Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Literature on Recruitment Essay

1.Ours and Ridder (1992) introduced a novel method to test the hypothesis that firms search sequentially based (in which applicants are screened as they show up) on the relationship between the number of (rejected) job applicants and the number of employees hired. The author used data compiled from filled vacancies for the Netherlands. Different types of search methods were distinguished. The results implied that when firms use advertising, private or 76 public employment agencies, which together cover about 45 per cent of filled vacancies, sequential search is rejected. For about 55 per cent of filled vacancies however, sequential search cannot be rejected. In line with theoretical considerations, when firms use search methods that rely on social networks, sequential search cannot be rejected. 2. Gorter, Nijkamp, and Rietveld, (1993) surveyed the Dutch labor market for recruitment channels and its impact on the vacancy duration. The authors found that labor market segmentation plays an important role in the choice of the recruitment channels; in particular, advertising appears to maximize the difference between expected costs and expected benefits when the vacancy concerned belongs to the primary segment of the labor market, while when it belongs to the secondary segment the preferred recruitment channel seems to be the labor exchange office. By using a piece-wise constant hazard rate, they argued that from the analysis of the time pattern of the hazard rate one may conclude that when advertising is used employers search non-sequentially, while if the informal channel is used employers tend to search sequentially. 3. While Gorter and Ommeren (1994) pushed the analysis one step further. The authors concluded that two main recruitment strategies can be identified: a sequential use of search channels, in which the first search channel chosen is usually the informal channel, and additional search channels are activated one after the other; and an â€Å"adding to the pool† strategy in which the first search channel chosen is basically advertisement and later one or more search channels are activated in order to enrich the pool of available applicants. 4. Redman and Mathews (1995) used eleven hundred cases to examine the effectiveness of recruitment advertisements. Findings showed that, in 1980s there was an increase in public sector recruitment advertising (from 20.8 per cent to 37.8 per cent) and a corresponding decrease in private sector (from 79.2 per cent to 62.2 per cent) over the decade. At the same time the authors mentioned two main problems of recruitment advertisement designers. First, with the supply in labour market in 1993, there was a need for limited and selective response from those readily available skills in order to minimise time and cost consumed by screening, short-listing and selection. Second, despite the general over supply of the labour market, skill shortages remained a problem in number of areas. 5. Mencken & Winfield (1998) had explored the advantages and disadvantages of informal and formal recruiting practices in external labour markets. The data was analysed from 1981 Metropolitan Employer-Worker Survey (MEWS). Based on random-digit-dial telephone survey of 2,713 adults, the authors had constructed seven dichotomous dependent variables. The author found that cost made employment agencies less attractive to hiring managers for whom quality rather than volume was the primary concern. 6. Carroll, Marchington, Earnshaw and Taylor (1999) in their study on recruitment in small firms, aimed to find out how practices in small firms compare with the perspective â€Å"textbook† procedures; whether those were seen by small firms as appropriate to their needs; the recruitment problems small firms faced, and what strategies they had adopted to overcome them. 7. Kinder (2000) examined a new model for decomposing e-commerce. The paper suggested that use of the Internet in recruitment processes is likely to change the interface between internal and external labor markets for many firms. The paper predicted that the conceptions behind current research programs in labor market theory may require rethinking in the Internet era. 8. Weiss and Barbeite (2001) focused on reactions to Internet-based job sites. To this end, they developed a web-based survey that addressed the importance of job site features, privacy issues, and demographics. They found that the Internet was clearly preferred as a source of finding jobs. In particular, respondents liked job sites that had few features and required little personal information. Yet, older workers and women felt less comfortable disclosing personal information at job sites. Men and women did not differ in terms of preference for web site features, but women were less comfortable providing information online. 9. A study by Lockyer and Scholarios (2004) on selecting hotel staff, considered the nature of â€Å"best practice† for recruitment and selection. Data from Scottish hotels indicated a reliance on 79 informal methods, particularly in smaller hotels. In larger and chain hotels, structured procedures, including references, application forms and panel interviews, were evident, but, these methods were inadequate for dealing with recruitment and quality problems. 10. A research carried by Henkens, Remery and Schippers (2005) on recruiting personnel in a tight labour market aimed to analyse the instruments employers used to contact with potential workers and to find out, to what extent employers rely on traditional means like advertisement in the news paper or do they behave more actively using world wide web, visiting job fares etc. 11. A study conducted by Rafaeli, Hadomi, and Simons (2005) involved a plant located in Israel and focused on three recruitment methods: employee referrals, geographically focused ads (i.e., the local newspaper), and geographically unfocused ads (i.e., a national newspaper). They found that referrals generated more applicants, more hires, and a higher yield ratio (hires/applicants) than geographically focused ads which, in turn, outperformed unfocused ads on these three criteria. 12. A study conducted by Chand and Katou (2007) on the impact of HRM practices on organizational performance in the Indian hotel industry, investigated the affect of HRM systems on organizational performance in the hotel industry in India. A total of 439 hotels, ranging from three-star to five-star deluxe, responded to a self-administered questionnaire that measure 27 HRM practices. Factor analysis was performed to identify HRM systems, and correlation analysis was used to test the relation between HRM systems and organizational performance. The results indicated that hotel performance is positively related to HRM 80 systems of recruitment and selection, manpower planning, job designs, training and development, quality circles, and pay systems. 13. Breaugh (2008) had discussed employee recruitment and its important areas for future research, where he had reviewed research on recruitment topics that have received considerable attention (e.g., recruitment methods, realistic job previews). He had also addressed topics (e.g., targeted recruitment, the site visit) that have received relatively little attention but that have the potential to be quite important. The author suggested that, before making decisions concerning recruitment issues as what recruitment methods to use, an organization should thoughtfully establish its recruitment objectives.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Response Essay

Response Essay In reading the three articles, â€Å"From Degrading to De-Grading† by Alfie Kohn, â€Å"And Now He is Nothing† by Michael Specter and â€Å"Dilma Rousseff† by Simon Romero my impressions of each article varies from one of unbelief to affirmation. As compelling as the ideology of not grading is, the practicality of implementation would be enormous. The assumption that Lance Armstrong is now nothing can it really be so easily dismissed? Finally, Dilma Rousseff rise to power as a right of previous wrongs remains to be seen; each writer conveying a very persuasive argument.I embrace Alfie Kohn’s ideology that by grading a student’s work one actually hinders the process of learning. Having three school-aged children myself, I see the effect grades have on their mindset. If they do not achieve an â€Å"A† they feel less than their peers. I also have seen instances where they will pick the easiest assignment or not bother to complete extra credit assignments for grading. Therefore, in this regard I do agree that grading does play a factor in their learning experience.However, the practicality of overcoming the mindset of a nation of people is a daunting task that may very well take years to persuade. As much as I may agree with Mr. Kohn’s ideology, I do not see this becoming mainstreamed within the educational system any time in the near future. His ideology would have to be fully embraced by the educational system for steps of improvement in grading students to take hold. This may very well take a grass roots effort from the parents and citizens themselves before ideology could be changed, which would take much time in educating the public on this subject.As much as I personally would love to see this type of learning be prevalent within our educational system I do not see it happening in my lifetime. One can only hope. Such as the case with Lance Armstrong, our hopes in him as a nation were dashed with the admission of doping. As with many of our athletes, it is always a disappointment when news of their achievement is eroded by one form of cheating or another. His achievements are outstanding and his passion and dedication for bicycling is inspiring, especially having overcome the dread of cancer.We are always looking to others to motivate us, or inspire us to do more than we think we are capable of doing, which is what makes his admission so painful. I agree that I was shocked by the news, but is the punishment truly warranted; to remove all seven of his Tour de France victories? I don’t believe it is warranted, neither can it be proven as he had been tested numerous times over the years and never tested positive. An admission alone is not proof enough and should not warrant such an ardent punishment. Although I agree with the writer’s disappointment I do not agree with striping him of all his wins.People are not always what you think they are. As with Dilma Rousse ff, the darling of the Brazilian government, her rags to riches story is compelling. While I applaud Ms. Rousseff’s accomplishments, it remains to be seen if she in fact will be the savior of her country or the start of its demise. Her ideology that government can fix all the economic problems by stimulating the economy with stimulus packages in my opinion is just a temporary fix. Just as we have seen in our own country with the bank bailouts and the loans to the automotive corporations has only delayed the effects of a slumped economy.The promise that better days are ahead remains exactly that, somewhere over the horizon. Do I feel that it is wrong for the government to stimulate the economy, no, but neither do I believe that the government is our savior. This world’s economy is such a delicate balancing act that anything outside of your own four walls can ultimately be your downfall. Each article evokes a different response from the wish of a complete overhaul of our educational system, to our hopes dashed by choices made by one of our star athletes, to skepticism of big brother being our fix all.As much as I agree with the ideology of De-Grading the implementation would be difficult at best. Armstrong’s rise to fame and demise is one that will be remembered for years by those for and against the ruling levied against him. Finally, everyone loves the underdog such as the case with Ms. Rousseff but it remains to be seen if her ideology of government intervention is truly the best approach for Brazil’s economic future. In conclusion, I would more than likely read more articles written by these writers because of their ability to persuade and keep the attention of the reader.

Monday, July 29, 2019

What Does It Cost to Attend Bentley University?

Bentley University, a private nonprofit institution, is known for providing students with relevant, practical, and transferable skills through their educational blend of business, technology, and liberal arts. This mix has made Bentley one of the nation’s best business schools, and their alumni are highly sought after by today’s leading organizations for their professionalism, acumen, and real-world experience. Another thing that Bentley is known for is its price tag. If Bentley University is on your student’s list of dream schools, don’t let the lofty list price dissuade you from applying; most students do not pay the published price of college. Keep reading to learn more about how to calculate the real cost of college. The expense of an education at an institution like Bentley University fluctuates based on a variety of elements that are unique to each student—which makes list price a handy baseline, but a bad predictor of the actual out-of-pocket cost of college. Net price, which is the list price minus any government or institutional aid and merit scholarships, is a better metric for judging what college will really cost. Private colleges and universities typically come with a high price tag and Bentley is no exception. The list price—tuition, room, and board combined—for Bentley University is $63,350 for both in- and out-of-state students. However, as previously mentioned, most students will not pay the published price. Students who pay full price at Bentley are generally from affluent families with incomes surpassing $175,000 a year who fall outside of the top third academically of accepted students. Financial aid net price is calculated by deducting any aid rewarded from grants and scholarships from an institution’s list price. The financial aid net price of Bentley is $55,840. The income level of a student’s family plays a significant role in determining the cost of college—students from lower-income families can anticipate paying less for Bentley than a student with more financial means. Below is a breakdown of net cost at Bentley according to family income: Compared to other colleges and universities, Bentley is on the low end of merit aid awarded. In a poll of over 1,000 schools analyzed by for merit aid generosity, Bentley ranked 802nd. Merit aid is financial aid given without consideration for the financial need of a student, awarded instead for academic skill or achievements outside the classroom such as athletic, arts, or leadership. 37.3% of Bentley students without financial need receive merit aid, with the average amount awarded coming in at $672. Both in- and out-of-state Bentley students who don’t qualify for financial aid will pay an average net price of $62,678—just slightly below the university’s list price. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Many college students employ loans to pay for a percentage of their education. 61% of Bentley student take out student loans with $4,706 being the average federal student loan across four years. Keep in mind that some students may take out private loans as well. Student outcomes should be on the mind of anyone applying to college—they offer insight into expected graduation and future earnings. 88% of Bentley students graduate within six years of enrolling, meaning prospective students can feel good about their odds of graduating on time. Bentley students will also feel good about their investment in their education when entering the workforce, as the average salary for a Bentley student 10 years after graduation is $86,900. For comparison, the average income of a Waltham, Massachusetts, (home of Bentley University) resident is $35,642 a year and the average household income of a Waltham resident is $73,162 . Located on the outskirts of Boston—it’s just 15 miles away—Waltham is an expensive place to go to school. The cost of living index (a number used to give a general idea of the expense of living in a location) of Waltham is 171.1 according to Sperling’s Best Places . To put it in context, the cost of living index of the average U.S. city is 100 and the cost of living index in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is 139. 78% of Bentley students choose to live on campus. Those who choose to live off campus will find accommodations on the expensive side—housing is more than 200% more expensive in Waltham than the national average which the primary driver of the high cost of living in Waltham. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Waltham is $1,737. Two- and three- bedroom apartments, on average, command $2,117 and $2,653 respectively. Students can browse listings and get assistance finding off-campus housing through the Bentley University Off-Campus Housing Service . Students who want to work while attending Bentley will be happy to learn that Massachusetts has one of the nation’s highest minimum wages at $12 an hour. This makes Massachusetts one of 29 states with a minimum wage greater than the federally mandated $7.25 an hour. Work-study is a favored way for college students to earn extra money while pursuing their studies and Bentley supports the Federal-Work Study Program while also institutionally funding on-campus positions for students who don’t qualify for the federal work-study program. Bentley’s Student Employment Office can advise students with any questions or concerns about employment, including advising students about off-campus jobs. Bentley considers academic scholarships for all its first-year fall semester students. There is no application process and eligible students are notified of their eligibility upon admission. For students willing to put in the effort, a wide spectrum of private scholarships are also available. Our blog Getting a Head Start on Your Scholarship Search is a great jumping off point. One scholarship you’ll read about in Getting a Head Start on Your Scholarship Search is the National Merit Scholarship, which benefits approximately 15,000 students each year. Interested in learning more about the National Merit Scholarship and seeing if you qualify? If so, read our blog H ow to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program . If Bentley University is on your list of dream schools but you’re struggling to calculate the cost—or simply want support through the application process—our College Application Program is just for you. Our advisors can guide you through the application process while our Finance Tool allows college-bound students to gain a better understanding of the expense of their education and what that expense means for their long-term financial health. Contact today to learn more about how our Applications Program can benefit you. Â  

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Consumer law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer law - Essay Example more so, goods and products sold in the course of business operations are required to be of merchantable quality.3 Put another way, goods should be satisfactory so that they fit for the purposes for which they are purchased and the consumer is at liberty to anticipate that goods purchased are satisfactory and fit for the purposes for which they are sold and purchased.4 Based on the Sale of Goods Act 1979, Irman has a direct claim against Helen for the damages sustained to his studies. This is so because, the computer had a defect and therefore was not of merchantable quality. Even so, Helen’s liability also falls under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which incorporates Council Directive 85/374/EEC, 1985.5 The Directive’s position with respect to manufacturers’ and distributors’ is aligned to strict liability.6 Under the directive a defective product is defined as a product which: Under Section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the French company importing the customer is liable to both Imran and his friend. This is so because under Section 2 when a product is manufactured outside of the EU, the person or party importing the defective product into the EU is strictly liable for any damages resulting from any defect in that product.8 While Imran, the purchaser of the defective computer, by virtue of the doctrine of privity of contract may pursue a claim in damages for breach of contract under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 against Helen, the vendor of the goods, Imran’s friend has a problem in contract. Imran’s friend does not have a contract with Helen, the vendor. His claim will fall under the law of tort. Under the common law principles following the decision in Donoghue v Stevenson the neighbour principle imposes a duty on the manufacturers and/or distributors of goods not to injure or to prevent injury to all persons that an individual ought to have in his or her contemplation.9 Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 together with the

Capturing memorable moments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capturing memorable moments - Essay Example To my mind, this is due to the fact that while prose presents images and information through the medium of the authors words, photography narrows the distance between the viewer and the object. In this way, the messages and images which a photo contains appear to be more vivid and articulate. Apart from that, the power of an image also lies in the possibility to grasp all its details immediately and see a picture as a whole. In contrast, the nature of the prose requires the details to be uncovered slowly, sentence by sentence. Obviously, this also can be a powerful tool to deliver the general message, however, as for me, this way is less successful in focusing solely on a situation and on the personal emotions which they call, rather than view the situations through the lens of an author. In a sum, although, each of the given works by Nachwey represent a vivid picture and is likely to produce strong emotional response from the audience, I found â€Å"Crushing Car† more articulate. The author managed to capture the moment that reflects the horror and tragedy of the event. As a result, this still image calls the full range of emotions that cannot leave one ignorant. The essay by Nachtwey raises important questions that reinforce the power of the still image and the power of seeing events rather than listening of imagining them. Visible suffering is to the great extend more striking and is likely to leave a long lasting effect on a person than invisible. In this context, I would argue that vision of the suffering is more powerful than hearing about it or imaging, because the first relates to personal and real experience of a person while the second and the third is about assuming how something occurred. Furthermore, I doubt that in the process of imagining a situation a person can, in fact, restore the horror that occurred in full. A simple example: everyone hears about the realities of

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Portfolio report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio report - Research Paper Example In the period between 2007 and 2008, the price of oil increased from 60 dollars to 100 dollars. The price went up to an all times highest of 115 dollars in July 2008. The cycle was the same around April and august 2009. Oil prices behave much as any other commodity with wide price swings ill times of shortage or oversupply. The domestic industrys price has been regulated though the production or price controls throughout the twentieth century.   Crude oil prices ranged between $2.50 and $3.00 from 1948 through the end of the 1960s. Throughout the post war period, exporting countries found an increasing demand for their crude oil and a 40ul (, decline in the purchasing power of a barrel of crude. In March 1971, the balance of power shifted. This happened as a result of the Texas Railroad Commission setting a proration at 100%, for the first time. This meant that Texas producers were no longer limited in the amount of oil that they could produce. More importantly, it meant that the power to control crude oil prices shifted from the US (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana) to OPEC.   In 1972, the price of crude oil was about $3.00 and by the end of 1974, the price of oil had quadrupled to $12.00. The Yom Kippur War started with an attack on Israel by Syria and Egypt on October 5, 1973. The US and many western countries supported Israel. As a result of this support, Arab oil exporting nations imposed an embargo on the nations supporting Israel. Arab nations curtailed production by 5 million barrels per day (MBPD). About I MBPD was made up by increased production by other countries. The net loss of 4 MBPD extended through March 1974 and represented 7 percent of the free world production. Prices increased 400% in six short months!   Events in Iran and Iraq led to another round of crude oil price increases from 1979-80. The Iranian revolution resulted in the loss of 2.5 MBPD between 1978 and 1979. In 1980, Iraqs oil production fell 2.7 MBPD and Irans production

Friday, July 26, 2019

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example Earth Plc needs to focus more to the expectations of their most prominent stakeholders and to the processes in which its culture influences the type of strategy it adopts (Abele, 2008). Principal stakeholder analysis Identification of the interests of the different stakeholders Fisk (2008) emphasized there are different stakeholders in Earth Plc. The customers are interested in the financial statements of Earth Plc in order to determine if the company will stay open during the times when the customers will be buying their much-needed mining needs. The employees of Earth Plc are needed the company’s financial statements in order to determine if it is ripe to ask for salary and other wage benefit increases. A set of financial statements that indicates a loss trend will indicate that there is high probability the company will close shop in the foreseeable future. In this case, a majority of the employees will be forced to find employment in other greener pastures (other companies ). The managers are interested to get a copy of the financial statements in order to know if they have performed their duties and responsibilities in accordance with preset benchmarks. Basically, managers are given a profit benchmark. Here, the financial statements that indicate a loss is equivalent to a failing grade; financial statements that show a net profit is equivalent to a passing grade. The suppliers are very interested to get a copy of the company’s financial statements to determine if the company will stay long enough to buy their goods and services. Financial statements indicating a net loss would prod the supplier to seek other clients to replace Earth Plc because there is a strong indication the company will close shop in the near future. The creditors are interested to get a copy of the financial statements of the Earth Plc. The creditors will use the financial statements as a ground for granting or approving the company’s credit limit. A financial state ment that indicates a net profit will encourage the creditors to immediately approve the company’s credit limit application. On the other hand, a financial statement that indicates a net loss will show that the company may not be able to pay their maturing debts on time due to lack of available cash on hand. The labor union is interested to get a copy of the financial statements in order to determine if the company is able to grant salary and other wage benefit increases. The net profit will indicate that the company will not be able to stay long enough to grant the salary increases. In this case, the labor unions will allow the postponement of the salary and other wage benefit increases. The environmental protection agencies are interested to grab a copy of the company’s financial statements the agencies are interested to know if the company is complying all environmental protection statutes. The financial statements generally indicate if Earth Plc is regularly dumpin g its mining wastes into the crystal clear waters of the nearby river. The environmental protection agencies will not hesitate to penalize companies, especially Earth Plc, that do not use high smoke stacks to let polluting smoke be release at a level that is higher than the height of the average person; this will lessen the people from inhaling the hazardous exhaust smoke used to

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b Assignment

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b - Assignment Example In this project we are going to target all the international students that have a Bachelor Degree in accounting and 3 years of working experience in accounting. The main functional group of this project is the new students having Bachelor Degree. The mission of this project is to provide the international students the facility of higher education. We will act on behalf of the students while dealing with the University and the Australian high commission in getting the visa. In this way the student have to do less effort and their overall process of admission will be easier. The vision of this project is to make sure student visa requirements are met for pursuing the MBA program. Here we will also make sure that the students also have the facilities of the finances for the course fees along with the accommodation. In this project we have to make sure that the overall project can be handled and managed on the time. In this way we will be able to complete the project before the ending date of the admission in the Universities of the Australia. We have to concentrate on the legal areas of the visa processing and financial strength of the students. The main initiative of our agency is to enhance the overall market value and get a better competitive edge in the international immigration. We have established a vision to support and provide better and on time facilities for the Business Visa, Working Visa, Skilled Migration Visa, etc. The aim of our agency is to provide students the better platform for online admission for their higher studies. The agency has settled a business scope and it is established that now it will target international students by providing assistance in applying for a student visa. In this project we have established a project that will facilitate in organizing applications of student visas for a group of international students. Now I will talk about the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

A Rose For Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Rose For Emily - Essay Example In While the theme of the past versus the present assumes numerous forms in this story, as in the clash between the two or the way in which the one intermingles and intersects with the other, this essay will focus on Faulkner’s modes of symbolizing the past and the theme of the past’s subsuming of the present. The past assumes various symbols in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† with the most predominant being the past as the Old South. The story may be interpreted as a narrative about the Old South, a South which has been battered and defeated by the North and by abolition. It is, however, a South which stubbornly and quite illogically insists on clinging to its former glories and, indeed, one which refuses to accept the passage of time or confront the changes which have been wrought upon it. The South is Miss Emily, personified in her refusal to pay taxes and her failure to acknowledge the new reality which surrounds her, culminating in her dismissive treatment of the town’s authorities and her rejection of the very concept of the mailbox/postal services. The South is also the decaying mansion; the mansion which is falling into disrepair but, despite the ravages of time, maintains its haughty, superior demeanor. Last, but not least, the South is Miss Emily’s â€Å"negroâ₠¬  servant; the man who silently goes about his duties, keeps Miss Emily’s darkest secrets and when she dies, disappears. The implication here is that the past, as represented in this story, is personified in Miss Emily and her servant and symbolized in the house. She is, as the unnamed narrator insists, â€Å"tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.† Miss Emily is, thus, symbolic of the South’s traditions and heritage. In his symbolization of the South as the old, isolated and alienated woman and her

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The Great British Pub Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Great British Pub - Essay Example veral pubs to its brand and offers a wonderful mix of traditional food and exotic drinks most wines are hand selected and carefully brewed to meet the varying tastes of customers across the country and visiting tourists. To meet the next challenges that lie ahead in the pub retail industry, the operations department has to come up with up-to-date innovations ascribed to the products and services offered. There are several modus operandi for innovating services in the pub market arena. The great British pub can and should redefine its strategy to fit the current market trends and deliver maximum profits. As opposed to the current strategy of only offering mostly food and drinks, it must develop a new strategy that targets even those who seek accommodation. The firm’s mission and vision statements must reflect and include its stakeholders. These measures should be driven using the bottom up approach in order for the employees to own the new strategy. Openness in setting targets should involve everyone that directly or indirectly attached or associated with the great old British pub. The strategy must take into consideration the suppliers, the government restrictions, outsourced service partners, the highly esteemed workforce and most importantly, it should revere its customers. The products offered by the pub are mainly drinks and food. These products must be offered in a manner that treats customers with respect. The beers and whiskeys must concentrate on the particular tastes preferred by the customers according to recent market researches. Quality can be made a side-by-side buzz word for the pub and as such the business can establish itself as completely unique pub in the world. When quality becomes a part of an organization, customers are attached to the enterprise since they are assured of getting value for their money. This can be done by sampling tastes all over the world so that not even tourists are left unattended. Once the traditional foods and drinks

Impressionist’s Gender Roles Essay Example for Free

Impressionist’s Gender Roles Essay Manet’s Olympia (circa 1863) is a classic example of the reclining nude. This appears to be a private space as there is an attending woman included in the painting. In contrast to this Berthe Morisot’s landscape painting is a public piece, depicting people on a promenade. For Manet’s painting, the viewer relates in a blatant voyeuristic way, gazing upon the nude just as the nude gazes back at the viewer in a poised repose. Morisot’s painting is striking because she depicts women out and about, not confined to a garden persey, but out in the open (two women and a small female child). In both paintings, the women depicted appear to be of high class, since the woman in Manet’s painting has a servant and the two women in Morisot’s painting have parasols indicating that they have enough money for accoutrements. Manet’s painting is a classic gaze painting, meaning there are tones of voyeurism but that the subject gazes back at the viewer with her head held high as though she were not indeed naked. In Morisot’s painting, there is a marked distance between the subjects and the viewer allowing the viewer more freedom to gaze upon these women and their stares do not penetrate the canvas back toward the viewer. It is interesting to note that Manet’s painting depicts a nude woman who stares blatantly back at the viewer while Morisot’s painting depicts clothed women who do note even recognize the viewer’s presence into their world. Thus, the difference between and male and female painters is taken note of in this instance: The female painter does not allow her subjects to look back while the male painter has a fully nude woman strongly gaze upon the viewer.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay Example for Free

Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay The syndrome commonly known as Multiple Personality Disorder but now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 198) might be thought of as a recent phenomenon. The diagnostic literature shows the definition of multiple personality as evolving significantly over the editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the DSM-1, these behaviors were called dissociative reaction, (American Psychiatric Association, 1952), which came to be called hysterical neurosis, dissociative type in the DSM-II (American Psychiatric Association, 204). In each of these, multiple personality was not seen as a distinct disorder but was grouped with somnambulism, amnesia, and fugue states. Only in the DSM-III does Multiple Personality Disorder appear as a separate diagnostic category, with a definition of this behavior. This disorders defining features were argued to be the existence within the individual of two or more distinct personalities, each of which is dominant at a particular time (American Psychiatric Association, 257). The DSM-IIIR of 1987 gave nearly identical defining features as the existence within the individual of two or more distinct personalities or personality states (American Psychiatric Association, 269). The defining features evolved further in the DSM-IV where this behavior pattern came to be termed Dissociative Identity Disorder. Its features became the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 484). This subtle change is significant; distinct personalities were no longer seen as existing within the person or as a part of the person, but the behaviors displayed different states or identities. This definition is less organismic and more behavioral-environmental in theory than earlier versions. With the readers extrapolation, the personality is variable behavior or as topographical subdivisions of behavior, occasioned by discriminative stimuli and controlled by reinforcement contingencies. Here, the personality is showing more variability than that of the average or normal individual; the individual lacking one coherent personality displays a personal repertoire of behaviors which is very diverse, with large variability in the relationship between antecedents and responses. The antecedents, that is, people, places, events, and so forth, of the individual in question occasion more responses of an idiosyncratic nature which are maintained by reinforcement contingencies unique to that individual. Along t his approach, one writer took the new definition to mean that the individual displaying these behaviors could no longer be described as having more than one personality. Instead, the person should be viewed as having less than one whole, coherent personality (Sapulsky, 95). Similarly, Kohlenberg and Tsai (82) observed that these individuals may have not developed all the characteristics of a stable, single personality. History Multiple personality was first recognized and described by the French physician Pierre Janet the late 19th century. In the year 1982 psychiatrists were talking about â€Å"the multiple personality epidemic. Yet those were early days as multiple personal ¬ity became an official diagnosis of the American Psychiatric As ¬sociation only in 1980. Ten years earlier, in 1972, multiple personality had seemed to be a mere curiosity. â€Å"Less than a dozen cases have been reported in the last fifty years. † You could list every multiple personality recorded in the history of Western medicine, even if experts disagreed on how many of these cases were genuine as the word for the disorder was rare. Ten years later, in 1992, there were hundreds of multiples in treat ¬ment in every sizable town in North America. Even by 1986 it was thought that six thousand patients had been diagnosed. After that, one stopped counting and spoke about an exponential increase in the rate of diagnosis since 1980. Clinics, wards, units, and entire private hospitals dedicated to the illness were being established all over the continent. Maybe one person in twenty suffered from a dissociative disorder. Clinicians were still reporting occasional cases as they appeared in treatment. Soon the number of patients would be ¬come so overwhelming that only statistics could give an impression of the field (Modestin, 88-92). Public awareness of the disorder increased in contemporary times after a case was the subject of The Three Faces of Eve (1957). In the 1980s and early 90s, such factors as recognition of child abuse, public interest in memories recovered from childhood (whether of actual or imagined events), allegations of so-called satanic ritual abuse, and the willingness of many psychotherapists to assume a more directive role in their patients treatment, led to what came to be regarded as a rash of overdiagnoses of multiple personality. Causes The cause of multiple personality is not clearly understood, but the condition seems almost invariably to be associated with severe physical abuse and neglect in childhood. It is believed that amnesia the key to formation of the separate personalities occurs as a psychological barrier to seal off unbearably painful experiences from consciousness. The disorder often occurs in childhood but may not be recognized until much later. Social and psychological impairment ranges from mild to severe. The fairly-necessary-condition evolved together with the characterization of multiple personality disorder (MPD). According to Cornelia Wilbur and Richard Kluft, â€Å"MPD is most parsimoniously understood as a posttraumatic dissociative disorder of childhood onset. † Here the childhood onset and the presence of trauma are not parts of an empirical generalization or a statistically checkable fairly-necessary-condition. They are part of the psychiatrists` understanding of multiple personality disorder, part of what they mean by â€Å"MPD. † There is nothing methodologically or scientifically wrong with this. I warn only against having it both ways. There is a tendency (a) to define the concept â€Å"MPD† (or dissociative identity disorder) in terms of early childhood trauma, and (b) to state, as if it were a discovery that multiple personality is caused (in the sense of fairly-necessary-condition) by childhood trauma (Horton and Miller, 151-159). Moreover, child sexual abuse became part of the prototype of multiple personality. That is, if you were giving a best example of a multiple, you would include child abuse as one feature of the example. The connection between abuse and multiplicity became stronger and stronger during the 1970s, just when the meaning of â€Å"child abuse† moved from the prototype of battered babies through the full range of physical abuse and gradually centered on sexual abuse. As a point of logic it is useful to see how concepts are used to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. Those sounds highly figurative, but consider this. In a 1986 essay Wilbur wrote, â€Å"In discussing the psychoanalysis of MPD, Mershkey (330) pointed out that childhood trauma is central and causal. † In fact he ended his prize winning essay by posing some questions. He said that in recent previous reports of multiplicity â€Å"childhood trauma is central and causal† (327-340). The connection between multiple personality and real, not fantasized, child abuse was cemented in clinical journals throughout the 1990s. By 1992 there were vivid musterings of data about the relationship between incest and multiple personality. Philip Coons (299) had stated in his classic 1994 essay on differential diagnosis of multiple personality, he wrote that â€Å"the onset of multiple personality is early in childhood, and is often associated with physical and sexual abuse. At that time no child multiples were known. But the hunt was on. The first in what is now a long series of books of contributed papers about multiple personality had a fitting title: Childhood Antecedents of Multiple Personality (311-315). Prevalence The number of different personalities per MPD patient has shown a substantial increase since the 19th century. During the 19th century, most cases involved only two personalities. Since 1944, however, almost all cases have involved three or more personalities. Modern cases average from 6 to 16 personalities per patient (Coons 305). For instance Modestin (89) reported that 44% of 74 MPD patients each had more than 10 personalities and 8 of these patients had more than 20 personalities each. North, Ryall, Ricci, and Wetzel (2003) plotted the mean number of MPD per patient as a function of year, between 1989 and 2000. In 1989, the average MPD patients manifested just fewer than 10 personalities; by 1999, MPD patients displayed an average of just under 25 personalities per patient. At the present time, MPD appears to be culture-bound syndrome. The explosion of cases since 1970 has thus far remained largely restricted to North America. The diagnosis is very rarely made in modern Europe, despite its turn-of-the-century prominence as a center for the study of MPD. It is also very rare in Great Britain (Modestin,90). Modestin (92) surveyed all of the psychiatrists in Europe concerning the frequency with which they had seen patients with MPD. Depending on how it was calculated, the prevalence rate ranged between . 5% and 1. 0%. More interesting, Modestin noted that 90% of the respondents had never seen a case of MPD, whereas three psychiatrists had seen each seen more than 20 MPD patients. Hence, the frequency of multiple personality has been debated over time. There were some descriptions of these behaviors early in this century, but from the 1920s to the early 1970s, there was a surprising dearth of cases (Spanos, 145). Kohlenberg (138) termed it relatively rare while other reports saw it as very numerous in number; more cases were reported from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s than in the previous two-hundred years. The tremendous increase in reported cases has occurred almost exclusively in North America (Spanos, 147). This behavior pattern is rarely reported in Great Britain, France, and Russia; no case has ever been reported in Japan (Spanos, 160). In both North America and Switzerland, most diagnoses are made by a small minority of professionals while the vast majority of professionals rarely if ever see such a case (Modestin, 90-91). The dramatic increase in the reported numbers of cases has been attributed to differing factors. Possibly, cases which were undiagnosed in previous decades are now being diagnosed because of greater awareness of this condition; it has also been proposed that the condition is now being overdiagnosed in individuals whose behaviors are readily suggestible (American Psychiatric Association, 94). It is probably safe to conclude that the prevalence of Dissociative Identity Disorder is in dispute at this time; some may also dispute the validity of this diagnosis as the DSM-IV, unlike earlier versions of the DSM, does not provide any diagnostic reliability information (American Psychiatric Association, 99). Diagnosis On balance, with the behaviors labeled Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID hereafter, the variability between behavioral repertoires is very high, possibly so extreme that the repertoires do not compose one stable personality (Sapulsky, 64). The person himself or herself may even report being a different person, complete with a different name or identity. Although the behavioral variability is more extreme here, it is still on a continuum with the average person; we all can exhibit several personalities and there are circumstances under which any person might claim to be a different person (Sackeim Devanand, 21). Among the behaviors correlated with a diagnosis of DID, self-report is less controlled by public, environmental events and more controlled by events which are private to the person providing the self-report (Kohlenberg Tsai, 139). The most apparent question is: What type of experiences could account for this extreme behavioral variability, in the self-report of being a different person, with differences in sex, age, race, physical appearance, and so forth. Some writers report that this disorder may only become apparent to a professional or others when different people attend meetings, interviews, or therapy; that is, the same individual attends but with a different self-report of identity, memories, and personality (Sackeim Devanand, 25). In so doing, individuals displaying these behaviors can receive a great deal of reinforcing attention from professionals for engaging in these behaviors. Individuals displaying behaviors correlated with a diagnosis of DID may be reassured of no further abuse and may be encouraged to try to be themselves in as many ways as they can. The different self-reports and personalities become a source of gratification (self-reinforcement) for the formerly abused victims and the professional alike (Spanos, 153). The danger here is that a person with degrees of behavioral variability could be shaped iatrogenically to reporting to be a divergent person by professionals zealously looking for this disorder (Merskey, 329) To quote one skeptic, the procedures used to diagnose MPD often create rather than discover multiplicity (Spanos, 153). Pain complaints, paralysis, blindness, and so forth, also consist of a self-report of a private event. Each of these may be accompanied by publicly observable events such as wincing, reluctantly moving, reporting or appearing to be unable to move or see ( Skinner) Both the self-reports and the public evidence for these differences are under stimulus control of the different personality repertoires in cases of these behaviors. When such an individual displays a specific personality, the self-report of pain or other symptom comes or goes with the other behaviors. Originally, the public signs of pain were authentic afflictions in the past as the result of abuse; months or years later, such indications could be self-produced, rule-governed behavior as part of the personality repertoire. These pains and related behaviors could be reinforced and shaped into a real affliction by well-meaning others as the verbal behavior acquired differential stimulus control of operant pain behavior. The rep orts of pain and related behaviors can persist as operant behavior maintained by its consequences in the absence of the original painful stimuli (Bonica and Chapman, 732). As for the reports in the literature of allergic and other responses being present in some personalities and not others, these too can potentially be accounted for via verbal behavior mechanisms. There are reports that individuals can develop rashes, a wound or a burn or other physiological symptoms in response to anothers verbal suggestions, that is, under hypnosis, although it has been argued that many of these symptoms are likely self-inflicted when observers are not present (Johnson, 298). Actual reports of hypnotically induced dermatological changes are difficult to substantiate; such effects are difficult to produce and are not as common an occurrence as often reported (Johnson, 302). These reports are not all due to the acts of the person showing the symptoms; instead, these symptoms may be due to an interaction of verbal behavior and conditioning mechanisms. Verbal behavior can also facilitate the development of stimulus control via respondent or operant conditioning (Skinner). If an experimenter were to flash a light in your eyes and then shock you, the experimenter would expect you to come to recoil to the light after some number of such pairings. If the experimenter were to tell you that he or she was going to shock you after every light flash, then it would be expected for you to recoil to the light sooner. Relating this to the differential presence of symptoms is not a big leap. Here, the individuals who display the divergent personalities have self-instructed and subsequently conditioned themselves to display symptoms when performing different behavioral repertories. Over time, the symptoms may come under the stimulus control of the emotions displayed, in addition to the persons verbal behavior, and appear spontaneous to the person himself or herself. To support the argument for conditioning mechanisms producing somatic symptoms, Smith and McDaniel (69) showed that a hypersensitive cellular response to tuberculin was modulated by respondent conditioning. Individuals can also exert control over a variety of autonomic functions as diverse as dysmenorrhea to seizure activity, via biofeedback . Treatment From the foregoing assumptions, therapy for persons displaying the behaviors in question must consist of extinguishing a reasonable share of the behavioral variability in the repertoire and reinforcing behavioral stability and generalization; literally, to shape one personality. Kohlenberg (138) reported being able to increase the frequency of specific behaviors composing one personality of an individual who exhibited DID-like behaviors by differential reinforcement of that personality. When placed on extinction, these behaviors returned to baseline frequencies. Other techniques might involve the client role-playing and rehearsing several social interactions and experiencing some situations expected to produce normal emotional behaviors. Kohlenberg (139) reported success at reintegrating the personalities in a dual personality individual by teaching assertiveness skills via role playing. Caddy (268) also used assertiveness training and shaping in reintegration. The therapist might videotape client s as they behave, to use for feedback and in shaping and instructing more cohesive behavior. There might also have to be a way of teaching the client to engage in more social-referencing, or seeking public feedback in more instances of what is acceptable behavior. Whereas you or I might ask, Did you see (or hear) something? when we are unsure of seeing or hearing, individuals whose behaviors are consistent with the label of DID may have to learn to ask, Am I still behaving as me? The therapist could not answer this question alone but family members and significant others could. This process would have to continue until the person reports being the same individual with the same experiences, and has less observable variability in his or her personal repertoire. Even if a therapist were to try to undertake such an intervention, and most would probably not, this process could be long and arduous, due to the multiple sources of control that would require adjustment, and the possibly well-meaning sabotage by those who attend to and reinforce the variability. Indeed, based on this account, control of the behaviors in this pattern would be difficult for anyone to establish. Even the therapist who encourages variance is not exerting control unless unpredictable behavior is the target behavior. As a result, these individuals may have been and will likely be in therapy for years (American Psychiatric Association).

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Electric Bus as an Environmentally Friendly Form of Public Transport

Electric Bus as an Environmentally Friendly Form of Public Transport Use of Electric buses to improve Environmental performance of bus travel by Sagar Shah Introduction In recent years there is a ton of hype around electrification of cars and which is right for a reason that they contribute a lot to congestion and there is huge amount of emission of major pollutants which has made the urban air quality a big concern. But here’s a less considered fact: Personal vehicles are probably the most challenging to electrify cost-effectively as they just traverse at maximum 4 people over a small distance in a 2-ton vehicle which consumes a lot of energy. The case for electrification or introduction of an alternate fuel is strong for other vehicles & Public Urban Buses top the list. In this paper I will be exploring the implementation of electric buses to improve the environmental performance of Urban bus travel as well I will discuss various considerable points such as cost effectiveness of the electric bus as well as legislations, modifications in the regulations concerning the application of electric bus to the various markets of the world. The paper deals with Battery electric buses which will be referred to as BEBs for the rest of paper. Why Battery electric buses? Buses are the most important mode of transport all over the world when public transport is considered. Buses for long have been used as a main mode of transport for medium to short distance travel and have been the most effective as they go through various routes. In March 2017, there were an estimated 4.93 billion bus passenger journeys in Great Britain which is around 60% of all public transport journeys  (DfT, n.d.)[1]. When talking about greener transport public bus transport are one of the worst contributors to two main contributors to air pollution namely CO2 and NO2. The emission of oxides is a result of fossil fuels used to run the conventional buses. Most of the conventional buses run of diesel. It is found that public transport buses use 40,000 litres a year which is 100 times more than a normal car. They run for 16-18 hr continuously as compared to a car which has a usual use of 2 hrs. For this reason, it is important buses are electrified as soon as possible. Past development and Current scenario For the last two decades there has been large developments in making the electric vehicles a reality. It’s a tough task to design a bus which can continuously work for 16-18 hrs and carrying passengers as much as the conventional bus does. It is a known fact that all over the globe initiatives have been undertaken to introduce electric buses. The first uses of were mostly small, mini or midi-buses. The improvements of battery technology from around 2010 led to the emergence of the battery bus, including heavier units such as twelve-meter standard buses & articulated wagons. Let’s have a look at the history of battery electric bus developments throughout the years. In 2009, Shanghai catenary bus lines began to use battery buses.In September 2010, BYD Auto began manufacturing BYD K9.In 2013, battery buses introduced in Netherlands.In Germany in 2013 battery buses undergoing tests in Bremen and Bonn.The largest bus fleet in Dallan, China included 600 BYD buses.In 2015 BYD launch the first double decker battery buses.Botosani, Romania planned for public transport to operate fully electrically at a conversion cost of 20 million Euros Figure 1: BYD Double decker bus In October 2015, the double decker buses were converted to BYD electrics with a range of 250km. London’s centre city access toll waived off for battery buses[2]  (Wikipedia, 2017). It has been some very successful past years for developers and there is a huge move towards electric bus seen all around the globe. The quality of urban air is deteriorating and with cities growing and urbanisation on the peak it becomes very important to have a clean fleet of buses which can be cost effective and non- polluting at the same time. Transportation Policies London the capital city of the England has for long been the economic hub and has been an example for the world in terms of providing good public transport. The city is very well known for its one of the best public bus services provided to its citizen. In the past few years the air quality levels have been one of the most significant worries for the policy makers. A study by Kings College shows that there are almost 9500 people who die because of the air pollution. The NOx and the PM(2.5) have been the biggest contributors to the air pollution and they are highly emitted by the burning of fossil fuels by vehicles. COx is the biggest contributor to greenhouse effects and they are the largest heat absorbents and have caused a heavy increase in the global temperatures with more and more emission of GHGs. With all these in mind considering the London bus network there has been drastic steps taken to curb down the emissions and go forward towards Zero Emission. Because of which following policies are undertaken The Mayor of London announced a new  £86.1m programme to cut harmful emission from London’s existing bus fleet.Around 5000 buses more than half set to be upgrading to meet the Ultra-Low Euro VI Emissions standards, cutting pollution by up to 95%.The Mayor has also set out in his draft Transport strategy that by 2037 at the latest, all 9200 buses across London will be zero emission.The electric routes are part of major transformation the Mayor has asked TfL to deliver to reduce emissions from London’s bus fleet.One other important policy to clean up the Capital’s bus fleet include the phasing out of diesel only buses& a commitment to purchase only hybrid or zero emission double decker buses from 2018.The introduction of 12 new low emission bus zones, operational by 2020, this will see NOx emissions along routes fall by more than 80%.In March 2017 TfL has introduced the first of 12 low emission zones, where only buses meeting the toughest standards are permitted to run.Using more Electric buses can dissolve the problem of greener transport & congestion. To take a view of what the polices are doing on ground and what people think about the current air quality situation in the city a poll was conducted & designed by YouGov for a sample of 1000 Londoners. (YouGov, 2017). The results of the poll are discussed here: 88% think air pollution is a big problem, with 66% citing air quality as bad and 72% wanted more stringent actions to curb air pollutions.[3] This shows that even after the polices being so hard people are still concerned more about the quality of air they breathe in when on streets of London. As from all of this it is quite evident that the best bus network in the world has outlined large number of policies & taken giant strides towards making buses run by electric batteries. A lot of potential is seen in the much anticipated zero emission buses to take over and make the city a place to breathe freely in near future. Key benefits of Battery electric Buses(BEB’s): Electric battery buses bring with them lots of benefits. Most important of them are the environmental benefits which will be talked more about later in this paper. Following can be listed down as the major benefits: Air quality improvement   This will happen largely because of the zero tailpipe emissions from the BEB’s. The levels of COx and NOx in the air are quite worrying in certain cities which is predominantly around the city centre. BEB’s work on the principle of zero tail pipe emission this should create a better ambient air quality for citizens. Noise Pollution reduction   Electric buses are very quiet in operation and can be a big advantage in urban areas to reduce noise pollution when compared to highly noisy diesel engine buses. If we consider a peak hour rush in a urban street with lots of vehicles, electric buses would contribute zero to noise levels as they can be near to perfect quite when in operation. Journey Comfort   Electric buses have been told to be very comfortable while on the move with passengers as it reduces the jerks due to braking as it uses regenerative braking. The buses have a lot more space when compared to diesel bus as they don’t have to be equipped with heavy engines and other mechanical parts. The buses are much lower to the ground and can also be a aid to disable people as it is very easy to get on and off the bus Maintenance cost Savings   Due to very low mechanical instruments needed for the propagation the wear and tear is heavily reduced which can save a lot of money over the lifetime of the bus when compared to conventional diesel buses. Drawbacks Range For a large period, there has been a great enthusiasm towards making public buses run on battery electric buses, but the hindrance is that buses need to run 16-18 hrs continuously & there need to be enough power in them to run all day long, but the range of the buses is limited &0 can only run on smaller routes & not many double decker buses are operational till date. Most of the buses are charged overnight and take almost 3-5 hrs to charge fully and run for the whole day. Heavy weight To power a large vehicle like the bus there needs to be a large battery pack inside the bus. The most famous BYD auto designed K9 with a huge 345 kwh battery. The energy density is just near 100wh/Kg which means the battery pack itself will be 3.5 tons. (Independent, 2016) High initial costs The cost of Conventional diesel buses is almost the half of the BEB’s. This factor for a big span of time made BEB’s not feasible. But with high research and development and a great downfall in the price of the batteries for buses has somewhat narrowed the gap between the ownership costs of the BEB’s and Conventional diesel buses. In future with more and more investment in the research we can expect to see more drop in the price for electric buses and it can be said that they will be more affordable by more markets. Battery replacement costs Batteries are the most important component of the BEB’s. Cost of the replacement of batteries can be a very daunting factor when economic viability is considered for the electric buses. As the costs of battery pack are very high and the size needed for the bus is a huge one so can almost result in somewhere around  £20k after a span of 6-7year depending on the manufacturers. But recently many companies have claimed to make this cost diminished as the give a 12-year warranty of battery packs included in the bus and which can be considered as the average life span of a bus. Infrastructure Re-Development A shift from one technology to another can prove to be a very hard process. Electric buses would need charging docks for the buses to charge overnight. This will need significant amount of money and it will add up to the city’s electric demand. Research in Battery Success or failure of zero emission buses largely depend on the success of the batteries used for electric buses. The reports on the highly hyped London electric double decker bus which is manufactured by the ALD & BYD as a joint venture which has the technological input form BYD, which is world’s pioneer in BEB’s.  (TFl, 2017) This BEB’s uses as 345kwh battery pack. BYD for long has specialised in a type of Lithium battery called Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4). It is reported to have an energy density of just around 100wh/Kg. So, this battery pack will weigh a tremendous 3.5 tons before any packaging, interconnects, cabling or BMS are considered so a weight of 4 tons is more likely. The other drawback of LFP type batteries is its abilities to take & release charge. Now, to make the battery much more light and efficient developments can be made in the direction of changing the materials used in the batteries. For example, Tesla using lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium(NCA) the P90D model S has a 90 Kwh battery pack which has an energy density of 140wh/kg. Definitely this was for a car, but such developments must be made, and a lot can be achieved in the electric drive technology of the electric buses. Economically Feasible The idea of battery electric bus is viable or nor largely depends on its economic feasibility. Any new technology at its advent is expensive & is not affordable by all. For example, when smartphones started to roll out they were priced highly when compared to the conventional mobile phones. But with heavy investment in research & development & also large competition around the globe to consumer markets the prices have come down & the market has reached to a new pinnacle every year. Figure 2 Drop in Battery Prices over the last decade and future projections Battery electric buses can also be considered more as an electronic entity rather than an automobile with more and more research & the urge to go green on immediate basis will see a large variation in the current buses & the buses to roll out in next 10 years. Figure 3 Citi research Li batteries price drop. As shown is the figure it is quite evident that due to heavy turnaround towards electric vehicles there has been a drop of 80% in the price of the main component of BEB’s battery packs. Prices have dropped yet the initial cost is very high to own a battery electric bus having a range of 250 miles. With the change in technology there will be a need to improve the infrastructure. This can add to the overall cost in bringing more BEB’s to the roads pertaining the charging technology adopted, and the nature of change needed. Going forward it becomes necessary to study the feasibility of BEB’s to make the electric buses accepted very firmly. Transportation economy vary quite too much in every part of the world largely because of the different application of bus transport in every urban city. Table 1 Diesel V/s Hybrid V/s BEB’s Table1 shows the cost benefit analysis which compares the Diesel Conventional Buses V/s Hybrid diesel buses and BEB’s. The data has been collected from TfL statistics for bus and other articles related to bus transport in London. There is a fleet of 9549 buses in London[4]  (TFl, 2017) which comprises of all the three variants included in the analysis. The assumption here made is use of entire fleet as each type. From TfL report on Bus performance 16/17 it is found that on average bus travels 35600 miles a year. This data has been made a standard and remains the same for each variant throughout the analysis. The BEB considered here is the BYD double decker bus currently deployed on the route 98. The bus packs a 100Kwh/hr battery pack which uses slow charging to charge overnights at the Willesden bus depot and takes about 3-4 hrs to charge fully.[5]  (Metroline, n.d.) The main aim was to find out the Overall operating cost of all the vehicles and compare them. As shown in the table the cost for the off-peak charging has been assumed as 0.10p/kw, this charge can vary according to various boroughs and different factors. On average bus travels 100 miles per day and price for operation on each day is calculated as  £4/day so which breaks down to 0.4p /mile. Now we also know that the BEB’s usually have replacement battery due every 6-7 years. But for this case the Buses provided by BYD has a warranty of 12years which is almost the lifetime for a bus. So, no maintenance cost is considered in the analysis of costs for BEB’s. For BEB’s it can be considered that there will be a need for new infrastructure development which may cause a rise in the overall cost for the BEB’s. As we don’t have any figure for the development of charging docks it is also not considered for the analysis. The charging dock once developed can be used by many buses at the same time and would last for several years without any maintenance need. Figure 4 Cost comparison of all vehicles. Figure 5 Cost over Life span Following are the outcomes of the analysis: Ownership cost is almost double for BEB’s when compared to Conventional diesel buses but when compared to hybrid diesel vehicle there is a very skew difference in their ownership costs. This is largely attributed to high price rate of battery packs used in BEB.Operating costs of the vehicles show large variations as the cost for electricity is much low as compared to the cost of diesel. A single BEB can save up to approx.  £42,000 which is almost the annual operating cost of a diesel hybrid bus. This means if the whole fleet is converted to BEB there can be tremendous savings on operational cost of public transport buses. Diesel and hybrid diesel buses also show a considerable difference but nowhere near BEB.Maintenance cost as shown in the table for BEBs are almost negligible as due to absence of mechanical spare parts the wear and tear would not happen. When talking about maintenance battery replacement cost if any should be considered but in the considered case it is zero as the manufacturer has provide a warranty of 12 years for the battery pack provide in the double decker bus.  Total cost per annum is the addition of ownership cost + operational costs which in the initial years is high for the BEB. This due to large investment needed at the time of procurement.The fig 5 shows the overall cost of operation over 12 years of life time, which shows that BEBs are highly efficient over the long term. Even if the battery is to be changed it could be adjusted in the same budget as for the hybrid diesel buses. The graph clearly suggest that it is extremely efficient to use BEB and can save around 350k over a life time when compared to a conventional diesel or hybrid diesel bus. For a whole fleet to be changed is somewhat hypothetical in near future but in his vision for buses Mayor of London suggested to only uses BEB by latest 2037. This means there can be billions in savings overtime if the project is successfully completed.Apart from this the most important benefit would be Zero-tailpipe emission from BEBs which can effectively and immediately improve the urban air quality and in turn save millions of pounds spent on health care and other projects to eliminate the effect of greenhouse gases. More about this will be discussed in Environmental impacts of BEB’s. Thus, it can be said that currently the BEB’s are more profitable if they provide the needed range of usage and the cost benefit analysis proves and supports the implementation of electric battery buses immediately. Legislation and Regulations With advent of new technologies arrives the need to amend the legislations already present or design new legislations and regulations. It is very important that legislations for BEB’s are shaped at every level of governance and implemented. Following are the policies that can be made at different levels to incorporate and encourage the use of battery electric batteries. International Organisations Greenhouse effect is a global problem and pollution caused anywhere would affect people everywhere, this should be kept in mind by each organisation. Emission of GHGs is a serious problem in big cities of every countries. Now to reduce it most of the countries in UN should stay committed to save our planet earth from getting destroyed and there should be steps which are mandatory for any member in a big organisation such as UN or EU. Any violations must be severely dealt with and provisions of sanctions or penalties must be made, this is because air pollution is not only causing deaths to humans who breathe toxic pollutants, but it also is posing a severe threat if the situations like now persists. Following are some important measures or directives which global organisation must lay out: Maximum permissible emission levels must be set out for each country and no discriminations should be made between developing and a developed country. China accounts for 23% of global greenhouse emissions[6]  (Worldatlas, 2015) all over the world. Paris agreement COP 21 was signed by most of the world’s biggest countries. US opted out of it as they would not be able to meet the levels set which should not be the case. Bigger economies must stand as an example and cut down of GHGs. More and more deals must be made out on global level and the progress on it must be reviewed time by time to ensure its successful implementation. National level Once the global agendas are set the countries on a national level should segregate different policies for different sectors which can be used by regulatory bodies and other industries and institutions to comply with the goals set to meet the global agendas. For BEB’s England has been very proactive in the Europe and recently became the world’s first to use a double decker BEB. China on the other hand has the largest market for BEB’s and has successfully managed to incorporate them in public transport in various cities. These countries policies can be set as an example for other countries. Following legislations can be drawn from their policies: London has decided to only procure Hybrid buses or zero emission from 2018 and to only have zero emission buses by 2037.  (TFl, 2017)Application of Ultra low Emission Zone(ULEZ) is done with dense traffic and higher Volume of COx and particulate matter in the air PM(2.5).  (TFl, 2017)Buses that comply to the most stringent norms of Euro VI are only allowed on the streets.  (TFl, 2017)For china the have provided bus manufactures with attractive subsidies which has in turn made them the pioneer in these industries.Infrastructure development for BEB’s must be supported by government programmes.Efforts must be made, and more funds should be allocated for research in the technology of BEB’s. New ideas such as Solar charging docks which makes use of renewable energy sources must be encouraged so that BEB’s leave minimum carbon footprint. Industrial It is important that the manufacturers keep in mind the emission levels and design the vehicles as per the norms. More Bus operators should try and incorporate BEB’s and fulfil their social responsibility. Consumer perception BEB’s have zero tailpipe emissions so they would not be throwing black smoke right into urbanites faces. Diesel smoke is a big contributor to 6.5 million deaths a year due to air pollution. This should notably mean that use of BEB’s virtually means no emission of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. The electricity from power plants generated may still emit those pollutants, but even if it is powered by coal plants, a BEB would average far less pollution per-mile than a diesel bus. Electric buses are much, much nicer experience- lower to the ground, much more space (diesel engines take a lot of space), no diesel burning smell & no noise. If the battery costs are brought down & with already low operational costs the total cost of running a bus can be brought to half that of a diesel bus. These advantages when passed to community would mean less money to travel on bus. BEBs can have positive social impacts as far as its application is considered in urban areas. Air pollution and noise pollution in urban areas have been associated in a lot of studies across the globe. BEBs can also end up reducing stress levels. Environmental Impacts Air quality As we know currently most of the fleet of buses run on conventional diesel ICE engine. ICE engine is most popular but by burning fossil fuels this are the several side effects of diesel buses. Apart from this use of fossil fuels is at a peak & its price are also increasing day by day with increase in demand. Figure 6 Oil demands   The figure shows that we will shortly be running out of fossil fuels. The use of vehicles is increasing every year around the globe and the demand is set to overcast the supply within next few years. BEBs will help ensure we have an alternative to run our buses. Air quality around the world has been in a grave condition for the past few years. BEBs are technology which will help us provide freedom from the emission which is caused by burning of fossil fuels. Diesel conventional buses use up to 100 times more diesel annually when compared to a diesel car. Currently the situation is so bad that a reputed daily guardian published an article which headlined- ‘Revealed- Every Londoner breathing dangerous level of toxic air particle.’  (Taylor, 2017) The article highlighted the seriousness of air quality problem that we are facing. The article stated that almost 95% of the capital’s population live in the rea that are exposed to high level of particulate matter in the air. [7] Figure 7 Particulate matter levels (Guardian) As the chart suggest the annual levels of PM2.5 are severely high in and around the city of London. The situation is much worse when we the levels are examined for central London. It is almost double the acceptable limits suggested by WHO. BEBs when come into action will run through the streets of the London but with zero tailpipe emission it is certain that this level will drop certainly and suddenly. This particulate matter can be described as something as toxic a drop of tar which will go down directly to the lungs and then to bloodstreams. This very fine particulate matter can be a reason for strokes and heart attacks.  (Taylor, 2017) The other major pollutant is Nitrogen oxides which is also produced in our ambience, a pollutant which inflames the lungs, stunting their growth & increasing the risk of respiratory diseases like asthma & lung cancer. London has one of the most acute problem across the world.[8] Figure 8 NO2 Levels London The figure shows how worse is the condition about nitrogen dioxide in central London. It was reported that Putney High street managed to break its annual emission limits in just eight days in 2016. The areas of Knightsbridge, Oxford street, Earl’s court & Brixton following the suit before the end of the first month. Government estimates 23000 people to die pre-maturely from nitrogen oxide pollution. (Taylor, 2017) Policies Several policies are designed to maximize the use of BEBs in London. Some policies have had a great impact in reducing the pollution from the city while some have not shown any effects. One such policy was to declare Ultra low emission zones in the city where the vehicles meeting the highest standards are only allowed to enter. But if we consider the scale of the policy it only secures about 300,000 citizens while ignoring the overall of 3 million which are affected by the atrocities of air pollution. The auto industry has for long tried and developed the vehicles which emit lowest NOx but have always failed. They have by lobbying tried to have their bread and butter secure by keeping on doing the wrong things to the environment. The norms have been manipulated and it is best said that power is in money. The recently published EU limits have been an example of this, Netherlands being the only country to oppose the limits. The limits are set such that it allows manufactures could design for up to double the acceptable limits by the WHO.[9] (nelson, 2015)The powerful should understand that the need is not to run from the problem but face it head on and take bolder steps. Technology of BEB must be accepted by European manufactures. 60 years ago, there was a ban on coal a similar ban is needed for diesel at least for urban vehicles and specially for public transport. Dark side The BEBs run on electric and are zero-tailpipe emitting vehicles but are they greenest option available for transport in urban areas? Answer can be maybe no as the electricity used to charge the batteries of BEBs come from the burning of coal ion a thermal power plant. It can be made the greenest if options are found to make it run on renewable sources of energy. Most of the electricity in UK comes from coal which is also a fuel which also produces lots of carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides when combusted. Unless the electricity coming to our grid is not by burning hydrocarbons there will be a huge carbon footprint for any fully electric vehicle. But when a comparison is to be done burning a fuel in industry would be much more efficient that burning it on streets in different engines. Other hazard can be of battery disposal after its use. BEBs posses a large battery pack. Technology to recycle them must be developed so that they don’t cause any hazard to environment. Most of the batteries are thrown away & are used as landfill in various areas, these will eventually degrade the soil & cause damage to vegetation also.   It is important that BEB should be developed in such a way that they should be 100% green and environment friendly from well to wheel. This technology is developed as we developed ICEs without assessing its impact on the environment. Cost might be a barrier but compromising now could mean serious consequences. BEBs can incorporate Other technologies Buses in cities run over a fixed route and have a dedicated lane in certain cities. A lot of research is put in developing an autonomous car, the same technology can be used in buses with much lesser hindrance as it would not have any other traffic on its way. Autonomous electric bus can take out one of the largest cost that bus operators incur and that is labour cost. This can make bus travel highly safe and cheaper in future with much more accuracy to run on schedules. Apart from autonomous drive use of renewable sources can be done to produce electricity for the charging of BEB at the charging docks. Use of solar energy to generate electricity and can be stored in storage cells and then used to charge the batteries of the buses. This can cut down carbon footprint to a very low level.   Such technologies could make BEBs much more efficient and prove to be a game changer in the public transport sector. Conclusion The idea of BEB has a clear future. It can prove to be the game-changer to save the depleting air qualities in the cities and provide a boost towards achieving a greener environment by cutting down the wasted fuel in congestion, providing more greener space & by removing the deadliest diesel ICE in our cities. Implementing BEBs can not only be economically providing a country with savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds on each bus but also serve good to its citizens health by saving them from life-threatening diseases which could be rampant because of air pollution. There ought to be a lot of challenges along the path of revolution, but such has been the case with all technological revolutions, and they’ve been dealt with before and I am sure BEBs in near future will take over the market as the first choice for public transport buses all over the globe. References Anon., n.d. Bus travel statistics, London: Department of transport. Bloomberg, n.d. s.l.: s.n. Independent, 2016. New double decker bus launch in london. march. Metroline, n.d. First Zero emission Double decker, London: s.n. nelson, A., 2015. EU caves in to auto industry pressure for weak emissions limits. Guardian. Taylor, M., 2017. Revealed: every Londoner breathing dangerous levels of toxic air particle. Guardian. tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-fleet-data-and-audits, n.d. Bus fleet data and audits, s.l.: s.n. TFl, L., 2017. TfL and the Mayor announce more fully electric buses, London: TfL. Wikipedia, 2017. Battery electric buses, s.l.: Wikipedia. Worldatlas, 2015. Biggest Contributors to Air pollution, s.l.: s.n. YouGov, 2017. YouGov Air quality survey Results, London: s.n. [1] Data from Department of transport for bus travel. Source for history: Wikipedia Electric battery buses. [3] https://files.datapress.com/london/dataset/gla-poll-results/2017-01-26T18:50:00/YouGov%20Poll%20Air%20Quality%20Feb%202017.pdf [4] https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-fleet-data-and-audits [5] https://www.metroline.co.uk/blog/progress/world%E2%80%99s-first-zero-emission-electric-double-decker [6] https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/biggest-contributors-to-global-warming-in-the-world.html [7] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/04/revealed-every-londoner-breathing-dangerous-levels-of-toxic-air-particle [8] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/05/the-truth-about-londons-air-pollution [9] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/28/eu-emissions-limits-nox-car-manufacturers

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Health Benefits of Exercise Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Exercise is one of the most important factors in a persons’ life. Physical activity, or the lack of it, can result in a person having a healthy life or cause them to have diabetes. The benefits of exercise are countless. The positive health results, the improvement in attitude, even better academic performance are all factors which make not exercising inexcusable. Merely not using a person’s body is harmful. Not being active results in a person’s muscles becoming weak and out of condition. The effectiveness of a person’s heart and lungs will decrease. A person’s joints will become stiff and can be injured easily. Inactivity can be as much of a health risk as smoking. In addition children have become extremely lazy with all the entertainment available in this day and age. Most Americans watch three and a half hours of television every day. By the age of sixty five over nine years will have been spent in front of a screen. Over one-third children from ages four to nineteen eat fast food every day and fifteen percent in that age set are obese. It is especially important to prevent children and adolescences from becoming obese. According to â€Å"Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics† eighty percent of obese children become obese adults. The number of overweight children in America has dou bled since the 1980s. People have begun resorting to unsuccessful diets and each day thousands of teens become bulimic or anorexic to lose weight. Thirty four to thirty seven percent of adults in America are obese. This has increased dramatically in the past twenty years (â€Å"Obesity†). The simple answer to this problem is to start exercising. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services says that children and teens need a... ...ical Activity for Families and Children." National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Llewellyn, Claire. Exercise. London: QED, 2006. Print. â€Å"Mayo Clinic.† Web. 27 Apr. 2011. . "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Payment, Simone. What Happens to Your Body When You Run. New York, NY: Rosen Central, 2010. Print. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, 2001. Print. "What Is Basal Metabolic Rate?" Personal Trainer Cindy Brotherston for Fitness, Weight Loss and Nutrition. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

Developing Health Policies Essay -- Health Care

Health policies are developed and changed in order to improve access to care, control costs and expand quality. Each country will have its own challenges in accomplishing these goals dependent on the diversities of the population, including wealth, sanitation, education, location, and lifestyles. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) changed the payment methodology for Medicare Advantage plans to a model that provides resources based on the chronic conditions being cared for in the senior population. CMS had the three goals in mind with the creation of the Risk Adjustment Model. This policy change took ten years to implement fully. The difficulties and trials of developing health policies have no easy answers or fixes, but are meant to improve the health of the citizens of the country creating the policies. Challenges in Policy Development Level of care provided In an article by Jamison and Mosley (1991), they write the policy debate in international health has often been polarized around conflicting viewpoints on such issues as preventive versus curative services, selective versus comprehensive primary health care, or integrated versus vertical programs. As we approach the 21st century, it is becoming clear that framing the issues in these terms will not enlighten the policy process, primarily because it limits the options largely to actions that can be carried out directly by ministries of health. Profound social and economic transformations are projected to impact on health in the developing countries in the 1990s and beyond; implications for the epidemiological profiles of these countries will be dramatic. A more comprehensive analytical approach is required to formulate health policies that will not only respond t... ...easibly be provided, and what can be afforded is extremely important. No health policy will be perfect, but hopefully one can be established that will promote health care, education and healthy environments for a majority of a countries population. Works Cited Jamison, Dean T. and Mosley, W. Henry (1991). Developing Countries: Health policy responses to epidemiological change. American Journal of Public Health, 81(1), 15-17. Mercurio, B. (2007). Resolving the public health crisis in the developing world: problems and barriers of access to essential medicines. Northwest University Journal of International Human Rights, 5(1). Tantivess, S., Teerawattananon, Y., & Mills, A. (2009). Strengthening Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Thailand through the Establishment of the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program. Pharmacoeconomics, 27(11), 931-945.

Friday, July 19, 2019

A Proposal to Stop the Poaching of the Siberian Tiger Essays -- Argume

A Proposal to Stop the Poaching of the Siberian Tiger One of the world’s most beautiful creatures, the Siberian tiger, has been roaming earth for many years. The Siberian tiger subspecies has been subjected to many obstacles, which make it very difficult for it to survive. Their main threat is not lack of food, but â€Å"man,† one of God’s most fierce and cruel species. Because of man the tiger population has reduced to approximately 400 in the wild, and restricted their remaining habitat to the Russian Far East (Field Projects). Man has done many things to destroy the Russian Siberian tiger. They have cut down forests and moved in on the tiger’s territory, causing them to flee and become fragmented throughout Siberia making it hard for them to mate and hunt. Poaching has also made it difficult for the tiger to survive. Man has illegally killed this magnificent animal over decades for sport, food, trade, medicinal purposes, and to protect their livestock. Though man is very powerful and capable of causing the extinction of the Siberian tiger, they are also capable of helping the tiger to survive. Many people are supporting conservation organizations in order to help the surviving population of the Siberian tiger. These conservation organizations are trying to stop the annihilation of the Siberian tiger by strengthening anti-poaching patrols, establishing a compensation program for farmers, and educating people. According to researchers, â€Å"between 1990 and 1994 approximately sixty tigers were poached a year† (Field Projects). Some Russian experts predicted, â€Å"that, if no immediate measures were taken, the Siberian tiger would go extinct soon after the year 2000† (Field Projects). The Russian ministry of environment began a project... ...ob to clean up what we started and end the illegal killing and help the tiger population to expand and survive in their habitat. Many foundations have been funded in order to make this possible, it is also our job to make sure they stay in effect to eventually end the poaching of the Siberian tiger. Richard Burge noted in Riding the Tiger, â€Å"The tiger is more than a charismatic predator: it is a keystone subspecies in its environment. By saving the tiger in the world, we save complex ecosystems and habitats that would otherwise be destroyed in the relentless march of human need and, all too often, greed† (U. S. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act). Works Cited â€Å"Field Projects.† 5 Tigers. 3 October 2001. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Rhinocerus & Tiger Conservation Act. Summary Report 1999-2000.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Best practices when offshoring business intelligence Essay

Ted Kempf in his article in VarBusiness credits Gartner Dataquest with the following definition for Business Intelligence; â€Å"a user-centered process for of exploring data, data relationships and trends, thereby helping improve overall decision making† (Kempf, 2001). US companies today are setting up business-intelligence technology for the purpose of processing the incessant flow of information they receive. These companies gather this information so they can maintain and build customer relationships and make sound business decisions in a timely manner. A Gartner Dataquest study revealed that the primary reason for companies investing in business-intelligence applications is to ensure they have available the information to assist them in making real-time business decisions. Even though the current trend is to outsource IT initiatives overseas to save costs, the rationale in doing the same for business intelligence is questionable. This is because business intelligence (like data ware housing) is not a technical exercise and requires business knowledge. It is iterative and business-focused in nature (Consilvio, 2003). She insists that offshoring BI presents the biggest risk for ETL (extract, transform and load) because it is grossly underestimated. For this reason, Robert Mitchell, in his article in Computerword, even goes as far as saying that the threat for offshoring is overstated (Mitchell, 2006). In her article for Computerworld, Maria Consilvio lists some of the best practices for offshoring business intelligence. They include: ? Set up tight specifications ? Start with an approach similar to staff-augmentation Define service levels which are appropriate for your expectations. ? Keep an onshore presence as representation for the business knowledge. This enables the life cycle to be quick turn. ? Ensure that the development team is reactive to feedback so that business feedback can be translated to technical specifications. ? Offshore the long term projects with more stable requirements. ? Ensure requirements are defined to such a level that the technical resource does not necessarily have to have the business knowledge. Determine beforehand the restrictions placed on exiting the contractas such contracts may not have defined end or start dates as a result of the fluid nature of BI. ? Audit offshore tools and, as much as possible, insist on scalable tools. ? Equip the onshore team with systems integration, project management and deliver management skills In support of the best practice procedures above, William McKnight of McKnight Associates suggests the following as excerpted from his 2003 article in Computerworld: ON-SITE * Set up benchmarking and service-level criteria * Establish business rules * Maintain (create/translate) business knowledge * Involve users in data warehouse decisions * Ensure application support after development OFF-SITE * Set up an enforcement mechanism for business rules * Establish expertise in tools, such as data cleansing, automated extractors, dashboards and real-time delivery * Application development * Application support and project maintenance REFERENCES Consilvio, Jean. (2003). BI: Last to Leave. Computerworld, December 12. Kempf, Ted. (2001). Business-Intelligence Apps: Companies want them, but are emerging integrators prepared to deliver? VarBusiness, November 6. McGee, Marianne Kolbasuk. (2006). You Vs. Offshoring — U. S. tech pros are surprisingly upbeat, and pay is on the rise. But the job outlook is anything but warm and fuzzy. InformationWeek, April 24. Mitchell, Robert L. (2006). Why Good Technologists Are Hard to Find. Computerworld, March 20.