forth the need for the non-violent protest against unjust laws. This call for non-violent protests was one of the major factors that induced people to take the path of non-violent protests in order to promote Civil Rights. Perhaps the most famous march in favor of Civil Rights was The March on Washington. Civil Rights leaders, Bayard Rustin and Philip Randolph, were the chief planners of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They wanted â€Å"to embody in one gesture civil rights as well as national economic demands. † (Randolph 1). The march was held on August 28, 1963, and more than 200,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the Washington Memorial to protest against the ill treatment of minorities, primarily African Americans, and to listen to many speakers, including Martin Luther King Jr. , who gave his famous â€Å"I have a dream† speech. The march had six official goals, but the major one was the passage of the civil rights law that the Kennedy administration had proposed after the problems in Birmingham. The march gained its purpose, but not without much controversy and struggle. The African American voice could not be ignored though, and many advances for Civil Rights were gained through the March on Washington, a march that would â€Å"go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation† (King 1) Another very effective response to the degradation of African Americans was to try to get legislation passed. One of the landmark cases for Civil Rights was Brown v. Board of Education. This case over-turned the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson which said that schools could be segregated as long as they were equal in education and facilities. Brown v. Board of Education explicitly said that there is no way that separate can be equal and that by having â€Å"separate but equal† schools, the government was blatantly ignoring the 14th amendment which states, â€Å"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State [†¦]deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws† (Congress 1). This court case caused the schools to be integrated, which was one of the first steps to racial equality. Another important ruling in the fight for Civil Rights was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that, â€Å"All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation [†¦] without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origins† (Congress 350) This meant that. African Americans couldn’t be turned down from jobs due solely to race, their voting rights couldn’t be taken into question due to race, and they couldn’t be denied service in any public facilities. This piece of legislation had a far reaching impact, and furthered along the Civil Rights movement. Another very important piece of legislation was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This outlawed the use of literacy tests to determine the right to vote. This gave more African Americans the ability to vote and to have a say in the government that was ruling them. The ability to vote allowed African Americans to have a voice in government and to elect people that they thought would further their rights. The ability of African Americans to get legislation passed that supported their rights was a major step in the improvement of the treatment of African Americans and made it so that legally people could not discriminate against, segregate, or deny voting rights to them. The different responses of the African American Community, including boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and fighting for legislation, changed civil rights in the United States. The African Americans fought out against injustice, just as our founding fathers fought out against the injustice of the British. Their efforts helped create a more integrated and accepting society where race is not the only thing people see when looking at a person. Although the society today is not perfectly accepting of all races, society is much more accepting than it was half a century ago, and that is due largely to the African American movements in favor of Civil Rights. Works Cited â€Å"Brown v. Board of Education. † Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 2 Feb 2007 . â€Å"African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968). † Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 29 Jan 2007 . â€Å"Brief Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement (1954 – 1965). † Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement. 29 Jan 2007 . King, Martin Luther. â€Å"Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Defends Seamstress Rosa Parks, 1955. † Major Problems in American History Volume II. Edited. Edited. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. â€Å"The March on Washington. † The Civil Rights Movement. 2 Feb 2007 . McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"African American History. † Lunch Counter Sit-Ins. About. 2 Feb 2007 .

Change Detection

Introduction Most people are unaware of the changes in their visual environments until attention is drawn directly to those minor changes. Individuals do not often detect changes because of the lack of attention or insignificance of the change. In order for an individual to notice a change like color, location and identity of an object, attention must somehow be drawn to that object. A general conclusion from this body of work is that attention is necessary for detecting change (Rensink et al. , 1997). Being unable to detect a change in an object is called change blindness. Researchers seem to think that change blindness is the cause of many car accidents. Looking away from a road then looking back is a change that is very difficult to perceive which results in quite a few car accidents. Method In this experiment two pictures were represented in modification for each trial. On half of the trials the two pictures were alike but in the other half the pictures changed in some way. For each pair either the pictures appeared instantly after each other or they flickered. The participants in this study consist of a psychology class in the College of Staten Island. In order to start this experiment, students were asked to sign in to their CogLab accounts. To start the first trial of the change detection experiment, participants were required to press the space bar. One picture will appear after the other. The task in this experiment is to detect whether or not there is a change in the two pictures. If the image changes students press the â€Å"c† key but if the image doesn’t change students press the â€Å"n† key. This test measures our reaction time as well as our ability to detect changes in the pictures. The independent variable in this experiment is was the flicker and no flicker conditions. Two dependent variables were measured which were reaction time and proportion of correct judgments. Reaction time was the time between the appearance of the stimuli and the time that it took participants to make a response. Results It has been predicted that the percentage correct is smaller and the reaction time is slower for the flicker condition the no flicker condition. In the no flicker condition it is easier to identify the change in the picture because the change is almost immediately distinguished. On the other hand, the pictures with the flicker condition, the blank gray leads to changes throughout the picture which results in participants having to look at the picture item by item until the change is noticed. My results show that these predictions are somewhat true. In the flicker condition my reaction time was 11281. 6 ms and the proportion correct of change detected was 0. 625. In the no flicker condition my reaction time was 7667. 143, which is apparently significantly longer than predicted to be, but my proportion correct was . 875 which is slightly greater. Discussion The basic idea of this experiment is that people cannot store many details of a scene in memory. The vital aspect seems to be attention. In order to identify a change in an object, it is necessary to pay attention to that certain object; otherwise no change will be detected. The brain is unable to see a change happening to an element it has not yet stored. Selective attention is a key part in detecting a change in an object, scene or picture. My results for this experiment confirm that divided attention and change detection come hand in hand.

Completing a Synopsis Appraisal of a Qualitative Research Study Article

Completing a Synopsis Appraisal of a Qualitative Research Study - Article Example In this case, they wanted to produce a description of combined experiences and social processes that health care providers within a region in New Zealand have to face while testing the clinical guidelines framework, and at the same time providing their feedback and comments in their use. This is to assess the applicability of the PARIHS framework in nearly all medical situations, which in this particular research is the applicability of the framework in rural health settings. Data was collected through focus group interviews of all 32 participants, which consisted of three focus groups for primary healthcare nurses, one focus group for general practitioners, one for primary healthcare managers, and one focus group for planners or funders (McKillop, et al., 2012). The main findings generated by the research were able to explain the barriers as well as the enabling situations in the implementation of the PARIHS framework based on context of usage, current work culture experienced by the participants, leadership within the work place, and of evaluating the performance of the PARIHS framework in work settings. It was found out that while having a culture of practicing the guidelines as applicable was a strong enabler in the usage of the framework among participants, the lack of a formal or a proper integration plan of said guidelines into actual clinical practice was a major barrier in its adoption in medical settings, suggesting the need of modifying the framework to adjust for the needs of the medical practitioners. Despite this setback the researchers were able to conclude that the PARIHS framework is still an invaluable tool in guiding practitioners on promoting better patient health. Since the research aims to find out information based on working experiences of healthcare providers, in order to control biases and preconceptions about the effectiveness of the

MIH 521 Health Program Evaluation (Mod 2 CBT) Essay

MIH 521 Health Program Evaluation (Mod 2 CBT) - Essay Example The goals of the diabetes program are to oversee the development and adoption of internationally agreed standards and norms, to promote and contribute to the surveillance of diabetes, is compilations and mortality, to contribute to the building capacity for the prevention and control of diabetes, to raise awareness and to act as an advocate for the prevention and control of the disease. With these goals in mind the experimental designs with pretest/posttest control group might be the best design to use. This would be because it would tell us if the people are learning anything from the program that has been developed. The characteristics of this design according to (attc-ne.org) are that it is experimental with a random group which receive a pretest before and a post test after the information is given through the program. This particular design needs to use controls on all seven of the threats to validity which are, history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, selection, mortality, and statistical regression. There are issues, however with this design including the fact that it is very possible to get into difficulty with validity. Stakeholders are also important here as they are in every study. ... any in other countries, Africa for example, that are victims of the blindness as well as the renal disease and peripheral vascular disease and have little access to healthcare. Chronic disease has become an issue all over the world and this creates stakeholders everywhere. This is a very expensive disease for all of the populations and the cost to each of the healthcare systems is tremendous. Worldwide, diabetes causes about 5% of the deaths every year. 80% of the people with diabetes live in low and middle income countries. Most of the people with diabetes in low and middle income countries are middle aged (45-64) and it is expected that deaths from diabetes will increase by 50% over the next 10 years (who.gov). This tells us of just a few of the stakeholders in this case. Using Jung's grid to evaluate this program shows several thing. This program targets those people with hyperglycemia but it also targets those that do not. There is the hope that making people aware will allow prevention of the disease in the long run. There are clear goals and objectives as listed above and they are very specific to address the specific problem. The long and short term goals are noted and there are multiple worldwide strategies involved including partnering with governments of the countries most in need and providing large amounts of education in an attempt to raise awareness. There is also a great deal of information provided on the internet at this time which includes a booklet on blindness and how to prevent that from happening and what dialysis is and how to try to prevent renal disease. There is great health communication as noted above and resources available for the general public and for healthcare workers that are looking for supporting literature and statistics.

Collaboration and Peer Reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Collaboration and Peer Reviews - Essay Example There are disadvantages, however, such as sometimes having one’s ideas rejected or significantly altered before they are put on paper, and having to accommodate other people’s schedules and life. One of the major advantages to collaborating on a project is that one gets a different set of expertise that can inform the work being done. Specialization is key in w wide variety of fields, because the amount of knowledge and experience in the world is exploding at a much greater rate than someone can actually keep up with it. Thus collaborating allows someone to access knowledge and expertise they may not otherwise have, which can provide different points of view, subtlety to an argument, or even correct errors that are made in the original judgement. Another benefits of collaborating on projects is having another person to bounce ideas off of, that can be more critical than one usually is to one’s self. Sometimes other people can see errors in thinking that another p erson cannot, and this help protect anyone collaborating on a project from accidentally publishing things that might not be accurate when viewed critically. It is very, very difficult to be thoroughly critical about one’s own ideas, so having another person who can do that can be incredibly helpful on a variety of levels. While collaboration has a number of advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Collaborating necessarily means compromise. Sometimes people will differ on where to put emphasis, or perhaps on even more major issues such as whether or not something is an argument that they should be making. Collaborating means that sometimes each person’s ideas will be heavily edited before they get out, which can lead to somewhat less creative or outside the box thinking. Furthermore, collaborating takes a lot more time than working on something alone can – one has to accommodate their collaborator’s schedule, life and so on, so instead of just working when and how one wants, one has to sometimes wait for feedback, go over things several times and so forth. Collaboration does have some disadvantages that detract from its overall advantages. One of the things I learned through reviewing my peers work is how much easier it is to see negative things in another person’s work than one’s own. After reviewing a peer’s work, I went back and looked for those same issues in my own, and many of them were present. Furthermore, I learned that it is much easier to see what is done improperly (bad grammar, structure errors and so on) than to appreciate what is done well. One of the major advantages of having a peer review my paper was catching errors in logic or communication that I would not see. Obviously I created the ideas and arguments I use when writing a paper, so when I read it back to myself it always makes perfect sense – I know what I’m talking about. Another person, however, can only glean what your argument means from the writing you put on the page, so it can really highlight things that you have not communicated well enough, or that do not make sense without added detail. One of the disadvantages to having a peer review my work before I submit it is that sometimes having someone else review my work can

Minimum wages and unemployment level Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Minimum wages and unemployment level - Essay Example in the amount of minimum wage brings about reduction in the employment levels evidently seen with employment elasticity ranging from -0.1 to -0.2 amongst the teenagers and from -0.15 to -0.2 for the youths (Charles, 2002, p 89). Employers in a firm are bounded with the minimum wage law which is meant to prevent the employers from paying their employees rate below the minimum wage. This law is widely used in the present day countries. In UK and the USA, this law was only applicable to the women and the children. The extended use of the law was influenced by the period of the great depression. If the objective of the minimum wage was to ensure that employed achieved a worthy standard of living, then some provisions had to be made for those who are retrenched (Flinn, 2010, p58-62). During the imposition of the minimum wage by the responsible bodies, firms within that jurisdiction would not be permitted to pay less than what the responsible body mandates, for any service that they have received. For instance, this is when the governing body passes legislation that is meant to raise the wage bill from its initial of $6.72 per hour to $8.0 per hour. In line with the above minimum wages, at $8.0, supply of the labour service was 70,000 hours, but only 50,000 hours was what was in demand by the firms. Within a market with voluntary trade, the decisions of firms to hire its employees cannot be influenced with an external body, reason being the quantity of labour needed is normally established through the desire of the firm to buy but not the desire of the workers to sell (Joshua, 1999, p 123). Through the above discussion there is an assumption that, increasing the amount of minimum wage in a country, the number of employed individual would increase. In addition, there is an emerging possibility that everyone would be able to get a job. However, the number of hours that they initially worked would be reduced. Putting this case into consideration, there would be rise in

The Theories and Practices of Public Relations and Its Writing Assignment

The Theories and Practices of Public Relations and Its Writing - Assignment Example Writing in public relations is an important aspect and the success of any form of public relation campaign depends on the writing skills of the writer. Information has to be researched well, organized in a logical format so that the intended information is delivered effectively. Good public relation writing thus is important in ensuring relevant and correct information is communicated. Public relations is planned communication (Mahoney, 2008) TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 1.0INTRODUCTION 4 2.0PART A: 4 2.1Planning and Preliminary Research 4 a)Personal Study Checklist: 5 b)Timetable: 5 2.2Research Fact sheet   7 2.3Planning Template 8 2.4Planning Questions: 5ws and H 8 3.0PART B: 9 3.1Public relations is planned communication 9 4.0CONCLUSUION 12 LIST OF REFERENCES 15 1.0 INTRODUCTION Public relation is the practice related to the management of communication between the public and an organization (Zhao, 1999). It is the planned effort of establishing a mutual under standing between the public and an organization or an individual (Jovanovich, 1984). Public relation provides an opportunity of exposure of an organization or individual to a target audience. ... Public relation is a planned communication that involves research of relevant information, organization of the information in a clear format and the delivery to the target audience. The public relations practitioner has to identify the target audience and establish the form of information delivery that the audience will best understand. Written word is an important aspect in public relations that helps to communicate information to the public. The success of any public relation writing is in the writing skills of the writer and thus it is important to have good writing skills so as to deliver the information effectively (L'Etang, 2007). 2.0 PART A: 2.1 Planning and Preliminary Research Research and planning is a fundamental aspect of Public Relations writing. The following was the research plan that was formulated in preparation for the discussion, demonstrating planning, time management and organisation. a) Personal Study Checklist: I read and understood the assignment details and r equirements carefully Brainstorming for the assignment Noted the due date for the assignment ( 3rd June, 2011 ) Started a plan on how I was to complete the assignment Confirmed the due date from the unit guide provided by the lecturer The assignment had to be done by Friday 27th of May, before the due date Borrowed the Mahoney textbook from the library to aid in the assignment b) Timetable: 9th May, 2011 Started the assignment Read the assignment description carefully Made a note on how I was to do assignment 11th May, 2011 Brainstormed Read the instructions once again and noted the requirements Searched for documents that were necessary for the assignment Downloaded the fact

Leadership Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Movie Review Example The fact that he and his men were wiped out eventually may be considered immaterial if one chose to look at it in terms of the leadership he displayed. In the film, Leonidas and his troop do not seem intimidated by the apparent strength of the opposing group. They look inspired and driven by a sense of self-belief? They are fighting for a purpose and will not stop at anything to defend their kingdom from external aggression. They are undeterred and willing to pay any price to defend their territory from foreign oppression by the Persians. Discussion It takes extraordinary leadership to venture into certain things. Leonidas must be an extraordinary leader to make his 300 men believe that they could be victors in a battle against 300 men. Kouzes and Posner (2012) outline certain five practices of exemplary leadership in any organization. An exemplary leader models the way. They have the quality of personal credibility. They inspire others to believe in their abilities. They stand up for what they believe in. Leonidas stands against oppression of the Spartans by the Persians. He certainly understands that the inner belief is superior to physical strength at the battlefront. He makes 300 men believe in him, and they line up against 300000 men. According Kouzes and Posner (2012), a leader models the way by building and affirming certain shared values that are embraced by all. Leonidas and his men share the belief that Greece should never be invaded by foreigners who would end up oppressing the Spartans. They fight for a common cause. The second practice of an exemplary leader comes out naturally at this point. It involves inspiring a shared vision.

The Role of the American Soldier Essay Example for Free

The Role of the American Soldier Essay We live in a very conflicted world today. Billions of people live in poverty, and war is a reality for everyone. However, there is still hope for freedom and a decent quality of life for all people. The American soldiers are the people responsible for protecting and promoting these ideals. While they dont make the executive military decisions, its their loyalty and dedication towards spreading and protecting democracy and freedom that gives them the ability to do their job exceedingly well. One of the first things that make the American soldiers so good at their jobs is their belief in America. Soldiers are some of the most patriotic Americans because they believe so strongly in American ideals. I think that becoming a soldier and fighting for your country truly allows you to fully comprehend what your country is all about. American soldiers understand and believe in America, and this drives them to do their job and if necessary, die for their country. The United States of America is the worlds leading superpower, so why should we care about the rest of the world? It is because we have a moral obligation to not only protect ourselves, but to help protect innocent people around the globe from evil and tyranny. It is the responsibility of the American soldiers to fight for justice and to keep evil from harming our world. Overall, they are fighting to keep peace, whether its defending an attack or eliminating a threat. In 2003, the staff of Time Magazine did something that they had never done before. They didnt give the Person of The Year award to a single individual, but instead to a whole group of people, the common American soldiers. I understand why they made that decision. The American soldiers are dedicated to protecting America and making the world a better place. They believe so strongly in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that they will die fighting for these ideals. This dedication to their country and beliefs allows them to play a key role in making a better future for humanity.

Human Factors in Aviation for Pilots

Human Factors in Aviation for Pilots Human Factors in Aviation for Pilots Introduction The term â€Å"human factor† belongs to the wide range of matters affecting how people achieve tasks in their non-work and work environments. The commercial aviation industry has recognized that human error causes most aviation incidents and accidents rather than mechanical failure. If interpreted intently, human factors are often deemed synonymous with maintenance resource management (MRM) or crew resource management (CRM). Human factors involve collecting information about human limitations, ability and other qualities and applying it to machines, tools, tasks, systems, environments and jobs to produce comfortable, safe and effective human use. Human factors are devoted to better perception of how humans can most efficiently and safely be combined with technology. That perception is then translated into training, design, procedures, or policies to help humans work better. (GRAEBER, 2014) In spite of rapid gains in technology, humans are ultimately accountable for guaranteeing the safety and success of the aviation industry. They must continue to be flexible, knowledgeable, efficient, and dedicated while exercising good judgment. In the meantime, the industry continues to make main investments in equipment, training, and systems that have a long-standing implication. Human factors cover the knowledge of comprehending the human capabilities, the application of this knowledge to the development, design and exploitation of systems and services, and the art of guaranteeing successful application of human factor values into the maintenance working environment. Furthermore, human factors experts participate in examining operational safety and developing tools and methods to help operator better handle human error. These duties require the experts to work closely with safety experts, engineers, training and test pilots, mechanics and cabin crews to efficiently integrate huma n factors in the designing of airplanes. Human Factors in the Ground Environment Before understanding the importance of human factors we must know the term â€Å"PEAR†. It reminds the four important facts for human factor programs: People, Environment, Actions and Resources. The Aircraft Electronics Association accepts PEAR as an outstanding way to recall key concerns for a human factors program. There are as a minimum of two environments in aviation maintenance; physical work place and organizational environment. There is the physical work place in the hanger, on the ramp or in the shop while organizational environment exist within the company. A human factor should pay attention to both environments. The physical environment includes ranges of humidity, temperature, lightening, cleanliness, noise control, and workplace design. Companies must accept these conditions and collaborate with the workforce to either change or accommodate the physical environment. It takes a cooperate assurance to address the physical environment. This physical workplace covers the topic â€Å"Resources† of PEAR when it comes to providing coolers, portable heaters, clothing, lightening and task design and workplace. The second environment is organizational one. The significant factors in an organizational environment are usually related to communication, cooperation, mutual respect, shared values of the company, and their culture. An excellent organizational environment is progressed with communication, leadership and shared goals associated with profitability, safety and other key factors. The best companies support and guide their people and promote a culture of safety. We consider environmental matters as critical as other features in PEAR. . (Johnson, 2007) Aviation safety relies deeply on maintenance. When it is not done properly, it contributes to a major proportion of aviation incidents and accidents. Some examples poor maintenance are missing parts, parts installed incorrectly, and required checks not being performed. The errors of an aviation maintenance technician (AMT) can be more challenging to detect as compared with other threats to aviation safety. A lot of times, these errors are present but not visible and have possibility to remain hidden, affecting the harmless operation of aircraft for larger period of time. AMT’s tackled with many human factors unique within aviation. Most of the time, they are working in the early morning or in evening hours, in restrained spaces, and in mixture of unfavorable humidity/temperature conditions. The work can be physically tiring; it also needs attention to detail. AMTs usually spend more time on preparing for a job than actually practicing it out. Key element of all maintenance wor k is a proper documentation, and AMTs usually spend more time revising maintenance logs than they do presenting the work. Mechanical components in aircraft maintenance engineering have boundaries; technicians also have some limitations and limited capabilities when we look at the maintenance engineering system. For example, rivets used to fasten aluminum skin to fuselage that can bear forces acting to pull them apart. These rivets will ultimately fail if sufficient force is applied to them. The exact range of human limitations and capabilities are not clear as the performance range of electrical or mechanical components but the same rules apply in that human functions which is likely to damage and ultimately fail under certain conditions like stress, tensions etc. Human factors understanding can lead to enhanced quality, an environment that guarantees continuing aircraft and worker safety and a more responsible and involved work force. More precisely, the reduction of minor mistakes can provide appreciable benefits including fewer missed deadlines, cost reductions, reduction in injuries, reduction in maintenance errors and also reduction in warranty claims. Human factors in the Airborne Environment (flight desk, cockpit, formation) Men already learn how to construct wings or airplanes, which when propelled through the air at maximum speed, will not only withstand the weight of the engine, but also of the wings themselves, and of the engineer as well. Men also learn how to build screws of adequate power and lightness to drive these airplanes at sustaining speed. Inability to steer and balance still become challenging for students and have flying problems. When this feature has been controlled, the era of flying machines will have reached, for other problems are of lesser importance. (Kantowitz, 2011) Working with an aircraft in the Performance Based Airspace (PBA) will be extra challenging for the flight crews who have only worked in controlled airspace. But in real, only somewhat more challenging rules like Visual Flight Rule (VFR) are applied. The flight crew will have to handle more tasks, an arrival of basic separation responsibilities, have complete responsibility for all forms of situational awareness like mode awareness and traffic, possible greater workload under several conditions like severe weathers. To evaluate the necessary information needs of the flight crew to achieve the airborne self-separation task and to regulate the level of automation, it will be essential to study the following sub tasks; Conflict detection; Conflict privations; Traffic monitoring; Re-planning; Conflict resolution; Inter-traffic/traffic-FOC communication. It becomes clear that today’s conventional airline operations possible do not offer the information to examine the above tasks. It is, though, assumed that the flight crew will demand the high quality ergonomically planned navigation and traffic information and in various circumstances may require to be aided by some level of automation and maybe through some decision support tools. Presently flight crews use the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) instead of ATC (Air Traffic Control) and to help them attain a minimum level of traffic situational awareness. But in today’s operational environment, TCAS information will not be enough. A CDTI (Cockpit Display of Traffic Information) system will possibly be a better system to help the aircrew to maintain and develop a high level of traffic situational awareness by offering basic data about speed, position and provide information of future state of aircraft in the neighborhood. The important requirement will possibly b e to aid the crew in the detection, prevention and resolution of an important conflict. In this area, it is assumed that the aircrew will be in a controlling position. The revealing of imminent collisions will be automated and will be implemented in the background. The crew will be warned in situation of imminent conflicts along with numerous solution strategies, which are supposed to be filtered and sorted for the crew by using various criteria (e.g., time/fuel optimization, wind and weather criteria, passenger comfort, etc.) to elect for the best solution in the given situation. The aircrew will have the probability to modify different factors of the maneuver (e.g. waypoints, aircraft speed, altitude) according to their requirements and own judgment of the situation. (International, 2007) Improvements One of the major risks a pilot faced is the unawareness of existing problem. This situation indicated as a loss of situational awareness. Loss of situation awareness is like danger is everywhere and you are pleasingly unaware of it. Loss of situational awareness can be initiated by somewhat as simple as inattention. A pilot is unaware of the mid-air collision curse because he or she hasn’t been concentrating in maintaining a traffic watch. A pilot is not aware of refueling of the piston engine aircraft that either jet fuel has been loaded into fuel tanks or not. A pilot is careless during the pre-flight examination that a poor gas seal and heavy rains put hazardous quantity of water in the fuel tanks. A pilot must have situational awareness to tackle any of the above dangerous situations effectively and efficiently. A pilot initially creates situational awareness through applied crew management skills and through trainings. Situational awareness also includes establishing targ ets and goals for a particular flight. Once established, it can be maintained by examining of clues to its possible loss. False assumptions are also cause of flight crews’ problems. It can include great expectations, problematic fixations, ignoring bad news, and intense situation of pilots in case of stress. These problems must be reducing to improve environments of aircraft organization. Cockpit stress management plays an important role in airborne environment. In case of any emergency, pilot must be clam, think for alternatives, choose one and then act on it. A pilot must avoid fear and panicking as they are our greatest enemies during emergencies. Don’t wait to announce any emergency until it’s too late for you to handle the situation. A pilot must immediately ask ATC for help. Lots of ground resources can be available for help. If any error occurs because of a pilot, he must forget about that and concentrate on the job at hands. A focus is must, think of an alternative plan and work on it immediately. Use of checklists can prevent as much as 70% of all the accidents which occur because of pilot primary errors. Cockpit stress management procedure can also be accomplished by using checklists instead of relying on memory of pilots only. Hypoxia is a deceptive problem in aviation. It occurs when body cell receives very less oxygen because of altitudes. Its consequences creep up on pilots without their realizing it. A pilot must be aware of how to handle this situation. The way of pilot to perform their job, the manner they cooperate with other crew members, the manner in which they use all available resources and many other details related to human presentation, will have deep effect on the manner in which they fly the airplane. A pilot must undergo a proper professional training in the area of human factors to improve their performance in all the aspects. Crew co-ordinations must be efficient and the monitoring and assignments of duties of all assigned crewmember must perform their jobs effectively. Communications occur between crewmembers related to flying tasks must not be vague, indefinite or unclear. Summary Human factors and its engineering feature involve the usage of knowledge about human limitations and capabilities to design a technological system. Human factor engineering also relates to personnel selection, training, procedures and many others. Humans can also fail to function appropriately in various conditions. Human can face physical fatigue, affected by the cold, can break bones in accidents in workshops etc. Mentally humans can make mistakes, have restrained powers, and can make poor judgments due to lack of knowledge and skills. Furthermore, human performance is also influenced by emotional and social factors. Therefore proper training of aircraft maintenance technicians is required to full all the features of human factors. The aircraft maintenance technicians are the main part of the maintenance system. It is thus very necessary to have knowledge of mental processes function and different parts of body and also the understanding of performance limitations that can affect the work. An essential part of the operational efficiency is continues improvement in flight crew training and in designs and procedures. Study of commercial airplane and human performance interfaces leads to reduce accidents and at the end increases flight safety. The flight deck human factors are researched which include measurement of flight performance and risk, impact of advance technologies, assessing controller pilot information transfer, determining the consciences of stressors on human performance, recognizing human factors included in incidents and accidents, analyzing the effects of tasks design on pilot performance. Human resources perform aerospace research on organizational and individual issues related to human factors. Research areas included designing of cockpit management programs, effective use of trainings related to human factors, recognition of human factors linked with maintenance- related aviation incidents and accidents and with aircrew Bibliography GRAEBER, C. (2014). AERO 8. Retrieved from Boeing: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_08/human_story.html International, H. (2007, september). Human Factors in Autonomous Aircraft Operations. Retrieved from http://ifly.nlr.nl/documents/P2.1 iFly_EAAP08_nf.pdf Johnson, D. W. (2007, april). A Model to Explain Human Factors. Retrieved from Industry: http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/1482.pdf Kantowitz, B. H. (2011). Hand Book Aviation Human Factors. Retrieved from http://theblackswaninvestmentclub.com/flight_manuals/human factors.pdf Parry, D. L. (2014). HUMAN FACTORS AND PILOT DECISION-MAKING. Retrieved from http://www.langleyflyingschool.com/Pages/CPGS Pilot Decision Making.html#Human Factors and Pilot Error

Free Essays - Angela’s Ashes :: Ashes

Angela’s Ashes   In Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes, the connection between tone, syntax, and point of view combine to create an effective balance of humor and pathos.   This is shown through the perspective of little Frank McCourt.   Sometimes it is human nature to try to make a tragedy seem better than it is in order to go on with our lives.   Frank’s struggle to make his situation as a poor, Catholic, Irish boy more bearable, is demonstrated through the positive tone, powerful syntax and childlike point of view. Humor and pathos come together when Frank steals bananas from the Italian, but later the same Italian gives him a bag of fruit.   Frank knows that he can’t buy the bananas and he knows also the Italian won’t give them away seen when Frank says; â€Å" Italians are not known for giving away bananas† (p.35).   We can see the humor in the theft as the â€Å" twins slobber and chew and spread bananas over their faces, their hair, their clothes† (p.36).   The tragedy is that the McCourt kids are poor and have to resort to begging and stealing to survive.   When the author uses such words such as â€Å"slobber† (p.36), â€Å"little buddas† (p.36), he is trying to make an intolerable situation more bearable and enjoyable to the reader.   When the McCourts are at their new home, two weeks before Christmas, the children come home and find the whole downstairs flooded.   They decide that they will stay up stairs, which they call â€Å"Italy† (p.118), and the downstairs â€Å"Ireland† (p.118).   The humor in this tragedy is the house is so run down that water leaks in and floods the bottom.   Instead of suffering and complaining about the house they move upstairs and make the best out of it and try to live normally.   The reader should find this funny from the way the family talks about it, they try to make the situation more bearable by adding a sense of humor.   They leave the â€Å"Pope† (p.118) downstairs because Angela doesn’t â€Å" want him on the wall glaring at me in the bed† (p.118).   The syntax used is to make the reader feel pity for the family when the whole downstairs is flooded but also the author wants to make the reader laugh when the family decides to lighten the situation by creating an adventurous illusion.   One of the funnier moments is the scene where Frank pukes up the host and his Grandmother says she â€Å" has God in her backyard† (p.

Gallup Poles :: essays research papers

In 1935 a man named George Gallup of Jefferson, Iowa founded and became director of the American Institute for Public Opinion. He is best know for his Gallup Poles which till this day serve as the most respected public opinion surveys on politics. Before all major elections in this country Gallup Poles are conducted to get a firm sense of who is voting for which candidate and often why. Now with out any question the poles themselves are a great tool for politicians in order to gauge where and how hard they need to campaign. In addition it also provides many Americans with a good perspective of how the nation thinks and where they’re beliefs fall in relation to. Those are too benefits to the Gallup Pole, now the question remains, is the government too responsive to public opinion and do polls drive the agenda? However I think it’s a better question to ask if the government can be â€Å"too responsive† to public opinion and if it is bad if polls drive the agenda? First and foremost I believe that the only possible arguments against poles are that 1) they sometimes discourage voters and 2) they may have a little too much impact on the agenda. I believe one small reason for low voter turnout is because due to polls people feel as though they know who is going to win before the elections and don’t feel as though there vote would make a difference. But for the most part polls help out this country as long as their figures are true. We do live in a country ruled by the people and if the poles reflect the will of the people than I don’t see why politicians shouldn’t refer to them. It also makes politicians and their employees take stock of their stances on issues and their relationship with certain groups. For example if a republican woman running for Senator of New Jersey and she sees a pole stating that the majority of Asians don’t support her, she will try to figure out why that is and she will try to remedy the situ ation. Poles open some politicians eyes to some issues they may not know exist. For example say that woman found out that in past years the New Jersey republican party has not even addressed problems brought up by the Asian society and has totally ignored them.

Reflective Practice Nursing :: Reflective Practice Nursing

Reflection There are many definitions in the literature of reflection, most however agree that it is an active, conscious process Reflection is often initiated when the individual practitioner encounters some problematic aspect of practice and attempts to make sense of it. Dewey Dewey (1933) defined reflection as: An active persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends. Dewey worked as an educationalist and developed his concept of reflective practice and reflection through experiential learning theories. He concluded in his work that the experience the individual lives through can be described as a dynamic continuum - and that each experience influences the quality of future experiences.   Boud - the learner's point of view Boud et al (1985) take a different perspective and define it as: A generic term for those intellectual and effective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to a new understanding and appreciation. Boud and his co-writers view reflection from the learner's point of view. They emphasise the relationship of the reflective process and the learning experience against what the learner can do.   Schà ¶n - types of reflection Schà ¶n (1987) in his work identifies two types of reflection, these are reflection-in-action (thinking on your feet) and reflection-on-action (retrospective thinking). He suggests that reflection is used by practitioners when they encounter situations that are unique, and when individuals may not be able to apply known theories or techniques previously learnt through formal education.   Others Greenwood (1993), however, identifies weaknesses and inconsistencies in Argyris and Schà ¶n's work as they fail to follow their own recommendations. This, she argues, has resulted in the implementation and prescription of dubious strategies for the promotion of what Schà ¶n refers to as enlightened professional artistry. Often formal education cannot answer the complex questions of clinical practice and there remains a gap in knowledge gained. Schà ¶n, however, argues that wisdom can be learnt by reflection on dilemmas that are encountered in practice and that by using reflection-on-action practitioners can continue to develop their practice.   Reid (1993) in her definition also noted reflection as an active process rather than passive thinking. She states: Reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice. Kemmis (1985) agrees with Reid that the process of reflection is more than a process that focuses 'on the head'.

Customer Service in the Transport Logistics

The South African transport industry is one that is changing. In terms of Customer service there are certain companies that are excelling and are able to provide service that gains them a greater measure of customer satisfaction. Good customer service is an integral part of any business or organization. The process of managing stock, warehouse inventory, and freight transportation is at the heart of logistics. Logistics is the management and coordination of moving inventory from its origination to its ultimate destination. The goal of a logistics team is to find a way to do this process in the most streamlined, cost efficient method possible. The overall High costs in the logistics industry though are a cause for concern as they hinder the ability of organisations to provide maximum efficiency, to their customers thus not achieving maximum customer service. We will discuss what customer service is and its importance in the transport industry. We will look at the challenges facing the South African Transport industry as well as current developments going into the world cup and what these developments mean for the future of the South African transport industry. Customer Service is defined by Vogt and Pienaar as â€Å"the integrated series of activities between a supplier and a buyer, which enhance the sale and facilitate the effective use of the suppliers’ products. When rendered effectively, customer service is the overriding logistics supply chain function that can create demand and retain loyalty. In a broader sense customer service is the measure of how well the logistics system is performing in providing time and place utility for a product or service (Pienaar & Vogt; 2009, 25). According to Christopher and Peck (2003) customer service includes points of contact between a supplier and buyer also including tangible and intangible elements. Logistics performance is extremely important in achieving customer satisfaction. Importance of Customer service The importance of customer service in any organisation and the transport industry as a whole cannot be over emphasized. Customer service is the most critical aspect of the whole supply and distribution chain (Ron). According to Karl it has been proven in surveys that most customers do not come back to certain business establishment because of the indifferences they might have had with the owner, manager and employees regardless if they like the product or service the business renders. Every business management must recognize the reality that customer service is imperative in the success of the business. This ensures customer loyalty and commitment to the business. The company’s ability to focus on customers needs rather than on their own will ensure that company is cost effective and efficient at all times. Characteristics of customer service in transportation There are a number of factors that make up customer service and specifically for the transport industry these include, dependability, time in transit, flexibility of mode chosen, loss and damage performance of the mode, and ability of the transport to adapt to the changing customer needs. (Craig, 2004) Most customers are more interested about receiving their delivered goods on time than whether the person delivering the goods has a cheerful face. Successful companies try to under-promise and over deliver in terms of delivery time. This allows the firms to capture their customers ensuring that the company’s reputation is not jeopardized so firms need to ensure that their lead times are accurate. Customer service excellence is about reliability and consistency. Reliability means that the suppliers commitment to maintain a promised delivery schedule and to advise customers if deliveries subsequently cannot be made on time. This shows that the suppliers are reliable and keep the customer at ease. It is better to switch to a more expensive but reliable supplier than to rely on a relatively inexpensive but erratic supplier. Customer satisfaction is highest when a customer knows they can rely on their goods to be delivered at the specified time and that the goods will be delivered. Companies such as Manline offer customers the service of being able to track their goods in transit through a customer call centre where they can monitor their cargo through real time satellite tracking of their vehicles. Such services allow customers to be more at ease. In South Africa overall this is a concern in the transport industry as the rate of hijacking is high and thus the risk of goods not arriving is high. This means that in South Africa it is imperative that an organisation gets the best security technology in order to meet customer needs. The amount of time in-transit is another important element in customer service within the transport industry. Goods need to be transported and delivered as quickly as possible as customers need their cargo on hand as soon as possible. The flexibility of any mode of transport is another important element in customer service. If an organisation is to provide the best service they need to react to a customer’s changing needs. In the South African transport industry it is sometimes difficult for there to be immediate changes in customer requirements as the most used mode of transportation is road transportation. This means that service delivery in any other form is sometimes difficult or unreliable. The idea is to move goods as quickly, efficiently and cost effectively as possible. JIT (Just-In-Time) deliveries are a powerful force in the modern epoch. Deliveries are getting smaller but more frequent. We are moving into a situation where there is a continuous flow of goods from source to final delivery. Those carriers who are able to adapt to the changes in the market and accommodate a wide set of logistical competencies will be the winners in the new age of transport. Traditional haulers must change their ideas of what industry they belong to and face the challenges of the new order. Fast-moving, 2005) Challenges affecting customer service in South Africa Within the last couple of years the country has been able to address some of the issues within the transport industry, though there is still much that needs to be addressed. There have been various challenges that have and still face South Africa’s growing transportation and physical distribution industry. One of those challenges is that with increased globalization the local industry has to compete wi th foreign industry. Customers want the most reliable yet inexpensive way of transporting their goods and foreign companies are doing this, making it difficult for local companies to stay relevant. Another major challenge which has been addressed to an extent by some companies and aspects of the transport industry is that of technology. Customers want to know the exact specifications of the transportation of their goods. They want to know time of departure, time of arrival, amount of time in transit, and even the route of transit. This then means that the best tracking technology is required. In South Africa this high technology has been slow in infiltrating the transport industry. Devices for tracking and monitoring load carriers using real time satellite tracking is not something that is widely used in the industry. A good example of a company that is doing this though is Manline . This Company has set up a 24-hour control centre operated by fleet trackers that constantly monitor all vehicles and also to apply effective route rationalizing techniques and maximize vehicle productivity and utilization. (Manline 2010). According to the findings of the ‘Research Report for the Infrastructure Inputs Sector Strategy’, commissioned by the Presidency, and compiled by Sudeo International Business consultants. One of the other major challenges facing the South African Transportation industry going into 2010 is that freight volumes travelling by all modes of transport will have to be suppressed for the duration of the world cup. This will have considerable impact on the logistics industry as a whole. Ways to improve and Developments in 2010 The challenges that face the South African industry are ones that can be remedied. The 2010 World cup in South Africa has become a catalyst event in developments in the country and the transportation industry as it is one of the most integral parts of achieving efficient customer delivery and thus achieving high customer satisfaction. An important component of ultimate improvement would be making on-time deliveries every time. When a product is ready for use, the clock starts to count down how long it will take to complete the cycle from completing the manufacturing of a product to the consumption of that product. The longer it takes to get the product into the hands of the consumer, the more money a company loses. It is important that the products are delivered quickly and on time to the customers in order to maintain the company’s customers and keep them loyal. So how does one streamline this process? By implementing a logistics plan of action, a company can do just that. Larger manufacturers will hire a logistics team that is responsible for the routing of goods from the company, to the freight transportation company, and finally to the end client. They will have a database system to track all inventory. They will monitor inventory levels to make sure that a backlog of supply occurs. An additional responsibility of transportation and logistics specialist is to account for accurate transportation times. It is vital for companies to be able to rely and trust that their shipments will arrive in a timely manner. Being well organized accounts for much of this success, but the ability to transport the shipments quickly is also important. Because the country's infrastructure has improved with better maintained highways and interstates, transportation times have decreased. Freight transportation is more reliable now because companies can more accurately predict when a shipment will arrive. Some trucking companies will even guarantee the precise day and hour that a delivery will be made. This is very important because customer satisfaction is often based around on-time deliveries and accurate accounting of merchandise. This has also helped to reduce the cost of shipping freight, since trucking companies now have reliable, more direct routes to utilize. It indirectly affects cost because better roads create less wear and tear on shipping vehicles. It is important for the organization to answer all e-mail and phone calls from customers within an hour. If possible, the owner of the business, personally take care of the problem. This will show that the organization cares about customers and will improve the service quality of the organisation. This is an important area of improvement in South Africa as clients would be able to trust load carriers as they would be in constant contact. It will give customers peace of mind if they can continuously monitor their cargo themselves and also stay in contact with their company. The organisation should offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers to contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink the e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts. Some trucking companies have contact numbers written on their trucks so that the customers can be able to contact that particular company when they need their service. The organisation should invite customers to company meetings, luncheons, workshops or seminars in the meeting the manager can inform the customers about when the products will be available in the market because it is important to give customers more than they expect. Create special events for the customers like parties, barbecue's, dances etc. This will make them feel important when the company include them in regular business operations and special events (Larry Dotson, 2004) If a logistic team only concentrates on reducing freight cost, they could potentially lower customer service quality. Therefore, the goal of a logistics manager, or third party administrator, is to find a balance between cost and customer satisfaction. They must also be able to provide accurate tracking information, correctly estimate shipping cost, and be able to calculate delivery dates and times. By being organized, keeping cost low for the clients, and by making on time deliveries, freight management can help control the overall customer satisfaction of their clients. Reducing cost in freight transport is great, but if you can improve customer service at the same time, that’s even better. Logistics software can help reduce costs in freight transportation and logistics while improving customer service quality. (Barone, 2003) In the South African industry research shows that there should be plans to shift back to rail-freight and reduce that of road as the overall cost of damage to roads will eventually filter down in costs to the customer. Although currently there are greater cost savings and cost competition in using road freight. Measuring Customer Service. Measuring customer service in logistics for any organization is crucial to determine whether the organization is doing what the customers are expecting. The needs of the customers differ to a large extent and the reason being is not all customers are treated the same. Since the needs of the customers differ to a large extent, organizations end up knowing so little in general about the customers’ real requirements hence they end up setting the service levels that are too high and hence too costly (Ballou, 1978). The high service levels result also in higher distribution costs and therefore the overall price of a product. Even though the aim of any organization is to meet the needs of each and every customer, the organizations should however try to generalize about customer service as much as possible to drive down the costs. The problem that is encountered while trying to measure the customer service is what factors to measure exactly. There has always been a contradiction on whether the service levels should be determined by the customers or be set by the organizations. The firms normally select factors that are easier to measure such as order handling, order picking times whereas customers might be interested or concerned about the order transmittal and delivery which tend to be more difficult to measure. Therefore to determine those factors or aspects that the customers value the most, the organizations normally use the performance model (Murphy and Wood, 2004). The performance model is a questionnaire that the customers fill on receipt of their orders; its main objective is to determine the percentage of times the firm accomplishes specific goals and objectives. Managers normally set some visible goals against which performance can be measured. These come in two forms; standards and policy statements (Ballou, 1978). The managers might for example set a standard whereby the target is to ensure a 95% in-stock rate, filling customer orders within 24 hours of receipt or a one day order cycle time for all customers staying close to the organization. Against these standards managers can be able to tell if they are meeting and exceeding the customer service levels the organization had set. I should be further noted that it is inefficient and costly to provide more service than the customer expect or requires hence the firm should try to meet to break-even. Some companies take customer service seriously in a sense that they even have the written printed statements. The policy statements promise the customers that the company intends to act in a specified way with regard to service. There are five ways in which the organizations measure or test the customer service levels (Gwilliam M, 2008). Firstly, if the organization is able to fill the orders then it must be meeting the customers’ expectations. Normally the acceptable standard is the 95% fill rate whereby it is only 5% of the time when there is stock out. Secondly it is the delivery of the goods on time. It is vital to measure how fast the organization can deliver the products that have been ordered. If most of the time the goods are not delivered at the targeted date then major changes need to be done. Furthermore, it is important to measure how successfully the customers’ concerns can be resolved. Since the customers use the enquiries to express their concerns, the proportion of the number of customer enquiries that have been effectively resolved can be used as a means of measuring customer service given the number of enquiries that have been received. Another way to measure customer service can be how quick the organization responds to the customers’ mails, emails, and phone calls. If the organization is able to respond to the customers within 24 hrs than the level of customer service is up to standard. The last way of measuring the customer service in logistics is by letting the customer decide. The customers can let the organization know if it is fulfilling the needs of its customers. The customer surveys that focus on the customer service issues can be conducted and from the response of the customer surveys the organization can be able to improve on the areas that the customers are not happy with. Once the level of customer service is known it becomes easier to control it. When the level of customer service is below the standard the customers become dissatisfied, however if the level of customer service is above or exceed what the customers require it increases the costs of the organization. Control is therefore defined as a process of taking corrective action when measurement indicates that the goals or objectives of customer service are not being achieved. For example, if the delivery targeted dates are not met there might be a need of changing the mode of transport or simply the route being used. Firstly the service level standards are set, and then the actual is compared to the standard. If there is a variation then the corrective measures need to be done so that the standard is met. At times the reason why the standard is not met is because it was set too high that it cannot be matched, in this case the standard itself needs to be revised. Conclusion â€Å"The success of South Africa’s infrastructure growth challenges will be dependent on the ability of logistics infrastructure and, in particular, transportation, to cope with the demands placed on it. †(Engineering news, 2007). In the future the quality of customer service will be the main determining factor in the survival of a company as customers become more aware of product offerings that will suit them. The transportation industry in South Africa is changing, with greater emphasis being placed on the customer and their level of satisfaction. This will bring a greater move forward in the industry that will see South Africa competing on the world stage in terms of transportation. Customer service is vital to the survival of any company, organisation or industry and establishing and implementing customer service policies that work is what will lead organisations and industries to greater growth and success.

General Appliances Essay

Introduction:The General Appliance Corporation is a manufacturer of all types of home appliances. The company has a decentralized, divisional organizational structure, which consists of four product divisions (electric stove, laundry equipment, refrigeration and miscellaneous appliance division), four manufacturing divisions (chrome products, electric motor, gear and transmission and stamping division) and six staff offices (finance, engineering, manufacturing, industrial relations, purchasing and marketing staff). The staff offices do not have functional authority over the divisional general managers, who are each responsible for their own divisional personnel. The manufacturing division made approximately 75 percent of their sales to the product division. In addition, the parts made by the manufacturing division is designed and engineered by the product divisions. Since the eight divisions are expected to act like independent companies, the transfer prices are negotiated amongst themselves. But, if two divisions could not agree on a price, they submit the dispute to the finance staff for arbitration. The product division does not have the power to decide whether to buy from within the company or from outside. If there was a disagreement with the sourcing, the manufacturing division could appeal to the purchasing staff to reverse the decision. Problem:At the General Appliance Corporation, the purchasing staffs are the personnel that decide which part would continue to be manufactured within the company (org. chart may need to be revised). When the part is decided to be manufactured internally, the manufacturing division must hold the price at a level the product (purchaser) division could purchase it outside. Currently, the managers do not have the freedom to source and choose the alternative that is in their best interest, even though an alternative for sourcing does exist. The three problems that exist in the company are:-Determining a transfer price that includes the extra $0.80 per unit spent on developing the new quality standards. Also, the arbitration committee should determine whether the appearance is a subjective or objective matter. -An excess capacity (supply is greater than demand) caused a temporary  decrease in the selling price. -The standard price used for calculations of the total cost, profit and proposed price is determined from the price given in a competitor’s proposal – this is not a definite price. Investment Centres – don’t know when to produce or when to outsource (what role does innovation or engineering for lower costs play?)For each case, calculate if it’s better to outsource or manufactureArbitration committee which considers all â€Å"staff† functionsDo something quick & fast (cheap) and easy to doAnalysis:Stove Top Problem – Survey has shown that the company’s reputation as a producer of quality products has deteriorated, and resulted in the Chrome Products Division implementing quality improvements to the stove tops. Chrome has proposed to increase the price of the stove top by $0.90; $0.80 represents the additional costs of quality improvements and a $0.10 profit mark-up. The Electric Stove Division does not see the improvements as necessary changes since there is no change in engineering specifications, the changes made were never requested or approved, consumers may not even notice or want the change, and believes that the improvements made will only bring the quality level of the stove tops to the competitor’s level. Ultimately, Electric Stove sees these quality changes as being more subjective rather than objective. The engineering department of the manufacturing staff has verified that the new improvements were of superior quality then of their competitors and the costs were reasonably allocated. Thermostatic Control Problem – Electric Motor Division has been able to consistently reduce the price of the thermostatic control units to mirror the price of Monson Controls Corp. from $3.00 in 1984 to $2.40 in 1987. Monson has decided to further reduce their price to $2.15, which according to the general manager of Electric Motor Division, would result in selling at a loss rather than a profit. The GM believes that they are just as efficient as Monson, therefore Monson must be selling at a loss at $2.15. Laundry Equipment and the Refrigeration Division both require a total of 120 000 units for their division (100 000 units for Laundry and 2 000 units for Refrigeration). Refrigeration has made an agreement with Electric Motor that  they will be able to competitively source to the lowest bidder, in this case, Monson for $2.15. Laundry Equipment believes that for such a large order, they could probably obtain a lower price than $2.40 if they were to outsource. In reviewing this dispute, the Finance Staff stated that there was excess capacity in the market that results in soft prices. The purchasing staff believed that Refrigeration could purchase their requirements at $2.15 for the next year but if the corporation’s orders were all place externally, the price would rise to $2.40 through increase in demand or limited supply. Considering the 120 000 units of thermostatic control that is required by both the Laundry Equipment and the Refrigeration Division, and the fact that their requirement is large enough to increase Monson’s price of $2.15 to $2.40, General App. will have to outsource and purchase from within. Assuming that the more units General App. outsources, the price will gradually increase due to the increase in demand. The best combination of outsourcing and purchasing from within would be to outsource 60 000 units at an estimated price of $2.25 and purchase 60 000 units internally for $2.40. This would cost the organization $279 000, a savings between $1 000 and $9 000. The average price per unit is $2.325, less than the cost of the market price if the required volume was entirely outsourced. It is also less then purchasing the entire volume internally. This would result in Laundry Equipment saving $7 500 and costing $3 500 to Refrigeration as oppose to purchasing their required volume at $2.15. Transmission Problem – Laundry Equipment has previously entered into an agreement with Thorndike Machining Corp to purchase one-half of its transmission for 10 years. Two years before the expiration of the agreement, General App. decided to manufacture their own transmissions to extend their capacity. Thorndike proposed a price reduction of $0.50 consistently for the next two years with a new economy transmission unit at a price of $10. The Gear and Transmission Division estimates that they can replicate a comparable model of the economy transmission at a competitive price of $9. The Gear and Transmission Division’s proposal failed to eliminate the cost of design features of $0.50 per unit. This would bring the proposed total  unit cost for G&T from $11.66 to $11.11. This error makes Thorndike’s proposed price of $11.21 appear more favourable. Bibliography: Anthony, Robert N., and Vijay Govindarajan. Management Control Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2000.

Commentary on Three Lunulae, Truro Museum

Three Lunulae, Truro Museum is a poem written by Penelope Shuttle and it is written with the perspective of a person who visits a museum and views the Lunulae. The visitor, upon first seeing the Lunulae begins to imagine their history. The gender of the viewer is unknown but it seems to be a woman, given the gentle and delicate way of writing, shown through the first stanza â€Å"gold so thin, only an old woman would notice its weight†. The poem consists of 14 stanzas but varies in length probably contributing to a shift in mood and tone of the poem.The poem begins with the description of the Lunulae as soon as the visitor walks in where they comment on the gold on the Lunulae and that it was so thin only an old woman would notice it, creating imagery in our mind about how fine and delicate the Lunulae is and therefore, adding to the speakers intrigue towards the object. This description continues in the second stanza where she compares the gold to crescent moons that came out of the â€Å"sunken district of the dark†. This comparison probably tells us how the Lunulae were found after the â€Å"archaeologists† dug it out of the ground.This gets the poet to start describing the ornaments and how the women of the Bronze Age â€Å"threw no barbaric shadows† which seems like a connection with the Bronze age and how it may have been a time of violence. The reference to â€Å"freeze† in stanza five and â€Å"winter† links to a seasonal recurrence where spring probably represents the young people and that winter symbolizes doom, old age and eventually: death. Contrasting to this description, the poet uses a lot of delicate and gentle sounds such as moon, women and mood to probably ease out the process, almost as if it was a cyclic movement.When the speaker describes these ornaments, it’s as though time stands still while she is entranced by the ornaments but the mention of the â€Å"slight quick tap of a clock† ( stanza 6), the reader is reminded that time still exists and that it waits for no one. This idea is supported by the previous mentions of the moon and the women of the Bronze Age where the speaker describes the event almost as if she were back in time with them and that it stood still when she spoke about it.In stanza 5, the reference to insects’ legs is quite an odd simile to use but it conveys the fact that the clocks hand, is like and insects’ leg, quiet and unseen, almost as if it goes on unspoken till we meet our end, or when it is winter. The next few lines only add to the intrigue of the speaker towards the object where she tries to see what others could not see. She wants to go beyond the three women’s’ faces and actually understand the story behind the Lunulae. The reference to the word â€Å"sickle shapes† along with â€Å"insects’ legs† and â€Å"thin gold remains of autumn† show the delicate and fragile imagery with a link to nature.In stanza 9, there is a possible connection to stanza 3 and in this stanza, the women seem to be appearing in front of the speaker, almost in a ghost like form with â€Å"a face like a frost fern†. The description here is very dark and aggressive. The â€Å"Light twists in a violent retching† and this shows the manner in which the women are manifesting themselves. In contrast to what was said earlier in stanza three, it seems now that these women did have a violent past. The â€Å"dusty snakes† which are used to describe the women implies that they are very old and possess a sly character.Towards the end, the readers understand that the custodian is about to close the museum and this intriguing story behind the Lunulae is about to come to an end. The speaker must leave as they are closing. The speakers friend waits there to buy him a postcard and they both step outside where there are autumn leaves. This reference to the autumn leaves touches u p upon the previous mentions of seasons, time and how life is almost like a cyclic movement: pre planned and inevitable.The poet tries to convey to us that every single thing has its own story, its own identity and that every thing we do in life connects us to events in the past and the future. This poem conveys the importance of time and how it is destructive in nature where at one point, everything seems fine but after a while, things tend to fall apart and ugly truths begin to reveal themselves. It teaches us that the mind is very fragile and gullible but explains to us that what is shown on the surface is not always the truth.

Traditional vs. Online Education

The battle between online education and traditional education has been raging since online school began. With online education, there is a higher chance for success due to the personalized approach to learning. Along with success in the learning area, you can also be successful in the business area of life. With online education, there is a much greater acceptance rate due to the â€Å"less strict† guidelines, as well as a broader area of class options because of the online aspect. For this reason, online education, is in my eyes, a much better choice than traditional education.Although face to face contact is considered the best form of education, online education is much more flexible than traditional education. Not everyone can make time to sit in a lecture hall at eleven a. m. five days a week. Since it is much easier to keep a job while attending an online school, it allows you to make other commitments as well as have other activities due to a regular income. It is easie r to keep a steady job and stay in school due to such flexible hours from an online education. Since Traditional classrooms have a schedule that you must stick to, it is much harder to keep a job.You can have other commitments as well due to the fact that most online schools have all assignments due on one day. You complete your degree while balancing your work and family responsibilities. At a traditional school, you are exposed to a variety of distractions in the classroom that are seemingly uncontrollable. While in an online school, because your classroom is wherever you choose, it is easier to stay focused without the distractions of the classroom. At home, you are able to control what is around you, unlike in a classroom where distractions are uncontrollable.Some online degree programs have frequent start dates, some even weekly. This allows you the opportunity to complete courses quickly. Online schooling gives you a broader spectrum of choices for your major as well as a much greater acceptance rate than traditional college. Online education would be ideal because of the flexible nature of classes offered. Since school online is well, online, they provide a much greater choice of classes and degrees that are more suitable for your own personal standards. You do not have to fight for classes as you would have to in a traditional school environment.So with all that, I consider online education to be a much more practical option for schooling. There are many more upsides to online education than there are down sides. In my opinion, there are many more downsides to traditional education than there are to online education. For this reason, online education, is in my eyes, a much better choice than traditional education. Although face to face contact is considered the best form of education, online education is much more flexible than traditional education.

Occupational Health and Safety Management Essay

Occupational Health and Safety Management - Essay Example The rest of this essay will lay out the benefits of providing a safe working environment by citing relevant legislative, financial and moral rationale. Legal Aspects: The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act of 1986 will be the basic document of reference for my decisions and initiatives. Section 19 of the act is particularly relevant, for it outlays the duties of employers toward employee safety. This section notes that an employer must, â€Å"in respect of each employee employed or engaged by the employer, ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that the employee is, while at work, safe from injury and risks to health and, in particular, must provide and maintain so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment, safe systems of work, plant and substances in a safe condition†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (www.austlii.edu.au, 2012) The OHSW Act is quite thorough in the range of clauses it includes, covering all contingencies and freak occurrences. As OHS Manager of a large national transport company, one of my primary challenges is in sorting and managing the slew of complaints, grievances and lawsuits that will be raised against the company, especially against the department. But rather than an antagonistic approach toward disposing these issues, an empathetic and compassionate approach will fetch better results. (Murphy & Cooper, 2000) After all, given the high risks taken by workers by involving themselves in the transportation business, one should respect their genuine concerns and seek to resolve them. The government of South Australia has heeded to the demands of workers of the region and has tightened its laws governing OHS. The verdict on recently held case Farrell v B & A Fisheries Pty Ltd [2012] SAIRC bears out this fact. (www.safework.sa.gov.au, 2012) Financial Aspects: From a financial point of view, the costs incurred by the management in building safety nets for workers are worth it in the long run. For example, offering them disability insurance, life insurance, installing air bags in transport vehicles, etc, are worthy investments when one considers the emotional and monetary distress that they would later save employees. Creating a feeling of security and trust among employees will benefit the company by reducing attrition rates, enhancing loyalty and increasing motivation level of employees. Hence, from a financial standpoint, every dollar spent toward building safety mechanisms for worker health, will indirectly boost the bottom line. Moreover, the provisions for fines in the OHSW Act, makes it prudent to invest in safety rather than pay for negligence and poor standards. For example, under the OHSW Act, a first offence would lead to a Division 2 fine and a subsequent offence a Division 1 fine. That preventing a mishap is wiser than paying after the fact is underscored by the elaborate dictates of the OHSW Act. The moral angle is also taken into account in the Act, as it states that â€Å"an employer must so far as is reasonably practicable, monitor the health and welfare of the employer’s employees in their employment with the employer, insofar as that monitoring is relevant to the prevention of work-related injuries† (www.austlii.edu.au, 2012) The verdict on Symons v Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd [2012]

Wk3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wk3 - Assignment Example table, is found to be less than 0.05, therefore, we cannot accept null hypothesis which states that the average salaries of employees of each grade is equal. It can thus be concluded that significant difference exists in the average salaries of employees at different grades. The first null hypothesis that states that average salaries for all grades are equal is accepted as the associated P value is found to be equal to 0.07 which is greater than 0.05. The second null hypothesis that states that average salaries for both male and female employees are equal is, however, rejected as the associated P value is found to be equal to 1.5 x 10-10 which is quite less than the significance level 0.05. The third null hypothesis that tests whether the interaction is statistically significant is found to be statistically significant as the associated P value is found to be 0.17 which is significantly greater than the significance level of 0.05. It means that the grades and gender do have an interaction that impacts the equality of pays amongst employees on average. Moreover it shows that the mean salaries are equal amongst different grades while they are found to be unequal amongst male and female employees without considering their grades. Moreover in order to avoid biasness in the results the observations have been chosen at random so that the sample results can be employed for the interpretation of population parameters. Therefore mean value in this case can be used to interpret the results of mean values of population. In order to test that the compa values in the population are equal by grade and/or gender, and are independent of each factor the ANOVA has been done using Data Analysis Tool pack of MS Excel 2007. The values are chosen on convenience basis for each category. The summary of outputs thus obtained is mentioned below. The two factor ANOVA has been performed with replication. All three null hypotheses are rejected as the associated P values are found to be less