Structural engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Structural engineering - Research Paper Example Large man-made objects ranging from vehicles to cranes and furniture to medical equipment all require the input of structural engineers in order to ascertain their safety and reliability. Structural engineers are involved in every stage of realization of a structure, playing a key role in design and construction teams. They work together with architects along with other professions to create conceptual designs and ascertain that the structure to be built is both stable and durable. The structures built should be stiff enough to not deflect beyond acceptable limits through vibrations, and also be able to stable and strong enough to resist all structural loads like wind, gravity, rain, snow and seismic earthquakes. By using structural analysis, structural engineers understand the effects of loads or stresses as caused by gravity, the users of structures, and the various climatic and ground conditions around the world. Structural loads are external forces which are capable of compromising a structure. Another important aspect of a structural engineer’s work is choosing the right materials for building a structure. The material for construction may be steel, reinforced concrete or steel-concrete. The choice of material is influenced by the function of the structure, intended time of use, and environmental impact of using the material. There are some structures constructed for a limited period of use, for instance, off-shore platforms built to facilitate exploration beyond the shores and have to be demolished once the explorations are complete. Such structures have to be strong enough to withstand water, yet be affordable during demolition. Structural engineering also accommodates fun in the learning and practicing stage. During training, engineers should travel and visit interesting structures or construction sites, and consciously see and analyze such structures (Milne, 2010). Such background training exposes the young engineers to buildings of

Is marriage still a goal worth for pursuing Research Paper

Is marriage still a goal worth for pursuing - Research Paper Example Based on the fact that there are certain factors that have rendered the marriage institution irrelevant today like people can have children out of marriage and that compassion can be gained out of wedlock, it does not dispute the importance of marriage. Thispaper will attempt to outline the fact that marriage is worth pursuing even on the 21st century. Marriage is considered to have begun when men were being formed. Various religious groups in the world believe that marriage was ordained by the Supreme Being who rules the universe as he formed man and woman. Marriage is also based on traditional believes where people believed that men were meant to be united with a woman in a relationship that could lead to child bearing and companionship. However, different cultures believe in different types of marriages such as monogamous marriage and polygamous marriage. Marriage in some cultures is considered a mandatory engagement where all members of such societies are required to get married at a certain part of their lives. However, the society today has changed the living style and this has led to change in doctrines and principles about marriage and its worth. Careers, independence of women, and other principles have led people to realize that marriage is not as important as they used to believe (Thornton 90). Marriage is believed to be a cohabitation where children are brought up to become responsible children. Though many people may argue that children can be gained and delivered out of wedlock, it has been proved that children required both parents to raise them to become responsible adults. The children grow up knowing and depending on their father and the wife respect the husband as the head of family. Parental roles and care is expected from both the parents unless where circumstances my lead to one parent as the caretaker of the children. According to an article about arguments on non-parental care by Gheaus (1), many people disagree about the benefit if

I Stand Here Ironing Essay Example for Free

I Stand Here Ironing Essay When reading the short story ? I Stand Here Ironing? written by Tillie Olsen I analyzed the story by using both feminist criticism and the formalist strategy. The author uses a iron as a metaphor for how the woman in the story tells the life of her daughter and why her daughter is the way that she is. In a way the woman lays everything out on the table and irons it out straight. Many single mothers can relate to this story because it tells about the hardships that some unfortunate mothers? have to face. In this story Emily was born during the depression. Her mother had to work because she was a young single parent, as read in the story Emily?s father could ? no longer endure?. I believe that the mother cared for Emily she hated to leave her with her fathers relatives. Olsen wrote that the character did everything by the book she breast fed by the clock like they said. At that time ?they? were the male doctors who thought they knew all about motherhood. As a woman I would think Redmond2 that a woman would know what is best for both the mother and her child. By the end of the story the mother and daughter relationship grew a little closer Emily who lacked meaning found a talent . Emily also gained a sense a sense of responsibility by taking care of her siblings. Olsen uses the iron as a metaphor a number of times through out the story. In the first paragraph the mother says, ?and what you asked me moves back and forth with the iron?. I think that the mother is trying to sort out the good and the bad through out Emily?s life. She tells of what had to be done not what should have been done. The woman realizes that her daughter lacks meaning in life. The mother questions herself on the upbringing of her oldest daughter Emily compared to the other children. In the last sentence of the story it reads ?help make it so that there is cause for her to know that she she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron? What the mother is trying to say is Emily is like she is because that?s how she brought her up it could be un helped at the time the mother is also reassuring herself by thinking she could be worse don?t we all have our faults?

Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour

Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour Today organizations need a deep insight into consumer behaviour and its changing patterns in order to survive in the market place. Large organizations have highly trained individuals recruited to collect information about the consumers constantly changing needs and trends so that they can get focused on what is required by consumer; so that they can cater those needs as accurately and efficiently as possible . Harrods is one of the worlds most well-known department stores situated on Brampton Road in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England; It was established in 1849 as a small grocery store with only two helpers. Today, it offers its customers with everything from food to fashion, furniture to sportswear plus 20 in-store restaurants serving every kind of cuisine imaginable from pizza to sushi. Services range from piano tuning to fitting saddles. Must-see sights include the Food Halls, the Egyptian Hall and the Pet Department. (Visit London) Harrods after tenure of great success has lately seen a falling trend in its sales. Harrods, therefore, has further studied the behaviour of its consumers more closely in order to know the reasons of this unfortunate decline in sales. This report contains an analysis of this study, external influences and how they can be used positively to augment the sales; It mentions the strategies Harrods can use in order to get the same honourable and prestigious position back in the marketplace. Task 1: Impact of External Influences An insight into the behaviour of consumers at Harrods Harrods is a high end departmental store which offers a great range of products and services. Once opened as a small grocery shop has now matured to become a good example for posh and glamorous shopping, complementing itself on its motto Omnia Omnibus Ubique which means that All things, for all people, everywhere. It is famous about Harrods that you can buy anything you can name at Harrods, from a hair pin to furniture. (go there guide) Consumer behaviour is a study of when, how and where people buy or do not buy certain products or services. When buying a product, consumers usually go through several stages which can be named as need recognition, information search, evaluation of different purchase options, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour e.g. a need arise when you see your current television set is out dated and pretty old fashion or may be its broken. You decide that you want a new television and then start looking for different options transferring yourself to the next stage and you start looking for which television to buy and from which place; this is the stage when Harrods should come in the mind of a consumer. Then a consumer evaluates between different available options which Harrods has advantage of providing consumer all under one roof and then finally he buys a product. (East, 2008) Harrods is considered a glamorous shopping place. Though nearly everything is available at Harrods but the target market segment that Harrods focuses on is the upper class. This is the market segment the management at Harrods keeps in mind while carrying out its marketing activities. People visiting Harrods may belong to any age group but majority of them belong to the social class A and expect a service that is up to the mark. They expect that the product available at Harrods would belong to the highest of the qualities available. Marketers define four types of buying behaviours and it is based on the type of products that the consumer intends to buy. All four types of buying behaviors can be witnessed in the consumers at Harrods as a vast range of products are available at Harrods. Complex buying behaviour This where the person purchases a high value brand and inquires about a lot of information before the purchase is made. This may be when a consumer is buying a very expensive outfit of Paul Smith Black at Harrods Habitual buying behaviour This is when somebody purchases a product out of routine e.g. a daily newspaper, sugar or salt. This is applicable for a consumer buying grocery from the grocery section Variety seeking buying behaviour It is when the person likes to shop around and try out with different products. Some consumers at Harrods do not have the particular brand in mind beforehand when they shop for any product so they experiment different brands. Dissonance reducing buying behaviour This is the type of behaviour when buyer is extremely concerned with the purchase of the product, because the purchase is expensive or occasional. An example could be buying expensive furniture at Harrods. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The management at Harrods needs to keep all these consumer behaviour theories like what makes consumer buy a product, what kind of behaviours can they adopt while shopping at Harrods in mind and factors can cause a change in consumer buying patterns in mind while they take their management decisions. They specially need to be aware of the expectations of their consumers and what exactly they want from Harrods in order to improve and find the loop holes which might be leading to a fall in sales. External Factors may influence Buying Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be affected by various factors that may be highly uncontrollable by marketers. These external factors may include the opinion of your friends, the values and the way you are brought up, the media, the culture, certain groups you interact with etc. All of these external factors are mentioned in details with respect to the consumers of Harrods as follows: Culture Culture does influence consumer behaviour; culture is defined as our attitudes and beliefs. The point that we need to know here is the way these attitudes and beliefs are developed. As a person matures, a child is influenced by his parents, siblings and other family members who may educate them about rights and wrongs. They learn about their religion and culture, which helps them develop these opinions, attitudes and beliefs.. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Geographical Culture Harrods needs to understand the culture of people living in London. The way they are brought up and what their values are. Do people living in London like to go to glamorous shopping places like Harrods? Are they comfortable shopping at such high end places? What are their buying trends and do they prefer large shopping places over small ones? Can people living there afford to buy expensive or do they usually spend this much on average? All these questions need to be answered in order understand the psyche of consumers living in London and cater them according to their needs. If we go back into history, UK is a class based society and some remains of such behaviour are still existent. People who belong to a high class do like to show off and go to high end places but as time is passing this frame of mind is changing. This change of mind may be one of the factors leading to fall in demand for Harrods. Subculture Subcultures can be defined as members that possess beliefs, values and customs that set them apart from other members of the same society. There can be nationality, ethnic, racial, geographical or religious sub cultures. People belonging to various parts of the world and belonging to various sets of beliefs and norms live in London, which leads a complex set of people who may have different beliefs and norms mixed up. Understanding and catering to all of them is not very realistic but Harrods needs have knowledge regarding major subcultures so that its products are designed according to it and their do not hurt anyones beliefs and norms. (Leon G Schiffman, 1997) Global Culture In order to make sure that the products it is offering is in line with the Global culture, Harrods needs to study the global trends of buying behaviour as well. Generally people around the globe have started preferring large shopping malls over small specific buying areas. This facilitates a consumer in a way that all the products are available under one roof. As people are getting more and busier with their work lives, this saves time. Moreover the world is also moving towards better quality products and services. Designer clothes and fashion apparel are getting popular. Brands are getting global. This trend of customers goes in favour of Harrods. Multinationals have the brought the consumer base to one platform which in a way has helped marketers to understand complex behaviours. (my library) Reference Groups Reference group is an actual or imaginary individual or group concealed of having significant relevance upon an individuals evaluations, aspirations and behaviour. Marketers have seen that reference groups can strongly influence buying behaviours. Reference groups are particular set of people some people may look up towards to that have an impact on consumer behaviour. So they can be only a band like the Savage Garden or your direct family members. Marketers have grouped reference groups into classes to comprehend the way the influence more clearly. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Types of Reference Groups Normative: Some group and individuals are more powerful than others and affect a broader range of consumption decisions. A very good example would be family. Your upbringing really has a strong influence on your likes and dislikes, definitions of right and wrong. Family values and practices usually do not change and develop basic standards of behavior. If a family is used shop from department stores rather than individuals outlets or it may be particularly Harrods then this practice may be passed on to further generations as well and this how the cycle goes on. (M.Khan, 2007) Comparative: These are the people you compare yourself to and can relate to e.g. friends, neighbors or a club you are a member of. Some of these may be ones you aspire and want to imitate. A person may start shopping from Harrods because a friend of his shops from Harrods and he likes it very much and recommended him as well. (M.Khan, 2007) Reference groups can further be divided into direct and indirect reference groups: direct are the ones you have contact in person with and indirect may be the ones you may not have direct contact with such as celebrities. (Balythe, 2008) Marketers cannot directly manipulate your direct reference groups or use them for their benefits but indirect reference groups can easily be used by marketers. Harrods needs to study about its consumers reference groups and use them in its favour. If Harrods serves its existing consumers really well they will automatically prove to be a resourceful reference group for some potential consumers. They can also use celebrity endorsements referent powers. (Wagner, 2003) Opinion leader Opinion leaders are the people who have greater knowledge about a certain thing than a lay man so you respect their views and that may influence consumer behaviour. Most of the times it would really affect the behaviour if the thing to buy is a highly technological product, may be a hi-tech computer and the opinion leader in that case may be a computer expert. (CL Tyagi, 2004) Economic Environment Economic environment has a great influence on buying behaviour. People usually spend more during good economic times and during an economic boom and likewise less during recessions. Lately aggregate demand around the globe felt due to global recession. People were out of jobs and businesses were heading towards a downfall which left people with less disposable incomes on hand to spend. This may also be one of the factors leading to Harrods reduced sales. (Angus Deaton, 1980) Competition Competition is another factor which influences the consumer behavior. This provides consumers with more options available so they start comparing between the available options and selects the one which benefits them the most. Harrods has a few potential competitors mentioned below: Selfridges There is store called Selfridges Co. It is also one of the largest areas in the world with 540,000 sq.ft of selling area. It is located on the Oxford Street which is a prime posh location. Like Harrods, it is also famous among consumers for providing a large range of products and services. The difference between Harrods and Selfridges could be that Selfridges is more focused towards entertainment as it has 15 bars, cafes and restaurants inside the area. It has two more smaller department stores, one in Manchester and the other in (business week) Marks and Spencer Another strong competition would be Marks and Spencer (MS). It is a British retail chain and it has 330 department stores and over 340 food location all over UK. It does not operate in UK only but has over 300 locations in countries including Indonesia, South Korea, India and China. The factor that differentiates M S from Harrods is that it core range consists of mid-priced household items, fashion apparel and other products whereas Harrods is designed for the best or may be for everything rather a narrowed specific price range. M S has been in this market for more than 100 years and has been ranked as the no. 1 supplier of women wear. Moreover, the company makes 90% of its sales in its home country which certainly is UK. It can give Harrods a tough competition if Harrods get even a little bit lenient in its services (business week) Fortnum Mason This is 300 year old department store. It is very famous for its food which includes jams, teas, and sauces. It also supplies Queen with annual Christmas puddings. It has five restaurants and though it generates most of its sales from food but it also sells gifts, luggage, household products, cosmetics etc. Though its product range and the area of focus are not exactly same as Harrods but it can be counted as a competition and was mentioned by a number of consumers at Harrods. (business week) Task 2: Recommended Positioning Strategy Perception A study of human perception can also help marketers to understand the consumer behaviour. Perception is the process by which people select, organize and interpret their sensations; where sensation is how are sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers) to basic stimuli such as light, colour, sound, odor and texture. Like a computer system human mind also processes the information in order to perceive things. (Martin E Evans, 2009) This is the age of sensory marketing. Marketers make use of impact of sensations on consumers product experiences. They use vision, hearing, touch and taste in order to create an image of the brand in the minds of the consumer to create a competitive advantage. Marketers try and create brands unique association with the sensation. (Hawyer, 2008) Harrods may use a certain trade dress which is colour combination an organization uses so frequently that consumers start associating that brand with that colour combination. Whenever they see that colour combination around their mind recalls the brand in sub-consciousness. This is how marketers create an image that can last very long in the minds of the consumers through our sensations; as consumers start associating those brands to different things. Consumers perception about the brand consists of both its functional attributes as well as the symbolic attitudes. Functional attitudes may include its price; its features etc. and symbolic may include its image. Marketers have discovered that consumers evaluation of a certain product is more dependent on what it means rather than what it does. This meaning has more to do with products market position and it may be more to do with our expectations of the product as communicated by its colour, packaging and styling rather than the product itself. (Kathy Niel, 2007) Therefore, Harrods should use these tools of sensation in order to create an image of Harrods that consumers cannot forget; an image that stays in the minds. It should create a certain sensation so that consumers can associate the brand with that sensation. This automatically attracts a consumer towards a brand as it creates a certain impact in the minds of the consumers that lasts for very longer periods of time. Attitude Attitude is actually a learned behaviour. They may be favourable and unfavourable attitude for a product or a service. Marketers say that attitudes have the quality of motivation, they can lead consumer towards certain behaviour or can even stop him from doing so. Harrods should try and develop a positive attitude about itself in the minds of the consumers. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Harrods have had certain issues which may lead to a negative attitude. Harrods in order to maintain its glamorous image threw a lady out from the store. Eilene Kadden, from California, was ejected from the store because she did not have the right image; she was too fat. Such kinds of incidents adversely affect the image of the brand and such incidents can lead to negative attitudes for the brand in the minds of the consumers. Harrods should respect its customers irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity and physical attributes of a person. Tri-Component Attitude Model According to this model attitude consists of three components which are cognitive, affective and conative components. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The cognitive component consists of persons cognitions i.e. his knowledge and perception about the brand. This may be formed by a combination direct exposure and from other sources. Harrods should create a positive impression in the minds of the consumers through its image, service and behaviour. The affective component is more about the feeling of the consumer. How related and emotionally attached he is to the brand. A family might be shopping from Harrods from last three generations and may develop an emotional attachment to the store. These emotions can further affect the actions of the consumers. They van be negative as well. The Conative component deals with the actual behaviour of the consumer, it is also called the consumers intention to buy. This model can help Harrods to develop a positive attitude among its current and targeted consumers. Harrods should try to factually as well emotionally create a positive feeling about the brand. Self Self-concept is the beliefs that customer holds about himself. It can be positive as well as negative. At times you feel that a part of you is more positive. People buy products which they can relate to themselves. What is the reason that social class A is the major consumer at Harrods? It is that all the products are designed keeping the social class as a target market segment and so they can relate to it. Positioning Strategy This is the way a brand portrays itself and places itself in the minds of the consumers. Positioning a brand is a very crucial task. This is what can either make a brand or break a brand. When a marketer targets a certain market segments, it intends to different itself from the other brands through its competitive advantage. How to Position When a brand is to position itself, the very first step when a business decides to enter the market to describe the market in which the brand is to enter and to struggle. The market where Harrods is to compete is London. It is posh area where people spend money to avail highest quality products and services. The next step would be to collect information from the relevant consumers about what perception do they have regarding the competing brands in the market. Harrods needs to understand what attributes regarding the shopping stores are most favourable in the minds of the consumers. It needs a complete knowledge about the likes, dislikes, preferences and frame of mind of the relevant consumers it intends to target. It needs to determine the share of mind of all the competing brands which are mentioned above including Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Fortnum and Masom. It needs to rank the competitors and the attributes which would be hard to compete. At the end it needs to position its elf using the combination of the preferable attributes and attributes of the brand itself to capture a territory in the minds of the consumer. Era of Marketing This is the age of Marketing. Marketing a brand is becoming more important than the product itself. The Marketers study the market in detail, segment the market into different segments based on demographics and psychographics and then select the most profitable segment as the targeted segment. All the products and services are then designed keeping that particular segment in mind. All the decisions are also taken in accordance to that particular targeted segment. (Gerit Antonides, 1998) Harrods instead of taking decsions keeping the products and services in mind, needs to take decisions keeping the preferences of targeted consumers in mind. If a certain brand in preffered and renowned in US but people in UK prefer other brands over it which may even be of slightly lower quality, opting for that brand of better quality would not be sensible decision. Harrods has taken some bad decesions in the past to save its glamorous image; it has kept a range of brands which are not even liked by most of the people in London which is a failure for Harrods to understand the psyche of its consumers. Suitable Positiong Strategy for Harrods The three major positioning concepts known among the marketers and they are functional, symbolic and experiential position. Functional position is when the firm shows itself as the solution to problems. It promotes the benefits that can provide and gain a favourable position. Symbolic postioning is when a organization uses its image, belongingness and egoistic image which provides the comsumers with social meaningfulness. This is the kind of positioning suitable for an organization like Harrods and this is what it has been doing in the past as well but a certain change is needed to make this symbolic position better. These changings would be mentioned further in the report. Experiential position is when an oraganization makes use of the consumers sensory and cognitive stimulation and the concepts of perception to create an image in the minds of the consumers that consumers can relate to. Harrods Current Positioning Harrods has positioned itself as a high-end, glamorous, luxurious and high end department store. It has not positioned itself as a department store but as an unforgettable experience. Harrods has a reputation for excellence and a motto Everything for Everybody Everywhere. Consumers know it as a place where you can buy everything. From sugar and potatoes to luxurious cars, everything is available at the Harrods. The major component or competitive advantage that Harrods has used is its grand image and variety. Repositioning Harrods Some of the Harrods policies to maintain its high end image has in turn adversely affecting its reputation. The incidents of forcing people out due to their physical appearance and strict dress code rules make customers inconvenient and lead to a negative impression. Harrods need to add a component of humbleness in its positioning statement. The feeling that one gets when he hears about Harrods is of arrogance and attitude. A tinge of humbleness needs to be added to the image in order to create a positive impression. Harrods should try and create an image of an environment friendly organization. People once protested against Harrods selling animal fur. Such kind of incidents would not happen if you have you have a complete knowledge about youre the culture and values of targeted consumers and people around. Harrods should encourage the brands operating inside the store to promote green environment and produce as many environment friendly products as they can and take steps for protecting the environment from every kind of pollution. This will lead to a responsible image about in Harrods in the minds of the consumers which will definitely in turn improve the sales. Online and Offline Positioning Messages As mentioned under the heading of repositioning Harrods, Harrods needs to promote a tinge of humbleness with its glamorous image. The current motto used by Harrods is Everything for Everybody Everywhere and All things, for all people, everywhere which portrays that literally everything is available at Harrods. Messages like Everything that you need because we care! would promote an image of care and responsibility on part of the organization. This would portray that the organization is not selfish about its own benefits only. The attitude of the employees in the store will automatically depict the position and set a mark in the minds of the consumers. Moreover for offline positioning, Harrods can launch campaigns for environment protection. It can sponsor such activities in order to create an impact and show that it actually cares and contributing towards the society. Conclusion Harrods is a very famous and well known brand. It has successfully achieved its targets and continuously improved and expanded over the years. Its management worked efficiently to satisfy the needs of its consumers. It was clear and focused on the segment it was targeting and therefore tailored its products accordingly. Due to some external factors and some of the bad decisions that Harrods took declined its sales. The image that Harrods was enjoying is slightly damaged but its not late to make for the mistakes in the past. Moreover, every firm needs to innovate and re-position itself according to changing environment. Harrods in order to earn its position back needs to make slight changes in its positioning. It should get more humble towards its customers and promote environmentally friendly products. Task 3: Individual Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Before the start of the module, I was not sure of whether it will further enhance my learning or not. The theories I was to expected to apply in the module were the ones I had already studied several times so I was not looking forward to any further new learning and experience. As I started working on the module and started gathering information about Harrods, I realized that my perception about the module was entirely wrong. Though I didn.t learn anything new in the module but it gave me an opportunity to apply what I have learned in a real life situation. All the concepts and course material that I studied in the course was practically applied to solve the given problem of reduced sales. Moreover, while I was studying for the course I had an impression that most of the concepts mentioned in the course books are only for theoretical purposes and are not used or helpful to the firms in real life situations. My opinion was proven wrong while I working on the module as I saw that firms do use these concepts and they do help them in understanding the behaviour of consumers which is critical for their success. This module was a great experience. Though collecting information and analysis was a little tough and tiresome but it was worth it. The data collection on the external factors influencing the consumer behavior was really difficult; classifying it and coming up with useful results and conclusions was even more troublesome. This module specifically enhanced my analytical skills and improved my confidence of practically applying theoretical knowledge. References Angus Deaton, J. M. (1980). Economics and consumer behaviour. Balythe, J. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. business week. (n.d.). Retrieved august 27, 2010, from business week: http://investing.businessweek.com/research CL Tyagi, A. K. (2004). Consumer Behaviour. East, R. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. Gerit Antonides, W. F. (1998). Consumer Behaviour. go there guide. (n.d.). Retrieved august 2010, 28, from go there guide: http://www.gothereguide.com Hawyer, W. D. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. Kathy Niel, S. P. (2007). Consumer Behaviour Implications for marketing strategy. Leon G Schiffman, H. H. (1997). consumer behaviour. M.Khan. (2007). Consumer Behaviour. Martin E Evans, G. F. (2009). Consumer Behaviour . Micheal.R.Solomon. (2005). Consumer Behaviour: buying, having, being (8th ed.). my library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2010, from my library: http://www.accessmylibrary.com Visit London. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2010, from Visit London: http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/ Wagner, S. (2003). Understanding Green Consumer Behaviour.

Organizational Structures Essay -- Organizational Development, McShane

Introduction McShane and Von Glinow state that â€Å"the best organizational structure depends on the organization’s external environment, size, technology, and strategy† (409). To identify the best organizational structure for Protegà © Engineering, I will first determine what ‘Organizational Structure’ means. In a second step I will analyze its elements and carve out the important components for the considered organization. Finally I will provide a conclusion and recommendation. Organizational Structures In general, organizational structure is related to the way that an organization organizes employees and jobs, so that its work can be performed and its goals can be met. McShane and Von Glinow define ‘Organizational Structure’ in more detail; they state that organizational structure â€Å"refers to the division of labor as well as the patterns of coordination, communication, workflow, and formal power that direct organizational activities† (386). To understand what this means we will have a look at each component. The division of labor is related to the â€Å"subdivision of work into separate jobs assigned to different people† (McShane and Von Glinow 386). The patterns of coordination refer to the coordinating of work activities between the employees where they divide work among themselves. This process requires coordinating mechanism to ensure the workflow, which means that everyone works in concert (McShane and Von Glinow 386). The primary means of coordination are informal communication which involves â€Å"sharing information on mutual tasks and forming common mental models to synchronize work activities†, Formal hierarchy which refers to the â€Å"assigning legitimate power to individuals, who then use this power to direct work pro... ...ble when the merging organizations operate in different industries or countries because cultures differ between industries and countries (McShane and Von Glinow 428). Conclusion and recommendation The integration process of merging companies is a combination of the existing cultures into a new culture that maintains the best features of the previous cultures, and it is most likely to succeed when existing cultures already need improvement so that employees are motivated to accept change. This strategy is particularly challenging when the members of the organization are satisfied with their previous culture because they will be resistant to change. Another very important factor for the success of mergers is the level of commitments made by the employees. Therefore, employees should be brought into the process as early as possible (Badrtalei and Bates 314).

It Is Not Natural for Young People to Feel Stressed Essay

1) Stress It is not natural for young people to feel stressed and hopeless about the situations they face. All young people want is to be happy, to make a real difference they need our help to develop a more positive mental attitude and to understand that the real source of their happiness or their stress and to develop the inner strength and confidence to deal with any situation, however challenging, is an important goal. Many young people today put too much emphasis on materialism as a source of their happiness and need our help in understanding the importance of one’s inner values example sharing and caring, moving away from â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† and using their resources to help others respecting the rights of others interdependence and our reliance on others compassion and forgiveness gratitude. It is unrealistic to expect young people to be able to avoid conflict and that is why we need to teach them how to seek a win/win resolution to conflict. This involves hel ping them to look at situations from different perspectives, not just their own. Young people also need our help in making full use of the opportunities that come their way. Many young people do not have self belief and need our help in identifying their strengths and past successes. This requires different thought processes that involve the young person distancing themselves from strong emotions in order to analyse situations using clarity and objectivity to see what is actually happening, to assess what needs to be done and to develop a strong sense of purpose. This was the young person is able to act out of a clear awareness of their situation not out of anger or fear. They have a better chance of remaining calm in adversity and will have developed their inner strengths. Young people are no different to us, they want to overcome stress. There is no simple technique that will guarantee a calm and peaceful mind because each young person is different and lots of factors are involved e.g. the young person’s background, the support they can draw upon, health, education. What you can do is help young people to challenge the way that they think and in doing so improve their attitude, outlook and approach. You can help young people to develop the inner discipline they need to identify those factors which lead to stress and those that help develop a calm and peaceful mind. Then it is a matter of simply helping the young person to experience firsthand the benefits of eliminating the negative factors and of cultivating the positive. Benefits are likely to include increased flexibility and creativity, being more open and willing to reach out to others. This approach does not only benefit the young person but their family, school or workplace and society as a whole. Each young person will have their own baseline of happiness and no matter what good or bad things happen to them they will return to this level of happiness. This baseline can be influence by how the young person sees a situation e.g. by comparing themselves with others they see as more fortunate their baseline happiness goes down. But if they compare themselves with those who are less fortunate it goes up. Research has also shown that when young people use their resources to help others their baseline happiness goes up. It can be helpful to explore with young people which thoughts they find he lpful and which are harmful. Similarly they can explore which emotions and behaviours are helpful and which are harmful in terms in terms of the levels of stress experienced both short and longer term e.g. which behaviours provide temporary relief and which bring lasting happiness. There are a variety of approaches and methods that can be used but it takes time and the repeated application of these techniques so that the young person becomes familiar with what is happening, is able to identify the lessons learned and apply them when making decisions. It takes time for a young person to reflect on what brings lasting happiness and to reset their priorities and align their resources and efforts to what is truly of value and what gives their life meaning. Relationships are important to young people but it is often difficult for them to connect with others without fear and apprehension, they can be a major source of stress. Young people need help to understand how interconnected and interdependent we all are and how being open and flexible, sharing problems can bring down barriers and reduce feelings of isolation. Intimacy is important to our physical and psychological well-being. Young people need our help to understand the true meaning of intimacy i.e. the sharing of one’s inner self with another. They also need help in finding opportunities to broaden their definition of intimacy by including friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers, opening themselves up to opportunities to bond. One way is to explore with young people how they feel when they meet somebody who is friendly and what are the practical benefits of this e.g. can turn to this person if I need help. You can then develop it further by exploring what it means to be the person who needs help by encouraging the young person to put themselves in the other person’s place and explore how they would react using their imagination. Then taking it one step further by encouraging the young person to let go of their own viewpoint and to develop an awareness and respect for the other person’ feeling. Another approach might be to encourage the young person to look for similarities in their own lives and those of others. It is a relationship in which we recognise that the young person is a fellow human being with the same need to live a less stressful life and one where we are willing to reach out and offer human affection, warmth, friendship and sensitivity to young people’s feelings. One of the major sources of relationship stress is the nature of power within the relationship. It can be helpful for young people to explore the sources of power, role and relationships before moving on to look at the feelings, what is shared and where there are connections. This approach is especially helpful in relating to each other as individuals, appreciating and valuing each other’s contribution. It is important to invest time in getting to know the young person’s basic characteristics as an individual before trying to relate at a deeper level i.e. beyond the superficial, willing to share the ups and downs of their lives, to demonstrate a responsibility and commitment. Building relationships with young people underpinned by feelings of compassion not only benefits young people it will also improve your own physical, emotional and mental health. You will feel calmer and will be less likely to suffer from depression. You will also have higher feelings of self-worth Organ Transplant An organ transplant replaces a failing organ with a healthy organ. A doctor will remove an organ from another person and place it in your body. This may be done when your organ has stopped working or stopped working well because of disease or injury. Not all organs can be transplanted. More than one organ can be transplanted at one time. For example, a heart and lung transplant is possible.Not everyone is a good candidate for an organ transplant. Your doctor or a transplant center will do tests to see if you are. You probably are not a good candidate if you have an infection, heart disease that is not under control, a drug or alcohol problem, or another serious health problem. People who need an organ transplant often have to wait a long time for one. Doctors must match donors to recipients to reduce the risk of transplant rejection. This is when the recipient’s body turns against the new organ, causing it to fail. People who have transplants must take drugs the rest of their lives to help keep their bodies from rejecting the new organ. Ironically, the increasing success rate of organ transplant procedures is one reason that organ transplant waiting lists have risen so dramatically since the late 1980s. The first organ transplants, performed in the late 1950s and 1960s, were characterized by high mortality rates; a major problem was that patients’ immune systems often rejected the foreign organ. The introduction of the drug cyclosporine in the 1980s helped mitigate this problem, and organ transplants subsequently became less experimental and more routine. Statistics indicate that in 1998 organ transplant procedures were successful 70 to 95 percent of the time, depending on the organ being transplanted. With these increasing success rates, more doctors have recommended the procedures. However, raising awareness about organ donation is a slow process, and the need for more organs is immediate. Thus the biggest dilemma facing the transplant community is, â€Å"How can the number of organs available for transpla nt be increased?†One proposal is to reverse the current system in which doctors must obtain a patient’s (or his or her family’s) consent in order to remove organs after death. Under a policy of â€Å"presumed consent† all patients would be presumed to want to become organ donors unless they explicitly state otherwise. Presumed consent proposals have consistently been met with strong opposition, however, on the grounds that they violate an individual’s right to make medical decisions for themselves. â€Å"Mandated choice† or â€Å"required response† policies are less extreme alternatives to presumed consent. Advocates of mandated choice policies argue that rather than waiting for people to volunteer for organ donation, hospitals or government organizations should require individuals to state their preference about organ donation, perhaps when they obtain their driver’s licenses or file tax returns. Texas, Colorado, and several other states have implemented required response policies, but, on average, rates of organ donation have not risen dramatically as a result. Researchers are also working on developing artificial organ s. As of February 2002, five people have received fully self-contained artificial hearts. The artificial heart has rarely been used because it is still highly experimental and because recipients must be willing to have their own heart removed to make room for the artificial replacement. Although there are many technical hurdles to overcome in the field of artificial organs, researchers are hopeful: Various laboratories in the United States and around the world are developing artificial hearts, lungs, livers, pancreases, bladders, and blood.In addition to developing artificial organs, scientists are working on techniques to grow human organs from a patient’s own cells. Instead of waiting for a donor, for example, a patient in need of a heart transplant might one day only have to wait until researchers can grow one in the laboratory. Some of the research involved in tissue engineering is tied up with cloning and stem cell research, and thus raises ethical questions. Such research is also at the cutting edge of biotechnology, and therefore it may be decades before it bears fruit. Nevertheless, the medical community is eager to explore this potential solution to the organ shortage. Although tissue engineering, artificial organs, and xenotransplantation provide hope for the future, the thousands of people currently on organ transplant waiting lists are counting on altruistic organ donation. The field of organ transplantation is one of the miracles of modern medicine, but its power to save lives depends directly on the availability of organs. CAUSES AND EFFECT ESSAY Obesity refers to excess amount of body fat, more than what is considered healthy for a given height. Generally, obesity is more in females than males because men have more muscles than women; muscles burn more calories than other type of tissues that have tendency to accumulate fat. Obesity has many predisposing factors like genetic, lifestyles and emotional factors, which may result on serious health problems. Obesity has been a serious issues that happening among us. According to the reports, Malaysia was being ranked 6th in the Asia with high obesity issues in 2010. Obesity is always being misunderstood by the people whereby they think overweight is considered as obesity. However, obesity is about having too much fat in the body. It is related with the eating patterns and habits which play an important part in order to live a healthy life. Therefore, obesity occurs with different causes and lead to several impacts on an individual. Do you know what the causes of obesity are? We never think about the causes of obesity, but they are very simple and common because it depends on the good habits that we have. If we count all the causes that provoke obesity maybe there are a lot, but we only need to focus on some of them. Because of emotional problems, bad eating, and the lack of exercise many people are overweight. The first cause is concentrated on emotional problems because sometimes they eat a lot to forget the problems or to relieve a feeling of emptiness. Many overweight people eat all the things that they see on the refrigerator because they feel alone, they try to full their body with food because their soul feels so bad and they need attention. Overweight people do that action to attract people’s attention because they need that other people to help them. Bad eating is the next cause that provokes obesity. Overweight people always eat junk food and it is the main cause why they increase their weight. They never eat fruits or vegetables, but always eat hamburgers, hotdogs, coca-cola, and others. This kind of food gives them more weight, in addition, gives them more problems. Overweight people eat because they need to eat, but its gluttony. The final cause is the lack of exercise which is important to reduce weight. People most of the times spend hours watching TV and don’t do anything that help their health. The lack of exercise is common in overweight people due to they can’t play, run, and they get tired very fast. Even when they can’t do exercise, they need to try doing a little bit because it’s so important to lose weight. We know that emotional problems, bad eating, and the lack of exercise are some of the causes of obesity. If we don’t pay attention to them, we will be exposed to many problems. This problem can be eradicated if we avoid all the things that cause obesity because we need to take care of our lives. Obesity affects the individual and the country. The biggest effect is on the individual. First of all, being overweight has health risks. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. The quality of life suffers, as it is difficult to enjoy exercise or move. Another result is lack of self-esteem. This can lead to depression, eating disorders and crash diets. The country is also affected. It becomes very expensive for the government to provide advanced medical care such as heart transplants. Unhealthy citizens are also less productive. and their children learn poor eating habits. Obesity or even being overweight has serious effects on the individual and the society. Both need to take action to examine the causes of this problem and find solutions. Obesity, because it alters the relationship between the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm, has been expected to alter respiratory function. Non-smoking, young adults with spirometry, lung volume measurement by nitrogen washout, and single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide . Changes in respiratory function were of two types, those that changed in proportion to degree of obesity–expiratory reserve volume and those that changed only with extreme obesity–vital capacity, total lung capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation. When compared with commonly used predicting equations, we found that mean values of subjects grouped by degree of obesity were very close to predicted values, except in those with extreme obesity in whom weight (kg)/height (cm) exceeded 1.0. In 29 subjects who lost a mean of 56 kg, significant increases in vital capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation were found, along with a significant decrease in single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Because most subjects fell within the generally accepted 95% confidence limits for the predicted values, we concluded that obesity does not usually preclude use of usual predictors. An abnormal pulmonary function test value should be considered as caused by intrinsic lung disease and not by obesity, except in those with extreme obesity. In conclusion, obesity is a major problem which founded in every economic class and has a lot of complications .Obesity can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, including a variety of foods, especially grain products, vegetables and fruits. The diet should be moderate in salt and low in fat and cholesterol. Reinforce the need for regularly physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Obesity has brought a lot of disadvantages or negative impacts internally and externally in our life. Everyone should have start to concern with their health condition and daily lifestyle from now on to avoid obesity. A balance diet and regular exercise would be th e key of a healthy lifestyle. CAUSES AND EFFECT OUTLINE Introduction Obesity refers to excess amount of body fat, more than what is considered healthy for a given height. Generally, obesity is more in females than males because men have more muscles than women; muscles burn more calories than other type of tissues that have tendency to accumulate fat. Obesity has many predisposing factors like genetic, lifestyles and emotional factors, which may result on serious health problems. Obesity has been a serious issues that happening among us. According to the reports, Malaysia was being ranked 6th in the Asia with high obesity issues in 2010. Obesity is always being misunderstood by the people whereby they think overweight is considered as obesity. However, obesity is about having too much fat in the body. It is related with the eating patterns and habits which play an important part in order to live a healthy life. Therefore, obesity occurs with different causes and lead to several impacts on an individual. Conclusion Obesity has brought a lot of disadvantages or negative impacts internally and externally in our life. To sum up, everyone should have start to concern with their health condition and daily lifestyle from now on to avoid obesity. A balance diet and regular exercise would be the key of a healthy lifestyle.

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita

Khrushchev was a self-made man, even with his unfortunate and harsh upbringing he still managed to make a name for himself. He became one of the most powerful and influential leaders In Russia, simultaneously holding the offices of Premier of the U. S. S. R. And First Secretary of the Communist Party. Strong willed, and committed, Nikkei Khrushchev fought for what he believed in and striver to make his country, Russia, a better place. Nikolas Khrushchev was born In a southern Russian village of Slovakia on April 5th 1894 .He was born into a poor family as a result he had to help his father take care of the family at the tender age of fifteen . Ata young age he learned how to work hard and fend for himself, which is one of the reason he was such a strong leader, people could relate to him more than the upper and middle class politicians. He was then drafted Into the Czarist army during World War I and soon after willingly Joined the communist party and the Russian Red army stood agai nst the white army , people who favored the Czar Nobility.He got the education he needed as an adult so he could be appointed secretary of the communist party Committee. As he rose to power, he never used it to manipulate or harm his people unlike his successor Joseph Stalin. He believed his only Job, as a leader was to make his people happy and restore the lost honor of Russia. He wanted Russia to be Just as advanced as Its rival country; united States. He launched programs to promote agriculture, heavy Industrial and military production.HIS plan for agriculture had a huge Impact n soviet life, since new tractors and machinery were to be built it created more jobs, which boosted the Russian economy. It also increased the amount of crops produced during harvest; by almost triple the amount of crops . One of his main policies was peaceful coexistence; it assumes a readiness to solve all outstanding issues without resorting to force by means of negotiation and reasonable compromises. For example, he openly did not agree with capitalist but he still believed underlying Issues could be worked out without war.He didn't believe In forcing his Ideas on people and that people should believe what they wanted to without being penalized, it was almost like a democracy. Although he did many good things for his country, many historians disagree that Nikkei benefited Russia (Soviet Union) at all. In Fact some wonder if events such as the Berlin Scrolls would have happened If someone else ruled the Soviet union. The Berlin Mà ªlà ©es crisis was a huge misunderstanding. All countries were taking precautions. The U.S installed several missiles sites all over Europe and one appended to be in range to strike Moscow, the Capital of the Soviet union. As a precaution the soviets put missiles in Cuba that could strike almost any portion of the U. S . Any leader would have reacted this way but his funding of the missile development at the expense of naval and regular forces had ali enated the military. They say he failed to revive soviet agriculture because the steps taken to achieve his peace, he should have known that the capitalists would not succumb to his policies without a little force.In order for his policies to succeed he would need the full or charity support of his people. In contrast I don't think he failed, the agriculture industry boomed, and the economy skyrocketed because he created more Jobs. He also made his country more technologically advanced than any other ruler could. For example, tractors, missiles etcetera. Even though historians say he cause havoc, I don't think he should be blamed for the Berlin crisis, soviet-U. S antagonism would largely have remained and the world would still have been trapped in a cold war.