Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a Research Paper

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a strategic case analysis. (IP 4) - Research Paper Example It has been subject to serious design level issues wherein product recalls were traced back to the to the faults in design and manufacturing processes of Toyota. This suggests that its operational weaknesses may be on the rise during the recent past. Ford as a part of automobile industry is facing stiff social challenge of improving its image. There is a general perception within the general public that car automakers are thriving on tax payers’ money. Overall market demand is emerging from US market. Ford’s primary demographics is in North American market besides it serves EU market also. Its overall product range serve both high end and low end market. In order to overcome the weakness of low consumer demand, Ford can enter into small car manufacturing. It needs to improve its R&D efforts to produce more cost effective vehicles which can serve the mass market at the global market (Nilsson-Witell, Antoni, & Dahlgaard, 2005). It needs to increase its R&D budget and engage into further improving its fuel efficient cars. In order to overcome it dependence on two markets, Toyota need to establish its manufacturing and distribution facilities in other emerging markets specially in India and other growing markets where demand for low cost fuel efficient cars can be enormous. It can expand into these markets through effective quality management. (Taddese & Osada, 2011) It needs to enter into market development process in a way which can ensure its presence in optimal market locations across the whole globe. Nilsson-Witell, L., Antoni, M., & Dahlgaard, J. (2005). Continuous improvement in product development: Improvement programs and quality principles". International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management,, 22(8),

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Differences Between Linear Block And Convolutional Codes Computer Science Essay

Differences Between Linear Block And Convolutional Codes Computer Science Essay Generally the coding theory is the detailed analysis of the properties of the codes and their suitable quality for the identified application. Codes are mainly used in cryptography, error correction , data compression and now a days it is also used for the network coding.this coding generally involves with the linear block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes respectively. LINEAR BLOCK CODES: In coding theory, the linear block code generally referred as a error correcting code for which the obtained resultant codeword is the linear combination of any two codewords. In simple words, the linear block code possesss the linearity property that is the sum of any two codewords is also a codeword. These linear block codes are divided in to the block odes and convolutional codes, eventhough turbo codes is the combination of these two types. More efficient encoding and decodig algorithms are provided by the linear codes when compared with the other codes. (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/linear codes). CONVOLUTIONAL CODES The main principle involved in the convolutional code is the weighted sum of the various input message symbols is the resultant codeword symbol. This resemblance the convolution used in the LTI systems where we find the output of a syatem by knowing the impulse response and the respective input. So hence the output of a convolutional encoder can be obtained by the convolution of the input bits with the states of the convolution encoder registers.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/convolutional codes). TURBO CODES In 1993, turbo codes are developed which are the class of high performance forward error correction codes and they are also the first practical codes to come nearer to the chgannel capacity for the code rate at which reliable communication is still possible while a specific identified noise level is given. Berrou glavieux and thitimajshima introduced these turbo codes in 1993 in their paper named near Shannon limit error correcting and decoding : turbo codes. Once after the introduction of these parallel turbo codes many other types are discovered which mainly includes repeat accumulate codes, serial versions. Even the conventional FEC systems are also been applied by the iterative turbo decoding methods. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/turbo ) 2. CORE OF THE PAPER 1. PRINCIPLES OF THE LINEAR BLOCK CODES A block code of length n and codewors is said to be a linear(n, k) code if and only if the k dimensional subspace of the vector space is formed by all the codewords of all the n- tuples over GF(2). A linear code of length n and rank K is the linear subspace C with dimension K of the vector space where is the finite field consisting of the q elements. Such tytpe of a code with parameter q is called a q ary code. The code is said to be as binary code or ternary code if and only if q =2 or q=3 respectively. Linear block codes are briefly described by their symbol alphabets (example: binary, ternary) and with parameters (n,m, ) where n is the codeword length in symbols. m is the total number of source symbols which are used for encoding. is the codes minimum hamming distance. Linear block codes are of many types they are: Cyclic codes Repetition codes Parity codes Polynomial codes Reed Solomon codes Algebraic geometric codes Reed muller codes Perfect codes. A. GENERATOR MATRIX AND PARITY CHECK MATRIX Since the linear codes could be considered as a linear subspace C of , so any codeword C can be represented as a linear combination of a set of basis vectors such that , C= ++.= mG Where G is the generator matrix and m is the message. B. THEORITICAL CONCEPTS: As linear subspace of , the span of the minimal set of codewords can be represented by the entire code word C. These obtained codewords are collected and combined in the rows of the matrix G known as generator matrix for the code C. Theoretically, it is the standard form of is given as G=(/A), where is the kk identity matrix and A is k(n-k) matrix. A check matrix is defined as the matrix which represents the linear function H: whose kernel is C. The generating matrix G in standard form, G=(/A), with C as a code then H=(/) is a check matrix for C. C .HAMMING CODES Hamming codes are the first codes developed for the purpose of the error correction. These are widely used in digital communication systems. For any positive integer r>=2, there exists a [-r-1,3] hamming code. Example: given the following generator matrix and parity check matrix, the linear block code is [7,4,3] hamming code. G= , D. HADAMARD CODE Hadamard codes is capable of correcting many errors and is a [, r,] linear code. Hadamard code has minimum distance and therefore can correct -1 errors. Example  : The linear block code with the following generator matrix is a [8,3,4]2 Hadamard code: E..MERITS: Linear codes are the very prominent calss of the error correcting codes. It generally includes the simple description, easy procedure for encoding, nice properties, conceptually easy decoding. If C is a linear code then the minimum distance d(c) is easy to compute. Linear codes possesss simple specifications. To specify the (n,k) linear code it is sufficient to list K linearly independent codewords where as for the non linear code words generally we have to represent with all the code words. The most important linear block codes are: Hamming codes, cyclic codes, reed Solomon codes, BCH codes, LDPC codes, turbo codes respectively. F. DEMERITS: The main drawback of the hamming code is that it has the fixed hamming distance and also it is very difficult to implement coders for large block. The detection of two error bits and ability to correct the single errored bit can be obtained from the fixed hamming distance.if we choose a code which generally allows the implementor to select the desired hamming distance will be useful or beneficial. Hammer coder practical largest possible allows for codewords of nearly 31bits only. G. APPLICATIONS (1) These linear block properties are used in many applications. Trellis shaping is generated by using the syndrome coset uniqueness property of linear block codes. (2) these are also used in sensor networks for distributed sourcecoding. (3)by using these codes phase shift can be easily corrected and detected and also multiple signals can be easily sent from onechannel. (4) some other applications include mobile phone systems which are used in CDMA. (references: William E.ryan and shu lin(2009) channel codes: classical and modern, Cambridge university press.,Thomas M. corer and joy A. Thomas(1991) elements of information theory john wiley and sons). 2.PRINCIPLES OF CONVOLUTIONAL CODES Convolutional codes comes under a category of error correction codes in which an n bit symbol consists of each m bit information symbol to be encoded where coderate is m/n (n>=m) and the transformation acts as a function of the last K information symbols, here the constraint lenghht of the code is denoted by K. A. .Convolutional encoder To encode data convolutinoally, we begin with K memory reegisters holding one input bit each. Until other value specified , the 0 is the initial value af all memory registers. The encoder includes n-modulo 2 adders( it can be put effort with single Boolean XOR gate ) and n generator polynomials- each adder has one of them. The left most register is feded with the an input bit m. By using those existing values in the remaining registers and the respective generatot polynomials the n bits are the encoder outputs. By bit shifting all register values to their right and have to wait for its next input input bit. The encoder continues output until all registers have returned to the zero state if there are no remaining input bits. The below figure shows the rate 1/3 of the encoder with k value (constraint length) of 3. And also the generator polynomials are =(1,1,1), =(0,1,1) and =(1,0,1) The calculation of the output bits are as follows n1 = m1 + m0 + m-1 n2 = m0 + m-1 n3 = m1 + m-1. Img.1. Rate 1/3 non-recursive, non-systematic convolutional encoder with constraint length 3. B. RECURSIVE AND NON RECURSIVE CODES The above figure shows the encoder where as the below one shows the recursive one respectively, Rate 1/2 recursive, systematic convolutional encoder with constraint length 4. It can be easily observed that the input which is encoded is included in the output sequence also. These codes are generally called as systematic. The another type of codes are generally called as non systematic codes. Generally the systematic codes are always recursive codes where as the non systematic codes are always non recursive codes. The name convolutional encoder came for it because it carry out a convolution of the input stream with the encoders impulse responses. = Where x is an input sequence, is an output sequence from output j and which is the impulse response of the output j. The discrete lineaqr time invariant system is also called as a convolutional encoder. The own transfer function itself describes the output of an encoder. The transfer function is connected by the impulse response through z transform. + (Z)= +, (Z)=1+. The second order transfer functions are: (z)= We Define m by Where for any rational functional, we define it as Where m is the maximum polynomial degrees of the . And the constraint length is defined as . C.TRELLIS DIAGRAM A convolutional encoder is also referred as finite state machine. An encoder with n binary cells produce states. Just imagine the encoder which is shown in figure 1 has 1 in left memory cell(m0) in right one. We will refer such a stete as 10. By considering input bit the encoder at the next turn can convert either to 11 state or 01 state or 01 state. from the below figure we get rhe idea of decoding if the received sequence doesnot suit this graph then it errors can be obtained and we should select closest correct sequence. All transitions which are possible are shown as below: The red line is the path of the trellis. The lines their indicate transitions where the dotted lines are 1 input and the proper lines rae 0 input. The path here represents an actual encoded sequence. One of the path is shown in red colour as an example. The figure provides an idea about the decoding. D.FREE DISTANCE AND THE ERROR DISTANCE The minimum distance between the different encoded sequences is called as the free distance. The number of errors that can be corrected by code is given as correcting capability. It is given as correcting capability. It is given as, F. DECODING CONVOLUTIONAL CODES Decoding the convolutional codes can be done by several algorithms . thye vviterbi algorithm is universally used for relatively small values of K as it is highly parallelizable and it also provides maximum likelihood performance. By using SIMD instruction set the viterbi decoders are easy to implement the software on cpu and also in VLSI hardware. Fano algorithm is the best one among the several sequential decoding algorithms through which the longer constraint lenght codes re more practically decoded. Unlike viterbi decoding sequential decoding is not have maximum probability but there will be the slight incresase in the complexity with their constraint lengfht. Giving the chance to us the long , short constraint Length codes. In early 1970s these codes are used in the pionner program in Jupiter and Saturn but made it shorter, these viterbi decoded codes, often connecyed with large reed Solomon error correction codes which generally steeps the complete bit error rate curve and it also produces the very low residual undetected error rates. These both sequential and viterbi decoding algorithm gives the hard decisions..The codeword which is most likely formed by the bits.by using the soft output viterbi algorithm an appropriate confidence measure can be added to each bit in use with the BCJR algorithm the maximum a posterior(MAP ) Soft decisions can be obtained. G. POPULAR CONVOLUTIONAL CODES The viterbi decoded convolutiona;l codes is used for the voyagev program which has a constraint length of K=7, and also rate=1/2. The more powerful codes are produced by the longer constraint lengths but the viterbi algorithm complexity increases exponentially with respect to the constraint lengths , controlling these more powerful codes to deep space machines where the extra performance increases decoder complexity. Cassine probe, mars path finder, mars exploration rover to Saturn use of K=15 AND RATE OF 1/6, 2DB Bbetter than the simplex k=7, code at a rate of 256* in decoding complexity iss performed by this code. H. MERITS To correct the errors in noisy channels these convolutional codes are frequently used. These convolutional codes perform well on very bad conditions also. These convolutional codes are generally used often in satellite communications, mobile telephony and also in voice band modems. Convolutional codes generally gives good results in lower noise environments. Convolutional codes are also used in the voice band modems( v.,32, v.17, v.34) and also in the GSM mobile phones. I. DEMERITS Even though the convolutional encoder has the simplest procedure, decoding of it is very complex task. Convolutional codes cannot provide more protection against noise. J. APPLICATIONS Convolutional codes are used in the number of the applications which aims to achieve reliable data transfer, including radio, mobile communications, digital video communications, satellite communications. By using hard decision code, these codes are implemented in concatenation( example: reed Solomon). These are more efficient. (references: tutorial on convolutional coding and decoding, the online text book: IT, inference and leaving algorithms by david J.C.Mackay). 3. PRINCIPLES OF TURBO CODES By using the block code with convolutional code and also withthe longer constraint length and large block length it is theortically possible to approach the Shannon limit. But this approach became impractical due to the processing power required to decode. By using the recursive coders and iterative soft decoders the turbo codes overcome this drawback. The main aim of the recursive coder is to make the convolutional codes with shorter constraint lengths which appears as a large constraint length of a block codes and iterative soft decoder efficiently improves the estimation of the obtained message. The below shown figure generally gives the encoder for implementation which describes a clasiical encoder which provides the general design of the turbo codes. The 3 bits of the subblock can be sended by using this encoder implementation. The m-bit block of payload data is in the first subblock. The n/2 parity bits for a well known permutation includes in the 3rd subblock which is once aga in computed with the RSC code. The total number of bits in the code are . Interleaver is a device which generally carry outb the permutation of the payload data. This turbo code encoder includes two RSC codes (identical) , , as shown in the figure. By using the concatenation scheme these are connected to each othere which is reffered as parallel concatenation. Here M acts as a memory register. The input bits are forced to appear in different sequences by the dealy line and interleaver. The input sequence appears at both outputs after completion of first iteration [, , ] because of the encoders systematic nature. = = DECODER The serial connection of two elementary decoders is said to be a decoder. Generally decoder only operates on the lower speed( ) , thus it is planned for the encoder and is for encoder. The produces delays and also hold a soft decision. Where as produces delay respectively. The error bursts which are coming from the output are scattered by the interleaver whicvh is installed between between the two decoders. Here DI refers to demultiplexing and insertion module here it acts as a switch, it generally redirects input bits to once and to at another. It feeds both , inputs with padding bits( zeroes) in off state. While considering a memory less AWGN channel and assumption is made that at the iteration, the decoder receives a pair of random variables. =(-1)+, =2(-1)+ . Here is a bit from output of encoder and , are independent noise components consists of same produces a soft decision ie; ) = and pass it to the . generally referred as logarithm of likelihood ratio. The posterior probability (APP) of bit data is defined as which shows the probability of explaining a received bit as i. But where as produces a hard decision which is a decoded bit. Viterbi algorithm is unappropiate to calculate APP, it is not used in a BCJR algorithm is used but where as for viterbi algorithm is an appropriate one. MERITS Up to now, we know so many practical error correction methods but turbo codes and low density parity check codes come very close to approach the Shannon limit , which is the theoretical limit of maximum transfer reate of information over a noisy channel. Turbo codes increases data rate with out increasing the transmitted power, or to transmit at a certain data rate they are used to decrease the amount of the power. It generally produces the best performance results pof the throughput and latency. DEMERITS Its main disadavantage is the complexity of the relative high decoding. It also has relatively high latency, which is not suitable for some applications. It is also not verymuch useful for the satellites why because the latency is produced by the transmission distance due to the limited speed of the light. These algorithms are complex in nature. APPLICATIONS 3G and 4G mobile telephony standards uses turbo codes widely. Examples: HSPA and LTE . Used in media FLO and QUALCOMM Turbo codes are also useful in NASA missions such as mars re connaissance orbiter which is another option to RS- viterbi codes. IEEE802.16 generally uses the block turbo coding and CTC(WIMAX) a wireless metropolitan standard. Turbo codes are used in the designs of the digital communication systems and also in detection, demodulation. Turbo codes in the field of the error correcting codes represents a significant development. The cable transmission, short distance communications or data storage are the future applications of the turbo codes. (references: Berrou, claude; glavieux, alian , punva, near Shannon limit error- correcting, Berrou, claude, the ten years old turbo codes are entering in to the service, france). 4. CRITICAL COMPARISION LINEAR BLOCK CODES AND CONVOLUTIONAL CODES: Convolutional codes have a regular, natural, trellis structure which are useful in the implementation of the viterbi algorithm. Where as the linear block codes have a natural but it has minimal trellis structure. In both convolutional codes and linear block codes, the estimation of viterbi algorithm can be done by number of trellis edge symbol per encoded bit. Generally convolutional codes does not provide more protection against noise than the linear block codes. Convolutional codes offers greater simplicity of implementation over a linear block codes in many cases. Convolutional codes may not have minimal trellis representation but where as the linear block codes has the minimal trellis structure. The main differences between the linear block codes and convolutional codes is that a system which is using the block codes will transmits the k data bits and then transmits the n-k reductant bits. Where as the system which uses the convolutionla codes produces n coded bits from k data bits and the codeword need not contain unaltered k data bits. The main difference between the convolutional encoder and the block encoder is that the block code related not only to the current , but also on the previous (u) number of fixed information blocks ,, That is given as, =++.. With out the memory a linear block code is merely a convolutional code. The theory of the linear block codes seems to be degenerate of the theory of the convolutional codes, the usual approach of the convolutional codes is to note the small and fixed values of n and k and also the varying values of . TURBO CODES V/S CONVOLUTIONAL CODES: There are some differences between the behaviour of turbo codes and the convolutional codes. As we know that the performance of the convolutional codes imcreases with the increasing constraint length( code complexity). This is not for the turbo codes where the best codes of the turbo codes have the small constraint lengths . With decreasing code rate the performance of the convolutional codes doesnot improve significantly. Where as for the turbo codes even for the lower coding rates it achieves a very significant coding gain. While seeing from the implementation point of view, soft output encoders and recursive decoders are essential in turbo code schemes, where as they are not that much essential in convolutional codes excluding the concatenated configuration. Criteria Convolutional codes turbo codes Larger constraint length good bad Lower coding rate indifferent good Larger free distance good indifferent Soft output decoders indiffernt good Recursive encoders Indifferent good Both the linear block codes and convolutional codes are most frequently used type codes in the practice of enginnering for the designing of the most useful codes. TURBO VS LINEAR BLOCK CODES: The turbo codes are the hybrid model of the both the linear block codes and the convolutional codes respectively. The linear block codes used in the turbo codes instead of the convolutional codes to form a turbo product code(TPC). Two hamming codes are concatenated serially with the absence of an interleaver in between them. They can perfoem well in low SNR and can be formed by any block code. The convolutional codes used in the turbo codes usually forms a parallel concatenated convolutional code(PCCC) which have the small constraint length. They are systematic. 5. SIMULATION RESULTS The simulation results of linear block codes are as follows : The dual adaptive importance sampling (DAIS) technique evaluates the word and bit error rates of linear block codes down to extreme low values. (reference: Slin and D. Costello, error correction coding : fundamentals and applications). T,he simulation of the convolutional codes are as follows: Simulations with two recursive , equal convolutional codes with an interleaver whose length is 400 and k=50, this generally provides manufacturer interoperability, because this technique achieves the improvements which is over 3.5 dB respectively over the trellis codification modulation. (reference:Concatened trellis/reed Solomon coding in DMT systems- Kschischarg). The simulation results of the turbo codes are as follows: At a rate of R=1/2 the simulation results of the turbo codes are obtained. Here length of the data block is 400 bits( assumption) and also a MAP decoder used in the simulation. From the results it is observed that for the first few iterations yield the most significant improvements in BER for any given value of . After that the results appear to converge on to a BER for each value of . ( reference: Andersen JD and zyablov vv, interleaver design for turbo coding). 6. CONCLUSION So, hence in this research paper we have discussed the principles, applications, merits and demerits of the linear block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes respectively. We also discussed the main differences between the block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes and presented their respective simulation results. Personally, by doing this research i learned a lot on this coding theory and also came to know the importance of these codes in the present world. The future applications of these codes are to provide the substantial improvements in communication for the satellites. 7. REFERNCES (1) code tables: bounds on the parameters of various types of the codes. (2) q- ary code generator program. (3) error correcting codes (ECC) page (4) Wikipedia articles in corporating text from the federal standarad convolutional codes with a 1037c. (5) turbo decoding as an instance of pearls belief propogation algorithm,. (6) IEEE journal on selected areas in communication- Robert J Mackay, David J.C. (7) Turbo equalisation : principles and new results an IEEE paper on communications.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Norway and Its Climate Changes Essay -- Global Warming Essays

Climate change is a major global issue and is a pressing issue in Norway as well. The country has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and signed on to other treaties regarding the state of the earth. Similar to its history, current climate changes may have adverse effects on the culture and economy of Norway. Two significant climate change issues in Norway are carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and the warming of the Arctic Ocean; both have important impacts on both Norway and the world. Climate change is not a new phenomenon for Norwegians. Some historians believe that slightly over two thousand years ago the climate in Norway drastically changed from tropical conditions to frigid conditions, slightly more extreme than there is today (Larsen 15). This climate change had many effects on Norwegians, such as settling down and also changing the way they found their food. Since the climate became too cold for the agriculture they were used to, Norwegians shifted their focus to hunting and fishing. This change in climate had a drastic effect on early Norwegian culture. Two thousand years later Norwegians are still facing climate change. However, this type of climate change is much different and more man-made than the previous. In the year 2004 the world is facing a climate change problem and international policies are required to help remedy this problem. Norway has been one of the most complacent countries in the world in regards to its environmental policies and its efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions. In January of 1991, Norway introduced a CO 2 tax to try to reduce CO 2 emissions. There are several taxes in place such as: twenty dollars per barrel of oil, thirteen cents per liter of gasoline, and sixty-four dollars per ton of coal1... ...te ten millennia ago and the warming of the climate today: today scientists have reason to believe that global warming is the result of excessive emissions of damaging gases into the ozone whereas there is not a lot of evidence suggesting the earlier warming was human-induced (O'Riordan 80). â€Å"Think globally, act locally,† is a widely-used phrased when discussing global environmentalism. Norway has been doing its best as a country to take local action in order to try to decrease ozone pollution and increase sustainable practices. Norway has shown its leadership with its initiatives to improve its CO 2 emissions and its work with ACIA to identify current Arctic climate change problems and try to develop solutions. Only time will tell how Norway ’s climate will change and what affect that will have on global climate change and international environmental policies. Norway and Its Climate Changes Essay -- Global Warming Essays Climate change is a major global issue and is a pressing issue in Norway as well. The country has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and signed on to other treaties regarding the state of the earth. Similar to its history, current climate changes may have adverse effects on the culture and economy of Norway. Two significant climate change issues in Norway are carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and the warming of the Arctic Ocean; both have important impacts on both Norway and the world. Climate change is not a new phenomenon for Norwegians. Some historians believe that slightly over two thousand years ago the climate in Norway drastically changed from tropical conditions to frigid conditions, slightly more extreme than there is today (Larsen 15). This climate change had many effects on Norwegians, such as settling down and also changing the way they found their food. Since the climate became too cold for the agriculture they were used to, Norwegians shifted their focus to hunting and fishing. This change in climate had a drastic effect on early Norwegian culture. Two thousand years later Norwegians are still facing climate change. However, this type of climate change is much different and more man-made than the previous. In the year 2004 the world is facing a climate change problem and international policies are required to help remedy this problem. Norway has been one of the most complacent countries in the world in regards to its environmental policies and its efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions. In January of 1991, Norway introduced a CO 2 tax to try to reduce CO 2 emissions. There are several taxes in place such as: twenty dollars per barrel of oil, thirteen cents per liter of gasoline, and sixty-four dollars per ton of coal1... ...te ten millennia ago and the warming of the climate today: today scientists have reason to believe that global warming is the result of excessive emissions of damaging gases into the ozone whereas there is not a lot of evidence suggesting the earlier warming was human-induced (O'Riordan 80). â€Å"Think globally, act locally,† is a widely-used phrased when discussing global environmentalism. Norway has been doing its best as a country to take local action in order to try to decrease ozone pollution and increase sustainable practices. Norway has shown its leadership with its initiatives to improve its CO 2 emissions and its work with ACIA to identify current Arctic climate change problems and try to develop solutions. Only time will tell how Norway ’s climate will change and what affect that will have on global climate change and international environmental policies.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Discuss the Significance of Names in of Mice and Men Essay

As seen in the book Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck uses a range of different names for his character, but as it seems, it is not just a coincidence that they are named this way. Steinbeck uses these specific names to match personality of a character and to show the significance of these characters to the society. Many characters names begin with a C for example Candy, Crooks, Curley, to create a direct reference to ‘Cain’ a nomad from the bible; who was cursed by God that he would never be able to settle down because of his wrongdoings for power, this signifies that the characters and Cain have a similarity; they are not able to settle down but are forced to keep moving from one area to another. Curley’s Wife, is perhaps the most major female character that is essential to the story, but has no name in the book. The most obvious assumption as to why Steinbeck has decided to do this is because he is using a historical reference to the American community, where woman were considered to be a man’s possession. â€Å"When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitchers†. In the book, Curley’s Wife has a dream/desire to have her name known as an icon, however, the results were that she had married a ‘nobody’ which makes her an even smaller existence to the society and the world. We can come to a conclusion that Curley’s wife is unnamed because Steinbeck reflects her complete lack of individual identity. Lennie Small, one of the two most major and necessary characters in the storyline, has a very ironic name. ‘Lennie’ is short for ‘Leonard’ or abbreviated to ‘Leo’ has a definition of lion, has symbolizes courage, rulership and strength, which is a complete opposite of Lennie’s character. ‘Small’ is also an addition to the irony, where Steinbeck uses this to emphasize his huge physical appearances. â€Å"I don’t want no trouble, don’t let him sock me George†. As seen in the book, Lennie is a ‘coward’, as he has a huge body and strength, yet doesn’t know how to defend himself in certain situations and cannot stand-up for himself. Slim is perhaps the most unique characters throughout the whole book. The reason as to why Steinbeck has decided to name this character in this way is to reflect on the American society (similar to Curley’s wife’s reasoning) as to where people were depressing and rarely had a reason to laugh or be ‘positive’ meaning that his physical appearance as being a tall skinny man refers to this. Slim however, is often thought as a hero, and thinks deeply about his actions toward other people as seen in chapter 6 where Slim out of all men goes over to check on Curley’s Wife’s lifeless body. â€Å"Then Slim went quietly over to her, and he felt her wrist. One lean finger touched her check, and then his hand went under her slightly twisted neck and his fingers explored her neck.† In other words, Slim’s naming is decided on to reflect and perhaps to criticize the American society at the time. Carlson, is the complete opposite of Slim, with ‘Carl’ meaning ‘man’ or ‘manly’ and ‘son’ meaning son, creating a definition of man’s son. Carlson as seen in the earlier parts of the story is seen to show no respect or value to Candy’s dog because of its putrid odor, not considering that the pet could be Candy’s only companion, showing that his character is arrogant and selfish. Carlson’s name is also decided to reflect on the American society, where his physical appearance also represents the average man. â€Å"Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the two of them went out the door†. Nonetheless, Carlson shows in chapter 2 that he pays respect to the more superior than him, in this case to Slim, as he precedes back to let Slim past by. In conclusion, the names of characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are not just coincidences. In fact, the names John Steinbeck have chosen a re to symbolize and signify certain images and personalities and sometimes to criticize the American society, therefore, names in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are also a great significance to the story.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Analytical Paper: Justin Martyr, First Apology Essay

Justin Martyr was the Greek apologist of Christianity who lived in the 2nd c. A. D. He was famous for his two Apologies (the First Apology dates back to about A. D. 155, rediscovered in 1364 ), and the Dialogue with Trypho. Both Chadwick and Richardson called him one of the most prominent advocates of Christian faith due to the most genuine spirit and voluminosity. The First Apology is addressed to the emperor Antoninus Pius and his confidants. The eloquent speech, which sometimes resembles of Platonic dialogues or defensive declaration in classic court, explains to the hostile prevailing authorities the foundations of Christian theology from the point of a true believer. As Richardson noted, the work was not recklessly structured, so far as it was difficult for commentators â€Å"to find a clear outline. † There is a scheme of the Apology given in chapter 23, though it â€Å"is hard to follow through in detail. † However, Richardson observed a distinctive rhetorical scheme consisting of seven themes: Plea for a Fair Hearing (chs. 1 to 8), The Faith and Life of Christians (chs. 9 to 20), Superiority of Christianity to Paganism (chs. 21 to 29), The Argument from Prophecy (chs. 30 to 53), Paganism an Imitation of Christianity (chs. 54 to 60), Christian Worship (chs. 61 to 67), and Conclusion (ch. 68) (1953, 236). Thus, the First Apology topically consists of the appeal to the Pagan Emperors who used to prosecute early Christians, the description of Christian theological position, the comparison of Pagan and Christian faiths, the overview of Biblical prophecies in regard to Jesus Christ, the account of Christian traditions (Eucharist, prays, etc. ) and the summary of previous argumentations. Justin addressed the Emperor and his relatives as philosophers and lovers of culture in the name of people regardless of nationality being â€Å"unjustly hated and reviled† for their faith. The apologist evidently held the hearers for humans being able to follow reason. More than that, Justin Martyr called for the high reputation of the Emperor as the pillar of justice who could not send a criminal to death before conviction but, nevertheless, illogically did not pause to murder Christians. The author swept aside the suspicions that he would flatter higher authorities, or try to seek their indulgent protection. Instead, Justin suggested that the listeners should voluntary â€Å"give judgment according to strict and exact inquiry† without â€Å"prejudice or respect for superstitious men, or by irrational impulse and long-established evil rumor. † No doubt that the author built his argument as if he was a solicitor speaking before the trial jury. In evidence of his firm and sincere position of a Christian, he exclaimed, For we are firmly convinced that we can suffer no evil unless we are proved to be evildoers or shown to be criminals. You can kill us, but cannot do us any real harm. Justin’s discourse is founded on the concept of reason and truth. He juxtaposed the negative rule of custom to the positive guidance of truth. The apologist’s conceptualization of truth linked to the one of justice even at the cost of life, as well as to the most perfect embodiment of Reason, God. Justin warned his audience, â€Å"if those who learn [the truth] do not do what is right, they have no defense before God. † Chadwick stated that, according to the apologist, â€Å"the gospel and the best elements in Plato and the Stoics are almost identical ways of apprehending the same truth. † It seems to be true that Justin did not afraid to appellate to the authority of pagan philosophers, Plato and Socrates. The latter â€Å"made the race of men endowed with intelligence, able to choose the truth and do right, so that all men are without excuse before God, for they were made with the powers of reason and observation. † He was executed for denouncing the power of evil demons who seduced humans and made them act wickedly. Justin found that there were parallels between the Stoics’ catastrophic comprehension of the world and â€Å"the eschatological fire of God’s judgement. † Still, the Christian spirit proclaimed by Justin is closer to Plato’s teaching. For example, in regard to death and martyrdom the apologist seemed to echo the Greek philosopher in the utterance, â€Å"we are not troubled by being put to death, since we will have to die somehow in any case. † The Christian idea of eternal punishment for sinners and salvation for true and virtuous believers, when â€Å"the souls of the unrighteous will be punished after death, still remaining in conscious existence, and those of the virtuous, delivered from punishments, will enjoy happiness,† also seems to correspond with Plato’s ideas. It looks as if Justin assigned both philosophers and the prophets of the Old Testament to the one and the same position. He argued that Plato in his saying that, â€Å"The blame belongs to him who chooses, and God is free from blame,† sounded like the prophet Moses. The concept of Divinity as bodiless and formless substance having created the Universe traveled from one philosophic mind to another. Justin seemed to view the role of the Old Testament prophets in paving the road to the descending of Jesus Christ to people to redeem them of sins and evil. Justin wrote, â€Å"There were among the Jews certain men who were prophets of God, through whom the prophetic Spirit announced in advance events that were to occur. † One may assume that the apologist had knowledge of human psychology and community behavior. He assumed that â€Å"God testified in advance through the prophetic Spirit that things which are unbelievable and thought impossible among men would happen, so that when this should occur it would not be disbelieved, but received with faith because it had been predicted. † Citing the Bible, Justin analyzed the evidence from the Old Testament in regard to the events of the New Testament. He stated further that there were even more events to have been predicted by ancient prophets and there would be the second epiphany of Christ to Earth. Justin Martyr was a pioneer in underlining the Christian emphasis on spirit and dismissing human flesh as the driving cause for any acts and events. According to him, Christians were outstanding in their â€Å"longing for the life which is eternal and pure. † When the writer compared the pagan tradition of portraying gods as the objects of craft, he stressed that it was disgusting because of craftsmen’s licentious habits. He recalled ancient accounts of pagan gods living material life in contrast to Christian God who â€Å"has no need of material offerings from men, considering that he is the provider of all. † It is interesting to observe how Justin tried to build the hierarchy of three Christian deities: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. He made his best to explain that Christians honored Jesus as occupying the second place in the system, whereas the prophetic Spirit was in the third rank. He dwelt in details on the teaching of Jesus where people were taught to love and trust each other, live in purity and clarity of thought and deed. That formed a sharp contrast to the pagan traditions of prostitution, greed, lust and wilderness. Justin put Christianity superior to Paganism because Christian God let believers â€Å"not to consume by fire the things he has made for our nourishment, but to devote them to our use and those in need, in thankfulness to him sending up solemn prayers and hymns for our creation. † Christian God pursued the genuine truth and did not enjoy prejudices and human blindness in referencing to the truth. Involuntary, Justin sometimes made similar Christian and Pagan deities. However, he immediately tried to explain those analogies â€Å"as imitations of the truth inspired by the devil, who with foresight and sagacity has thereby tried to inoculate men against the gospel by caricatures of the Incarnation or of the virgin birth or of baptism and the eucharist. † What is the use of Justin’s First Apology in the Roman and modern period? First, he addressed plain people who craved after the main idea for their lives. Second, he integrated the new teaching in the sequence of human thought to change the outliving mode of political and spiritual life. Third, he was â€Å"utterly frank and open-hearted† in describing the emerging faith. So far as his theological contribution is concerned, Justin was artful enough â€Å"to piece together a mosaic providing a clear and surprisingly full account of his doctrines of God, Creation, Incarnation, Atonement, the Church, the sacraments of baptism and eucharist, and the Last Things. † Richardson admitted in his turn that Justin Martyr stood apart from other apologists in his warm and human tone: â€Å"Most of the other Apologists lead their reader to the door of the church [†¦] while Justin opens it and tells a good deal about what goes on inside. † Bibliography Chadwick, Henry. Early Christian Thought and the Classical Tradition: Studies in Justin, Clement, and Origen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Richardson, Cyril Charles. Early Christian Fathers. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1953.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

imperfect perfection essays

imperfect perfection essays When the President does it, that means that it's not illegal.(Nixon Quotes). These immortalized words were uttered by one of the most criticized presidents in United States history. Richard Nixon committed many crimes and believed that just because he was the Commander In Chief he should not be held accountable for his actions. However, this created much public backlash. People were upset over the Watergate issue for their views on what a president should be. A president should be a morally strong man. A president should be impeccable in his actions. A president should be a perfect man. On the other hand, a president should compromise his morals. A president should be forgiven for his actions that are any but impeccable. A president should not be a perfect man. These views on what a president should or should not be are often contradictory. What do people want out of a head figure? Generally, the public of the United States wants contradictory principals from the President. The pres ident is expected to be firm yet wavering, perfect yet have faults, and be dominating yet submissive. A strong president always dazzles the American Public. They love to be led to the ends of the earth as long as the president is in the front. Petty obstacles should not bind the president if they stand in his way. A commanding president has always had the masses at the end of his fingers. However, another notion that the American Public has is that the president should follow their rules. He needs to be submissive. He needs to follow suit. He needs to be controlled. Take for example a case from the Presidency of Andrew Jackson. This man, once a general and a man for the masses, was praised for his policies. People loved his initiative. When he made treaties with the Creek Indians, people rejoiced at that action. When the State of Mississippi began to make laws to reign over these tribes, the Supreme Court declared those actions unconstitutio...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The way slaves felt essays

The way slaves felt essays Slaves felt that their masters treated them unkindly, but there was not much to do to improve their situation as a slave. For instance, two slaves were digging a deep hole for their dead master. The slaves dug the deep hole so the master could be closer to his new home. This meaning the slaves felt that their master deserved to go hell for the things he had done. Many slaves had song relating to their master. The songs were to interpret that the white men thought slaves were stupid which song shows, but at the end of the poem, it has twist showing that the master being viewed as a jackass. In addition, there was no reward for standing up to their master even if the slave could beat the master up. Since, one slave told master that he could not be beat; resulting with the master agreeing with him, but the master said he could kill him and he did. Most blacks did not feel like kissing the masters butt since they did not want to be the masters toy. The Negro stated an analogy of the coon and the dog that the dog tells the coon, he gets more food because the master kicks him. The black is trying to say that I rather starve than be the pleasurable company of the master. This shows hoe much hatred they had towards their master. In addition, the evidence shows that he did not car about the slaves, since one time the master did not east a pig being that he thought it was poisoned. The master thinking that the food is spoiled, he still thought it was suitable for the slaves. Imagine the slaves having to kill a pig and saying it had a disease (not really) thus, the only reason they got the good meat was the master thought it was spoiled. For the most part slaves disliked their cruel punishment of their master. Negros came up with another song stating, How they skin the animal and be gives just the skin, bake the bread and be given the crumbs." The slaves are saying they felt unappreciated and not given sympathy, nor a reward for all t...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Ask yourself these questions when deciding if you should move for a job

Ask yourself these questions when deciding if you should move for a job A job offer in a new city, state, or country can be a hugely tempting opportunity. Change of scenery! New job! New people! Excitement! But before you make this huge life decision, there are some questions to ask yourself first. Is this really what I want?A job may look like the total right fit on paper- it’s in your field, it’s more pay, it’s in a city you’ve always wanted to live in. But before you say yes, think about what this job means for your goals. Will you be able to grow in the job? How does it align with your career goals? What is your next step after this job? It can seem premature to start thinking about your next job, but if this isn’t a role where you’re going to be able to grow and evolve in your career, you’re changing an awful lot in your life to take it.How stable is this job offer?This is also a chance to do a little extra digging on your potential company’s future. If it seems like it’s on shaky ground , your awesome opportunity may turn quickly into sudden unemployment. If you can, seek out feedback from others who’ve worked there before. If you start seeing patterns like high turnover or major disgruntlement from former employees, then you might want to give some second thought to whether this is the job and the company you hope and expect it will be.How will this affect my personal life?Let’s put the career move aside for a second- what about outside of work? If you’re moving alone to this new place, are you ready for the challenges of doing a new city or town all on your own? What are your resources going to be? If you’re moving as part of a couple or a family, it’s time to consider their needs as well. Will you be happy while your spouse is miserable and unable to find a job? Will your kids need to be uprooted from friends/school/activities? Work-life balance is essential in any career, so you need to think about how your home life will be c hanged by this work move.What are the costs and the logistics of moving?If you’re accepting a new job in a new city or town, your new company may cover moving expenses, like moving trucks, car rental, temporary housing, or realtor fees. But the company might not. Before you accept and commit to moving for this new gig, be sure you’re aware of what your new company will- and won’t- cover to get you there. And it’s not just the obvious moving costs as well. Will you need to buy new furniture? What are average housing and living costs in your new place?If a move is going to cost you thousands of dollars, and this isn’t reflected in your new salary, then you’re making a huge financial commitment as well.Grabbing a new job and moving to a new place can be exhilarating, and a great jump-start to your career. But before you sign that offer letter and start packing the U-Haul, it’s important to think long and hard about whether it’s tr uly the right choice for you.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Is social security a ponzi scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is social security a ponzi scheme - Essay Example Simply put, in the Social Security program funds are contributed by the working people and are used by people who have retired. The kitty, so to say, is being constantly replenished as is also being used. Thus Social Security is largely a pay-as-you-go program. To take the discussion further it is essential to know what a ponzi scheme is. (meaning of a) Literally speaking, a ponzi scheme is a fraud or a con. The element of deception prevalent in the scheme makes it illegal. In a ponzi scheme the participants or investors are told that their money is being invested in high return yielding real or financial investments. In reality, their money is not invested but is pocketed by the conman running the Ponzi scheme. The ponzi scheme promises returns that are far higher than the market rate. This high rate, which is too good to be true, in itself, should put doubts in the minds of the customer. However gullible investors do fall prey to such ponzi schemes. The earlier investors are paid off by the money contributed by fresh or new investors which keeps the scheme going (MacEwan 2009). In order to remain viable, a Ponzi scheme has to grow rapidly. In fact, the scheme would require double the number of investors/participants after every round of payouts. Let us now shift focus on Social Security. (description of the relevant properties of x) The Social Security program has a mode of financing and functioning and functioning which is pretty much similar to that of a ponzi scheme. However, the distinguishing factor is the intent. The purpose of Social Security is to give at least a subsistence income to the disabled, retirees, their dependents and underage survivors of deceased workers. (any member x of a must have the property p) Social Security consists of four separate trust funds namely the Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund, the Hospital

Friday, October 18, 2019

Software testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software testing - Essay Example It is the duty of the programmer to select a feasible technique which is available at the time of test so that the required information about the application can be obtained (Savenkov, 2008). The test does not only give objective view on the risks but also on the quality of that given product that is being developed. According to Meyer (2008), software testing can be done immediately an executable application is available. In most instances, the approach which is being used in the software development process will dictate when the testing will be done and how it will be carried out. When the phased process is being used by the developers, then tests will be run and done immediately after the definition of the system requirements. On the other hand, when the Agile approach is being used, the programming process and the testing are done concurrently. During designing and building of an application, the programmer may make mistakes in causing defects. Defects are the flaws that are found in the software. When the results obtained when the application is executed deviates from what was expected, then it is an indication that there are defects in that particular software. It implies that any kind of deviation from the specifications that are given at the beginning of the design and development process will result in defects. On the other hand, when software does not meet the needs and expectations of the end users, then it can be said that it has carrying bugs. The bugs may be caused by error in logic or coding (Rodrà ­guez, Llana & Rabanal, 2014). Thus, the testing process is done with the intention of unraveling the bugs and defects. When the tests yield a large number of errors and defects then it will be referred to as a Buggy software. Edsger Dijkstra, a key figure in the field of computer science claimed that the software testing does not show the absence of bugs and faults but

Judge Making the Decision Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Judge Making the Decision - Case Study Example If the court discovers it does not have jurisdictional rights to hear the case it will not be accepted or it will eventually be dismissed. The requirements stand thus: No divorce shall be granted unless the plaintiff has resided in this state for sixty (60) days immediately preceding the time of filing the complaint, or the marriage was solemnized in this state and the plaintiff has resided in this state from the time of the marriage until the filing of the complaint. A married person who at the time of filing a complaint for divorce resides in this state is a resident although his spouse may reside elsewhere. A divorce may be filed in the district court of the county in which either party resides. (Wyoming Statutes - Title 20 - Chapters: 20-2-104, 20-2-107 and 20-2-108). The Complaint for Divorce must declare the appropriate Wyoming grounds upon which the divorce is being sought. The appropriate lawful ground will be that which the parties agree upon and can substantiate, or that which the filing spouse desires to prove to the court. The divorce grounds are as follows: To obtain a No-Fault divorce the plaintiff must allege Irreconcilable differences in the marital relationship. To obtain a divorce based upon Fault, the plaintiff must allege that defendant is incurably insane and the insane person has been confined in a mental hospital of this state or of another state or territory for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the commencement of the action for divorce. (Wyoming Statutes - Title 20 - Chapters: 20-2-104, 20-2-105) Here, plaintiff merely alleges a homosexual affair. Assuming arguendo that the allegations are true, they amount to nothing more than a charge of adultery which is not grounds for divorce in this state. Furthermore, plaintiff has not alleged in her complaint the requisite jurisdictional predicates for this court to take jurisdiction of this matter. She merely alleges that the parties own land in this state. The record reflects no reason for this court to presume that the plaintiff resides in this state or that she has for the past sixty days. Accordingly, and based upon the foregoing the complaint is dismissed without prejudice.

Reasons why scientist believe the global climate is in the state of Essay

Reasons why scientist believe the global climate is in the state of crisis - Essay Example Earth’s energy budget constitutes the shortwave radiation net flow into the earth from the sun and the long wave radiation out to space. The weather and climate experienced on Earth are determined by the amount and distribution of incoming radiation from the sun. For an equilibrium climate, outgoing long wave radiation (OLR) necessarily balances the incoming absorbed solar radiation (ASR). However, there is a great deal of fascinating atmosphere, ocean, and land phenomena that couple the two. Greenhouse gas warming is caused by a shift in this balance where OLR is reflected back to the surface by the atmosphere. This reflection is due to the presence of heat-trapping gases (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere. These gases include: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Naturally this reflection helps maintain the life sustaining surface temperature of the earth. Human activities have however increased the concentration of these gases; specifically carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has been building up since the advent of the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and the cutting down of forests. Human activities have also increased the emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide, and halocarbons. Halocarbon emissions come from the release of certain manufactured chemicals to the atmosphere. Examples include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were used extensively in refrigeration and for other industrial processes before their presence in the atmosphere were found to cause stratospheric ozone depletion. Methane concentration has increased mainly as a result of agriculture; raising livestock (which produce methane in their digestive tracts); mining, transportation, and use of certain fossil fuels; sewage; and decomposing garbage in landfills. About 70%

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Businesses are built on relationships. What do you think this Essay

Businesses are built on relationships. What do you think this statement means What are the implications for managing th - Essay Example Moreover both the parties should let each other know what is their importance. The relationships in business may be of many types like buyer–seller, investors, distributors, middlemen, channel partners etc. Without any relationship in the business world it will become extremely difficult to expand and continue the business. It also depends upon the type of business you are in and upon the responsibilities you have. For instance, if your business is sales, marketing or any of such kind then building strong business relationships is a must. The external environment has a very strong impact on the businesses which may be directly interactive or indirectly interactive. Directly interactive, forces include owners, customers, employees, suppliers, competitors etc. The owners expect that the managers will work in the best interest of the firm and the customers expect that their demand is satisfied by the products they use. The suppliers require timely payments from the organization. The second is the indirectly interactive force which includes political, legal, technological, socio-cultural, changes. For instance, if a company deals in technology it will greatly be affected by the new softwares which are coming up then to a company which does not.

Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership - Case Study Example This theory encourages leaders to make sure that there are no roadblocks that might hinder their subordinates from realizing both their goals and those of the organization. It also dictates that leaders should incorporate rewards as their employees continue to reach the organizations goal. Finally, leaders should clarify what path subordinates are expected to pursue in order for them to know what is required of them. Approach of this theory hugely depends on the situation the leadership faces. For example, giving rewards greatly depends on whether the organization is in a financial situation to give such gifts and prizes. As a result, this theory categorizes leadership into four styles which are, Achievement oriented, Directive, supportive and participative leadership. Supportive leadership involves the leader concentrating on his followers’ or subordinate’s needs by being concerned on their welfare. This creates a working environment which is friendly by making their s ubordinates to feel that their work is interesting. This should be often applied in situations where work is extremely dangerous, boring or stressful. Directive leadership entails leaders instructing their subordinates on what is expected of them giving them guidance often. The leader should schedule work for their subordinates allocating time for each activity. ... As a principle the path goal theory can be very instrumental in ensuring the academic success of the students. I will hold weekly staff meetings to encourage teachers to formulate goals on which they will ensure that by the time the weekends, a specific section of the curriculum will have been met. I will also encourage teachers to ensure that they should consider teaching a service the community and not just a means of earning a live. By teaching their students well they will ensure that the students have a great future as a result of the education they get from their teachers. I expect this application of the theory to work because it stipulates other employee motivation concepts that do not involve the use of money. This will help a lot because the school is in no financial position to motivate teachers using methods that require extra money. Question two In order to ensure that the school is succeeding academically as a principle, I must ensure that the teachers are motivated in other ways since the school cannot afford to motivate teachers using the normal motivation techniques such bonuses, gifts and prizes. To do so I should incorporate the goal setting theory of motivation. This is a theory stipulates that setting of goals is majorly associated with task performance. In the theory, goals which are challenging and specific greatly result in task performance that is higher and better. When combined with feedback from subordinates, it ensures that organizations meet their goals. The theory simply implies that goals usually direct and indicate to an employee the direction which an organization wants to allow in order to ensure that the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Businesses are built on relationships. What do you think this Essay

Businesses are built on relationships. What do you think this statement means What are the implications for managing th - Essay Example Moreover both the parties should let each other know what is their importance. The relationships in business may be of many types like buyer–seller, investors, distributors, middlemen, channel partners etc. Without any relationship in the business world it will become extremely difficult to expand and continue the business. It also depends upon the type of business you are in and upon the responsibilities you have. For instance, if your business is sales, marketing or any of such kind then building strong business relationships is a must. The external environment has a very strong impact on the businesses which may be directly interactive or indirectly interactive. Directly interactive, forces include owners, customers, employees, suppliers, competitors etc. The owners expect that the managers will work in the best interest of the firm and the customers expect that their demand is satisfied by the products they use. The suppliers require timely payments from the organization. The second is the indirectly interactive force which includes political, legal, technological, socio-cultural, changes. For instance, if a company deals in technology it will greatly be affected by the new softwares which are coming up then to a company which does not.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Technology proficiencies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Technology proficiencies - Research Paper Example Additionally, an analysis and comparison of how the plans use technological tools and their application in various learning environments was conducted. Discussing the need to coordinate technology service departments and curriculum departments for the integration of technology and curriculum and how that may be accomplished and the challenges that might be faced The recent past has seen an increase in the use and enhancement of technology especially in the education sector. Shute, & Becker (2010) states that in this era with much emphasis and focus on inclusion and collaboration, educators and stakeholders on all levels need information as regarding the myriad ways in which technology could be used to enhance the performance of students while also facilitating the participation of all students including those with disabilities to fully participate in instructional activities while also improving scholastic achievement. It is without any doubt that technology has the ability of supporting much of the effort meted towards not only curriculum access, but also participation and progress. Consequently, technology not only increases independence, but also empowerment and personal productivity. It is to this regard that it must be understood that does technology not only facilitate the various kinds of interactions occasioning instructions, but al so has the ability of transforming static curriculum resources into both flexible digital media and tools (Heinecke, & Adamy, 2010). In educating students, a key document is the IEP document more so in the case of students with disabilities. Not only does the document detail the current level of performance of students, but also sets out the annual goals while delineating the services, support and ancillary aids that could prove effective in accomplishing the goals. It is worth appreciating the fact that the increase in the number of children being served in

Monday, October 14, 2019

A History of Total quality management

A History of Total quality management Total quality management is the integration of all functions and processes within an organization in order to achieve continuous improvement of the quality of products and service. Deming defined quality as a never ending cycle of continuous improvement(Allotey, 2003, p.7), Juran defined it as fitness for use (purpose) (Estafanous, Barash, Reves, 2001, p.951). Bearing in mind that TQM is a long term improvement process which requires significant resources. It is also important to realize that TQM is a dynamic process not a static process that is based upon continuous efforts to improve quality. Since there are no deadlines or targets to be met then TQM can never be considered complete which makes it to become a way of life. (Mehra Ranganathan, 2008) During the early years of manufacturing, inspection was used as a tool to decide if a workers job or a product met its requirements. In fact, at that time inspection was not done in a systematic way, yet it worked well when the volume of production was low. However, as organizations became larger and more complicated the need for more effective operations became obvious. (Montogomery, 2001, p.9) In the early 1900s, The Father of Scientific Management Frederick W. Taylor helped to satisfy this need. He proposed a framework for the effective use of people in industrial organizations through his book The Principles of Scientific Management which was republished yet again in 2008. One of his concepts was clearly defined tasks performed under standard conditions. Inspection was one of these tasks and was intended to ensure that no faulty product left the workshop or the factory, it also focuses on the product and detection of problem in the product, and testing every item to ensure that the product match as the requirements or specifications. This process is carried out at the end of the production process and requires specially trained inspectors. The need to performing this process was the reason that led to the emergence of a separate inspection department which resulted in the emergence of defect prevention concept which led to quality control. (Webb Gorman, 2006, P.32) (M ontogomery, 2001) The roots of Total Quality Management can be traced back to the 1920s when Dr W. Shewhart developed the application of statistical methods for the management of quality. He demonstrated that variation in the production process leads to the variation in the product, thus by eliminating the variation of the process a good standard of end product can be achieved. The theory of Statistical Quality Control focuses on the product and detection and control of quality problems that involves testing samples and statistically inferring compliance of all products. This process is carried out throughout the production process and requires trained production people as well as quality control professionals. Towards the end of 1920s the theory was further developed by Dodge, and Romig who developed statistically based acceptance sampling as an alternative to 100% inspection (Webb Gorman, 2006, P.32) (Montogomery, 2001). In 1940s, the quality guru Deming with his peer co-workers Juran and Feigenbaum continued with the improvement of the theory. However, instead of focusing just on quality of products the concept rapidly widened to evolve quality of all issues within an organization i.e. Total Quality Management. (Webb Gorman, 2006, P.32) During the 1950s, many Japanese products were low quality and viewed by the world as junk products. Industrial leaders in Japan recognized this problem and decided to produce high quality products. In fact, Japanese might have not been able to achieve the aim of high quality products unless they had had the help of quality gurus such as Deming, Juran, and Feigenbaum (Soin, 1999, p.1). Deming suggested that this aim could be achieved within just five years. As a matter of fact not many Japanese believed what Deming claimed. However, they followed his suggestion in order not to lose face and because they respected him (Deming, 1995, p.139). In the late 1950s, quality control management developed rapidly and became the main theme of Japanese management. Interestingly, the idea did not stop at the management level. In the early 60s the concept of the quality control circle was first introduced in Japan by K. Ishikawa (Montogomery, 2001, p.10). A quality circle is a group of workers who meet and discuss issues to improve all aspects of workplace and make presentations to management with their ideas for improvement. In this way workers were motivated because they felt that they were involved and listened to (Cole, 1979, p.135). Another advantage was the idea of improving not only the quality of product but also all aspects of organizational issues, which probably was the start of Total Quality. The term Total Quality was first used by Feigenbaum at the first international quality control conference in Tokyo in 1969. (Stephens Juran, 2004, p.77) During the 80s and 90s a new phase of management and quality control began, which became known as Total Quality Management (TQM). Zairi et al (1994) defined TQM as a license to practise. Although there are many other different definitions for TQM yet the concept is still the same. Nowadays, TQM may be called Business Excellence and has a more clearly defined approach (Montogomery, 2001, p.10). Quality movement in Saudi Arabia: Total Quality Management has caught the attention of organizations worldwide ever since its tremendous success in Japan. The term TQM (Total Quality Management) is a management technique in which customer satisfaction is given the prime importance, and the deliverables are made highly acceptable not just through Quality Control techniques but by focussing on the process, encouraging employees to pursue quality and reducing the cost of production. And just like other countries who wish to be world class, organizations in Saudi Arabia are also trying hard to keep up to pace by implementing TQM widely throughout the country. (Al-Sulimani, 1995) In 1973 Saudi Arabia established the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO), an independent organization concerned with implementation of standards, on the local and international levels. It is also responsible for overseeing quality aspects of locally produced products. SASO developed over time and became the most important Saudi organization concerned with formulating and approving national standards for all commodities and products as well as standards for other quality aspects such as metrology, calibration, marking and identification, methods of sampling, inspection and testing. In addition to this it is also responsible for setting the rules for granting certificates of conformity and quality marks and regulation of their issuance and use. During the early 90s the growth of the quality movement in Saudi enlarged and the first non-profit organization (NPO) in the form of Saudi Arabian Quality Council in the Eastern Province was established and was sponsored by Saudi Aramco. In 1994, with the increasing awareness of the importance of Total Quality Management as a powerful tool for improving the work culture Saudi Quality Council (SQC) established its branch in the Western Region of the country with only 4 members however this organization was later transformed into an independent organization that is operating under the sponsorship of Engineering Committee. In the year 2000, this society was renamed to become known as SQC (WR). The mission of this non-profit, nongovernmental society which has operated in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia over 15 years so far is to advance individual and organizational performance excellence through providing opportunities for learning, quality improvement, and knowledge sharing. SQC (WR) started its actions by executing a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the status of quality in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results of the analysis were then utilized to set up long term goals such as making quality a part of Saudi corporate Culture as well as setting short term goals for SQC (WR). King Abdulaziz Quality Award (KAQA): Since its establishment SQC (WR) has managed to organize 150 meetings with a quality theme and has had the participation of over than 7000 quality experts and more than 1700 members from different walks of life in its activities with Healthcare, Education, Construction and Engineering and Business Excellence Interest Groups. SQC (WR) also contributed in establishing and formulating the King Abdulaziz Quality Award (KAQA), a prestigious National Quality Award in Saudi Arabia that intends to maximize quality, efficiency and productivity in different sectors within the kingdom (Al-Amri, 2010). The award was approved in the year 2000 and has the objectives of: Increasing awareness of quality and the importance of its application. Motivating and gently pushing public as well as private sectors to adopt and apply the principles of (TQM). Increasing the quality in the production and services sectors to enhance their competitiveness in the global markets Improving organizational leadership to achieve the total quality management objectives and fulfil their responsibilities Ensuring Continuous improvement in the performance of all production and services processes Encouraging organizations commitments to national and international standards Awarding organizations which achieve the highest level of quality Increasing organizations participation in building and serving the society Building strong relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, and investors to satisfy them and gain their loyalty by applying the best methodology that help determine and deliver their requirements needs and expectations. Establishing a database for the King Abdul Aziz Quality Award Adopting quality strategic planning in order to set business plans and objectives and methods for implementation Training and developing the national workforce and creating a better work environment and improving the efficiency and technical skills of employees to enhance quality Making use of all available national resources to support operational and economic performance on the organizational level and on the national level Measuring performance level in different business areas and comparing it with the performance level of competitors and measuring results improvement Communicating the leading Saudi experiences in regards to quality and to make use of these experiences, and increasing the number of quality experts. (KAQA, no date supplied) According to Al-Amri (2010) the year 2008-2009 will always be remembered as a Year of Quality in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the great achievements that were achieved by the quality movement starting with the introduction and administration of (KAQA). However, without sustainability TQM initiatives usually fail because the main idea behind TQM is continuity over time and integration of quality management initiatives into daily organizational operations (Curry Kadasah, 2002).In support of this further Al-Turki Andijani, (1997) insist on the need for more programmes to be adopted in order to increase awareness of the importance of continuous improvement in Saudi organizations. Work Culture There has been an increasing awareness in Saudi on the importance of Total Quality management as a powerful tool for improving the work culture (Najeh Kara-Zairi, 2007) (Al-Turki Andijani, 1997). Lack of understanding about the concept of TQM by employees, limitation of information available on TQM, lack of support from senior management, focus on quick profit, and lack of documented policies and procedures appear to the author to be factors that hinder the implementation of TQM in Saudi organizations. In support of this (Ahmed Tannock, 2008) have highlighted the limited progress which has been made in quality management development in Arabic-speaking countries. People from different countries often do things differently according to their culture. Furthermore, the culture of the same country differs from one region to another and that individuals of the same culture have different beliefs and behaviours. One way to express these variations in behaviour is the idea of culture (Treven, Mulej, Lynn, 2008), referring to this Al-Sulimani (1995) mentions the difficulties and challenges of implementing the concept of Total quality management in Saudi because of the multinational workforce which is estimated to represent 60 per cent of the total labour force of Saudi Arabia (Woodworth Said, 1996). On the other hand he also argues that a workforce with experienced foreigners should improve the knowledge of the Saudi workforce. Hofstedes five Cultural Dimensions: According to Hofstede (2009) Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster. (To be completed) Power distance index (PDI): This dimension represents the extent to which the less powerful member of organizations accepts and expects unequal distribution of power and wealth. The Geert Hofstede analysis of this dimension for the Arab word including Saudi Arabia suggests a large power distance in that region, a score of 80 was recorded for this dimension see figure (1). This is according to Hofstede due to the fact that Arab societies follow a caste system that disables any significant upward mobility of its citizens. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI): This dimension indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured situations. The Hofstede analysis of this dimension for the Arab word including Saudi Arabia suggests that Arab societies are highly rule-oriented with laws, rules, regulations, and controls to increase the amount of certainty. Individualism (IDV): This dimension represents the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. The Hofstede analysis of this dimension for the Arab word including Saudi Arabia suggests that the Arab society tends to be collectivist society. The score recorded for this dimension is 38, which is considerably less than the world average ranking of 64. Masculinity (MAS): This dimension represents the distribution of roles between the genders. The Hofstede analysis of this dimension for the Arab word including Saudi Arabia suggests that women in the Arab countries are limited in their rights due to Muslim religion not due to cultural paradigm see figure (1). Long-Term Orientation (LTO): This dimension is said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth. This dimension has not been applied to the Arab word. Hofstede does not report any results for Arab countries in relation to long and verses short term orientation.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Essay --

4.0 Market analysis 4.1 Market segmentation and target market selection Our company segment market in demographic features, geographical distribution and behavioural descriptors. By doing so, our company will have a better understanding of our target preference in the industry. This is an important step in order to succeed. First, we segment demographic characteristics in age and income. Our company segments consumers who are teenagers and working adults with middle or high income. This is because teenagers are newly trend people who keep in touch with technology very often. Besides, they are catching up with technology which is in high-tech, innovative and special. Therefore, VeeEye Sdn Bhd will have the opportunity to get into the market. On the other hand, we segment working adults with middle and high income as they have financial ability to purchase our product. Adult workers who are highly educated will get well paid job with middle or high income. Therefore, they are more willing to spend for our product compare to lower income workers as they might not afford to purchase our product. Next, we also segment our consumer in geographical distribution. Geographical area such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island in Malaysia will be our target market. This is because both of the states have many industries with big company. Therefore, workers there will be getting higher paid compare to other state worker. With higher salary, they have more ability to purchase our product compare to others. Besides, they will be busy and under stress during their working hours. So, they might travel more frequently during weekend or holiday. Therefore they might need a good camera all the time with them. So, we choose Kuala Lumpur and Penang instea... ...ke us easily approach to our target market’s spending behaviour and lifestyle. We have our own office for sell and repairing service. We believe that to get higher reputation from customers; we got to provide a good quality product which customers willing to pay for it and provide a good service such as customer able get free repairing service within 2 years warranted, give the full information and detail to customers and customers could get some discounts base on their order. In order to attract more customers, we have an idea launch our product on the online purchasing website such as Taobao, eBay, Zalora. Even customers from other country have a chance to make an order, we do delivery to them within the period, if more than that period, and the customer only paid us half prices of their order. This is one type of service provided by our company. Essay -- 4.0 Market analysis 4.1 Market segmentation and target market selection Our company segment market in demographic features, geographical distribution and behavioural descriptors. By doing so, our company will have a better understanding of our target preference in the industry. This is an important step in order to succeed. First, we segment demographic characteristics in age and income. Our company segments consumers who are teenagers and working adults with middle or high income. This is because teenagers are newly trend people who keep in touch with technology very often. Besides, they are catching up with technology which is in high-tech, innovative and special. Therefore, VeeEye Sdn Bhd will have the opportunity to get into the market. On the other hand, we segment working adults with middle and high income as they have financial ability to purchase our product. Adult workers who are highly educated will get well paid job with middle or high income. Therefore, they are more willing to spend for our product compare to lower income workers as they might not afford to purchase our product. Next, we also segment our consumer in geographical distribution. Geographical area such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island in Malaysia will be our target market. This is because both of the states have many industries with big company. Therefore, workers there will be getting higher paid compare to other state worker. With higher salary, they have more ability to purchase our product compare to others. Besides, they will be busy and under stress during their working hours. So, they might travel more frequently during weekend or holiday. Therefore they might need a good camera all the time with them. So, we choose Kuala Lumpur and Penang instea... ...ke us easily approach to our target market’s spending behaviour and lifestyle. We have our own office for sell and repairing service. We believe that to get higher reputation from customers; we got to provide a good quality product which customers willing to pay for it and provide a good service such as customer able get free repairing service within 2 years warranted, give the full information and detail to customers and customers could get some discounts base on their order. In order to attract more customers, we have an idea launch our product on the online purchasing website such as Taobao, eBay, Zalora. Even customers from other country have a chance to make an order, we do delivery to them within the period, if more than that period, and the customer only paid us half prices of their order. This is one type of service provided by our company.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

China pver population :: essays research papers

â€Å"Over-Population Doesn't Justify Disregard for Human Life†- anonymous. The question proposed is, does the Chinese population control policy violate human rights? This is very controversial issue. There are many different views on this subject. By some it’s seen as a successful tool for making certain that China will be able to continue to support its large population. Others believe the policy is inhumane and causes abuses and female infanticide. Is China going about this problem the right way? The slogan of the initial population control program is â€Å"Later, Longer, Fewer.† The one child policy is not officially a law. It’s more of a â€Å"way of life†. China can’t punish couples for having more then one child because it’s not a law. So they provide motivation, such as extra salary or larger houses for couples that pledge to have just one child. If you did become pregnant and you agreed to give up your child the government would pay for abortions. A woman who had an abortion was rewarded with a paid vacation. China’s policy pushes later marriages, postponing children, fewer and healthier births, and they encourage couples to only have one child. Figures show that the policy has reduced China's population by 250 million, isn’t this good? If you only have one child, you can provide more to that child. The child can have a better life. Lu Zhufeng, a 20 year-old medical student said, â€Å"If I have one child it will be raised better. It will have more opportunities, and my career is the most important thing. I really want to excel at it.† Mothers used to stay home and take care of the children but with one child it isn’t much work. With fewer children it will free up the mothers time so instead of caring for more then one child the mother has more time to go into the work force. On the other point of view, some people might argue that the â€Å"one child policy† is a violation of human rights. Most Chinese families prefer male children to female children. The reason for this is the men are stronger and will be able to take care of them in their old age. However, if they have a female, she will have to get married and the parents will have to provide a dowry. As a result to this boy demand and since you can only have one child, if the female has a girl they might kill the infant, Hundreds are being drowned, smothered, and abandoned.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Why Harry Potter Should Be Taught in School

Grace Farrow Scott English 1301. 18 October 31, 2012 Why Harry Potter should be read in college classes. â€Å"Happiness can be found in the most darkest of places, if only one remembers to turn on the light. † – Albus Dumbledore. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). The most dynamic series of books and movies of all time is Harry Potter. I, like many other students, am taking both high school and college classes at the same time. In doing so I have a lot of homework.The one book I have found that I and many others read in the very little spare time we have, is Harry Potter. Many people say that Harry Potter is â€Å"bad† because it has witchcraft throughout the story line. Many say that it is a series written for younger adults. Many people say that the settings, characters, and plot lines in Harry Potter are unrealistic and childish. Many books such as The Hobbit, several works of Shakespeare, and the classics such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Gulliver' s Travels are unrealistic but are required reading in many college classes.Harry Potter covers much of the same ground as the classical stories, and the students would be more interested in reading the story instead of just the Sparknotes. Harry Potter is one of the most read and talked about series of all time. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows alone had 8. 3 million copies sold the first day of its release, not including the pre-orders. Mine was pre-ordered so it was not counted in that figure. Four hundred and fifty million dollars, is the amount of money the books have made just from their respective release dates put together.Harry Potter is a major world wide phenomenon. From 2001 to the present day researchers have found that â€Å"Children who had previously read short chapter books were suddenly plowing through more than 700 pages in a matter of days. †, (moviefone. com). Harry Potter has been beneficial to my generation as we have grown up. Now many colleges are incorporating the Harry Potter books into their lessons. This is helping many students understand more of what they learn in class because the topics are interesting.Also â€Å"Colleges and University professors from all over have begun teaching the literature of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series in the classroom. And for those who grew up reading the seven book series, professors are finding that students are able to better understand and appreciate the classic literature of Charles Dickens,† (Mugglenet. com) according to a Washington and Lee University English professor. A generation that enjoys reading long books, talking about books with other students, and better appreciating classical English Literature with the likes of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.While it is interesting that college students themselves are still reading the books, what is most surprising is how readily universities are embracing the books and incorporating them into courses. I know that i f my college professors decided to incorporate Harry Potter into the literature that my class reads, I would be more apt to read and interact with discussions in class because it is fun and interesting. Right now English classes read books like Beowulf, Hamlet, and Macbeth, these books are classics and should be read but not only these books should be read in the classroom.Books such as Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games are books that interest young adults, and should at least be incorporated so the students will want to participate. Many students in both high school and college say that Harry Potter brings them a nice break from all of the books they have to read for school. The students still like the fantasy elements in Harry Potter. High school and college students can understand the challenges that Harry had to go through during his school years.Even though the books have very unrealistic angles, like magic and wizardry, young adults can still understand what he is g oing through. The loss of his parents, the hidden love between Ron and Hermione, and the teachers that Harry does not like, and then the ones that do not like Harry. The unrealistic magical way that Harry gets through his problems offer an escape for those people reading the book, who are going through the same problems as Harry. Harry Potter has no age limit- my parents read them, my sister read them, and my niece is reading them.If you have not already read them, do so. Harry Potter offers romance, action, and magic, it is the book for all audiences. The next time you find yourself in a book store just pick the first one up. They are amazing. And who knows you might find it in your literature classes next semester. Rowling J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print. â€Å"Harry Potter Numbers Trivia. † Moviefone. com. 13 July 2007. Web. â€Å"Harry Potter in Literature. † Mugglenet. com. 02 February 2012. Web. Why Harry Potter Should Be Taught in School Grace Farrow Scott English 1301. 18 October 31, 2012 Why Harry Potter should be read in college classes. â€Å"Happiness can be found in the most darkest of places, if only one remembers to turn on the light. † – Albus Dumbledore. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). The most dynamic series of books and movies of all time is Harry Potter. I, like many other students, am taking both high school and college classes at the same time. In doing so I have a lot of homework.The one book I have found that I and many others read in the very little spare time we have, is Harry Potter. Many people say that Harry Potter is â€Å"bad† because it has witchcraft throughout the story line. Many say that it is a series written for younger adults. Many people say that the settings, characters, and plot lines in Harry Potter are unrealistic and childish. Many books such as The Hobbit, several works of Shakespeare, and the classics such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Gulliver' s Travels are unrealistic but are required reading in many college classes.Harry Potter covers much of the same ground as the classical stories, and the students would be more interested in reading the story instead of just the Sparknotes. Harry Potter is one of the most read and talked about series of all time. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows alone had 8. 3 million copies sold the first day of its release, not including the pre-orders. Mine was pre-ordered so it was not counted in that figure. Four hundred and fifty million dollars, is the amount of money the books have made just from their respective release dates put together.Harry Potter is a major world wide phenomenon. From 2001 to the present day researchers have found that â€Å"Children who had previously read short chapter books were suddenly plowing through more than 700 pages in a matter of days. †, (moviefone. com). Harry Potter has been beneficial to my generation as we have grown up. Now many colleges are incorporating the Harry Potter books into their lessons. This is helping many students understand more of what they learn in class because the topics are interesting.Also â€Å"Colleges and University professors from all over have begun teaching the literature of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series in the classroom. And for those who grew up reading the seven book series, professors are finding that students are able to better understand and appreciate the classic literature of Charles Dickens,† (Mugglenet. com) according to a Washington and Lee University English professor. A generation that enjoys reading long books, talking about books with other students, and better appreciating classical English Literature with the likes of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.While it is interesting that college students themselves are still reading the books, what is most surprising is how readily universities are embracing the books and incorporating them into courses. I know that i f my college professors decided to incorporate Harry Potter into the literature that my class reads, I would be more apt to read and interact with discussions in class because it is fun and interesting. Right now English classes read books like Beowulf, Hamlet, and Macbeth, these books are classics and should be read but not only these books should be read in the classroom.Books such as Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games are books that interest young adults, and should at least be incorporated so the students will want to participate. Many students in both high school and college say that Harry Potter brings them a nice break from all of the books they have to read for school. The students still like the fantasy elements in Harry Potter. High school and college students can understand the challenges that Harry had to go through during his school years.Even though the books have very unrealistic angles, like magic and wizardry, young adults can still understand what he is g oing through. The loss of his parents, the hidden love between Ron and Hermione, and the teachers that Harry does not like, and then the ones that do not like Harry. The unrealistic magical way that Harry gets through his problems offer an escape for those people reading the book, who are going through the same problems as Harry. Harry Potter has no age limit- my parents read them, my sister read them, and my niece is reading them.If you have not already read them, do so. Harry Potter offers romance, action, and magic, it is the book for all audiences. The next time you find yourself in a book store just pick the first one up. They are amazing. And who knows you might find it in your literature classes next semester. Rowling J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print. â€Å"Harry Potter Numbers Trivia. † Moviefone. com. 13 July 2007. Web. â€Å"Harry Potter in Literature. † Mugglenet. com. 02 February 2012. Web.