Creative thinking process Essay

A. Case 5.1 1. How did the creative thinking process work in the development of this product? Describe what took place in each of the four steps. Phase 1: Background or knowledge accumulation—The 3M manager wanted something that could mark the hymnal pages in order for him to be able find them fast, but did not know what could. Phase 2: The incubation process— The 3M manager knew bookmark is not the solution because it could fall out. Phase 3: The idea experience—He realized he needed something that could adhere to the paper, but would not rip it, so he asked if there was an adhesive that’s been made that could do that. Phase 4: Evaluation and implementation—He had his members find the not-yet-marketed adhesive and had the glue applied to paper, and later show other people like secretaries on his new â€Å"attachable† notes. 2. Why did the manager have the Post-it notes sent to secretaries throughout the company? What was his objective in doing this? He knew the secretaries would be able to use them throughout their work, and he wanted to create a word of mouth buzz to get people talking about the newly made products. 3. What type of innovation was this—invention, extension, duplication, or synthesis? Defend your answer. This innovation was an extension to the bookmark. Bookmarks basically started as pieces of paper saving a spot for future reading. So, by adding adhesive to the paper, it is clearly an extension of a product that has already been made because it created a new use for bookmarks technically. 4. Which of the sources of innovative ideas discussed in the chapter help account for this product’s success? Explain in detail. It is a process source because the post-it notes are basically bookmarks, but have been innovated to be a better, more useful alternative for a variety of situations and jobs. Post-its are more dependable and therefore easier to use than bookmarks because it is harder to lose them. B. Case 7.1 1. Is anything unique about Chris’s idea? Explain. The washable vinyl, the house bigger larger, and the house representing the owner’s actual home are basically the only few unique aspects of the doghouse. All other aspects, like the dog’s name, insulation, and shingles are kind of givens when it comes to having a doghouse especially if the dog  is usually kept outside most of the time, especially in places where the weather is mildly unpredictable. 2. What is the first thing he should do to follow up on his idea? Explain. I feel like Chris should definitely look up the success of personal construction businesses, especially ones for animals like this doghouse venture. Sure, it seems like a simple and logical business venture, but I think he needs to think about whether or not this is something potential consumers really want to buy. Hence Chris needs to figure out his target market and do research on them. 3. When this is done, what else should Chris do? Outline a general course of action of him. Once he hopefully finds an effective target market, he should find an individual or small company that would be interested in building the doghouses for his new venture. How much would he be paying the contractor per house? How is he going to market the new venture? Will he have an online website in addition to newspaper and word of mouth marketing? If the business does end up being successful, Chris could also be thinking about other similar products that could be built like dog or cat beds, fish tanks, and doghouse accessories/ideas (e.g. porches or making portable doghouses).

Minocycline and Public Misinformation

The potential role of minocycline in limiting neurological stroke damage is a widely studied arena, as evident by the numerous studies conducted on the topic and the implications of these findings are widely circulated in the scientific and public community using the print and broadcast media. But, it is highly unlikely that the common media would religiously reflect the findings based on the scientific research as potentiated by the ‘knowledge gap’ that exists between them. In the light of this statement, there is a general aim to investigate the â€Å"knowledge gaps† that may have been loss from information transfer of the technical work to that of the more popular broad print media. The Recent Study Conducted on Minocycline Minocycline, a tetracycline derivative is more popular for its an anti-inflammatory activity rather than its antibiotic effect. Minocycline alleviates the blood brain barrier disruption by decreasing the activity of microglia and metalloproteinase, reduction of edema and hemorrhage and reduce ischemia. The specificity of mitocycline as inhibitor of microglial activity by limiting p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase makes it a potential drug for neurological disorders. Lampl et al. (2007) conducted an open label, evaluator blinded study on the monocycline treatment in acute stroke. This scientific approach diverted from the normal â€Å"animal models† and the â€Å"in vivo and the in vitro approach† classic method of studying drug medication effect by using actual human models. One hundred fifty two stroke patients were used for the study; 74 received minocycline treatment [(200 mg/day/5 days; start: 6-24 hr after stroke onset)] and 77 received placebo. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel index were assessed for day 7, 30 and 90 (7 and 90 for NIHSS). Data analysis (covariance and two tailed   t-test) were carried out using SPSS statistical analysis software. Results indicate that there was significant reduction NIHSS score at day 90 for monocycline patients compared that of the placebo patients. The reduction was apparent from baseline up to last day of treatment. Barthel index was significantly reduced at day 7 till the end of the treatment and mRS difference started at day 2 onwards. Covariance (co-variance: age, presence of peptic ulcer, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) , sulfonylurea(SU) were performed again for NHSS test and results show significant difference between the groups with mean difference increase for covariates. The study indicates that the administration of minocycline at acute stage of stroke using five day treatment therapeutic onset window of 24 hr is effective in alleviating stroke damages. The â€Å"24 hr therapeutic onset† is based on results of previous studies stating that edema peaks at 24 to 48 hr following ischemia and inhibition at this timescale of apoptopic pathway is most effective. The limitations of the study are the six hr post-stroke administration, the oral medication, and small sampling units. Confirmation is still needed for this study. The Public Mis-Conveyance of the Minocycline Efficacy Last October 27, 2007, Thomas H. Maugh II of Los Angeles Times wrote â€Å"[Minocycline] taken within 24 hours, the drug is found to help reduce disabling effects in a patient’s body and brain.† Thomas H. Maugh based his article on the aforementioned study above. However there are discrepancies that can be found between the article and the actual study which he allegedly used as the fountain of information on minocycline efficiency. First, he intimated that the drug should be administered within the first three hours. He also forgot to mention that the dosage administered was 200 mg.There was nothing in the journal that said that the drug must be administered at within 3 hr. In fact, the therapeutic window indicated in the scientific journal was â€Å"within 24 hr† and the experimental method involved â€Å"six hr post stroke†. Second, he elicited the â€Å"secondary† opinion from the scientific community specifically Dr. Steven Pacia of Lenox Hospital, Dr. John Marler of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Dr. Raymond Swanson of University of California. There is nothing wrong with eliciting opinions from known field experts on neurology. But the fact is that he should have elicited ‘primary’ source of information from the Israeli scientists and not from those who are not really involved the conducted study. Maugh also wrote that subjects for the study excluded â€Å"those who had already shown signs of recovery.† There was no line on the methodology of the paper mentioning this. He also failed to indicated chronic renal failure as a category in the exclusion of study. (This is very important since there is strong association of inefficacy of oral administration in chronic renal patients). He also wrote that Lampl said that the improvement was apparent within a week. It is a misnomer of information; there was ‘significant’ improvement from Day 90 and not Day 7. He also wrote that the minocycline receivers did ‘4x’ times better. He forgot to mention if at what scale this 4x is. Is it from the baseline or is it a comparison to the placebo group? Lampl’s group cited that the study must be performed on a larger scale to attest its efficacy. Maugh’s misnomers and some information deletions may have mislead the reader into believing that the minocycline is proven and tested as effective. Health information to the public should be delivered as precise as possible. Journalist should be more careful about what they write because they are open to misinterpretation by the public. What would happen if a desperate stroke patient took this information seriously and drank more than 200 mg per day? Results are inconclusive on this. However, it should be deeply noted that, in the end, the public is the one who suffers from this misinformation. Works Cited Lampl, Y., Boaz, M. Gilad, R., M. Loberboym, Dabby, R., Rapoport, A., Anca-hershowitz, M., and M. Sadeh. â€Å"Minocycline Treatment in Acute Stroke.† Neurology.   1609 (2007): 1404-1410. Maugh, H. Thomas. â€Å"Antibiotic Limits Stroke Damage, Study Finds.† Los Angeles Times. 2 October 2007.      

Critical Paper Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay

Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est is a forlorn poem of his experience in the First World War. Owen recounts his story as he and fellow infantrymen march ‘knock-kneed, coughing like hags’ across the wasteland that is the battle front(line 2). Most of the focus is on the exhaustion from battle, but changes attention when ‘hoots’ of gas-shells rain down on their position. Weariness quickly turns to ‘An ecstasy of fumbling’ (line 9) as the soldiers fit their gas masks, but one soldier is not fast enough. Owen then relates his first hand tale and demise of the footman chocking to death from mustard gas. The reader is forced to witness this horrid death and ask ourselves; ‘Dulce et descorum est,/Pro patria mori’ (line 27-28). Lines 1-8 are used to describe a scene of war-torn men on a forced march across a wasteland. Such phrases as, ‘old beggars’, and ‘coughing like hags’ gives the reader an idea of what condition that the infantrymen are in. Such phrases denote a negative image as to associate the infantrymen as vagrants in poor physical condition. With those who ‘lost their boots’ now find themselves ‘blood-shod,’ rather than being bare foot. The word shod is an old English term for shoeing a horse, again negative connotation of the infantrymen as sub-human beings. Lines 5 and 7 give depth to the state of despondency that general infantrymen are in. Owen chooses the phrase ‘Drunk with fatigue’ to show the depth of exhaustion the infantrymen are experiencing. To be drunk, as to be intoxicated with the absolute exhaustion; denoting fatigue as some drug that overwhelms the senses and coordination. They do not give credence to the reality they are in until a gas shell sends them into an ‘ecstasy of fumbling’ for a gas mask. Ecstasy’ is used not to give the connotation of delight and happiness, but rather the stark contrast of frenzy. Lines 9 and 11 end with ‘fumbling’ and ‘stumbling’, respectively, to give depth the infantrymen’s state of condition. Later, in lines 14 and 16, an association is draw between the engulfing gas and a man drowning. Owen depicts a ma n in a green sea drowning (line 14) to be later plunging at him (line 16); both giving the allusion between being engulfed in water or noxious gas. Again, in line 17, Owen asks the reader to ‘pace.. in some smothering dream’; a reoccurring theme of being deprived of air. The second stanza utilizes the most guttural connotation of such words as to describe the corpse. From the ‘gargling†¦froth-corrupted lungs’, to the ‘vile, incurable sores’, Owen wants to galvanize the true wickedness of war. The reader is told of how gas can ‘corrupt lungs’ and put ‘sores on innocent tongues’. This contrast is vital because it depicts how war can taint that which is most holy. In saying that the corpse’s face hung ‘like a devil’s sick of sin,’ gives yet another reference between evil and war, but it has another meaning. To imply the devil would be overwhelmed with such amount of evil implies that one cannot grasp the horrors of war. The poem then ends with a sort of thesis statement that to die for one’s country is neither right nor sweet. Dulce begins as a slow trudge of despondent soldiers, to a fanatic race for safety, then a slow, visceral portrayal of life being wrenched away from man, opposed to the titles suggestion for war hysteria and propaganda. But the main theme is not to just illustrate the dregs of war but to give the reader the truth of war. He makes the reader place themselves on the front line to look death and despair in the eye.

Health Care and the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Care and the Economy - Essay Example The fact brought out indicates that, even though, the unemployment numbers decrease, as ironical as it may sound, many people still lack jobs and in collaboration with that, people are unable to sustain themselves in health coverage matters. It is with no doubt that the health care sector is slowly declining because of recession, and this has not only made the medical coverage of many individuals to be at stake but has also driven many people to withdraw from vital medical insurance services, to save money for other uses. Inflation has become a major issue that is facing the American society especially when it comes to the prices of medicine. In News article done by Rosenthal (2014), states that there has been a significant increase of generic drug prices which has caught the users by surprise. She states that users of medicine such as digoxin have started looking for other options other than that, because one would encounter costs that range from $1000 which is too expensive (para 5). Medicine that is also necessary for the young children for example vaccines have gone up tremendously. It is true that other medicines can be used to treat the diseases, but the most recommended ones are ironically too expensive though their manufacture price is not high. Inflation of pharmaceutical drugs has left the people who earn below the average income and those who are unemployed, under bad conditions because they end up not buying the medicine that they need, so as to save up on their money. This shows that the tremendous increase in of prices is affecting not only the unemployed but also the employed because treatment is becoming too expensive for people to afford to leave a lot of people in debts if they purchase the drugs (Rooney, para 3). Treatment is also becoming expensive, and this has made many companies withdraw their medical covering benefits from their employees but not entirely.

Reading and Writing about Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading and Writing about Research - Essay Example Writing about what you read in a peer-review article is challenging because copying author`s thoughts is a simple plagiarism while paraphrasing ideas without losing general sense is quite complicated. Making text coherent and readable is another barrier in writing. It is important to remember that the essay must include smooth transitions, linking words to be comprehensive. Moreover, it is necessary to not only paraphrase the material but also analyze it which requires critical thinking. Gaining more experience is probably the only effective method in working with peer-reviewed articles. The more you read, analyze, and see how the text is structured, the easier it is to get used to original articles and their peculiar manner of information presentation. The more you write reviews on such articles the more coherent and precise your language becomes. However, it is also important to develop attention to details and check up all the references to understand the article

Commercial Banking in the 1980's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Commercial Banking in the 1980's - Essay Example was relatively fragmented in nature as there were different and often contradictory laws that were put in place to basically govern the commercial banking sector of the country. This era of fragmented laws however, allowed banks to remain profitable as under regulations they were specifically given the different products and services to sell rather than allowing them freely to engage themselves into activities that were more speculative in nature. This was also due to the fact that a mismatch between the different regulatory environments of the country allowed commercial banks to basically insulate themselves against the different economic shocks as their overall scope was limited through these regulations. For example, under special legislative process, banks were given the monopoly over certain products such as checking accounts which basically restricted other financial institutions to float any such product. Further, the legislations also allowed the banks to avoid direct competi tion as there were restrictions on the inter-state opening of the branches. It is also critical to understand that the banks were specifically restricted to offer interest rates on the checking accounts thus restricting them to engage into price wars and keep themselves under restricted conditions so as to basically allow all the banks to operate at even terms. The era before 1980s was therefore an era which basically restricted the encroachment of other institutions to take over the role of banks thus allowing banks to compete among themselves rather than competing with a variety of other financial institutions thus increasing the overall competition within the industry. The era after 1980s and up to 1999 was an era which made a swift transition from the above sets of regulations and as such the overall position enjoyed by the banks were taken over and as a result many banks failed and insolvencies increased. This has been the result of gradual changes in the regulations which

The Brooklyn Museum of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Brooklyn Museum of Art - Essay Example It seems that the grey balanced against the purple color works to express a sort of bland, yet unique perspective on reality. One of the most thought provoking notions in the context of this work is the depiction of the artist’s inner feelings. One considers that poetry functions to articulate ideas and feelings that prose is not able to capture. In terms of this painting, it’s clear that the color imagery is able to depict aspects of the human condition that other modes of expression are not able to capture. While the nature of the individual artist’s feelings and unique world perspective is visible in the first work observed, the second work furthers the notion of the articulation of an individual’s interaction with the world. III. no title, 1960. As witnessed in this work, two spectres of most conceivably human figures are depicted. In addition to articulating aspects of the human experience that perhaps couldn’t be articulated in other artistic mediums, this painting expands the human perception of reality. In these regards, simply viewing this work functions to create a sense of feeling or emotion. This way the painting or artists work expands the perspectives on reality, and highlights that which is beautiful in the human experience. The painting itself seems to rely on crisp yet abstract design to illustrate a similar mental state. The image in the background also appears to be melding into the background, just as one might imagine a long lost memory or spectre of experience to do. When considering the visit to the Brooklyn Museum of Art from an overarching perspective, it’s clear the experience was highly enlightening. I would definitely recommend that other people visit the museum and have this experience as it... In this essay, the author makes some analysis of this museum experience. He shows us the paintings which were created when Hesse was at a young age, being only twenty-four years old. While the paintings are unnamed, there are identified through Roman Numerals. In these regards, the first painting in the exhibit that I spent time examining was IV. The writer describes some works of Art, share with his opinion, urges to visit the museum. He understands this painting is the connection between furthered understanding of the idea of the human through art. It seems that this work has no hidden message, but functions as a means of articulating the artist’s mood. It seems that the grey balanced against the purple color works to express a sort of bland, yet unique perspective on reality. When considering the visit to the Brooklyn Museum of Art from an overarching perspective, it’s clear the experience was highly enlightening. Hedefinitely recommend that other people visit the museum and have this experience as it presents a number of learning opportunities. In addition to the Spectres exhibit, the museum contains a wide variety of contemporary and ancient art. For instance, the ancient Egyptian artifacts were exciting to see simply for their age. In all the expansive nature of the museum grants the visitor a great perspective on culture and art. Abundant evidence that the author are impressed and very happy to to the museum.

Greenhouse Gas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Greenhouse Gas - Research Paper Example This gas largely contributes to the occurrence of greenhouse effect in terms of generating large amount of heat in the earth surface. Relevant measures for reducing the impact of greenhouse gas on the environment might include working collectively in accordance with Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plans (Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center, 2011). CFC- It stands for chlorofluorocarbon. It generally relates to a gas or an organic compound that is formed with the combination of chlorine with fluorocarbons. CFC is mainly utilized for the purpose of creating refrigerants, propellants and also as solvents. Its mass emissions can create openings/holes in the atmosphere’s ozone layer. Also, it can result in creating mass depletion of ozone. However, appropriate measures can be taken for conserving the environment and the overall atmosphere from the ill-effects of CFC. Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) can well act as a substitute for CFC as it contains certain chemicals that are not as harmful as the components like that of CFC (Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center, 2011). Air Pollution (Carbon Monoxide) - The addition of harmful gases, biological materials as well as particulates and various other waste particles eventually makes the air to be polluted causing various sorts of diseases to the humans and animals. In this similar concern, Carbon Monoxide can be duly considered to be one of the most harmful gases which pollute air by a greater level. Pollution of air by a greater level can lead to serious impacts such as degradation of air. However, it can be controlled by installation of proper smoke emission systems in the factories and introducing pollution testing centers among others. (Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center, 2011). Water Conservation-The various resources of water and their forms of purity ultimately determines that whether water is clean or not. It is worth mentioning that the level up to which the resources of water are conserved might also result in making pure supply of clean water which can be typically acknowledged as water conservation. However, by adopting along with executing latest and effective water recycling methods as well as water initiative programs, the significant aspect of water conservation program can be enhanced by a significant level (O swego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center, 2011). Land Pollution-It broadly refers to the degradation of the surfaces of the earth and land. It can be affirmed from a broader outlook that the misutilization of land and its resources impose adverse impact upon the overall environment by a greater degree. However, by following certain affective measures such as afforestation, contour ploughing as well as terracing methods and construction of dams among others can lessen air pollution by a certain degree (Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center, 2011). u06d1 In this part, relevant discussions pertaining to Polylactic Acid (PLA) Decomposition technology and the pros as well as cons associated with this technology will be highlighted upon. It can be apparently viewed that this particular technology has both advantages along with disadvantages. In terms of advantages, it can be affirmed that the corn-based plastics do not require much of oil and also ensure less use of traditional plastics. With the execution of the aforesaid technology, this particular plastic segment might prove in

Spiders Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spiders - Research Proposal Example eight legs (Rollman and Taverna, 2008). It does not have a mouth to chew and it does not have wings which are common to other insects. Spiders produce silk but all spiders do not produce webs to hunt for other insects. Spider silk is also used by the creature for many other purposes such as climbing, building egg sacs, as well as immobilizing other creatures (Australian Museum, 2002). Their magnificent capabilities of adapting to new situations were tested in space as well where it was found that spiders could continue to spin their webs even without gravity once they had adapted to the environment (Wikipedia, 2008). This adaptation and the wide variety of spiders in the world also means that they are found all over the landmass of the planet from the jungles of brazil to the frozen tundra. Spiders have been found in deserts, near rivers, in densely populated cities and in the grasslands. They are found on all continents of the world and their habitat extends the planet (Australian Museum, 2002). The variety of the places they are found in is also reflected in the manner in which they mate since certain female spider species have been known to kill the male before or during the mating session which increases the chances of the male being the only one to mate with the female (Wikipedia, 2008). Beyond this aspect of their existence, certain spiders have also developed special adaptations which let them become better hunters or give them better chances of mating. For example, spiders which hunt near water may use bell shaped webs that are able to trap insects on the surface of the water. Some types of spiders have abandoned making webs altogether and have evolved into creatures that chase down their prey to hunt it (Wikipedia, 2008). Certain species of spiders also exhibit social behaviors such as living in a colony of thousands. In terms of size, depending on the environment they are in, spiders range from

The Bhagavad Gita Essay Example for Free

The Bhagavad Gita Essay An individual should perform his duty even if such performance is imperfect rather than performing some other person’s duty with perfection. Each individual has unique abilities and characteristics. These qualities are termed as the swabhava or nature of that individual person. Moreover, the form of his external life is based on his swabhava which ultimately becomes his swadharma. The normal life of humans and their duties are based on their samskara or behavior and their karma or fate. The Swabhava and swadharma of humans are the consequence of their deeds in their previous births, which are naturally bestowed upon them, and determine their present status. They constitute the inner nature of humans which is known as their prakriti (Bhagavad Gita Commentary, Swami Nirmalananda Giri). The Bhagavad Gita teaches the ways and means of attaining freedom from earthly desires and material issues. However, in order to attain such freedom one should not forsake the performance of one’s fundamental duties or swadharma. One should try to attain the divine freedom, while performing one’s duties without any deviation and with complete dedication. The central theme of the Bhagavad Gita states that an individual shall perform his bounden duty without seeking the result that comes from performing that duty. This is essential for purifying the heart. This is a very important requirement to attain liberation or Moksha. The Bhagavad Gita consists of the teachings of Lord Krishna to prince Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra (Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Swami Swarupananda). Lord Krishna specified three principal paths for humans. These are the Path of Action or Karma Marga, the Path of Knowledge or the Dhyana Marga, and the Path of Devotion or the Bhakthi Marga. Any one of these paths lead the aspirant to God, and are meant for achieving divinity and moksha. The Bhagavad Gita was granted by God, and it was stated by Lord Krishna that human birth was an invaluable. Accordingly, a human being should utilize this birth to attain liberation. Therefore, every human being must attempt to reach God and to attain moksha, in this birth itself. Consequently, humans should refrain from the earthly desires and develop detachment for worldly matters (BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA ). He motivated Prince Arjuna to perform his duty without any indecisiveness. He also exhorted Arjuna to discharge his duty as a Kshatriya or member of the warrior caste, in other words He directed Arjuna to follow the Dharma of a Kshatriya. This constitutes the swadharma of an individual, which directs that person to attain moksha. Although one has performed one’s duty imperfectly, it is deemed to have been performed. One should not perform another person’s duty, as this constitutes a sin, irrespective of the perfection attained while doing so. Thus, swadharma has been given greater prominence in the Bhagavad Gita (Verse 46, Chapter XVIII. The Bhagavada Gita). According to it, one should not abandon one’s swadharma, which is both internal as well as external. The internal variety of swadharma is perceived by the performer, while the external swadharma is enjoined upon a person by the society in which the performer lives. Moreover, the Varnasrama Dharma or caste system, establishes the swadharma of an individual. As such, the temperament and attainments of a person derive from that person’s parents; hence, birth plays an important role in determining the swadharma of a person. This is borne out by the science of genetics. It is mandatory for human beings to perform their swadharma. Children inherit the qualities of their parents, and these constitute their swadharma (SWADHARMA). Attraction towards material issues implies that a person is deviating from the right path. Worldly matters bind humans to several births and deaths. Those who are attached to them will have to born again and again. This cycle of births and deaths continues till the person detaches himself from worldly matters. The Lord declares that humans have to surrender the fruit of their actions to Him, if they wish to reach Him. One must refrain from desires as they generate anger on being unfulfilled. Anger in turn, results in jealousy. Therefore, desires are the root cause for all evils. The quintessence of the Bhagavad Gita lies in the understanding that a person’s existence is principally in order to perform one’s duty or karma. Therefore, all the persons on earth are under a duty to perform the karma that falls to their lot; and while doing so they have to follow the principles of dharma or righteousness. One should uphold dharma and preserve it. It is the most important thing to remember, that while performing karma one should not await the result. What is required is surrender of the result of the action to God. This is clearly stated in the hymn Narayanayethi Samarpayame, which connotes that everything is to be surrendered to Lord Narayana, the ultimate and the supreme (BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA ). The Bhagavad Gita says that one should perform one’s duty without anticipating the fruits of the results and without attachment. Performance of duty with detachment is an easy way to reach the ultimate goal of life, moksha. It is the only scripture that proclaims the philosophy of Karma Yoga. This philosophy was not described anywhere, prior to the Bhagavad Gita. Karma Yoga is devotion without selfishness. The Bhagavad Gita described it in a simple and beautiful manner; and it had been expounded by Lord Krishna, who had upheld the notion of unselfish devotion for the common good of all. He had stated that altruism was the ultimate worship and ultimate spiritual reality. The practice of altruism bestows grace upon the practitioner, and subsequently, it develops into faith, which is the only way to witness the absolute truth. An individual would be elevated mentally if he helps others. This is an immediate effect of helping others, and such an individual would achieve perfection in all matters. The intellect and senses of a person are responsible for attachments and detachments towards material things and material issues. Therefore, the senses must be controlled and no one should fall prey to their wiles. The intellect and the senses act as barriers to spiritual development and the attainment of divinity. Consequently, one should be devoid of them to attain self – realization. Self – analysis is based on the intuition and intellect of the people. Thus, people should develop their intellect and intuition. Meditation is the only means for developing intuition and intellect. The former is a powerful method of yoga practice or yoga sadhana, which guides people and helps them to succeed in their attempt to attain moksha. Individuals must discover their swabhava by practicing swadharma, which engenders peace and harmony in their lives (Bhagavad Gita Commentary, Swami Nirmalananda Giri). People should ascertain their swadharma through their intellect. Self – analysis, or self – introspection are instrumental in perceiving one’s swadharma. This method is termed as swadhyaya, which had been propounded by Maharishi Patanjali in his great work The Yoga Sutras. Self – analysis is the only method to determine the duties of humans. The best way to achieve such self – analysis is by practicing yoga, which is an important component of Hindu tradition and which allows people to lead a meaningful life (Bhagavad Gita Commentary, Swami Nirmalananda Giri). Works Cited BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA . 14 June 2008. 15 September 2008 http://groups. yahoo. com/group/gita-talk/message/1353. Bhagavad Gita Commentary, Swami Nirmalananda Giri. 15 September 2008 http://www. atmajyoti. org/hi_gita_commentary_30. asp. Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Swami Swarupananda. 1909. 15 September 2008 http://sacred-texts. com/hin/sbg/sbg03. htm. SWADHARMA. 03 February 2006. 15 September 2008 http://www. advaita-vedanta. org/archives/advaita-l/2006-February/037531. html. Verse 46, Chapter XVIII. The Bhagavada Gita. n. d.

Strategic management and information systems at Tesco

Strategic management and information systems at Tesco Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organisations as an approach to strategic management. Assess the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organisation such as Tesco. What do you understand by knowledge management and knowledge management systems? Analyze how useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. As markets evolve the companies that are in the top seats are the ones that excel in organizing human resources and materials, also forecasting the possible changes in markets. To manage this many companies use the help of other companies to grow in this straggle of competition. This is called Outsourcing. If a firm does not want to use its internal resources to build or operate information systems, it can hire an external organization that specializes in providing these services to do the work. The process of turning over an organizations computer center operations, telecommunications networks, and/or applications development to external vendors is called outsourcing (Laudon Laudon, 2005). This definition covers the greatest part of Outsourcing, but what happens when we refer to ICT Outsourcing? First of all, what is ICT? Information Technology (IT) is probably one of the most used terms in business nowadays. Information shouldnt be confused with knowledge, unfortunately this happens occasionally. The term information is used extensively in no formal speech. This, and the different meanings used, makes it hard to define. From my point of view after studying on this subject, information covers data to which meaning is assigned, according to context and assumed conventions. Knowledge is derived from information. (Miller, 1999) Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the automatic and digital acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. The term information technology includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. Taking under consideration the above we conclude that ICT Outsourcing can be defined as follows. Information Technology outsourcing is the concept of an organization contracting-out IT activities to a third party vendor, who in return provides and manages the services for a certain period of time in exchange for a monetary fee. The deal can include the transfer of IT assets and people involved with IT to the external entity. (Roland Booijen 2006) The main trend in international businesses nowadays is to outsource their production process as well as some of their services outside of their base country. The term outsourcing basically refers to the process of subcontracting goods and services from an outside supplier, usually from a different country. Most companies choose to outsource because of its many advantages over the traditional process of production. This article will show you some advantages that outsourcing can do for your business. Most companies choose to outsource because it lowers the cost of production and other expenses such as IT services and customer services. China and Vietnam, popular off shoring countries do not have strict labor laws allowing relatively cheaper wages. This guarantees that the company will get the most out of the capital invested in the business. A consequence of the advantage mentioned, outsourcing will reduce the overhead cost of maintaining the business. Outsourcing will allow you to reduce the number of your employees which will lead to savings in utilities, a save in taxes and less insurance among others. This will increase the funding of your company that can be invested in any other parts of the business. Another advantage of outsourcing is gives you better control of your business. Outsourcing can significantly reduce the number of your employees, thus making the rest of the staff easily manageable. By that, you can increase the responsibility of your workers inside your company and make them feel like a part of the business, something they have put their effort to bloom. Outsourcing gives you the chance to focus on other business aspects like the marketing process. By taking other parts of the business like production and other process away, you have more time to plan others steps of your company like how to sell you r products in a more efficient way. This can give you the weapons to become a recognizable marketing power company. Another advantage of outsourcing is that it allows you to choose professional level of processing or utilization according to the needs of your company. Since you choose expertise in their field, the quality of your service will also improve. Outsourcing would mean to expose your production to external procedures that you may not know or considered looking into. This can provide innovation capabilities for your business. This provides useful information on how to improve your products by using the earned technological info and professional production means. These are some of the benefits that outsourcing can brink to your business. In companies like Tesco using outsourcing can benefit in many ways as this huge business colossus always needs innovation, using outsourcing provides fresh ideas for them and also can keep them focused on other parts of the business like promotion or marketing. As you study your way through using outsourcing you will have to keep in mind that there are advantages to outsourcing and disadvantages of outsourcing. Some of the disadvantages of outsourcing are the following: One disadvantage is loss of management Control .Whether you sign a contract to have another company perform the function of an entire department or single task, you are turning the management and control of that function over to another company. True, you will have a contract, but the managerial control will belong to another company. Your outsourcing company will not be driven by the same standards and mission that drives your company. They will be driven to make a profit from the services that they are providing to you and other businesses like yours. Another disadvantage is hidden costs .You will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Anything not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. Additionally, you will experience legal fees to retain a lawyer to review the contacts you will sign. Remember, this is the outsourcing companys business. They have done this before and they are the ones that write the contract. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage when negotiations start. Yet another drawback may be the threat of Security and confidentiality .The life-blood of any business is the information that keeps it running. If you have payroll, medical records or any other confidential information that will be transmitted to the outsourcing company, there is a risk that the confidentiality may be compromised. If the outsourced function involves sharing proprietary company data or knowledge, this must be taken into account. Evaluate the outsourcing company carefully to make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs. One more disadvantage may be quality problems. The outsourcing company will be motivated by profit. Since the contract will fix the price, the only way for them to increase profit will be to decrease expenses. As long as they meet the conditions of the contract, you will pay. In addition, you will lose the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment. The contract will be very specific and you will pay extra for changes. Another disadvantage is to be tied to the financial well-being of another company. Since you will be turning over part of the operations of your business to another company, you will now be tied to the financial well-being of that company. It wouldnt be the first time that an outsourcing company could go bankrupt and leave you holding-the-bag. One more disadvantage is bad publicity and Ill-will .The word outsourcing brings to mind different things to different people. If you live in a community that has an outsourcing company and they employ your friends and neighbors, outsourcing is good. If your friends and neighbors lost their jobs because they were shipped across the state, across the country or across the world, outsourcing will bring bad publicity. If you outsource part of your operations, morale may suffer in the remaining work force. Companies like Tesco can use ITC outsourcing in their intercompany communications, by using a system of comlinks or anything like that. Another possible use is better organizing stock and storage of items by using computer based systems, databases for storage and self items would be a great effective way of ICT usage etc. 2. Knowledge management and Knowledge management systems ( KMS) are a class of informational systems that refer to the application of managing informational knowledge in an organization. That is, they are IT-based systems developed to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation, storage/retrieval, transfer, and application. Although not all KM initiatives involve an implementation of IT, and admonitions against an emphasis on IT at the expense of the social and cultural facets of KM are not uncommon (Davenport and Prusak 1998; Malhotra 1999; O.Dell and Grayson 1998), many KM initiatives rely on IT as an important enabler. While IT does not apply to all of the issues of knowledge management, it can support KM in many ways. A very common application of knowledge management systems is the creation of knowledge networks (Ruggles 1998). For example, when Chrysler reorganized from functional to platform based organizational units, they quickly Knowledge management a nd Knowledge management systems (KMS) are a class of informational systems that refer to the application of managing informational knowledge in an organization. That is, they are IT-based systems developed to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation, storage/retrieval, transfer, and application. Although not all KM initiatives involve an implementation of IT, and admonitions against an emphasis on IT at the expense of the social and cultural facets of KM are not uncommon (Davenport and Prusak 1998; Malhotra 1999; O.Dell and Grayson 1998), many KM initiatives rely on IT as an important enabler. While IT does not apply to all of the issues of knowledge management, it can support KM in many ways. A very common application of knowledge management systems is the creation of knowledge networks (Ruggles 1998). For example, when Chrysler reorganized from functional to platform based organizational units, they quickly realized that unless the suspension speciali sts could communicate easily with each other across platform types, expertise would deteriorate. Chrysler formed Tech Cul, bringing people together virtually and face-to-face to exchange and build their collective knowledge in each of the specialty areas. In this case, the knowledge management effort was less focused on mapping expertise or benchmarking than it was on bringing the experts together so that important knowledge was shared and amplified. Providing online forums for communication and discussion may form knowledge networks. The idea of a KM system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organizations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions. For example a typical claim justifying the creation of a KM system might run something like this: an engineer could know the metallurgical composition of an alloy that reduces sound in gear systems. Sharing this information organization wide can lead to more effective engine design and it could also lead to ideas for new or improved equipment. A very good example in Tescos case is when they decided to implement an online ordering system that connected the customers with the warehouses and the suppliers. Some of the benefits of KMS systems are: Increased order processing capacity, Reduced hardware cost , Increased flexibility in maintaining supplier relationships , Better integration of programs, increased reliability in day to day operations. The key aspect of KM and KMS is to convince existing long term employees to make use of such systems in order to produce/sell more and drive profits upwards. Such a challenged is described in the Tesco Case Study as far as the living service scheme is described in the context of making employees comfortable with the new changes in the way they operates so far. This was achieved by implementing their managers in the process, in order to encourage employees that they have some ownership over their workplace and was achieved with 3 day workshops. However one of the major drawbacks was that the managers had to face was the skepticism of the employees who viewed the whole scheme as suspicious. Trilogy, the group of companies that was outsourced for this purpose made sure that the whole process would like a completely internal Tesco-like procedure to ensure that they had the employees full trust on the living service program. that unless the suspension specialists could communicate easily with each other across platform types, expertise would deteriorate. Chrysler formed Tech Cul, bringing people together virtually and face-to-face to exchange and build their collective knowledge in each of the specialty areas. In this case, the knowledge management effort was less focused on mapping expertise or benchmarking than it was on bringing the experts together so that important knowledge was shared and amplified. Providing online forums for communication and discussion may form knowledge networks. The idea of a KM system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organizations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions. For example a typical claim justifying the creation of a KM system might run something like this: an engineer could know the metallurgical composition of an alloy that reduces sound in gear systems. Sharing this information organization wide can lead to more effective engine design and it could also lead to ideas for new or improved equipment. A very good example in Tescos case is when they decided to implement an online ordering system that connected the customers with the warehouses and the suppliers. Some of the benefits of KMS systems are: Increased order processing capacity, reduced hardware cost, Increased flexibility in maintaining supplier relationships, Better integration of programs, increased reliability in day to day operations. The key aspect of KM and KMS is to convince existing long term employees to make use of such systems in order to produce/sell more and drive profits upwards. Such a challenged is described in the Tesco Case Study as far as the living service scheme is described in the context of making employees comfortable with the new changes in the way they operates so far. This was achieved by implementing their managers in the process, in order to encourage employees that they have some ownership over their workplace and was achieved with 3 day workshops. However one of the major drawbacks was that the managers had to face was the skepticism of the employees who viewed the whole scheme as suspicious. Trilogy, the group of companies that was outsourced for this purpose made sure that the whole process would like a completely internal Tesco-like procedure to ensure that they had the employees full trust on the living service program.

Free Essays on Terrorism: War is Not a Good Thing :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

September 11: War is Not a Good Thing Two of the most prominent buildings in America's most prominent city go down. Sounds like a nightmare that belongs only in Tom Clancy's novels. After the event many were angry, many were thoughtful, but most of all there was a sense "what now?" The Defense Secretary was implying war, President Bush strongly stated he felt that this was a "war for freedom." But then people were wondering, what would war bring? And who exactly was it against? What would be the solution that would bring about long term world peace and security? War, well, what is war? a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism, but it is more than that, it is pain, hopelessness, hunger, anger, hate. What is the difference between an Afghan mother with a picture of her son who died and a mother in New York holding up a picture of her son? Afghanistan is a country which is in a situation that already looks like a post war wreck. Their government, the Taliban, is a dictatorship -a form of government in absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique. This that the people have no voice. So if we are going to wage a war for freedom, we must not discriminate by citizenship we must fight for all those who do not have it in Afghanistan as well. How can we fight such a complicated war? There are many actions we could take and all of which have positive and negative repercussions, but if you look at the ultimate goal the choices are limited to what we can do. First, we must define our enemy, who or what it is. Is it the Taliban? Or is it also poverty, economic vulnerability, and territorial conflict? (Poverty, economic vulnerability, and territorial conflict are linked. It all comes back to the fact to governmental instability, which allows someone like Taliban to come in a take over. Why is there governmental instability?) Next we must define our allies. By the definition of our war, it is every single human being who supports the fundamental idea of freedom-liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another. That would include most of the people who live in

MapBot : An experiment in robotic mapping :: Robotics

Includes Source Code MapBot : An experiment in robotic mapping Abstract: Today Robots are often used to explore dangerous places where humans cannot go. However, what if there was a more easily available robot that could be used to explore places here on earth? This project is an attempt to build a very simple version of such a robot: a robot that follows a line, then creates a graph of the line on a computer. Exercises I did early in COSMOS gave me the backing I needed to attempt such an undertaking. I used basic line-following programs as the base, with a recording element thrown in. A C program was written to run on the computer and turn the data the robot collects into a graph. It took a lot of tweaking, but eventually I got a decently accurate representation of the line. Sadly, MapBot 2 though, I learned that if I want to graph another line, I would have to change the program all over again. With a little more work, I believe I could fix that, and the other problems plaguing this program as it stands. Also, I still believe that a personal MapBot is a viable idea, though I learned that it would require a lot of work. MapBot 3 Background/Purpose: There has always been a human drive to explore, to find out more about the world. Columbus sailed to America, and Cook to Australia, each driven by the promise of new uncharted territory. Recently this task of exploring new frontiers has been turned over to robots, as robots can explore locales that humans cannot. Robots have explored volcanoes, the planets in our solar system, and the deep sea—locations no person could survive. So far robots have been limited to exploring just such locations, those available exclusively to them, but I believe that there are earthly applications for exploring robots. Imagine, if you will, an inexpensive mapping robot. It operates very simply: simply set it down somewhere in the desired area, give it a set of bounds, and leave. The robot will send live data from the terrain to the user, creating a realtime map of the area. This map will be based on whatever data the robots sensors have collected; with add-ons, this could be anything from soil composition to topographic data. And when mapping is complete, the user simply returns to the robot and picks it up. Such a robot would be useful to many professions. Cartographers could create online maps that changed as the planet did. Field scientists could use them to take readings over a large swathe of terrain without taking any of their own time. With a camera attached, they could make a 3-dimensional

Comparing Piety in The Wakefield Mystery Plays, The Book of Margery Kem

Comparing Notions of Piety in The Wakefield Mystery Plays, The Book of Margery Kempe, and Le Morte D'Arthur The monastic lifestyle that Launcelot and his knights adopt after their conversion is one that Margery Kempe might approve of -- doing penance, singing mass, fasting, and remaining abstinent. (MdA, 525) But Launcelot's change of heart is not motivated by the emotions that move Kempe, nor is his attitude towards God the same as can be found in The Book of Margery Kempe and The Wakefield Mystery Plays. In the Wakefield plays, God wins piety through outright threats. He appears to his followers in visions, as he does in Kempe, but never as a benevolent or comforting presence. Kempe receives her only comfort in life through God's constant reassurances of her holiness in the face of the condemnation of her peers; in the Creation play, it is God who casts out Adam and Eve, just as Kempe is cast out of traveling party after traveling party. The fear of being similarly punished keeps other Wakefield characters in line. Noah begins his play with a speech detailing the mistakes of the those who have angered the Lord: "First on Earth and then in hell . . . but to those no harm befell/who trusted in his truth." And God responds: "Vengeance I will take,/ On earth for sin's sake,/My grimness thus will wake/Both great and small." (WP, 91) God promises that "All shall perish less and more that so spurned my plan." Fa... ...dA, 523) Works Cited and Consulted Kempe, Margery. The Book of Margery Kempe. Ed. Sanford Meech and Hope and Emily Allen. London: Oxford UP, Early English Text Society 212, 1940; rpt. 1961. Lawton, David. "Voice, Authority, and Blasphemy in The Book of Margery Kempe." Margery Kempe: A Book of Essays. Ed. Sandra J. McEntire. New York: Garland, 1992. 93-116. Malory, Sir Thomas. Works. Ed. Eugene Vinaver. London: Oxford University Press, 1966. Mann, Jill. "The Narrative of Distance, the Distance of Narrative in Malory’s Morte DArthur." The William Matthews Lectures 1991 delivered at Birkbeck College, London. Rose, Martial, ed. and trans. The Wakefield Mystery Plays. New York: Norton, 1961.

Motivation

Describe, compare and contrast one process and one content theory of motivation. Evaluate how appropriate they are for organisations today. Motivation is the desire or willingness of someone to do something. Craig C. Pinder (1998) defined work motivation as a â€Å"set of internal and external forces that initiate work related behaviour and determine its form, direction, intensity and duration. † Motivation plays an important role in a business environment, as employee motivation is believed to improved work performance.Discussed in this essay are two types of motivation theories; Content theory which tries to identify specific needs that motivate people and Process theories which is based on developing models relating needs, motives and behaviour. In this essay, I aim to asses content and process theories accordingly; Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Stacey Adams Equity Theory; comparing these theories and highlighting any assumptions, strengths, weakness , positives and negatives individually and comparatively to be able to come to a critical conclusion as to whether these theories are suitable for organisations today.My content theory is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, published in 1943 by Abraham Maslow. His hypothesis was that â€Å"human needs arrange themselves in hierarchies† as quoted in his publication of A Theory of Human Motivation in 1943 (p. 370). In hierarchical order physiological needs which entails food, water, shelter and warmth. Safety needs refers to security, stability and freedom from fear. Social needs include the need for affection and friendships. Esteem needs refers to ego needs, recognition and respect.Finally, Self-actualisation, realisation of ones full potential ‘becoming everything that one is capable of becoming. ’ â€Å"When one set of needs is satisfied, it ceases to be a motivating factor. Thereafter the next set of needs in the hierarchy order takes places,à ¢â‚¬  (Maslow, 1943) this continually occurs until the assumption of self-actualisation is satisfied, as Maslow stated, â€Å"a satisfied need is no longer a motivator. † Equity Theory, a process theory first proposed by Stacey Adams in 1963 ocuses on people’s feelings on how fairly they have been treated in comparison with the treatment received by others. It is based on exchange theory (Homans 1961) undergoing an exchange process, which involve inputs and outcomes. In ‘Social Behaviour: its Elementary Forms’ by George C. Homans he created the rule of ‘Distributive Justice’: â€Å" a man in exchange relation with another will expect that the reward of each man be proportional to his costs†¦ the greater the investments, the greater the profit,† (Homans 1961 p. 75).Numerous business environments present inequality, however, the acknowledgement of inequality will motivate an individual to decrease or eradicate the inequality. These two theories illustrate a relationship in terms of how they motivate individuals by fulfilling a need that affects them both mentally and physically; for example, Maslow’s theory suggests you will be motivated to the next ‘higher level’ of needs if the previous level is fulfilled satisfactorily, if this is not met, work performance will deteriorate and affect individuals mentally or physically as they cannot advance to the next level.As well as, Adams Equity Theory; Work on Walster, Berscheid and Walster, 1973 was covered by Kingsley, Catherine, Park, Hee Sun and Lee, Hye Eun (2007) where they suggested â€Å"mathematically, equity theory predicts that people will be uncomfortable in relationships in which their own ratio of inputs to outcomes is not equivalent to the other party’s ratio of inputs to outcomes†, in other words, this ‘discomfort’ can lead to further enthusiasm to reach the next goal or increase input to ultimately increas e outcomes to reach satisfaction and eliminate the ‘discomfort’.Furthermore, research has proved that both theories of Maslow and Adams can result in consequential behaviour if their needs are unable to be satisfied. For instance, Maslow’s theory states there are five stages of the hierarchy, considering psychological needs are most important, in having a healthy work relationship, if this is not fulfilled, individuals might resort to criminal activities to satisfy that need in order to survive.Similarly, evidence from research highlight that there are negative ways in which workers can redress inequality; As seen in Organizational behaviour and Work, Wilson, Fiona M, (2010), it highlights the ways in which individuals act negatively towards inequity â€Å"underpayment leads to lowered job performance (Prichard et al. , 1972; Lord and Hohenfeld, 1979). Another form of reaction to underpayment is disruptive, deviant behaviour, such as vandalism and theft (Holling er and Clark, 1983). Theft might be seen as a means to replenish feelings of underpayment inequity.The Hawthrone Studies conducted by Elton Mayo between 1924 and 1932, showed that employees are not just motivated by the money, â€Å"outcomes,† but their attitudes, â€Å"needs† as well. Initiating the human relations approach to management and the needs and motivation of employees was the primary concentre of managers. In short, both Maslow and Adams theories can be considered Equity theories of motivation. In some way, Equity Theory may seem more relatable to organisations today globally, as equity is part of the human rights laws, as compared to Maslow’s theory.Maslow’s theory is unmasked as ethnocentric by Geert Hofstede (1984), he stated, there are ‘cultural limitations’ in the study of this theory conducted by Haire, Ghiselli and Porter (1966) where Haire et al, concluded ‘the only nationality group that ordered their need importanc e almost, and their need satisfaction exactly, in the Maslow order was the U. S. managers. The other nationalities showed more or less deviant patterns. ’ Hoftsede argues that Maslow’s theory is based on an individualistic society seeking self-actualisation as their most important goal/need.However, in collectivist societies such as China seeking â€Å"harmony† or â€Å"family support† or job satisfaction, which are not represented in the hierarchy of needs, are seen as their necessary goals. Nevis (1983) study emphasises that Maslow’s Hierarchy is not relatable to Chinese culture. His main observations were that there was a difference in the cultures in terms of belonging; Individualistic society as opposed to collectivist societies seeks belonging, whereas collectivist societies basic needs only emerge after they have satisfied their need to belong.This indicates Maslow’s theory is not appropriate to all cultures, however, there is a predo minant relationship illustrating the need for equity in business environments. Empirical support for Maslow’s Theory is lacking (Murcell 1976), Maslow himself admitted in 1962: ‘my motivation theory was published 20 years ago†¦ nobody repeated it, tested it, or really analysed or criticized it. ’ Lowry (1982: 63). Another criticism discussed (McLeod 2007) concerning the assumption that the lower needs must be satisfied before a person can achieve their full potential and self-actualise.McLeod (2007) argues that this is not always the case, and therefore the theory is ‘falsified. ’ Many creative people such as authors, musicians and artists have exhibited self-actualisation without meeting the lower needs. Van Gogh, who was poor and considered by many psychotic; Rembrandt, who had no food or majority of the basic psychological needs; Toulouse Lautrec, whose body tormented him; were all engaged in some form of self actualisation. Perhaps the devel opment of uniqueness and creativity in meeting some of the levels, in someway compensates for the lack of having the basics.It is sensible however to state that some people aim for self actualisation even when their physiological needs or lower needs are not fully met. Moreover, Maslow defined self-actualisers as people of great accomplishment such as dignitaries and presidents. This statement makes it complex to understand the concept of self-actualisation. In fact, Muchinsky (1993) states that Maslow’s theory is more philosophical than empirical, which means it is complicated to test.The only way to do so is to say that ‘all people are at different stages of development, and all of them are self actualisers in some form,’ Poston (2009). Another weakness is the arrangement of hierarchy; Bellot & Tutor (1990) argue that the arrangement does not apply to organisations today and modern society. They conclude that ‘self actualisation is a proponent need fo r self-esteem’ implying self-esteem would follow only after self- actualisation, which is clearly not illustrated in the Maslow’s theory model.Equity Theory can be assessed into four basic propositions according to Huseman, Hatfield and Miles (1987). One of the propositions being: Individuals develop their perception of fairness by calculating a ratio of their inputs and outcomes and then comparing this to the ratios of others (Huseman, et al. , 1987). Noticeably some inputs and outcomes are intangible, in the sense that they cannot be measured or quantified such as Inputs: experience, knowledge, ability, qualifications and ambition of the individual (Cory, 2006) and outcomes: recognition or job security.This makes coming to a suitable conclusion for an individual’s input and outcomes ratios more difficult as these concepts are intangible, meaning it is difficult to define or understand, as it is vague and abstract a concept. Another proposition suggests that: a s the difference in inequity increase, the tension and distress felt by individuals will increase (Huseman, et al. , 1987). However, not every person will experience equity or inequity in the same way because people have varying tolerance levels for sensitivity to perceived situations of inequity.Huseman et al. , suggest that there are three types of individuals on an Equity Sensitivity Spectrum: Benevolent (more tolerant of under-reward), Equity Sennsitives (follow the ‘norm’ of equity theory) and Entitled (prefer over-reward situations)(Huseman, et al. , 1987). In my earlier statements about Wilson, Fiona M, (2010) work that highlights the ways in which individuals act negatively towards inequity may be narrowed down using this spectrum, unlike the generic idea that â€Å"underpayment leads to lowered job performance (Prichard et al. 1972; Lord and Hohenfeld, 1979). Using the spectrum, Benevolents, will experience distress and guilt if they are in a situation of over -reward. Equity Sensitives, will experience distress when faced with either type of inequity and Entitleds, experience distress when in an equitable or under reward situation. This structure is useful for addressing and understanding equity theory and individuals behaviour. However, needless to say this is just a broad spectrum. The Equity Sensitivity Spectrum does not account for all individual differences in preferences and behaviour.Individuals might show different equity sensitivities in different contexts (Huseman, et al. , 1987). For instance an individual might be Equity Sensitive in their relationships, favouring an equitable balance. Conversely, they might be an Entitled in business environments and are open to the idea of over-reward. Equity theory in a business environment is said to be less damaging if employees are given a voice, respect and feeling of belonging in a workplace. â€Å" People feel affirmed if the procedures that are adopted treat hem with respect and di gnity, making it easier to accept outcomes they do not like,† Deutsch, 2000, p. 45). Skarlicki and Folger (1997) found that employees that are treated with respect are more likely to tolerate unfair pay. The perception of inequity is more likely to be tolerated if employees feel comfortable, belong and are respected by their employer. This further prevents detrimental behaviour an employee is likely to illustrate, if uncompensated for the inequity at work such as counter-productivity work.These intangible concepts such as respect help maintain or increase motivation and prevent problems that arise from under-reward. Cultural differences influence the equity theory (Fadil, Williams, Limpaphayom, and Smatt, 2005). Research shown on Eastern culture illustrate that, equality as opposed to equity was preferred (Leung and Bond, 1982, 1984; Leung and Park, 1986; Mahler, Greenberg and Hayashi, 1981 as cited in Fadil et al. , 2005). Eastern cultural shows that rewards will be given out equally to all those involved in the group’s performance regardless of individual inputs or personal efforts (Fadil, et al. 2005). This is probably as a result of primary sector being the most occupied sector in these cultures. Equality as opposed to Equity is a good ideology that will benefit the equity theory significantly. The business climate today allows Maslow and Adams theory to be applied, although to a limiting degree. Undoubtedly, both theories have shown weakness, strengths and assumptions, which I have explored widely. Today, Maslow’s model is relatable because people do seek to achieve psychological, safety, social and esteem needs, and to discover the realm of self-actualisation.However, as discussed, Maslow’s theory is a very individualistic model that does not relate globally, in collectivist societies. Thus, proving that Maslow’s theory may not be appropriate to business environments globally, which practice collectivism such as China. A lternatively, Adams theory is more fitting for business environments globally in the present and certainly in the future as equity is seen as a necessity of human rights. Finally, ’one of the difficulties in motivating workers is that they, all are ifferent and react differently to the same kind of change or action. ’(Haleopota, 2005) once this concept is understood, it is much easier to regard these theories individually, monitoring the effects on an individual over short and prolonged periods of time. These theories discussed are outdated and difficult to empirically test, even though they have been published for years now. Businesses evolve over the years and structures rotate as time goes along. Needless to say, some aspects of these theories are relatable today but are quickly diminishing.It is essential to remember ‘the concept of motivation is somewhat abstract, different strategies produce different results at different times, and there is no single strat egy that can produce guaranteed favourable results all the time. ’(Halepota, 2005). Bibliography List of references Bellott, F. K. , & Tutor, F. D. (1990). â€Å"A Challenge to the Conventional Wisdom of Herzberg and Maslow Theories†, Paper presented at the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association. New Orleans, LA Berscheid, E. , Walster, G. , & Hatfield Walster, E. 1978, Equity: Theory & Research, Allyn & Bacon, Inc. Brain, C 2002, Advanced Psychology: Applications, Issues & Perspectives, Nelson Thrones, Cheltenham. p 131-132. Cory, C. , 2006, Equity theory and employee motivation, Buzzle, retrieved from http://www. buzzle. com/editorials/6-24-2006-100325 Deutsch, M. , 2000, Justice and conflict, In M. Deutsch and P. T Coleman (Eds), the Handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice, San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Inc. Publishers. Eisenhardt, K. M. , The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan. , 198 9), pp. 57-74Fadil, P. A. , Williams, R. J. , Limpaphayom, W. , & Smatt, C. , 2005, Equity and Equality? A Conceptual Examination of the Influence of Individualism/Collectivism on the Cross-cultural Application of Equity Theory, Cross Cultural Management, 12 (4), 17-36 Geare, A 1977, Wage Payment Systems, Methuen, New Zealand. P 80 Greenberg, J. , 1988, Equity and Workplace Status: a Field Experiment, Journal of Applied Psychology, 4, 606-613 Greenberg, J. , 1990, Employee Theft as a Reaction to Underpayment Inequity: The Hidden Cost of pay cuts, Journal of Applied Psychology, 5, 561-563Halepota, H. A. ; 2005 A Motivational Theories and Their Application in Construction, Cost Engineering Vol. 47/No. 3 March, 2005, p. 14. Hallez, T. , Ball, B. , 2010, ‘Stacey Adams Equity Theory', Your Coach, Accessed 12th November 2012, Source: from http://http://www. yourcoach. be/en/employee-motivation-theories/stacey-adams-equity-theory. php Hofstede, G. , 1984, The Cultural relativity of the Quality of Life Concept, Academy of Management Review Vol. 9 issue. 3 p. 389-39 Hollinger, R. C. , & Clark, J. P. 1983, Deterrence in the workplace: Perceived Certainty, Perceived Severity, and Employee Theft. Social Forces, 5, 561-568 Huseman, R. C. , Hatfield, J. D. , and Miles, E. W. , Lawler, E. 1968, ‘Equity theory as a predictor of productivity and work quality’, Psychological Bulletin, vol. 70, pp. 598-610 Maslow, A 1970, Motivation and Personality, 3rd ed. , Harper ;amp; Row, New York. Chapter 2: p. 15-31. Huseman, R. C. , Hatfield, J. D. , Miles, E. W. , 1987, The Academy of Management Review, Vol 12(2), p. 222-234 Maslow, Abraham H. , Lowry, Richard J. 1940-, Maslow, Bertha G, Freedman, Jonathan L. , and International Study Project The journals of Abraham Maslow. Lewis Pub. Co, Lexington, Mass, 1982. McLeod, S 2007, ‘Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs', Simple Psychology, Accessed 11th November 2012, Source: from http://http://www. simplypsychology. org/maslow. html Muchinsky, P. M. , 1993, Psychology applied to work: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology, 4th edition, Brooks/Cole (Pacific Grove, Calif. ), p. 584 Oleson, M. , Exploring the Relationship between Money Attitudes and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.International Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 83-92, January 2004. Pinder, C. C. 1998. Work motivation in organizational behaviour. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Poston, B 2009, ‘Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs', An Exercise in Personal Explorations, Association of Surgical Technologists, p. 347-353 Pritchard, R. , 1969, ‘Equity theory: A review and critique', Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, vol. 4, issue 2, pp. 176-211 REDMOND, B 2009, ‘Equity Theory',  The Pennsylvania State University, PSYCH 484: Work Attitudes and Job Motivation, pp. -16 Rakowski, N 2011, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Model – the Difference of the Chinese and the Western Pyramid on the Example of Purchasing Luxurious Products, GRIN Verlag. Shapiro, D. , Steers, R. M. , ;amp; Mowday, R 2004, ‘INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL TOPIC FORUM THE FUTURE OF WORK MOTIVATION THEORY', The Academy of Management Review, vol. 29 issue 3, pp. 379-387 The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr. , 1987), pp. 222-234 Trevino, A. Javier (2009) ‘George C. Homans, the human group and elementary social behaviour', the encyclopaedia of informal education, p. [Www. infed. org/thinkers/george_homans. htm] WAHBA, M. , ;amp; BRIDWELL, L. , 1976, ‘Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory', ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE, vol. 15, pp. 212-240 Westerman, C. , Park, H-S. , ;amp; lee, H-E. , 2007, A Test of equity theory in multidimensional friendships: a comparison of the United States and Korea. Journal of Communication, 57, 576-598 Wilson, Fiona M (2010) â€Å"Chapter 6: Motivation†. Organizational behaviou r and work: a critical introduction, (pp. 123-142) Oxford: Oxford University Press Motivation This paper presents the findings with regards to the motivation levels of Officers in the Defense Sector under several parameters. The Indian Army serves as the ultimate instrument for maintaining the unity and the integrity of the nation in the face of external threats and internal unrest and disturbances. Teamwork breeds comradeship which, in turn, leads to pride in belonging to a team and fosters esprit De corps. Motivation thrives on a continuing sense of purpose and it is the Job of the commander to instill this purpose.Skill in the techniques of leadership is the foremost quality in the art of command and contributes very largely to success at all levels of war. The basic structure and motivational ethos of the armed forces in general and the Indian Army in particular, has remained rooted in the colonial context. The entire basis of military motivation has been focused around the Zeta/ honor and martial traditions of the sub-nationality based Regiment. The pride in the â€Å"G uam† (substantiation) has been the primary basis of the military motivational ideology. The history and achievements of the â€Å"Guam† have used to inspire the older.The Indian National Army (NINA) of Subtask Chancre Bose provided a readmes model for the Indian context. It had tried to apply the German and Japanese techniques of military motivation to the Indian context with considerable success. The relation between employee motivation level (dependent variable) with the extent of leadership behavior, organizational culture, team spirit, personal effectiveness and effect of financial motivators (independent variables), as reflected through analysis of data by using Crossbar and Chi-square method is presented as follows: 6. Extent of Leadership Behavior * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. : Crossbar of Extent of Leadership Behavior * Level of Motivation in Defense Crossbar Level of Employee Motivation Low Medium High Total Autocratic Count 23 11 0 34 % within Exten t of Leadership Behavior 67. 6% 32. 4% 100. 0% Participative Count 6 64 9 79 7. 6% 81. 0% 11. 4% 100. 0% count 18 1937 Extent of Leadership Behavior Charismatic 48. 6% 51 100. 0% Total count 2993 28 150 19. 3% 62. 0% 18. 7% 100. 0% Table 6. 2: Chi Square of Extent of Leadership Behavior * Level of Motivation Chi- Square Tests Value UDF Assam. Gigs. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 94. AAA 4 . 000 Likelihood Ratio 87. 164 4 .OHO Linear-by-Linear Association 65. 070 1 . 000 N of Valid Cases 150 a. O cells (. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 6. 35. 124 Fig. 6. 1: Graph for Extent of Leadership Behavior * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. 1 presents the information related to the extent of leadership behavior and level of motivation of the employees. It is evident that 81% of the employees falling in participative leadership behavior have a medium level of motivation, whereas in al other leadership behavior categories, around 41% of the employees have m edium level of motivation.Autocratic leadership style and behavior has sizeable 68% respondents in low level of motivation, whereas the relative percentage of participative and charismatic leadership behavior is much less. Hence, it seems that as the close-control leadership behavior is increasing, the level of employee motivation is decreasing. To test this association between extent of leadership behavior and level of employee motivation, Chi Square test (Table 6. 2) has been seed, Here, the null hypotheses is that there is no relationship between leadership behavior and level of employee motivation.A high Chi Square value, I. E. 94. 085 confirms this relationship. Asymptotic significance value has been 0. 000, which shows that the relationship is statistically significant at 5% level of significance. Thus, the null hypotheses, stating no relationship between leadership behavior and level of employee motivation stands rejected. Hence, it may be concluded that leadership behavior p lays a significant role in employee motivation. As the close control of dervish behavior increases, the level of employee motivation tends to decrease. 6. Organizational Culture * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. 3: Crossbar of Organizational Culture * Level of Motivation Crossbar Level of Employee Less count 2429 1 54 Conducive % within Organizational Culture 44. 4% 53. 7% 1. 9% 100. 0% Moderately count 5 37 7 49 10. 2% 75. 5% 14. 3% 100. 0% count 0 27 20 47 Organizational Culture Highly 57. 4% 42. 6% 100. 0% % within 19. 3% 62. 0% 18. 7% 100. 06 Table 6. 4: Chi Square of Organizational Culture * Level of Motivation Chi-Square Tests Pearson Chi-Square 54. 60AAAikelihood Ratio 60. 297 4 .OOOHOinear-by-Linear Association 47. 912 1 . 000 a. O cells (. 0%) have expected c oumountess than 5. The minimum expected count is 8. 77. Fig. 6. 2: Graph for Organizational Culture * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. 3 presents the information related to the organizational culture and le vel of motivation of the employees. It is evident that 76% of the employees falling in moderately conducive organization culture have a medium level of motivation, whereas in all other organizational culture categories, around 55% of the employees have medium level of motivation.Less conducive organizational culture has sizeable 44% respondents in low level of motivation, whereas the relative percentage of moderately and highly conducive organization culture is much less. Hence, it seems that with more conducive organization culture, the level of employee motivation is increasing. To test this association between organizational culture and level of employee motivation, Chi Square test (Table 6. 4) has been used, Here, the null hypotheses is that there is no relationship between organizational culture and level of employee motivation.A moderately high Chi Square value, i.I. 54. 060 confirms this relationship. AsAsymptoticignificance value has been 0. 000, which shows that the relatio nship is statistically significant at 5% level of significance. Thus, the null hypotheses, stating no relationship between organizational culture and level of employee motivation stands rejected. Hence, it may be concluded that organizational culture plays a significant role in employee motivation. With more conducive organization culture, the level of employee motivation is increasing. 6. 3 Team Spirit * Table 6. : CrCrossbarf Team Spirit * Level of Motivation LOW count 24 24 0 48 within -ream spirit 50. 0% 50. 0% 100. 0% Moderate count 5 48 5 58 % within -ream spirit 8. 6% 82. 8% 8. 6% 100. 0% count 0 21 2344 Team Spirit High % within -ream spspent7. 7% 52. 3% 100. 0% % within -ream spirit 19. 3% 62. 0% 18. 7% 100. 0% Table 6. 6: Chi Square of Team Spirit * Level of Motivation Chi-Square Tests Pearson Chi-Square 80. 60AAAikelihood Ratio 83. 585 4 . OOOHOinear-by-Linear Association 62. 774 1 . 000 a. O cells (. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 8. 2 1 . 129 Fig. 6. : Graph for Team Spirit * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. prPresentshe information related to the team spirit and level of motivation of the employees. It is evident that 83% of the employees having moderate team spirit have a medium level of motivation, whereas in all other team spirit categories, around 49% of the employees have medium level of motivation. Low team spirit has sizeable 50% respondents in low level of motivation, whereas the relative percentage of high team spirit is much less. Hence, it seems that as the team spirit is increasing, the level of employee motivation is increasing.To test this association between team piprintnd level of employee motivation, Chi Square test (Table 6. 6) has been used, Here, the null hypotheses is that there is no relationship between team spirit and level of employee motivation. A high Chi Square value, i.Ie.E80. 607 confirms this hypotheses, stating no relationship between team spirit and level of employee motivat ion stands rejected. Hence, it may be concluded that team spirit plays a significant role in employee motivation. As the team spirit of employee increases, the level of motivation tends to increase. 6. 4 Personal Effectiveness * Level of Employee Table 6. CrCrossbarf Personal Effectiveness * Level of Motivation CrCrossbarOW count 1260 18 % within Personal Effectiveness 66. 7% 33. 3% 100. 0% Medium count 14 564 74 18. 9% 75. 7% 5. 4% 100. 0% count 3 31 2458 Personal 5. 2% 53. 4% 41 100. 0% 19. 3% 62. 0% 18. 7% 100. 01 Table 6. 8: Chi Square of Personal Effectiveness * Level of Motivation Chi-Square Pearson Chi-Square 58. 544aAAAelihood Ratio 55. 162 4 . OOO OHOear-by-Linear Association 44. 284 1 . 000 a. 2 cells (22. 2%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 3. 36. Fig. 6. 4: Graph for Personal Effectiveness * Level of Employee Motivation Table . presPresents information related to the personal effectiveness and level of motivation of the employees. It is ev ident that 76% of the employees having medium personal effectiveness have a medium level of motivation, whereas in all other personal effectiveness categories, around 43% of the employees have medium level of motivation. Low personal effectiveness has sizeable 67% respondents in low level of motivation, whereas the relative percentage of high personal effectiveness is much less. Hence, it seems that as the personal effectiveness is increasing, the level f employee motivation is increasing moderately.To test this association between personal effectiveness and level of employee motivation, Chi Square test (Table 6. 8) has been used, Here, the null hypotheses is that there is no relationship between personal effectiveness and level of employee motivation. A moderately high Chi Square value, i. eI 5E. 544 confirms this relationship. AsymAsymptoticnificance value has been 0. 000, which shows that the relationship is statistically significant at 5% level of significance. Thus, the null hy potheses, stating no relationship between personal ffeceffectiveness level of employee motivation stands rejected.Hence, it may be concluded that personal effectiveness plays a significant role in employee motivation. As the personal effectiveness of employee increases, the level of motivation tends to increase moderately. 6. 5 Effect of Financial Motivators * Level of Employee Motivation Table 6. 9: CrosCrossbarEffect of Financial Motivators * Level of Motivation CrosCrossbar count 10 27 1047 Affected % within Effect of Financial Motivators 21 57. 4% 21 100. 0% count 1966 18 103 Effect of Financial 18. 4% 64. 1% 17. 5% 100. 0% Table 6. 0: Chi Square of Effect of Financial Motivators * Level of Motivation Pearson Chi-Square . 12a AAA 736 Likelihood Ratio . 608 2 . 738 Linear-by-Linear Association . 008 1 . 929 a. O cells (. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 8. 77. Fig. 6. 5: Graph for Effect of Financial Motivators * Level of Employee Motivation Tabl e 6. 9 presents the information related to the effect of financial motivators and level of motivation of the employees. It is evident that 64% of the employees affected by financial motivators have a medium level of motivation, whereas those unaffected by inanuncialivators, i. eI aEouAround of the employees have medium level of motivation.Of the employees affected as well as not affected by financial motivators, sizeable 20% respondents have low level of motivation. Hence, it seems that there is no much variation in motivation level of the employees affected by financial motivators and the ones not affected by financial motivators. To test this association between effect of financial motivators and level of employee motivation, Chi Square test (Table 6. 10) has been used, Here, the null hypotheses is that there is no elatlegislationween financial motivators and level of employee motivation.A low Chi Square value, i. eI 0E 612 confirms this non-relationship. AsymAsymptoticnificance v alue has been 0. 736, which shows that the relationship is statistically insignificant at 5% level of significance. Thus, the null hypotheses, stating no relationship between financial motivators and level of employee motivation stands accepted. Hence, it may be concluded that financial motivators have no significant effect on employee motivation. Hence, there is no relationship between financial motivators and level of employee motivation.

Sleep Disorders

People are getting less sleep in today's society than they did 80 years ago (Myers 54). Although not every person needs to sleep the standard number of 8 hours a night, everyone has a set number they need to meet in order to function optimally. About 20% of Americans are reporting that they are getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night (Davis). Modern inventions like computers, television, and social diversions are making this hard to achieve (Myers 53). Many people have the misconception that they can skimp on sleep now and later pay off their â€Å"sleep debt† with extra long sleep sessions, however, this is an untrue statement.The human brain keeps track and remembers the amount of sleep we are getting/not getting for at least two weeks at a time (Myers 54). It will take a lot more than a single slumberous weekend to get the body back on track. Sleep depravation has many effects, ranging from seemingly harmless to more prominent and severe. People who sleep less tend to ex perience higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, memory impairment, irritability, slowed work performance, and impaired communication and concentration (Myers 54).The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have been linked to insufficient sleep (Coren). Data from a study on traffic incidents across Canada after daylight savings time, in which people lose one hour of sleep, showed a significant increase in the number of accidents than before the time change (Coren). Sleep depravation can weaken the body's immune system, which fights off viral diseases and other harmful illnesses like cancer (Myers 54). Psychologists believe there are a few explanations on why getting sufficient sleep is important.One reason is that sleep helps our body and brain repair damaged tissue. When sleeping, the neutrons in a person's body are also at rest and focus on repairing themselves (Myers 55). Another reason is that sleeping helps people remember. During sleep, bodies bring back and reconstruct memories of daily experiences (Myers 55). It has been found that people who are trained on certain tasks and have a restful night of sleep can recall them better than others who do not (Myers 55). Some groups of people are sleep deprived because they suffer from sleep isorders. These disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy (Myers 55-56), prevent individuals from receiving an adequate amount of sleep and can result in undesirable symptoms. Works Cited Coren, Stanley. â€Å"Daylight Savings Time and Traffic Accidents. † New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. , 04 Apr 1996. Web. 26 Jan 2012. Davis, Jeanie Meow. â€Å"Sleep Deprivation in America. † WebMD. com, n. p. 29 Nov 2011. Web. 26 Jan 2012. Myers, David G. Psychology in Everyday Life. New York: Worth Publishers, 2009. Print.

Five Force Industry Analysis Essay

The Company distributes its products principally through third-party computer resellers. The Company is also continuing its expansion into new distribution channels, such as mass merchandise stores, consumer electronics outlets and computer superstores, in response to changing industry practices and customer preferences. The Company’s products are sold primarily to business and government customers through independent resellers, value-added resellers and systems integrators; to home customers through independent resellers and consumer channels; and to education customers through direct sales and independent resellers. In order to provide products and service to its independent resellers on a timely basis, the Company distributes its products through a number of Apple distribution and support centers. Business customers account for the largest portion of the Company’s revenues. Business customers are attracted to the Macintosh in particular for a variety of reasons, incl uding the availability of a wide variety of application software, the reduced amount of training resulting from the Macintosh’s intuitive ease of use, and the ability of the Macintosh to network and communicate with other computer systems and environments. Apple personal computers were first introduced to education customers in the late 1970’s. In the United States, the Company is one of the major suppliers of personal computers for both elementary and secondary school customers, as well as for college and university customers. The Company is also a substantial supplier to institutions of higher education outside of the United States. In the United States, the Company’s formal commitment to serve the federal government began in 1986 with the formation of the Apple Federal Systems Group. Although the Company has contracts with a number of U.S. government agencies, these contracts are not currently material to the Company’s overall financial condition or results of operations. Presently, the United States represents the Company’s largest geographic marketplace. The Apple USA organization, based in Campbell, California, focuses on the Company’s sales, marketing, and support efforts in the United States. Products sold in the United States are primarily manufactured in the Company’s facilities in California, Colorado, and Singapore, and distributed from facilities in California and Illinois. Approximately 45% to 46% of the Company’s revenues in recent years has come from its international  operations. The Company has two international sales and marketing divisions, consisting of the division and the Apple Pacific division. The Apple Europe division, based in Paris, France, focuses on opportunities in Europe as well as in parts of Africa and in the Middle East. Products sold by the Europe division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facility in Cork, Ireland. The Apple Pacific division, based in Cupertino, California, focuses on opportunities in Japan, Australia, Canada, the Far East, and Latin America. Products sold by the Pacific division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s manufacturing and assembly facilities in California, Colorado and Singapore. A summary of the Company’s Industry Segment and Geographic Information may be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Industry Segment and Geographic Information†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. Raw materials Although raw materials, processes, and components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain key components are currently obtained from single sources. For example, certain microprocessors used in many of the Company’s products are currently available only from Motorola, Inc. Any availability limitations, interruption in supplies, or price increases relative to these and other components could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial results. Key components and processes currently obtained from single sources include certain of the Company’s displays, microprocessors, mouse devices, keyboards, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, printers and printer components, ASICs and other custom chips, and certain processes relating to construction of the plastic housing for the Company’s computers. In addition, new products introduced by the Company often initially utilize custom components obtained from onl y one source, until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for an additional supplier. In situations where a component or product utilizes new technologies and processes, there may be initial capacity constraints until such time as the suppliers’ yields have matured. Materials and components are normally acquired through purchase orders, as  is common in the industry, typically covering the Company’s requirements for periods from 90 to 180 days. However, the Company continues to evaluate the need for a supply contract in each situation. If the supply of a key single-sourced material, process, or component to the Company were to be delayed or curtailed, its ability to ship the related product utilizing such material, process, or component in desired quantities and in a timely manner could be adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternate source. The Company believes that the suppliers whose loss to the Company could have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s business and financial position include, at this time , Canon, Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi, Ltd., IBM, Motorola, Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments, Inc., Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd., and/or their United States affiliates, and VLSI Technology, Inc. However, the Company helps mitigate these potential risks by working closely with these and other key suppliers on product introduction plans, strategic inventories, and coordinated product introductions. The Company believes that most of its single-source suppliers, including most of the foregoing companies, are reliable multinational corporations. Most of these suppliers manufacture the relevant materials, processes, or components in multiple plants. The Company further believes that its long-standing business relationships with these and other key suppliers are strong and mutually beneficial in nature. The Company has a supply agreement with Motorola, Inc. (see Exhibit 10.B.12 hereto). The agreement with Motorola continues for five years from January 31, 1992 unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing by the parties. The Company single-sources microprocessors from Motorola. The supply agreement does not obligate the Company to make minimum purchase commitments; however, the agreement does commit the vendor to supply the Company’s requirements of the particular items for the duration of the agreement. The Company has also from time to time experienced significant price incre ases and limited availability of certain components that are available from multiple sources, such as dynamic random-access memory devices. Any similar occurrences in the future could have an adverse effect on the Company’s operating results. Item 2. Properties The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. The Company has manufacturing facilities in Fountain, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Cork, Ireland, and Singapore. As of September 30, 1994, the Company leased approximately 5.2 million square feet of space, primarily in the United States, and to a lesser extent, in Europe and the Pacific. Leases are generally for terms of five to ten years, and usually provide renewal options for terms of up to five additional years. Certain of these leased facilities are subject to the Company’s restructuring actions initiated in the third quarter of both 1993 and 1991. The amount of space leased by the Company may decline in the future as the leases for facilities subject to restructuring actions are terminated pursuant to agreements with landlords or expire as scheduled. The Company owns its manufacturing facilities in Fountain, Colorado, Cork, Ireland, and Singapore, which total approximately 920,000 square feet. T he Company also owns a 450,000 square-foot facility in Sacramento, California, which is used as a manufacturing, service and support center. The Company also owns the research and development facility located in Cupertino, California, and a centralized domestic data center in Napa, California which approximate 856,000 and 158,000 square feet, respectively. Outside of the United States, the Company owns a facility in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, which is used primarily for distribution, totaling approximately 265,000 square feet, in addition to certain other international facilities, totaling approximately 553,000 square feet. The Company believes that its existing facilities and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition. The Company has invested in additional internal capacity and external partnerships, and therefore believes it has adequate manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet anticipated demand for its products. Information regarding critical business operations that are located near major earthquake faults is set forth in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Factors That May Affect Future Results†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. Information regarding the Company’s purchase of its remaining partnership interest in Cupertino Gateway Partners, formed for the purpose of constructing the campus-type office facility that is now wholly owned by  the Company, may be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Commitments and Contingencies†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. â€Å"Other countries† consists of Canada and Australia. Prior year amounts have been restated to conform to the current year presentation. Net sales to unaffiliated customers is based on the location of the customers. Transfers between geographic areas are recorded at amounts generally above cost and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the respective governing tax authorities. Operating income (loss) by geographic area consists of total net sales less operating expenses, and does not include an allocation of general corporate expenses. The restructuring charge and adjustment recorded in 1993 and 1994, respectively, are included in the calculation of operating income (loss) for each geographic area. Identifiable assets of geographic areas are those assets used in the Company’s operations in each area. Corporate assets include cash and cash equivalents, joint venture investments, and short-term investments. 1995 Approximately 45% to 48% of the Company’s revenues in recent years has come from its international operations. The Company has two international sales and marketing divisions, consisting of the Apple Europe division and the Apple Pacific division. The Apple Europe division focuses on opportunities in Europe as well as in parts of Africa and in the Middle East. Products sold by the Europe division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facility in Cork, Ireland. The Apple Pacific division focuses on opportunities in Japan and Asia; Australia and New Zealand; and the Caribbean region. Products sold by the Pacific division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facilities in California, Colorado and Singapore. The Company distributes its products through third-party computer resellers, and is also continuing its expansion into various consumer channels, such as mass merchandise stores, consumer electronics outlets and computer superstores, in response to changing industry practices and customer preferences. The Company’s products are sold primarily to business and government customers through independent resellers, value- added resellers and systems integrators; to home customers through independent resellers and consumer channels; and to education customers through direct sales and independent resellers. In order to provide products and service to its independent resellers on a timely basis, the Company distributes its products through a number of Apple distribution and support centers. Raw materials Although certain raw materials, processes, and components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, key components and processes currently obtained from single sources include certain of the Company’s displays, microprocessors, mouse devices, keyboards, disk drives, printers and printer components, application- specific integrated circuits (â€Å"ASICs†) and other custom chips, and certain processes relating to construction of the plastic housing for the Company’s computers. Any availability limitations, interruption in supplies, or price increases relative to these and other components could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial results. In addition, new products introduced by the Company often initially utilize custom components obtained from only one source, until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for an additional supplier. In situations where a component or product utilizes new technologies and processes, there may be initial capacity constraints until such time as the suppliers’ yields have matured. Materials and components are normally acquired through purchase orders, as is common in the industry, typically covering the Company’s requirements for periods from 90 to 180 days. However, the Company continues to evaluate the need for a supply contract in each situation. If the supply of a key single-sourced material, process, or component to the Company were to be delayed or curtailed, its ability to ship the related product utilizing such material, process, or component in desired quantities and in a timely manner could be  adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternate so urce. The Company believes that the suppliers whose loss to the Company could have a material adverse effect upon the   Company’s business and financial position include, at this time, Canon, Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi, Ltd., IBM, Motorola, Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments, Inc., and/or their United States affiliates, and VLSI Technology, Inc. However, the Company helps mitigate these potential risks by working closely with these and other key suppliers on product introduction plans, strategic inventories, and coordinated product introductions. The Company believes that most of its single-source suppliers, including most of the foregoing companies, are reliable multinational corporations. Most of these suppliers manufacture the relevant materials, processes, or components in multiple plants. The Company further believes that its long-standing business relationships with these and other key suppliers are strong and mutually beneficial in nature. The Company has also from time to time experienced significant price increases and limited availability of certain components that are available from multiple sources. Any similar occurrences in the future could have an adverse affect on the Company’s operating results. The Company has a supply agreement with Motorola, Inc. (see Exhibit 10.B.12 hereto). The agreement with Motorola continues for five years from January 31, 1992 unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing by the parties. The Company single-sources certain microprocessors from Motorola. The supply agreement does not obligate the Company to make minimum purchase commitments; however, the agreement does commit the vendor to supply the Company’s requirements of the particular items for the duration of the agreement.