Europa, The Possibility of Life Essay - 855 Words

Right alongside the fifth and largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, orbits a moon only about the same size as Earth’s moon. On this moon, is an icy surface that scientists are trying to uncover. Due to the presence of what they believe to be water, there is the possibility of life on this moon named Europa. In 1609, Galileo Galilei, using â€Å"spyglass† which allowed one to see things closer than they appeared, made an early version of the telescope. With it, he observed the skies in a way no one had before. He discovered the moon isn’t perfectly globular, it has craters, the Sun has sunspots, Venus orbits the Sun (contrary to widespread belief in his time), and then he observed four â€Å"stars† around Jupiter (â€Å"Our Solar System†). Within†¦show more content†¦Anne Helmenstine states, â€Å"The snow is red due to the presence of Chlamydomonas algae† (â€Å"Colored Snow†). It could be possible the algae here on Earth is linked to the red ridges seen on Europa. Also seen on the surface of Europa are eruptions of water vapor. Fecht writes about the Hubble images relating to the geysers: Analysis of Hubble ultraviolet-light images of the moon from 1999 and 2012 suggest that subsurface water sprays out of the moons south pole in two geysers that are 124 miles (200 kilometers) high, according to the study led by planetary scientist Lorenz Roth of the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in San Antonio, Texas. (2013) This could mean that there is water underneath the surface of this moon, but what else lies beyond? Doppler tracking data obtained during four flybys done by Galileo (spacecraft) past Europa exposed the moon’s axial movement of inertia, suggesting a partial compression of material in the direction of Europa’s epicenter. Three-layer models created by reasonable arrangements propose that Europa contains an outermost water (H2O) layer and has a density close to 80 to 200 kilometers thick, a middle layer of a silicate rock mantle, and maybe a biphasic material (Fe-FeS) metallic core. Models created without a metallic core are steady with the data but need high silicate densities. More credible models have a metallic core thirty to fifty percent of Europa’s radius in magnitude and a silicate mantleShow MoreRelatedPossibility Of Life On Europa1568 Words   |  7 Pagespaper is that possibly finding life on Europa, likely in the future, will illuminate the origins of l ife on Earth but will likely cause conflict for some subcultures as well. Section 1: Possibility of Life on Europa There is possibility of finding life on Europa. Europa is one of four moons orbiting Jupiter. The premises of the possibility of life on Europa is that there are hydrothermal vents with life on Earth as well as on Europa. By observation, it is known that Europa has an icy surface. It is furthermoreRead MoreThe Doomed Battle Of Mankind Vs. Science1093 Words   |  5 Pagescuriosity effectively. Europa Report is a science fiction thriller about a doomed trip to Jupiter’s fourth largest moon Europa. Respectable scientists risk it all for the advancements that will be made it the name of science. Europa Report, released in 2013 by Magnolia Picture came into production after the November 2011 discovery of water under the ice surface of Europa. Ecuadorian director Sebastià ¡n Cordero, best known for his work with educational films, directed Europa Report with exceptionalRead MoreJupiter ´s Europa Moon1260 Words   |  5 Pages Europa is the sixth of Jupiters moons and the fourth largest. Europa is named after a Phoenician princess who was abducted by Zeus and taken to the island of Crete to be his lover. Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei and possibly Simon Marius in 1610 and is one of the four Galilean satellites. The others being: Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. Europa is very different from the other moons of Jupiter. Instead of a rocky, cratered surface like Callisto and Ganymede, it instead has a smooth outerRead MoreIs Jupiters Moon Europa?1430 Words   |  6 Pagespossible future home is Jupiter’s moon Europa. With future landing and explorations of Europe we may be able to determine the geophysical processes, ocean composition in order to determine its habitability. What it takes in order to confirm Europa as a candidate for a future home this case study shows what objectives and scientific rationale are needed for the mission. (R.T. Pappalardo, et al, 2013) Habitability of Europa Conducting such a mission to Europa may provide answers to whether or not itRead MoreEssay On If Life Exist On Other Planets771 Words   |  4 Pagesto explain how life could exist on other planets. Scientists at NASA have been discovering evidence that suggests it may be possible for life to exist on another planet within our own solar system. I have always been interested in the mysteries of the universe, and never pass up an opportunity to learn more about it. One current theory for the possibility life on other planets focuses on Jupiter’s moon Europa, a moon the size of a small planet. What evidence is there that life could even existRead MoreWhy Should We Explore Jupiter’s Moon Europa?987 Words   |  4 PagesBruce Silver Professor Shawn Dry History 1520 14 June 2010 Why Should We Explore Jupiter’s Moon Europa? The planet Jupiter, some 500 million miles from Earth is a very unique planet. Besides being 1200-1500 (estimates vary) times larger than the Earth, The planet Jupiter is surrounded by a small solar system by itself. The planet Jupiter has some 72 moons orbiting it at present count, and these moons come in all shapes, sizes, and physical variations. Many of these moons have quite interestingRead MoreThe Habitable Zone outside Earth Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pagesthat should not make the possibility of it any less real. Space, like the future, is always ahead of us, and no one can predict what it has in store for us or what ideas will be found. Outside of the Earth, life in the universe is not such an inane thought as was once believed. Firstly, there are a number of variables that affect the habitable zone of stars. There is also an insurmountable number of possibly habitable planets that could support life. Finally, evidence of life in outer space have beenRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Eu Membership1329 Words   |  6 Pagesmajor impact on this process has had the appearance of the European Union by Maastricht Treaty in 1993. Peace, prosperity, stability, economic and social progress towards nations and individuals were the main objectives of the EU creation (BBC, 2002; Europa, n.d a). After twenty years of cooperation different disputes about the benefits and disadvantages of the EU membership for a nation came up. Based on history, values and aims of the union this essay will examine both points of view and will try toRead MoreChapter 1: Asterisms Vs Constellations. One Of The Things809 Words   |  4 Pagesfield can deflect these winds. Chapter 6: Europa We sometimes hear of civilizations living on moons rather than planets in science fiction works. (For example, in the Star Wars series, an alien race called Ewoks live on the moon that orbits the planet of Endor.) This can be a fun concept for writers, but it’s nothing to really take seriously. Right? Reading about the Jovian moon Europa may make you change your mind. One of the essentials of life is water. Some of our planets display evidenceRead MoreThe Effects Of Life On Our Galaxy1262 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause of our lack of knowledge and insight. As of now, life on Earth is the only known intelligent life, but there are hypotheses and theories that suggest otherwise. I believe that the probability of life in our galaxy is high and that we have a high probability of finding it. The definition of life is ambiguous since scientists cannot reach a definition that incorporates a concrete set of factors that can accurately encompass every form of life. However, according to Andrew Knoll, the Fisher Professor

Emp Museum An Immersive Pop Culture Oasis And A Center...

Located in Seattle, Washington, EMP Museum is an institution that demonstrates and celebrates the creative process by engaging the imagination, and inspiring personal expression in current and future generations. Founded in 2000 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, EMP is an immersive pop culture oasis and a center for music and science fiction. Exhibitions housed here are immersive installations focused on hands-on experiences. EMP’s mission is to be â€Å"†¦dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture†¦EMP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, using interactive technologies to engage and empower our visitors. At EMP,†¦show more content†¦2. Increase engagement of EMP Museum’s social media, in particularly Instagram and YouTube. 3. Increase membership and donors of both institutions, and encourage current members of EMP to raise membership levels. Target Audience Our exhibition, Beyond the Glass Slipper: The Power of Shoes in Storytelling, will require a clear communication plan to convey and maximize public interest to our target audiences. The primary audience for this exhibition will be geared to those who are interested in popular culture, literature, folklore and fairytales. Our visitors be familiar with the stories that will be on display in the exhibition, and they will be able to learn more about these tales, such as Cinderella, Snow White, Puss in Boots and others, as they explore the space. Tourists will be another focus as the EMP Museum’s location and proximity to Seattle’s iconic attraction, the Space Needle. Primary Audience – Primary audience for this exhibition are hobbyists and locals. These are visitors who reside in Seattle Metropolitan Area and are interested in fiction, fantasy and science fiction, these are people who like watching retellings in movies and television or reading contemporary versions in comics and books of familiar fairytales, folklore, and myths. Secondary Audience – Secondary audience for this exhibition are tourists to the Seattle area. These visitors can also be experience seekers

Scale Effects Development and the Flattening of the Globe Free Essays

Economic growth can be viewed from two angles. For many decades, economists had put primary importance on factor endowments, good economic policies, and democratic institutions, as the main determinants of economic development. Some economists though refused to accept the hypothesis which states that â€Å"economic development is the only measure of institutional efficiency and real potential growth. We will write a custom essay sample on Scale Effects Development and the Flattening of the Globe or any similar topic only for you Order Now They argued that some variables, like climate and geography, can have significant bearing on the developmental course of a country (hence, the term â€Å"scale effects development† is used to describe the degree or extent of regional variables used as a measure of economic growth). Hence, it is possible that these variables actually dictate the general framework of the economic policies of a country. Alternative Hypotheses Masters and McMillan (2001) tested this hypothesis by looking at a sample of 90 rich and poor countries. The authors concluded that one factor differentiating developed countries from poor ones is the frequency of winter frosts. Winter frosts reduce borne diseases and kill plant parasites. Frosts also allow agricultural lands to experience a seasonal buildup of organic matter, leading to rich, fertile topsoil. In short, frosts boost economic development Acemoglu et al (2001) argued that countries with low mortality rates experienced economic development. Investigating a variety of 17th to 19th century European colonial strategies, the author found that where settler mortality was low, because geography and climate were conducive to health, Europeans moved in and established good institutions. Places where settler mortality was high, because of bad geography and diseases, Europeans stayed away and created bad institutions. Whether the institutions are good and bad, it was noted that geography and climate has a significant bearing on the pattern of world distribution of income. Countries with good institutions (as a result of good geography) have high levels of income; those with bad institutions (as a result of bad geography) have low levels of income. International Trade, Resource Availability and Land Use International trade has resulted to the smoothing of economic transactions among countries with different socio-politico-economic systems. This ‘smoothing’ process can be seen as the overall end of the modernization process. Modernization requires the removal of trade barriers, privatization of government corporations, and most importantly, the establishment of an efficient resource base. Modernization can be an effective mode for economic development if all countries adopt its basic principles. In addition, the platform of modernization only works if the factor endowments of a particular country (land an, capital, and labor) are utilized efficiently and exchanged to other countries (comparative advantage). In short, modernization as a process makes the economic world smaller and vulnerable to market fluctuations. The World is Flat Friedman (2005) recounts a journey to Bangalore, India, after he realized globalization has changed core economic concepts. He suggests the world is â€Å"flat† in the sense that globalization has leveled the competitive playing fields between industrial and emerging market countries (in terms of income and comparative advantage). In his opinion, this flattening is a product of a convergence of world economic integration and scale effects development. He termed this period as Globalization 3. 0, differentiating this period from the previous Globalization 1. 0 (which countries and governments were the main mechanisms for growth and development) and the Globalization 2. 0 (which multinational companies led the way in driving global integration). How to cite Scale Effects Development and the Flattening of the Globe, Papers

Mary Kingsley Essay Example For Students

Mary Kingsley Essay Mary Kingsley was born in London in 1862. Her father was a doctor but his real interests were books about travel and exploration. Marys mother was an unhealthy woman and from an early age, Mary stayed at home to look after her. Mary never went to school and did not mix with children of her own age. She later wrote: the whole of my childhood and youth was spent at home, in the house and garden. I saw little of the outside world. People my own age did not like me because I knew nothing about the games they played or the hobbies they had. In my free time, l loved to read the many interesting travel books my father kept in his library. Marys father and mother both died when she was 30. Free from her family responsibility, Mary decided to travel to Africa. She sailed from England early in 1893 and arrived in Angola in August of that year. She traveled to the interior and lived with local people. While she was there, she experienced a terrible storm. She later wrote: I was in the middle of a great forest when the storm began. The trees started to wave in the wind like grass. Then the rain came, hitting me so hard that it was like being beaten with a stick. I ran to some rocks, trying to find somewhere to hide. Suddenly, I saw a huge leopard in front of me. But instead of eating me, he just sat on the ground, his head back and his eyes shut, roaring at the sky and beating the ground with his tail. I ran and hid in a cave. When the terrible storm stopped, I locked out of the cave and was happy to see that the leopard was gone. Mary retuned to England the following year, but in 1895 she retuned to West Africa and traveled in Cameroon. After her return to England in 1896, she began to write a book about her experience in Angola. Her book, called Travels in West Africa, was published in 1897. The book made her famous and two years later she published a book about Cameroon, called West African studies. She retuned to Africa the following year but, soon after arriving in Cape Town, South Africa, she caught a deadly disease and died.

A Biography of Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost

A Biography of Lieutenant General Sir George Prà ©vost Early Life: Born in New Jersey on May 19, 1767, George Prà ©vost was the son of Major General Augustine Prà ©vost and his wife Nanette. A career officer in the British Army, the elder Prà ©vost saw service at the Battle of Quebec during the French Indian War as well as successfully defended Savannah during the American Revolution. After some schooling in North America, George Prà ©vost traveled to England and the Continent to receive the remainder of his education. On May 3, 1779, despite being only eleven years old, he obtained a commission as an ensign in his fathers unit, the 60th Regiment of Foot. Three years later,  Prà ©vost transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot with the rank of lieutenant.    A Rapid Career Ascent: Prà ©vosts rise continued in 1784 with an elevation to captain in the 25th Regiment of Foot.   These promotions were possible as his maternal grandfather served as a wealthy banker in Amsterdam and was able to provide funds for the purchasing of commissions.   On November 18, 1790,  Prà ©vost returned to the 60th Regiment with the rank of major.   Only twenty-three years old, he soon saw action in the Wars of the French Revolution.   Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1794,  Prà ©vost traveled to St. Vincent for service in the Caribbean.   Defending the island against the French, he was wounded twice on January 20, 1796.   Sent back to Britain to recover,  Prà ©vost received a promotion to colonel on January 1, 1798.   In this rank only briefly, he earned an appointment to brigadier general that March followed by a posting to St. Lucia as lieutenant governor in May.    Caribbean: Arriving on St. Lucia, which had been captured from the French, Prà ©vost earned praise from the local planters for his knowledge of their language and even-handed administration of the island. Falling ill, he briefly returned to Britain in 1802.  Recovering, Prà ©vost was appointed to serve as governor of Dominica that fall. The following year, he successfully held the island during an attempted invasion by the French and mounted an effort to reclaim St. Lucia which had fallen earlier.   Promoted to major general on January 1, 1805, Prà ©vost took leave and returned home.  While in Britain, he commanded forces around Portsmouth and was made a baronet for his services. Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia: Having established a track record as a successful administrator, Prà ©vost was rewarded with the post of lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia on January 15, 1808, and the local rank of lieutenant general.   Assuming this position, he attempted to aid merchants from New England in circumventing President Thomas Jeffersons embargo on British trade by establishing free ports in Nova Scotia.  In addition,  Prà ©vost endeavored to strengthen Nova Scotias defenses and amended the local militia laws to create an effective force to work with the British Army.  In early 1809, he commanded part of the British landing forces during Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Lieutenant General George Beckwiths invasion of Martinique.   Returning to Nova Scotia following the successful conclusion of the campaign, he worked to improve local politics but was criticized for attempting to increase the power of the Church of England. Governor-in-Chief of British North America: In May 1811, Prà ©vost received orders to assume the position of Governor of Lower Canada. A short time later, on July 4, he obtained a promotion when he was permanently elevated to the rank of lieutenant general and made commander-in-chief of British forces in North America. This was followed by an appointment to the post of Governor-in-Chief of British North America on October 21.  As relations between Britain and the United States were increasingly strained, Prà ©vost worked to ensure the loyalty of the Canadians should a conflict erupt.   Among his actions was the increased inclusion of Canadians in the Legislative Council.   These efforts proved effective as the Canadians remained loyal when the War of 1812 commenced in June 1812.    The War of 1812: Lacking in men and supplies, Prà ©vost largely assumed a defensive posture with the goal of holding as much of Canada as possible.   In a rare offensive action in mid-August, his subordinate in Upper Canada, Major General Isaac Brock, succeeded in capturing Detroit.   That same month, following Parliaments repeal of the Orders in Council that had been one of the Americans justifications for war, Prà ©vost attempted to negotiate a local ceasefire.   This initiative was quickly dismissed by President James Madison and fighting continued in the fall.   This saw American troops turned back at the Battle of Queenston Heights and Brock killed.   Recognizing the importance of the Great Lakes in the conflict, London dispatched Commodore Sir James Yeo to direct naval activities on these bodies of water.   Though he reported directly to the Admiralty, Yeo arrived with instructions to coordinate closely with  Prà ©vost. Working with Yeo, Prà ©vost mounted an attack against the American naval base at Sacketts Harbor, NY in late May 1813.   Coming ashore, his troops were repulsed by Brigadier General Jacob Browns garrison and withdrew back to Kingston.   Later that year,  Prà ©vosts forces suffered a defeat on Lake Erie, but succeeded in turning back an American effort to take Montreal at Chateauguay and Cryslers Farm.   The following year saw British fortunes dim in the spring and summer as the Americans achieved successes in the west and on the Niagara Peninsula.   With the defeat of Napoleon in the spring, London began to transfer veteran troops, which had served under the Duke of Wellington, to Canada to reinforce  Prà ©vost.    The Plattsburgh Campaign: Having received over 15,000 men to bolster his forces, Prà ©vost began planning a campaign to invade the United States via the Lake Champlain corridor.  This was complicated by the naval situation on the lake which saw Captain George Downie and Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough engaged in a building race. Control of the lake was critical as it was required for re-supplying  Prà ©vosts army.   Though frustrated by naval delays,  Prà ©vost began moving south on August 31 with around 11,000 men.   He was opposed by around 3,400 Americans, led by Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, which assumed a defensive position behind the Saranac River. Moving slowly, the British were hampered by command problems as  Prà ©vost clashed with Wellingtons veterans over the speed of the advance and niggling matters such as wearing proper uniforms.    Reaching the American position, Prà ©vost halted above the Saranac.   Scouting west, his men located a ford across the river that would allow them to attack the left flank of the American line. Planning to strike on September 10, Prà ©vost sought to make a feint against Macombs front while assaulting his flank. These efforts were to coincide with Downie attacking MacDonough on the lake.   The combined operation was delayed a day when unfavorable winds prevented the naval confrontation.   Advancing on September 11, Downie was decisively defeated on the water by MacDonough.   Ashore, Prà ©vost tentatively probed forward while his flanking force missed the ford and had to counter-march.   Locating the ford, they went into action and were having success when a recall order from Prà ©vost arrived.   Having learned of Downies defeat, the British commander concluded that any victory on land would be meaningless.   Despite strident protests from his subordinates,  Prà ©vost began withdrawing towards Canada that evening.   Frustrated with  Prà ©vosts lack of ambition and aggressiveness, London dispatched Major General Sir George Murray to relieve him in December.   Arriving in early 1815, he delivered his orders to  Prà ©vost shortly after news had arrived that the war had ended. Later Life and Career: After disbanding the militia and receiving a vote of thanks from the assembly in Quebec, Prà ©vost departed Canada on April 3.   Though embarrassed by the timing of his relief, his initial explanations of why the Plattsburgh Campaign failed were accepted by his superiors.   Shortly thereafter, Prà ©vosts actions were severely criticized by the Royal Navys official reports as well as by Yeo.   After demanding a court-martial to clear his name, a hearing was set for January 12, 1816.   With Prà ©vost in ill health, the court-martial was delayed until February 5.   Suffering from dropsy, Prà ©vost died on January 5, exactly a month before his hearing.   Though an effective administrator who successfully defended Canada, his name was never cleared despite his wifes efforts.   Prà ©vosts remains were buried in the St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard in East Barnet.    Sources War of 1812: Sir George PrevostNapoleon Series: Sir George Prevost1812: Sir George Prevost

My American Journey

My American Journey MY AMERICAN JOURNEY ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ The novel, My American Journey, is written by Colin Powell along with the help of co-writer Joseph E. Persico. This book is constructed of four parts, which contain twenty-two chapters, portraying many interesting and valuable information on Colin Powell himself. The autobiography recounts the life of a man from Harlem, New York who becomes the first black general to become Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York on April 5, 1937 to father Luther and mother Maud Powell, both from Jamaica. Upon graduation from Morris High School in the South Bronx, The now young adult, Colin studied geology at City College of New York. It was here in New York that he earned his bachelor's degree in the summer of 1958.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ In this book, Powell writes about his anxieties and missteps as well as his triumphs that led to the rising of him becoming a four star general, National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, master of the Desert Storm, and most recently he would have been a fine presidential candidate.Powell's thoughts of running for presidency in the oval office were, "If I were to run, I would enter because I believe I would do a better job than the other candidates of solving our nations problems"ÂÆ'‚‚ ¦I would enter not to make a statement, but to win. I understand the battlefield and know what it takes to win."ÂÆ'‚‚  This only part of this mans persuasive speeches.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ We see Colin's first steps forward when he was posted in Germany, and was assigned to guard an atomic cannon. We also go on patrol with him throughout the jungles in Vietnam, where he is wounded, and into Washington bureaucracy as a Pentagon aide in the administration of Jimmy Carter. He is also the humiliation inflicted upon him as a black soldier traveling in the Deep South and the challenges he faced as a battle commander in Korea. Colin handles problems well and acts as if nothing happened. "Get mad and get over it."ÂÆ'‚‚  best describes this influential AAfrican American and may be why he handles some of the problems he was faced with the way he did.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ As an active soldier, Colin experienced the many political decisions in Washington. He has been an advisor to three presidents, therefore, he has seen how important policy is shaped and important decisions are made; thus making and help shaping a few of his own. It was Powell himself that President Ronald Reagan called upon in the White House to help the National Security Advisor, Frank Carlucci, clean up the mess following the Iran-contra debacle. After proving that he knew how to shape and decide to Reagan, President Reagan called upon him once again, but this time he was to accompany Jimmy Carter on his mission to Haiti. During this time is when Colin Powell went from a soldier to a statesperson and a popular leader in the United States.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ This book, very long but still rather interesting was filled with political excitement in much depth and detail. It also a life well lived so far and well portrayed in writing. While reading, you can imagine yourself in Colin's position, in his different roles throughout his young life. Although he is a few years passed his prime, Colin was a fine choice as a p residential candidate, and at the time the book was written had not yet run his full course in politics.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ My American Journey is a title that states the truth of a young black American coming up through some troubled times. From the streets of Harlem to war to a career in politics, you follow him through it all. It is a book to read and to enjoy. It inflicts on you a great sense of admiration, honor, and pride that Colin Powell had not only for himself, but for the United States as well.ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚ ÂÆ'‚‚

Two topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Two topic - Research Paper Example Various professionals have delved into the major elements that paved the way for diverse organizations to excel among the rest. According to Greenberg (2006), diversity is defined as â€Å"the variety of differences between people in an organization†¦Diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more† (par. 1). In a related literature, Esty, Griffin & Schorr-Hirsh (1995) cited Green, Lopez, Wysocki & Kepner (2009) as providing an appropriate definition of the term by indicating that diversity is â€Å"acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status† (Esty, et al., 1995, par. 4). The definitions emphasize the encouragement and acceptance of people from an array of backgrounds dee med to provide instrumental benefits for the intricate needs of organizations. As averred by DiTomaso (1999), several factors contribute to diversity in the workplace, to wit: â€Å"(a) the changing demographic structure of the U.S., (b) the increased importance of globalization to profits and long-term survival in many companies, and (c) changes in the structure of how work gets done† (DiTomaso, 1999, p. 1). Due to the variety of influencing elements that interplay, organizational leaders recognize the need to manage diversity to ensure that it works towards the achievement of organizational goals. Managing a diverse workforce should encompass effectively integrating managerial functions in terms of planning, organizing, directing and controlling diversity in the organizational setting. B. Examples of Current Applications Contemporary successful organizations have attested the incorporation of diversity in their organizational policies. From among the most prominent and acti ve in its implementation and application of diversity is Walmart. The official website of Walmart boasts of methods that â€Å"implement initiatives to attract and retain a diverse workforce, including recruiting from colleges and universities with large multicultural populations. We also provide associates with on-the-job training, leadership seminars, and direct access to job opportunities through our Career Preference System† (Walmart: Diversity, par. 2). The personnel profile of Walmart reveals that â€Å"more than 850,000 of our associates are female and make up 59 percent of our U.S. workforce. 35 percent of our associates are minority: 249,000 African Americans, 171,000 Hispanics, 42,000 Asian Americans, 6,000 Pacific Islander Americans, 15,000 American Indian and Alaska Natives, and 430,000 associates 50 and over† (Walmart: Diversity Report, 2009). Another corporation that actively applies diversity in their organization is HSBC that â€Å"invites, embraces an d manages difference in the changing workforce to gain the best from its people and to provide the best service to its customers. It encourages the breaking down of barriers of the past to look at things in a new way, to find effective business and customer solutions. In such organizations diversity is regarded as a competitive differentiator, in both employment and customer

CaseStudy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CaseStudy - Case Study Example The firm is not upgrading its technology soon enough because it is lacking managers that have both business and IT knowledge. The company is heading towards loss of business in future because business and IT departments are both blaming each other. No one is ready to accept responsibility of the problem. First recommendation is to assign a liaison officer between business and IT departments. His job would be to make sure that both departments are on the same page and he would help in facilitating communication between the two departments. The liaison officer should also have an IT and business background. Second recommendation is to set specific goals and objectives for both departments. It is essential that both departments are made responsible for their actions and this will help improve their performance. Both departments are currently blaming each other for their own shortcomings and this will be avoided by setting specific goals for each of them. The goals set should also be measurable so that blame game within the organization is

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 Research Paper

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 - Research Paper Example The idea is to ascertain the strategies of the company that allowed it to earn this status and to write about its socially responsible business activities. The paper will outline how McDonald’s activities improved its sustainability in contributing towards making the world a better place. A discussion will be made of the company’s specific business values that motivate its activities relative to accountability, transparency, and employee engagement for improving sustainability.  The paper will also focus on what further innovations the company might make to continue to improve sustainability. McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility For the last several years, McDonald’s Corporation has been setting examples of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which primarily includes the creation of a sustainable supply chain system and engagement in community based developmental projects. CSR basically relates to a company’s behavior whereby it behaves i n a social and responsible manner and deals with other businesses that adopt the same policies. With the increase of public awareness, recent years have seen increasing demand for socially responsible businesses, which is why contemporary companies give importance to CSR while making plans for socially responsible business processes. It cannot be doubted that McDonald’s Corporation has excelled in the implementation CSR practices in most of its functions across its offices throughout the world (McDonald's, 2011). In being the world’s biggest chain of fast food restaurants, McDonald’s considers that CSR is about taking concrete action, accomplishing results and sustaining openness in communicating with consumers and other major stake holders. The company closely collaborates with its suppliers in promoting socially responsible systems within the supply chain in keeping with its supply chain policy and complying with its larger strategy based Framework for Corpora te Social Responsibility. McDonald’s has clearly stated on its CSR website that it abides by its code of conduct prescribed for suppliers, which explains how the company requires its suppliers to deal with their workers. In keeping with its supply chain strategy, McDonald’s will carry forward its policy of social accountability across all its supply chains. It has already been successful in improving conditions of farm workers in several locations who in turn promote positive environmental systems in land based agriculture supply chains, thus creating sustainability in agricultural activities. For instance, by inroducing industry leading growing standards for tomato farmers in Florida, McDonald’s made improvements in the working environment of tomato growing establishments and transformed them into sustainable businesses. Community Involvement through Community Based Projects One of the approaches to engage in CSR is by adopting community based developmental pro jects. Community driven and community based developmental projects are considered important forms of providing development support by international socially responsible organizations. Economic relationships in this regard mean the adoption of strategies involving the larger community in the main business activities of the organization. This allows communities to become effectively involved in corporate supply chain stra

Wall Construction Of Single Storey Residential Buildings Construction Essay

Wall Construction Of Single Storey Residential Buildings Construction Essay This finding is to determined the different types of wall having its own uses for certain factors. Wall construction contains of various types of method used , it maybe not straightforward as one using one of the more common construction methods. Walls is constructed in many different form and of various materials to achieve several functions. There are many different types of wall with its own functions ; exterior walls and interior walls or either load-bearing wall and non-load-bearing wall. Walls are often included doors and windows , which are exists for controlled passage of environmental factors and peoples through the wall line. There are many types of materials can be used for wall construction, for example stone, rock, wood, clay, cement, brick, thatch and glass. Different type of wall needed different material to achieve its main supporting function , and also others reason as well. LIST OF FIGURE, TABLE AND ABBREVIATIONS : List of figure download (1).jpg Brick Brick is a single block which is very commonly used in construction material. It is made up by the clay. Many pieces of bricks will make up a wall, aggregate57.jpg Aggregates Aggregate is a composite material that normally used in the construction material. It is also used to become mortal with the combination of cement and fine sand. download.jpg Cavity wall Cavity wall is a wall that consists of one layer of insulation between the brick outer leaf and the brick inner leaf. The main function of this wall is that it provides insulation that prevent heat losses. It is very suitable for the country which has 4 seasons like United Kingdom. brick wall.jpg Brick wall Brick wall is the wall that made up by the brick and mortal. Its main function is that it provide a layer of protection which separate the outside area and inside area of the houses. This wall is normally can see in our country. running_bond.jpg Running Bond It is also named as stretcher bond which is the most popular bonding in Malaysia. The style is referred to as running, create a straight line between the brick. One of the benefit is this bond is that there is no need to use header bricks. The structure is usually connected with wall ties and understood to be a cavity wall  bond. CHAPTER 1.0 : Introduction BCEC1104 Material and Construction course ask us to do some overview of material and construction for building structures and elements. Their objectives or aims are to gain knowledge on construction of building structures and elements theoretically as well as attain practically. It also to gain a better understanding on justifications of usage different materials and to be able to link and integrate with all disciplines, fields and related requirements of construction engineering with regard to buildings. Besides, there are many study benefit that we gain through completing this assignment. That is because we are asking to prepare an item as follows for single storey residential buildings. As our case studies is a single storey residential building, so we just focus on the elements of that buildings. Due to the requirement of completing this assignment, we now know and well known all about wall. For example, we know what the common types of wall used in Malaysia. We can differentiate what the common types of wall used in Malaysia and other country. Because, one of the design factors of walls construction is based on the weather. Basically, each country has different types of weather. Besides, we also know the types of materials used and the design factors of wall construction. In addition, through this assignment, we are well known about the walls construction method according to materials used. The best moment is when we are asking to make a scale model of single storey residential b uildings. It makes us easier to gain our understanding about common types of walls, its elements and the materials used because they want us construct a scale model that exactly showing the construction of these three requirements. CHAPTER 2.0 : Building Biodata Our case studies is a single storey residential buildings at Lot 320, Kg Serdang Permai, 31300, Kg Kepayang, Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan and it was a hometown of one of our group members which is Nur Dania Azira Binti Azizul. This residential building plan has been designed and drawn by Mah Kwai Kuen on 13th January in 1987. He certify that the plans are submitted in accordance with the street, drainage and building act 1974 and uniform building by law (UBBL) 1984 and accept full responsibilities accordingly. Mah Kwai Kuen is a building draftsman that registered with Architects Malaysia Board. This residential building has been approved by Yang Di Pertua Majlis Daerah Kinta Barat Batu Gajah on 30th April in 1982. It is a single storey residential building at No P.T. 320, Mukim Sungei Raya, Daerah Kinta. The owner of that residential building is Mr Mohamed Shafie Bin Ismail which lived at No 608, J.K.R. Quarter, 31800, Kampar before the construction. The chronological development has been stated in the plans given by Mr Shafie. Firstly, all brick wall to be in cement mortar 1:3 and reinforcement concrete to be in 1:2:4 mix. Secondly, glazed pipe have to be jointed with cement. Thus, joints in cast iron pipes must be made with molten lead over a gasket of packed yarn and men holes and inspection chamber should be grease sealed. Next, the inspection chambers must be bended render and corner rounded off. After that, the ends off tipper must be supported on bearing fixed, brass fixed with oiling cups. At the same time, all inverts of manholes and inspection chamber are must be built S.W.G. half round channel and all manholes inspections covers and frames must be in standard municipal type. Mosquito proof conv. covers to inlet and outlet tee pipe should be provided while all sanitary appliances pump and mortars should be of the approved types by the council. But before commencement of works the sources of supply of C.I and S.G.W, pipe must be submitted to the council together with simple of these pipes for approval. All pipes must be of an approved brand and made complying relevant British standard specifications and manufactures by the approved manufactures. In addition, elect mortar pump must be provided with auto float switch and all M.H covers must be 18 ÃÆ'- 24 iron grease sealed typs. Lastly, all sanitary appliances shall be provided with proper trap. CHAPTER 3.0 : Building Elemental Construction F:DCIM102AZMIRbuilding element drawings.jpg Figure 1.1 Show the wall construction drawings of case studies. F:DCIM102AZMIRdetails drawings.jpg Figure 1.2 Show the wall construction details drawings of case studies. Building Element Construction Process Explanations Elaborations As we know, wall is the structures constructed to enclose and area, to support floors and roof or divide the floor area of a building into a required number of rooms. Building construction process is activities done on construction site. Building construction process usually started with site clearance, earthworks, setting out, substructure, superstructure, finishes, services, external work and lastly is completion. However, site activities are different according to site location and topography and also the type of building. Building construction process can be divides into five parts. The first part is site preparation. While doing the site preparation, usually they will do some clearance, earthworks, site marking, hoarding, dewatering, temporary building and also temporary road. Thus, the second part is sub structure. While doing the sub structure process, they usually will do the piles, foundation, ground floor slab, ground beam and column stump. Next, the third part is super structure. While doing the super structures process, they will make a frame, upper floor slab, walls, roof, doors windows, finishes and utilities. Then, the fourth part is services. While doing the services process, they usually do the process of sanitary, cold water supply, air conditioner and also fire fighting. Lastly, the last part is external works. While doing the external works, they will do the roads, car park, drainage, fencing, truing and landscape. Based on everything mentioned above, the element which is wall is an element that made in the third part of construction process. The third part of construction process is super structure. This is means that wall is an element in super structure process. The construction process of each wall is different according to the types of wall itself. For solid bricks wall, it is made from clay or sand plus lime. Each bricks will be arranged in a wall or column. It is called as bonding. The purpose of bonding is to obtain maximum strength, ensure the lateral stability and to be an acceptable appearance. There are many types of brick bonding. Take for examples are English bonding and Flemish bonding. Solid wall of brick or block work usually has an inside finish of plaster. The external face is often rendered or painted to prevent rain and moisture penetration. Another type of wall is solid blocks wall. It has no specific size but more than bricks size. It is made from pre-cast concrete and it is suitable for external walls. For cavity walls, it is a better thermal insulation and weather resistance. It is been constructed by two leaves of a cavity wall are tied together with wall ties. The outer leaf normally is brick. While the inner leaf of brick or block work, usually with a plastered finish. The partial cavity is fill insulation. Some walls may have no insulation or may be fully filled. Thus, for parapet wall, it is a low wall projecting above the level of a roof, bridge or balcony. It is used to form a guard or barrier at the edge. Other than these is curtain walling. For this type of wall, it is lightweight non loading bearing. In the low rise buildings, it is use timber or patent glazing. However, in the high rise buildings, it is use steel or aluminium alloy. The last one is retaining walls. It is act as an earth retaining structure . CHAPTER 4.0 : Wall are designed and constructed in many different form and of various materials to achieve several functions. There are many different types of wall with its own functions ; exterior walls and interior walls or either load-bearing wall and non-load-bearing wall. Walls are often included doors and windows , which are exists for controlled passage of environmental factors and peoples through the wall line. Nowadays, modern building wall including bearing and curtain wall as a combination of both in response to the construct the needs of buildings as a whole. Both types may appear similar when complete but their sequences of construction usually not. Exterior walls used to protect the building from external environment and accidental factors or effects such as climate changes , fires , ultraviolet radiation , bacteria and virus , dust and sound , by considering the desirable interior environmental conditions. These walls are usually a load-bearing walls and always constructed to be tough and strong enough to resist the horizontal and vertical forces impose upon them safely , which is as defined by building codes. A load-bearing wall not only supports its own weight within a building , but also supports weights of other parts of the construction which is usually placed at the strategic points within the structure in order to supports a ceiling , roof or the others building elements , for example like floor joists or ceiling beams which many types of buildings make use of those 2 elements to produce a large degree of strength to the spaces , it willl considered to be not enough for any building that occupies an appreciate amount of space. So , a load-bearing wall is gauged to appropriate thickness to carry the weight above them , if not its possible that an outer wall couild become unstable state. If the load exceeds the strength of material used , potentially causing to collapse of the structure of building. Even a small space of not more than thousands square feet will be largely enhanced by the existence of a bearing wall to help to support a stable roofline and augment to the stability supported by joists and rafters. If without a bearing wall , the structure is likely to collapse or weaken at a speed up rate. Ceiling beams and rafters will slowly weakens from the raised stress , leading to a weakened ceiling and roof that is less likely to resist to strong blowing winds or storms. In the case of a doubled storey building , without the exist of bearing wall placed on the first floor will almost guaranteed that the flooring for the second storey will be weaken eventually and very fast. Therefore , exterior walls normally construct with concrete , block or brick to provide a stronger grip betweeen the structures of building. The alterations of a load-bearing wall can be made is also limited , it may required the placement of temporary supports for certain types of remodelling those construction or renovation projects. A bearing wall does not must have to be a solid expanse of wall. Walls of this type can include doors and others openings such as windows and vents. Additional framing built to it. When renovate or reconstruct the interior home or other building, its necessary to identify the supporting wall of the building. If at all possible, movement of walls should be restricted to any part that determined to be non-bearing wall. If the new renovation or construction does call for removing a bearing, caution steps should be taken to shove up the structure until a newly placed bearing wall is put into a place and support system for the structure is restored to full efficiency. In hous ing, most common used in light construction method known as platform framing and each load-bearing wall lies on a wall sill plate which is match to the lowest base plate. The sills are connected and assemble to the masonry or concrete foundation. On the other hand, interior walls normally used to separate rooms in a house or building. Interior walls usually are not load-bearing walls. This type of walls are support only themselves , it might run perpendicular to the floor and ceiling joists , it will not be aligned upon support beams , for example partition walls is a type of non-load bearing interior walls. A non-load bearing wall can be altered or even removed completely without weakening the structure of the building. Most of the material used for the elements of interior building have to be safe, and should be compatible with the lighting schemes which can produce a comfort and harmless environment for occupancy. Besides that, the ways to construct and the type of materials used for interior construction or renovation should be easy to maintain well and keep it from clean. Interior walls commonly may construct with blocks or bricks from clay , reinforced or hollow, terra-cotta or concrete, sometimes glass blocks may also be used for certain visual purposes. Other than that, timber is also been used for partition walls which consists of wooden framework either supported on the floor side walls or below. Bearing wall construction may be masonry wall, cast-in place wall or precast reinforced concrete wall, stud and sheathing wall and composite types wall. Bearing wall must be erected before supported building component above can be built. Meanwhile, curtain wall including lighter versions of those used for bearing walls. These walls also comprise the combination of ceramic-coated metal panels, glass panels, or corrugated metal sheets, each laterally supported by light sub framing members. Since it receives vertical support by spandrel beams, or relieving angles, at the wall line, the curtain wall can be built after the building frame is completed. Among these types of walls , the commonly wall used in our buildings is masonry wall , reinforced concrete wall , stud and sheathing wall , prefabricated wall , glass , metal or ceramic-coated metal panel wall and tilt-up wall. Masonry walls is one of the traditional type and now commonly used in most wall construction of buildings. It is kind of durable form of wall construction that normally used in both bearing and curtain walls. It is designed in conformity with building codes and is constructed by individual placement of blocks of stone, bricks, cinder concrete, cut stone, or combinations of these materials. These units are held together by putting a mortar between them, this can helps to provide high performance enclosures, which fulfil support, control and finish functions. Load-bearing walls, infill walls, and partition walls are physical barriers that help to provide privacy, security and fire and sound separation from external environment. When it is the section or part of the building envelope, masonry walls also act as a durable support for barrier and cladding, elements and maybe useful to provide the cladding as well. Reinforced concrete is one of the most widely used materials for wall construction in modern buildings. It is made from artificial stone obtained by mixing of cement, sand and aggregates with water. Fresh concrete can be compressed into almost any shape, leaving an inherent advantage over other materials. However, its restricted tension resistance is initially prevented its widely use in building construction. To solve the problem of poor tensile strength, steel bars are lodged solidly in concrete to form a composite material called reinforced concrete (RC). Except for the combination of cement and steel, the production of concrete does not needed expensive manufacturing mills. Basically, reinforced concrete walls are used for enhancing strength purposes. Some walls may be in place or pre-cast, such as bearing or curtain walls. Some pre-cast concrete walls are constructed are commonly used for floor or rood deck construction. They can be located vertically, side by side, and caulked at adjacent edges. Stud and sheathing walls are a light type of wall construction which is normally used in residential houses or other light constructions where they are usually act as light bearing walls. It is usually consists of wood and sheathing nailed to wood or steel studs. This is always sheetrock which is a sandwich of gypsum between cardboard facings. Sheetrock, so called a wallboard or gypsum board is a panel of gypsum covered on both side with papers and used as the primary wall materials in building construction. Wall sheathing is often using plywood or other laminate and always applied to the framing prior to erection, relieve the positioning of studs and raise the speed and cutting workforce needs and expenses. Some type of exterior sheathing is such as asphalt-impregnated fibreboard, plywood, oriented strand board and wafer board, which will provide required to resist lateral loads and make sure the wall square, where rigid glass-fibre, asphalt-coated fibreboard, polystyrene or polyure thane will not do so. In case, the wall should be reinforced with a diagonal wood or meal bracing infix into the studs. Composite walls are a more vital substantial type of stud walls, they are constructed of cementations materials such as pre-cast concrete and weatherproof sheetrock as an external sheathing, and sheetrock as an internal finishes. With subject to strong wind storms local codes or state law will finally require both the wind braces and the stiff exterior sheathing regardless to the type and the kind of outer weather resistant coverings. Prefabricated wall is also a type of commonly used for curtain wall construction; its frequently known as prefab wall. Prefab wall usually made of corrugated steel or aluminium sheets, although they sometimes are constructed of fibber- reinforced plastic sheets, attached to light horizontal bearing a known grits, spaced several feet apart. These type of wall are usually made of sandwich construction which the outside part can be corru gated sheet, an inside part may be liner or flat or corrugated sheet, and an enclosed insulation are attached together by screws and to form a thin, effective sandwich wall. These walls often have tongue-and-groove vertical edges to allow sealed joints when the united are built at the building sites by being attached to framing grits. Glass-coated, metal-coated or ceramic-coated metal panel wall often used in high-rise construction are now commonly used in curtain walls. These walls are typically gathered as a sandwich by using glass , formed metal , or ceramic-coated metal sheets on external side , and some form of liner , including possible masonry ; on the inner side , insulation on enclosed. Tilt-up walls are usually non-load bearing wall, which is constructed as in thinner versions of some of standard wall types, and they are often constructed for some resistance to fire and sound. These walls are sometimes used for construction efficiency. It is a wall that constructed in a ho rizontal position at ground level, and it is then tilted up and connects at its adages to adjacent tilt-up wall sections. The internal partition is a lighter form of wall used for making separations of the interior areas in the buildings. There are many types of materials can be used for wall construction, for example stone, rock, wood, clay, cement, brick, thatch and glass. The stone can be used as the wall material because it is attractive, durable, low maintenance, strong, and high thermal mass. The stone can divided into many types and can be divide into two categories which is hard stone and soft stone. The example of the hard stone is granite stone and the examples for the soft stone are limestone and sandstone. The stone wall are very strong and can last for over hundreds years and still maintain in a very good condition but it depend on the types of the stone used in the wall construction. Since the stone is available in every part of the earth therefore its cost is much more cheaper than other wall construction materials. Besides that, the stone wall have a high thermal mass which can slowed down the heat transfer from the outdoor get into inside the houses and also can prevent the heat loss from the indoor to the outdoor. In the other words, the stone wall can regulated the inside the room temperature. Not only this, the stone wall also very ea sy to maintain. What we need to do is just to check the mortar in between the stone wall is in good condition, if crumbling is happen we need to do repair or replace the mortar. Besides that, we need to clear the surface of the stone wall so that can keep it clear but by the way it may reduce the life span of the stone wall. Wood also is commonly been used for wall construction. Wood are been used for construction at many of the countries although the climate and soil condition are difference in all countries. This is because wood are flexible and resistant against climate harshness. Therefore wood was highly recommended use for construction but we must take into account the wood quality and the condition it grown up.Clay is also one of the most common types of the material used to build houses. For example, the houses in country sides mostly are made from clay and mud. The reason is because clay has the ability to keep the house warn during cool weather and can keep the house cool during hot summer, which mean that the clay has high thermal mass.Cement is been used in almost every countries. Cement is used to join brick or stone together. When cement is mixed with water it can be used to sick the brick together and when it is dried, it will become very hard and difficult to remove these brick apart.That ch is not very common been used in Malaysia but it is commonly be used for building material in Africa. This is because the thatch is made from a grass which is easy to hardest and it is a natural insulator.Nowadays, glass also been used in wall construction. In modern structures, the glass is used for outer beauty of the structure.Besides that, using the glass as wall can allowed more visible light to get into the houses and the amount of light entry into the house is depend on the refraction index of the glass. Although the glass can allow the visible light to come into the house but at the same time it also can block or eliminated the heat energy to transfer into the houses. Brick also is one of the most common materials used in wall construction because it was available in everywhere. In different countries will have different type of brick where are different in size, colour and material used. In our case study, the walls are made from brick. Nowadays, brick are made by pressing clay into a block and firing them in kiln. At the past time, the brick are not be fried but the brick are just putted outdoor and dried by the sun. Since the Middle Ages, the brick is been widely used as the building material in many of the countries.A good brick are very durable and can resistant to atmospheric action and high temperature. Therefore brick also can be used for fire wall construction. This is the reason why a lot of the old building or wooden houses are replaced or rebuilt in brick. Brick become even more important during the Industrial Revolution.How the brick was made? The brick is made by clay. After the clay has been dug out for soil, it will mixed with water and make into the wanted shape. After that, these are allowed to dried slowly before there are fired in kiln at temperature of 1000C 1200C. At this temperature, the clay is undergoes the metamorphosed proses. When the wate r is totally driven off, a new anhydrous mineral namely as aluminosilicates are formed with is broken down from the mineral name as Kuolinite. Aluminosilicates is more stable at high temperature. Besides that, minerals like mullite crystals, quartz and supercooledliquied in the brick are making the brick become harder and stronger. Why the brick are red in colour? This is because clay was contains the iron minerals. At the beginning the iron exist as ferrous iron ( iron II) but after undergo firing the iron in clay are oxidised to become iron III which form red-brown iron oxide haematite. We mostly use bricks to construct the wall because I have many advantages and only a few disadvantages to use it to construct the wall. The advantages are attractive, durable, low maintenance and it have high thermal mass. The disadvantage is the time to build or to install is slow as compare to other wall materials. The brick used in wall construction can be divided into two types which are solid brick and veneer brick. The solid brick are more common been used in house wall construction because it have high thermal mass so that it is good in slow down the heat transmission and can regulate the temperature in the houses although it is more expensive as compare to veneer brick. The brick wall not only good in heat insulation but also good in insulate the sound. The brick wall can block most of the unwanted noise from outside such as traffic noise getting into the house. Besides that, the brick also used as fire wall since the brick are not easy burn material. If the fire accident is happen it may take a least 8 hours to let the fire to spread to the other house. Used brick to construct a wall is very attractive also, this is because the brick itself already have it own colour, so that we no need to paint it after we built it. Other than that, the brick is been used because it is easy to maintain and it can stay in a good condition for a very period. The brick wall would not get rot or dent so that we no need paint the wall within a short period. In our group, we are going to discuss the topic entitle WALL. Wall is a basic unit that needed to build up a building or houses. So it is a very important compartment. However, its design factors may affect its function. In the below contents are the different design factors of the wall. First of all, wall construction can be classified into two types that are external wall and interior wall. There are a lot of wall type in the world, while our group only discuss two types of wall that are normal brick wall which can normally be found in our country, Malaysia. Another type of wall that we are going to discuss is the cavity wall which can normally be found in the country that have four seasons such as United Kingdom, United State, Portland and etc. This normal brick wall that found in our country can be divided into two types that are one brick wall and half brick wall which its thickness is 90mm. These walls are made up by the cement, sand, and aggregate in the mixture of the ratio in 1:2:4 which is 1 portion of cement, 2 portions of sand and 4 portions of aggregates. While the cavity walls consist of a half brick or block outer leaf, a brick or 90 mm /100mm lightweight load bearing concrete block or stud framed structure inner leaf, a 50 mm or 75mm cavity or air space in between the outer and inner leaf. The design factors of the normal brick wall and the cavity wall are almost the same. The main design factor of these walls is that they provide sufficient strength and stability to resist the loading imposed on it. The loadings which the wall need to withstand included dead load and live load. The example of dead load is the furniture and etc while the example of live load is rain, snow, occupants and etc. Another design factor of the walls is that it acts as an envelope that differentiates the outdoor and indoor area. It is also a shelter that can resist the unpredictable climate change for example rain, snow to enter the interior area of the houses. Besides, wall also plays an important role to resist the transmission of sound which will eventually causes the pollution. So, the wall acts as a barrier to resist the entering of the unwanted sound to the houses. Nowadays, owing to the fast development of the country, there is a lot of pollution happened in our surrounding especially air pollution. To minimize the contact of the occupants to these pollution, wall plays an important role which act as a barrier to prevent the outside contaminant to enter the houses such as dust, pollen, hazardous particle and etc. These contaminated particles will cause the indoor air quality in a bad condition and thus will influence the indoor environment quality and hence some diseases may occur because of this poor condition for example asthma. So, with the presence of the wall, these problems can be solved and a good quality of the indoor air can be achieved. Besides, wall also acts as a barrier to resist the fire which is call the fire brick wall. In order to slow down the rate of flame spread in case of fire within the building, the architects apply various techniques including the creation of compartments which would contain the fire for some time before spreading to other parts of the building. So, to achieve this, one method to use is to take the block walls between rooms up to the underside of the roof, for instance and depending on the quality of the aggregates used. These brick wall may have a Fire Resistance Rating of up to one and half hours (100mm thick solid brick wall). Walls are probably the most noticeable and important part of the interior wall and also the exterior wall. Another meaning is that it provides an appearance. When entering into the room, people will notices the colour, kind and the surface of the wall and hence, they will determine the psycho physiological atmosphere. So the function of walls is that to create space where a person feels comfortable. Besides, the good appearance of wall is a wall with no crack which the infiltration will not happen. Without infiltration, there will be no extra air to flow into the building, so the extra heat flow will not enter or leave the building, indirectly, the thermal comfort can achieve. The design factors of brick wall and the cavity wall are almost the same. However,

Operatic Modernism Essay -- Opera Modernism Music Essays

Operatic Modernism The profound modernist ruptures of the 20th Century questioned, displaced, and reconfigured the way humanity regards itself. Within the fine arts, literature, architecture, and music, artistic revolutions occurred at an unprecedented rate and, within the rubric of modernism, deliberately broke with the bases of Western art, culture and society. While working within the operatic institution, Strauss' Salome, Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper, and Berg's Wozzeck profoundly challenge the generic conventions of the operatic tradition. Through their careful combination of innovation in music, text, structure, and staging, their questioning of traditional morality, and pointed social and historical commentaries, these three operas facilitate criticism of the traditional operatic institution as well as society; they are exemplary of the tensions--painfully evident within operatic modernism--between the will to modernity, innovation, and progress and the past. Opera falls, despite e fforts to the contrary, away from the tremendous potential of innovation and rupture back to its conservative tradition. As the classical tradition all too often relies on, glorifies, and mythologises its past, the failure of modernism in opera is a result of the distance--projected, assumed, and interpolated--between the often stagnant classical and operatic institutions and innovative and modernist contemporaries. Too reified to permit the flourishing of innovation, dissent, and/or rupture, the operatic institution is weighed down by its past (as well as its patrons), remaining steadfastly resistant to the revolutionary influences of modernism. While it is clear an essay on opera and modernism (or, indeed, a cou... .... "Modernism and Postmodernism." In A Glossary of Literary Terms. 7th edition. M.H. Abrams, Ed. New York: Harcourt, 1999. 167-168. Clements, Andrew. "Wozzeck." Volume IV. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 1176-80. Hinton, Stephen. "Die Dreigroschenoper." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Volume I. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 1243-46. Kennedy, Michael. "Opera." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Third edition. Michael Kennedy, Ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1980. 463-64. Morris, Mark. "A Brief Introduction to the 20th Century History of Music in Austria." Pimlico Dictionary of Twentieth Century Composers. Pimlico, 1999. On-line. Available http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/mmorris/402/Austria2.htm Murray, David. "Salome." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Volume IV. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 146-49.

Dota Addiction

What is Dota? Dota or Defense of the ancient is a custom scenario for the real-time strategy video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and it's expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents' Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters called â€Å"creeps†. As in role-playing games, players level up their hero and use gold to buy equipment during the mission. Does Dota really affect the youth today? Does it help the youth today? Or it corrupts the minds of the youth who are playing this game? Let us look at Dota's advantages and disadvantages. Dota helps the youth who are playing this game to become mentally alert, cooperative, and strategic. It also increases their knowledge in mathematics by computing the gold's, damages, magic and physical reduction present in the game. Indeed, Dota really helps the youth by playing this game. In the other hand, playing this game without time management and priority can lead to irresponsibility. Starting from their responsibilities, the youth spend more time playing this game rather than doing their tasks. Studies were forgotten, students became lazy, and relationships with the family were also affected because of this game. Playing this game also triggers the player to lose his/her temper and values. Why? It simply because of the different languages used during the game or what we called â€Å"Trash talks†. Trash talks such as foul languages can really lose their temper and values. As a result, the both sides will fight against each other. Gamble is also present in this game, the highest bet is 5,000 pesos and the lowest is 300 pesos. Again, money for them is not that important anymore. Many players says that â€Å"Dota is the best past time ever,† so it's OK for them to waste their money. Due to playing, eating is irrelevant; the satisfaction they get from playing is the same as the satisfaction they get from eating. As a result, the body's immune systems are getting weaker and now expose the different viruses and diseases. All in all, Dota really affects the life style of the youth who are in to this game, although it has one good benefit, but it corrupts the mind and the way the youth think. It also weakened the body system, money and moral values were not given importance because of this game.

Athenian Government essays

Athenian Government essays In the beginning and even before the seventh century Athens rule was chaotic. One dictator that did not speak for the people usually oversaw what little government that existed. All this began to change over the years to come; great leaders and lawmakers began to reform society. People such as Draco and Solon tried to institute new ideas of law. Cleisthenes brought a plan of political organization after the last tyrant rule of Peisistratus. Finally Ephialtes leads us past the fifth century into the future. In the centuries before democracy most governmentally issues were overseen by the aristocratic classes. It was not really anyones choice to be ruled by these people, but oligarchy was inevitable. It was easy for those with no money to turn the power over to those that had money, because well the poor depended on the rich. Soon though this dependence became halting to the growth of the overall economy. Slowly this lead to a unification of the small villages. Synoikism of these small rural communities formed these little societies called poleis, which developed into cities such as Athens and Sparta. In 620 BC Draco the Lawmaker tried to reform old ways and bring the power away from the people and to a more organized condition. This first big shift of power away from family and to the state was a large one. He also called for an equalization of laws, so that each was enforced equally to each class of persons. This lead into the beginning of the ever-growing development of democracy. During the sixth century in Athens there were many problems within the society; the existence of slavery and the power still beginning held with the rich. In 594 BC Solon the Lawmaker came into power. He instituted what was called, shaking off of the burdens which abolished slavery. He tried to redistribute political power with reform of the government jobs and whom they were offered to. Thi ...

ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a bureau of the Department of Homeland Security, created on March 1, 2003. ICE enforces immigration and customs laws and works to protect the U.S. against terrorist attacks. ICE achieves its goals by targeting illegal immigrants, particularly those people, money,  and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities. The HSI Division of ICE Detective work is a big part of what ICE does. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that is charged with investigating and gathering intelligence on a wide range of criminal activities, including immigration offenses. HSI gathers the evidence that makes the cases against criminal operations. The agency has some of the top detectives and information analysts in the federal government. In recent years, HSI agents have investigated human smuggling and other human rights violations, art theft, trafficking, visa fraud, drug smuggling, arms dealing, gang activities, white-collar crimes, money laundering, cyber crimes, counterfeit money and prescription drug sales, import/export activity, pornography, and blood-diamond dealing. Formerly known as the ICE Office of Investigations, HSI has about 6,500 agents and is the largest investigative division in Homeland Security, ranking second to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in U.S. government. HSI also has strategic enforcement and security capabilities with officers who perform paramilitary-type duties similar to police SWAT teams. These Special Response Team units are used during high-risk operations and have provided security even during the aftermaths of earthquakes and hurricanes. Much of the work HSI agents do is in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies at the state, local and federal levels. ICE and the H-1B Program The H-1B visa program is popular with both political parties in Washington but it also can be challenging for U.S. immigration officials to ensure that participants are following the law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) devotes considerable resources trying to rid the H-1B program of fraud and corruption. The visa is designed to allow U.S. businesses to temporarily employ foreign workers with specialized skills or expertise in fields such as accounting, engineering or computer science. Sometimes businesses don’t play by the rules, however. In 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concluded that 21 percent of H-1B visa applications contained fraudulent information or technical violations. Federal officials have since put in more safeguards to ensure that the visa applicants comply with the law and accurately represent themselves. In 2014, USCIS approved 315,857 new H-1B visas and H-1B renewals, so there is plenty of work for federal watchdogs, and ICE investigators, in particular, to do. A Case of Visa Fraud in Texas A case in Texas is a good example of the work ICE does in monitoring the program. In November 2015, after a six-day trial in Dallas before U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, a federal jury convicted two brothers of felony visa fraud and abuse of the H-1B program. Two brothers Atul Nanda, 46, and his brother, Jiten Jay Nanda, 44, created, established, and ran a computer company located in Carrollton, Texas, which recruited foreign workers with expertise who wanted to work in the U.S. They sponsored H-1B visas, claiming that there were full-time positions with annual salaries for the new workers, but did not, in fact, have actual positions for them at the time they were recruited. Instead, the brothers used the people as a pool of skilled part-time workers. The two were each convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, and four counts of wire fraud, according to federal officials. The penalties are severe for visa fraud. The conspiracy to commit visa fraud count carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Challenges Faced by the UK Construction Industry Today Essay

Challenges Faced by the UK Construction Industry Today - Essay Example From the report it is clear that buildings in UK have been accounting for a substantial amount of energy compared to the total electricity consumption, and the entire emission of the carbon dioxide from various building. This has developed challenge replacing or renovating buildings in order to reduce the environmental impacts in a way that neutralizes the carbon emissions, thereby achieving respectable financial returns on investment. There are efforts for reducing consumption of fossil fuels in buildings in order to achieve the objective of neutrality, and this will be achieved through seeking new approaches in designing and renovating buildings.This discussion highlights that  the other challenge relates to the pressure exerted on the construction industry by inflation, whereby pressure has been building over the emerging markets and other mature economies. There is a substantial domestic demand experienced in the construction industry, which is calling for expansionary monetary policy, and increase in cost of commodities. This results to an inflation risk prevailing in the year, though the central bank has commenced to increase the rates in order to prevent asset bubbles. Therefore, a likelihood of remaining as a target in UK because of pressure exerted on the commodities used is in the construction industry while an increase in tax has resulted to an increase in the wages due to expectation of further increase in inflation. (Langdon, 2011, 3). Nevertheless, there are policies that have been undertaken in the Back of England concerning the quantitative reduction of interest rates during the year leading to implications for inflation, which targets integrity (Jones, 2011, 1). In this case, the risk associated with inflation has been depicted three key factors such as potentiality in the rise of food inflation, persistent rise in prices of asset and a substantial increase in the global commodity prices. Shrinking workforce The construction industry in UK has faced a loss in the vital knowledge associated to the inability to replace specific skills, which have made a significant contribution to eh industry. On the other hand, the utility industry has achieved an age of utility workers since numerous of the workers who are experience are about to retire (Hughes, 2011, 1). Moreover, there is an aging workforce as a significant concern in the construction industry, and this is contributing substantially to the shrinkage of the workforce. There are expectations of an increase of average annual rate in construction industry leading to subsequent raise in rate of employment opportunities. However, the deteriorated workforce contributes to a problem related to utilities of the construction industry, whereby the utilities that are projected can lose stability (Lynagh, 2010, 1).

Prospective strategy for Copyfix Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Prospective strategy for Copyfix Inc - Essay Example A lack of communication will also result in management becoming distant from the shop floor, and this is where all the work is carried out. The lack of communication has manifested itself in the management area and the production area. For instance: A look at the organisation chart revealed that the departments were fragmented and isolated from the shop floor. This resulted in the decision making excluding those who knew the processes. This isolation also resulted in inter-departmental conflicts, as each department was not aware of the other's roles and responsibilities, which had led to a series of problems. There are no clear lines of communication between managers with each of them reporting to one individual, and so there really is not much scope for discussion. This organisation is lacking in strategy as decisions are not thought out and rather spontaneous. For instance, a proposal was put forward that 50% of profits go towards shareholders. This figure does seem too high, and there is no mention of any discussion about this issue or where this proposal came from. The main emphasis seems to be on making the shareholders and not on improving products they manufacture. A long term strategy that is focussed is therefore required to help with managing the cash flow problem, as profits have to be diverted to the organisation in the first instance. The lack of a strategy has also resulted in massive quality problems at this organisation, and as a manufacturing organisation, the importance of quality cannot be emphasised (Hall 1987). The organisation is due to pay penalties for environmental standards, as their equipment and production line did not meet the required standards. Whilst this is tied in with strategy, as in value and quality are not built into the process, it is also a communication problem as it has not been addressed and remained undetected. Failure to build in quality will result in financial wastage (Slack et al 1997) which the new executive board are keen to avoid. The previous board also stated that they were old and had been with the organisation for a while and this may have clouded their judgement and affected the organisation. This is a call for new management styles and leadership, and the organisation really needs to look at major changes. The chair of the executive board was rotated on a regular basis and this resulted in an approach to the strategy that was inconsistent as the chair was never stayed in post long enough to see any changes or projects carried through to completion, which impacted on feedback, as the organisation has no way of finding out how well their systems are. The short-term costs also do not build loyalty, trust and are a disincentive to team working (Bartol and Martin 1998). Sales and Marketing This organisation is not maximising its marketing and sales, which is what gets their product sold. The graphs indicate that revenue is evening out, which means it is time to innovate, by either improving the product or introducing a new product (Slack et al 1998). However, this ties in with quality and it is evident that the lack of quality assurance

Developing the Professional Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Developing the Professional - Assignment Example Dear Sir/Madam I am a postgraduate student pursuing my Master's degree in International Business from Lincoln University United Kingdom. I would like to be considered for the post of an HR PMO Officer in the organization. I am very interested in working in this field and would like to take this opportunity to put my ideas and skills into practice in order to develop myself along with the organization. I would like to make the best use of this opportunity and that is why I am applying to Vodafone for the post of an HR PMO Officer as I believe that, this platform will give me an exposure to a professional working environment whereby I will be able to learn and grow along with the organization. This job will be a perfect platform for me to put into practice my communications skills that I have developed over the due course of my life, thereby enabling me to interact with many people all over the world and to learn and know more about them thus enhancing my communication skills. While working with Ras Girtas Power Company and Doha Bank, I learned to provide assistance to my superiors and I had to work under strict deadlines. I had to schedule my tasks and report the status of every single assignment on a timely basis to my superiors. This is where I believe I can be of great assistance to the PMO lead where my major responsibility will be to support the PMO lead and other project and program management officers to deliver their projects within time, cost and quality.

Overcoming the Temptation to Overuse the Internet for Research Essay Example for Free

Overcoming the Temptation to Overuse the Internet for Research Essay Students today face a tremendous amount of obstacles in their day-to-day learning environment that may not have been an issue in generations past. The main problems remain the same as they always have. Time-management is a skill that learners must acquire if they want to turn in assignments on time and make the grades they need to obtain the goals they have set for themselves. Procrastination is a component of poor time management that many students face, which leads to cramming and an increased level of stress. Whereas students faced both of these issues in the past as well as today, one problem that has crept into society that students are struggling with every day is the increasing overuse and reliance on the Internet for research, information gathering, and even general learning. The growing use of the Internet in the recent years has made information much more accessible than ever before. The term â€Å"Google it† is so widely and commonly expressed that it would be very difficult to find anyone who did not understand. When someone needs information for school, work, or personal use Google seems to be the first and most convenient crutch. Convenience is the foremost reason students go straight to the Internet when they are in need of research sources. Barberio (2004) states, â€Å"the very real possibility exists that students overuse the Internet, much to their detriment and most likely, to the growing consternation of their instructors† (p. 307). Even when traditional textbooks are available, they almost always come with some links available to accompany the text with sources on those links easily available. Once students access these links, they no longer have the bountiful wisdom of a librarian to help them sort through it as they could in a traditional library. Setting the parameters for coursework research and requiring credible sources and proper online citation styles is left to the instructors in each subject (Davis, 2003). Professors and universities have concerns for the temptation of cut-and-paste plagiarism and show frustration over the lack of traditional library use and the scholarly research and references libraries offer. Besides the convenience, another reason students rely on the Internet too much is because of the struggles previously discussed. Poor time management leads to procrastination. Procrastination leads students who may have otherwise had the time to do more traditional research, to grasp at the instant gratification that the Internet offers. According to Carter, Bishop, Kravits (2007), developing good time management skills helps students to finish their work on a schedule and avoid procrastination that helps to lower stress. In order to alleviate the temptation of counting on the Internet for resources, students must address the reasons they rely on it too much in the first place. As far as convenience is concerned, there may be no way around that. The Internet will continue to be used as a resource for gathering quick and â€Å"easy† information. However, the Internet can be a fine source of professional research and cost-free quality articles, scholarly papers, and official documents. If students today can sort through the vast pages of â€Å"search results† and biased Internet information, and gather un-biased facts from different sources. If they can then take this data and use critical thinking skills to draw intelligent conclusions, the Internet can be a worthy source for their research and learning. Another way to avoid over-using Internet resources would be to schedule a trip to the local library. Students may find it is surprisingly easier to gather information there. Before going to the library, students should be very precise with the information they are looking for, so that they do not waste the time that they have there. Overcoming poor time-management and procrastination would be another way to schedule that time for library research. When building a schedule, it is helpful to obtain some type of planner to help keep track of important goals, assignments, tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines. Schedulers or planners can take shape in many varying forms including the traditional hand-held â€Å"Day runner† or notebook, calendars online such as Google calendar, or planners built into mobile phone applications. In addition to keeping track of this information, it is important to break the larger tasks into smaller tasks and prioritize the information to ensure that each task is completed on time. After setting a solid schedule, the next step is utilize tools to help manage time. As a student, there are a number of techniques that can be used to help manage time. These techniques include incorporating to-do lists into one’s routine and making use of the course syllabus to ensure compliance. Again, breaking the syllabus down into smaller tasks makes it easier to look at and less stressful to comprehend. Copying each week into its own folder in a Word doc on the computer desktop is one example of how to keep track of the syllabus. Students also need to become familiar with the many resources available through the University (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007). Students face many trials every day when trying to reach their goals. The Internet and its easy access to information without leaving one’s seat have become extremely tempting as a one-stop shopping for every need that comes along in the course of a day. When students are faced with a research paper, the habit remains to turn to Internet searches as a quick way of gathering this information. Learning how to properly gather this data and to use critical thinking skills is vital if scholarly research is going to be accomplished. Students must also use time management skills so that procrastination is not an issue and time is available for alternative forms of research.

Buying Decision Behaviour

Buying Decision Behaviour Contents (Jump to) 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 4.0 Conclusion References 1.0 Introduction Understanding consumer buying behaviour is crucial for successful marketing. Consumer buying behaviour is defined as the buying behaviour of final consumers, individuals and households who purchase goods and services for personal consumption (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2001: 858). Consumer buying behaviour can be classified into four groups: complex, variety-seeking, dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviour. These buying decision behaviours vary in terms of the involvement levels and the perceived differences between brands (Lawson, Tidwell, Rainbird, Louden and Bitta, 1997: 523). According to Mitchell (2002: 71), one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible. Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to acquire a profound and comprehensive understanding of consumer buying behaviours. 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour The relationship between different types of consumer buying behaviour with the level of consumer involvement and the degrees of differences between brands. The level of involvement in a purchasing a product is related to the importance of the purchase, the risks involved and the type of cognitive processing that is generated (East, 1997: 19). 2.1 Complex buying behaviour Complex buying behaviour is personalised by high levels of consumer involvement in a purchase and significant perceived differences among brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). Consumers usually apply complex buying behaviour when the intended purchases are expensive, infrequent and risky (Rowley, 1997: 88). Purchase decisions are more intricate compared to other products that are less costly (Chao and Gupta, 1995: 48). According to Adcock (1993: 54), buyers undertaking complex buying behaviour are likely to go through each stage of the decision making process. They will usually spend time inquiring about the product, evaluating alternative brands and comparing options before finally making the purchase. For example, a person who wishes to buy a car would be very involved in deciding what car to purchase. He or she will engage in an extensive information search, such as by visiting different car dealers, surfing the Internet and so on, to evaluate and compare the numerous types of model s available in the market and also to scout for the best deals. They may take weeks or months to make a decision. A car is an expensive asset and will usually be used for a long time. As a result, consumers undergo complex buying decision behaviour to ensure that they will not regret their investment in future. 2.2 Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour encompasses high involvement in purchase decisions but little dissimilarity between brands (Adcock, 1993: 57). Purchases are usually expensive, infrequent and risky (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). The buying decision is often made from only a small range of products. Considering the products brand name is not the main priority in the purchase decision, consumers will make their choice by evaluating and comparing the products based on their price, quality, performance and the consumers individual preferences ( Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). For example, when purchasing a lawn mower, consumers may face a high involvement decision because a lawn mower is rather costly. However, the lawn mower brand names will not be of much concern to consumers. Buyers will still look around and compare different lawn mowers based on their extrinsic features, and purchases are normally made within a shorter period of time as opposed to complex buying behaviour (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). After making a purchase, the consumer may encounter postpurchase dissonance, also known as after-sales discomfort, resulting from discrepencies between the consumers decision and the consumers prior evaluation (Lawson, et al.,1997: 447). For instance, the buyer may discover undesirable traits or hear negative comments about the lawn mower and thus regret his or her purchase. To minimise such dissonance, marketers have introduced certain features to satisfy customers, such as warranties and after-sales services (Lawson, et al.,1997: 637). 2.3 Variety-seeking buying behaviour Variety-seeking buying behaviour can be defined as consumer buying behaviour in situations concerning low consumer involvement but with significant perceived differences in brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). These purchases are made simply because the of the consumers desire for novelty (Lawson, et al., 1997: 525). In other words, consumer may deviate from their normal brand purchase because they feel like trying something different for a change. Consumers who practice variety-seeking buying behaviour buy for the sake of diversifying and not as a result of dissatisfaction with the product (Adcock, 1993: 57). To further illustrate the point, a consumer who regularly buys Kellogs Corn Flakes, whom one day opts to purchase Nestles Honey Stars for a change, is engaging in variety-seeking buying behaviour. The consumer may be just bored of Kellogs Corn Flakes for awhile after consuming them every morning and would like to try out a different cereal, not because he or she is discontented with Kellogs Corn Flakes. Marketers have developed strategies to reduce this consumer behaviour, which will be discussed in the later sections of this report. 2.4 Habitual buying behaviour Consumers perform habitual buying behaviour when buying frequently purchased products that are relatively of low cost and that involves very little risk and decision effort (Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). There is low consumer involvement and few differences between brands in this buying behaviour (Rowley, 1997: 89). These products are purchased almost automatically out of habit rather than brand loyalty by consumers( http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). This normally applies to grocery products. For instance, people do not generally spend much time or mental effort selecting a packet of sugar or a bar of soap. They do not really pay attention to the brand names of these products. Unlike complex buying behaviour, consumers who purchase the same product regularly, do not go through all the steps in the decision making process (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They need not undertake an information search or evaluate and compare the different produc ts in the market. Instead, they receive information through repetitive advertisements on the television or newspapers and this forms brand familiarity. Consumers are not inclined to a product, rather, they select the particular brand out of familiarity (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They would just recognise their need and immediately make a purchase decision. They may not even bother to make a postpurchase evaluation (Rowley, 1997: 89). 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 3.1 Develop a more effective and efficient marketing strategy Consumer buying behaviour is an integral part of marketing. Attaining a deeper comprehension of the different types of consumer buying behaviour would be a boon for marketers as it would assist them in developing a more sophisticated marketing strategy, thus allowing the organisation to compete more efficiently and effectively than its competitors (Mitchell, 2002: 74). By analysing the type of buying behaviour that relates to the organisations products, marketers are able perform effective segmentation, which may lead to a more efficient targeting of resources (Rowley, 1997: 89). For example, for products that are susceptible to complex buying behaviours such as automobiles and computers, marketers tend to concentrate on promoting them on the basis of the features and the benefits a consumer may gain from the products (Adcock, 1993: 56).. Most car catalogues will show pictures of the engine and highlight the details of the technical features of the vehicle. For products that are more prone to dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviours, marketers will advertise substantially to ensure that their products will be considered by as many people as possible (Adcock, 1993: 57) and also to familiarise consumers with their products (East, 1997: 19). Providing another example, marketers will try to encourage habitual buying behaviour for products that are more inclined to variety-seeking buying behaviours among consumers by extensive advertising and dominating shelf space. In contrast, marketers may also try to encourage variety-seeking buying behaviour by offering promotions and free samples (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They do so to induce new customers to purchase their products. To summarise the point, a clear understanding of the types of buying behaviours can help marketers to construct relevant marketing strategi es to market the particular product so as to increase the products sales. 3.2 Form a healthy relationship between buyers and sellers As mentioned earlier, one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible (Mitchell, 2002: 71). The marketing concept stresses that organisations should create a marketing mix that will satisfy their customers better than their competitors. To do so, marketers must examine the major influences that determine what, where, when and how consumers make purchasing decisions (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). According to Wilson (1998: 785), marketers who understand the types of buying behaviour that are related to their product will be able to come up with marketing techniques that will provide customer satisfaction and at the same time, establish brand loyalty among its customers. Marketers should always remind themselves that satisfied consumers would have a very positive impact on the organisations success. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to understand and evaluate the different types of consumer buying behaviour. 4.0 Conclusion The four types of buying behaviour mentioned earlier basically summarises how and why consumers make their purchase decisions. However, one has to keep in mind that the purchase of a particular product does not always derive the same type of decision making behaviour (East, 1997: 19). For example, an affluent businessman who enjoys collecting cars may not undergo complex buying behaviour as opposed to an average earning salesman who is buying a car for transportation purposes. In conclusion, understanding consumer buying behaviour can assist marketers in constructing a more efficient and effective marketing strategy allowing them to form a tighter relationship with their customers. Hence, it is vital for marketers to understand the four different types of buying behaviour that relates to their product. References Adcock, D., Bradfield, R., Halborg, A., and Ross, C. (1993), Marketing Principles and Practice, Pitman Publishing, London. Chao, P. and Gupta, P.B. (1995), ‘Information search and efficiency of consumer choices of new cars International Marketing Review, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp 47-59. East, R. (1997), Consumer Behaviour: Advances and Applications in Marketing, Prentice Hall, London. Kotler, P., Brown, L., Adam, S., and Armstrong, G. (2001), Marketing, (5th Edn), Prentice Hall, Sydney. Lawson, R., Tidwell, P., Rainbird, P., Loudon, D., and Bitta, A.D. (1997), Consumer Behaviour in Australia and New Zealand, McGraw-Hill, Sydney. Kennedy, M and Kiel (2000). ‘Marketing: A Strategic Approach. Nelson Thompson Learning, Melbourne. Mitchell, A.S. (2002), ‘Do you really want to understand your customer? Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 2, Issue 1, pp 71-79. Rowley, J. (1997), ‘Focusing on customers Library Review, Vol 46, No. 2, pp 81-89. Samara, N., Understanding Consumer Behaviour, (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp) Accessed (30 August 2003) Wilson, D.F. (1998), ‘Why divide consumer and organisation buyer behaviour? European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp 780-796.