Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Peyton Budget and Analyzing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Peyton Budget and Analyzing - Assignment Example The sales budget for Peyton Approved shows that the company forecasts sales to be $1,080,000 for the quarter ending September 2015. To cover the sales and the required ending inventory, the company needs to produce 60,000 units. That would require 27,380 units of raw material at a cost of $212,195. The total labor requirement is 30,000 hours at a cost of $480,000. While the budget estimate for direct material for the period is 36,320 units, the actual amount of direct labor is 31,000 units. The budgeted price per unit of direct material is $7.75. It is also the actual price. Given the difference is only on the number of units of direct material, the direct material price variance is zero. As for the direct material efficiency variance, the company records a favorable efficiency variance of $41,230. That gives a favorable total material variance of $41,230. There was no material price variance as the budget price and the actual price were the same. As for the favorable efficiency variance, there may have been several causes. As the actual production shows, there was less direct material usage than the budget estimates. That may have been a result of efficiency in utilizing material in the production process. The procurement process may also have contributed to the favorable efficiency variance. Where there is purchase of high quality material, there would probably be no wastage and the production may use up less material than the estimates (Nobles, Mattison and Matsumura, 2014).
Monday, October 28, 2019
Compilation Report Essay Example for Free
Compilation Report Essay We have compiled the accompanying balance sheet of Proli Footwear, Inc. as of December 31, 2014, and the related statements of income and retained earnings and cash flows for the year then ended. We have not audited or reviewed the accompanying financial statements and, accordingly, do not express an opinion or provide any assurance about whether the financial statements are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and for designing, implementing, and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements. Our responsibility is to conduct the compilation in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The objective of a compilation is to assist management in presenting financial information in the form of financial statements without undertaking to obtain or provide any assurance that there are no material modifications that should be made to the financial statements. Management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures and the statements of cash flows required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. If the omitted disclosures and the statements of cash flows were included in the financial statements, they might influence the users conclusions about the Companys financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Accordingly, these financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
race in sports :: essays research papers
                                             Chad Lawrence                                              Sports and Society                                                   March 7, 2005      Sports is what has molded us into the people we are today. The world of sports is so unique, and people have different interest and fascinations. From being a child I can remember watching the Red Sox and Celtics with my father and becoming a die hard fan for those teams due to my family being serious fans. Not only did watching those games turn me into a good New England fan but it also gave me some good quality time with my father and brothers.      The movie we watched showed all the emotions that can come from sport. Whether it would be a gratifying moment with a win for your team, or a devastating moment with a loss. That is what makes you grow when you are a younger kid growing up. A kid who can handle a loss in his life with the same dignity as a win will become a better person in the future.      In class discussion we talked about how in today’s age younger kids do not have the same interest to get involved in sports as they used to. It seems that today younger kids are more interested in playing video games, then to take part in a sport and learn the team aspect of life and how to get along with each other and work as a team. Learning in sports is something people do not understand unless you are a true athlete. In the game of baseball there is so much silent communication not everyone knows about. You have nine men on the field who have the same mind set and that is to do anything you can to win this game and help your teammates. If a kid can learn this at a young age and carry this on with him through life, he will become that much of a better worker when he is at the office or wherever they might be.      We also discussed the role of women in sports and that is a uniqueness in its self. Girls sports are becoming more of a interest to the public then it once had. This is in direct relation to the U.S Woman Soccer championship game over China. Mia hamm got girls real interested in soccer as well as fans. With the WNBA growing every year it has been
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Depression Essay -- Emotional Disorders Psychology
Depression is a very big topic to discuss. The most commonly asked questions are: What is depression, and what disorders are related to depression? How common is depression? Is it serious? What treatment is used? And, What kind of symptoms should a person be looking for? Depression is more than the everyday ups and downs. You know when a person is depressed when their sad feelings interfere with their everyday life. Depression doesn’t only affect feelings, but can change behavior, physical health and appearance, academic performance, social activities, and the ability to make decisions that are face every day. The causes of depression are still unknown, but researchers have found a genetic link between most depressive disorders. Another depressive disorder is bipolar depression. Bipolar depression is when a person goes through mood cycles. The two common moods are being sad and down, but that can change to a very energetic mood quickly. Some things that can trigger a depressive episode are a serious loss, chronic illness, relationship problems, work stress, family crisis, financial setback, or any other unwelcome life change.      Clinical depression is more common than most people think. More than nineteen million Americans are affected each year. One-fourth of all women and one-eighth of all men will suffer a depressive episode during their lifetimes. There are more teenagers that suffer from depression than adults. Four percent of all teens are diagnosed as clinically...
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Media Function Essay
For individual, the function of media can be thought of as the motives or reasons. Why individual use media products? They do that in order to feel satisfactions; they receive from the use of these products Herta Herzog 1944 She studied the motivation and gratification of radio soap opera listeners Her interest was to try to understand (why women become such ardent fans of the radio soaps The goal of the study was to determine (what satisfactions listeners Said they derived coupled with a psychological evaluation of these listeners The functional approach: sought to account for (why audiences attended to particular content on the assumption that the act of attending served some function for the individual. Herzog found that such programs served function for these women: the provided emotional release, they served as a source of advice What sorts of lessons did soap operas provide? Herzog found that the lessons of the soaps often applied in unlikely situation for ex. One women reported going to the doctor before started her diet because someone on the soap had done so Katz 1959 he relabeled the approach uses and gratification For Katz, uses and gratifications research would empirically test some of the critiques of popular culture that had been made the in 1950s. Katz 1959 he relabeled the approach uses and gratification For Katz, uses and gratifications research would empirically test some of the critiques of popular culture that had been made the in 1950s. Social function of the media Mobilization| Entertainment| Continuity| Correlation| Information| Campaigning for society’s objectives in the field of politics, war, economic development, work, and sometimes religion| -providingentertainment interestingnessand the means of relaxation- reducing social tension| -Expressing the dominant culture and recognizing subcultures and new culture developments-Forming and maintaining commonality of values| -Explaining and commenting on the meaning of events and information-providing support for established authority and norms -socializing-coordinating separate activities-consensus building-setting orders of priority | Providing information about events and condition in society and the world| The assumption of uses and gratification model -The audience is active and hence use of media is goal-directed -Audience have expectation of what certain kinds of content have to offer them, and these expectation help shape their selection. That is, particular audiences can take the initiative in linking their needs to the ability of particular media products to gratify those needs -The media compete with other sources of need satisfaction (such as reading, talking with friends, taking a walk, sleeping). The needs potentially satisfied by the mass media are only part of a wider range of human needs. People are sufficiently aware of their needs, media choices, and the gratifications they receive from media use to be able to tell researchers what motivates their media behavior. -The audience is active and hence use of media is goal-directed -Audience have expectation of what certain kinds of content have to offer them, and these expectation help shape their selection. That is, particular audiences can take the initiative in linking their needs to the ability of particular media products to gratify those needs -The media compete with other sources of need satisfaction (such as reading, talking with friends, taking a walk, sleeping). The needs potentially satisfied by the mass media are only part of a wider range of human needs. People are sufficiently aware of their needs, media choices, and the gratifications they receive from media use to be able to tell researchers what motivates their media behavior. THE CRITIQUE OF FUNCTIONALISM Uses and gratification research has been serious criticisms; This approach ignores the social dimensions of media consumption and reduces media use to an individual psychological relationship In fact, uses and gratification researches offers no way of understanding the connection between individual psychological needs and social structures and processes Uses and gratification research has been serious criticisms; This approach ignores the social dimensions of media consumption and reduces media use to an individual psychological relationship In fact, uses and gratification researches offers no way of understanding the connection between individual psychological needs and social structures and processes The major work on uses and gratifications research has been to catalog the various uses and gratification that audience report obtaining from their media consumption The major work on uses and gratifications research has been to catalog the various uses and gratification that audience report obtaining from their media consumption Entertainment| Integration and social interaction| Personalidentity| information| -Escaping from problemsRelaxing-Getting intrinsic culturalFilling timeEmotional releaseSexual arousal-| -Gaining insight into circumstances of others-Identifying with others -Gaining a sense of belonging-Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction -Helping to carry out social rolesEnabling one to connect with family, friends, and society| -Finding reinforcement for personal values-Finding models of behavior-Identifying with valued others-Gaining insight into one’s self| -Finding out about events and conditions in immediate surroundings ,society, and the world-Seeking advice on functional matters or opinion and decision choices-Satisfying curiosity -Learning, self-education-Gaining a sense of security through knowledge| Narrative is another valuable tool in our textual analysis toolkit Narrative tends to be associated with the way a fictional story is told terms of how events unfold and are revealed to the audience Narrative is an important element in the construction of both fiction and non-fiction texts. Although it is a logical tool to reach for when we undertake the analysis of moving image texts In media studies, looking at narrative structure implies that we explore the way in which the inf. Contained within a text is revealed to us. It has implication for the way in which print texts, images and sound texts are constructed Narrative is another valuable tool in our textual analysis toolkit Narrative tends to be associated with the way a fictional story is told terms of how events unfold and are revealed to the audience Narrative is an important element in the construction of both fiction and non-fiction texts. Although it is a logical tool to reach for when we undertake the analysis of moving image texts In media studies, looking at narrative structure implies that we explore the way in which the inf. Contained within a text is revealed to us. It has implication for the way in which print texts, images and sound texts are constructed NARRATIVE AS AN ANALYTICAL TOOL Enigma code Roland Barthes has defined the key narrative device as enigma code, use to guess the next piece of information to be reveled Think of trailers at the cinema or cliffhangers in TV serial drama The enigma is a useful narrative device to keep the reader interested by whetting his appetite to find out more (magazine front covers are another example of enigma code Work as narrative in the sense of offering a frozen moment. We are invited to compete in our minds what happened before and after the frozen moment Narrative can be said to organize the flow of info on the page, determining how we read the text Enigma code Roland Barthes has defined the key narrative device as enigma code, use to guess the next piece of information to be reveled Think of trailers at the cinema or cliffhangers in TV serial drama The enigma is a useful narrative device to keep the reader interested by whetting his appetite to find out more (magazine front covers are another example of enigma code Work as narrative in the sense of offering a frozen moment. We are invited to compete in our minds what happened before and after the frozen moment Narrative can be said to organize the flow of info on the page, determining how we read the text On important aspect of the narrative is how the flow of this information is controlled. The flow of this information to the reader is controlled through the headline, the opining paragraph, or intro, the illustration and the outcome. On important aspect of the narrative is how the flow of this information is controlled. The flow of this information to the reader is controlled through the headline, the opining paragraph, or intro, the illustration and the outcome. Three main reasons for studying media narrative. One- it shifts the focus of attention from content to the structure and process of storytelling Two- it allows us to investigate the similarities and differences in narrative media forms Three-it can reveal how the meanings of the narrative forms relate to the wider disposition of social power Three main reasons for studying media narrative. One- it shifts the focus of attention from content to the structure and process of storytelling Two- it allows us to investigate the similarities and differences in narrative media forms Three-it can reveal how the meanings of the narrative forms relate to the wider disposition of social power ADRIAN TILLY argues that although story telling often appears invisible, it is in fact a complex process He points out; narrative is an important part of our socialization as it moderates our behavior The nature of media narrative and their relation to our social study situations is the object of narrative study. ADRIAN TILLY argues that although story telling often appears invisible, it is in fact a complex process He points out; narrative is an important part of our socialization as it moderates our behavior The nature of media narrative and their relation to our social study situations is the object of narrative study. PARADIGM SHIFT: FROM A RATIONAL WORLD PARADIGM TO A NARRATIVE ONE NARRATIVE PARDIGM| RATIONAL –WORLD PARADIGM| -people are essentially storytellers-we make decision on the basis of good reasons, which vary depending on the communication situation -history, biography, culture, and character determine what we consider good reasons-narrative rationality is determined by coherence and fidelity of our stories-the world is a set of stories from which we choose, and thus constantly re-create, our lives (a theoretical framework that views narrative as basis of all human communication)| -people are essentially rational-we make decision on basis of arguments -the types of speaking situation determines the course of our arguments-rationality is determined by how much we know and how well we argue-the world is a set of logical puzzles that we can solve through rational analysis(a scientific approach to knowledge that assumes people are logical, making decisions on the basis of evidence and arguments)| Encoding and decoding One of the key issues in audience studies, concern the relationship between producer, text, and audience This equation is about a balance of power: assessing the extent to which audiences are influenced by media text and what extent they appropriate them in ways quite different to the producers’ intentions Encoding and decoding One of the key issues in audience studies, concern the relationship between producer, text, and audience This equation is about a balance of power: assessing the extent to which audiences are influenced by media text and what extent they appropriate them in ways quite different to the producers’ intentions Meaning structures one Meaning structures one Meaning structures two Meaning structures two Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model In the diagram, he represents the two sides: Encoding, which is the domain of the producer Decoding, the domain of the audience The process of communicating a message requires that it be encoded in such a way that the receiver of the message is able to decoded Ex. Televisual message is encoded through the use of camera technology, transmitted as a signal and then decoded using a television set if you do not have a TV you don’t have the means to understand One reason that the encoded and decoded messages may not be the same is the capacity of the audience to vary its response to media message Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model In the diagram, he represents the two sides: Encoding, which is the domain of the producer Decoding, the domain of the audience The process of communicating a message requires that it be encoded in such a way that the receiver of the message is able to decoded Ex. Televisual message is encoded through the use of camera technology, transmitted as a signal and then decoded using a television set if you do not have a TV you don’t have the means to understand One reason that the encoded and decoded messages may not be the same is the capacity of the audience to vary its response to media message Why the audience vary in response to media message? Because they are influenced by their social position, gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, experience, beliefs, where they are, what they are doing, when they receive a message Hall categorised three kinds of audience response: Dominant- the audience agree with the dominant values expressed within the preferred reading of the text Negotiated- the audience generally agree with the dominant values expressed within the preferred reading but they may disagree with certain aspects according to their social background Oppositional- the audience dis agree with dominant values expressed within the preferred reading of the text One concept that has been challenged subsequently by theorists is the notion of preferred reading This refers to the way the encoder would prefer the audience to interpret a media message, above all other possible readings. However, it could be argued that some texts are deliberately created to remain open interpretation Why the audience vary in response to media message? Because they are influenced by their social position, gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, experience, beliefs, where they are, what they are doing, when they receive a message Hall categorised three kinds of audience response: Dominant- the audience agree with the dominant values expressed within the preferred reading of the text Negotiated- the audience generally agree with the dominant values expressed within the preferred reading but they may disagree with certain aspects according to their social background Oppositional- the audience dis agree with dominant values expressed within the preferred reading of the text One concept that has been challenged subsequently by theorists is the notion of preferred reading This refers to the way the encoder would prefer the audience to interpret a media message, above all other possible readings. However, it could be argued that some texts are deliberately created to remain open interpretation
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V
Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V Chemistry abbreviations and acronyms are common in all fields of science. This collection offers common abbreviations and acronyms beginning with the letters U and V used in chemistry and chemical engineering. Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With U U - Internal EnergyU - UndetectableU - UraniumUAFM - Uranyl Acetate Fluorescence MethodUCK - Universal Chemical KeyUHF - Ultra High FrequencyUG - Undisturbed Gas UHC - Unburned HydroCarbonsUHMW - Ultra High Molecular WeightUHP - Ultra High PressureUHP - Ultra High PurityUHT - Ultra High TemperatureUHV - Ultra High VacuumULG - Universal Liquid GasULO - Ultra Low OxygenULOQ - Upper Limit Of QuantitationULS - Ultra Low SulfurULT - Ultra Low TemperatureUNK - UNKnownUPW - Ultra Pure WaterUQY - Ultimate Quality and YieldUUD - UnUnDuium (Element 112, now Cn)UUH - UnUnHexium (Element 116)UUP - UnUnPentium (Element 115)UUQ - UnUnQuadium (Element 114)UUS - UnUnSeptium (Element 117)UUO - UnUnOctium (Element 118)UUU - UnUnUnium (Element 111, now Rg)UV - UltraVioletUVA - UltraViolet band AUV-A - UltravViolet band AUVB - UltraViolet band BUV-B - UltraViolet band BUVF - UtraViolet FilterUVL - UltraViolet LampUVR - UltraViolet ReactiveUXS - Glucuronic Acid DeCarboxylaseUYQ - Uranium Yield Quantity Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With V V - VacuumV - VanadiumV - VoltVA - Volume AnalyzerVA - Nitrogen groupVAC - VacuumVAC - Vacuum Assisted ClosureVB - Vacuum BreakVB - Valence BandVBJ - Vacuum Bell JarVBT - Valence Bond TheoryVC - Viscous CoupledVC - Vapor CloudVCE - Vapor Cloud ExplosionVC - Vinyl ChlorideVCM - Vinyl Chloride MonomerVd - Volume distributionVDB - VanDyke Brown testVDF - Van der Waals forceVDW - Van der Waals radiusVEQ - EQuilibrium VolumeVEQ - EQuivalence point VolumeVFn - Vertical Face number (n is a number)VH - Vapor HazardVHH - Volatile Halogenated HydrocarbonVHI - Vapor Hazard IndexVHN - Vickers Hardness NumberVHP - Vaporized Hydrogen PeroxideVHP - Very High PressureVHT - Very High TemperatureVHY - Very High YieldVI - Viscosity IndexVLD - Vacuum Leak DetectorVLE - Vapor Liquid EquilibriumVMD - Visual Molecular DynamicsVO - Vacuum OvenVOA - Volatile Organic AnalysisVOC - Volatile Organic CompoundVOL - VolumeVP - Vapor PointVP - Vapor PressureVPE - Virtual Potential EnergyVR - Very RapidVS - Very Sat uratedVS - Volatile SolidVSC - Volatile Sulfur CompoundVSS - Volatile Suspended SolidVTC - Variable Temperature CutoffVTP - Volume, Temperature, PressureVU - Volume UnitsVV - Vacuum VesselVV - Valence-ValenceVW - Varies Widely
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Best Email Marketing Sending Frequency According to 20 Studies
The Best Email Marketing Sending Frequency According to 20 Studies How often should brands send marketing emails? That’s a common question without a single definitive answer. But, you’re responsible for establishing your company’s email schedule and managing the marketing calendar. If your boss asks, â€Å"Are we sending emails at the best possible frequency,†you can’t say, â€Å"That answer is unknowable, young Jedi.†That’s not a helpful response. And it’s condescending to your department head (and you want to keep your job). Plus, if your email frequency isn’t optimized, you might be missing opportunities to convert more leads (or stop chasing away those currently in your funnel). Your list is an invaluable resource, and how often you send to it matters. The best schedule will vary from business to business, but you need a starting point and data to compare against. In this post, you’ll learn what 20 different companies discovered when they tried to answer this question. By the time you’re done, you’ll be prepared to plan a complete email schedule optimized for frequency and pacing. It’ll all be backed by real data, and ready to be fine-tuned based on your own performance. The Best Email Marketing Sending Frequency Backed By 20 Studies via @Snag Your Free Email Schedule Optimization Bundle Use the right tools for the right job. To help you get started managing an effective email schedule, here are three templates to use: Email Marketing Calendar Template: Schedule all those emails in one place (at the best dates and times, of course). Best Times to Send Email Guide: Get some additional insight into which times typically work best. Email Marketing Strategy Template: Plan and organize the complete strategy behind every email you’ll send. †¦ And Plan Your Email Frequency With The easiest way to map out your email schedule is on a calendar integrated into a holistic marketing management platform. With its new email marketing integrations, that platform is . With Email Marketing from , you can: Seamlessly integrate with your *favorite* email marketing platform. You already have a kick-a$$ email platform you know and love, so why give it up? With Email Marketing, you can easily connect your preferred email platform to with just a couple clicks. Write click-worthy email subject lines...every time. With Email Marketing, you can use ’s *exclusive* Email Subject Line Tester to optimize and perfect every subject line to drive more opens, more clicks, and more conversions. Get full visibility into your ENTIRE marketing strategy. Say â€Å"buh-bye†to disjointed marketing content (and constantly jumping from screen to screen). With Email Marketing, it’s easy to see how your email campaigns relate to the rest of your marketing strategy and quickly make adjustments if necessary. With Email Marketing, you can easily connect your preferred email platform (MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, and ActiveCampaign) to with just a couple clicks. Here’s how you can get started. Or schedule a free 14-day trial. About the 20 Studies, Blog Posts, and Research Reports So, where did all the research in this post come from? Here’s a breakdown of all 20 studies and posts: Infusionsoft’s post on finding the best frequency to email customers. DMA’s annual email marketing report. Entrepreneur’s pointers on the topic. Campaign Monitor’s surprising findings. Constant Contact’s detailed guide. Sark eMedia’s thoughtful opinions on what offers most value. Traffic Generation Cafe’s syndicated advice courtesy of Daegan Smith. Smart Insights’ research-backed findings. Crazy Egg’s impassioned recommendation to send more emails. Benchmark’s practical guide to choosing days and times to deliver. Fulcrum Tech’s helpful delineation between the terms â€Å"frequency†and â€Å"cadence.†OmniSend’s original research from 2017. Aweber’s answer: there’s no magic number (plus rationale for that conclusion). MailPoet’s more philosophical answer: it depends (and an explanation for that, too). EventBrite’s concise tips specific to event promotion emails. Ignite Visibility’s advice for promotional emails. SendGrid’s useful tips on what to do if your frequency is too frequent. MailChimp’s email marketing field guide, which touches on frequency. Clickz’s collected research, which includes insights on how often top brands are sending email. ReturnPath’s original research on email frequency. That’s a lot of difference perspectives, from all different types of sources. This ensures the advice in this post isn’t all coming from one perspective, while reflecting the diversity of opinion and thought on this topic. What do 20 different studies say about the ideal email marketing send frequency?Setting Benchmarks: Frequency Vs. Results For comparison purposes, here are some benchmarks gathered by the folks at SendGrid, based on their own original research (based on â€Å"50 billion messages to over 100,000 different senders in the top 25 industries who sent email through SendGrid†: A few things to point out straight off the bat: The average respondent sent around two emails per week. This marked a decline from 2016 to 2017. Which corresponded with a 3.3% increase in opens and a .4% increase in unique opens. However, unique clicks and clicks overall declined. What does this tell us? We can make a few educated guesses: Consumers are overwhelmed with information overload. Not just in their inboxes, but all over the web. So, reducing email may be an effort to reduce content shock. So, sending slightly less email can potentially improve results. It makes each email appear more valuable (at least initially) if they’re received less often. But, that email needs to be engaging to get clicks. The fact that clicks went down somewhat is slightly concerning, even if CTRs didn’t drop precipitously. This lines up with some other findings this post will dig into a bit later on. What Can Happen When You Tweak Your Frequency? Now, if you’re already sending marketing emails, you might be worried about adjusting your frequency. After all, if you don’t know what might happen, you may not want to risk something going wrong. But, fortune favors the bold. If you really want to know what works, you’ve got to be willing to experiment at least a little bit. To alleviate potential fears, though, here are four possible outcomes that Campaign Monitor says can occur. Unsubscribes Might Go Up Even worse, SPAM reports might go up, too. So, take that as a warning not to go overboard. That data aligns with possible solutions: Engagement Might Drop Citing (gated) data from Return Path, Campaign Monitor’s post reports that engagement could drop if too many low-value emails are sent. Not only could opens drop and unsubscribes increase, but even people who stick around might just disengage. Nothing Happens You make a change and †¦ nothing changes. That’s †¦ okay? Sort of? What this means is it’s time to test another variable. †¦ But, Your Results Could Improve (Dramatically), Too! When you start testing, some things might not go your way. But, once you start to see positive movement, keep at it. The results are worth the effort. In Campaign Monitor’s post, they highlight Aviva, an insurance company based in the UK. They were only emailing their list once a year. You read that right. But, then they increased their frequency. You’ll never believe what happened next: 48% more requested insurance quotes 304% more unique clicks 45% more email revenue Those are some awesome results, and they never would have been achieved without pushing past status quo and the fear of change.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Definition of Reliability in Research
Definition of Reliability in Research Reliability is the degree to which a measurement instrument gives the same results each time that it is used, assuming that the underlying thing being measured does not change. Key Takeaways: Reliability If a measurement instrument provides similar results each time it is used (assuming that whatever is being measured stays the same over time), it is said to have high reliability.Good measurement instruments should have both high reliability and high accuracy.Four methods sociologists can use to assess reliability are the test-retest procedure, the alternate forms procedure, the split-halves procedure, and the internal consistency procedure. An Example Imagine that you’re trying to assess the reliability of a thermometer in your home. If the temperature in a room stays the same, a reliable thermometer will always give the same reading. A thermometer that lacks reliability would change even when the temperature does not. Note, however, that the thermometer does not have to be accurate in order to be reliable. It might always register three degrees too high, for example. Its degree of reliability has to do instead with the predictability of its relationship with whatever is being tested. Methods to Assess Reliability In order to assess reliability, the thing being measured must be measured more than once. For example, if you wanted to measure the length of a sofa to make sure it would fit through a door, you might measure it twice. If you get an identical measurement twice, you can be confident you measured reliably. There are four procedures for assessing the reliability of a test. (Here, the term test refers to a group of statements on a questionnaire, an observers quantitative or qualitative evaluation, or a combination of the two.) The Test-Retest Procedure Here, the same test is given two or more times. For example, you might create a questionnaire with a set of ten statements to assess confidence. These ten statements are then given to a subject twice at two different times. If the respondent gives similar answers both times, you can assume the questions assessed the subjects answers reliably. One advantage of this method is that only one test needs to be developed for this procedure. However, there are a few downsides of the test-retest procedure. Events might occur between testing times that affect the respondents answers; answers might change over time simply because people change and grow over time; and the subject might adjust to the test the second time around, think more deeply about the questions, and reevaluate their answers. For instance, in the example above, some respondents might have become more confident between the first and second testing session, which would make it more difficult to interpret the results of the test-retest procedure. The Alternate Forms Procedure In the alternate forms procedure (also called parallel forms reliability), two tests are given. For example, you might create two sets of five statements measuring confidence. Subjects would be asked to take each of the five-statement questionnaires. If the person gives similar answers for both tests, you can assume you measured the concept reliably. One advantage is that cueing will be less of a factor because the two tests are different. However, its important to ensure that both alternate versions of the test are indeed measuring the same thing. The Split-Halves Procedure In this procedure, a single test is given once. A grade is assigned to each half separately and grades are compared from each half. For example, you might have one set of ten statements on a questionnaire to assess confidence. Respondents take the test and the questions are then split into two sub-tests of five items each. If the score on the first half mirrors the score on the second half, you can presume that the test measured the concept reliably. On the plus side, history, maturation, and cueing arent at play. However, scores can vary greatly depending on the way in which the test is divided into halves. The Internal Consistency Procedure Here, the same test is administered once, and the score is based upon average similarity of responses. For example, in a ten-statement questionnaire to measure confidence, each response can be seen as a one-statement sub-test. The similarity in responses to each of the ten statements is used to assess reliability. If the respondent doesnt answer all ten statements in a similar way, then one can assume that the test is not reliable. One way that researchers can assess internal consistency is by using statistical software to calculate Cronbach’s alpha. With the internal consistency procedure, history, maturation, and cueing arent a consideration. However, the number of statements in the test can affect the assessment of reliability when assessing it internally.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
The strategic marketing approaches that could be adopted by the hotel Essay
The strategic marketing approaches that could be adopted by the hotel industry in Songdo in South Korea - Essay Example According to the 2005 reports, there was influx of tourists from abroad at an increase of around 3.5% at 6.02 million than that of previous year 2004.3 The present chapter assumes to identify key literatures, articles and journals to study the economic situation in South Korean and the market for the hotel industry. An attempt is also made to evaluate strategic marketing theory for hotel industries. The literature about Korea's economy is broadly in agreement, it discusses the recent rapid growth promoted by foreign investment. The academic marketing literature covered for this review all emphasized the importance of targeting a specific market and proper consideration of the marketing mix, although each book presented different tactics. Korea is enriched with important and interesting two thousands year of history and culture. The Korean history is also been victimized due to division and turmoil as many other nations have been divided making it vulnerable to its neighbours from West, East and North. (Hoare and Rutt, 1999)4 The Korean journey to industrialization commenced in the 1960s with the inception of First Five Year Plan wherein the government made a deliberate shift of policy from inward looking growth strategy of import substitution to the outward looking growth strategy of export promotion. Later in 70s Korea promoted heavy and chemical industry, in 80s rationalization and liberalization of industries and labours took place, globalization in the 90s, and then the dreadful economic crisis of 1997 that ruined the economy temporarily.5 Despite the ups and downs throughout the history, South Korea has emerged has winner and one of the Asian superpower in the region. Due to its rich heritage and cultural backg round, it is not surprising that Korea is a much sought after tourist destination which provides ample employment opportunities to the Korean in field of hospitality sector. Kim, Shin and Chon (1998) state that the South Korean hotel industry has finally reached its peak after more than two decades of rapid growth in tourism following the Summer Olympic Games, and had begun to taper off at the time of writing. (http://www.allbusiness.com) Min, Min and Emam, (2002) contradicts with Kim, Shin and Chon (1998), in 1998 there was not a tapering off instead tourism grew up to 2002. As the South Korea's tourism revenue increased, the hotel industry also expanded its capacity very much by increasing the number of guest rooms and building new hotels. It has led to over building of hotels subsequently competition among hotels has increased. Thus, Hotels continue to seek new way to increase their market share in changing markets. The hotel sector has been chosen for this study because the hotel industry comprises one of the largest sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry in terms of capital investment and tourist expenditure, and hotels are major foreign cu rrency earners (Kim and Uysal 1998). Min, Min and Joo (2008) argue that South Korea's hotel industry in greater danger from competitive threats and
Friday, October 18, 2019
Negophobia by Mark Bauerlein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Negophobia by Mark Bauerlein - Essay Example The riot was based on color and race discrimination among Blacks and Whites in Atlanta which ultimately spread from Atlanta to Georgia and throughout the United States of America. The actual riot began on 22nd September, 1906 and ended on 26th September, 1906 between White and Black masses, in which Black African lost around 40 lives. The riot didn’t occur suddenly because of any one issue; instead it was an explosion in retaliation of continuous plot weaved on the false accusations made on Blacks in regard of White women by some criminal minded people. Historic Background of Atlanta: In the beginning of the twentieth century, Atlanta was progressing rapidly. White and Blacks had different vision and identities but were parallel in growth and competition. The growth in the Black’s population and their expansion in social intermingling threatened the White elites who then favored Jim Crow’s Segregation concept and stood hard to separate seating arrangement in publ ic transport and discouraged neighborhoods with blacks. On the other hand, Black elites were gaining power, were getting majorly involved in politics and were promoting Black youngsters in almost every walk of life. This cold war started showing its signs and finally surfaced in the middle of the Gubernatorial contest during which desperate leaders played an unethical trick to create racial tension in order to win the favor of the majority. This was done through the instigation of a rumor based campaign focused on â€Å"Negro-Crime†. Here, African American males were accused of sexual crimes against White females, although there was no evidence that this was occurring, and the driving factor was simple prejudice. The air of hatred, racial and sexual inequality diffused in the atmosphere and provoked a claim for a new vision for South Atlanta. Causes: At the end of the civil war, tension remained high between the Whites and the Blacks, with both races unsure of what the years to come would bring. In Atlanta, election hype created enthusiasm between the two majority groups within the State as a consequence of the growing powers of Blacks in jobs, voting rights, and other political realm. The competition between Blacks and Whites was heightened by the growing status differences, and many Whites were concerned that they would no longer be able to think of or treat the Blacks as being inferior. This drove the creation of rumors and threats to demoralize blacks in the society. Whites were charged by the manipulated stories during Gubernatorial Elections of 1906. The main candidates were Hoke Smith and Clark Howell, who were struggling against each other for democratic elections. They both were linked with publishing newspapers and therefore took advantage of their powers in print media and published false stories to attack Black communities who were running successful businesses like saloons and bars. To destabilize Blacks and their businesses, Atlanta Georgi an and Atlanta News began to air false stories of Black men molesting and then raping white women. Both candidates were looking ways to demoralize Blacks and prevent them from voting therefore did multiple attacks narrating that White Women are victimized by the Blacks which made Whites furious and brought them to streets. These stories circulated throughout the city with lurid stories and cartoon sketching saying that White’
Set350 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Set350 - Research Paper Example The combustion of the fuel produces a force that steers the machine, but this was not attained overnight. It was attained after continuous research and experimentations by various scientists. This paper explores the evolution of the diesel engine from 1893 to 1900. Rudolph started the development of the diesel engine in 1992 after filing and acquiring a patent in Germany believing that an engine that automatically ignites would have lower risk of fire, long service life, and move long distances using low amounts of fuel (1, par 1). Through various experimentations, Rudolph’s efforts bore fruits in 1893 when he, for the first time, produced a model that operated at 26% efficiency an efficiency which was twice that of steam engines that were in use (4, par 1). Rudolph continued improving his model and in February 1897, he ran a practical diesel engine which he exhibited at a Fair in Paris in the same year (1, par 2; 2, par 2). Apparently, this model, which operated at a whopping efficiency of 75%, portrayed Rudolph’s idea and vision as it was primarily powered by the original biodiesel, peanut oil (1, par 1). However, he hoped to improve the usability and competitiveness of the engine by developing mechanisms that would allow the u se of biomass fuel as this will also make it affordable to farmers, industries as well as the common folk (1, par 2; 4, par 3). In 1899, Rudolph licensed Krupp and Sulzer who immediately became major manufacturers of the engine (2, par 3). Apparently, previous engines had huge fuel injection propels that made them heavy and unfavorable for shipping (4, par 2). Thus, the new small and light diesel engine benefited submarines with various submarines being built in 1910, 1912, and 1913. Due to his political ideas that confronted those of the German government, Rudolph is thought to have been
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Dulzura Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Dulzura - Essay Example Additionally, the free verse allows the persona to speak in disjointed thoughts because of the confusions and doubts that characterize her lover who is unable even to pronounce her name correctly. This is demonstrated by the last stanza where the persona laments â€Å"Say my name. Say it/The way it’s supposed to be said (Cisneros 1).†Epic form, on the other hand, is notable in each of the three stanzas especially the specific messages they communicate to the reader. In stanza one, the persona is pleading for love in Spanish; stanza two she wants her lover to feel her compassion while stanza three is an affirmation of the love. However, Cisneros is also sensitive to the use of alliteration to establish a rhythmic effect as noted in the last stanza in the use of the words ‘know’ and ‘knew.’ These words are meant to illustrate struggles the persona is undergoing when recalling a past love affair. Notably, the poet equally uses blank verse as a means of defying regulations of writing poetry and, thus, communicating her message of desolation over broken love. Blank verse, for example, is exemplified in the first stanza in the use of small letters in the last lines of that stanza unlike the other lines. Cisneros notes that â€Å"lullabied, mi bien/querido, that loved†to demonstrate the futility of clinging on to a certain love affair now gone. Imagery, however, is a testament of the need for the poet to illustrate his message using flowery and colorful words that portray the pain of the persona. Contrastingly, this is only possible through the use of repetition to generate rhythmic effect as noted in the usage of ‘I want’ to expose the feelings of the persona in the poem (Cisneros 1). Similarly, repetition adds more emphasis because it consistently tells a certain angle of narrative within the poem and, hence, allows the reader to formulate varying mental i mages
DB 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
DB 3 - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the power of virtual integration is the use of the internet or general technology to replace physical elements of a company with specific information. Ford Motor Company recorded 5.7 million motor sales worldwide last year, using a huge network of suppliers. As part of its objectives to create a competitive supply chain, the firm makes use of Six Sigma procedures through collaborating with Penske Logistics to improve and streamline supply chain activities. Before Ford sided with Penske Corp, its assembly plants in South America each took care of its logistics, an initiative that led to unexpected costs in transport and supplying materials as suppliers used to pick up light loads, carrying them from plant to plant. In an effort to solve this, the company established various Order Dispatch Centers (ODC) to merge shipments to plants (Chopra & Sodhi, 2012). Within a short time, it was noted that the majority of trucks have increased the capacity to 95% when distributing shipments to and from the ODC as well as a reduced plant inventory by 15%. New technology has been put in place to help in streamlining performance. Ford Motors has used Logistics Management System, order tracing software, and metric reporting system based on the internet to achieve this goal. This shows how technology can be used to enhance competitiveness as drivers in the company now carry an electronic log and PDA scanners to offer real-time updates and ensure that all carriers have satellite communications. Meanwhile, the supply chain is stabilized through scanners that are utilized in monitoring plants delivery (Austin, 1999). A vital facet of the strategies used in the supply chain is Ford’s emphasis on accountability at every level of supply. In order to reduce expenses and boost services, the company strengthened the car manufacturer’s bidding procedure for carriers, initiating higher specifications on technology, driver certification, safety, time
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Dulzura Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Dulzura - Essay Example Additionally, the free verse allows the persona to speak in disjointed thoughts because of the confusions and doubts that characterize her lover who is unable even to pronounce her name correctly. This is demonstrated by the last stanza where the persona laments â€Å"Say my name. Say it/The way it’s supposed to be said (Cisneros 1).†Epic form, on the other hand, is notable in each of the three stanzas especially the specific messages they communicate to the reader. In stanza one, the persona is pleading for love in Spanish; stanza two she wants her lover to feel her compassion while stanza three is an affirmation of the love. However, Cisneros is also sensitive to the use of alliteration to establish a rhythmic effect as noted in the last stanza in the use of the words ‘know’ and ‘knew.’ These words are meant to illustrate struggles the persona is undergoing when recalling a past love affair. Notably, the poet equally uses blank verse as a means of defying regulations of writing poetry and, thus, communicating her message of desolation over broken love. Blank verse, for example, is exemplified in the first stanza in the use of small letters in the last lines of that stanza unlike the other lines. Cisneros notes that â€Å"lullabied, mi bien/querido, that loved†to demonstrate the futility of clinging on to a certain love affair now gone. Imagery, however, is a testament of the need for the poet to illustrate his message using flowery and colorful words that portray the pain of the persona. Contrastingly, this is only possible through the use of repetition to generate rhythmic effect as noted in the usage of ‘I want’ to expose the feelings of the persona in the poem (Cisneros 1). Similarly, repetition adds more emphasis because it consistently tells a certain angle of narrative within the poem and, hence, allows the reader to formulate varying mental i mages
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Transformational leadership highlights the importance of trait theory Assignment - 1
Transformational leadership highlights the importance of trait theory critically evaluate the trait theory of leadership and how - Assignment Example This piece of research paper attempts to address the transformational leadership and to detail how it highlights the trait theory of leadership. This paper critically evaluates the trait theory and analyzes how and why it is relevant in today’s business contexts. Transformational Leadership Out of various types of leaderships, Charismatic and Transformational leadership styles are found to be quite similar in character. Charismatic leadership is the ability of a leader who derives his leadership quality through some unknown and God-given gif to him (Sashkin and Sashkin 2003, p. 56) and therefore his ability is often considered to be divine as they make an emotional impact on subordinates as they appeal both of their hearts and minds (Daft, 2007). Transformational leadership, though quite similar to Charismatic, is very special quality to develop innovative ideas and bring changes to the organization by recognizing the needs and concerns of his subordinates, and by helping them solve older issues in newer strategies and encouraging them to question the status quo (Daft and Lane 2009, p. 424). Wart (2007, p. 74) identified three significant successive stages for transformational leadership. ... 469). Transactional leaders, Servant leaders and Situational leaders are some other commonly discussed leadership models. Transactional leaders are those who define the roles and tasks and related requirements of their subordinates by providing proper rewards and trying to meeting their social and other needs (Daft and Lane 2009, p. 424). Situational leaders act best according to situations. Servant leaders are those who function in responsibility for subordinates and for the society and they thus serve others in good manners, rather than their subordinates serving them (changingminds.org, 2010). Why trait theory is important today Leadership trait theory describes intrinsic traits of leaders and it is based on an assumption that leaders are born with some specific leadership abilities. Intelligence, dependability, energy, drive, enthusiasm, ambition, self confidence and cooperativeness are some of the traits that are found in today’s leaders. Trait theory is very important to day because it can be used to identify qualities that distinguish today’s leaders. Advantages and disadvantages of Trait theories Trait theory can be used to explain why some people are more effective and successful leaders even if they are not trained and why some others, who are trained, are not so successful in leadership. But, trait theories are mostly psychological in approach. Social elements like social class, religion, education, gender and ethnicity are fully ignored in trait theories. It is argued that trait theory makes its difficult to establish whether traits have direct bearing on success as a leader or if a surplus of one trait may compensate for the shortage of another trait (Adeniyi, 2007,
Prison Food Essay Example for Free
Prison Food Essay According to Faulkner (136-137), the need for correctional institutions to rehabilitate offenders has been highlighted by the increasing cost of operations as well as recidivism statistics indicating that majority of offenders escalate in crimes committed and the lack of social participation or integration released offers are able to attain upon release (Hepburn Griffin, 57-59). This perspective suggests that rehabilitation is linked to offenders’ productive and social potential. At the same time, Holmes (9) believes that the relationships and competencies developed by the offender during incarceration can serve as foundation for social reintegration and long-term rehabilitation. Thus many correctional facilities such as the Northeastern Correctional Center, have undertaken programs that are designed to better equip offenders upon their release by engaging them in the institutions’ kitchen crew (Terris). Their objective is not only educating inmates in the food trade industry for possible employment but also to reinforce social bonds and self-development (Hepburn Griffin, 63-66). Background Terris points out that the programs is neither novel nor unique to the Northeastern Correctional Center. However, unlike general kitchen duties, inmates mentored in the institution’s Fife and Drum restaurant based on methods from the Culinary Institute of America by its head chef Eddie Jacobs. When the program started in 1983, the objective was to educate participants in the preparation of economical meals but since then has evolved into popular and even fine dining cuisine. Furthermore, according to the program’s managers, participation in the program provides participants practical and commercial skills that have stable demand and daily applications. The program has had achieved success both from the perspective of prison administrators and inmates. According to the former, the programs do not only engage significantly the interest of participating inmates but has also been enhancing the responsiveness and participation of non-participating inmates in existing programs. Terris also relates insights from participating inmate Idris Forde: Forde believes that his in working in the Fife according to â€Å"real world†scenarios reinforces the value of work as well as their role in the operation of an enterprise and in turn, their ability to become productive and benefits not only the Northeastern Correctional Center but also all other stakeholders of the institution. Evaluation According to Currie (185-187), studies of repeat offenders, return to criminal behavior is inversely related to the level of social integration and productivity upon reentry to society. Thus, establishment of programs enhancing inmates’ competency, productivity and social participation have the potential of decreasing the risks of recidivism. This opinion is also supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Their research indicated that the use of social reinforcement, whether in the form of social exclusion, direct support or mentoring and competencies or skills development, decreases susceptibility to criminal behavior by increasing the personal and social risks of re-incarceration. There is no doubt that there has been greater realization of the role of correctional facilities in rehabilitation, which in contemporary perspectives implies successful reintegration and limiting recidivism. However, it should also be noted that undertaking such a program has also significant challenges. In the case of the Northeastern Correctional Center, their relatively small population and their prison classification, allow for better margins for such programs. In the case of high-risk facilities which may be in lockdown except for a few hours a day, implementing the program is unlikely. Furthermore, the availability of instructors or mentors for the programs is also a consideration. Moreover, prison programs and objectives have to be evaluated if they are consistent with such perspectives. Otherwise, such penal reforms can not be effectively applied or implemented as an operational directive for correctional institutions. Recommendations One of the first tasks to establish the significance of the success of the Fife program is to compare its level of success to similar programs in other correctional or rehabilitation facilities. A range to determine the degree of effectiveness has to also be established to map the competency or effectiveness of the programs. The next task is to identify the common components or strategies of the best programs which can then be utilized to compose requirements for programs that are to be developed. Regardless of the content, there should be sensitivity towards the constraints of implementation based on prison population, modality of offenses and psychiatric evaluation. Ironically, there should also be realization that despite the level of input or statistical relevance of programs outlines or requirements, there is still a need for frequent sensitivity analyses to accommodate the variety of stakeholders and degree public concern afforded such initiatives. In conclusion, despite the level of success that the Northeastern Correctional Center has achieved in its kitchen program, there is still a need to evaluate its long term effectiveness and level application efficiency to determine the critical components for wider application and implementation.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Investment in Training
Investment in Training Training is a key component of the present and future of HRM. However, why in the case of the United Kingdom are there so many concerns with this issue regarding organisational commitment to it? Are those concerns valid? Britain seems to have a poor record concerning its investment in training which has resulted in todays skills gap problem. The British governments goal is to bridge this gap by raising the bar on the workforce development. More precisely it envisages that promotion of workforce learning will enhance its competitiveness and will help her create an economy that will make her world leader. It has resorted to initiatives and strategies aiming at solving the so-called â€Å"training problem but obtaining the high-added value route has proved to be challenging and difficult. This paper attempts to present several dimensions of this training problem in the UK. It also tries to assess the severity of the skills gap as well as its chances of being resolved. It shall start by presenting some facts that have triggered a change in Britains attitude concerning the promotion of learning and the investment in training. After that it shall present the initiatives and strategies launched by the British government in its effort to improve the Vocational Education and Training framework as a means of encouraging people to assume their own learning and development and as a means of attracting employers interest in the countrys effort to foster its economy through human resource development. After examining a certain number of training policies and institutions facilitating them, this essay shall endeavour to point out potential flaws and weaknesses of the system. Then we will study some other aspects of the so-called â€Å"training problem†in the UK. One of th ese aspects is employers attitudes which also seem to play their own negative part in Britains desire to become a high skills society. We will also have a look at the â€Å"training apartheid†phenomenon and the inequality of training provisions in the British workplaces. Finally this paper will discuss the emergence of informal training practices, the importance of soft skills and the difficulties in assessing both the former and the latter. Britain is deemed to be trapped in a low-skills equilibrium (Finegolf and Sosckice 1988), meaning that its firms have low-skilled labour force and they produce inexpensive products and services to the detriment of quality. This is the strategy of differentiation that UK firms have been pursuing in their efforts for competitive advantage. That is also the reason why they insist on refusing to invest in the training of their workforce and on employing low-qualified workers (Marchingoton and Wilkinson 2008). This under-investment on workforce learning on the part of employers as well as the governments failure to properly invest in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) throughout the years has resulted in the so-called â€Å"training problem†which is inextricably linked to the skill shortages Britain has been experiencing. The breath of the problem is mirrored in reports and surveys conducted by governmental bodies. What is particularly worrying are the international compa risons which testify that due to this problem, the UK economy has been left behind by its international competitors. (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008) That is the reason why Britain has decided to rely of Human Resource Development in order to solve its problems and obtain the competitive edge against its rivals. Stuart(2007) cited in Stuart and Cooney (2008) explains that nowadays systems of training and skills are considered to impact positively on firms performance and ultimately on national economies. Therefore countries utilise them as weapons to improve their competitive position and to face challenges posed by the globalisation, technological change and the rise of the so-called knowledge economy. Britain has realised that in order to bridge its skill gaps and to move towards the creation of a high skills economy it has to maximise the skills and knowledge of its people. This dimension of Human Resource Management, that is to say training, and more broadly, learning and development has therefore drawn Britains attention as it is said to be the key that will offer the country the competitive edge in the global economy. As a result the government has decided to undertake training initiatives aiming at fostering the learning and development of its workforce. Therefore the state has assumed a more interventionist role in order to improve the VET (Vocational Education and Training) framework. It has designed many strategies as well as established many institutions whose goal is to facilitate Britains trajectory towards the creation of a knowledge economy. The creation of this type of economy is not only desired by Britain but it is also a legal request stemming from the European Un ion for its members. The European Unions wish to transform into the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 is reflected on the â€Å"Lisbon Goals†. In other words Britain will not only be struggling in order to tackle its national skills deficiencies but it will be doing so in order attain the conditions set by the â€Å" Lisbon Goals â€Å" and its mutual targets with the European Union (Beardwell and Claydon 2007). Beardwell and Claydon (2007) mention that there is a proliferation of government-driven initiatives and they attempt to itemise a few. It has introduced a number of vocational qualifications such as the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) which have several levels and which depict the skills and knowledge which are indispensable for an employee wishing to exercise a specific job. Moreover, there are Apprenticeships which provide work-based training and which permit to the trainee to pursue a qualification at the same time. It has set up the Learning and Skills Councils whose duty is the implementation and finance of educative and training programmes (with the exception of higher education) for sixteen year olds and above. It has also established the Sector Skills Development Councils whose primary role is to deal with skill shortages and to act as voice mechanisms which give employers the opportunity to express themselves and to address the skills and productivity problems of their own businesses (Beardwell and Claydon 2007). Additionally, it has launched the Investors in People Standard which according to Hoque (2008) provides a benchmark for training practices and which prompts organisations to design and put into place training practices addressing their skills gaps. If they manage to meet the Standards criteria they are granted the Investors in People award. However the significance of the whole process lies in the fact that it is meant to increase organisational effectiveness and to entail profits . Finally Britain has followed the example of the dual German VET system which involves many stakeholders in its national learning strategies, including the trades unions. The government has passed legislation leading to the formation of Union Learning Representatives whose main responsibilities is to analyse training needs of the union members, to provide information and to advice on training, to arrange training practices, to promote the value of training and to consult the employer concerning these activities (Hoque and Bacon 2008). Despite the efforts of the government to maximise the skills and knowledge of its people by reforming the VET system, the VET framework is characterised by many weaknesses. According to Keep (1999) the most important one is that the government continues relying on a voluntaristic approach which allows employers to choose not to engage in learning policies and investment on training if they do not want to. On the contrary other European countries utilise coercive measures backed by legislation. He considers the dearth of governmental mechanisms and of regulation able to enforce the provision of training as problematic because this means that each employer follows their own strategies dealing with their own needs and do not partake to the countrys aims for the creation of a knowledge workforce. Another flaw is that the VET is so complicated and inconsistent that employers tend to be unaware of the training programmes available (Harrison 2009). The initiatives launched by the government are also deemed to suffer from limitations. Grugulis (2003) makes a strong case against the National Vocational Qualifications and questions whether they are accurate certification depicting indeed the abilities of their holders to practice an occupation. She suggests that their level is lower than the level of the qualifications they replaced and that they do not offer financial returns to their holders. Marchington and Wilkinson (2008) explain that Apprenticeships have been also heavily criticised on the grounds of low completion rates, bureaucracy and lack of flexibility. Nonetheless, the main argument against them is that they do not respond to employers needs. As a solution, in 2007 the government took the decision to authorise the accreditation of in-house training schemes of major companies in order for the vocational qualification system to fit better employer needs and in order for employers to be able to run their own accredited training schemes (Harrison 2009). A case in point might be Tesco which has created its own internal training scheme that has been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and that has become eligible for public funding (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). Another example is McDonalds which became one the first employer s who had their in-house training schemes accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in January 2008 and whose target was to form loyal and committed staff able to provide high quality service. The course was equivalent to an A-levels (Brockett 2008). Governmental actions such as the accreditation of the firms in-house training raise two issues: The first problem is the possibility that the whole vocational qualification system will lose its credibility (Harrison 2009: 84). Moreover, the accreditation of in-house training demonstrates that the government endeavours to satisfy employers. Thereby the question raised is whether it is correct for the government to carry on financing training tailored to employer needs, such as in-house training (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). The authors argue that these training schemes which are designed by companies themselves aim at developing skills relevant to their needs, thus excluding education and other skills emphasised by the government. In the end this runs counter to the governments aims. Finally, Britain being a liberal market economy, there is a bias against vocational qualifications in comparison to academic qualifications. Academic qualifications are deemed to be superior whereas vocational training systems as Bosch and Charest (2008) argue suffer from poor reputation and low social status in liberal market economies. Notwithstanding the existence of vocational routes the UK carries on overestimating tertiary education. Marchington and Wilkisnon(2008) claim that this has as subsequent repercussion the fact that many young people opt for the academic pathway but many of them drop out before qualifying and end up in low low-skill and poorly paid jobs. Other impediments to Britains struggle to bridge the skills gap come from the employer side. From the employers perspective there seems to be an unwillingness to cooperate with the government in their endeavour to upgrade the skills of the workforce (Harrison 2009). This reluctance to invest in training is due to several reasons. Harrison (2009:30-31) attempts to list a few such as the fear of poaching, the fear of the unpredictable market conditions as well as the fact that the benefits of the investment in training are difficult to be foreseen as they come in the long term. Loyds (2002) cited in Marchington and Wilkinson (2008) mentions other reasons such as the lack of time and the lack of information on the economic benefits of training. Finally, Beardwell (2007) explains that employers hold an unfavourable position towards employee learning and they seem reluctant to invest in the training of their workforce on other grounds: the likelihood that employees will stop being committ ed to their employer because their skills will be desired by other employers and the likelihood that employees will be poorly trained. A research study conducted by Matlay (1999) in 2000 businesses, among which the overwhelming majority were micro-, small- and medium sized companies demonstrated the â€Å" training paradox â€Å" in the small business sector. According to this paradox even though the vast majority of small businesses acknowledge the importance of and adopt a positive attitudes towards training practices, most of them had failed to provide them over a period of 12 months before the interviews. They respondent also recognised some direct reasons such as market positioning, prevailing economic conditions and availability of relevant firm-specific training as well as indirect reasons such as costs of training, time constraints, lack of in-house trainers, lack of motivation and interest. The owners/managers of these firms also claimed that some training initiatives in the UK lacked the necessary focus, coherence and clarity and suggested that the government should encourage the training industry, throu gh subsidies, to offer cost-effective training solutions tailored particularly for the need of SMEs. Hoque (2008) deals with another aspect of the training problem in Britain which is the inequality of training provisions in the British workplaces, a problem labelled â€Å"training apartheid†. According to this problem there are disadvantaged employee groups which suffer discrimination regarding access to training. Almeida-Santos and Mumford (2005) cited in Hoque (2008) argue that this discrimination takes place against women as well as members of ethnic minorities. Hoque (2008) also cites Arulampalam and Booth (1998) who dealt with reduced training provided to temporary/fixed-term and part-time employees and Addison and Belfield (2004) who included older employees to these disadvantaged groups. Furthermore Harrison (2007: 269) added disable people to this long list. Moreover, Westwood (2004) cited in Hoque(2008) claims that firms invest more in the training of their professionals and already qualified employees rather than the training of their low-skilled employees. The â€Å"training apartheid â€Å" is an issue which undermines Britains attempt to tackle its skills gap problem which remains unsolved despite the reform of the NVET institutions and the launch of strategic initiatives by the government aiming at the upskilling of the workforce. Hoque (2008) offers an example which might illustrate the failure of the Investors in People (IiP) Standard to tackle this phenomenon. After the launch of its revised version in 2000 the Standard was meant to guarantee equal access to training to all employee groups. Nevertheless his study which was based on the analysis of data collected from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey indicated that the Standard did not contribute to the resolution of the problem but to make matters worse it also demonstrated that inequality of training opportunities was more common in IiP workplaces than in non-Iip workplaces. There is also the issue of the assessment and evaluation of training provision in todays economies, which has become very difficult as firms tend to resort to informal training in order to cover their training needs. Beardwell (2007:289) explains that many companies might adopt learning strategies which are not systematic or planned. Nowadays firms have in their disposition several types of training which are usually informal. A case in point might be e-learning which enjoys wide popularity because it is flexible and easily accessible as it allows employees to learn with the help of technological tools. Moreover mentoring can also be informal and that takes place when an inexperienced employee is guided and advised on learning and development issues by an older and more experienced colleague. Informal learning is also linked to tacit knowledge. Myers and Davids (1992) define the notion of tacit skills as skills which are obtained through experience rather than training and which are embedded in the context where they are acquired. Both informal and tacit knowledge cannot be gauged which implies that they cannot be certified by qualifications. Apart from the technical and tacit skills there is also the need for the development of soft skills which is also of a great importance. Keep (2006) takes the service sector as an example where the development of generic and interpersonal skills and of some attitudes such as self-discipline, loyalty and punctuality are of vital importance. Nevertheless they cannot be measured which means they cannot be certified. However they continue to constitute skills even though they cannot be represented as qualifications. Thus, Marchington and Wilkinson(2008) argue that there is no appropriate proxy for measuring skills because they are not as qualifications. Most importantly Britains reliance on international comparisons in order to assess its skill shortages is highly debatable because if informal training cannot be measured and i f tacit and soft skills cannot be assessed either there is no way of reaching accurate conclusions concerning which country has the most skilled labour force and thereby the most competitive economy (Keep 2006). A case study is provided by Abbott (1994) whose study in small service sector firms demonstrated that people who work in the services are required to possess friendly and lively personalities and other personal attributes and generic skills which are indispensable for their work. His study also demonstrated that vast majority of small service sector firms provide informal training which is often considered to be of inferior level of training in comparison to formal training. Sometimes it is not classified as â€Å"training†even by employers themselves. According to him informal training is linked to tacit skills because they are usually learned informally and tacit skills are associated to some forms of soft skills such as inter-personal skills and cooperativeness. Soft skills and tacit skills cannot be measured but this does not underestimate their importance for people who work in the sector. This paper has reviewed the major aspects concerning the â€Å"training problem†in the UK. It has managed to study the setting where it takes place and to understand the factors that have prompted the UK to acknowledge the problem. International comparisons clearly indicate that the UK workforce is poorly educated and trained. This also accounts for the low skill equilibrium in which the UK has remained trapped. The solution for the economic strength of the nation is the creation of a learning society. Britain has embraced the strategic role of human resource development and its potential to offer the country the competitive advantage. The governments goal of upgrading the skills of its workforce depends on the VET framework which has gone through changes. Nevertheless it is still characterised by significant weaknesses. The most important mistake is that even though the government has assumed a more interventionist role than in the past it continues to make mistakes such as its insistence on relying on voluntarism which prevents it from coming into conflict with employers. The severity of this approach lies in the fact that the government has ended up conceding power to the hands of employers. With this sort of power employers will have the opportunity to seek strategies and aims covering their needs and therefore diverging from those adopted by the government. This and many other unsolved issues illustrate that the UK has still a long way to go before becoming a high skills society. REFERENCES Abbott, B. (1994). Training strategies in small service sector firms: employer and employee perspectives. Human Resource Management Journal, 4, 70-87. Beardwell, J. and Claydon, T. (2007). Human Resource Management: A contemporary approach. 5th ed. Pearson Education. Bosch, G. and Charest, J. (2008), Vocational training and the labour market in liberal and coordinated economies. Industrial Relations Journal, 39(5), 428-447. Brockett, J. (2008). HRs role in â€Å"McA-levels†. People Management, 14, 3, 7 February:9 Finegold, D. and Soskice, D. (1988). The failure of training in Britain: analysis and prescription. Oxford review of economic policy, 4(3), 21-53. Grugulis, I. (2003) The contribution of the National Vocational Qualifications to the growth of skills in the UK. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 41(3), 4557-475. Harrison, R. (2009). Learning Development. 5th ed. CIPD Hoque, K. (2008). The impact of Investors in People on employer -provided training, the equality of training provision and the â€Å"training apartheid†phenomenon. Industrial Relations Journal, 39(1), 43-62. Hoque, K. and Bacon, N. (2008). Trade Unions, Union Learning Representatives and Employer-Provided Training in Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 46(4), 702-731. Keep, E. (2006). Live and Learn. People Management , 12(15), 27 July:7 Keep, E. (1999). UKs VET Policy and the â€Å"Third Way†: following a high skills trajectory or running up a deal end street? Journal of Education and Work, 12(3), 323-346. Marchington, M. and Wilkinson, A. (2008). Human Resource Management at Work. 4th ed. CIPD Matlay, H. (1999). Vocational education and training in Britain: a small business perspective. Education + Training, 41(1), 6-13. Myers, C., and Davids, K. (1992). Knowing and doing: tacit skills at work. Personnel management, February:45-47. Stuart, M. and Cooney, R. (2008). Editorial: training and the limits of supply-side skill development. Industrial Relations Journal, 39:5, 346-353.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Confucianism Essay -- essays research papers
Confucianism Mencius vs Hsun Tzu      Is man naturally good or is he evil? This question has not only been pondered by countless philosophers, but also by religious leaders around the world. Most often a single religious faith believes in either one or the other, and often these beliefs tend to create a certain world-view which dictates much of the faith. However, in some cases such as the one I will be discussing, two religious dignitaries do not agree and the repercussions of this can be found throughout the religion. The two men are Mencius, an early pupil of Confucius and Hsun Tzu, a later follower of the same faith. Mencius believed that each man, born of woman, would be naturally good and Hsun Tzu believed almost the complete opposite. Through Mencius and Hsun Tzu’s differing beliefs on human nature a completely different world view was formed for each and it’s effect on their ideas and more importantly a young religion were apparent. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â à ‚                  Before venturing into the essay, however, I would like to consider where this religion originated, and the meanings for it’s existence as to better equip us to understand it’s views. Confucianism as a religion was founded by Confucius, a man. It involves no superior beings other than man himself, and deals specifically with the interactions between fellow men. It also specializes on the actions a government (King) should take for it’s people. The religion was founded by Confucian himself, he lived from 551 B.C.E. to approximately 479 B.C.E.. He was just a man with an opinion. His opinion sprung from his unhappiness with society and the fall it had taken from what it had been. It had changed to an empire where values were ignored, and the past was just that, the past. He foresaw a proud China with values restored, and humility made once again important. Confucian’s main ideas were to adapt the good things from the past to the technology of t oday. The “good things'; he speaks of are a government where the King is like a loving father to the people, where the King would protect his people and the people in turn would follow the King.   ... ... only an idea but a standard to be followed for all Chinese youth. An easy way to see the differences between Mencius and Hsun Tzu is this, Mencius believed that nature was good and nurture was important only to re-enforce what was already there. While Hsun Tzu believed that nature was bad and that the nurturing effects of teaching and work were the only way to overcome mans natural disadvantage. Their constantly disagreeing nature has forced many Confucian’s to examine their faith more independently and made Confucianism a religion for the thinkers, not just the faithful worshipers.      In Conclusion, the works of Mencius and Hsun Tzu drastically altered how many people though of the Confucian tradition and how governments of the time were run. By the end of their lives Confucianism was a strong and stable religion that has survived even up to now, and it’s beliefs continue to grow as the world does. Influential speakers like this show various parallels to saints and profits in the Catholic faith and maybe even miniature representations of Gods in faiths like Hinduism. Their impact was at least as large as any of those. Footnotes
Friday, October 11, 2019
Elevator
Hey Gaby, I just started my class online with the University of Phoenix, let me tell you a little bit about it because I know you were interested in going back to school as well. Online courses are also known as distance learning, which means that you are earning your education via online. Instead of being in a traditional classroom setting and having that face to face contact with your teacher, distance learning is student centered instructional format that allows you to take courses without having to commit to a regular campus attendance. I personally enjoy doing distance learning; so far I have been able to easily concentrate on my work. The reason why I chose to do distance learning is because I really have a hard time attending regular face to face classes due to my work schedule, very much similar to the situation you are in Gaby. Just like your goals I want to continue to pursue my degree further and I didn’t want to stop attending school so I chose this avenue. Distance learning is a field where instructional systems are designed to deliver education to students who are not able to physically be in classroom site. In my opinion I think you would enjoy distance learning and you would be able to focus a lot easier. I really enjoy doing it because I love working with computers, some people say that they do not like it but most people that I have spoken to say that they really enjoy it as well. You should really try it I truly recommend it; I was scared at first because I was concerned about having questions that I would like to ask my teacher in person and via online you do not have that opportunity. The method used to communicate with your professor and or classmates is through forums and thread discussions. In these forums and threads you post your questions and responses to other posts as well, somewhat like a live chat room. This is referred to as asynchronous communication; because you are not receiving feedback onsite like you would in a regular face to face classroom. To be honest with you it was a little frustrating learning how to navigate thru everything but once I had spoken to my advisors and they explained to me how everything worked things went so much smoother. As the time has gone by I have gotten the hang of it and I think you would pick up the process pretty easily too. Hope that this information has shown you that there is a way for you to continue your education just like I am.
Portfolio Effect on Risk and Return
ERC INSTITUTE Name : Kimberly Limanto Student ID : 1004434 Course Name: SADBA Title Of The Course : Investment and Fund Management Date of Submission : 15 November 2012 Instructor Name : Mr. Johnson Yang TABLE OF CONTENTThe Financial advisor’s investment case: Inferior investment alternatives Although investing requires the individual to bear risk, the risk can be controlled through the construction of diversified portfolios and by excluding any portfolio that offers an inferior return for a given amount of risk. While this concept seems obvious, one of your clients, Laura Spegele, is considering purchasing a stock she will bear. To convince her that the acquisition is not desirable, you want to demonstrate the trade-off between risk and return.While it is impractical to show the trade-off for all possible combinations, you believe that illustrating several combinations of risk and return and applying the same analysis to the specific investment should be persuasive in discour aging the purchase. Currently, US Treasury bills offer 7%. Three possible stocks and their beta are as follows:- SecuritiesExpected ReturnBeta Stock A9%0. 6 Stock B 11%1. 3 Stock C 14%1. 5 Required I. What will be the expected return and beta for each of the following ? portfolios? a.Portfolio 1 through 4 : all of the funds are invested solely in one asset ? (the corresponding three stocks or the Treasury bill) b. Portfolio 5: one quarter of the funds are invested in each alternative c. Portfolio 6: one half of the funds are invested in stock A and the other half in stock C. d. Portfolio 7: One third of the funds are invested in each stock. II. Are any of the portfolios inefficient? III. Is there any combination of the Treasury bill and Stock C that is superior to portfolio 6 (i. e. half the funds in Stock A and half in Stock C)? IV.Since your client’s suggested stock has an anticipated return of 12% and a beta of 1. 4 does that information argue for or against the purchase o f the ? stock? V. Why is it important to consider purchasing an asset as part of a portfolio ? and not as an independent act? Answers: I. Expected Return and Beta of each portfolio. a. All of the funds are invested solely in one asset. * Portfolio 1 : 100% in investment T-Bill E(R) = 7% E (beta) = 0. 0 * Portfolio 2 : 100% investment in Stock A E(R) = 9% E (beta) = 0. 6 * Portfolio 3 : 100% investment in Stock B E(R) = 11%E (beta) = 1. 3 * Portfolio 4 : 100% investment in Stock C E(R) = 14% E (beta) = 1. 5 b. Portfolio 5 : 25% investment in each security E(R) = (0. 25*0. 07) + (0. 25*0. 09) + (0. 25*0. 11) + (0. 25*0. 14) = 0. 0175 + 0. 0225 + 0. 0275 + 0. 035 = 0. 1025 = 10. 25% E (beta) = (0. 25*0. 0) + (0. 25*0. 6) + (0. 25*1. 3) + (0. 25*1. 5) = 0 + 0. 15 + 0. 325 + 0. 375 = 0. 85 c. Portfolio 6 : 50% investment in Stock A, 50% investment in Stock B E(R) = (0. 5*0. 09) + (0. 5*0. 14) = 0. 045 + 0. 07 = 0. 115 = 11. 5% E (beta) = (0. 5*0. 6) + (0. 5*1. 5) = 0. 3 + 0. 75 = 1. 05 . Portfolio 7 : one-third investment in each security E(R) = (0. 33*0. 09) + (033*0. 11) + (0. 33*0. 14) = 0. 03 + 0. 036 + 0. 046 = 0. 1122 = 11. 22% E (beta) = (0. 33*0. 6) + (0. 33*1. 3) + (0. 33*1. 5) = 1. 12 Each Portfolio returns and beta 100% in T-bill| 7%| 0. 0| 100% in stock A| 9%| 0. 6| 100% in stock B| 11%| 1. 3| 100% in stock C| 14%| 1. 5| 25% in each| 10. 25%| 0. 85| 50% in A and C| 11. 5%| 1. 05| 1/3 in each stock| 11. 22%| 1. 12| II. Inefficient portfolio is a portfolio where the expected risk is higher than the expected return in their comparison.In this case, portfolio 3 where the investment is 100% invested in stock B is the most inefficient because its expected return is 11% and its beta is 1. 3 while in portfolio 6 the expected return is slightly higher, which is 11. 5%, but the beta is lower, which is 1. 05. Therefore from this, we can conclude that portfolio 3, or when she invest 100% in stock B, is the most inefficient portfolio. III. The portfolio which combin es 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C generates an expected return of 11. 5% and beta of 1. 05.The combination on investment between T-Bill and stock C that will be superior to the previous portfolio is: E (beta) = 1. 05 = [X% * 0. 0] + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 = 0 + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 Y% = 1. 5/1. 05 Y% = 0. 7 = 70% X% = 100% – 70% = 30% E(R) = (0. 3*0. 07) + (0. 7*0. 14) = 0. 021 + 0. 098 = 0. 119 = 11. 9% The portfolio which combines 30% or less investment in T-Bill and 70% or more investment in stock C will e superior to portfolio 6 which combine 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C. IV. The portfolio that the client suggested which has 12% expected return and 1. beta is inferior compared to any other portfolio. To prove that this portfolio is inferior to another portfolio, we can try to calculate by : Beta of 1. 4 is a combine of 93% investment in stock C and 7% investment in T-bill. Calculation: (0. 07*0. 0) + (0. 93*1. 5) = 1. 4 This portfolio will generate an expected return of: (0. 07*0. 07) + (0. 93*0. 14) = 0. 0049 + 0. 1302 = 0. 1351 = 13. 51% This calculation prove that a beta of 1. 4 suppose to give 13. 51% expected return. Therefore, the client's suggested portfolio is inferior compared to any other portfolio.V. Purchasing an asset as a part of a portfolio is a much clever way than just purchasing one single asset. It is because by purchasing several assets, the investor can either have higher return with the same risk, or same return but with a lower risk. Therefore, purchasing more than one asset will give benefits to the investor. Also, by purchasing in more than one asset, the investor can be more â€Å"safe†. What safe means is when the other asset collapse, or its value decline, there are still other assets that can cover the losses.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Data Abstraction
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word abstract is defined as â€Å"disassociated from any specific instance†or â€Å"expressing a quality apart from an object†, or â€Å"having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content†.From these definitions, it can be possible to get an idea that to abstract an object implies something ethereal and nebulous, completely disjoint from a concrete instance of that object. In an idea reminiscent of Plato, the world can be separated into two things – the abstract idea and the concrete instance.Understanding the concept of the abstract data type or ADT is easier knowing the definitions of abstraction. An ADT is a representation of a concrete instance. Computers can only process ones or zeros and can only store long ones and zeros.However, in building programs a programmer might want to develop code that interacts or models real world objects or process es. ADTs are â€Å"invented†data types – data types that are modeled after the abstract idea of the concrete instance. An example is the string data type found in some programming languages.A computer cannot store a string (only ones and zeros) yet programmers can do operations on a string like concatenation (using the + operator) effortlessly as if the computer or compiler understands that the user is working with sentences.This brings to light an important concept when dealing with ADTs – the concept of information hiding. A compiler designer might engineer a programming language to handle strings in many ways. He may choose to use ASCII or EBCDIC, use 8 bits per character or a full 32 bit word, use little endian or big endian storage.All these choices are invisible to the user. All the developer needs to understand is that to concatenate strings uses a â€Å"+†operator. Indeed, for an abstracted data type to be functional the functionality of that da ta type should reflect that what that ADT represents independent of the implementation.The nitty gritty of its workings is hidden behind a wall called the interface. The interface (associated operations, properties, etc) is all that the programmer needs and should need to know. A good wall is a prerequisite of good ADT design.So far the paper has discussed about ADTs as data types that represent an idea (such as a string) that is not natively supported by the hardware. A developer might also make his or her own ADTs through the use of data structures.A data structure is basically just an ordered way of organizing data. An example of a data structure is the struct in C, linked lists, and trees. A developer may choose to create one of these data structures in order to represent an abstract idea. He may choose to use a tree in order to represent a family tree.In designing user created ADTs, the concept of information hiding should still be remembered. The ADT should provide a const ant standard interface for every method or subroutine that chooses to call it. Additionally, it goes without saying that the data structure of choice should efficiently model the abstract idea it represents. Using a tree to represent genealogy is easier and makes more sense compared to using linked lists.A soda vending machine, even though it is quite simple is a good illustration of the many aspects of ADT design. The developer might need to store the types of sodas the machine is selling. As there is no â€Å"soda†data type, the programmer might use strings. When the machine vends, the machine should also know that there is one less soda in its storage.A programmer might then choose to implement the sodas as a stuct composed of one string (for the soda name) and an integer representing the number of soda cans left. When the customer presses a button corresponding to a soda, the soda name is displayed on the screen and the machine checks if there are still soda cans left.If there are cans left, the vend process continues through with the customer getting his soda (after payment of course) and the integer counter for the soda is decremented by one. However if the counter is of value zero already, the machine halts the operation and tells the customer to pick another soda.BibliographyCarrano, Frank, and Janet Prichard. Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++ Walls and Mirrors. 3rd ed. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2001.Sedgewick, Robert. Algorithms in C. 3rd ed. Boston: Addison-Weslet, 1998.Sun Developer Network [Website], java.sun.com
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