Brain Controlled Car for Disabled Using Artificial Intelligence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1563 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/09/18 Category Technology Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Artificial Intelligence Essay Did you like this example? A Paper Presentation on BRAIN CONTROLLED CAR FOR DISABLED USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Submitted on the event of Zeitgeist’09 At UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING JNTU, KAKINADA Presented by: Y. H. H. S . AYYAPPA. S SREEKANTH. GELAM II MCA II MCA [emailprotected] om [emailprotected] com ADITYA INSTITUTE OF P. G. STUDIES Kakinada, E. G. Dist, A. P. 1. ABSTRACT This paper considers the development of a brain driven car, which would be of great help to the physically disabled people. Since these cars will rely only on what the individual is thinking they will hence not require any physical movement on the part of the individual. The car integrates signals from a variety of sensors like video, weather monitor, anti-collision etc. it also has an automatic navigation system in case of emergency. The car works on the asynchronous mechanism of artificial intelligence. It’s a great advance of technology which will make the disabled, abled. In the 40s and 50s, a numbe r of researchers explored the connection between neurology, information theory, and cybernetics. Some of them built machines that used electronic networks to exhibit rudimentary intelligence, such as W. Grey Walters turtles and the Johns Hopkins Beast. Many of these researchers gathered for meetings of the Teleological Society at Princeton and the Ratio Club in England. Most researchers hope that their work will eventually be incorporated into a machine with general intelligence (known as strong AI), combining all the skills above and exceeding human abilities at most or all of them. A few believe that anthropomorphic features like artificial consciousness or an artificial brain may be required for such a project. 2. INTRODUCTION The video and thermogram analyzer continuously monitor activities outside the car. A brain-computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a direct neural interface or a brain-machine interface, is a direct communication pathway etween a human or animal brain (or brain cell culture) and an external device. In one-way BCIs, computers either accept commands from the brain or send signals to it (for example, to restore vision) but not both. Two-way BCIs would allow brains and external devices to exchange information in both directions but have yet to be successfully implanted in animals or humans. In this definition, the word brain means the brain or nervous system of an organic life form rather than the mind. Computer means any processing or computational device, from simple circuits to silicon hips (including hypothetical future technologies such as quantum computing) Once the driver (disabled) nears the car. The security system of the car is activated. Images as well as thermo graphic results of the driver are previously fed into the database of the computer. If the video images match with the database entries then the security system advances to the next stage. Here the thermo graphic image verification is done with the database. Once the driver passes this stage the door slides to the sides and a ramp is lowered from its floor. The ramp has flip actuators in its lower end. Once the driver enters the ramp, the flip actuates the ramp to be lifted horizontally. Then robotic arms assist the driver to his seat. As soon as the driver is seated the EEG (electroencephalogram) helmet, attached to the top of the seat, is lowered and suitably placed on the driver’s head. A wide screen of the computer is placed at an angle aesthetically suitable to the driver. Each program can be controlled either directly by a mouse or by a shortcut. For starting the car, the start button is clicked. Accordingly the computer switches ON the circuit from the battery to the A. C. Series Induction motors. 3. BIOCONTROL SYSTEM The biocontrol system integrates signals from various other systems and compares them with originals in the database. It comprises of the following systems: ?Brain-computer interface ?Automatic security syst em ?Automatic navigation system Now let us discuss each system in detail. 3. 1. BRAIN – COMPUTER INTERFACE Brain-computer interfaces will increase acceptance by offering customized, intelligent help and training, especially for the non-expert user. Development of such a flexible interface paradigm raises several challenges in the areas of machine perception and automatic explanation. The teams doing research in this field have developed a single-position, brain-controlled switch that responds to specific patterns detected in spatiotemporal electroencephalograms (EEG) measured fromthe human scalp. We refer to this initial design as the Low- Frequency Asynchronous Switch Design (LF-ASD) (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 LF-ASD The EEG is then filtered and run through a fast Fourier transform before being displayed as a three dimensional graphic. The data can then be piped into MIDI compatible music programs. Furthermore, MIDI can be adjusted to control other external processes, such as ro botics. The experimental control system is configured for the particular task being used in the evaluation. Real Time Workshop generates all the control programs from Simulink models and C/C++ using MS Visual C++ 6. 0. Analysis of data is mostly done within Mat lab environment. FEATURES OF EEG BAND Remote analysis data can be sent and analyzed in real-time over a network or modem connection. Data can be fully exported in raw data, FFT average formats. Ultra low noise balanced DC coupling amplifier. Max input 100microV p-p, minimum digital resolution is 100 microV p-p / 256 = 0. 390625 micro V p-p. FFT point can select from 128 (0. 9375 Hz), 256 (0. 46875 Hz), 512 (0. 234375 Hz resolution). Support for additional serial ports via plug-in boar; allows extensive serial input output control. Infinite real-time data acquisition (dependent upon hard drive size). Real-time 3-D 2-D FFT with peak indicator, Raw Data, and Horizontal Bar displays with Quick Draw mode. Full 24 bit colo r support; data can be analyzed with any standard or user. Customized color palettes; color cycling available in 8 bit mode with QuickDrawmode. Interactive real-time FFT filtering with Quick Draw mode. Real-time 3-D FFT (left, right, coherence and relative coherence), raw wave, sphere frequency and six brain wave switch in one OpenGL display. Full Brainwave driven Quick Time Movie, Quick Time MIDI control; user configurable Full Brain wave driven sound control, support for 16 bit sound; user configurable Full image capture and playback control; user configurable. Fig. 2: EEG Transmission Fig. 3 EEG 3. 1. 1. TEST RESULTS COMPARING DRIVER ACCURACY WITH/WITHOUT BCI 1. Able-bodied subjects using imaginary movements could attain equal or better control accuracies than able-bodied subjects using real movements. 2. Subjects demonstrated activation accuracies in the range of 70-82% with false activations below 2%. 3. Accuracies using actual finger movements were observed in the range 36- 83% 4. The average classification accuracy of imaginary movements was over 99% Fig. Brain-to- Machine Mechanism The principle behind the whole mechanism is that the impulse of the human brain can be tracked and even decoded. The Low-Frequency Asynchronous Switch Design traces the motor neurons in the brain. When the driver attempts for a physical movement, he/she sends an impulse to the motor neuron. These motor neurons carry the signal to the physical components such as hands or legs. Hence we decode the message at the motor neuron to obtain maximum accuracy. By observing the sensory neurons we can monitor the eye movement of the driver. Fig. Eyeball Tracking As the eye moves, the cursor on the screen also moves and is also brightened when the driver concentrates on one particular point in his environment. The sensors, which are placed at the front and rear ends of the car, send a live feedback of the environment to the computer. The steering wheel is turned through a specific angl e by electromechanical actuators. The angle of turn is calibrated from the distance moved by the dot on the screen. Fig. 6 Electromechanical Control Unit Fig. 7 Sensors and Their Range 3. 2. AUTOMATIC SECURITY SYSTEM The EEG of the driver is monitored continually. When it drops less than 4 Hz then the driver is in an unstable state. A message is given to the driver for confirmation and waits for sometime, to continue the drive. A confirmed reply activates the program for automatic drive. If the driver is doesn’t give reply then the computer prompts the driver for the destination before the drive. 3. 3. AUTOMATIC NAVIGATION SYSTEM As the computer is based on artificial intelligence it automatically monitors every route the car travels and stores it in its map database for future use. The map database is nalyzed and the shortest route to the destination is chosen. With traffic monitoring system provided by xm satellite radio the computer drives the car automatically. Video a nd anti-collision sensors mainly assist this drive by providing continuous live feed of the environment up to 180 m, which is sufficient for the purpose. Fig. 8 EEG Analysis Window 4. CONCLUSION When the above requirements are satisfied and if this car becomes cost effective then we shall witness a revolutionary change in the society where the demarcation between the abler and the disabled vanishes. Thus the integration of bioelectronics with automotive systems is essential to develop efficient and futuristic vehicles, which shall be witnessed soon helping the disabled in every manner in the field of transportation. 5. REFERENCE 1. Off-line Classification of EEG from the New York Brain- Computer Interface (BCI) Flotzinger, D. , Kalcher, J. , Wolpaw, J. R. , McFarland, J. J. , and Pfurtscheller, G. , Report #378, IIG-Report Series, IIG: Institutes for Information Processing, Graz University of Technology, Austria 1993. . Man-MachineCommunications through Brain-Wave Processing Keir n, Z. A. and Aunon, J. I. , IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, March 1990. 3. Automotive engineering, SAE, June 2005 4. Automotive mechanics , Crouse , tenth edition , 1993 5. The brain response interface: communication through visually-induced electrical brain responses Sutter, E. E. , Journal of Microcomputer Applications, 1992, 15: 31-45. Don’t waste time! 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How Safety Is An Essential Human Need Essay - 1209 Words

Introduction Safety is an essential human need. Implementation of this need is determined by the level of development of the state, its economic and cultural components, and the degree and quality of life. In the history of social and philosophical thought, the problem of security of the individual, society, and the state has always occupied the minds of politicians, public figures, scientists, writers, and practitioners. Therefore, this paper will focus on Plato, Plutarch, and Arendt’s understanding of safety in society as well as it will regard the modern conditions of the security components. Plato about Safety in a Society According to Plato, the state should pay particular attention to the soldiers who ensure its safety. It means that no other problems should detract the soldiers from their task to preserve safety. Plato understands security as an ‘aid,’ or a ‘salvation.’ He elaborated an integrated system of safety concept, which included its fundamental mechanisms and maintenance. The philosopher ensures that the security mechanisms include, first of all, the establishment of social institutions (Cooper, John and Hutchinson 40). Second, Plato states the society’s safety entails the education of citizens and the formation of their moral state. Third, safety consists of providing all citizens of society with the means which are necessary for life. 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Instilling Safety Awareness in Children Free Essays

Name : Lim Xiao Pei Class : 4S1 IC No. : 971022-08-5976 Topic : Instilling Safety Awareness In Children Theme : Social Issues Children are innocent. They don’t have a clear idea of what a bad person might look like. We will write a custom essay sample on Instilling Safety Awareness in Children or any similar topic only for you Order Now They probably think someone with a moustache and ugly or evil facial expression is a bad person. The children do not think that women and kind-looking elderly men may be the bad person. The best people to teach children about personal safety are their parents. In view of the mounting number of crimes involving young children,parents must think about how they can protect their children from the danger that lurk around them. First of all,children need to know about their neighbours and living area. Parents should tell their children where they can visit when parents are not around. It will be great if boundaries are set outlining the areas that they can go to. If your children are invited by friends and neighbours to areas beyond the set boundaries,tell them that they should first check with you before venturing out. Then,remind your child to look out for the strangers hanging around frequently. Teach them to be aware of people who go round chatting up little kids or strangers cruising the neighbourhood. Parents must make sure that their children are aware of safety measures to take with regards to strangers,before allowing them to venture out on their own. Children should be told that if they feel uncomfortable when a stranger approaches them,they should run away without any hesitation. They should also be taught to say â€Å"No† and to shout for help when necessary. Parents should also be cautious in allowing their children to go out by themselves to meet friends at public places. Though it may be tiresome,parents should accompany their children if they need to wait for their friends. If possible,parents can pick up their friends and send them to their destination too. Furthermore,parents must always be sure where their children at all times. They should make sure that their children do not accept any gifts or invitations from any strangers. Besides,parents must realize that potential dangers involving child abuse and sexual assault lurk in places where children spend most of their time. Thus,parents should teach their children the ways to protect themselves. If possible,parents can send their children to learn martial arts too. Parents must be approachable to their children. When a child confesses to wrongdoing,find out the facts of the case before punishing them. Do not forget to give them a chance to explain and see how you can help them to solve the problem. If parents are unapproachable to children,they will bias to strangers who treat them very nice. The time has came for the community to work together to prevent crimes in our neighbourhood. Creating a safe neighbourhood is everyone’s responsibility. When we help to keep all the children safe,we are protecting our own family too. *This is very important as children are still young and cannot detect the approaching of danger. For example,the six-year-old child,William Yau Zhen Zhong was left with his siblings,Eric and Cindy in his parents’ car as they went to a shop. He apparently got out of the car to look for his parents when Cindy started crying. He was reported missing after that. Nine days later,his body was found in a river. How to cite Instilling Safety Awareness in Children, Essay examples

Performance In Airlines Industry In Kenya -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Performance In Airlines Industry In Kenya? Answer: Introducation The target market of Coca Cola does not contain a specified segment. Though it does not target a specific market, their targeting strategy is based on the demographics of the chosen segment (Mokaya et al., 2012).Age - based on the age they can target specifically the consumers of 15-30 years old people. As the people with less than 15 will be, much younger consumers and they cannot be reached easily. The people more than 30 years old will be more health conscious. Reaching the chosen target marketing can also be done easily through partnerships, for example, fast food chains in the international market (Mokaya et al., 2012).Lifestyle - the busy and mobile generation of youth, the work life addicts can be the most important consumers that can be targeted.Occupation and nature the fun loving and the adventure loving people needs to be targeted. As the brand, positioning in the current market is to target people with those characteristics.The customers media habits can also be analysed for media exposure in their daily life (Mokaya et al., 2012). Positioning Coca Cola can strategically position itself in the soft-drink market. The new tagline of the brand is taste the feeling is to target people who likes have the fun and entertainment in their food. The company has always positioned itself with relation to joy and happiness in the company(Janiszewska and Insch, 2012). The high degree of loyalty comes from the satisfaction if the Figure 1 Source: (Mokaya 2012) The new brand positioning is to target the market with unique selling proposition that is related to joy and happiness. The brand can also be positioned according to the values that can be be attractive to people that does not comes under the target market managementt of the company (Janiszewska and Insch, 2012). Coca Cola classic with their competitors are can be positioned as traditional and medium sugar based. In addition, their Coke Zero can be positioned as modern and low sugar soft drink and diet coke can be less sugar and traditionally positioned in the customer mind. A value proposition for target market The customer value proposition of coca cola is very specific to a point and main mission of the company is to deliver its customer the different brand stories that the company have adapted though the years. The story they are telling this time is to taste the feeling that is categorised as lifestyle based to increase the happiness and joy one can feel after having the soft drink. Coca-cola as a brand of non-alcoholic beverage sector has differentiated their products in the segment very well (Muhamad et al. 2012). The core benefits and a unique value propositions that the company gives its customers are related to joy and happiness. The new value proposition that can tick the customers can be the money saving schemes in the big purchases and the health consciousness of the diet coke. To implement this messages of Coca colas new brand positioning can give a focused differentiated method of reaching out to the consumers (Muhamad et al., 2012). Value proposition canvas Product features Products : Coca cola Classic Coke Zero Diet Coke Features: Best selling soft drink for quenching thirst Health drink Experience for customers: The tagline says taste the feeling Customers Reference Janiszewska, K. and Insch, A., 2012. The strategic operations of brand positioning in the place brand concept: elements, structure and application capabilities.Journal of International Studies Vol,5(1). Mokaya, S., Kanyagia, P. and Wagoki, J., 2012. Market positioning and organizational performance in the Airlines industry in Kenya.International Journal of Arts and Commerce,1(4), pp.121-132. Muhamad, R., Melewar, T.C. and Faridah Syed Alwi, financial, 2012. Segmentation and brand positioning for Islamic financial services.European Journal of Marketing,46(7/8), pp.900-921.

Answers to More Questions About Usage

Answers to More Questions About Usage Answers to More Questions About Usage Answers to More Questions About Usage By Mark Nichol Confusion about words or phrases with similar connotations or constructions is common; here are several questions from DailyWritingTips.com readers about usage, and my responses. 1. What is the difference between remuneration and emolument? The words have essentially the same meaning – â€Å"compensation or payment† though remuneration also pertains to payment by a customer or client, and emolument also refers to perquisites, or perks (privileges or offers for employees such as one’s own parking space or free use of a fitness center.) 2. I wish to know when and where to use toward or towards, and what is the difference? The words are variations with identical meanings. Towards is British English, though many Americans use it, especially in conversation. Toward is preferable in formal US English. 3. In my country, bottled, aerated drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are called â€Å"cold drinks† universally. But a sizable community calls them â€Å"cool drinks.† How do I convince and let them know the difference between cool and cold? Also, many people use the term action in place of acting when it comes to describing someone’s performance in a film or a play. â€Å"Cold drink† (and â€Å"cool drink†) may be universal in your country, but there are many terms for carbonated beverages, so I think any effort to try to control usage in this case is futile. As for action used as you describe, English usage evolves, and what may seem like an aberration now will often become standard vocabulary in the future. Even if action never becomes formally acceptable as a synonym for acting, its persistence as a variant is probably inevitable. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:Among vs. Amongst25 Idioms with Clean

A Critical Study of Sainsburys Managing information systems (MIS) The WritePass Journal

A Critical Study of Sainsburys Managing information systems (MIS) INTRODUCTION: A Critical Study of Sainsburys Managing information systems (MIS) INTRODUCTION:MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS ACROSS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN J.SAINSBURY’S SUPERMARKET:Information systems in checkouts:Decision making at three tiers of management in Sainsbury’s:Conclusion:ReferencesRelated INTRODUCTION: Managing information systems (MIS) is a process which provides information to an organization to manage effectively. managing information system(MIS) is a system that combines both the human and computer based resources which can be used to collection of raw data, retrieving   data, storing the data, processing the data and   converting it in to the information which is able to communicate with all levels of management using the information technology. MIS enables the user/organization to manage things effectively. it provides the   base to an organization to   make better decisions and to handle critical problems, controlling and coordinating   the organization successfully. Information system is not a option but it is a essential requirement by any organization. it is also the mediator between different levels of management. it plays very important role in organizational level. it also makes easier to communicate each other effectively. it is also updates the information across various levels and gives a chance to rethink of future plans. it gives the external information about other firms to stand in the competitive environment successfully. it is not only a useful tool but it must be included in any organization to run their business. MIS in any organization is supposed to provide information to their customers. MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS ACROSS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN J.SAINSBURY’S SUPERMARKET: Information systems is very crucial factor to any organization from top level management to employees, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers,   marketing analysts,   warehouses, supply chain management.. Etc. Based on the information system, an organization management could include planning, organizing, directing, controlling, evaluating and reporting etc.. An information system is the heart of any organization to assess the companies past review’s and performance and to plan the present and future organizational objectives. Information system uses the database to store large amounts of data, statically analyzing the data, and to produce it in to useful information that can be used by various levels of management. Information system is used by the managers of their own departments to identify the critical issues occurred in the past activities, discussing about the issue with the other team members of the department and planned to solve and overcome the problems. Managing information systems in Sainsbury’s stores:   Sainsbury’s supermarket is the uk’s largest major food retailing chain.   It has 525 supermarkets and 303 convenience stores, a Sainsbury’s bank. For the big corporate organization like Sainsbury’s, it is essential requirement to managing information systems in an efficient way. Information systems is used in Sainsbury’s at various levels of management and various departments. The information systems are used in a supermarket stores at various levels from stock handling controlling to maintain appropriate temperatures in fridges and freezers. In the supermarket stores uses the several computer systems which can be called LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK). These computer systems are aims to operate the stock control and checkout systems. These are one that incorporates the functionality of multiple devices. Every authorised person can access these data base systems.   In stores, hand held devices are introduced and allow the administration staff, shop floor colleagues and stock control staff to change the price of products and creating price labels, and for future deliveries. The hand held devices are also called shelf edge computers (SEC). Every individual product has unique code to identify the product details; the item has a unique barcode which can be scan by the hand held scanners.   Electronic point of sale (EPOS) is a machine located at every checkout. E POS contains a digital display to display , a keyboard, a scanner which can read bar codes, a set of scales, a printer, a debit card reader and a till drawer. All of these components are attached to a till. Each and every item should have a unique code number that is independent of all other product. Even the same product of different sizes needs a unique code to identify the product. The unique bar code numbers are printed on the outside of the product packaging or attached label to that product which is shown in the figure (a) below. Figure (d): hand held system Barcodes are combined with a set of thick black lines and white lines. Ex: Figure(c). Figure (e) : EPOS Information systems in checkouts: The EPOS reads the product barcodes at the checkouts till machine, and identifies the product and it finds the cost of the product, after scanning the product the machine gives an option to the customer whether they have any nectar card, staff discount card, any voucher card. After all it charges the customer appropriately. Each card mentioned above also has barcode on it, and the machine identifies it uniquely. All till machines are connected together with a branch server system via cables. Each and every product information stored in the branch system, it gives the information to tills when it needed. When scanning an item by the scanner the machine sends the product details to the database. So that the server system can identify that how many remaining items of the same product are available in shelves, it gets the information about that particular product such as how many number of items are sold out, how many are left in the shelves, how many product details are totally sold out . After getting the information about all products it stores the information about that product in the database. It helps to identify the number of product are totally sold out, and in out of stock. So the store can order the delivery of that product. Also the system checks that the product has any special offer and it gives discount where it is needed. Each and every product and service related details are stored in the database and it communicates with all the other systems including tills, it exchanges the information at all the times. When scanning the item it tells the customer that it has been read correctly by giving beep sound. If it not gives any sound one can assume that it has not been read correctly. And there is also an option on the screen that without scanning a product, by entering the code number by using the keyboard can identify the product. For example any reduced items that mean the item has short life and store reduced the cost of an item. After billing the cus tomer receives a paper bill which is made by the printer. The printer is attached with every till and it shares the information and prints on a piece of paper. the customers are allowed to pay by cash or debit card. When the customers use the card, he/she is supposed to put the card on the reader, it also use the information system, whether the card is authorised and it is from authorised bank. The card reader shares the information with all associated banks, and assesses the card information and the debit the amount correctly. The processes of using debit cards are called electronic transfer funds. Stock control: the information systems play an important role in stock control in the super market stores. In the process of billing customers it is known to the server that the number of remaining products is available in the store. in fact, there are also some damaged products or expired products are remained on the shelves. Stock fillers dispose the expired one and use the reduced price labels with new barcodes on it , if the product has short life. Stock control department uses the information system, and it orders the products where it is needed, and stores the information about the number of products are delivered to the store when they get the delivery. The price labels are usually placed   on the shelves borders, and the stock controllers scans the price labels where it is empty. Stock control is useful asset in finding the stores profit assessment. The assessment is based on the number of products are delivered to the store and number of products are sold out, the number o f the products are damaged, the number of products expired. This is the important information stored in the database by the stock control team. The each computer in the store is linked with branch server system, which is connected with a head branch of a supermarket computer sever. All the database of an individual store is stored in the head office server system. It maintains the chain of computer systems effectively via extranet sources. Extranet is like a internet but, completely private database network and is connected to internet via satellite. It is because of the process of exchanging information and managing information system of all the stores of the Sainsbury’s stores. Sainsbury’s head office is located in the heart of city of London. It has the database over nearly eight hundred store branches. Figure (f): branch computer link to headquarters visa satellite. Inter communication between the branch stores to head branch of the store: Every day the individual store sends the information about sales of the stores to main branch, the head branch estimates the number of items needs to be delivered to the store. The head branch also gets an overview of the sales of the individual store, and estimates the performance levels and suggests the improvements to the branch stores. Figure (g) network model Every individual store sends the daily report to the head quarters. Based on the store information head branch database system stores the updated information such as stocks, performance levels, etc.. Using the updated information the head quarters estimates need of improvement levels and stock deliveries to the stores. The information about stock deliveries are communicates with distribution of warehouses via information systems. The warehouse department which has large chunks of ready to deliver material delivers the stock immediately to the required stores. The whole Sainsbury’s maintain the same price levels and it updates any change of product prices are communicated to the branch stores. The product price changes are affects the branch stores immediately and followed work by the overnight workers. Human resource management information systems: information systems plays very important role in human resource department in any organisation. Maintaining the thousands of employees in a big organisation like Sainsbury’s is not a simple thing. The HR department uses the information system effectively to employ the staff to their needs and providing them training. Sainsbury’s HR department in all stores sends the information about new employees that the store employed, the employee details, employee position, contracted hours, employee salaries. Sainsbury’s HR department uses their website to employ the new staff that they required. The each and every individual store of Sainsbury’s sends the information about the need of staff resources in their store, the hours of work required, which department require the new staff. The head office then receives the information about all stores vacancies and posts on line at their website. It updates the information day to day as required. The hr department of head office sends the information to IT department in the head office about vacancy details and need to be posted on line. The IT department then receives the data and posted on their websites. It works effectively by the IT department. The IT department designed the website in an easy understandable form. When the candidate’s checks that there are any vacancies arise, and found their suitable position, they can apply immediately online. The website asks the candidates to register in the recruitment website. The registration in the recruitment website is very easy by following instructions. After registering in the site, they can progress their application. The website stores the candidates registration details and gives them unique id which is useful for the forth communication, the candidates information submitted on the site is very confidential and not known the third person, because of the successful maintenance of the informatio n and database systems. The Sainsbury’s website allows the number of candidates applying for a given position is set to a limit. So as to reduce the huge applications for the position that they might cause problem to selection department. All these limitations are set by the department by the use of the information systems. The website asks the candidates to attempt an online exam, which is used to tests candidate’s abilities as a preliminary test. The number of all limited allowed number of candidates attempts the exam and finish their application. The stored database system can get the result of the candidates test details automatically and sends to the HR department. HR department then assesses the candidate’s ability based on their test further forwards application to progress. All successful candidates information is stored once in the database available to head office hr department. The HR department assigns each successful candidate with a unique id to identify the colleague. Information systems in Accounts department: The HR department maintains the daily report of employees attendance, and their working hours each day and sends the information to accounts department for payrolls. The HR information systems maintains a report of each employees, that the contracted hours of the employees, holiday pay booked by the employees, the salary of the employees, and premium pay of work, bonus of the employees and their eligibility. Every week of the employees details in all individual stores accounts department sends the information to the head office HR department. The head office assesses the information and pays the employees every four weeks based on the information. Online shopping: Sainsbury’s is also become popular with their internet shopping facility.   Sainsbury’s online shopping is responsibility of each store online department. The online department in the Sainsbury’s is called STY(Sainsbury’s to you). Sainsbury’s supermarket online shopping efficiently works with the support of Sainsbury’s IT department. The information systems use of this department is more compare to other departments of this organisation. Sainsbury’s online shopping is easy way for customers to shop their needs by clicking on the computer instead of walking to store and taking the risk of delivery of the goods to their home. It provides the customers a way of easy shopping online, the company’s website provides the online shopping tool. All and every product that available in the individual store are available in the internet online shopping. The customers are expected to type in their postcode on the site, to find out which store is available nearly to their home. After typing in their postcode, clicking the access button the website tells the customer that the store is available to their home. The database of all postcodes and addresses are stored and processed by the information systems. Based on the customer information, the information system decides that which store is to be take care of the customer needs. When customer shops online and pays by card, the information first stored on the database of head office, then the assigned store. In the store, STY department automatically gets print out of the shopping list. The shopping lists are then stored in to the store database, and assigns the work to online shopping workers. The online shoppers in the STY department picks up all the items by the help of handset systems. The handheld systems are designed shortly for the use of wireless information exchange system. The manager of the STY department assigns the work into handheld systems, then the shoppers get order details one by one. The information about product details and in which aisle it is located is displayed on the handsets. So the shoppers are expected to scan the items and followed to delivery room. The information systems is more important in the department because of it is totally depended on the Information Technology. Decision making at three tiers of management in Sainsbury’s: There generally three tiers of management in any organisation. (1) top level management, (2) middle level management, (3) low level management. We can understand the management work at different levels by considering one example: When an organization is supposed to launch   a new product, various people’s involvement should be included in the project. For an example, Sainsbury’s supermarket wants to introduce a â€Å"ready to eat sandwich† into their stores. This is not a simple thing and cannot be introduced directly into their stores, but various issues should be considered about this product. The sandwich may be a two pieces of bread slices with a cheese and some ingredients on it, it should have different approach than where people can make it on their homes. This should be treated as a advantageous to consumers. Sainsbury’s is a chain of five hundred thirty five supermarkets and a kind of convenience stores included in it. When this big food retailer wants to add this new product to their stores, a detailed research should have made and should communicate with the different parties using the information systems. From it’s product design to sales, a unique code must be assigned to each sandwich to specify the details and allocate value to the product. It is clear that the product designer should specify the required ingredients for the product , and should include right percentage of nutrition values, diets, less fat ..etc. the sandwich design, manufacturer, suppliers through stores requires a shared information system to have a good communication between them. The Sainsbury’s management will create a brief description about the product which the information   shared by the manufacturer. Using of information systems in product life cycle management: product life cycle management is a process of managing a product from its conception   through its design, manufacturing, delivering out. Plc gives product details and specifications to companies. Product design: uses the information systems to assess the features of the product and the requirements for manufacturing of that product, needs of the customers. And it also usable by the product control unit to test the quality control and it again stores the details of the product in to database for further use. The stored data can be accessed by the manufacturing unit and companies to assess whether the design is desirable for company requirements. It gives an overview of the product details i.e the cost of the production, the range of products which can be manufactured and this information available to the all authorised required data bases of the company. Manufacturing of the product:   In recent years, the increasing of information technology in manufacturing increasing rapidly. Information is used to be at every level of an organization. In the competitive environment, there is need to understand the using of information systems and application of information technology in whole the process. In a process, from the raw material to the finished goods and shipping of the goods , information systems must be used to communicate at all levels. The information is important for money flow i.e payments can be paid out when delivery received to the recipient, information is usable by the manufacturer to buy and pay for the material, paying labour charges..etc. invoice can be issued by the manufacturer for right payments when he receives correct payments for the goods. A majority of manufacturing companies are using multiple computer network systems at their process. It is a challenge for the organizations to integrate the data bases in to their computer systems. Integrating the computer systems and data bases used to be the main priority for these organizations. By integrating these systems, the companies can know the required material, planning , directing and get the   knowledge of market position of their system. Sainsbury’s consists of nearly eight hundred supermarkets and a finance. The head office department is located in the Holborn, the heart of London. It operates the whole Sainsbury’s by the help of middle level management. We can clearly observe the role of decision making of three tiers of management by the above example. Conclusion: I conclude that the Managing information systems is important at organisational level, to stand in the corporate competitive environment. It is not an option but essential to run big organisation like Sainsbury’s. However there is no disadvantage of using information systems except system failure, but there is a need to maintain the information system by the effective efficient team of management. It is clear that the managing information systems give good decision making deal to the managers in any organisation. References 1) Management Information Systems 9e T. Lucey, bized.co.uk. 2)Bocij, P. Chaffey, D., (2005) Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management in the E-business, Prentice Hall. 3) Chen, S., (2004) Strategic Management of E-business, J Wiley Sons. 4) Laudon Laudon, (2007) Management Information Systems, 10th Edition, Prentice Hall. 5) Clarke Steve (2007); ‘Information Systems Strategic Management: an integrated approach’. ISBN 978-0-415-38187-1; Routledge Printing, Canada 6) Fattahi. R and Ebrahim Afshar (2006), ‘Added value of information and information systems: a conceptual approach’; Library Review Vol. 55 No. 2 7) www.sainsbury’s.co.uk 8) information age journal

Project Management #1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Project Management #1 - Essay Example The origin of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or modern version of it known as project life cycle can be traced back to the 1960's when project designers and developers initiated a series of steps in projects in order to track down the progress of a project. As early as in 1976 Archibald first wrote a comprehensive text book on project life cycle management (Archibald, 1976). He came closest to the modern sequence of phases given in SDLC. After Archibald a number of other scholars developed the concept of SDLC so that any project including engineering and IT can be represented. In 1981 Stuckenbruck developed a very formal sequence of phases to represent the project life cycle (Stuckenbruck, 1981). According to Stuckenbruck PLC is essential to adequately represent the various phases of a project from initiation to finish. Stuckenbruck was the first author to discuss budgeting and resource mapping for PLC. According to him there are just four phases in the life cycle of a project. They are Initiation, Growth, Production and Shutdown (Tinnirello, 1999). The figure he drew just represented a unimodal histogram. Writers tend to distinguish between government projects and private projects. However this paper would adopt a general approach avoiding specificities associated with government projects.The subsequent developments in the PLC literature were focused on modifying the above theoretical and conceptual models. In the process many new features were included though these changes did not substantially alter the original frameworks. Since 1980's a series of new developments took place and these developments went on till the traditional SDLC models were replaced with new ones (Westland, 2007). These new models are not only complex but also highly technical because many IT projects are designed and planned according to these models. Thus this paper would focus attention on three historical phases of SDLC development. Phase 1 Figure 1: Archibald's Project Life Span Start The Total Project Project Termination The above figure illustrates Archibald's visual representation of the sequence of phases in a project. According to Archibald the initiation phase of the project begins with its start and both the concept and definition continue with this phase. Assuming that the process of conceptualization of the project begins with designing the diverse parameters of the project, then it is possible that the subsequent definition will involve in outline of project outcomes.Next comes the design phase. Yet again Archibald did not elaborate how best to make use of diverse skills and tools to carry out the design phase of the project successfully. However he laid the foundation for a structural feasibility design framework that encompassed a range of issues such as the social dimension of the project and the corporate governance parameters (PMI, 2004).The phase of manufacture according to Archibald is identical to execution of a project. For instance there is a possibility that project

Human Resource Economics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Human Resource Economics - Term Paper Example The competition is of two kind; internal and external.   In the internal competition employees compete against each others to get promoted or rewarded. This factor was studied and explained by Lazear and Rosen (1981) in their Tournament Theory. As in any tournament here, an employee wins the reward or gets promoted because his performance is better than others in their current level. Tournament theory is one of the approaches to the payments made toe, executives. There are several factors of which impacts the payments to the employees.   These are the supply of the skilled or required workforce in the market, the demand of the workforce, average industry pay package, industrial growth, monetary policies, business cycle, organization growth, and many other micros and macroeconomic factors. In any given scenario, two executives struggle and work for better compensation and rewards for their works. This difference in distribution, according to Feinberg, is based on the five factors of equality, need, merit and achievement, contribution or â€Å"due return†, and effort.   As in a tournament marginal difference, of efforts changes the rewards one gets in the business environment people at same rank often face a similar situation. Even if a company pays same to the employees to justify the raise or promotion one has to work hard for that. In the tournament model performance and payment are directly promotional to each other. It explains the motivation and productivity of workers along with the payment or growth perspective. As in the case of any sport or race where the marginal difference in the performance of an athlete can turn the silver to gold or bronze to no medal at all. The same thing is applicable in the case of people working in any organisation. The promotions or raise in the salaries are linked with the performance. In a broad framework tournament model it does not include certain important points like performance of new employee, performance of people at the optimum level of the organisation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  

Nixon-Kissinger Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

Nixon-Kissinger Years - Essay Example (Nixon- Mao talks) "Henry Kissinger had been the primary architect of the "opening" to communistChina, while working secretly behind the scenes to oust the Republic of China(Taiwan) from the United Nations, which free China had helped to found. He emergedas spokesman for appeasement of and "rapprochement" with the Soviet Union, andpromoted policies which guaranteed the Soviet Union a strategic superiority over the U. S".(Allen)Cold war and domestic political considerations very likely made Nixon and Kissinger less eager todisclose the specifics of the pledges on Taiwan or the candid discussions of Soviet policy. ThatNixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already beendisclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dtente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation intensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic ArmsLimitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty withLeonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. "The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, andoutmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling,sixteen years later, for second...That Nixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already been disclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dà ©tente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation in tensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic Arms. Limitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty with Leonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. â€Å"The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, and outmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling, sixteen years later, for second place status†. (Allen) Kissinger also sought to place diplomatic pressure on the Soviet union; to accomplish this he made two secret trips to the People’s Republic of China in July and October 1971 to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai, then in charge of Chinese foreign policy. This set the stage for the ground breaking 1972 summit between Nixon and Zhou and communist party chairman Mao Zedong as well as the modernization of relations between the two countries, ending 23 years of diplomatic isolation and mutual hostility and resulting in the formation of a strategic anti-Soviet Sino-American alliance.

Politics Essays Charismatic Politics Leader

Politics Essays Charismatic Politics Leader Charismatic Politics Leader Charismatic Leadership and its Effect on Politics in History The role of charismatic leadership in modern political history can be considered a controversial topic. The subject has most recently come about in regards to Democratic Senator Barack Obama, and his campaign for the American Presidency, but can also been seen in smaller contexts globally. In some respects, charisma seems difficult to define or explain. In theory, it would seem that if one should implement the appropriate policy and make difficult decisions at the right time, they should succeed in politics. It appears that this is not always the case, and that charisma does play a vital role in politics. Robert A. Caro said in his biography of Lyndon Johnson, â€Å"You only have to look at the crucial moments in the history of our time to see how crucial it was to have a leader who could inspire, who could rally a nation to a standard, who could infuse a country with confidence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (Caro) It seems that charisma is an important aspect of being a political leader, yet defining and explaining exactly what makes the person so appealing, inspiring and trustworthy is not easily delineated. Early sociologist Max Weber defined charisma as one of the three â€Å"ideal types† of authority, and rested upon a kind of magical power and hero worship. This definition was considered unsuitable for modern times, and its use became metaphorical – ultimately becoming a synonym for heroic or popular (Zernike). This leads us to the questions examined in this paper; to what extent is charisma necessary in politics and what are the positive and negative effects of a leader holding charisma as a political figurehead? It is the belief of some that there is a high risk of charismatic leaders to be all talk and no real answers of substance. The charismatic leader seems to thrive in times of crisis or national hardship. Arthur M. Schlesinger referred to a â€Å"new mood in politics† in the 1960’s, in which there was dissatisfaction with official priorities and concerns with the character and objectives of the nation. It appears that this is the very same climate that supporters of Barack Obama feel now. It is here that the proposed negative effects of a charismatic leader come into play. Some feel that Obama’s messages of hope and change are only talk, and lack serious substance and real answers on policy changes that would be required to make said transformations. â€Å"He speaks loudly and clearly and crowds flock to him like bees to honey. Many blindly follow a man who will lead them to dangerous waters. They fall for his words and not the policies he is going to use to run the nation† (Woerner). Since charismatic leadership typically results in strong, unchallenged levels of obedience, there is also the risk of weak minded individual followers that do not employ their individual thought processes and are blindly agreeable (12-Manage). This can manifest into a more serious problem and can result in â€Å"group think†, especially in politics, where there is the need for constant re-evaluation and challenging of ideas. In politics, it is imperative to examine all angles constantly, as major decisions made for a country can be life or death and have an impact on the citizen’s lives directly. On a smaller scale, the recent provincial election in Alberta exhibited some key issues pertaining to charismatic leadership. Alberta has been a strong Progressive Conservative province, in which the party has held power uninterrupted since 1971. The most recent reign of leadership has been under Ralph Klein, who was Premier of Alberta from 1992 through 2006. The retirement of this long standing leader has brought about some issues pertaining to charisma and their place in politics. Ralph Klein was an outspoken leader, who eventually developed an overwhelming rapport with Albertans, his approval rating being 77% at the end of his run as Premier (Markusoff). The eventual devotion and loyalty of Albertans to Klein brings forth the issue of emotions and feelings of the voters towards the candidate superseding the importance of being informed about current issues and platforms being addressed by the candidate. Thomas Lukaszuk, Conservative MLA commented on this issue You know, strong feelings in politics are dangerous, You want rational voters to vote on policies and on merit, not whether they hate or love an individual in a party or a leader (Markusoff). This leads us to the question of whether the majority of voters are actually informed on current issues, or if they tend to cast their ballot based on their personal feelings of the candidate. The Progressive Conservative party, currently headed by Ed Stelmach, won by an impressively substantial amount in the recent election that occurred in Alberta on March 3, 2008. Many felt that the new candidate held little charisma or ground-breaking ideas compared to his predecessor, Klein. Dave Khalon said of Stelmach Everythings just formatted. I see him on TV, and he just reads off the script. But nobody else seems to stick out, either. Khalon admitted that he planned to vote Conservative in the election because of family tradition and his fondness of the party’s prior leader, Klein (Markusoff). This leads us to consider that it is a very real possibility that Ed Stelmach’s win had little to do with his abilities and ideas as a candidate, but the charisma of the prior leader and the lack of other inspirational candidates as alternatives. A major problem in current politics is voter apathy, which could be partly attributed to a lack of inspirational candidates. This said, too much emphasis on the charisma of candidates can be viewed as a downfall in politics, leading to uninformed voters. Some voters seem to be placing a great deal of weight on the personality of the candidate rather than the campaign platforms and plans, which, in theory, should be the backbone of the campaign. The largest risk is posed by what is sometimes referred to â€Å"the black hat of charisma†. What this essentially encompasses is the use of charismatic power for self-serving purposes. The more charisma a potentially dangerous leader possesses, the greater the risk to society. This is emphasized because the base for charisma is emotional rather than logical or rational (Daft). Jerry Wofford says of this risk â€Å"If a person’s values are destructive, insane, then the more charismatic the leader, the worse off you are† (Tenenbaum). Unfortunately, these types of leaders have existed throughout the history of politics and continue to exist in present day. Adolf Hitler’s reign as fuhrer of the German Reich is a prime example of what can happen when power is in the wrong hands, and the accelerated negative effects that can occur if that person exhibits any sort of charisma that has the potential to be used for the wrong purpose. As mentioned, charismatic leaders seem to come about in times of crisis, as was the case with Hitler. Germany’s economy was in a precarious position after World War I and Hitler â€Å"wooed† the German people with his charisma, promising to fix the problems and make everything better. Meanwhile, he had his own agenda, which was elimination of all people he didn’t think met the criteria of â€Å"ideal† (Shay). This turn of events ended up being one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. More recently, charismatic leadership was exhibited in Osama bin Laden and his terrorist group al-Qaeda. In this case, the group was considered more of a cult, where brainwashing tactics were used. Charismatic power was used at the forefront, during recruitment of members to the group. The recruits were usually young idealists, recruited under the facade of â€Å"liberation† and â€Å"Islamic beliefs†, initially unaware of the real commitments of the group. The underlying concept that is common of those falling under the category of cults, or alternately â€Å"the black hat of charisma† is when a charismatic leader increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power (Ross). This leaves the dangerous charismatic leader to their own agenda. The values that the people originally stood for become irrelevant and the situation becomes personality driven. Ultimately, it is a risk that will always be prevalent pertaining to charismatic individuals. This risk is driven even higher with an uninformed, easily influenced society of voters. The only possibility of mitigating this risk is for each individual to stay as informed as possible and look for the warning signs of a leader that possesses ulterior motives. Charisma can be seen as an ingredient in a recipe for disaster, based on the charismatic leaders that have been prevalent in recent history. The other side of this story starts with uninformed, uninspired citizens. It is the view of some that these individuals need a charismatic leader to light a fire under them and get them believing that the political process is not just a big waste of time. This is especially prevalent in America’s youth, in which approximately a quarter of the eligible population actually makes it out to vote (Dashek). Even if a candidate has a strong position and ideas, they may be viewed as the typical uninspiring politician if they do not have the charisma to bring their campaign and ideas to life and get the general public excited about the proposed changes. Barack Obama and rival democratic candidate Hillary Clinton have the similar stands on a large portion of their policies. Gabe Pressman says â€Å"She claims experience. He promises change. As the race for the Democratic nomination for president intensifies, the differences in policy between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem less than the images they project and their shortcut slogans.† (Pressman) It seems then that it comes down to charisma as a deciding factor in what will set them apart, and the ability to reach and inspire those that most need inspiration. It is the belief of some that Barack Obama will be able to provide a balance of substance and inspiration to the American people. Tom Butcher, a sophomore at the University of St. Louis says â€Å"In contemporary politics, it is not enough to have merely style or substance alone. Mere substance will have no one caring about your policy (think Al Gore). Style alone leaves the vacuous impression of an incandescent bubble. Obama is in the unique position of offering the combination† (Butcher). From the views examined above, the conclusion can be reached that charisma is a necessary element in politics, but can be extremely dangerous in the hands of the wrong leader. It has been noted that the general public needs to be aware of the substance behind the charisma in order to cast an informed ballot. It is also crucial that voters separate their personal feelings of the candidate from the facts behind the policies in order to make an informed decision. Skepticism is actually an important quality for voters to bring into play to ensure the initial issues are being focused on, and that the leader is not shifting the focus to ulterior motives. Finally, it was noted that although charisma brings about many risks, it is necessary in a political figurehead in order to inspire the people. Encouraging the people to get involved and believe in something is the only way to avoid voter apathy in a political environment where democracy is undeniably underutilized. Works Cited 12-Manage. Charismatic Leadership (Weber). 3 March 2008 . Butcher, Tom. Charisma in Politics: Not an Empty Promise. Student Life 27 February 2008: 1. Caro, Robert A. The Path to Power. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1982. Daft, Richard L. The Leadership Experience. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2005. Dashek, Ryan. Apathy is Unacceptable for American youth vote. The Daily Cardinal 18 February 2008: 1. Markusoff, Jason. Charisma Gap mires parties. Edmonton Journal 20 February 2008: 2. Pressman, Gabe. Gabes View: Will Charisma Carry the Day? WNBC 18 February 2008: 1. Ross, Rick. Cult Education and Recovery. November 2001. 9 March 2008 . Shay, Virginia. The Virtual Voice. 6 March 2008 . Tenenbaum, David. The Character of Charisma. 15 July 2004. 20 February 2008 . Woerner, Tom. Helium.com. 3 March 2008 . Zernike, Kate. The Charisma Mandate. The New York Times 17 February 2008: 2.

Colosseum and the Speckles Organ Pavilion :: Compare Architecture Architectural Essays

Colosseum and the Speckles Organ Pavilion The city of San Diego has always been a popular site for tourists. Balboa Park is one of the main tourist sites that is home to an enormous collection of art, history and science museums, galleries, and the old globe theatres and the world famous San Diego zoo. Many of these buildings and musuems are based on Aztec and Spanish architecture. Unlike other buildings in Balboa Park, the Speckles Organ Pavilion has a unique blend of ancient Roman and western architecture. The Pavilion was designed by architecture Harrison Albright in 1914, a native San Diego. The Pavilion has remarkable resemblance to the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Although the Organ Pavilion and the Colosseum are not exact duplicates, they are alike in basic structure format and share a purpose for similar contributions to the city. The Colosseum was an enormous entertainment center. Roman audiences watched a variety of athletic events and spectacles, including animal hunts, fights to the death between gladiators or between gladiators and wild animals, performances of trained animals and acrobats, and even mock sea battle. The colosseum is designed in an oval shape, like many stadiums today, and seats up to 50,000 spectators. The concrete core, with its vaulted corridors and stair ways is devised to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the arena. The semi-circle outer walls of the Colosseum consist of three levels, the three Classical orders are superimposed according to their "weight": Doric, the oldest, on the first level, it's followed by the Ionic, then the third level the Corinthian capitals. These are the basic structures of the Colosseum in Rome. The Organ Pavilion is not a exact duplicate nor does it look anything like the Colosseum. There are some similarities between the the two architecture. For instance, the stage is elevated beneath a detailed arch, the arms "a Corithian peristyle effect" that curve out on the south side to encircle the outdoor audience. Along the arms are two row of 12 Corithian columns on each side. There are no vaults that are formed, the roof top is flat. This creates a walk way leading to the stage. The amphitheater can seat up to 2400 people. The seats are metal seats laid across a flat plane. This was hard for people in the back to see from the back because the seats were not elevated from the back.

Automotive E-Coat Paint Process Simulation Using FEA

By applying an electrical current, a thin paint film forms veer all the surfaces in contact with the liquid, including those surfaces in recessed portions of the body. The E-coat paint process deposits a thin paint film on the automotive body under the influence of a voltage gradient of about 200 to 300 volts. The water-based E-coat paint bath is conductive with an array of anodes that extends into the bath delivering a DC current. The paint film that forms has physical properties that resist corrosion (these appear only after the automotive body has been cured in an oven).However, as the paint film forms, its electrical resistance increases. In the past several years, two-dimensional (2-D) FEE models of the E-coat paint process have been developed for specific or limited applications. In this paper, we discuss a general three-dimensional (3-D) FEE method using ALGER software. This method can simulate the formation of the E-coat film and can thus predict its thickness at any point on the surface of the automotive body.Operational variables, such as voltages and process duration, are used to simulate the time-dependent interaction among the automotive body, the increasing paint layer and the liquid thin the E-coat bath. The method is based on a quasi-static technique that accounts for the changing material properties of the paint layer. A quasi-static approach is appropriate because the time required for the electric field to be established is much smaller than the duration of the paint deposition process.The actual time is simulated by considering a series of time steps, each of which requires an electrostatic solution. The E-coat film thickness is updated during each time step. A primary concern is how to model the changing FEE geometry due to the growth of the E-coat film. Technology has been developed that is capable of generating a film of specified thickness (as a function of position) on the automotive body. Because of symmetry along the longitudinal axis of the automotive body, only half the body was modeled.In addition, an enclosing box was constructed around the automotive body and features were created for the possible anode locations. Generally, there is little electrical interaction between two adjacent automotive bodies. Any net electrical current that flows into the leading and trailing surfaces of the enclosing box is considered negligible. The space between the outside of this box and the automotive body will be considered as the E-coat paint bath. Furthermore, the growth of the E- coat film is assumed to be perpendicular to the surface of the automotive body at all times.Laboratory experiments can establish an accurate estimate of the deposition coefficient of the E-coat film that forms in response to the flow of electrical current. The result of interest is the flow of DC electrical current that causes the E-coat film to form. The growth of the E-coat film is dependent on the number of Coulombs that are levered. In each iteration, the FEE model is solved for electrical current flow from which the E-coat film thickness can then be calculated. The material properties for each of the elements where the E-coat film develops are also changed in response to the growth in the E-coat film thickness.Another feature of a typical automotive E-coat paint system is the use of multiple voltage zones and differing locations where the anodes are placed in the E-coat bath. These factors affect the application of voltages in the FEE model. The appropriate voltage values must be added or updated for each new iteration as required. The primary use of the method is to predict how, as the paint layer forms, the effective electrical resistance increases, which prompts the current to seek out less resistive paths.Even though the paint film that forms has drastically reduced conductivity compared to the surrounding E-coat paint bath, it is not enough to stop its continued growth past the optimum thickness which is generall y about 25 p. A 3-D FEE model of the E-coat paint process would not only help he designers of a new automotive body obtain a more uniform paint distribution, but could be advantageous to existing assembly plants, as they explore means to reduce costs as well as make improvements to existing designs.It is well known that the layout of the anodes and the automotive body have a significant impact on the overall electrical resistance of the system, and thus the amount of current that must be delivered. In some circumstances, assembly plants are faced with the challenge of obtaining an adequate E-coat paint thickness on exposed parts of the automotive odd, while avoiding an insufficient thickness in recessed regions.The standard solution is to increase the overall voltage, which results in greater energy and material costs. The resulting E-coat paint thickness achieved on the exposed parts of the body is particularly costly because it provides for no additional corrosion protection. Usin g the method discussed in this paper, engineers can perform a variety of optimization exercises without incurring the high costs or risks of making operational modifications to the existing E-coat paint process at an assembly plant.

The McMansion Is the Big Mac of Suburbia

The McMansion Is the Big Mac of Suburbia McMansion is a derogatory term for a large, showy neo-eclectic architectural style home, usually built by a developer without the guidance of an architects custom design. The word McMansion was coined in the 1980s by architects and architecture critics in response to the many over-sized, poorly designed, expensive homes being built in American suburbs. The word McMansion is cleverly derived from the name McDonalds, the fast food chain restaurant. Think about what is offered under the golden arches of McDonalds  - big, fast, tasteless food. McDonalds is known for mass producing super-sized everything in huge quantities.  So, a McMansion is the Big Mac hamburger of architecture - mass produced, quickly built, generic, bland, and unnecessarily large. The McMansion is part of the McDonaldization of Society. Features of a McMansion A McMansion has many of these characteristics: (1) over-sized in proportion to the building lot, which is usually a defined space in a suburban neighborhood; (2) poorly proportioned placement of windows, doors, and porches; (3) excessive use of gabled roofs or a bizarre mixture of roof styles; (4) poorly planned mixture of architectural details and ornamentation borrowed from a variety of historical periods; (5) abundant use of vinyl (e.g., siding, windows) and artificial stone; (6) unpleasing combinations of many different siding materials; (7) atria, great rooms, and other grand open spaces that are rarely used; and (8) quickly constructed using mix-and-match details from a builders catalog. McMansion is a snarky word used to describe a certain type of house, for which there is no absolute definition. Some people use the word to describe an entire neighborhood of overly large houses. Other people use the word to describe an individual house of new construction, more than 3,000 square feet, that has replaced a more modest house on the same lot. A very large house in a neighborhood of mid-century modest homes would look disproportional. A Symbol of Economic Status Is the McMansion anything new? Well, yes, sort of. McMansions are unlike the mansions of yesteryear. In the Gilded Age of America, many people became very wealthy and built opulent homes - usually a city dwelling and a country house, or cottage as the Newport, Rhode Island mansions are called. In the early 20th century, large, rambling homes were built in Southern California for people in the movie industry. No doubt, these homes are objects of excess. Generally, however, they are not considered McMansions because they were individually built by people who really could afford them. For example, Biltmore Estate, often called the largest private home in the United States, was never a McMansion because it was designed by a well-known architect and built by moneyed people on many, many acres of land. Hearst Castle,  William Randolph Hearsts estate in  San Simeon, California, and Bill and Melinda Gates 66,000 square foot house, Xanadu 2.0, are not McMansions for similar reasons. These are mansions, plain and simple. McMansions are a type of wannabe mansion, built by upper-middle class people with enough down payment money to show off their economic status. These homes are usually highly mortgaged to people who can afford the monthly interest payment, but who have obvious disregard for architectural aesthetics. They are trophy homes. The leveraged McMansion becomes a status symbol, then - a business tool that depends on property appreciation (i.e., natural price increase) to make money. McMansions are real estate investments instead of architecture. Reaction to McMansions Many people love McMansions. Likewise, many people love McDonalds Big Macs. That doesnt mean theyre good for you, your neighborhood, or society. Historically, Americans have rebuilt their communities every 50 to 60 years. In the book Suburban Nation, Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Jeff Speck tell us that its not too late to untangle the mess.  The authors are pioneers in the rapidly growing movement known as New Urbanism. Duany and Plater-Zyberk launched the groundbreaking Congress for the New Urbanism which strives to promote the creation of pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Jeff Speck is the director of town planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk Co. The firm is noted for designing pristine communities such as Seaside, Florida, and Kentlands, Maryland. McMansions are not in their visions for America. Old-fashioned neighborhoods with walkable roads and corner shops may seem idyllic, but New Urbanist philosophies are not universally embraced. Critics say that pretty communities like Kentlands, Maryland, and Seaside, Florida, are as isolated as the suburbs they try to replace. Moreover, many New Urbanist communities are considered pricey and exclusive, even when they arent filled with McMansions. Architect Sarah Susanka, FAIA, became famous by rejecting McMansions and the notion of what she calls starter castles. She has created a cottage industry by preaching that space should be designed to nurture the body and soul and not to impress the neighbors. Her book, The Not So Big House, has become a textbook for 21st-century living. More rooms, bigger spaces, and vaulted ceilings do not necessarily give us what we need in a home, writes Susanka. And when the impulse for big spaces is combined with outdated patterns of home design and building, the result is more often than not a house that doesnt work. Kate Wagner has become the go-to critic of the McMansion form. Her commentary website called McMansion Hell is a clever, snarky personal assessment of the house style. In a local TED talk, Wagner rationalizes her animosity by suggesting that in order to avoid bad design, one must recognize bad design - and McMansions have a plethora of opportunities to hone ones critical thinking skills. Before the economic downturn of 2007, McMansions proliferated like mushrooms in a field. In 2017 Kate Wagner was writing about The Rise of the McModern -  McMansions persist.  Perhaps its a byproduct of a capitalistic society. Perhaps its the notion that you get what you pay for - small houses can cost as much to build as larger houses, so how do we rationalize living in tiny homes?   I believe, concludes Sarah Susanka, that the more people put their money where their hearts are, the more others will realize the validity of building for comfort, and not prestige. Source The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka with Kira Obolensky, Taunton, 1998, pp. 3, 194

The New Art Of Managing People

The New Art Of Managing People Introduction Organizational management is a holistic issue that requires absolute focusing so as to ensure that all aspects making-up the organization are running effectively and they meet the organizations strategic objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The New Art Of Managing People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizational management entails the alignment of the organizations mainstream resources such as the financial resources, the human resource aspect among others towards meeting the obligations of the organization to ensure that the organization is a profitable venture and it meets the needs and wants of the targeted customer. However, it should be noted that human resource is the most important resource of an organization. The effective and efficient running of a business should be based on the belief of continued innovations by the organization, the organization’s ability to adapt to the c hanges in its environment and the overall ability of the organization to integrate itself with the drastic changes in technology. This has made the efficient running of a business hard as there are many problems encountered in the management process. Understanding of the Book The need to develop strategies that are required to resolve issues that relate to management of personnel has been necessitated by the modern organizational management dynamism. The New Art of Managing People is a book that aims at coming up with strategies that can be applied by a management to resolve some of the problems that influence effective management in the organization. The book subject matter articulates around the creation of friendly and productive ties that exist between the management and the employees. The authors of this book have stated that effective management of an organization should build trust between all the relevant stakeholders as this would improve the organization’s performan ce. Therefore, they come up with practical techniques and procedures that can be used to resolve the issues in the organization on matters pertaining interaction between the employees and the management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The book also suggests several process improvement strategies, proper human resource development strategies, transactional analysis of activities in the organization and effective decision making processes. In order that this book remains relevant as the years go by, the authors have attempted to relate these issues to the modern management. In this book, Hunsaker and Alessandra, (2008) establishes that management can forge an effective employee friendly working atmosphere that will ensure employees productivity is upped. The book develops ways that can be applied to develop interpersonal skills that can be helpful in the process of improving the communication between the management and the employees. The book postulates that the adoption of new skills will improve the employer vis-a-vis the employees relationship (Hunsaker Alessandra, 2008). Such an improved relationship has been cited as the backbone of the modern organizations in the sense that such an organization is grounded on effective relationship of trust and mutual respect. This means that the management does not necessarily need to use coercive forces to induce performance as employees are self-motivated. The book stipulates that the managers of an organization and all the other superior officials of the organization are not aware that there exists a problem in the organization with regard to the building and the maintenance of healthy and productive relationships in the organization’s human resource department. The authors have insisted that managers need to be in good relationship with their subordinates meaning that they should be able to understand the predicaments of their workers. However, this has not been the case. The relationship between the managers and their subordinates has been rocky because managers have not been trained on how they should interact with their subordinates effectively. Hunsaker and Alessandra, (2008), have discovered that many organization’s superiors are well trained in business management, but they have not been technically trained on effective methods to interact with their subordinates.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The New Art Of Managing People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When compared to their preparedness in dealing with the technical aspect of the organization, the lack of effective training of management of their employees poorly prepares them to deal with people’s problems that may arise in the organization (Hunsaker Alessandra, 2008). Therefore, this book aims at helping managers develop s kills that will enable them to tap the potential of its subordinates in undertaking the activities of the organization which will spell absolute success for the organization, the management and the other organization employees. According to the authors, there are several ways that can guarantee proper treatment of employees. First, the management should respect its employees especially on their abilities to execute their designated responsibilities as hired to perform. Such an approach by the management can help greatly in the process of improving self-autonomy of workers. The authors of The New Art of Managing People have developed strategies that can be applied by people in management positions to evaluate the working conditions at an organization. Hunsaker and Alessandra, (2008), also presented strategies that can be used to improve those working conditions. The authors argue that it is very difficult for the management to change from its old habit of directing the subordinates b y issuing orders that are deemed implementable by the subordinates under the direct supervision of the superiors. Besides this, the book formulates ways that will ensure gradual transition from the old habits of management to new approaches in management issues. It has also been noted that transitions may be prone to mistakes and thus leniency may be required to ensure that employees are not reprimanded for this mistakes. It is further argues that the management should come up with a good transition process that guarantees an effective implementation of the new policy in the relationship between the management and its employees. This process can be achieved using a five-step process that is suggested in the book.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This process ensures that managers employ an interactive approach that will overhaul the interaction process in the organization. It holds that interactive managers have the opportunity of understanding their subordinates and thus, developing the required communication skills that will be applied in the development of mutual relationships in the organization. The book also postulates that an effective approach to management should be one that is promoted by open mindedness exhibited by the management and the organization of employees. These ideas suggest an outcome of friendly and extremely productive working conditions for all the organization stakeholders, thus improving on the organization profitability (Hunsaker Alessandra, 2008). The book holds that it is crucial that the management understands the differences that are exhibited by its employees and thus, take the necessary steps that will maximize the organizations gain from the diversity identified. The identification of the differences in employees behavior should motivate the management to handle this matter in a way that will ensure the differences are harmonized with the organization objectives. Importance of the Book Professor Hunsaker and Dr. Allessandra are seasoned and highly respected management experts and consultants and their combined effort in writing this book has stressed the vitality of an effective and efficient management of any organization. The book has put it in a nut shell that the process of managing the employees of an organization is an ever-changing field. The dynamics of management are constantly evolving; therefore, the management concepts that are proposed and being used at a particular time in an organization are likely to be obsolete in only a few years. The authors of this book have attributed the change in ways of managing organizations to the fundamental realization that human beings are constantly modifying how they accomplish different tasks from the previously used procedures. The business environments and the state policies that govern organizations are changing constantly, forcing the management to conversely adapt to the new demands. These changes have pushed the costs of production, training of employees in the organization and keeping the employees highly motivated up. The authors hold that this will continue escalating over the coming years. Therefore, a need to overcome these unprecedented adversaries in the organization management has to be countered or else the corporate world will be doomed to a disastrous tiding to the management. This book is written with the main agenda of coming up with ways that will overcome the traditional methods that dictated the manager-employee relationship in an organizations practice. The authors have illustrated vividly that an organization that has a friendly and productive employee-management relationship experience substantial benefits that are spread through the organization. The book is very crucia l in offering the organizational management the practical strategies with well laid out guidelines that can be applied by the management to achieve the ultimate goal of developing interpersonal skills that are held by the superiors. The acquisition of these interpersonal skills by the management will help in forging a good employee-employer relationship by identifying the differences that exist in its workforce in regard to appropriate use of knowledge, assessment of the current employee working conditions, improvement of the areas that are deemed to require upgrading, and lastly, in the overall creation of trust between the superiors and their subordinates. The book has identified that the acquisition of person-to-person skills that are held by all the employees of an organization is crucial to the overall central development of good teams. The book has stressed that letting the employees express their individual personalities will aid each one of them to achieve their potential an d consequently, to self-actualize. This reduces the stress and animosity in the organizations workforce that is brought about by strenuous bureaucracy. An overall positive interaction spirit is formulated in all the sectors of the organization. Consequently, this stimulates increment in organization productivity and profitability. The book gives very clear and vivid insights into the world of management to those who want to understand the concept of managing people. The book looks at management from a critical perspective of enhancing productivity through proper leadership skills that are geared towards having a robust working condition and cohesion among workers as a means towards achieving the set goals and objectives. This calls for the creation of a system that is efficient and effective in its dispensation of the identified mandate. Management in form of human resource entails having a workforce that is efficient in its coordination and that is free of stress associated with wo rk may it be long working hours or even the working environment. One of the weaknesses that I found in this book is that it does not cover the issue of stress management. Stress can be defined as lack of the ability to meet the demands that one is required to meet causing a feeling of anxiety and unnecessary pressure. Stress can have internal sources or external sources. Internal sources of stress at workplaces include the levels of bureaucracies and red tapes that are present at a specific work station, the time that workers are required to work and finally from the level of cooperation that is exhibited by the workers. External sources of stress include the conditions at the homes of workers or any other outside stressor. The most profound external factor is the work-family linkage, where social issues of family are imposed upon the workers. It is important to note that family issues will always affect level of competence either directly or indirectly as it affects both emotional and cognitive aspects. Despite the fact that the book was published in 2008, the authors might not have anticipated the impact of changing concepts of business management as the recommendations that the book gives may not be very effective in todays management of human capital. Due to such weaknesses the book may not be very helpful in offering technical insights for advanced levels of management students as there are other books that addresses the issues of management of personnel in more advance methods and offers more modern insights when compared to those offered in this book. This text may be better suited for beginners as opposed to advanced students of management. Another aspect of the book that I felt was a weakness is that the authors did not build on the necessity of creating a positive spirit in a company environment. The author focuses largely on managing the company in a structured way where management of various organizational aspects is given a horizontal approach, me aning that the communication model that is advocated for in the book is more of instructional nature. Such modes of communication bring about the feelings of superiority versus inferiority which may be detrimental in the process of management of human capital in organizations. Although this mode has proved to be efficient in dispensing work instructions, it has been categorized as being an anti-social approach at the workplace. Building a positive spirit in an organization entails letting the employees feel a sense of ownership of the success of the company. This allows them to own the success as being a part of them, which encourages workers to pursue teamwork. This is also crucial in individual empowerment. However, this leads to unnecessary competition as each of the staff would want to get an opportunity to be recognized as the source of a particular success. Another concept that the book has failed to cover adequately is that of seeking to reduce stress that is not related to w ork, but which impacts on the performance of the organization. Managers should, through the human resource desk, be able to have a therapist who should look into the employees psychological state of mind like depression, stress and other habits that may make such employees ineffective in their productivity. It is imperative that although the main areas of focus in workplace stress management are stressors that are work related, external stressors need to be addressed to ensure that the productivity of employees is maintained at its peak to guarantee maximum productivity in the organization. Lastly, although the book gives an insight on how to increase productivity and profitability, it is disappointing to note that some of the suggestions and initiatives given do not meet todays world dynamism of management, although they have a high potential of success. For instance, some books in management advocate that managers should come up with an interactive approach and go on to give the c oncept of a bicycle wheel where the rear wheel is the technical management and the front wheel is said to be the peoples knowledge, it is imperative to mention that the first goal of any institution is to make profit and, therefore, the issue of peoples knowledge is taken as a facade because it doesnt exist in real businesses, reason being that the workers views and opinions are not really taken into consideration. Although the authors advocates for the satisfaction of the employees needs and values as being the long-term measure of increasing their productivity, the satisfaction of employees to their maximum may not be realistic as it may be hard for organizations to meet all the needs of the employees and enable them to get ultimate satisfaction as far as their cognitive and social needs are concerned. Although I do disagree with some of the recommendations and opinions expressed by the authors, I find some of the strategies outlined being authentic and highly valuable. For instan ce, it is important for any organization to have a good working relationship between the management and the employees. This does not only give a sense of ownership of the organization by the employees, but it allows for sincerity and improved levels of competence that does not require the presence of managers to achieve the organizations objective. This means that employees continuously feel that they are appreciated by their employer and thus their commitment to the company remains undivided. When employees own up the organization procedures, they feel that it is their prerogative to deliver to the best of their ability, which translates to improved organizational productivity. In conclusion, it is important to note that Hunsaker and Alessandras work offers wonderful insights as far as management of human capital is concerned. The content of this book can be applied at the workplace in a number of ways. Although it has been noted in this review that this book has some suggestions t hat are not in line with today’s dynamism in management of human capital, the authors have managed to give many new insights that are of great relevance in management of workers. The book is also excellent for management students as it offers the necessary knowledge especially to beginners as they learn what is required of them as managers of human capital. Therefore, the book can be recommended to all management students especially those that are interested in advancing their knowledge on fruitful approaches to management of personnel. Reference Hunsaker, P. Alessandra, T. (2008). The New Art of Managing People. New York: Free Press.