Organizational Culture: the Case of Turkish Construction Industry Essay

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0969-9988.htm Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry Ela Oney-YazÄ ±cÄ ±, Heyecan Giritli, Gulfer Topcu-Oraz and Emrah Acar Department of Architecture, Division of Project and Construction Management, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Purpose – The main stimulus of this study is to examine the cultural proï ¬ le of construction organizations within the context of Turkish construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 (Working Commission W112 of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. Data were collected from 107 contracting and 27 architectural ï ¬ rms, by means of a questionnaire based on OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument), a well-known and widely used measurement tool developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Findings – The ï ¬ ndings show that the Turkish construction industry has been dominated by ï ¬ rms with a mixture of clan and hierarchy cultures. In addition, the analysis reported here indicates cultural differences at organizational level in terms of ï ¬ rm type, size, and age. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry by providing empirical evidence from the Turkish construction industry. As future research direction, it highlights the need of a cross-cultural comparison among different countries, and an investigation of the effects of cultural proï ¬ les of the organizational members on organizational culture. Keywords Organizational culture, Construction industry, Turkey Paper type Research paper Turkish construction industry 519 Introduction Understanding of organizational culture is fundamental to examine what goes on in organizations, how to run them and how to improve them (Schein, 1992). Organizational culture is deï ¬ ned as the shared assumptions, beliefs and â€Å"normal behaviors† (norms) present in an  organization. Most organizational scholars and observers recognize that organizational culture has a powerful effect on the performance and long-term effectiveness of organizations. Cameron and Quinn (1999) propose that what differentiates successful ï ¬ rms from others is their organizational culture. With the worldwide globalization trends, special attention has been given to the study of organizations and their cultures. Empirical studies of organizational culture have been carried out across various countries and industries (Hofstede, 1997; Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner, 1998; Cameron and Quinn, 1999; see among others). In comparison there seems to be a limited number of published studies related The funding for this study was provided by the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey and is gratefully acknowledged. After reviewing research on organizational culture, Ankrah and Langford (2005) have concluded that there is a need to become more aware of the importance of this phenomenon and its impact on organizational performance in the construction industry. The main reasons for the growing importance of the organizational culture can be explained by the internationalization of the construction markets (Low and Shi, 2001), and the fragmented nature of the industry (Hillebrant, 2000). It is a well-known fact that international construction ï ¬ rms have faced many problems due to conï ¬â€šicts, confrontations, misunderstandings, and the differences in ways of doing business with other cultures (Gould and Joyce, 2000). On the other hand, the adversarial relations between different project participants are assumed to be inï ¬â€šuenced by the cultural orientations of the stakeholders (Phua and Rowlinson, 2003). Thus, the study of cultural issues should be addressed when considering the globalization of construction markets. Additionally, it is a common belief that organizations that have developed within similar environments usually have similar cultures and related mindsets with regard to ways of doing business. For this reason, the research reported in this paper, aims to contribute to an understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry using data from a developing country, such as Turkey, where there is no study in this ï ¬ eld. Findings of the study may also have implications for other cultures with a similar make-up. Background study Despite different deï ¬ nitions of organizational culture, there is a consensus among organizational researchers that it refers to the shared meanings or assumptions, beliefs and understandings held by a group. More comprehensively, Schein (1992) deï ¬ ned organizational culture as: [. . .] a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.  ´ Similarly, Deshpande and Webster (1989, p. 4) proposed that organizational culture is: [. . .] the pattern of shared values and beliefs that help individuals understand organizational functioning and thus provide them with norms for behaviors in the organization. There is an extensive body of knowledge in the literature that deals with organizational culture. Many researchers have proposed a variety of dimensions and attributes of organizational culture. Among them, Hofstede has been very inï ¬â€šuential in studies of organizational culture. Drawing on a large sample of 116,000 employees of IBM in 72 countries, Hofstede identiï ¬ ed four dimensions of culture. These four dimensions used to differentiate between cultures are: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism. Beyond these, Hofstede (1997) also identiï ¬ ed the process/results oriented, employee/job oriented, parochial/professional, open/closed system, loose/tight control and normative/pragmatic dimensions of culture. These dimensions have been commonly adapted and applied in studies of organizational culture  (Sà ¸dergaard, 1996). Other comprehensive studies into organizational culture have been carried out, notably by Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner (1993), who conducted an extensive research into the attitudes of 15,000 managers over a ten-year period in 28 different countries. They proposed ï ¬ ve cultural dimensions: (1) universalism/particularism; (2) collectivism/individualism; (3) neutral/affective relationships; (4) diffuse/speciï ¬ c relationships; and (5) achievement/ascription. When dealing with a multitude of dimensions, typologies are usually considered as an alternative to provide a simpliï ¬ ed means of assessing cultures. In this regard, typologies are commonly used in the studies of organizational culture. Notable contributors to these typologies include Handy (1993, 1995) who identiï ¬ ed the club, role, task and person typologies, and Quinn (1988) who identiï ¬ ed the market, hierarchy, adhocracy and clan typologies of culture. Since the culture is regarded as a crucial factor in the long-term effectiveness of organizations, it becomes important to be able to measure organizational culture. Accordingly, a range of tools designed to measure organizational culture have been developed and applied in industrial, educational, and health care settings over the last two decades. All these tools examine employee perceptions and opinions about their working environment (the so-called â€Å"climate† of an organization) but only a few, such as the Competing Values Framework and the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI), try to examine the values and beliefs that inform those views (Scott et al., 2003). The majority of the existing studies in the Construction Management ï ¬ eld mostly attempt to appropriate the theoretical models and measurement tools of the management literature. For instance, Maloney and Federle (1991, 1993) introduced the competing values framework for analyzing the cultural elements in American engineering and construction organizations. Focusing on the relationship between the organizational culture and effectiveness, Zhang and Liu (2006) examined the organizational culture proï ¬ les of construction enterprises in China by means of OCI and Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), the measurement tool of the Competing Values Framework developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Rowlinson (2001), using Handy’s organizational culture and Hofstede’s national culture frameworks, investigated the cultural aspects of  organizational change in the construction industry. Ankrah and Langford (2005) proposed a new measurement tool after analyzing all cultural dimensions and typologies developed in the literature and highlighted the cultural variability between organizations in the project coalition. Literature review shows that despite the growing importance of organizational culture in construction research, there are few cross-cultural, empirical studies. This may be due to the difï ¬ culties of conducting research in several countries. The study reported in this paper forms a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 on â€Å"Culture in Construction†, concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. The aim of the research project is to develop an international â€Å"Inventory of Culture in Construction†. It continues to stimulate new participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and America. Research methodology Measurement of culture represents difï ¬ culties, particularly in respect of the identiï ¬ cation of cultural groups and boundaries. This is further complicated by the nature of the construction industry in which projects are temporary and participants are subject to the values and beliefs of their employing organization, professional groups and project organizations. There is an ongoing debate concerning the study of culture among construction management scholars. However, it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the methodological aspects of studying culture in the construction industry. In order to be compatible with the studies conducted in other countries participating in the CIB W112 research, Cameron and Quinn’s (1999) â€Å"Competing Values Framework† (CVF) as well as their measurement tool named â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument† (OCAI) are adopted as the conceptual paradigm for analysis in this study. The CVF was originally proposed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) to understand organizational effectiveness, and was later applied to explore different  issues relative to organizations (Al-Khalifa and Aspinwall, 2001). The CVF is based on two major dimensions. The ï ¬ rst dimension emphasizes the organizational focus (internal versus external), whereas the second one distinguishes between the stability and control and the ï ¬â€šexibility and discretion. These two dimensions form four quadrants (see Figure 1), each representing a major type of organizational culture: (1) clan; (2) adhocracy; (3) market; and (4) hierarchy. Figure 1. The competing values framework Theoretically, these four cultural typologies exist simultaneously in all organizations; therefore, archetypes may be used to describe the pattern of the organizational culture (Paperone, 2003). Sampling and data collection Unit of analysis for this study were the contracting and architectural ï ¬ rms operating in the Turkish Construction Industry. A number of 351 ï ¬ rms were contacted, and 134 of them participated in the study giving a response rate of 38.18 per cent. The ï ¬ rms were selected by judgmental sampling procedure. The judgment criteria used for selection were: . origin of nationality, with emphasis on local ï ¬ rms; . size based on number of employees, with emphasis placed on medium and large ï ¬ rms; and . industry position based on market share, with the focus on the 12 largest ï ¬ rms. Sample consisted of a total of 826 respondents (74.9 per cent male, 25.1 per cent female) including both managerial and non-managerial professionals. The questionnaire comprised two parts. Part I included questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the ï ¬ rms and respondents, which are presented in Table I. Although the analysis conducted in this study was at ï ¬ rm level, the characteristics of the respondents are also provided in Table I to reï ¬â€šect a better proï ¬ le Frequency Characteristics of the ï ¬ rms (N  ¼ 134) Number of ï ¬ rms: Contracting Architectural Firm age (years): ,15 16-25 .25 Size of ï ¬ rms (number of full-time employees): Small Medium Large Characteristics of the respondents (N  ¼ 826) Number of respondents: Contracting Architectural Gender: Female Male Age of respondents (years): 30 and under 31-40 41-50 51 and above Percentage  of the sample. As is seen in Table I, contracting ï ¬ rms are representing the 79.9 per cent of t he sampled organizations and 87.5 per cent of the respondents. For the purpose of this study, organizations with less than 50 employees were classiï ¬ ed as small (46 per cent), those with 51-150 as medium (28 per cent), and those with more than 150 as large (25 per cent). The contracting ï ¬ rms in the survey were generally medium and large-sized whereas the architectural ï ¬ rms were small in size. Searching for the cultural orientations of the ï ¬ rms, Part II was adopted from the â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI)† developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). OCAI consists of six different questions which are relevant to the key dimensions of organizational culture: (1) dominant characteristics; (2) organizational leadership; (3) management of employees; (4) organizational glue; (5) strategic emphases; and (6) criteria for success. Each question has four alternative statements representing different cultural orientations making a total of 24 questions. All respondents were asked to rate their organizations’ culture on a ï ¬ ve-point Likert scale. In this scoring system, for each of the ï ¬ ve response categories (completely true, mostly true, partly true, slightly true, never true) a score of 1-5 was assigned, with the highest score of 5 being assigned to â€Å"completely true†. The overall cultural proï ¬ le of an organization was then derived by calculating the  average score of all respondents from the same ï ¬ rm. Reliability coefï ¬ cients (Cronbach alpha) were calculated for each of the different culture types being assessed by the instrument. Coefï ¬ cients were 0.89 for the clan and adhocracy cultures, and 0.86 for the market and hierarchy cultures, which indicate the fairness of all culture types. Results and discussion A cultural proï ¬ le score for each organization was obtained by averaging the respondent’s rating for each cultural type across the six dimensions. This provided an indication of the cultural orientation of sampled ï ¬ rms based on the four cultural types. The average scores for all the participating ï ¬ rms are shown in Table II. As is seen from the table, the dominant culture of the sample is clan culture. Respondents identiï ¬ ed hierarchy type as the next most dominant in their organizations. These predominant cultures were followed by adhocracy and market, respectively. The sampled ï ¬ rms tend to have values consistent with employee focus or clan culture and internal process or hierarchy culture. The values consistent with external orientation and results focus are emphasized to a lesser extent. This ï ¬ nding contributes to our understanding of the alignment between national and organizational cultures. According to Hofstede’s (1980, 2001) model of national culture, Turkey has been described as being high on the collectivism and power distance value dimensions. This suggests that organizational cultures in Turkish ï ¬ rms are characterized by both unequal (or hierarchical) and harmonious, family-like (clan) relationships.

Compare Polymers Metal And Ceramics Architecture Essay

Ceramicss are inorganic and nonmetallic stuffs formed from metallic and nonmetallic elements whose interatomic bonds are either ionic or largely ionic. Many of the ceramics desirable belongingss are obtained normally by a high temperature heat intervention. Ceramicss are made up of two or more elements. In a crystalline construction is more complex than that of metals. When the bonding is largely ionic the crystal construction is made up of positively charged metallic ions, cations, negatively charged nonmetallic ions and anions. When the ions are bonded together the overall charge must be impersonal. To hold a stable system the anions in the construction that surround a cation must be in contact with that peculiar ion. There needs to be a ratio of the cation radius to the anion radius for the coordination and apprehension of the constructions geometry. If for illustration there is a deficiency of coordination, the cation would be falsely incased by the anions therefore doing a prost ration in its expected structural stableness. There are many different types of constructions exist for ceramics. One crystal construction is the AX type where there are an equal figure of cations and anions. Another crystal construction that exists for ceramics has a different figure of cations and anions but still has a impersonal charge because the ions have different magnitudes of charge is called an AmXp construction. An AmBnXp construction has more than one type of cation, represented by A and B but merely one type of anion. This type of construction is besides seen in close wadding of ions in metals. Imperfections occur in the crystal construction of ceramics really similar to metal structural defects. Defects can happen in each of the two ions of the construction. At any clip there can be cation, anion interstitials, cation or anion vacancies. Most defects or imperfectnesss occur in braces to keep the electroneutrality. A Frenkel defect is a cation vacancy and cation interst itial brace. When a cation and anion vacancy brace occurs they are called a Schottky defect. Ceramicss can besides hold drosss in the crystal construction like metals.Figure 12.21 gives a conventional diagram of the Frenkel and a Schotkey defects ( pg 435 ) .In many instances ceramics tend to be really brickle which can take to ruinous failure with really few marks of weariness. This is due to the fact that ceramics absorb really small energy before they fracture. When ceramics are subjected to a tensile emphasis, they about ever break before any fictile distortion takes topographic point. Fracture occurs because of the formation and extension of clefts perpendicular to the applied burden. Ceramicss have a greater ability to defy compaction than tenseness. The modulus of snap lessenings with more pores in the ceramic stuff. When there are many pores in the stuff they act as emphasis concentrators which expose the stuff to weak part. However, ceramics are really difficult and are goo d for applications where abradant or crunching action is needed. Most polymers are organic and are composed of hydrocarbons with interatomic forces that are represented as covalent bonds. Most polymers ironss are rather long and really complex. These long molecules are made up of repetition units which are repeated along the concatenation. The smaller repetition unit is called a monomer. Polymers can be made up of a individual repetition unit, called a homopolymer, or two or more different reiterating units called copolymers. Polymers by and large have a really big molecular weight. These molecular ironss tend to hold many kinking, bending, and gyrating along with web with adjacent ironss may happen. This causes the result stuff to be really elastic. Polymer ironss can hold side groups which cause different constellations based on which side and with what regularity they bond. They can show a degree of crystallinity similar to the wadding of the molecular ironss to make an ordered atomic array. This crystal construction can be much more complex than metallic crystal constructions. Defects in polymers besides differ from those found in metals and ceramics. Defects in polymers are linked to the concatenation ends because they are somewhat different than the concatenation itself and emerge from the sections of the crystal. Polymers are really sensitive to strive rate, temperature, and chemical nature of the environment. Different polymers can exhibit different emphasis strain behaviour depending on the compl exness of the molecular concatenation. Certain polymers display a degree of is brickle where break occurs before elastic distortion which is really similar in the instance of ceramics. Another type of polymers is really similar to metals where elastic distortion takes topographic point foremost followed by giving and fictile distortion. A 3rd type is exhibited by elastomers which have wholly elastic and recoverable distortion. Polymers by and large have a lower modulus of snap and tensile strength so metals. Some Polymers can be stretched up to ten times longer than its original province where metals and ceramics can non easy carry through. Polymers exhibit viscoelasticity at temperatures between where elastic and liquid like behaviours are prevailing. Similar to metals and ceramics, polymers can see weirdo. Creep is a clip dependent factor due to deformation under emphasis or elevated temperature. In both ceramics and polymers, creep depends on clip and temperature. Polymers may be malleable or brickle depending on temperature, strain rate, specimen geometry, and manner of lading which is really similar to the belongingss of metals. Polymers are brickle at low temperatures and have somewhat low impact strengths. Polymers can see weariness under a insistent burden. They are by and large softer than metals and ceramics and unlike metals and ceramics, polymer runing occur over a scope of temperatures alternatively at a specific temperature. Metallic elements are a stuff made up of metallic elements that are bonded metallically similar common metal. The negatrons are non bound to any peculiar atom making a matrix of ion nucleuss surrounded by many negatrons. They are really good music directors of heat and electricity where as ceramics and polymers are missing. Polymers and metals are both malleable and are non that brickle though metals besides exhibit a degree of plasticity. Ceramicss are really brittle, they tend to fracture under a burden which means they are missing in ductileness. Polymers are the softest stuff due to their complex construction, while ceramics are the hardest but are non really tough because they fracture before fictile distortion occurs. Polymers plastically deform really easy and have the smallest Young ‘s modulus. Ceramicss have the highest value because of their crispness and ne'er reach the point of fictile distortion because they would fracture foremost. The values of Young ‘s mod ulus for metals fall between those for polymers and ceramics. These three stuffs have diverse constructions and exhibit different degrees of defects.â€Å" Alloying, † utilizing the term in the broadest sense.Simply an metal is a metal compound that consists of 2 or more metal or nonmetallic elements. These combinations of metallic and non metallic elements finally create new compounds that in consequence show superior structural belongingss as compared to the elements by themselves. The type of metal mixtures is extremely dependent on the coveted mechanical belongings of the stuff. Alloying can be applied to metals, ceramics and polymers where in each particular belongingss are desired. One of the most coveted belongingss of metal metal is the hardenability. A stuff with a high degree of hardness will defy distortion caused by surface indenture or scratch while a stuff with a low hardness degree will deform more easy under similar conditions. The chief factor in a stuff ‘s hardenability is its martensite ( the rate which austenitized Fe C metals are formed when cooled ) besides content and is related to the sum of C in a stuff. With this application of debasing on metals, the stuff can exhibit greater strain and emphasis oppositions every bit good as snap. These belongingss are favourable when covering with building and fabrication procedures. A ceramic metal is fundamentally a merger of a ceramic with of 2 or more metals. As seen in metal metals, ceramic metals can dwell of dross atoms in a solid province. In ceramic metals an interstitial and substitutional provinces are possible. In an interstitial type, the anion has to be bigger than the dross of the ionic radius. The substitutional dross applies where the dross atom normally forms a cation in the ceramic stuff therefore the host cation will be substituted.Figure 12.23 provides a great ocular representation of interstitial and substitutional types in a ceramic metal ( pg 437 ) .Significantly, to decently accomplish a solid province of solubility for replacing dross atoms, the charge and the ionic size must be as the same as the host ion. If they were different it there would necessitate to be some other manner for the electroneutrality to be maintained within the solid. An easy manner to make this is to make a formation of lattice defects of vacancies or interstitial of both ion types. Cobalt Cr is a perfect illustration of a ceramic metal in which was designed to be used for coronary intercessions therefore because it does non degrade one time placed in the human organic structure. Polymer alloys consist of two or more different types of polymers in a sense blended together. There are a assortment of additives that can be blended or mixed in with the polymer to make the coveted consequence for the stuff. Polymer additives that support the alteration of its physical belongingss are fillers, plasticisers, stabilizers and of class fire retardents. Fillers are by and large introduced to a polymer, when a greater comprehensive strength and thermic stableness is desired. Making these types of metals are really good because they are by and large really easy to make and utilize in their coveted signifier. Plasticizers help better the flexibleness and stamina of polymers by cut downing the hardness and stiffness of the stuff. They are frequently introduced to polymers that are by and large brickle at room temperature. These additives are particularly utile because they by and large lower the glass passage temperature therefore leting the polymer to hold a extent of bend ability. Due to the fact that certain polymers are non resilient to environmental conditions, stabilizers are introduced. They provide stableness and unity against impairment against the mechanical belongingss. The two most common signifiers of environmental impairment are UV exposure and oxidization. A major concern with many polymers is that they are extremely flammable. Fire retardents are introduced to such polymers to cut down the combustibleness of the stuff by interfering with its ability to burn through a gas stage or originating a different burning reaction that generates less heat. This procedure will cut down the temperature that would finally discontinue the combustion procedure.Kirill Shkolnik105940393 ESG 332 – R01 Exam # 2 ( Question # 2 )Describe with mention to phase diagrams and disruption theory, how precipitation age hardening can be achieved in aluminium metals.By and large aluminium is a metal with a low degree of denseness compared to other metals. Due to this low degree of denseness, it conducts electricity and heat better than Cu. Aluminums merely over 1200 grades Fahrenheit which is comparably low to other metals. Due to these simple facts, it seems ideal to bond elements such as Ti, Si, Cu, Zn and other stuffs to amplify aluminiums positive properties. The procedure precipitation age hardening can magnify the alloying of aluminium. This procedure involves supersaturating a solid solution precipitating equally dispersed atoms on the aluminium. This will assist halt the motion of disruptions within the metal construction. The basic construct of disruption is the atomic misalignment of atoms in a additive plane. These atomic misalignments affect a whole series of atoms on a plane. The series of misalign atoms form a line called a disruption line. There are two known types of disruption called the prison guard and border disruption. Screw disruption and border disruption are the primary types of disruptions but require a certain sum of each other to happen. By cut downing the sum of disruptions can radically increase the strength in the metal. The procedure of debasing normally makes a pure stuff harder. The procedure of debasing is holding one metal bond with dross atoms from other stuffs to alter its mechanical belongingss. An debasing procedure called solid solution debasing uses a solution to replace bonds inside the metal. The modification of disruption motion is a major factor for debasing because it can be used to beef up metals. Debasing metals with the precipitation hardening makes the strength of the new stuff stronger as the advancement of the procedure is delayed. The ground for precipitation hardening is sought after is because of its abilities in do ing metals stronger. Aluminum metals can hold precipitation in a really specific manner. Heat intervention occurs when one stuff is heated a supersaturated mixture at a specific stage and so two different stages can be present together. A precipitate signifiers in little pieces throughout the full stuff. When the mixture is at its equilibrium, the forming procedure comes to an terminal. The little pieces of precipitate so spread together to organize one big precipitate. This phase of the precipitate tends to weaken the stuffs cardinal construction. The little pieces of precipitate in the stuff make it harder for disruptions to travel. When strength of the stuff diminishes due to the motion of the precipitate it is called overaging. There are two things need for heat interventions to be applied.Figure 11.21 provides a graphical representation the relationship between temperature and composing for aluminium and Cu ( pg 402 ) .The Cu stage represented at a shows a supersaturated solid solution in aluminium while the compound that between the two elements is symbolized as? . Interestingly the point M represents the max solubility point at certain temperature and composing in the stuff. Point N represents the solubility bound of a and ( a + ? ) L symbolizes the temperature needed for the solution to go a liquid. If a major sum of solute is made available in the solution, we would hold a precipitation hardened metal. The bound of the solubility curve immensely decreases in concentration as the temperature decreases. There are two different ways precipitation can happen. One procedure is the usage heat intervention where the solute can be dissolved to organize a solid individual stage solution. This method can be done by heating an metal to a really high temperature.Figure 11.24 shows that the? stage is blended into a stage ( pg 404 ) .Then the metal is cooled where all that is left is a supersaturated a stage. Precipitation heat intervention the ( a + ? ) stage is heated to a specific temperature to let the? stage to precipitate. The metal is cooled and the hardness of the metal is determined by clip. A logarithmic map a comparing with strength and clip proves the dependance of temperature and strength.Kirill Shkolnik105940393 ESG 332 – R01 Exam # 2 ( Question # 3 )Describe what is meant by the term â€Å" glass passage temperature † and exemplify your reply from polymer and ceramic point of position.Typically a glass passage temperature is where a noncrystalline signifier of a polymer or a ceramic is cooled and transforms from a super cooled liquid into a glass. A ceramic or a glassy stuff is a noncrystalline stuff that becomes progressively more syrupy when it is cooled. Due to the fact that glassy stuffs are noncrystalline there is no definite temperature when the liquid will transform into a solid. Though, it is besides of import to observe that in noncrystalline stuffs the specific volume is dependent on temperature and will diminish with the temperature. The glass passage temperature displays a decrease in the rate at which the particular volume decreases with temperature. When the temperature is below this value, the stuff is in a ceramic from and straight above this point the stuff is considered a superco oled liquid. The glass passage temperature occurs in both glassy and semicrystalline polymers, but non in crystalline stuffs. As certain molecular ironss in noncrystalline stuffs temperature bead due to miss of gesture the glass temperature passage occurs. Basically glass passage is the clip in which a steady transmutation occurs from the liquid province to a somewhat rubberlike province and so to the concluding more stiff solid stuff. The glass passage temperature is the province in which the stuff goes from its rubbery to stiff province. This passage can take topographic point in both waies. As a polymer for illustration is cooled to a stiff solid, it can be heated and undergo the same passage in contrary. As the stuff undergoes all of these alterations its belongingss change from province to province. Some stuffs can see greater alteration include the stiffness, heat capacity, and the coefficient of thermic enlargement for the stuff during this passage. The glass passage temperature besides acts as a bound boundary for applications of polymers and polymer matrix like constituents. If this temperature is beyond the stuff threshold, it will no longer suit the coveted belongingss the undertaking had called for and the application would be useless. The molecules that had been frozen in topographic point below the will both revolve and interpret at the temperatures above. Molecular features have an impact on the concatenation ‘s stiffness and will in bend affect the glass passage temperature for the stuff. Some molecular features that can do the concatenation ‘s flexibleness to be reduced and the glass passage temperature to increase that include bulky side groups on the molecular concatenation. Besides these features can impact polar atoms or groups of polar atoms on the side of the molecular concatenation, dual bonds, and aromatic groups. The glass passage temperature will besides increase as the molecular weight of the stuff additions. Branching besides influences the of a stuff, many subdivisions will diminish the ironss mobility and addition, a lower denseness of subdivisions will do the to diminish as the molecular ironss will hold a freer scope of gesture. Crosslinks can happen in glassy polymers and can impact, they cause the decrease of gesture and hence addition. If there are excessively many crosslinks occur in the stuff, the molecular gesture would be so limited that glass passage may non happen. It can be understood that many of the same molecular features which affect the glass passage temperature besides affect the thaw passage temperature. The two are affected in such a similar mode that is normally someplace between 0.5 to 0.8 times the runing passage temperature.Figure 15.19 demonstrates this mathematic relationship ( pg 548 ) .Both ceramic and polymers have a glass passage temperature. A glass can be referred to by several different names ; such as vitreous solid, an formless solid or glassy solid. An formless solid has the mechanical belongingss of a solid, but does non hold long scope molecular order where they are in gesture at a really slow rate that it be considered stiff for regular intents. When glassy stuffs have be en supercooled below the glass passage temperature they will take on features similar to those of a crystalline solid. This solid will go stiff with an increased hardness and will be more brickle. However, if a glassy stuff is heated to above its glass passage temperature it will go softer and many of the intermolecular bonds will interrupt leting the stuff to flux at an increasing fluid viscousness. A polymer below the glass passage temperature is more stiff, but as it enters its glass passage stage, the stuff becomes more rubbery as its viscousness additions. The polymer can come in its glass passage at a lower temperature when critical factors that normally affect the gesture of the molecules in the stuff are non all present. When molecular weight of a polymer additions, the glass passage temperature will besides increase. Many factors that increase the the gum elastic gasket would non make its occupation decently.Polymers can exhibit the undermentioned constructions: formless, semi-crystalline and crystalline. Describe these constructions and explicate how the mechanical belongingss may be influenced by these structural signifiers for a polymer of the same chemical expression.Polymers can develop formless, semi-crystalline and crystalline constructions of the same chemical expression. Polymers can be as liquids, semi solids, or solids related to the crystal constructions severally. However each of these constructions exhibit a assortment of different mechanical belongingss. The crystallinity of a polymer depends on the intermolecular secondary bonding which will to a great extent act upon the extent of any mechanical belongings of the polymer. The tensile strength, elastic modulus and compaction strength of a crystalline construction will be stronger than a semicrystalline construction and significantly stronger than formless type construction. For a crystalline construction the molecular ironss of the polymer are tightly packed together in an organized atomic group which take up infinite and will impact the polymers mechanical belongingss. These crystalline constructions are to a great extent influenced by the glass passage temperature. Besides the isomer and chemical expression lays out important factors that will be really of import in the formation of the bulk stuff construction. From certain big bulky functional groups there becomes an at hand hinderance that will suppress the motion capableness of a molecule. This procedure will increase the energy demand for any stage alteration. The result of this procedure is a greater passage temperature. This new temperature passage will increase the opportunities for the formation of a crystalline construction. The ground for this is and clip span before the stuff becomes a disorganised liquid and requires a longer clip for the molecules to set up themselves decently. When polymers have many subdivisions the weaker the stuff will be, even though crystalline constructions are stronger than less ordered stuffs.Figure 15.18 demonstrates the alteration in these structural provinces when specific volume and temperature are compared ( pg 546 ) .Pure polymers have a really little runing point scopes and bond strength. Doped polymers and polymer metals will by and large hold wider runing point scopes. The procedure of ramific ation will diminish the strength of a polymer, which would continuously diminish the thaw point temperature. Though, the act of ramifying on to a great extent heavy subdivisions will diminish molecule mobility. Besides within this procedure the molecular weight is affected every bit good.Kirill Shkolnik105940393 ESG 332 – R01 Exam # 2 ( Question # 4 )How are T-T-T and C-C-T diagrams used to plan heat intervention agendas for field C steels.Time-Temperature-Transformation or T-T-T and uninterrupted chilling transmutation or C-C-T are used for heat intervention agendas for field C steel. T-T-T are normally known as an isothermal transmutation diagrams can demo the alteration of different stages at certain temperatures. C-C-T can be used to cipher percent transmutation against the logarithm map through clip. The usage the isothermal transmutation and uninterrupted chilling transmutation diagrams can be used to develop a heat intervention for field C steels. These diagrams will back up the apprehension of C steels through stage diagrams. When a construction is heat treated, its chilling procedure helps retain its construction. This procedure can be analyzed through T-T-T.Figure 10.13 displays a graphical representation of temperature against clip with a 3rd dimension with the per centum of the steel metal transformed to pearlite ( pg 326 ). The apprehension of a rapid chilling metal sully depends on the apprehension and application of heat intervention. It is understood that isothermal transmutations do non alter in temperature but uninterrupted chilling transmutation diagrams do. C-C-T and T-T-T display the same dimensions but over a larger spectrum of clip and temperature.Figure 10.28 shows different signifiers of steel metals ( pg 338 ) .A stuff that has been cooled to a temperature so mewhat below its eutectoid temperature, and isothermal transmutation is maintained for an drawn-out period of clip, interestingly it can non be depicted on T-T-T diagrams in spheroid signifiers.

Domestic Violence Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Domestic Violence Issues - Essay Example the manifestations of violence within what should be a loving relationship to fully understand the horror to which victims are subjected and the need for adequate protection to be provided by both the civil and the criminal justice systems. Perpetrators and Victims Domestic violence is conceived of primarily as a problem of men's abuse of women. Although researchers have documented abuse within same sex relationships4 and although there is evidence that, in a comparatively small number of cases, women abuse men5, the available research suggests that domestic violence is overwhelmingly directed by men against women6. The prior relationship between victims and defendants is most apparent in crimes against women. Men are more likely then women to experience violent victimization. But the nature of these events differs greatly. Women are about six times more likely than men to experience violence committed by an intimate. The prior relationship between victim and offender causes particular problems for law enforcement officials in the area of domestic violence. Domestic Violence: Literary Review Violence in the context of intimate relationships encapsulates may types of abuse: emotional/psychological, physical, sexual and economic. Such abuse can occur within married, separated and divorced relationships or among single people living together or simply dating one another. Many enduring and dysfunctional aspects contribute to the violence that occurs, so it is important to examine how abusive episodes emerge within the context of the ongoing relationship. Of all the crimes reported to the British Crime Survey in 2000, more than 1 in 20 was classified as domestic violence. Survey reports of...A. Stanko (1989), 'Policing Men's Violence: An Introduction' in J. Hanmer, J. Radford and E. A. Stanko (eds), Women, Policing and Male Violence: International Perspectives, London and New York, Routledge Cook, B., David, F. & Grant, A. 1999, Victims' Needs, Victims' Rights: Policies and programs for victims of crime in Australia, Research and Public Policy Series No. 19, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra.

Violence and Computer Games Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Violence and Computer Games - Research Proposal Example Video games are a relatively new type of entertainment that first appeared only some thirty years ago in the 1970’s. However, they become really popular only in the late 1980’s and only then the interest emerged in exploring their impact on children’s psychology. This rsearch proposal tries to give more than one opinion on the problem. Majority of researchers consider violent computer games to be among the top causes of aggressive behavior and violence in real life. Yet some psychologists think that computer or television violence does not really causes violent actions in real life, rather on the contrary: it helps people to give a loose to their negative emotions and thus reduces probability of aggressive style of behavior in real life. This research proposal covers a history of video games studies, from the one that was carried out in the beginning of 1980’s that failed to prove their effects on children’s behavior. But in more recent studies and reports this connection has been confirmed by Zisman in 2000. This research proposal focuses on two main approaches in social psychology that throw light on the nature of how computer games influence children. The first one is called the cultivation theory. Other studies on the subject do not differ much: they prove positive correlation between playing violent computer games and aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior for â€Å"they [violent video games] introduce a unique feature: the individual creates and participates in the violence† - Funk.

Business plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Business plan - Term Paper Example The Coffee Lounge would harness the closeness to the University of Colorado. The best tasting beverages in the Coffee Lounge will be prepared with ingredients of premium quality following stringent quality guidelines to ensure the satisfaction of the connoisseur. The store layout will reflect the ambience to the youth, who would throng during the day and in the evenings after the college. The menu and the advertisements will target customers for higher margin espresso drinks. Along with Espresso drinks, brewed coffee and teas will also be on offer. To go with these beverages, some snacks such as pastries, sandwiches and salads will also feature in the menu. These menu offerings could be savored while reading free books and magazines that are provided to the customers inside the Coffee Lounge. The menu of the Coffee Lounge will be developed around Espresso-based coffee drinks such as Lattes, Mochas, and Cappuccinos etc. These drinks will be on offer with skimmed, whole or soy milk. Each of these drinks is prepared with a ‘shot’ of espresso prepared in the machine by forcing hot water through ground coffee at high pressure. These ‘shots’ are combined with steamed milk with or without additives such as cocoa, caramel, etc. Our meticulous preparation techniques and trained personnel will ensure our competitive advantage. The promotion activity will begin in the University of Colorado campus, the malls and select buildings in the vicinity of the campus. The kick off for promotion would be two weeks prior to the opening of the Coffee Lounge. These will be accompanied by free post cards with endorsement of Coffee Lounge aimed at increasing the visibility of the coffee lounge. The Coffee Lounge will be close to the University of Colorado with a 2400 Sq.Ft. area. This accommodation will be acquired through a three year lease with a flexibility to extend. The hook

American Revolution and Northern Southern Settlements in America ( Essay

American Revolution and Northern Southern Settlements in America ( 1600s-1700s - Essay Example Finally in 1765, the Stamp Act was passed, that required all printed materials in the colonies to have a revenue stamp on them, which would provide money to â€Å"secure, protect, and defend† the colonies. Though these laws were eventually repealed and replaced with the Townshend Acts in 1767, which placed taxes on goods that were imported to the colonies, the damage was done to relations between Britain and the colonies. Things continued to get worse for both sides. On December 16, 1773, men dressed as Mohawk Indians entered Boston Harbor and dumped all of the tea cargo on three ships. This was done in response to Britain allowing the East India Tea Company to not only gain a monopoly on tea, but also to bypass colonial wholesalers (Hamby 58). To retaliate and show their authority over the colonies, Britain passed the Coercive, or Intolerable Acts, which, among other things, closed Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for, along with rendering most local decision-making bodie s ineffective and requiring the governor to approve town meetings before they could be held. When the colonies did not quietly accept the taxes, more and more British troops were sent to the colonies.

Implementation Managers Toolkit Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Implementation Managers Toolkit - Term Paper Example The checklist will explain the relevance of the communication process particularly on the part of the employees as the recipients (Prosci’s Communication Checklist 2006). Although this can be done in various ways, e.g., newsletter, memorandum, etc., a more effective way is by doing it face-to-face. Also, it should be a two-way process wherein the employees are given the chance to share its feedback and opinion. Resistance is a normal reaction from employees and this is also the best time that the sponsors of change must be present. Awareness on the roles and responsibilities of the sponsors, senior leaders, managers and supervisors are being determined through the use of sponsorship checklist (Prosci’s Sponsorship Checklist 2006). The checklist had also examined the degree of commitment and involvement of the project team in making changes successful. Before the new system or project is to be implemented, a data conversion plan is to be considered as one of the important steps for conversion process. The plan clearly defines the system or project as it outlines the process, approach, tools, assumptions, strategies and preparation as the prerequisite steps in the migration of data (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 2010). Data are usually translated from one format to another or from an existing system to another hardware or software environment to determine the condition of the original system. A conversion plan is needed in an information system that uses data just like a total relocation of office management files. A well-thought-out plan that will be used during the conversion is very necessary because this kind of move is not something that is regularly done. Still, the overall discretion of the plan is on the hands of the project manager and the integrated project team because the items addressed in the plan are not detailed. Information system in the organization usually involves technology either

External, Internal, and Construct Validity Essay

External, Internal, and Construct Validity - Essay Example Second, the research analyzes if it is logical to consider the relationship as casual and it is through assessment of internal validity that this specific issue is determined. Third, a research analyzes if it is reasonable to consider that the scores on measures represent their respective constructs and construct validation procedures seem to be most effective method to address this question. In social research, there are four main concerns that correspond to four types of validity. â€Å"In essence these four types of validity concern different sorts of relationships in the research enterprise. Construct validity refers to the relationships between theoretical constructs and their operations. Both conclusion and internal validity refer to the relationship between the operationalized treatment and operationalized outcome†¦ External validity concerns the relationship between the hypothesized constructs that were operationalized and other constructs of interest that were not.â₠¬  (Judd and Kenny, 1981, p 20). It is most essential to compare and contrast the characteristics of external, internal, and construct validity in order to identify the threats to external and construct validity and to comprehend how validity issues could impact a research. In a profound analysis of validity in relation to social research, it becomes palpable that external, internal, and construct validity are very essential in order to assess the true validity of every study and it is necessary to define them separately. Thus, construct validity may be defined as â€Å"the extent to which the theoretical constructs of treatment, outcome, population, and setting have been successfully opearionalized,† and external validity as â€Å"the extent to which the effects we observe among operationalized constructs can be generalized to theoretical constructs other than those specified in the original research hypothesis,† whereas internal validity is â€Å"the extent to which the detected effects

Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes - Research Paper Example Though, some forms of these schemes can claim to sell a product, but that product is actually a camouflage to hide their Pyramid arrangement (Roberts et al., 2007; ScamWatch, 2012; Valentine, 1998; Roos, 2012). Basically, there are two tell-tale symbols that a business item or product is only being employed to cover a Pyramid scheme i.e. Stock loading and lack of corporate sales. In case of stock loading a business support program persuades workers to purchase more products than they could ever trade, frequently at inflated costs. In this scenario, the top management of an organization and Pyramid launcher generates considerable profits, even without bringing that product into the marketplace (Roberts et al., 2007; ScamWatch, 2012; Valentine, 1998; Roos, 2012). In addition, the people behind the scenes generate a lot of money for inventory that just accumulates in their basements. In this scenario, lack of retail sales is as well a red flag that ensures the life of a Pyramid. A lot o f Pyramid schemes claim that their product is selling like hot cakes. However, the fact is that the sales happen simply among people within the Pyramid system or to new recruits joining the Pyramid scheme and not to the general public (Roberts et al., 2007; ScamWatch, 2012; Valentine, 1998; Roos, 2012). A Ponzi scheme is closely related to a Pyramid for the reason that it rotates around endless recruiting. However, in a Ponzi scheme the promoter normally has no product to put up for sale and pays no charges to investors who employ new "associates†. Additionally, the advertiser generates income by attracting a stream of people, assuring them a very high rate of return on immediate deals. Normally, in Ponzi scheme, there is no actual investment chance, and the promoter immediately makes use of the cash from new recruits to disburse obligations payable for a longer-standing to the associates of the plan. In simple word, there is an appearance that satisfactorily reviews this plan : It is known as "stealing from Peter to pay Paul." A number of law enforcement officials describe a Ponzi system as a "Peter-Paul" scam (Roberts et al., 2007; Valentine, 1998; Roos, 2012). Moreover, Ponzi schemes are trapping a lot of investors who have large sums to spend and who are allegedly knowledgeable and money-wise sophisticated (Rowe, 2000). Applicable law regulating the shame The business and methodology behind a Ponzi scheme, definitely has a triangular arrangement. The traitor is at the top most position. He is the chief of repeatedly growing stairs of investors. Though, there is dissimilarity between how both traditional Pyramid and Ponzi systems are executed. The vital difference between a Pyramid and Ponzi system is that a Ponzi plotter will simply ask its victim to invest in a deal. They will not ask them to perform any other activity or job except to invest money. They will ask their victims to wait until their investment is refunded. The Ponzi schemer is the brain behind the entire scheme and is simply shuffling money from one place to another. Moreover, a Pyramid scheme launcher offers an opportunity to its victim to generate money himself. Hence, it requires additional work, for instance, they can ask him to buy a franchise or license and start employing more people like himself. The staff will frequently disburse the recruiter a part of his income. All the same, Pyramid schemes are illegal. Moreover, a number of legal businesses, such as Mary Kay and The Pampered Chef, have been

Interpreting Poetry Essay Example for Free

Interpreting Poetry Essay Ballads have been a popular invention of troubadours since the inception of poetry. A ballad is a folksong typically with a tragic ending or a lover’s getting married ending. This paper will break down the ballad of Bonnie Barbara Allen in a stanza by stanza presentation, as well as present how the ballad’s story pertains to modernity through folk singing. Ballads are an interpretation of a common emotion. In Barbara Allen the main characters are Barbara and Sir John Graeme. Sometimes the ballad shifts in the man’s name; in other versions of this same ballad the man is called Willie Grove, sweet Willie Graeme, Sweet William, Jemmye Grove (Diary of Pepys paragraph 4). With such differences in names to describe the man in this ballad, and by use of the adjective ‘sweet’ to describe him, it may be surmised that the sympathies of the ballad-singer as well as the audience, lie with the man in the story and not with Barbara Allen. It is no doubt that in this ballad, the female is given the characteristic of being cruel. This is shown as her eventually leaving Sir John Graeme on his deathbed without returning his love. She spurns him because he slighted her in a public tavern (some versions are different) and it is this slight which makes her maintain her cruelty. Sir John Graeme dies, and Barbara Allen is so stricken with grief that she too dies (in some versions of the ballad, either lovers grave grows a rose and a thorn and they intertwine, and in another version Sir John Graeme dances on Barbara Allen’s grave). The theme of the ballad is quite perceptibly about forgiveness. In essence, as with most ballads, Barbara Allen tries to moralize the story under the cruelest conditions. In analysis the creativity of the ballad through use of word choice, setting and narrative, the reader is bombarded with Old English (for the ballad was created in the 12th century when it was written into Pepys’ Diary of Ballads, but had been travelling through England, Scotland and Ireland via oral tradition hundreds of years prior to it being written down). The first stanza places the listener or reader in a timeframe (Martinmas time, or November 11th (Wollstadt 315)). In the setting of the scene the singer goes on to describe that the ‘green leaves were a falling’ (Pepys paragraph 1). Although the first stanza tells of John’s love for Barbara, there is an immediate swift change of scene from love to death between the 1st and 2nd stanza (Oliver 10-11). Barbara is bid to come to the ‘my master dear’ (Pepys paragraph 1). The symbolism of the green leaves falling and of John’s body being so close to death represents a great use of metaphor by the writer. What should also be noted is that typically when a leaf falls, it is not in fact green, but of various colours including red, yellow, orange. This is because the chlorophyll has been ‘sucked’ back into the tree for the winter (it’s like the tree harvesting health for the upcoming colder months). Thus, for the green leaves to be falling would suggest that the tree has suffered some plight instead of them falling simply because of the season. This allusion of the ballad mirrors John’s broken heart (Oliver 11-12). He is a young man, in the prime of his days, but he dies of a broken heart. What is of further interest is that a tree will keep the green in its leaves, even when the tree is dying of what is called ‘heart rot†. Thus, the reader is prepared for the upcoming scene of sorrow for both John and Barbara. The 3rd stanza reveals a somewhat cold Barbara Allen. She does go to John’s side, on his bequest, and when she arrives, all the ballad says, she says, â€Å"’Young man, I think you’re dying’† (Pepys paragraph 1). The motions with which she uses to go to John’s deathbed are very revealing to the reader. The stanza relays that she slowly (hooly) got up upon being requested to John’s side. We must assume she knew he was dying, or that she was reluctant to see him, because of the way she feels he slighted her. However, upon the true revelation of John’s state of death, all she can say is â€Å"Young man, I think you’re dying† (Pepys paragraph 1). It is in the 4th stanza that the reader is revealed to John’s state: He’s dying of a broken heart. This is an actual medical concern known as of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It may safely assumed that this is indeed what is the death of Sir John Graeme, for, upon Barbara Allen leaving him, without returning his love, the death toll rings. In turn then, Barbara Allen may also have died from takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Sir John’s statement further supports this notion as in the 4th stanza he states, â€Å"I’m sick†¦/And tis a for Barbara Allan† (Pepys paragraph 1). If John’s heart truly is breaking, it does so in the 5th stanza as Barbara states that she doesn’t love him (or hides it because she’s angry with him) because of the injustice she feels she suffered at the tavern when John ‘slighted’ her. The 4th and the 5th stanza’s are full of dialogue and not much narrative. This is done in order to get the back story of these two people and to know the emotional reasoning for Barbara’s actions. The narrative of the 6th stanza reveals more the dialogue between the couple as revealed in their actions. John turns his face to the way when Barbara tells of why she doesn’t love him. This action may be interpreted as being shame on John’s part for what he did while drinking at a tavern. The entire 6th stanza in fact reads like a domestic dispute reconciliation (or what may be a reconciliation). What is interesting to note is that John doesn’t ask for forgiveness from Barbara for what he may or may not have done while he may or may not have been drunk. Thus, in turn, Barbara doesn’t forgive him. Thus, the theme of forgiveness comes back into play; meaning, if either one had forgiven the other, perhaps their hearts would not have broken. However, both characters have too much pride to ask for forgiveness and thus they inevitably befall a tragic ending. It is interesting to not however that while John is dying his last request is for people to be kind to Barbara Allen, which signifies his fault as well as her stubbornness. (i. e. because she wouldn’t grant a dying man his last wish). The repetition in the 7th stanza of Barbara moving slowly leaving John was seen early in the ballad when she slowly came to see him. Thus, once she was slow to see him and now she is reluctant to leave him. It is in the 7th stanza that the reader begins to see the human side of Barbara Allen appear. It is with this movement and her statement in the 9th stanza of dying tomorrow, that the reader may begin to sympathize with the woman. Her cruelty can only be redeemed through her dying as well, and it is in her death that the reader realizes that she did love John, but could not forgive a man who did not ask for forgiveness. Works Cited Diary of Samuel Pepys. Barbara Allen. (2009). Online. 29 March 2009. http://www. pepysdiary. com/p/9570. php Oliver, Mary. Poetry Handbook. (1994). Harvest Books. New York. Wollstadt, Lynn. Controlling Women: â€Å"Reading Gender in the Ballads Scottish Women Sang† Western Folklore, vol. 61, no. ? (Autumn 2002). Pp. 295-317.

Nature Of Competition Collusion And Pricing Airline Industry Economics Essay

Nature Of Competition Collusion And Pricing Airline Industry Economics Essay The enactment of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 eliminated price and entry regulation of the domestic airline industry. Since then the U.S. airline industry has grown tremendously. The US domestic market competes in an oligopoly landscapes. Hence there is certain level of barriers to competition. For example, control over the computerised reservation systems used by travel agents provided the majors with a powerful weapon for disadvantaging smaller competitors. American Airlines Sabre system and Uniteds Apollo system together accounted for three-quarters of all national computer reservation systems by the late 1980s. Control of this important avenue for travel agents to make reservations enabled the majors to discriminate against smaller firms in a variety of ways-from instituting screen bias favouring the on-screen presentation of the controlling firms flights, to charging exorbitant fees to other carriers for displaying their flights on these computer systems (transferring up wards of a half-billion dollars annually from the smallest to the largest carriers).[2] More recently, the Big Five carriers have joined together to collectively market their tickets online through their Orbitz Web site-an alliance that may enable them to better coordinate their non-competitive oligopoly pricing and to circumvent rules put into place to prevent them from anticompetitive using their computer reservation systems while, at the same time, disadvantaging competing distributors of air tickets.[3] Predatory Pricing Furthermore, dominant carriers were suppressing competition through predatory pricing. For example, when Spirit Airlines attempted to penetrate Northwests Detroit hub with a one-way Detroit-Philadelphia fare of $49, Northwest Airline responded by slashing its average fare on the route by 71% (from $170 to $49) and scheduling 30% more seats. Once Spirit abandoned the route, Northwest raised its fare to $230 and cut its seat capacity.[36] Similarly, when Frontier Airlines initiated service from Denver (United-dominated hub) to Billings, Montana, it offered an average $100 fare, half the prevailing fare charged by United. United slashed its fare to match Frontier; when Frontier exited the route, United raised its fare above its original level.[37] Collusion Collusion is a difficult game to play when the number of conspiring rivals is large. It is hard to keep a hundred firms in line when their cost structures differ, when their production facilities vary, and when some have an incentive to cheat on a price agreement or to violate output restrictions. Numbers make a difference. When numbers are large, conspiracies are difficult to organize, difficult to conceal, and difficult to enforce. However, public policy faces a serious challenge in oligopolistic industries like the case of the Airline industry where major carriers eschew outright collusion and rely instead on a course of conduct characterised as tacit collusion, or recognition of mutual interdependence to resemble the effects of outright conspiracy. The mechanics of tacit collusion is apparent particularly in an oligopoly market dominated by a few major players. Each carrier naturally recognises the mutual interdependence between it and its rivals. Carrier X knows that it if were to cut price in order to increase its market share, its aggression would immediately be detected by carriers Y and Z, which would respond with retaliatory price cuts of their own. Market shares would be unaffected, but all carriers would now operate at lower prices and profits. Henceforth, Carrier X cannot expect to increase its market share or revenue at the expense of its rivals. It cannot afford to calculate in terms of maximising its own profits in isolation but instead must constantly ask whether a particular decision on price or output will be not only in its own self-interest, but also in the best interests of its rivals. By recognising mutual oligopolistic interdependence, it must be concerned with group profits and group welfare. In other word, under oligopoly landscape, independent, aggressive, genuinely competitive behaviour is perceived as counterproductive-an irrational strategy for the individual carrier. In an oligopoly, groupthink will influence a carriers strategy when it is contemplating price increases as it cannot act alone. In other word, groupthink replaces the calculus of individual advantage, and each carrier must behave as a responsible member of the oligopoly group rather than as a reckless, self-seeking competitor. In oligopolies, this recognition of mutual interdependence may extend to non-price competition. For example, if carrier A refrains from aggressive price competition but seeks to increase its market share through aggressive innovation program, it cannot expect its rivals to sit idly by. It must expect them to increase their research efforts as a simple matter of self-defence, thereby nullifying its expected gains. Anticipating such retaliation which could erode oligopoly profits- carrier A might refrain from innovation for the same reasons it would avoid price-cutting. Rationality again commands responsible nonaggressive behaviours; the most effective profit-maximisation rule under oligopoly is to get ahead by getting along. Nevertheless, the level of oligopolistic interdependence and collusion varies from situation to situation. It depends on such factors as whether the oligopoly is tightly knit (small number of firms) or loosely knit (a larger number);whether it is homogeneous or heterogeneous; whether it is symmetrical (having firms of roughly equal size) or asymmetrical (with one firm disproportionately larger); whether or not the industry is mature (having had time to develop its internal arrangements and institutions to promote cooperation); whether the industry is populated by reasonable managers or by a few mavericks. In the US domestic market, the advent of the Internet has increased the efficient of signaling or collusion. Carriers can see what the competition is doing immediately by going to the Internet that allow them to react quickly by adjusting their own prices. This is a far cry from the days when price books were set in type and could not be changed for months. Now most prices can be adjusted several times a day, if needed. Apparently, this is a game that the airlines are particularly adept at. As consumers have more transparent access to real-time flight pricing through online services like Orbitz, so the airlines are almost obligated to adjust to each other. This is particularly apparent on routes where there is no rogue player, like Southwest Airlines or JetBlue as they are (within limits) free to adjust prices upward. As long as the members of the oligopoly with real selling power tacitly agree that a major price war is not in their interest, chances are that prices can quickly readj ust themselves, keeping in mind the balance of costs and optimal prices for maintaining profitable sales levels. Nevertheless, the combined market share of the Big Five network airlines (Delta, United, American, US Airways, and Northwest ) that peaked in 1992 has been declining since deregulation [ *]. Furthermore, with the influx of several low-cost carriers, tacit collusion is becoming difficult to organize, conceal and enforce even though oligopolistic rationality and its collusive consequences are inevitable concomitants of oligopoly industry structure. Pricing Pricing is important for the carriers. If prices are too low or too high, it can drag down profits. Thus, it is important for the carriers to derive profitable airfares and discourages unprofitable one. To maximise profits, the carriers should set prices so that marginal revenue just equals marginal cost. In other words, it should use profit-maximising prices as the starting point. The economic model of pricing ****show diagram****, which is called marginal cost pricing, clearly identifies a pricing strategy that will maximise profits. This pricing strategy also identifies the information needed to set prices, thus simplifying the process. In other words, the profit-maximising price is where the incremental margin percentage equals the reciprocal of the absolute value of the price elasticity demand  [1]  [ **] Based on pricing rule, the carriers should adjust its price where there are changes in the price elasticity of demand or marginal cost since the carriers compete under oligopoly landscapes with homogeneous services. Airfares have dropped significantly over the years [***] since deregulation which helped to simulate competition resulting in the entrance of several low-cost carriers. This could partially due to regulator and oligopolies increase efficiencies, putting direct or indirect price pressure on their suppliers as well as putting pressure on the wages and benefits of their employees Hence there is growing belief is that oligopolies can be price-neutral as opposed to manipulating prices. The strategic variable for airline carrier is price in the short run. Generally without product and service differentiation, the basic service offered by the carriers would be homogeneous. Under the Bertrand model, the carriers which produce at constant marginal cost and compete aggressively on price in order to gain a bigger share of the market. Under such condition, the market equilibrium is perfectly competitive pricing. However, in a loosely knit oligopoly structure, the individual carrier has incentive to offer heterogeneous services. Through heterogeneous services, it can charge personalised pricing or group pricing based on passenger willing-to-pay to achieve higher profits. For example, if carrier X sells its airfares at a single, it loses in two ways. Firstly, some passenger would be willing to pay more than $100 for a ticket during the last hour of the flight. Secondly the carrier does not sell to passengers who are willing to pay more than $50 but less than $60. This is illustrated in the graphic below, where P=price and Q=quantity. By charging such passengers at different price, the carrier could profitably sell to a much larger passenger base. Furthermore, with differentiated services, should one carrier cut its price below other carriers price; it would take away only part of the other carriers entire demand. Thus, carriers should have strong incentive to differentiate its offering in order to raise their equilibrium prices. However, there is a risk of loosing the market if the services are not on par with its pricing and demand. The carriers must balance their desire for market share at the same time avoid head-to-head price competition since the less differentiation in their services, the more direct will be in price competition among them and the lower would be incremental margins.

Greed in The Pearl and The Red Pony :: Pearl Essays

Greed in The Pearl and The Red Pony The novels "The Pearl ," and "The Red Pony ," both portray a message about life. In The Pearl , Steinbeck tells about a great pearl that is found and lost by a Mexican villager. The value of the pearl is great, and with the value comes much greed from others and troubles for the villager. This is a tale that depicts human nature and the way of humanity. The Red Pony, is a story of a young boy and his great dreams. This book tells the reader about the dreams of a farm boy, the land and about the fulfillment of life. These two novels are both similar to each other, telling of humans strength, and the greed in life. In The Pearl , the Mexican fisherman, Kino is very poor, but relatively happy. Kino is very close with his wife Juana, his baby son Coyotito and with the other fishermen. While diving for pearls one day, Kino discovers an extremely old and large oyster. Inside the oyster Kino finds the great pearl. The pearl is worth much and with it comes the promise of a better life for Kino and his family. The life of Kino and his family are changed forever by the greed of other people who begin to want the pearl for themselves. After much hardship, Kino realizes that the pearl could only bring more trouble, and casts the pearl out to sea. The Red Pony tells of a young boy, Jody, and his life on a small ranch. Several big events in Jody's life are depicted in this novel, including a red pony colt, the last wishes of an old Mexican man, dreams of the great mountains, and his grandfathers reflections of the past. In both of the novels the characters are down to earth, real humans. They also have fortitude and are not weak minded. In The Pearl , Kino is pushed and badgered by people trying to steal his pearl and finally he stops running and kill before being killed himself. In the struggle, however Kino's' baby is killed, bringing much sorrow to the family. The boy Jody faces much temptation in The Red Pony . A person could deduce, after reading theses books that greed and selfishness can dramatically change people and their behavior. Some of the villagers with better morals ". Greed in The Pearl and The Red Pony :: Pearl Essays Greed in The Pearl and The Red Pony The novels "The Pearl ," and "The Red Pony ," both portray a message about life. In The Pearl , Steinbeck tells about a great pearl that is found and lost by a Mexican villager. The value of the pearl is great, and with the value comes much greed from others and troubles for the villager. This is a tale that depicts human nature and the way of humanity. The Red Pony, is a story of a young boy and his great dreams. This book tells the reader about the dreams of a farm boy, the land and about the fulfillment of life. These two novels are both similar to each other, telling of humans strength, and the greed in life. In The Pearl , the Mexican fisherman, Kino is very poor, but relatively happy. Kino is very close with his wife Juana, his baby son Coyotito and with the other fishermen. While diving for pearls one day, Kino discovers an extremely old and large oyster. Inside the oyster Kino finds the great pearl. The pearl is worth much and with it comes the promise of a better life for Kino and his family. The life of Kino and his family are changed forever by the greed of other people who begin to want the pearl for themselves. After much hardship, Kino realizes that the pearl could only bring more trouble, and casts the pearl out to sea. The Red Pony tells of a young boy, Jody, and his life on a small ranch. Several big events in Jody's life are depicted in this novel, including a red pony colt, the last wishes of an old Mexican man, dreams of the great mountains, and his grandfathers reflections of the past. In both of the novels the characters are down to earth, real humans. They also have fortitude and are not weak minded. In The Pearl , Kino is pushed and badgered by people trying to steal his pearl and finally he stops running and kill before being killed himself. In the struggle, however Kino's' baby is killed, bringing much sorrow to the family. The boy Jody faces much temptation in The Red Pony . A person could deduce, after reading theses books that greed and selfishness can dramatically change people and their behavior. Some of the villagers with better morals ".

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown Essay example -- Angels Demons Dan Brow

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown 1.) The main setting takes place in the beautiful, elegant, religious, Vatican City. The story pretty spread out throughout the Vatican in churches, especially St. Peter’s Basilica, museums, the pope’s hidden passageways, offices, and a lot of other interesting places. Vatican City is a beautiful city where an abundant amount of faithful living Catholics are located. This city is also where Christianity originated. In the middle of the entire city lies the most famous church in the entire world, St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Peters is where a lot of important plot factors happen, so it is an important part of the novel. Also, there are an abundant amount of sculptures and artistic works of art across the Vatican, which are important to the story also. The atmosphere of the story is like a wave. The mood rises until it falls, then retreats back, and right as you think the novel is over, the mood rises again and finally drops. The novel is basically a suspense novel be cause of the different effects of the mood. 2.) The setting was a perfect match for the novel because of the topic choice for the plot. It is about the Illuminati brotherhood, an anti-christian group, coming back by making a big entrance by killing four cardinals and the whole Vatican City. In the old days, the Illuminati had used symbology to recruit new members to prevent them from being caught by the Vatican. They guided them to four churches and called it the Path of Illumination. These four churches were used again as a location to kill the four cardinals. The characters used symbology from sculptures, old written documents from scientists, churches, and old sayings to go from church to church. The setting helps the characters become closer to stopping the cardinals from being massacred by giving artistic works of art for symbology. The novel gains interesting factors from this setting because all the sculptures and churches fit exactly into the characters thoughts and beliefs of where to go next. 3.) The novel â€Å"Angels and Demons† is told in the third person. The narrator gives the reader the feeling of being near the characters or even next to them from details and thoughts. It makes them an invisible ghost following the characters through their journey. Telling the novel in third person gives the advantage of a more flexible storyline. The author can ... ... the cardinal hanging from above. Vittoria gets kidnaped and Olvetta dies. Now Langdon is trapped inside with the Illuminatus, who has a gun, and he starts crawling around the pues trying to escape. This action creates suspense because the reader wants to know what will happen. As the scene progresses more suspense is developed in the reader because of the desire to know what will happen next. 11.) A) The title â€Å"Angels and Demons† basically relates to the church as angels and the Illuminati as demons. The church is considered the angels part of the title because of Christianity and the Illuminati are the demons part of the title because of the fact that they were anti-christians. It is a perfect title for the book because it is the shortest way to describe the conflict between the rivaling church and Illuminati. C) The part of the story which I think I will probably remember next year are the parts where the cardinals are branded with the Illuminati brands. Dan Brown describes it so vividly and even shows a picture of what it looks like. The brands being ambigrams is what fascinated me the most because of the fact that you can still read it when you turn you book upside down.

Teletubbies Essay -- Teletubbies Toddler Learning Education Essays

Teletubbies Who (or what) are the "Teletubbies?" Many people are familiar with this relatively new cultural phenomenon, but for those who are not, they are rather hard to describe. They appear on a PBS television program designed for toddlers. One newspaper writer has described them as "four roly-poly futuristic rugrats." They are brightly colored, alien-like technological babies, complete with baby talk and giggles. They live in a hilly, pastoral land, full of flowers and bunnies and sunshine, as well as technological gadgets, such as their caretaker/vacuum cleaner named Noo-Noo. They each have their own personalities and favorite toys, and they have taken America, as well as much of the world, by storm. PBS contends that the television series "is designed to encourage curiosity and to stimulate imagination" in young children: to help them learn. The creators of the program, which began in Britain, conducted research with children, nursery school teachers, and linguists. The co-creator and writer, Andrew Davenport, has a degree in Speech Sciences. "Teletubbies" makes use of bright colors, music, repetition, and a slow pace, because this is how young children learn, according to the current research on education. Michael Brunton, in an article in Time, said that "people are missing the point" when they criticize the repetition and hear the baby-talk of the teletubbies. "Teletubbies is in fact closely modeled around the latest theories of speech that identify patterns of movement, a sing-song voice,...repetition and social interaction as key building blocks." These views have been widely publicized, as has been the idea that young children learn the most, and most rapidly, befor e the age of three. PBS also... ...eir tummies come from--the devil? The show's repetition and music, and use of objects that are familiar to children seemed to be the key. My son was very attentive during all 3 episodes. He said, "girl" and "book", "bucket" and "rabbit", and "baby" as the cute sun with the baby face in it came on. The show uses things that are common in the world of children, and they are confident in themselves when they recognize these things. My son would look at me and smile as he recognized each object and said each word. Ok, so by the 3rd episode my husband went to wash the dishes. By the 3rd episode my 2 year old wanted to stand right in front of the television. After 1 1/2 hours of watching the "Teletubbies," my husband asked my son, "Are you brainwashed yet. I think I am. I feel like having some tubby custard." This is about as harmful as the teletubbies get.

Defending the Play Trifle Essay

In the play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, is about a murder mystery of Mr. Wright. The men; the court attorney, sheriff, and Mr. Hale, a neighorbor to the Wright family, and the women; the sheriff’s wife, Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hale, solve the mysery in two very different ways. The men show up at the house as a crime scene, and only focusing on the bigger, important elements of a murder mystery. As Mr. Hale was trying to explain everything he saw in the house that morning of Mr. Wright’s death, he said â€Å"She was rockin’ back and forth. She had her apron in her hand and was kind of – pleating it (1154)†. Meanwhile, Mr. Hale was looking for Mr. Wright, Mrs. Wright was kind of subtle and said you can’t. Mr. Hale was confused. All she said then was he has been murder. All three men go upstairs to talk and investigate the body. One the otherhand, the women approach the house as a home, and focusing on the trifles, meaning small detail or unimportant, such as baking mess, unfinished sewing, and unwashed pans & cleaning. As the women are worried about Mrs. Wright’s trifles in the house the men like to make fun of them. For example, Hale stated, â€Å"Well, women are used to worryin’ over trifles (1156)†. Mrs. Wright loved making preserves as her fruit froze in the freezer and made a big mess that the two women were worried about, so the sheriff said â€Å"Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin’ about her perserves (1155)’. In society, as you can see, men tend to ingore the women’s world, blind to the truth before their eyes. A critic once said Trifles is a lousy play because by the third page we already know who done it, so there isn’t much reason the sit through the rest of the play. A murder mystery does not have to keep the reader in suspense to who the culprit was, but why the culprit did it. The key element in the play Trifles is motive, the reason or emotion that drives a person to do something. What made Mrs. Wright drive to kill her husband? As the men look for any possible motive, the women talk to one another about Mrs. Wright. They end up finding a bird cage with a broken door, but they find no bird. Another possible movite uncovered by the women is the discovery of the dead bird. They found the bird, dead, somebody had strangled the bird. So, just because a murder happens early, does not make it a bad play. Works Cited X.J. Kennedy. Dana Gioia. LITERATURE An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Trifles. 12 ed. New Jersey: Pearson. 2013. Pages1153-1163.

The Disadvantages of Smoking

10/12/2012 How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of Quitting The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of QuittingOne of the largest health disputes right now and for a prolonged period of time, has been smoking. No one seems to be doing much about the issue and the people who don’t care the most and should, are the smokers. The smokers are the ones who need to know how bad it really is. It seems the non-smokers are the people who oppose against this topic because they are affected by it too. Everyday 3,000 children start smoking , most them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for 90 percent of all new smokers.In fact, 90 percent of all adult smokers said that they first started smoking as teenagers. These statistics clearly show that young people are the prime target in the tobacco wars. (Smoking Facts, 2012) The dangers of smoking are many, but still cigarettes have become common; every third person, smokes these days. As elders smoke, young people also learn that there is no harm by smoking, so they do it at a very early age, which is called underage smoking. And it becomes a tradition parents do it, so children also do it.Apart from getting this habit from elders, some people smoke just because they want to show off or they just want to show that they are grown enough to do anything. (Maddox, 2011) Besides tradition and showing off, people smoke to release tension, but it’s useless as inhaling carbon dioxide cannot release tension. Science has also proved that smoking cause’s lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and tongue cancer just to name a few. These types of diseases do not occur in a day or two, but it requires smoking for many years. People who engage in underage smoking; would end up with diseases ery early in life and would have a very short life. Smoking for women is most harmful when they are pregnant the child takes the oxygen, and the child who is not born yet starts breathing carbon dioxide. It also slows the flow of blood which in return slows nutrients to a baby. Smoking not only damages lungs but it also causes breathing problems which remain permanent. (Admin, 2007) Tobacco use; remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $50 billion dollars.Passive smoke, or second hand smoke, affects the non-smokers too. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons. Every time someone smokes, poisons such as be nzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide are released into the air, which means that not only is the smoker inhaling them but so is everyone else around him. Many studies now show that this secondhand smoke can have harmful effects on nonsmokers and even cause them to develop diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. Secondhand smoke has an especially bad effect on infants and children whose parents smoke.A number of studies show that in their first two years of life, babies of parents who smoke at home have a much higher rate of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia than babies with nonsmoking parents. (Smoking Facts, 2012) Now we have electronic cigarettes, better known as E-Cigarettes which contains three essential components: A plastic cartridge that serves as a mouthpiece and a reservoir for liquid; an â€Å"atomizer† that vaporizes the liquid and a battery. It’s supposedly healthier then smoking a regular cigarette.However E-Cigarettes also carries the same risk as smoking a regular nicotine cigarette. The FDA did some research on the E-Cigarette and found that: * E-Cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death * The products may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans (FDA, 2010) Despite these statements, the advantages and disadvantages are very easy to compare.Some of the purported advantages include a sense of calm and relaxation during and immediately after smoking a cigarette. Smokers also frequently receive a number of short breaks throughout the work day to indulge their habit. Some argue that smoking cigarettes makes one look cool, sexy and mature. Finally, many smokers find that smoking cigarettes gives them something to do with their hands. (Wikipedia, 2012) However the disadvantages fairly outweigh the advantages. There are health disadvan tages which links the connection between smoking and early death is irrefutable and well documented.There is an increased risk of a number of cancers, including cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, cervix, kidneys, stomach, bladder and uterus, as well as leukemia. In addition, smoking increases the risk of emphysema, heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The last of these causes complications such as gangrene and tissue loss. Even if you don't develop any of these diseases, you will suffer from shortness of breath. Some men even suffer from impotence due to smoking. There are social disadvantages; one being, smoking has become increasingly unpopular in American society, so smokers face social difficulties.People seek to avoid smokers due to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke. Further, smokers often have to leave social situations to go outside to feed their habit, interrupting social interactions. Some people, wishing to avoid secondhand smoke and its attendant heal th risks, may choose not to go to your house if you smoke indoors. Finally there are financial disadvantages; one being smoking is an expensive habit. The website CostOfSmoking. com estimates that the average cost of a smoker's habit in 2010 is $1,500 a year. This is money that could be spent on healthy habits or even hobbies.Instead, smokers literally pay this much money every year for an early death. There are a number of other indirect costs, such as higher cost of health, homeowner's and life insurance. Smokers also earn between 4 and 11 percent less than nonsmokers, according to the same website. Smokers also on average pay more for the following: * Life Insurance * Health Insurance * Health Care * Home Owner's Insurance * Value of the House * Earn Less Money * Less Social Security / Pension Benefits * Cost of Cleaning * Dental Care (Savingadvice. com, 2012)One of the advantages of quitting is the physical benefits. After 20 minutes of not smoking, your blood pressure returns t o normal. After 48 hours, nerve endings regrow and smell and taste start to become enhanced. The long term benefit include: Five years after quitting, your chances of dying from lung cancer decrease by almost half. After 15 years, your risk of getting heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker. (Smoking Facts, 2012) As you can see, many peoples’ bodies become damaged by their addiction to cigarettes, but most people smoke indirectly.The passive smokers receive damage by people who smoke next to them. In many cases passive smokers have many diseases’ produced by smokers. Smokers suffer financial hardships every day. Smoking is not only a bad habit, but it will most likely end in certain death. Smoking is like a slow death, which can take a hard toll on one’s family so if you are smoker, you are at risk, you are dying, so be careful with that. Bibliography Admin. (2007). Can smoking relieve tensions. Ygoy. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://smoking. yg oy. com/can-smoking-relieve-tension FDA, U.D. (2010). E-Cigarettes: Questions and Answers. http://www. fda. gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm172906. htm. Maddox, N. (2011). Smoking Peer Pressure Facts. http://www. livestrong. com/article/245384-smoking-peer-pressure-facts. Savingadvice. com. (2012). The Cost of Smoking. http://www. savingadvice. com/articles/2005/11/17/10182_the-cost-of-smoking. html. Smoking Facts. (2012). Smoking Facts. http://www. smoking-facts. net/Teen-Smoking-Facts. html. Wikipedia. (2012). Smoking. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking.

Indirect and Direct Racism

Indirect and Direct Racism Racism is a blot on society that has transgressed mankind over hundreds of years. It is conscience of humans that few things are far superior to others. This can be explained in the detail with example of skin color, origin and culture which are the key factors in defragmenting the human society which eventually leads to racism. Cultural difference between various communities was one of the reason for the development of racism.As societies tries to bind itself together it compels people to adapt to different cultures, influencing hatred and eventually given rise to racism. Racism still exists in today’s society in both direct and indirect ways. This can be explained with the recent examples of Asians been targeted in the western world. Asians are attacked because they have different culture and when they settle in western world they bring uneasiness to western lifestyle thus leading to racism.As the author quotes in this article â€Å"Under a byline of Lian Ji, the article published Wednesday used broken English and spouted racial stereotypes to bash the school for his rejection. † The author explains that the student mentioned in the article feels discriminated against due to the fact that he was rejected from Preston University. Clearly showing the flow of racism in the atmosphere within the article, impacting people directly. Skin color is another factor that also has influenced racism.Though subconsciously humans have the tendency to relate things with each other, color is one of those factors. Africans are targeted because they are black and human conscience considers black to be related to bad or evil. Thus they have been victims of racism from the white community, as they consider themselves to be superior to blacks. It can also be noted that origin and cast of people also plays a significant role in influencing racism. In countries particularly where different communities co-exist there seem to be a divide betwee n different communities on faith and cast.Thus people of upper cast will never rub shoulders with the lower cast ones. Eventually there is divide in the communities. Although literacy level has increased, the divide from ages among different communities still exists based on racism. Showing an indirect effecting resulting in racism, not meaning a fully planned riot, but not limited to harassment. Students within an elementary school for example, a student whom is the victim of being verbally bullied due to his fellow classmates lack of literacy skills.Only for the reason that all of the Asian culture has a higher grade average then the Latino Americans. Unlike judging his skin color or the way his facial features varies and being bullied on the spot, it takes tame for one to make fun of another over test scores. Out of the many factors that has led to racism that is thriving in today’s society the one’s discussed area few highlights that presence among us. So it can be concluded that racism among humans still exists and is displayed in both direct and indirect ways.Bibliography â€Å"Racism Agaisnt Asians. †Ã‚  Racism Agaisnt Asians. Web. . Kershner, Isabel, and Mark Landler. â€Å"Racism in Sports And Society – New York Times. â€Å"The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. .