Ethical Issues Regarding Information Technology - 1638 Words

Ethical issues regarding the use of information technology are changing rapidly in our advancing modern society. Historically information technology had seen limited applications and impacts on society in general. More recently, however, this has been changing as information technology has become a part of nearly every business, and personal activity. I will discuss how Information technology has brought about significant societal ethical changes. Users of technology in society and business today need to be increasingly aware of the need for the ethical use of technology. Information technology (IT) users need a code of ethics developed, so that they can navigate through the ethical issues they confront while using information technology.†¦show more content†¦The growth of social media (SM) has had a profound effect on society. Some of these effects are not always positive as witnessed by the London riots of 2011. Social media was blamed by the British government, for inciti ng and fueling the riots. The order of magnitude effect and the effort effect influences how human beings view the moral circumstances involving computers. The order of magnitude effect is, â€Å"due to the fact that computers operate at astronomical speeds as compared to humans, while the effort effect is due to the human nature, that if a job is not worth the exertion then one will probably not do it† (Lafayette). On the flip side, a serious threat is posed by the fact that, the efforts required to access and collect large volumes of data, has been eliminated by information technology capabilities. The lack of face to face interactions while using computers, alters the relationships among people. According to these authors property rights, plagiarism, piracy and privacy have become active issues. Also the benefits of information sharing are often in conflict with attempts to protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of information. Meanwhile IT is exposed to unethical practices due to absence of far reaching methods of authorization and authentication. â€Å"Aristotle, Plato and Socrates showed us the necessary elements to make a good life in a healthy enduring society† (DeLoatch). However, when this ancient knowledge is applied to the

Why Do You Think This Strategy Became Less Viable in the 1990’s Free Essays

string(136) " first entered foreign markets in the period up until the early 1990s\? b\) Why do you think this strategy became less viable in 1990s\." Chapter 12 – The Strategy of International Business Key Points of the chapter Strategy – is the actions managers take to attain the goals of the business (usually to maximize value for the shareholders/stakeholders). Value Chain – The operations of the firm compose the value chain which are the series of value creating activities that occur to create value. These actions include sales, production, IT, accounting etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Do You Think This Strategy Became Less Viable in the 1990’s? or any similar topic only for you Order Now These activities are divided into support and primary activities. Primary Activities – Design, creation and delivery of the product. They are: 1. RD 2. Production 3. Marketing 4. Sales Support Activities – Inputs that allow the primary activities to occur 1. Information Systems 2. Logistics 3. Human Resources Global Expansion Practices 1. Expand the market for your domestic products by selling internationally (Export) †¢ Requires a company to tap into their core competencies 2. Move production to the most efficient countries to realize location economies †¢ Some countries have a comparative advantage of production †¢ Transportation costs and trade barriers must not be an issue †¢ Location Economies is the value created by finding the most competitive place to produce product, therefore adding value i. Competitive can mean cheapest or best †¢ Creates a global value web as opposed to a value chain 3. Serve expanded markets from a single location, while recovering experience effects †¢ Experience curve: Systematic reductions in production costs that occur over the life of a product i. A products production costs decline each time the cumulative output doubles †¢ Learning Effects – Costs savings through learning by doing †¢ Economies of Scale – Reduce costs by creating a large volume of product, the larger your market, the more opportunity for this you receive. 4. Learn from foreign operations to increase your value Mature multinationals who already have operations in foreign markets can learn from their operations in order to create value for those specific customers. Pressures for Cost Reduction Managers can be forced to create value by reducing costs. This can be done through: †¢ Mass-produce a standard product †¢ Outsource certain functions †¢ Tends to occur in highly commoditized products (Chemicals, sugar, gas, steel) Pressures for local Responsiveness Arise because of: †¢ Difference in consumer tastes and preferences †¢ Infrastructure †¢ Accepted Business practices Distribution channels – May require a change in marketing strategy †¢ Host government demands International Expansion Strategies Global Expansion Strategy Focus †¢ Reaping cost reduction benefits through: †¢ Economies of Scale †¢ Learning effects †¢ Locations economies †¢ Low Cost on a Global Scale Method †¢ RD, Production and Marketing activities are concentrated in a few favorable locations †¢ Try not to customize their products/marketing strategy †¢ Use aggressive pricing When to use it †¢ Strong pressures for cost reductions †¢ Minimal demand for localization Localization Strategy Focus †¢ Increase profitability by customizing goods to match tastes and preferences in international markets Method †¢ Increase the value of the product in the local market †¢ Duplication of functions †¢ Smaller production runs †¢ Still need to be as efficient as possible When to use it †¢ When cost pressures are not high †¢ When local tastes differ dramatically †¢ When you have fewer competitors Transnational Strategy Focus †¢ Multidirectional transfer of core competencies and skills †¢ Leveraging subsidy skills Try to achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale and learning effects while differentiating their products for the local market. †¢ Very difficult to accomplish Method †¢ Redesign products to use the same components and produce them in one location †¢ Use assembly plants in key markets to assemble the more market specific final product When to use it †¢ When cu stomization and cost reduction pressures are high †¢ When managers have to balance the divergent pressures International Strategy Focus †¢ Taking products from your local country and without much customization, selling them in other markets. Method †¢ Centralize product development functions †¢ Tend to establish manufacturing and marketing functions in each major country or geographic region in which they do business. †¢ Increases costs but there are no cost pressures so that isn’t an issue †¢ May decide to do some minor customization of the marketing strategy When to use it †¢ Low cost pressures †¢ Low need for local responsiveness †¢ Selling products that serve universal needs †¢ Do not have many competitors Chapter Questions Q2: What are the risks that Wal-Mart Faces when entering other retail markets? How can the risks be mitigated? Economic Risks/Exposure Likelihood that economic mismanagement will cause drastic changes in a country’s business environment that hurt the profit and other goals of a particular business enterprise. †¢ Increase in inflation can hurt profits †¢ Recession †¢ Loss of confidence in the market and loans Legal Risks If Wal-Mart decides to enter a market where the legal system fails to provide adequate safeguards in the case of contract violations or to protect property rights they are opening themselves up to legal risks. Could affect the ability to participate in long term contracts and joint ventures Cross Cultural Literacy Risk: As experienced in this case, Wal-Mart suffered from cross cultural illiteracy, where they were ill informed about the practices of another culture which caused them to make bad decisions. Mitigation Strategy: Wal-Mart needs an adaptation strategy, which allows them to negotiate properly for the market, know the appropriate pay systems, set up the right organization, etc. They can do this by hiring local citizens, or a consultant. Transaction Exposure Risk: Extent to which foreign exchange values affect the income from individual transactions. Translation Exposure Risk: Impact of currency exchange rates on the reported financial statements. Mitigation Strategy: Lead strategy where you collect the foreign receivables early. Lag strategy, involves delaying payables if the currency is expected to appreciate. Political Risks Depending on where Wal-Mart is choosing to expand to, political forces that ould cause a drastic change in the country’s business environment could adversely affect the profit and other goals of a business enterprise. †¢ Strikes †¢ Demonstrations †¢ Terrorism †¢ Violent Conflict †¢ Enactment of unfavorable business laws CT 5 – Reread the management focus on the evolution of strategy at Procter and Gamble, then answer these questions: a) What strategy was PG pursuing when it first entered foreign markets in the period up until the early 1990s? b) Why do you think this strategy became less viable in 1990s. You read "Why Do You Think This Strategy Became Less Viable in the 1990’s?" in category "Papers" In the pre-1990’s era PG found their international expansion through the use of a localization strategy. They did develop many of their products in Cincinnati, but they relied on their semi-autonomous subsidiaries to manufacture, market and customize many of their products for the local markets their served. This model started to show signs of strain when many of the trade barriers that existed, specifically between European countries were lifted. This created an increase in competition, and for PG exposed their now unnecessary duplication of assets and processes. Also the creation of the â€Å"big box† retailers (such as Wal-Mart and Tesco) were causing the competitive factors driven by purchasing power to put pressures on lowering PG’s prices even further. Due to the increase in competition and the changing market conditions PG closed some of their local plants and asked their subsidiaries to exploit as much economies of scale as possible in their production lines. They also asked their local centers to create and use global brands whenever possible to try and reduce marketing costs. While these cost avings were effective, they were still not enough and PG then reorganized the company to be a pure Transnational Strategy, with more control occurring in the regional centers than ever before and using as little local responsiveness as possible to reach their customers so they could compete on price as much as possible. The benefits of the transnational strategy include: †¢ Cost reduction †¢ Reducing duplication of assets †¢ Creating global brands †¢ Manufacturing in places that have a comparative advantage in the production of that product †¢ Increase market share by beating your competitors prices Risks †¢ Very difficult to implement manage †¢ Organizational Structures have to be very complex and it can lead to o Performance ambiguity o Confusion over corporate goals o Culture issues †¢ High coordination needs that are both formal and informal Chapter 13 – The Organization of International Business Key Points of the Chapter Organizational Architecture: the totality of a firm’s organization, organizational culture and people. These three areas must be addressed for a company to be successful in the global market place. The architecture must match the strategy of the firm. Organizational structure: Formal division of the organization, the location of the decision making (centralize vs. decentralized) and the establishment of intergrating mechanisms to coordinate the activities of subunits. Control Systems are metrics used to measure the performance of subunits and make judgments about how well managers are running those subunits. Incentives are the divides used to reward appropriate managerial behavior. Incentrives are very closely tied to performance metrics. Processes are the manner in which decisions are made and work is performed within the organization. Organizational Culture refers to the norms and values systems that the employees of an organization share. Organizations are societies of individuals who come together to perform collective tasks. [pic] Organizational Structure 1) Vertical Differentiation – location of decision making a) Centralized – When the decisions are made by upper management Pros: †¢ Can facilitate coordination †¢ Ensure decisions are consistent with organizational objectives †¢ Give top level manager the means to bring about changes (authority) †¢ Avoid duplication of activities ) Decentralized – Local managers make the decisions †¢ Top management can become overburdened when decision making authority is centralized, which can result in poor decisions. †¢ Motivational research favors decentralization, people are more likely to give more to their jobs when they have a greater degree of individual freedom and control over their work. †¢ More rapid response †¢ Can result in better decisions because the people with the best information are the ones making the decisions. †¢ Can increase control, making the management more autonomous and therefore accountable. Frequently it makes sense to centralize some decisions and to decentralize others, depending on the type of decisions and the firm’s strategy. 2) Horizontal Differentiation – formal organization structure Decision is made on functions, type of business or geographical area. †¢ International Division – When a single division runs all the international activities. Facilitates the international strategy. †¢ Worldwide area structure – World is divided into geographic areas, each division has its own value creation activities. Facilitates local responsiveness. Difficult to transfer core competencies. Worldwide product divisional structure – Each division has its own value creation activities organized around the products they produce. Headquarters retain responsibility for the overall strategic development and financial control. Gives opportunities to consolidate the value chain creation of different subunits. Can require a lack of local respon siveness. †¢ Global Matrix Structure – Tries to solve the issue Bartlett and Ghoshal have argued where a company needs to be price competitive and locally responsive by creating a matrix where decisions are made by both product and regional managers. It is very difficult to pull off a global matrix structure as it creates conflict for the employees having two bosses with two different goals. In light of these problems many firms that pursue a transnational strategy have tried to build flexible matrix structures based on enterprisewide management knowledge networks and a shared dual culture. 3) Integrating Mechanism – mechanisms for coordinating subunits †¢ The need for integrating mechanisms changes with the strategy, the company is using: Lowest – Localization strategy Highest – Global and Transnational †¢ Very important in firms trying to transfer core competencies between units †¢ Very important in firms trying to recover economies of scale and learning experience with a web like value â€Å"chain† Questions CT2 – Discuss the statement â€Å"An understanding of the causes and consequences of performance ambiguity is central to issue of organizational design in multinational firms. † Performance Ambiguity exists when the causes of a subunit’s poor performance are not clear. This is not uncommon when a subunit’s performance is partly dependent on the performance of other subunits; when there is high interdependence between different subunits. In firms not pursuing a localization strategy, certain degrees of performance ambiguity are going to exist. In an international strategy, integration is required to facilitate the transfer of core competencies and skills. The success of a foreign operation is partly dependent on the quality of the competencies transferred from the home country, therefore these firms must design an organizational strategy with enough integrating mechanisms to achieve this. In firms pursuing a global standardization strategy they need to recover location and experience curve economies, making many of the firms processes interdependent. This will require even greater controls and integrating mechanisms and make the decisions more complex and the decision tradeoffs more substantial (i. e. save money on this product or spend money to make it easy to sell the product). Firms with the highest level of performance ambiguity are transnational firms. The multidirectional transfer of competencies requires significant interdependence and lots of join decision making, making the performance ambiguity very high. This means the control costs are going to be highest in transnational firms and that many of the costs recovered by the transnational strategy are lost to creating the expensive control systems that must exist to facilitate the strategy. Another byproduct of this strategy is that global and transnational firms need to do more than use only output controls of objective performance metrics such as profits, productivity and market share in order to control their subsidiaries. These firms must look into cultural controls, encouraging managers to want to assume he norms and value systems and use those values to solve problems between the interdependent units and avoid finger pointing based on the output results. CT5 – If a firm is changing its strategy from an international to a transnational strategy what are the most important challenges it is likely to face in implementing this change? How can the firm overcome these challenges? While becoming a multinational firm does not require a strategy change, in order to compete in the global economy and be the best at what you do, organizational change may become a requirement. First the company must decide their strategy and then they must develop an appropriate organizational structure to complement those goals. A transnational strategy focuses on the simultaneous attainment of location and experience curve economies, local responsiveness and global learning. This firm may want to look into a matrix structure where managers from regional and product areas come together to make decisions that will benefit both points of view. They need to implement control systems that will allow them to work with their globally dispersed value chain and to transfer core competencies and therefore will likely be more culturally driven then output driven. Decisions should be made at both a centralized and decentralized level depending on what the company needs to transfer between units and what specifically about the product needs to be locally responsive (e. . branding/marketing). There needs to be a mix of informal and formal integrating mechanisms which can be found in the decision matrix and via informal networking tools (e. g. Twitter). Finally there needs to be strong culture cultivation to keep all the units on the same page which can be accomplished by a strong leadership with good vision and a willingness to participate in the dissemination of that vision. According to the text the three basic principals for performing organizational change include: 1) Unfreeze the corporation through shock therapy Incremental changes are not necessarily enough †¢ People can easily reject or avoid incremental change †¢ In this case the announcement of a dramatically different structural organization to facilitate the new goals †¢ Senior managers must lead the way in the changes and the unfreezing process 2) Move the org to a new state through proactive change in the architecture †¢ Reassigning the responsibilities in the new organization †¢ Changing the control systems to be less output based and more culturally based †¢ Letting people go who are unwilling to change †¢ The changes must be done quickly Involving the employees from the beginning will get their buy in and will makes the changes better received. 3) Refreeze the org in its new state †¢ This step can take longer †¢ It requires culture es tablishment while the old one is dismantled †¢ Re-socialization of employee behaviors †¢ Hiring policies must change †¢ Control systems must be tested and be consistent with the new culture and ignore the old one †¢ The upper management must be diligent and not allow the old pressure to creep up Chapter 14 – Entry Strategy and Strategic Alliances Key Chapter Points Two Major Ideas: 1) The decision of which foreign markets to enter, when to enter them and on what scale 2) The choice of entry mode Which Market (Recap of chapter 2) The attractiveness of a country as a potential market depends on balancing the benefits, costs and risks associated with doing business in that country †¢ Long Run economic benefits of a function of size of the market, present wealth, likelihood of future wealth †¢ Future economic growth, which is a function of a free market system and the country’s capacity for wealth. †¢ Riskier in politically and economical ly unstable countries †¢ What kind of value the firm can create for consumers in that market Timing of Entry Early entry – when a firm enters a foreign market before others do First movers advantage †¢ Pre-empt rivals †¢ Gain market share †¢ Establish a strong brand Creating switching costs to tie your buyers to you †¢ Set the price so you can cut prices when competitors arrive First movers disadvantage †¢ Pioneering costs, from the foreign business system being so different that time and expense must be sacrificed to learn the ropes †¢ Business failure if the firm makes mistakes based on bad knowledge †¢ Promotion of a new product or idea Late Entry – When a firm enters a foreign market after other firms do †¢ Can watch what your competitors do, and learn from their mistakes †¢ Can ride the coattails of their marketing and promotion †¢ Don’t need to educate your customers Scale of entry †¢ Large scale Requires significant resource commitment which can lead to strategy commitments, where you can’t get out of the deal without suffering significant consequences o It does create a presence and instills belief that you are committed to your product and customers †¢ Small Scale o Allows a firm to learn the market without exposing the firm to risks o Way to gather information o Lack of commitment may make it harder to attract customers Entry Modes Exporting Advantages †¢ Avoids substantial costs of establish manufacturing operations in another country †¢ May help the firm achieve experience curve, location economies and economies of scale Disadvantages It may be cheaper to produce abroad †¢ High transportation costs on shipping could make it uneconomical to export †¢ Tariff barriers may prohibit your exporting, making it uneconomical, and the threat of tariff barriers can make it risky †¢ Delegates of the company that perform the sales, marketing, se rvice may work for other competitors and therefore will not have your best interests in mind Turnkey Projects – The contractor agrees to handle every detail of the project for a foreign clients, including the training of operational personnel. At the end the client is handed the â€Å"key† to a fully functional plant. Typically in complex production businesses. Advantages The know how is a valuable asset and you can earn returns on that knowledge †¢ Useful when FDI is limited †¢ Can be less risky than traditional FDI Disadvantages †¢ No long term interest in that country †¢ May create a competitor out of the creator of your factory †¢ Could be selling your comparative advantage Licensing – The licensor grants the rights to intangible property to another entity for a specified period, and in return, he licensor receives a royalty fee from the licensee. Advantages †¢ Licensee puts up most of the capital †¢ Good for firms lacking capital †¢ Prohibited from direct investment in a foreign market Disadvantages (3 serious ones) Does not give tight control over manufacturing, marketing, strategy, etc. that si required for realizing the experience curve and location economies. †¢ Limits a firms ability to share wealth amongst various divisions, and therefore limits a coordinated international strategy †¢ Giving away your comparative advantage Franchising – a specialized form of licensing in which the franchiser sells the IP, but also the franchisee needs to follow those specific rules the franchisor sets out. Advantages †¢ Firm is relieved of many of the costs and risks †¢ Good for firms lacking capital †¢ Good when you are prohibited from FDI in that country †¢ Allows you to build a global presence quickly Disadvantage Great for services, but perhaps not manufacturing †¢ Limits a firms ability to share wealth amongst various divisions, and therefore limits a coordina ted international strategy †¢ There are different definitions of quality, safety, etc. in different places making it difficult to maintain your image across other countries Joint Ventures – Establishing a firm that is jointly owned by two or more otherwise independent firms, it’s popular mode of entry into foreign markets. Advantages †¢ Get to benefit from the local firm’s knowledge of the host country culture, norms, language, political situation, etc. †¢ Provide the local knowhow to a new country †¢ Share the risks with another company Sometime political factors make it impossible not to partner with a local firm Disadvantages †¢ Risking giving away your comparative advantage to a potential competitor †¢ The firm doesn’t have tight control over local operations, making it difficult for companies needing to transfer a culture †¢ Shared ownership can lead to conflicts between the two corporations, which can be exacerbate d by the fact that the two firms are from different nations. Wholly Owned Subsidiary – The firm owns 100% of the stock in the project. Can be done through a Greenfield venture, where you build a factory from scratch or via acquisition of an existing enterprise. Advantages †¢ Protect your knowledge Tight control †¢ Required to gain experience and locations economies †¢ Can engage in global strategic behaviors Disadvantages †¢ High costs and risks †¢ Culture transfer can be difficult, especially in terms of an acquisition Chapter Questions Tesco Q2 – How does Tesco create value in its international operations? Tesco creates value by offering something that the market is lacking: a well run competitive grocery store. They enter emerging markets with growth potential and few competitors. They then acquire or partner with current enterprises in that country in order to ensure that the value they are creating will work for that particular consumer. Tesco researches their potential partners carefully, and they pick a solid chain with some stores and they build off of that known base. They bring to the table their core competencies, but they don’t remove the local managers who have the knowledge of the customer. Finally they have the capital and the retailing know-how to bring their moderately successful firms into a globally back force. This value is created out of successfully leveraging the joint venture strategy, where both firms bring something useful to the table and both are given the opportunity to be successful with their knowledge. Grocery stores are part service and part goods firms. Tesco’s strengths exist in both, but they are leveraging their service and management know-how transfer through the use of the joint venture. We know that value creation is measured by the difference between the converted inputs that create the cost of a product and how much the consumer is willing to pay for that product. More specifically in this case it is the amount consumers are willing to pay for the goods inside of the Tesco subsidiary. Porter states that it is important for the firm to decide where it wants to be strategically positioned in terms of cost effectiveness, and differentiation. Tesco wants to be a low cost provider of all the goods a consumer would purchase at a grocery store. They compete through their value chain by gaining purchasing power through expansion, and by leveraging their values skills in foreign markets. CT 5 – A small Canadian firm that has developed some valuable new medical products using its unique biotechnology know-how is trying to decide how best to serve the EU. Establishing a manufacturing firm outside of Canada is not outside of the firm’s reach, but it will be a stretch. Which of the following options would you recommend and why? a) Manufacture the product at home and let foreign sales agents handle the marketing. b) Manufacture the product at home and set up wholly own subsidiaries in Europe to handle marketing c) Enter into an alliance with a large European pharmaceutical firm. The product would be manuf in Europe y the 50/50 joint venture and marketed by the European firm. As stated in the text, if the firm’s core competency is the based on control over proprietary technological know-how, it should avoid licensing and joint-venture arrangements if possible to minimize the risks of losing control over that technology (option C). While the strategic alliance will allow for entry into the foreign market, I don’t feel that the EU is such a different type of market that it would be impossible to find someone in the US who they could hire to help them understand that market. The partnership can give competitors low cost access to the new technology and markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries for marketing would allow for the marketing to be owned by the firm and therefore reduce the risks associated with using the local sales agents that may serve their own interests in lieu of the firm’s. However, I suggest that the core competency of the firm is not their marketing skills, but rather their technological know-how. This means that they would be choosing to take on major risks and expenses in order to transfer a non core competency and therefore find themselves at risk of failure. Going back to the Lincoln electric case, we saw how selecting a mode of entry strategy on something other than your comparative can lead to significant issues. Exporting (option a) allows for the firm to realize location economies, experience curve economies while suffering from high transport costs, trade barriers and problems with local marketing agents. In this instance, the cost of shipping medical instruments is typically quite low, and the trade barriers between Canada and EU are nonexistent. However, they may find the local sales agents to be at odds with other competitors making it difficult to distribute the product. Despite this drawback however, I feel that the financial risks associated with option b and the dangers of losing their core competency in option c I would use the less risky option a. Chapter 15 – Exporting, Importing and Counter Trade Key Chapter Points Chapter Questions CT3 – An alternative to using letter of credit is export credit insurance. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the credit insurance rather than a letter of credit for exporting: a) A luxury yacht from California to Canada b) Machine tools from New York to the Ukraine A letter of credit, abbreviated as L/C is: †¢ Issued by the bank at the request of the importer †¢ States the bank will pay a specified sum of money to a beneficiary, normally the exporter, on presentation of particular, specified documents †¢ Charge a percentage to the importer as a fee for the service †¢ May require the importer to do some type of deposit †¢ It is a financial contract †¢ Allows for the banks to determine the creditworthiness of your trade partner, so no relationship must exist for the trade to take place Export Credit Insurance: Sometimes exporters who require a letter of credit from an importer will lose their business to another exporter who doesn’t require all the additional work †¢ Thus when the importer is in a str ong bargaining position and able to play competing suppliers against each other, an exporter may have to forgo a letter of credit. †¢ This exposes the exporter to risk †¢ The exporter can protect themselves against that risk through the us of exporter insurance †¢ The FCIA provides coverage against commercial and political risks. Losses due to commercial risk result from the buyers insolvency or payment default. a) Because the competition for selling this product is somewhat high I would expect the buyer to have more power than the seller and therefore I could see them asking the seller to forgo the letter of credit. If that is the case export credit insurance will be the likely route to manage the trade. However, if the seller can get the buyer to comply the letter of credit between the reputable Canadian bank and the US bank will be a good asset to leverage if possible. b) Because of the nature of the transaction, the letter of credit may be the best solution. This way the seller can insure that the buyer is credit worthy and the bank will take care of the relationship needs so the buyer and seller do not have to create a relationship. My only concern would be that of the Ukrainian bank and whether you can trust their banking system. It may be more prudent to use the exporter insurance again to guard against the ever present political and economic risks in that country. ———————– Structure Incentives controls Processes Culture People How to cite Why Do You Think This Strategy Became Less Viable in the 1990’s?, Papers

Emirates Airlines

Questions: Part AFor this project, you are to manage 2 different complex projects as allocated by your assessor. This is not a technical task, but a fundamental project management task. Information provided for each allocated task will be intentionally limited, and you will need to talk to your assessor for more details You have been given limited information regarding this project intentionally. You are to talk with your assessor to find more information about this project. This project requires you to: Implement start-up activities through updating and confirming the project plan (key dates, activities, resources, compliance, etc); understanding the project stakeholders, establishing appropriate systems, and using appropriate project management tools Coordinate the project implementation through managing integration of project activities, stakeholders input, disagreements and disputes, and change proposals Monitoring the project appropriately Arranging project follow-up activities including t esting, trialling or building requirementsPart BAt the completion of the project, you are to review its overall success. You are to do this by answering the following questions: Did the project result in the benefits defined in your business case? Did it achieve the objectives outlined in the terms of reference? Did it operate within the scope of the terms of references? Did the deliverables meet the criteria defined in the quality plan? Was it delivered within the schedule outlined in the project plan? Was it delivered within the budget outlined in the financial plan? Answers: Here two projects are being taken. One is the training and development project and the other is employee motivation project. Both the projects will be undertaken in the Emirates Airlines and management of these two is a vital task (Baker, 2007). Implementing Start-Up Actions Through Updating As Well As Confirming Project Plan Key dates- Project A- Project B- Activities Project A (training and development) Project B (Employee motivation) Human resources management department of the Emirates Airlines will take responsibility of making sure that staff satisfaction as well as efficiency of work is being properly maintained at the firm The firms team will indulge in the task of ensuring that the staffs are motivated to an extent from which the firm is getting a better output and the rewards are actually acting as a catalyst. A proper training and development program needs to be carried out where employees will be given data and information regarding the positive effects of appropriate service on the buyers and clients and how good behavior can make staffs retain customers and thereby earn maximum profit (Blunt, 1985) A proper agenda and plan will be laid down where incentives and their basis will be decided by the management team. Here the team will need to work on facts like when will be the staffs awarded, whether it will be monetary or non monetary award and also what will be the form of award (Harrison, 1992) Another action that will be taken will be regarding the laying down of the plan and process through which the training program will be carried out Next the management team will decide upon the benefits and effects of different incentives and other motivational tools and also will set priorities accordingly(Byers, 1974) Resources- Project A Project B The aims and goals of employee training and development program needs to be clear The employees must be involved in recognizing knowledge, skills as well as abilities that they will have to learn The staffs needs to participate in the activities during learning process Work experiences as well as knowledge which the employees attain to every learning condition has to be used like a resource (Herrera, 2002) A very practical as well as problem-centered loom based upon real examples needs to be used New material has to be connected to staffs past learning plus work experience The employees will be given proper opportunity towards reinforcing things that they learn through practicing Learning ecology needs to be informal, safe as well as supportive Individual employee needs to be given proper respect Learning opportunity will properly promote some positive and actions of self-esteem A good team of experts will be needed to provide training to the staffs (Leavitt, 1967) The main aim and goal needs to be very clear and precise The staffs must be surveyed and seen that what incentive has worked properly and most effectively in the past A very thorough past review of the motivational plan implemented in the past needs to be done A practical plan will be needed by the firm to enable the firm retain staffs for longer period of time Getting satisfaction of employees over rewards will staffs a very difficult task, firm will also need to learn the actions for proper management and those that would properly create the feeling of immense satisfaction all among employees (Korzynski, 2013) Appropriate motivation will be needed and also good motivational tools will be required by the management for encouraging the staffs and making them work for longer time period. Compliance- Project 1- Emirates Airlines will tend to apply some principles while application of the training program which will include both classroom program as well as self-study programs similar to the other methods and procedures of training. Here the firm will provide some experts who will supply classroom training to the staffs and also staffs will be supplied some books from where they need to learn and apply the same in their work (Lock, 1997). The internet also will be used by HR of the Emirates Airlines to facilitate self-study as well as development programs that will be very useful, for properly empowering the staffs and also will be cost effective more than what it was sometimes ago. Project 2- Organizations will actually pay proper attention towards monetary and even towards non-monetary awards and rewards that will be have to be given to staffs for motivating them, because balanced mix of both of the rewards can enable the firm to create extra beneficial and appropriate motivation. Any individuals goal as well as organizations goals actually will be tried to combine together as they are in reality independent and need to be linked by work motivation (Manolopoulos, 2007). Understanding project stakeholders and also establishing appropriate scheme, and using proper project management apparatus: Project 1- The vital stakeholders in this project will be the employees and also the management department that is the senior level managers who will get indulged in the planning and making processes of the project. Employee training actually is responsibility of organization. Employee training and development is that shared accountability and liability of the management which is always distributed among all the managers at top level and individual employee as well. The accountability of the management is actually to supply right resources as well as an ecology that would support growth plus development requirements of individual employee. For the program to get more and more successful, HR department will obviously expect each of the staff to be extra creative as well as innovative (Noe, 1999). They will even encourage staffs towards getting engaged in the web intended for ideas as well as self study plus even self development sources. They will even get information related to the group management plus the technology advancement. Project 2- Motivating the staffs can actually be single-vitally important activity and can be very much managerial challenge intended for employers. The capability of the firm to effectively indentify and also encourage the employees to properly work very hard each day is also an invaluable technique and will require a vast team of experts to understand the staffs well and also to motivate them properly. For the successful completion of the project the whole business will be a stakeholder of the project. The individuals will be intended and motivated to provide all of their services to the organizations towards attainment of the organizations goals for appropriately meeting all of their own that are their personal goals. Coordinate project implementation via managing incorporation of the project actions, stakeholders input and disagreements as well as disputes plus change proposals: Project 1- Initially, majority of staffs in employment will not carry any cause for shifting jobs otherwise careers. Presently when the program is going on, times actually will change and people will develop their careers and will aim to have become actually boundary less. Here the firm will try to implement the program in a way through which it could attain maximum result and minimize the cost (Ponnappa, 2014). The steps will be as follows: Recognizing staffs- the staffs who will be sent and put under the program will be recognized Providing information- The staffs will be informed about the program that will be held in the firm premises and then they will be asked to attend the program to enhance their own career and future The program will be then carried out in the planned manner The results will be evaluated Project 2- Motivation will directly relate to achievement of the staffs and also their retention in workplace. Achievement within the workplace will deal with pride as well as sense of proper accomplishment staffs feel about all of their jobs as well as employers. The steps will be Recognizing the Employees- recognition of staffs who are less motivated and actually need to go a long way for increasing as well as maintaining the achievement. 2) Quality of the Life- Employers will emphasize on the quality of the life and will try to motivate staffs toward proper achievement of higher levels of the productivity. Several employees will worry regarding the way in which they will balance the work duties as well as personal lives, plus such concerns could also negatively affect the morale as well as performance (Randolph, 2014) 3) Provide Coaching- Staffs who lack motivation while they dont perform good will be given [proper motivation classes and a session of brain wash will be undertaken. 4) Monetary Incentives- Several monetary incentives will also be provided. Monitoring project properly: Mentors will be involved in the task of monitoring. The vital role of these expert mentors within the training plus development will be to help the mentees search right solutions for themselves. Principle for the mentorship is also said to get extra effective while mentor helps the mentees gain experience of proper learning. The main principle will imply that mentor will focus upon mentoring the efforts as well as expectations on the helping as well as guiding mentored to the developed solutions as well as answers (Terry White, 1997). The staffs will also be asked several questions and a survey will be done to analyze the effectiveness of the program which was prior undertaken by the firm for enhancement and improvement of staffs and also retain them for longer period of time. Part B Outcome- yes the project was totally beneficial and also resulted in the standards that were set prior to the undertaking of the program. The result were actually far better than what was expected from the program Achievement of objectives- yes the project was very successful in achievement of the aims and objectives. Also the project proved to be very beneficial for the firm as it resulted in tremendous success of staffs (Wateridge, 2001). Did it operate within the scope of the terms of references? Emirates Airlines actually is among leading firms in aviation industry within undertaking the employee development. The Emirates Airlines has followed strategies as well as policies that have been result oriented. Yes the plan has effective strategies and tactics. It also operated in the proper scope of actual terms as well as references. It followed a certain path which has enabled the firm to attain the actual result which was set as a benchmark of the program outcomes (Wright, 2002). The firm has also aimed in achievement of results in a better way and the plan was laid down having vital scope and proper approach. Deliverables meeting criteria defined in quality plan The deliverables met all the criteria that was defined in the reference plan. Outcome which was seen totally matched the standard that was set. It was seen that the staffs felt quite better and extra happy after the training program, though motivation program was extra effective as it lacked a proper mix of monetary and non monetary mixes, yet attained good results though not best one. Was this delivered within schedule time- Yes both the programs were delivered within the scheduled time. Also proper timely evaluation was made which consumed some extra time. The timely delivery of the program made it extra effective and cost beneficial. If the time limit would have not been met the result would have been delayed and the outcome would have been something very different, may be negative as well. Was this delivered in budget outlined- The budget outline for the projects were actually properly met and it did not exceed the financial limit. This proved the project to be extra beneficial for both the firm as well as the staffs. Conclusion: The project management has always been difficult task for any of the firms which wants to undergo and/ or undertake any novel project for attainment of any personal or group aims and goals. Firms capable of managing such project effectively and efficiently result in extra profit and good image as well as better delivery of gods as well as services. In a nutshell here are all details regarding the two projects training and development of staffs and motivational program for employees that have been undertaken by Emirates Airlines. References Baker, H. (2007). Employee training. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media. Blunt, B. (1985). Measuring employee motivation. Performance + Instruction, 24(10), 6-6. doi:10.1002/pfi.4150241004 Byers, K. (1974). Employee training and development in the public sector. Chicago: International Personnel Management Association. Harrison, R. (1992). Employee development. [London]: Institute of Personnel Management. Herrera, F. (2002). Demystifying employee motivation. Employ. Relat. Today, 28(4), 37-52. doi:10.1002/ert.10014 Korzynski, P. (2013). Employee motivation in new working environment. International Journal Of Academic Research, 5(5), 184-188. doi:10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-5/b.28 Leavitt, H. (1967). Leadership, Employee Needs and Motivation. Psyccritiques, 12(7). doi:10.1037/009218 Lock, D. (1997). Project management. International Journal Of Project Management, 15(3), 195-196. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(97)83206-1 Manolopoulos, D. (2007). An evaluation of employee motivation in the extended public sector in Greece. Employee Relations, 30(1), 63-85. doi:10.1108/01425450810835428 Noe, R. (1999). Employee training and development. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Ponnappa, G. (2014). Project Stakeholder Management. Project Management Journal, 45(2), e3-e3. doi:10.1002/pmj.21400 Randolph, S. (2014). Maximizing Project Value: A Project Manager's Guide. Project Management Journal, 45(2), e2-e2. doi:10.1002/pmj.21399 Terry, N., White, P. (1997). The role of pension schemes in recruitment and motivation. Employee Relations, 19(2), 160-175. doi:10.1108/01425459710171049 Wateridge, J. (2001). Successful Project Management. International Journal Of Project Management, 19(3), 191. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(99)00054-x Wright, J. (2002). Effective Project Management. International Journal Of Project Management, 20(8), 633. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(01)00028-x

Nature Environment an Example by

Nature Environment by Expert Marvellous | 16 Dec 2016 Nature Environment: Thesis Statement Global warming continues to be an issue of major concern over planet earth with the worlds scientists relentlessly searching on how the phenomenon can be fought. Need essay sample on "Nature Environment" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Introduction Global warming refers to rising temperatures over the globe, which is as a result of use of non-renewable sources of energy and other sources of gas, which trap heat. The increased temperatures result into change in weather patterns consequently resulting to rapid climate changes. These climate changes comprise of high temperatures across the globe which increase at a very fast rate. Temperatures have risen across the globe since the industrial revolution in the 19th century. (Stephen, 17). Global warming is one of the greatest environment, social as well as economic threat facing the globe. The complexity and depth of the international collective response to the problem makes it a great challenge to the international cooperation. The complexity arises because of absence of equal impacts, costs as well as benefits of action against global warming across borders. More complexity is because of lack of supra-national authority in the areas affected by climate changes to provide coercive sanctions. Perception of benefits by nations therefore is vital to cooperation and expression of a willingness to participate in international treaties or other arrangements and sharing a common vision of responsible behavior. Mutual self-interest, recognition of shared threat and leadership by a dominant group is the likely driving forces of a collective action against global warming. People across the globe feel that they are suffering because of a few people who think that they hold the worlds economies thus strive to sustain their position as the superpowers Global warming affects planet earth by disrupting the weather patterns across the globe. Various regions of the planet have a certain climate. For instance, the coastal areas are normally warm as well as humid while the sub-Saharan Africa is normally hot as well as dry. Global warming results into increased temperatures due to increased heat trapped in gases in various parts of the globe. Consequently, these results into permanent climatical changes as well as weather patterns since past research show that, temperatures will continue to rise. Thus, global warming disrupts climatical as well as weather patterns on the globe. Thus, one of the major effects of global warming is its effects on the weather as well as climate. (Aaron & Chubb, 42). Global warming has some adverse effects to nature. Continued rise in temperatures resulting into permanent climatical changes will affect the nature of the planet. Global warming has disrupted climates in mountains. Mountainous regions have vegetation especially trees. These trees can only survive in certain temperatures. This may lead to poor growth and development of the rainforests. Thus, natures in mountain can be affected by global warming. Mountainous regions comprise of a biopersity of natural phenomenon. For instance, trees, vegetation and microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses as well as fungi. These living things can only survive in specific temperatures and failure to sustain such temperatures may result into extinction of the organisms. (Dornbusch and Poterba, 107). Global warming has also had some adverse effects to peoples lives. For instance, heat storms killed thousands of people in Europe. In Florida as well as the Caribbean regions various forms of hurricanes swept across the country some months ago leaving many people homeless. These hurricanes lasted for more than a month which devastated many, injuring and killing some. Intense storms prevalent in the Western Pacific Ocean have threatened many a lives. In addition, there has been a continued drought in the United Kingdom which is as a result of global warming. (Bernarde, 13). The globes temperatures rise degree by degree as well as this increases effects to natural resources. Living things on the globe are affected. For instance, extinction of trees as well as other organic materials in United States of America soil has consequently led to increased drought. Plants, which cannot adapt to the climatical changes, have become extinct leading to deforestation, which has caused droughts in these affected areas. (Harris, 41). Global warming has also led to rising sea levels in coastal towns. This is as a result of oceans habitats like whales, fish, crocodiles and so many others. Adjusting to the drastic climatical as well as weather conditions. This has led to the rise in sea level over the globe. For instance, over the last decade, the global sea level rose by about an inch and a quarter. Storms have also become very strong and this has led to storms like Katrinas as well as the Tsunami (David, 19). For instance, in 2003, 35,000 people perished in heat waves in Europe. (Leroux, 95). In the Atlantic as well as the Greenland areas, ice has been reported to be melting faster due to increased temperatures. In Greenland, layers of ice and piled up for thousands of years. Due to climatic changes, the layers of ice have gradually begun to break up and melt. When they do so, they fall into the ocean thus affecting the habitats of the oceans as well as raising the sea levels. For instance, in Greenland, global warming has led to fears that there is an embedding danger of one of its ice sheets, which is rated among the worlds biggest, splitting apart as well as finding its way into the ocean. This way it will be a major catastrophe for the planet. Researchers predict that when the ice sheet falls, the planets sea level is expected to rise by 23 feet. (North, 211). Global warming can be fought in a number of ways. The most effective way in which global warming can be fought is by looking at its causes, which include; the economic, environmental as well as political factors which contribute to its increase. There have emerged several schools of thought that aim to address the issue of global warming and the possible solutions across the globe. These schools of thought are categorized as; capitalistic on one extreme and socialistic in the other extreme and in the middle between the two there also exists a democratic model. Capitalist models of inpidual nations are the role contributors to global warming due to their profit motives. The socialist component remains essential in understanding of the various communities can fit together in offsetting climate change and satisfies the environment requirements that are global. Democratic approach in the planning is essential to allow for popular control at the region as well as at local levels. Full popular participation with people working through units to which they naturally belong is the essence of democracy in the conversion planning process. Levels beyond and within the interests of capitalism are achievable when socialistic framework is used to deal head on, with sources of the largest scale and most severe environmental destruction. (Uzawa, 2003). Although socialism is all too obviously no guarantee that immediate goals will not obstruct ecological wisdom, it does practically eliminate vested economic interests in perpetuating harmful practices. Therefore a debate over technological directions is only an argument, a confrontation of opposing beliefs but not a confrontation of opposing interests. The Struggle for Ecological Agriculture in Cuba, Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, No.5 p.140]. For most countries subjected to economic colonies, to capitalisms most severe environmental abuses, any reduction of the capitalist presence offers great scope for improvement. To achieve success in the fight against global warming, it is important to balance between the capitalistic model and the socialistic model, which is achievable through harmonization of the two into the democratic model. (North, 66). In conclusion, it is evident from the discussion above that global warming has affected our planet adversely and will continue to do so. Rising temperatures, as well as varying climatical changes, are being experienced in various regions across the globe. Global warming should therefore be considered as a global disaster whose effects as well as consequences cannot be handled. Written by EssayLab Works Cited Aaron & Chubb. Setting National Priorities, Brookings Institution Press.1990. Bernarde, A. Global Warming, Wiley-IEEE 1992. Dornbusch and Poterba. Global Warming. Economic Effects of Global Warming, MIT Press. 1999. Grant, et al.Teaching About Climate Change, New Society Publishers.2001. Harris, P. Global Warming and East Asia. 2003. Leroux, M. Global Warming; Management and Reality, Springer.2005. North, G. et al. The Impact of Global Warming on Texas.1995. Silvernstein, et al.Global Warming, Twenty-first Books.2003. Stephen, H. Global Warming, Schneide. James Clarke 1st Company.1990. The Struggle for Ecological Agriculture in Cuba, Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, No.5.2004 Uzawa, H.). Economic Theory & Global Warming, Cambridge University Press. 2003.

The Affirmation of Love in essays

The Affirmation of Love in essays Jim Craces novel Being Dead is not a story about the end to two lives. Rather, this provocative and haunting novel is an affirmation for the love of life as seen through three prisms: First, Joseph and Celice, the married zoologists who at the outset of the novel are found dead on a beach, their lifeless bodies decomposing were rekindling the love they first shared when they met on the same spot thirty years earlier. Second, this is also the story of what happened during the six days between their discovery, a time when their daughter and friends searched for them. And, finally, it is also the tale of the slow disintegration of their bodies on the beach, and how the elements found in nature embrace them. It is a three-part love story. Crace writes: Syl had to allow them this at least: her parents had surprised her this one time. Not just their murder. Not their nakedness. But that they had the power on their deaths, to flush her heart too late-with love. (Crace 157) Yes, Syls discovery of her fathers hand wrapped round her mothers leg (156) had thrilled her. Her heart changed. More importantly, Being Dead is an affirmation of the love of life an unassuming couple, their estranged daughter and nature find together when fate crosses their paths. The novel starts from the end to the beginning of it all. It begins by introducing the dreadful end of the lives of Joseph and Celice. The couples bodies remain thrown along the dunes, almost embracing each other. They had been murdered in broad daylight, as they were remembering the first time they made love, How unexpected, then, that these two, of all couples, should be found like this, without their underclothes, their heads caved in, unlikely victims of unlikely passions(3). The novel travels back in time to show each step before it happens. Their bodies rested entwined and undetected. Although, never before...

Why the South Lost the Civil War

Why the South Lost the Civil War Although the reasons for the defeat of the Confederacy in the American Civil War are debated just as energetically as the causes of the war, the answer to the question, â€Å"Why did the South lose the war?† was actually answered a long time ago. Three Reasons of the Union Victory Some years after the war ended, Confederate General George Pickett – who was actually a much better officer than his being the namesake of the famously doomed Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg might suggest – was asked why he thought the South lost, to which he replied, â€Å"I think the Yanks might have had something to do with it.† The Confederacy did not lose the Civil War, the Union beat them, and it was not until the very last few months of the war that it was at all clear that they would. CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR The reasons for the Union victory are usually described as advantages in three areas: resources, strategy, and performance on the battlefield. While it is true that the North ultimately bested the South in all three, these advantages were for much of the war either not as great as they appear now, or were not well-applied; and the forces of the Confederacy had some considerable advantages of their own. Reason 1: Resources Confederate General Robert E. Lee certainly thought the disparity of resources between the North and South was to blame for the Confederate defeat; after surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox on April 10, 1865, he explained in his farewell address to his soldiers, â€Å"After four years’ arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, declared Lee, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.† That was a bit of an understatement; the Union had two-and-a-half times the population of the South, had a vastly superior road and rail network, and when the war began, was producing over 90 percent of the country’s iron and very nearly all of its weapons, industrial advantages that only increased significantly as the war progressed. The Confederacy relied almost entirely on trade with Europe and the Northern states for industrial goods; for example, there was only one factory in the south – the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia – that was capable of producing large weapons, iron plating for ships, and heavy locomotive components. Nonetheless, the South managed to keep itself supplied for much longer than the differences in capabilities suggest it should have. While the Union blockade of the Confederacy – helped immensely by the capture of important ports such as New Orleans, Mobile, and Wilmington – did almost completely stop the flow of material from other countries after 1862, illicit trade with the North through the border states of Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland was harder to stop, and kept a trickle of much-needed supplies flowing right up to the very end of the war. Reason 2: Strategy One aspect of the Confederate defeat that is debatable is the degree to which the strategy by which they pursued the war was imposed on them by political realities versus how much of it was the result of poor decision-making. All the South had to do was defend itself; the onus was on the North to ‘take back’ the rebellious part of the country. The Confederacy, however, comprised a huge territory, nearly 750,000 square miles. Some Southern military leaders, most notably General Joseph E. Johnston, advocated what in hindsight probably would have been a sound defensive strategy: giving up territory to defend key places like the major cities and doing most of the fighting with the North using guerrilla forces. The prevailing view, however, was that recognition of the Confederate States of America by other countries like England and France (and the desperately needed military assistance that would have come with it) was only possible if the South could demonstrate that it was a legitimate nation that could defend itself. That meant facing the Union forces in conventional fashion, defending the entire Confederate territory, and taking the fight to the Union where possible; this was the strategy preferred by Confederate leader Jefferson Davis (who unlike his Union counterpart Abraham Lincoln had extensive military experience) and General Lee. The unavoidable problem with the Southern strategic situation is that the initiative lay entirely with the North; Union forces could strike wherever it seemed most advantageous to do so, and the Confederate forces would largely be limited to reacting to it. To be fair, they did so magnificently more often than not. Lee’s repeated offensive-defensive campaigns in response to Union invasions of Virginia stymied the North – and almost ended the war in mid-1864 – until the final few months of the conflict, and even in the face of the brilliant war of maneuver conducted by Union generals Grant, Sherman, and George Thomas in the West, Confederate leaders like Johnston, Braxton Bragg (a general to whom history has, quite unfairly, not been kind), and Nathan Bedford Forrest presented a formidable challenge and delayed the eventual Southern defeat. Reason 3: Performance on the Battlefield One of the obvious reasons the Civil War was the most savage conflict ever fought by American soldiers is that from the highest generals to the lowest privates in the ranks, the two forces were so evenly matched in terms of talent and motivation, even if the advantage of numbers went to the Union. Most of the leaders on both sides had trained and served together in the pre-war Army; many were brothers-in-arms as young officers in the Mexican War 20 years earlier. The conventional view that â€Å"Southerners made better soldiers† because most of them were farmers, handy with weapons and horses and used to rough living, overlooks the fact that an overwhelming number of Union troops were from the farming states in the upper Midwest. For example, the famed â€Å"Iron Brigade† of the Army of the Potomac, one of the most-feared units in either army, and one of the few who could claim to have defeated the equally-renowned Stonewall Jackson was made up entirely of men from Wisc onsin, Michigan, and Indiana. The advantage to the Union on the battlefield largely came about because of its superiority in firepower and numbers, but also because Southern leaders made a few more bad decisions at wrong times than their Union foes. Lee’s two invasions of the North – which ended in the horrific battles of Antietam and Gettysburg – were unnecessary and costly strategic mistakes, compounded by a number of uncharacteristic errors during both campaigns. Likewise in the West, General Bragg’s outstanding victory at Chickamauga was wasted when he failed to follow up on it, allowing Grant to come to the rescue and eventually defeat Bragg at Chattanooga. Could the Confederacy have won the Civil War? The weight of evidence tips the balance towards the answer, â€Å"Probably not.† Yet the question is still interesting and worth discussing, even after 150 years. WHEN IS MILITARY FORCE JUSTIFIED? An excellent, detailed history of the Civil War can be found in James M. McPherson’s 1988 book, Battle Cry of Freedom, which explains the Civil War in-depth from the end of the Mexican War in 1847 to the tragic assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Business Issues and the Contexts of Human Resources Assignment

Business Issues and the Contexts of Human Resources - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Tesco’s major business purpose is to provide a wide array of general merchandise and groceries. The company has its retail outlets located in 12 countries. In UK market the company acquires approximately 30% of market share and is a grocery market leader. The total revenue gained by the firm as per the financial year 2014 is  £70.894 billion and it encompasses an employee base of 597,784. Tesco’s management functions are associated with improving the functionality of every department and maintaining long-term relationships with employees. Democratic management style is followed by the company. Charles Handy stated that there are four cultures followed by any organization such as power, task culture, person culture and role culture. Role culture has been implemented in Tesco Plc where employees are allocated responsibilities and roles as per their specialization. They also possess ownership towards assigned tasks or duties . The HR function fits well within the organizational structure since it is more inclined towards process and operation. HR functions are delivered through a centralized format where HR heads are an administrative expert as per Ulrich model. The Ulrich model comprises four dimensions of people, strategic or future focus, processes and day-to-day operations. On basis of these dimensions, there are different aspects associated with leaders like employee champion, change agent, strategic partner, and administrative expert. HR effectively contributes towards workplace through managing people and increasing efficiency of human resources. There are even strategies formulated by HR department in order to increase employee productivity. The job of HR department is not only to recruit talented individuals but even to retain them within the system.

Hants Hotels Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hants Hotels Report - Essay Example The strategy to be used in Hants hotels should address information quality, effectiveness of management systems and relevance of management system to decision making by management. The business should adopt an information processing centre that will gather, disseminate and coordinate information at all levels (Floyd and Wolf, 2010). The unit will be tasked to research and process on affront data arising and affecting the industry as a whole, location operations and size of the market. Once the data is processed, the information should be communicated in the most efficient channel possible to the relevant destination (Mckeen and Smith, 2008). This will help the management and other workers in the business react efficiently and effectively to current situations. To make the strategy effective, management has to organize and avail procedures on training workforce of the Hants hotel group on the use and usefulness of the information centre. This will make sure they are not left out but they are at the centre of the control (Floyd and Wolf, 2010). For the information management to be of optimal benefit to the hotel, information assembling and decoding should be done by all stake holders agreeing on key information decisions (Mckeen and Smith, 2008). This ensures that tools used in information management are used for realizable results and pay off expected is realized. Allowing consensus building in the information creation will help the business eliminate the following problems in information management (Peppard, 1993). Hants hotel group is under difficulty of delivering solution, thus, the information management center should recognize presence of complexity and manage it. To manage the complexities the information management should take clear direction and avoid use of simple approaches to solve the problem. Parallel activities should be planned to face the

Body Paragraphs Essay Example for Free

Body Paragraphs Essay There have been thousands of studies done on the effects of television on children. Most of these studies have leaned toward the negative effects that television has on children. According to a study by the University of Michigan, even though television can have positive effects it can also affect the health, behavior and family life of children in negative ways. Also while studies have been done on the effects that television has on children under the age of two there has been no clear evidence on the effects. Some studies have shown that it may lead to learning and attention problems, but not the experts have agreed this is true. Children are seeing more and more violence on television every day. Even in G rated movies children are subject to violent acts. All we have to do is look at some of the Disney movies over the years. While Snow White was a positive upbeat person that was nice to everyone, she was still killed by the wicked witch. The movie the Lion King shows children how Scar plotted the death of Mufasa and it shows Simba coming back for revenge. Then you have cartoons like The Simpsons and Family Guy. These show play up the use of foul language, violence, and disrespecting everyone, especially your parents. The characters on these shows have become idols. Bart Simpson and Stewie have become idols to children. They talk like them and act like them. They think that when they are violent or they curse or when they disrespect their parents it is funny and something that they should do. An average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by the age of 18 (www.med.umich.edu). This viewing of violent acts are desensitizing are children to violence. They are becoming less aware of violent acts or just don’t care that much when they happen right in front of  them. There is a research report that was written in 2009 by Brad J. Bushman and Craig A. Anderson called â€Å"Comfortably Numb The Desensitizing Effects of Violent Media on Helping Others. This research shows the how violence in movies and on television desensitizes people to violent acts or the plights of others around them. They are also their fear of the world is increased. They are seeing that not only the bad guys are violent but the good guys are extremely violent and that they get away with the violence. Children are not sure who they can trust or who is good. Some even see that by becoming the â€Å"good guy† you can get away with more bad behavior. According to KidHealth.org, TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, these same characters are reinforcing gender-role and racial stereotypes. I know that our doctor told my daughter to watch Teen Mom. This show may show the downsides to teen parenthood, in my opinion it has kids thinking it would be cool to have a child and then maybe they could get on television. I have spoken to several different people from my daughters parenting class and I have talked to my daughters Family First specialist. They have agreed that shows like these are not good models for teen moms. Yes, they may show the difficulties that these girls have but they also show these girls still having sex, disrespecting their parents and fighting. Also all have agreed that too much television and television that is not supervised can be harmful to children. According to KidsHealth.org children who spend too much time in front of the television are more likely to become overweight. Children are spending more time in front of the television which is making them less active. They do not go outside and play sports or socialize with other children. Children are more likely to constantly snack while watching television. These are not always healthy snacks. They are things like cookies and chips. They see the commercials for these and their minds tell them that they want them. By limiting the time that your children are watching television you will be able to help them become more active and more sociable. On the reverse side of this situation, though, is that some of the negativity  can be reduced as long as parents limit the amount of time that children spend in front of the television. It has been suggested that no more than 2-3 hours a day of television for older children and 1-2 hours of television for younger children. Also parents need to supervise and be aware of what their children are watching. Television can be a learning experience as long as parents take the time to talk to their children about what is being watched on television. Parents can also be a positive role model for their children by limiting the time they watch television. They need to watch more positive programs when they are watching television with their children. If there is something bad on the show they need to take the time to explain to their children the behavior that they saw on the television program was not appropriate and why it wasn’t appropriate.

Gravity :: essays research papers fc

Gravity has many benefits to humanity. It holds us to the earth so we do not fall off the earth and die in space. It holds the planets in orbit around the sun, and moons in orbit around their planets. It also holds stars in orbit around the center of the universe. (Gibben, page 14) Sir Isaac Newton thought that God created a perfect universe. He thought our universe was so perfectly designed that if God left the universe could run by itself. This view was extremely different early pagan scientist and offered new views about gravity. (Lindley page 34 and 35). Some two-hundred years later Einstein developed the General theory of Relativity. In this theory he stated that matter disturbs space-time. he said that the universe is like a giant rubber sheet and objects such as stars bend space-time. (Gibben, page 49.) One of a gravity's most complicated features are black holes. Black holes are objects that have as strong or stronger pull of gravity as stars such as the sun compacted into a extremely small space. It is so strong that light can not escape a black hole. It has been proven that black holes leak. The smaller the black hole is the more it leaks. (Gibben, page 46) If a object is put in the path of a black hole the process of spegetification begins. This process begins when an object falls under gravity it stretches and stretches into a long thin object. the only way to get out is by traveling faster than the speed of light. (Gibben, page 63) According to Newton, if the sun was to disappear, the sun's gravity would immediately disappear with it. This would cause the gravitational attraction of the sun and earth to immediately leave into outer space. Then the earth along with all the other planets, moons, and asteroids would fling into space.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

The novel traces the life of David Copperfield from the time of his birth to his mature manhood, when he is married and familiar with the vicissitudes of life. His early years are enjoyable with his mother — who was widowed shortly before his birth — and with her servant, Peggotty. Life is happy for David until his mother decides to marry Mr. Murdstone; afterward, life becomes unbearable for David. He is soon sent to a miserable school where he becomes friendly with James Steerforth, a fellow student. When David's mother dies, he is taken from school and put to work by Mr. Murdstone in a London warehouse.Although David enjoys the company of the impoverished Micawber family, with whom he boards, his other associates and the work are intolerable, so, without money or property, he runs away to his Aunt Betsey Trotwood in Dover. Despite a stern exterior, Aunt Betsey treats him well, adopting him and sending him to a good school. While at school, he boards with a Mr. Wickfie ld and his daughter Agnes. (Throughout the novel, David retains a fond, sisterly affection for Agnes. ) After graduation, David works in the law office of Spenlow ; Jorkins and soon falls in love with Mr.Spenlow's daughter, Dora. About this time, Em'ly, the Peggottys' beloved niece, runs off to marry Steerforth, whom David had innocently introduced to her while she was engaged to Ham, a nephew of the Peggottys. The family is saddened by this development, but Mr. Peggotty sets out to find her and bring her back. David uses his spare time doing clerical and literary work to help Aunt Betsey, who now finds herself without financial resources. He marries Dora, only to find that he has a â€Å"child-wife† who knows nothing of housekeeping and cannot accept any responsibility.Meanwhile, Uriah Heep, an â€Å"umble† clerk in Mr. Wickfield's employ, whom David dislikes, has deceitfully worked his way into a partnership, aided by Mr. Wickfield's weakness for wine. In addition, D avid also discovers that his old friend Mr. Micawber has gone to work for Heep. David has remained fond of the Micawbers, and it troubles him that his old friend is working for a scoundrel. Eventually, however, Micawber has a grand moment of glory when he exposes Heep as a fraud, helping to save Mr. Wickfield and restoring some of Aunt Betsey's finances.David's wife, Dora, becomes ill and dies, and David is troubled until Em'ly, the Peggottys' niece, returns to her uncle. David has felt guilty for some time for having introduced Em'ly to Steerforth. After a reconciliation is accomplished, Em'ly, along with some of the Peggottys, and the Micawbers leave for Australia to begin new lives. Before they leave, David witnesses a dramatic shipwreck in which Steerforth is killed, as is Ham in attempting to rescue him. Still saddened by the loss of his wife and other events, David goes abroad for three years.It is only after he returns that he realizes that Agnes Wickfield has been his true l ove all along, and their happy marriage takes place at last. I don’t know what to think of the book. I found the starting bits very boring. David Copperfield is the least interesting character in the book, and because the beginning of the book deals almost entirely with him†¦well, let’s say it was heavy going for me. In fact, the book itself doesn’t really take off till almost the middle of the story when David’s aunt loses her fortune. After that, David and his friends really stop messing about, and start trying to fix their messed up lives.Until then, it’s all a hodge-podge of bad choices in love, and money. Dickens has a somewhat preachy, moralistic hero, and the tone of this book reflects that. I found some humorous sections, but not many, and the pace is uneven. Towards the end, the last 200 pages or so, Dickens is really forced to up the pace, and it’s an odd feeling when a slow book suddenly hurtles towards the end. In the proces s, Dickens ends up killing one important character, exporting a whole bunch of people to Australia, and sending another couple of people to prison!So, I didn’t like David Copperfield (the hero I mean), and I wouldn’t have liked the book either if not for the really interesting secondary characters. There is Agnes – David’s good and wise childhood friend who is in love with him, David’s silly wife – Dora, the perennially in debt Micawbers, the evil albino Uriah Heep, the sentimental and kind Mr. Peggotty, David’s aunt – the strong, feminist Betsey Trotwood†¦so many people to keep track of†¦but good fun anyway. Charles dickens Charles Dickens is much loved for his great contribution to classic English literature.He was the quintessential Victorian author. His epic stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of contemporary life are unforgettable. His own story is one of rags to riches. He was born in Portsmouth o n 7 February 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. The good fortune of being sent to school at the age of nine was short-lived because his father, inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in ‘David Copperfield', was imprisoned for bad debt. The entire family, apart from Charles, were sent to Marshalsea along with their patriarch.Charles was sent to work in Warren's blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and despair. After three years he was returned to school, but the experience was never forgotten and became fictionalised in two of his better-known novels ‘David Copperfield' and ‘Great Expectations'. Like many others, he began his literary career as a journalist. His own father became a reporter and Charles began with the journals ‘The Mirror of Parliament' and ‘The True Sun'. Then in 1833 he became parliamentary journalist for The Morning Chronicle.With new contacts in the press he was able to publish a series of sk etches under the pseudonym ‘Boz'. In April 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of George Hogarth who edited ‘Sketches by Boz'. Within the same month came the publication of the highly successful ‘Pickwick Papers', and from that point on there was no looking back for Dickens. As well as a huge list of novels he published autobiography, edited weekly periodicals including ‘Household Words' and ‘All Year Round', wrote travel books and administered charitable organisations.He was also a theatre enthusiast, wrote plays and performed before Queen Victoria in 1851. His energy was inexhaustible and he spent much time abroad – for example lecturing against slavery in the United States and touring Italy with companions Augustus Egg and Wilkie Collins, a contemporary writer who inspired Dickens' final unfinished novel ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood'. He was estranged from his wife in 1858 after the birth of their ten children, but maintained rel ations with his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan. He died of a stroke in 1870. He is buried at Westminster Abbey.

Holographics and Virtual Reality

HOLOGRAPHICS AND VIRTUAL REALITY Major KVP Dhammika M. Phill(Electronic and Telecommunication)Engineering Mid Career Course -45 Military College of Signal Rawalpindi – Pakistan Nov 2011 CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Aim 3. History and Background 4. Important Concepts 5. Type of Virtual Reality Systems 6. Few Virtual Reality Techniques that Actually Work at Present 7. The Extreme Future of Virtual Reality 8. Conclusion INTRODUCTION What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can hear, what you can smell, taste and feel, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. Morpheus (The Matrix) 1. It was my own belief next coming decade word virtual will be a very common to everyone since we all living in margin of real world and virtual world (Kind of dream world). When I started my high school studies in mathematics concept of imaginary numbers make me so confused but thought of its real existence me more confused. When I looked through a m irror I always thought imaginary world which was explained to me in complex numbers are exist inside the world that I am observing through a mirror. 2.When I was a kid TV show â€Å"Star Trek† and â€Å"Blake’s 7† induced my desire to study about Teleportation  (term that refers to a number of theories and notions concerning the transfer of  matter  from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them, similar to the concept  Ã¢â‚¬Å"apport†, an earlier word used in the context of spiritualism). Figure 1 Star Trek Teleportation Further my desire to learn concepts of Holography and Virtual Reality (VR) was stimulated due to two popular movies â€Å"Total Recall† and â€Å"Matrix†. . To day scientist had found that everything we experience in life can be reduced to electrical activity stimulating our brains as our sensory organs deliver information about the external world. This interpretation is what we consider to be â€Å"reality. † In this sense, the brain is reality. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is an interpretation of what's outside, and created entirely inside your head. We tend to believe that this interpretation matches very closely to the external world.Nothing could be further from the truth. 4. It is the brain that â€Å"sees†, and in some important ways what it sees does not reflect the information it derives from sensory input. For this reason, we are all living in our own reality simulations – abstractions – that we construct as a result of both what we perceive with our senses and how our brains modify this perception. Such things as color, smell and taste, for example are not properties of the outside world itself, but rather a category created by the process of perception.In order to experience the world in a meaningful way, the brain must act as a filter/interference between us and the â€Å"real† world. 5. Words have a lways been a crude method of relaying intent. VR holds out the promise of allowing us to literally show one another what we mean rather than merely describing it with crude verbal approximations. The limitation of words is that the meaning they convey is only as detailed as the definitions the reader or listener attaches to them.For this reason VR offers the possibility of evolving our communication into a kind of telepathy, ultimately bridging the gap between our discrete imaginations. â€Å"This is what virtual reality holds out to us – the possibility of walking into the constructs of the imagination. † – Terence McKenna 6. VR is the ultimate medium of syntactical intent; the only way to figuratively â€Å"show† someone exactly what you mean is to literally show them. Words are exceptionally ineffective at conveying meaning, as they are a low-bandwidth, lossy medium of knowledge transference.VR will let us remove the ambiguity that is the discrepancy b etween our internal dictionaries and bypass communication through symbolism altogether. The result will be perfect understanding, as all parties behold the same information. 7. Holography  is a technique that allows the  light  scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system (a camera or an eye) is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present.The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object were still present, thus making the image appear  three-dimensional. 8. Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. On a computer, virtual reality is primarily experienced through two of the five senses: sight and sound. Today its go beyond and planning to experience in all five senses. 9.The simplest form of virtual reality is a  3-D  image that can be explored interactively at a personal computer, usually by manipulating keys or the mouse so that the content of the image moves in some direction or zooms in or out. More sophisticated efforts involve such approaches as wrap-around display screens, actual rooms augmented with wearable computers, and  haptics (  tactile feedback  technology that takes advantage of a user's sense of touch by applying forces,  vibrations, or motions to the user)  devices that let you feel the display images. 0. Today we are in a world where human being reached their new electronic telecommunication advancement to practically feasible of projecting holographic images, virtual reality games and Telepresence (refers to a set of  technologies  which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via  tele-robotics, at a place other than th eir true location). 11. These two field application can be expected in almost all the fields. Specially military, education, business and entertainment. AIM 12.Aim of this research work is to acquaint student officers immerging new two technologies, holography and virtual reality. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND 13. In mid 1950s visionary cinematographer Morton H Eilig built a single user console called â€Å"Sensorama† that included a stereoscopic display, fans, or emitters, stereo speakers and a moving chair. This enabled the user watch television in three dimensional ways. 14. In 1961, Philco Corporation engineers developed the first HMD known as the â€Å"Headsight†. The helmet consisted of a video screen along with a tracking system. Then they linked to a closed circuit camera system.Then somewhat similar HMD was used for helicopter pilots. While flying in the dark these were of great help. 15. In 1965, a computer scientist named Ivan Sutherland envisioned what he called t he â€Å"Ultimate Display. † After using this display a person imagines the virtual world very similar to the real world. During 1966, an HMD was built by Sutherland, which was tethered to a computer system. The thought of virtual reality has been around since 1965, when Ivan Sutherland expressed his ideas of creating virtual or imaginary worlds. At MIT, he conducted experiments with three dimensional displays.In 1969, he developed the first system to surround people in three dimensional displays of information. Between the '70's and late '80's, the concept of virtual reality was mainly used by the United States. The military used it as flight simulators to train pilots. The other countries in the world did not show any interest in this technology until the late 1980's. Since then, virtual reality has developed in many ways to become an emerging technology of our time. 16. To my own thought we experiencing some kind of virtual reality in our own dreams. When you are in deep s leep you see dreams that you may feel it real.Day dreams also plays very vital role, all form of these dreams help to create great sciences, fictions and all form of arts. In virtual reality technology we are trying to create dream world in real life where we won’t be able to identify margin between real world and virtual world. In other way round optical illusions we experiencing like mirage and rainbows also like holographic projection humans are about to experience. 17. Holography was discovered by the British-Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor in 1947, though its full potential waited it seems, on the birth of the laser, 1963.Holography is defined as  the process of wavefront reconstruction. In considering one of the several methods of constructing a hologram, the principles we require for understanding the process are simple. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS 18. The concepts behind virtual reality are based upon theories about a long held human desire to escape the boundaries of the à ¢â‚¬Ëœreal world’ by embracing cyberspace. Once there we can interact with this virtual environment in a more naturalistic manner which will generate new forms of human-machine interaction (HMI).The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction such as the keyboard and mouse which most people work with on a daily basis. This is seen as an unnatural way of working which forces people to adapt to the demands of the technology rather than the other way around. But a virtual environment does the opposite. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual world which they explore by means of their senses. This natural form of interaction within this world often results in new forms of communication and understanding. 19.The experience of a virtual world mimics that of a real world scenario but often without many of its constraints. Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following: a. Walk around a three-dimensional building b. Perform a virtual opera tion. c. Play a multi-user game. d. Take part in a theatre of war. e. Interact with an artwork. Plus the fact that they can do this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience similar to that in the real world but without many of the dangers. This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e. g. a computer desktop. 0. Virtual reality also acts as a problem solving device in that it enables us to explore various options as a means of finding an answer to a problem. For example, an engineering company will use virtual reality to produce a prototype which is then tested and the results fed back to the design team. The advantage of this is that it enables the designers to make alterations to their design but at far less time and cost. This is a preferred option to building a physical prototype which is expensive to build and make changes to: especially if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design process.Holography Co ncept. 21. Holography is an image registered with use of coherent laser light. It allows preserving the 3-D information of a holographed subject. With a single source of white light, the image is â€Å"played back† and appears in 3-D exactly as it was registered in the studio. Image can project deep inside, or â€Å"stick† out of the picture. Virtually impossible to copy and displaying unique visual effects, they present themselves as an unbeatable security solution for brand protection and brand promotion. 22. The Holography is based upon Nobel Prize winner Dennis Gabor's theory concerning interference patterns.Gabor theorized in 1947 that each crest of the wave pattern contains the whole information of its original source, and that this information could be stored on film and reproduced. This is why it is called a Holography. 23. Holography is the only visual recording and playback process that can record our three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional recording med ium and playback the original object or scene, to the unaided eyes, as a three dimensional image. The image demonstrates complete parallax and depth-of-field.The image floats in space either behind, in front of, or straddling the recording medium The Universe as a Holography 24. In 1982 a remarkable event took place. Aspect and his team discovered that under certain circumstances subatomic particles such as electrons are able to instantaneously communicate with each other regardless of the distance separating them. University of London physicist David Bohm, for example, believes Aspect's findings imply that objective reality does not exist, that despite its apparent solidity the universe is at heart a phantasm, a gigantic and splendidly detailed Holography.To understand why Bohm makes this startling assertion, one must first understand a little about Holographys. A Holography is a three- dimensional photograph made with the aid of a laser. To make a Holography, the object to be phot ographed is first bathed in the light of a laser beam. When the film is developed, it looks like a meaningless swirl of light and dark lines. But as soon as the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a three-dimensional image of the original object appears. 24.If a Holography of a rose is cut in half and then illuminated by a laser, each half will still be found to contain the entire image of the rose. Indeed, even if the halves are divided again, each snippet of film will always be found to contain a smaller but intact version of the original image. Unlike normal photographs, every part of a Holography contains all the information possessed by the whole. 25. This insight suggested to Bohm another way of understanding Aspect's discovery. Imagine an aquarium containing a fish. This, says Bohm, is precisely what is going on between the subatomic particles in Aspect's experiment. 6. According to Bohm, the apparent faster-than-light connection between subatomic particles i s really telling us that there is a deeper level of reality we are not privy to, a more complex dimension beyond our own that is analogous to the aquarium. And, he adds, we view objects such as subatomic particles as separate from one another because we are seeing only a portion of their reality. Such particles are not separate â€Å"parts†, but facets of a deeper and more underlying unity that is ultimately as holographic and indivisible as the previously mentioned rose.And since everything in physical reality is comprised of these â€Å"eidolons†, the universe is itself a projection, a Holography. In addition to its phantomlike nature, such a universe would possess other rather startling features. If the apparent separateness of subatomic particles is illusory, it means that at a deeper level of reality all things in the universe are infinitely interconnected. 27. In a holographic universe, even time and space could no longer be viewed as fundamentals. What else the superHolography contains is an open-ended question.Bohm is not the only researcher who has found evidence that the universe is a Holography. Working independently in the field of brain research, Standford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram has also become persuaded of the holographic nature of reality. 28. Pribram was drawn to the holographic model by the puzzle of how and where memories are stored in the brain. In a series of landmark experiments in the 1920s, brain scientist Karl Lashley found that no matter what portion of a rat's brain he removed he was unable to radicate its memory of how to perform complex tasks it had learned prior to surgery. Then in the 1960s Pribram encountered the concept of holography and realized he had found the explanation brain scientists had been looking for. Pribram believes memories are encoded not in neurons, or small groupings of neurons, but in patterns of nerve impulses that crisscross the entire brain in the same way that patterns of laser light interference crisscross the entire area of a piece of film containing a holographic image. In other words, Pribram believes the brain is itself a Holography. 9. Pribram's theory also explains how the human brain can store so many memories in so little space. It has been estimated that the human brain has the capacity to memorize something on the order of 10 billion bits of information during the average human lifetime (or roughly the same amount of information contained in five sets of the Encyclopaedia Britannica). 30. Our uncanny ability to quickly retrieve whatever information we need from the enormous store of our memories becomes more understandable if the brain functions according to holographic principles.Because every portion of a Holography is infinitely interconnected with ever other portion, it is perhaps nature's supreme example of a cross-correlated system. 31. The storage of memory is not the only neurophysiological puzzle that becomes more tractable in light of Pribra m's holographic model of the brain. Another is how the brain is able to translate the avalanche of frequencies it receives via the senses (light frequencies, sound frequencies, and so on) into the concrete world of our perceptions.Encoding and decoding frequencies is precisely what a Holography does best. Just as a Holography functions as a sort of lens, a translating device able to convert an apparently meaningless blur of frequencies into a coherent image, Pribram believes the brain also comprises a lens and uses holographic principles to mathematically convert the frequencies it receives through he senses into the inner world of our perceptions. 32. An impressive body of evidence suggests that the brain uses holographic principles to perform its operations.Argentinian-Italian researcher Hugo Zucarelli recently extended the holographic model into the world of acoustic phenomena. Puzzled by the fact that humans can locate the source of sounds without moving their heads, even if the y only possess hearing in one ear, Zucarelli discovered that holographic principles can explain this ability. Pribram's belief that our brains mathematically construct â€Å"hard† reality by relying on input from a frequency domain has also received a good deal of experimental support. 33.Researchers have discovered, for instance, that our visual systems are sensitive to sound frequencies, that our sense of smell is in part dependent on what are now called â€Å"osmic frequencies†, and that even the cells in our bodies are sensitive to a broad range of frequencies. For if the concreteness of the world is but a secondary reality and what is â€Å"there† is actually a holographic blur of frequencies, and if the brain is also a Holography and only selects some of the frequencies out of this blur and mathematically transforms them into sensory perceptions, what becomes of objective reality? 4. We are really â€Å"receivers† floating through a kaleidoscopic se a of frequency, and what we extract from this sea and transmogrify into physical reality is but one channel from many extracted out of the superHolography. 35. This striking new picture of reality, the synthesis of Bohm and Pribram's views, has come to be called the holographic paradigm, and although many scientists have greeted it with skepticism, it has galvanized others. A small but growing group of researchers believe it may be the most accurate model of reality science has arrived at thus far.Numerous researchers, including Bohm and Pribram, have noted that many para-psychological phenomena become much more understandable in terms of the holographic paradigm. 36. In a universe in which individual brains are actually indivisible portions of the greater Holography and everything is infinitely interconnected, telepathy may merely be the accessing of the holographic level. It is obviously much easier to understand how information can travel from the mind of individual ‘A' to that of individual ‘B' at a far distance point and helps to understand a number of unsolved puzzles in psychology.In particular, Grof feels the holographic paradigm offers a model for understanding many of the baffling phenomena experienced by individuals during altered states of consciousness. TYPES OF VR SYSTEMS 37. This section describes some of the common modes used in VR systems. a. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics.In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called â€Å"The Ultimate Display† that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. â€Å"One must look at a display screen,† he said, â€Å"as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics i s to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real. † b. Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that shows his body's interaction with the world.Myron Kruger has been a champion of this form of VR since the late 60's. He has published two books on the subject: â€Å"Artificial Reality† and â€Å"Artificial Reality II†. At least one commercial system uses this approach, the Mandala system. This system is based on a Commodore Amiga with some added hardware and software. A version of the Mandala is used by the cable TV channel Nickelodeon for a game show (Nick Arcade) to put the contestants into what appears to be a large video game. c. Immersive Systems The ultimate VR systems completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint inside the virtual world.These â€Å"immersive† VR systems are often equipped with a Head Mounted Display (HMD). This is a helmet or a face mask that holds the visual and auditory displays. The helmet may be free ranging, tethered, or it might be attached to some sort of a boom armature. A nice variation of the immersive systems use multiple large projection displays to create a ‘Cave' or room in which the viewer(s) stand. An early implementation was called â€Å"The Closet Cathedral† for the ability to create the impression of an immense environment. within a small physical space.The Holodeck used in the television series â€Å"Star Trek: The Next Generation† is afar term extrapolation of this technology. d. Telepresence Telepresence is a variation on visualizing complete computer generated worlds. This a technology links remote sensors in the real world with the senses of a human operator. The remote sensors might be located on a robot, or they might be on the ends of WALDO like tools. Fire fighters use remotely operated vehicles to handle some dangerous c onditions. Surgeons are using very small instruments on cables to do surgery without cutting a major hole in their patients.The instruments have a small video camera at the business end. Robots equipped with telepresence systems have already changed the way deep sea and volcanic exploration is done. NASA plans to use telerobotics for space exploration. There is currently a joint US/Russian project researching telepresence for space rover exploration. e. Mixed Reality Merging the Telepresence and Virtual Reality systems gives the Mixed Reality or Seamless Simulation systems. Here the computer generated inputs are merged with telepresence inputs and/or the users view of the real world.A surgeon's view of a brain surgery is overlaid with images from earlier CAT scans and real-time ultrasound. A fighter pilot sees computer generated maps and data displays inside his fancy helmet visor or on cockpit displays. The phrase â€Å"fish tank virtual reality† was used to describe a Canad ian VR system reported in the 1993 InterCHI proceedings. It combines a stereoscopic monitor display using liquid crystal shutter glasses with a mechanical head tracker. The resulting system is superior to simple stereo-WoW systems due to the motion parallax effects introduced by the head tracker. What Is Virtual World? 39.Virtual worlds are three dimensional environments in which you can interact with others and create objects as part of that interaction. How do you do that? You appear as an avatar in the virtual world: an avatar is a virtual representation of you (a ‘virtual ego’) which can take on any shape or form as you so wish. 40. There are a range of virtual worlds to choose from which include fantasy, sport, historical and science fiction. Some are loosely based upon the real world but others such as fantasy worlds are as the name says: they are completely disconnected from the real world which is also part of their attraction.With virtual worlds, men appear as women and vice versa. Some people choose an animal as their alter ego. Whatever you choose the aim is to socially interact with other people in new and exciting ways. This all adds to the experience. You can communicate with another person using text, sound, graphical images and gesture. Some of the more advanced worlds allow you to use voice or touch. FEW VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGIES THAT ACTUALLY WORK AT PRESENT 41. So far, virtual reality has mostly  been a colossal disappointment. But VR has had its share of breakthroughs and innovative applications.Here are few VR technologies that work and that may yet point the way to truly successful virtual reality. a. Anxiety Therapy For years now, virtual environments have been used to  treat anxiety problems  with exposure therapy. Psychologists treat phobias and post traumatic stress disorder by exposing the patient to the thing that causes them anxiety and letting the anxiety dissipate on its own. But this proves difficult if you r stressor is a battlefield in Iraq. Enter virtual reality. Military psychologists use simulated Iraq war situations to treat soldiers.Other therapeutic VR uses include treating a fear of flying, fear of elevators, and even a â€Å"virtual nicotine craving† simulator for smoking addiction. b. VR Training Programs Virtual reality environments have also been used for training simulators. The earliest examples were flight simulators but VR training has expanded beyond just that. There are many modern military examples, including Iraqi cultural situations and battlefield simulators for soldiers. Other examples include counter-terrorism, para-trooping, welding, and mining training simulators. c.Multiplayer Online Gaming One result of virtual-reality research is the existence of entirely separate virtual worlds, inhabited entirely by the avatars of real world users. These worlds are sometimes referred to as massively multiplayer online games, and the  World of Warcraft  is the largest virtual gaming world in use now, with 11. 5 million subscribers. Another example is  Second Life. The world of Second Life can't really be classified as a game, since the goal seems really just to be to wander around and interact with people, much like the real world.There is even a  Second Life Shakespeare Company  that performs Shakespeare's works within Second Life. d. The Nintendo Wii Probably the most successful cousin of virtual reality on the market today is the Nintento Wii. The Wii owes its motion capture and intuitive interaction concepts to the virtual reality technologies of the past. The controller is basically a simplified version of the â€Å"virtual reality glove. † Both the Wiimote and the Wii Fit offer users another way of interacting with their virtual environment without having to wear any bulky equipment. e. Medical ProceduresModern medicine has also found many uses for virtual reality. Doctors can interact with virtual systems to practice p rocedures or to do tiny surgical procedures on a larger scale. Surgeons have also started using virtual â€Å"twins† of their patients, to practice for surgery before doing the actual procedure. f. Project Natal The latest entry in the virtual reality inspired gaming world is  Project Natal, a new piece of technology under development now for the Xbox. Project Natal proposes a new way of interacting with games, and indeed with computer systems in general.In their demo video, they propose a system that requires no keyboard and no controller, where a user's voice and motions serve as their method for interacting with the system. The demo video is impressive, but the technology has not been completed and released yet. When it does get released, however, virtual reality will take another giant step towards total immersion and common home usage. g. The Cave The term â€Å"CAVE† refers to any virtual reality system that uses multiple walls with multiple projectors to immer se users in a virtual world. The first CAVE was built in 1992 as a method of showing of scientific visualizations.Now, many universities have their own CAVE systems. The CAVE is used for visualizing data, for demonstrating 3D environments, and for virtually testing component parts of newly developed engineering projects. THE EXTREME FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY 42. When it comes right down to it, having a physical body in a reality constrained by the limitations of the physical laws has many drawbacks. Our bodies are extremely fragile and can be damaged or killed in an instant if we are not careful, or are just plain unlucky. If anything goes wrong with a critical body part, the entire body could die.Our physical bodies are also deteriorated by aging. Either way, for now, if your body dies, your brain dies right along with it. Every human brain contains an immense wealth of information, memories, experiences and relationships. Every time a human brain dies, that incredible, unique weal th of knowledge dies with it, and is forever lost. The world is a dangerous place to inhabit in a fragile human body, and there are a lot of other problems that come with having a physical presence in a physical world. Using the bathroom, body odor, difficulty traveling, limitation of possibilities, just to name a few.Up to this point, we have had no alternative to life, besides death. Due to nanotechnology, there may come a time when people will actually have a choice between life in the â€Å"real world,† an existence inside a computer generated simulation, or death. Vertebrane – Enter The Matrix 43. â€Å"Vertebrane† is the term for a speculative brain-computer interface technology first proposed by Marshall Brain in the bookManna. The technology consists of a computer system packaged as a replacement for one of the upper cervical vertebra in the human spine. The Vertebrane system taps into all sensory and motor nerve bundles flowing to and from the brain.Ver tebrane allows for augmented reality or a complete disconnection of the brain from the biological body and subsequent electronic reconnection to a virtual body typically inhabiting a virtual world. It would be the â€Å"ultimate videogame controller. † 44. Everything you enjoy about the real world and your real body it will be possible to duplicate exactly in the virtual environment. It will also be possible to improve everything you enjoy, and make virtually (pun intended) anything that was once impossible, possible for you. 45. The Vertebrane system itself would consist of a diminutive, yet extremely powerful nanocomputer.Power would come from a small onboard fuel cell that uses blood glucose to generate electricity. The system would be installed by a robotic surgeon which would sever the spinal cord and reroute it into the Vertebrane. All sensory nerve pathways (optic, auditory etc. ) would be tapped into the system. In pass-through mode, the Vertebrane would act as if it was not there, and you would be able to function completely normally. In â€Å"game† mode, the vertebrane would disconnect your brain from your body and reconnect it to your virtual avatar. The Day You Discard Your Body: 46. Given the choice of being in your real body vs. our avatar, you will choose your avatar every time. Therefore, your biological body will become redundant and irrelevant. It will become possible to discard your body and have only your brain housed in a Brain Storage Facility, connected to a vertebrane-type computer. Here, along with thousands of other brains, your brain will be encased in a protective, liquid-filled life-support system chamber. This will eliminate all of the risks that come along with having a body. It will also greatly increase longevity by keeping the environmental conditions perpetually at ideal levels, and removing almost all risk factors of your previous life.Brain Storage Facilities will be maximum security, reinforced buildings, imp ervious to earthquakes, hurricanes, bombs, etc. Electronic Transcendence 47. Incredibly, it is possible to envision something even more radical than disembodied human brains connected to a simulated reality. The ultimate in virtual reality involves discarding not only your physical body, but also your physical brain. â€Å"Mind uploading,† â€Å"whole brain emulation,† or â€Å"mind transfer† is the theoretical process of transferring the essence of a biological brain into a computer system. There are several proposed techniques by which mind uploading could be achieved.Many mainstream research funders are not convinced of its feasibility; however some scientists do believe that this hypothetical and futuristic technology will one day become reality, so to speak. 48. Once uploaded, a mind would achieve immortality, existing as pure information, disassociated from the biological body and brain. The upload would be considered a form of artificial intelligence, som etimes referred to as an â€Å"infomorph† or â€Å"noomorph. † A digital mind could theoretically be backed up, copied, or restarted at various set points, raising interesting questions regarding individuality and identity. CONCLUSIONS If A Picture is worth a 1,000 words – How much is a Holographic Image worth these days? † 49. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technology has endless applications, as far as the human mind can imagine. These technologies are indeed available and getting more robust in abilities each year. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technologies are not just about art or business communication, they are about safety, security, education, planning and the strength of our civilization here and beyond. 50. From entertainment to data visualization we can see a bright future for Holographic Projection and the bending and manipulation of light.Those areas of society which most often bring about research and development funding in technology are present amongst the many potential applications for this science. It therefore stands to reason and makes common sense that Holographic Technologies and Spectral Imaging will become a very integral part of human societies and civilizations in the future. I am certain of that. The day people show there advertisements on clouds are very near. One fine day my son may ask from me (â€Å"ThaTha†) are you real or virtual.