Modern Management – GE MFP Matrix vs. BCG Matrix

Business Portfolio Analysis is a type of a planning system adopted by the organization (organizational strategy), which is similar to the manner in which investment portfolios are managed.   According to the business portfolio analysis, an organization would have to perform only sound activities and discard the unsound ones.   Business portfolio instruments are of two types, namely, the Boston-Consulting Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix and General Electric (GE) Multifactor Portfolio Matrix. Boston-Consulting Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix was developed by a popular production unit known as the BCG group and was aimed at helping the managers follow the market by developing an organizational strategy.   The strategy also helps to develop the market where the business survives.   The GE Multifactor Portfolio Matrix was developed by McKinsley et al who were basically consultants to the GE Company.   This strategy is mainly based on the attractiveness present in the market and the strengths of the organization.   This strategy is more advantageous than the BCG strategy as it tries to compensate for the limitations. In the BCG strategy, the organization is broken into portions such that each portions can develop an organizational strategy which could generate revenue (known as ‘strategic business units’ or ‘SBU’s’).   These SBU’s could be a division of a company or a production unit of a particular product or service.   The SBU’s have their own competitors, a manager in charge of the unit, and the management of the unit has to be planned with a strategy. Each of the unit is then placed on one of the four boxes (namely stars, question marks, dogs or cash cows) according to their characteristics.   Stars have a high-growth rate but require huge amounts of investments.   Cash cows occupy a huge market share and grow much more slowly.   Question marks are those units which have a high-growth rate but doubts whether the management would invest in them, exist.   Dogs are those units which have a small market share and grow at a much slower rate. On the other hand, the GE analysis rates the SBU’s according to the market attractiveness and the strengths of the business.   The firm has to determine each of these criteria based on the situation that exists.   Based on these criteria, circles appear on a graph in which business strengths are plotted against the market attractiveness.   The size of the circle varies according to investment in the market. THE BCG strategy does not consider the risks involved in developing the products, factors such as inflation and the predictable economic situations, and the pressure that exist from the ecosystem, politics and society.   The GE strategy helps to cover some of these pitfalls.   Several factors such as presence of competitors, growth rate of the industry, weaknesses of the competitors, etc, are considered in the GE strategy. References: Cresto, S. C. and Cresto, S. T. (2006). Chapter 3: Planning, Modern Management, (10th ed), New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, pp. 188-191.

Eudora Welty Research Paper

She was the oldest of three children and the only girl of a very close-knit family. Her father, Christian Webb Welt, was an Ohio native who worked for an Insurance company. Her mother, Mary Chastens Welt, had been a schoolteacher In West Flagella. Welt's mother, being a schoolteacher, loved to read and Influenced Welt to read at a young age. In her biography, Welt tells about her earliest memories of her parents reading to her and to each other at night.She was always surrounded by books and was always reading. Her love of reading led her to graduate high school and further her education, which most girls during this time did not do. Welt had potential that did not go to waste. Eduardo Welt became a well-known, skilled writer who used her own background and experiences to help shape her stories into something captivating, stressing the importance of place in each and every story (Kerosene). She began her studies at the Mississippi State College for Women. Here, she helped start a lit erary magazine.Two years later, she began studying at the university of Wisconsin and earned her bachelor's degree there. After Informing her arenas that she wanted to become a writer, her father suggested she have something else to fall back on. Upon his advice, she decided to study advertising at the Columbia university School of Business. The job industry was tough when she graduated, so Welt decided to move back to Jackson (Machismo). After moving back home to Jackson, she began working for a local radio station and wrote about the society of Jackson for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis.Five years after taking this job, she began working for the Works Progress Administration, which was a government program established during the Depression, as a publicity gent. Welt thoroughly enjoyed this Job, which enabled her to travel all over Mississippi and see things she had never seen before. The people she saw amazed her and worried her at the same time. She used a cheap camera to captu re pictures of everything she saw and documented It for the WAP. She wished for these pictures to be published, but they only went so far as to be exalted In New York.She also interviewed various people, each one intriguing her more and more (Prose). Through her experiences working with the Works Progress Administration, she got a huge feel of Southern life outside of Jackson. This was the starting point for her future in writing her stories. Location was of great importance in Welt's stories. She believed that place was what made stories seem real and complete. One of Welt's famous quotes is, â€Å"A place that ever was lived in is like a fire that never goes out. Jackson was her home all of her life, and it was what she knew best. She Incorporated this familiarity and Intimacy so flawlessly into her work and It is this that draws the reader in. It is so apparent that heart Is put Into her writings. Although most of her stories are set In the deep south, most critics Greer that he r work Is all-inclusive and not narrowed Just to southern living, language, and customs (Moloch). She Is able to detach from what she knows best and observe other aspects of the world.Neither of her parents were originally from Living in New York for a few years also broadened her horizons. She said it best when she said, â€Å"Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it. † With all of her experiences tied together piece by piece, story by story, Eduardo Welt became a well-known, award winning writer (Discussions). Eduardo Welt explained in her autobiographical work, One Writer's Beginnings, how her fiction stories grew from this â€Å"sheltered life† that she lived.This book was published later, in 1984, and consisted of three different lectures that she gave at Harvard University, with the sections being titled: â€Å"Listening†, â€Å"Learning to See†, and â€Å"Finding a Voice†. She used this book to give an explanation of what makes a writer become a writer and to show her natural roots. She explains how she converted this part of her life into a new and different perception, and from this, she wrote her fiction. Using a series of expressive memories, she described in detail her life as she was growing up.She used memories that she felt were â€Å"significant†, which kept the reader wanting to read more, instead of growing bored. She says it best herself in only a few sentences: â€Å"Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it's an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are Just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole. (Welt) Welt's first published short story of her career was written in 1936 called â€Å"De ath of a Traveling Salesman†.She sent this story, along with a letter, to the editors of a magazine called Manuscript. The magazine published her story and her letter in their June issue. The story was very well written for it to be her first, and showed that she knew what she was doing. Two admired publications, the Atlantic and the Southern Review, allowed Welt's work to appear their magazines within Just two years Cones). Her talent in her first story was recognized by the author Katherine Anne Porter. Porter went on to write a complimentary preface for Welt's first book, A Curtain of Green, full of Welt's short stories.This introduction boosted the American awareness of Welt's work. Welt's first novel, Delta Wedding, was published in 1946 (Discussions). A few decades after Welt's career launched, around 1956, she began having troubles at home. Her brother's arthritis became more severe, disabling him and also causing heart problems. Just as this problem occurred, Welt's mo ther had a series of strokes. The strokes took a huge toll on Welt's mother, and it left her all but blind. More problems followed these already troubled times. Her other brother fell into a depression, and it wasn't his first.He was also afflicted with the same arthritis that had taken over their brother (Mars). For almost ten years, Welt fought through many battles, seeing family members and friends close to her suffer through illnesses, some less fortunate in their struggle than others. Theses hardships limited her writing, but in the long run, they only made her and her work stronger. She was finally able to finish her novel, Losing Battles, in 1970 (Vandalized). This was the one piece of work that took Welt the longest to make. In reviewing the book for the

How does Charles Dickens create an atmosphere of crime and death in ‘Great Expectations’?

In this essay, I will talk about how Charles Dickens creates an atmosphere of crime and death in ‘Great Expectations'. Charles Dickens was an English novelist of the Victorian era and was considered to be one of English language's greatest writers; he was acclaimed for his rich storytelling and memorable characters and achieved massive worldwide popularity in his lifetime. ‘Great Expectations' is a novel written and serially published from 1860 to 1861 in a magazine called ‘All Year Round'. Shortly after that, it was published as a complete novel. It was set during the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The Industrial Revolution brought in a major change in the economy and society resulting from the use of machines and the efficient production of goods. Charles Dickens begins the story in a graveyard. Immediately, we are introduced to the theme of death. The weather matches with the creepy setting. It links to death by using words like â€Å"raw afternoon†; the word â€Å"raw† suggests that it is painful. â€Å"Dark† suggests evil and death; and â€Å"flat† suggests something bleak. These words all enhance the gloomy setting. The main character Pip tells us about his parents and brothers who are buried in the graveyard. He lists the names of his brothers in a matter of fact way and this shocks us. â€Å"†¦and that Alexander, Barthlomew, Abraham, Tobias and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried†¦.† In the 1830s when the novel is set, half the babies died in infancy due to poor medical care and killer diseases which thrived in the appalling conditions within the society. Pip lists the names of his five dead brothers. This makes us think that the list is never-ending and highlights the presence of death. We are introduced to the theme of crime when an escaped convict by the name of Magwitch, jumps out from behind a gravestone at Pip. â€Å"Hold your noise!† At this point, he makes the reader feel frightened, as he starts to threaten Pip. Pip also sees a gibbet. â€Å"†¦a gibbet, with some chains hanging to it which once held a pirate.† A gibbet was where executed criminals were placed as a warning to others. It stands out on the horizon and looks particularly eerie in the gloomy night sky. Dickens personifies the sky to make it â€Å"angry†; the use of personification here alarms the reader because the sky feels extremely threatening. The sea is described as a â€Å"lair†; the use of the word â€Å"lair† suggests that the sea is a wild animal in a den. The wind comes rushing from the lair to get Pip. Pip becomes â€Å"a bundle of shivers†. The word â€Å"shivers† suggests fear and extreme cold, both of which and to an atmosphere of crime and death. In Chapter Three, Dickens describes the weather as a â€Å"rimy morning† and has Pip imagine a goblin that had been crying all night. This links to the guilt that Pip feels about the crime he has committed because he is upset and he feels like crying. â€Å"Rimy morning†, â€Å"very damp†, â€Å"damp lying on the bare hedges and sparegrass, like a coarser sort of spider's webs†, â€Å"the marsh-mist was so thick†, â€Å"the mist was heavier†¦.†, all these words tell us of darkness and crimes. Dickens uses a simile to compare about the â€Å"damp lying on the bare hedges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Dickens uses personification to enhance Pip's guilty conscience by using the weather, â€Å"the marsh-mist was thick† and â€Å"the marsh-mist was heavier†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The mist is clearly a metaphor for Pip's state of mind. He is literally finding it hard to find his way to the convict but also feels morally lost because of his crime. Dickens writes about a â€Å"wooden finger on the post†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Dickens also uses personification to enhance Pip's guilty conscience at this point because he has committed a crime and he thinks that this signpost is telling him the only way he should go. â€Å"Like a phantom devoting me to the Hulks†, â€Å"that the wooden finger on the post†¦invisible to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Dickens uses personification by heightening Pip's mind as he is confused about the whole situation. The signpost has turned into a ghastly accuser. As the confusion in Pip's mind races on, he sees an Ox which was black â€Å"with a white cravat†. This Ox of Pip's mind notices him with the pork pie and recognises that the pie is not his. â€Å"A boy with Somebody-else's pork pie! Stop him!†, â€Å"Holloa, young thief!† With its clerical air, the ox seems like a vicar, accusing him of sin. In the beginning of Chapter Eight, Dickens described the Satis House like a prison. It â€Å"was of old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred.† Iron bars are like prison bars and it is one of the places where you can't escape from. â€Å"There was also a large brewery† at the side of Satis House. This place was very idle. â€Å"There was also a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long long time†. Nothing growing in it signifies death and in this case, the large brewery consists of nothing but waiting death. At one point, Pip was beginning to feel cold as he went through the house. â€Å"The cold wind seemed to blow colder there, than outside the gate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This links to Pip's fear of going into the house. The more he has the feeling of becoming colder, the more he fears going into the house. He isn't really used to visiting anyone else's places except the graveyard and that's why he feels frightened of going in to the house. When Pip was about to meet Miss Havisham, Estella walked away from him and took the candle away with her. â€Å"This was very uncomfortable, and I was half afraid.† From Pip's point of view, he's afraid of the dark. He's always used to having light around him as he goes around but in this case, there was darkness; â€Å"No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it†. This stresses the presence of evil and death. Pip is alone when he sees a woman in the dressing room in Satis House. â€Å"In an armchair, with an elbow resting on the table and her head leaning on that hand, sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see†, â€Å"†¦ â€Å"†¦she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . White is related to ghosts and ghosts come from death. She is rich with faded dresses and her house is very old. Miss Havisham is compared by Pip to a â€Å"skeleton† and a â€Å"waxwork†; the word â€Å"skeleton†, suggests that Miss Havisham could represent the presence of death. The â€Å"waxwork† suggests something that there is something about Miss Havisham which appears real but is not substantial. The â€Å"bridal flowers in her hair† compares with her white hair and obvious age suggests something eerie and bizarre. In Chapter Twenty, Pip travels to London to see Mr Jaggers in his office. â€Å"I was scared by the immensity of London; I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked, narrow and dirty.† Pip has never been to London before and he was so used to living in the Marshes, he had no idea what London might look like, as in that time, London was the busiest, most crowded towns of England. Pip goes into Mr Jaggers' room and was fascinated by what he sees in it. â€Å"Mr Jaggers' room was lighted by a skylight only, and was a most dismal place†. When the novel was set, electricity wasn't really invented at that time and the only light rooms receive is the daylight. â€Å"The skylight, eccentrically patched like a broken head, and the distorted adjoining houses looked as if they had twisted themselves to peep down at me through it.† Pip is intimidated by what he sees as he has never been to an office before. Pip also sees â€Å"some odd objects about†. The skylight is personified as a victim of an assault. â€Å"Old rusty pistol†; this suggests that Mr Jaggers is a criminal and has done many crimes with the â€Å"pistol† in the past. â€Å"A sword in a scabbard†; this suggests that he is very protective of his special possessions. â€Å"Several strange-looking boxes and packages†; this suggests that there might be a few hidden surprises that Mr Jaggers doesn't want people to know yet. â€Å"Two dreadful casts on a shelf, of faces peculiarly swollen and twitchy about the nose†; this also suggests that he is very interested in dice as to see in how it was created. Pip has also never seen these kinds of objects before in his life and he too, gets fascinated as he looks into them. Pip says that Jaggers' chair is like a â€Å"coffin†. We have a mental image of Jaggers emerging like a vampire from the coffin. Pip's experiences of the law are linked to Dickens's life: his father had been imprisoned for debt and he had been a court journalist and law clerk. The choice of settings such as the frightening graveyard and the introduction of dark characters such as the sinister convict, Magwitch create the atmosphere of crime and death. Dark weather creates a sense of crime and death in a lot of scenes. Charles Dickens sums up this novel as a crime and death genre. It is also a mixture of crime and horror as well as crime and death. A drunken court official offers to show Pip a public hanging place. This sickened Pip just as it did Dickens who campaigned against such humiliating events and wanted them to be banned. Dickens spent his life campaigning against poverty, crime and death. There was crime and death everywhere all around his time and he chose this genre to make his readers aware of these and to the fact that poverty played an important part which caused high crime rate resulting in unfortunate deaths.

Tag Lines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tag Lines - Essay Example As businesses have become highly competitive in today’s world so it has become very important for organizations to differentiate themselves from the other competing products in the market. Logos and tag lines are ways with which organizations differentiate their products and services in the market. Logos and tag lines are used everywhere by the organization; these two things are used in the packaging material, letter heads, invoices, business cards, shopping bags, flyers, brochures and therefore it is important that the logo and tag line of the company should be good and attractive enough to catch the attention of the audience (Davis, 2005). One of the most important aspects of logo and taglines is that it is used to communicate the audience about the offerings of the company and how the company or the product can help the customer. An attractive logo along with a catchy and engaging tag line can make the customer think of buying the product or service whereas a dull and boring logo might not entice the customer to buy or purchase the product or service in fact it can influence the buying decision of the individual (Verhoef, & Leeflang 2009). There are many things that the management has to look at while designing the logo and thinking about the tag line of the company. Some of the most important things that the management needs to look at include the target market, the kind of products and services the company is offering, the visual and look of the logo, combination of right colors and fonts so that the logo and tag line look attractive and eye catchy, the culture and image of the company and there can be several other factors. However it is important that the final visual and look of the logo is pleasing and attractive enough to grab the attention of the audience. Tag lines should be catchy enough that it positively influences the buying decision of the individual. Logo and tag lines

Global Supply Chain Management Case Study Report Essay

Global Supply Chain Management Case Study Report - Essay Example e supply chain that allows the achievement of business objectives, before an attempt is made to determine whether a lean approach or agile approach to manufacturing and supply chain management is most appropriate for Wal-Dart. However, the analysis using Fisher’s (1997) model proves inconclusive, although Singh and Sharma’s (2009) definition of lean manufacturing appears to describe the outcome desired by Wal-Dart, and Bruce et al (2001) find that, in the fashion and textile industries, aspects of both lean and agile approaches, that they termed â€Å"leagility†, can be appropriate. A more radical approach to Wal-Dart’s problems is suggested by Lee (2010) who considers that the whole of the supply chain should be reviewed and revamped if necessary, which allows a holistic view to be taken and also provide an opportunity for Wal-Dart to introduce a more sustainable supply chain. A more detailed analysis is undertaken using Slack et al’s (2009) four stages of a fast fashion supply chain: design, manufacture, distribution and sales. Several issues are considered that fall across the different stages, including information supply from the retail outlets, the inability to change the manufacturing locations in the immediate short term, the possibility of setting up distribution service centres with their own transport service, and using enterprise resource planning to integrate the whole supply chain for more immediate, accurate provision and use of information. The overlaps of these areas across the four stages supports the idea of a holistic approach to resolve the problems. This idea is further supported by Lubowe (2009) who finds that senior management support, organisational structures and technology are key ingredients to a successful global integration strategy involving three key elements of repeatable processes, optimised assets and integrated op erations. Overall, there is no one best solution to the problems Wal-Dart is experiencing revealed by

Human Activities on Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Activities on Environment - Essay Example they either overestimate the size of earth or the problem of global warming. Increase in the level of CO2 in the air has been scientifically proved. CO2 has already increased up to 380 ppm in the atmosphere and may reach 600 ppm in the next fifty years. Its symptoms have shown up in the melting of glaciers and an overall increase in the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere since the American Civil War. In 2003 alone, 20000 people lost their life as a result of the unexpected heat wave in Europe. Fifty years are not very far meaning what shouldn’t happen is already happening thus coining the term, climate emergency. Global warming has altered our relation with Earth as we have changed the look of the world and made it warmer. Facts presented in this article are all reliable as they are supported with research. With our conscious efforts, we can control global warming like we have controlled CFCs in the past and solved the ozone hole problem. Works Cited: Al Gore. â€Å"The Climate Emergency.† 13 Apr. 2004. Web. 28 Jun. 2011.

Quality Control Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality Control - Annotated Bibliography Example The law provides special protection for infants and children; incentives for the American farmers to develop and maintain effective crop protection measures; the need for periodic evaluation of pesticide registration and tolerance for collection of scientific data and expediting approval of pesticides application. This law is under review for further refinements U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. â€Å"Accomplishments under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)† August 3, 2006 -- 10th Anniversary of the Food Quality Protection Act. Pesticides: Regulating Pesticides. Web. This article presents the accomplishments of the Food Quality Protection Act, 10 years after it was implemented. This is only a narrative presentation but lacks data on numbers. The report said that FPQA has accomplished its task of ensuring that all pesticides used on food in the U.S. meet safety standards. EPA, in this report, has achieved to get the cooperation of the private sector partners to provide the world with abundant supply of healthy food products that met the American quality food standards. EPA hopes that with the tools provided to the agency by the law, they will continue to become a reliable food supplier in the world. Th. Blaha â€Å"The Importance of Quality Assurance and Food Safety in Modern Food Production Systems†. University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Clinical and Population Sciences. Web. In the introductory of this topic, Th. Blaha, points to the food=borne disease and deaths caused by unsafe meat food products. He traced this to the lack of quality control system on meat inspection and proper hygiene; although author admitted that safety controls are much more advanced now than in previous years. Author said that consumers now are more health conscious as they demand for economical, healthy, tasty and safe food. Consumer behavior now shows respect towards animal

Organizational Behavior in a Negative or Positive Manner Essay

Organizational Behavior in a Negative or Positive Manner - Essay Example Organizational behavior helps to draw the organizational as well as industrial psychology. Key elements of organization’s behavior are people, structure, technology, environment and many other external elements. This is required for improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, encouraging leadership, promoting innovation etc. Management will adopt various techniques to evaluate the performance, modify salary and compensation structure by using this method. There are positive and negative sides also. Benefits of organizational behavior are it is systematic study of attitude and action of people within organization. Managers can do proactive work in effective and efficient way by using this method etc. on the other hand managing work force diversity, improving quality and productivity through the existing manpower, responding to globalization etc are few challenges for using this method. Culture can be defined as such kind of behavior that is cultivated and transmitte d socially. It includes knowledge, values, religion, beliefs, relation, roles, meanings, concepts of the universe, material possessions etc. Different types of culture are pluralism, dualism, salad blow, pragmatic culture, normative culture, academic culture, club culture etc. For example it can be said that in pragmatic culture management will focus only on the customer’s satisfaction. In normative culture management of the company is strict and rigid about the company’s guidelines, rules and regulations. Three major types of culture are discussed below: Pluralism- In this culture smaller groups of individuals try to maintain their unique culture identity and their value, culture, identities are related to broader culture and tradition.

Site Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Site Analysis - Essay Example In designing project, we had to consider this; the housing complex must provide for means to exit or join this road. Consequently, Cheater road, leads up to the gate of the housing estate. Besides the existing structures, the estate design took into account the topography of the area. The region is generally flat thus making it easy to come up with designs that do not include major deviations to accommodate land irregularities. In order to complete the project, four phases will be undertaken. This is depicted the four housing complexes along with the parking area. The design separates these phases into complexes so as to make the project completion achievable. Another aspect taken into consideration when designing the housing estate is the projected population that lives and works around the area. Flats were chosen due to the high demand for housing in this area. The flats are supposed to accommodate a large number of people. The purpose of this proposal is to raise sufficient funds to complete the entire project. As it is now, the amount of resources available can only complete the first phase of the project and thus there is urgent need to raise the required resources before the project commences. Currently, there is limited space for housing in and around large cities. There has been a significant rise in demand for housing as more people move into cities in search of work. At the current pace, most of areas surrounding towns and cities will be absorbed into their ecosystem. This makes sub barns a hot cake for individuals in search of residence. As is with our case, the housing complex helps solve this problem. The demand for housing in the area almost guarantees return on investment for any investors. The fact that we already own the coveted piece of land, makes it a significantly smaller undertaking to develop it. The associated costs of the project are limited to the construction of the buildings and the parking lot. The

Foundations of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Foundations of Terrorism - Essay Example State sponsorships falling under this category provide partial support to the independent terrorist groups. States use these groups to serve their national interests. An example of this form of state sponsored terrorism is of Pakistani governments which have been using Kashmiri Militants/Mujahidin to continue struggling for the independence of Kashmir and its joining with Pakistan. Some states remain in frequent contact with the terrorist groups based in different countries. The aim of such states is to use the power of those terrorist groups when needed. States keep the communication channels open for the terrorist groups and often engage in tactical coordination with them. An example of this form of state sponsored terrorism is of Iran which has always kept good relations with Al-Qaeda and Salafi-Jihadist groups to use them in some particular circumstances (Ahmad, n.d., p. 7). Some states tolerate the activities of terrorist groups and militants to escape from their terrorist attacks. They let them recruit members, raise funds, and operate from their territories in order to keep good relations with them. Syria is a good example of such states which had been involved in providing safe place to the Jihadists and militants to let them organize properly against the U.S. invasion of Iraq (Ahmad, n.d., p. 7). Some states show ignorance to the activities of the terrorist groups operating from their territories. They show the least concern to the presence of terrorists in their territories as long as the terrorists do not carry out any sort of criminal activity against their civilians. They also ignore the terrorists as long as their activities do not become harmful for their state’s interests. An example of such form of state sponsored terrorism is of the Canadian government which allowed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to grow in Canada because this group did not prove to be a real threat for the Canadian people

A Raisin in the Sun Essay Example for Free

A Raisin in the Sun Essay 1.When Asagai arrives at the apartment, how does his mood contract with Walter’s and Beneatha’s? He is very positive and is looking toward the future. Walter and Beneatha appear defeated. 2.How has the loss of the money changed Beneatha’s optimism? What does she tell Asagai? What is Asagai’s response? She has given up and admits defeat. She tells Asagai there is no hope and everything is over. Asagai is very critical of Beneatha’s feelings and tells her if she has dreams and wants a positive future, she needs to make it herself. He also asks her to go to Africa with him. 3.How does Asagai define idealists and realists? Which group does he prefer to be associated with? Idealists have dreams and go after them. Realists only see the circle of life and the things that are right in front of them. He would rather be an idealist. 4.What alternative view of the future does Asagai offer to put Beneatha’s depression in perspective? Go to Africa with him. 5.Asagai leaves and Walter comes into the living room. How does Beneatha attack Walter? What does Walter do? She attacks him by speaking down about who he is as a man. Walter ignores her and looks for something in the apartment. 6.How has Mama’s physical appearance changed? Why does Mama put her plant back on the windowsill? She is depressed and seems defeated. Mama puts her plant in the window because she feels as if she is going nowhere. 7.Who does Mama blame for the current situation, and how does she plan to deal with it? She blames herself for this because people have always accused her of dreaming too big. 8.Up until now, Ruth has been the practical one. How does she react to Mama’s new attitude? She tries to lift Lena’s spirits. She doesn’t know what to think or how to really handle Mama’s new attitude. 9.When Walter arrives back home, what does he say he has done? What does he plan to do? He has called Mr. Lindner, and the family is going to take the money that was offered to them. 10.Describe Walter’s new view of life as being divided between the â€Å"takers† and the â€Å"tooken.† He feels that life is full of takers and tooken. His family has been, he feels, has always been â€Å"tooken† From this point forward, they are going to be â€Å"takers.† 11.What does Mama mean when she tells Walter that if he takes Lindner’s money he will have nothing left inside? He will loose his dignity and pride of he takes the money. 12.Beneatha says Walter is no brother of hers. What lesson does Mama have to remind Beneatha about? Mama tells her she has no right to feel that way or say that about her brother. Regardless of what has happened, she has always taught Beneatha to love. 13.When Lindner arrives, why does Mama insist that Travis stay in the room? She wants him to learn from his father 14.What does Walter tell Lindner? Why? He talks to him about his father and how he worked all his life for others. He continues to tell Lindner that his family is not going to take his money because his father earned the house for the family. 15.Why does Lindner decide to appeal to Mama? What is her response? He appeals to her because he says she is older and wiser. He feels that she will bend to the demands of the neighborhood. 16.What is the importance of having Mama return to the empty apartment to grab her plant? That plant represents her dreams and the spirit of her family. Wherever she goes and the family goes, so does the plant. She isn’t one to walk out on her family or her dreams.

Biochip technology Essay Example for Free

Biochip technology Essay The term global village is one popularized by Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan to refer to the ability of electronic communications technologies to collapse notions of geography and disrupt the conventional wisdom by which society appraises time-space relations. At the heart of the concept of the global village is the idea that because electronic communications technology are exponentially increasing their ability to abnegate space and time limitations, they enable individuals, societies and institutions to operate on a larger scale than before – phone calls can be made across greater distances at reduced costs, e-mails allow instantaneous transmission of readable content and cellular technology increases the mobility of telephony. Whereas the domain we used to operate on was on the village-scale, it is now global: a global village. McLuhan effectively celebrated the development of the global village because he believed that it would expand our social consciousness. Not necessarily make us more socially conscious, but at the very least increase the scale by which we already think. Where we used to think primarily in terms of local affairs and developments that are mostly proximate to our surroundings, the ability to transmit developments instantaneously means that citizens can now think on an enlarged scale. More enthusiastic neo-McLuhanists maintain that the global village will eradicate all barriers to cultures, nations and political institutions. However, there is some concern that this is not entirely a good thing. For example, some have worried that expanding the individual consciousness to meet the scale of the global village comes at a cost. In effect, by thinking on the global scale, individuals may find themselves effectively disengaged from local concerns and proximate issues and at the very worse actively following developments in communities they have no power to affect, and disengaged from local developments that they could realistically make a difference in. Castells (1997) contends, however, that the globalizing effects of Internet and other similar networking technologies will not necessarily eradicate political boundaries. Rather the side effect of the Information Age is that many of the things that have come to define the nation state will be effectively downsized. Sovereignty will no longer figure in the absolute sense that we have understood it before, but rather, nation-states will exist solely due to the network of alliances, commitments, responsibilities and subordinations that are more than just existent for the benefit of the state, but are necessary to its existence, and this becomes possible due to the ability to instantiate relationships through networking technologies. It is this component of Castell’s understanding of globalizing effects which hold some consonance with the views of Ulrich Beck. Beck maintains that much of the failure to really take measure of the effects of globalization is derived from a limited understanding of it. Beck contends that globalization is not something that is limited to economic relationships and complex trade relations, but something that occurs in the most internalized sense, such as the ways by which we navigate culture and social relationships in an expanded transnational view that is the result of a national sense sublimated by globalizing technologies, cultural exchanges and international relationships. However, because of the co-dependencies brought upon by the transition into Castell’s â€Å"network state,† there is a risk that globalization will erode what sovereignty and democracy there is in the weaker nation-states. In other words, rather than acting as a force for solidarity, globalization could erode democratic controls and constitute a political and economic injustice to the nation-state. This is possible when a nation-state is unable to negotiate for the betterment of its community (whether through incompetence and corruption from the weaker country, or exploitation and deception from the stronger one. ) Globalization cannot end democracy per se, but it risks compromising it to the point of rendering it ineffective. REFERENCES Castells, M 1997, The End of the Millennium, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Vol. 3. Blackwell, Cambridge, Massachussetts. Beck, U 2000, What is Globalization? Polity Press, Cambridge. McLuhan, M 1986, The Global Village, Oxford University Press: New York.

Pathophysiology of Skin Alterations

Pathophysiology of Skin Alterations Skin Alterations Beverly Phelps Abstract Human skin is the largest multifunctional organ of the body, and knowledge of its structure and function is essential to clinicians and researchers. The skin has two layers, the epidermis and dermis, separated by a basement membrane zone. It provides protection, sensation, thermoregulation, biochemical/metabolic, and immune functions. Key and emerging concepts important to understanding pathophysiological mechanisms for practicing clinicians are: knowledge of differences between acute and chronic wounds; ability to evaluate depth and extent of injury; and understanding stages of healing versus zones of activity. Discussion: Explain pathophysiology of broad categories of skin alterations (e.g., minor, traumatic, burns, benign, parasitic, pressure ulcers, cancerous, infectious, and inflammatory). Also discuss causative agents, assessment data (what it looks like, pathophysiological changes, and presenting symptoms). Skin Alterations This paper will cover minor wounds, burns, pressure injury, and cancer with variations in skin color, as well as the causative agents and assessment data. Minor Wounds Minor skin wounds occur as the result of unanticipated trauma and may include lacerations, abrasions, blisters and more serious wounds such as skin tears and bites. Lacerations are often irregular shaped wounds with ragged skin edges and typically have deeper skin damage and bruising noted. Abrasions are known as grazes and are more superficial wounds in which the top layer of the skin is remove by sliding across a rough surface and usually contains some dirt and sometimes even particles of what scraped it. Blisters are the result of friction of between the top two layers of the skin, or coming in contact with something hot, removing the top of the blister, puncturing the blister, or draining the fluid will cause the area to heal more quickly, and will require a protective dressing afterwards. A cut or incision usually has clean edges as a result of the cause of injury, for example a sharp knife. If it is a deep wound it can bleed profusely and nerve and muscle damage can occur. Human and animal bites are of special concern, especially in puncture wounds, as bacteria from the mouth can enter the wound resulting in an increased risk of tetanus an d infection. Most animal bites are from pets, usually dogs and cats, and can cause abrasions, deep scratches, and lacerations as well as puncture wounds. Cat bites and scratches are considered more serious due to the high incidence of infection due to the germs that are in their mouth and under their claws. Infection is the largest risk of minor traumatic wounds as they often contain debris and bacteria from the cause of the injury. The treatment from a minor traumatic wound is to clean the wound and surrounding skin, removing any debris and other foreign material. Abrasions require thorough irrigation as ground dirt is frequently embedded in these wounds. Apply an antiseptic solution to cleanse the wound using chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and normal saline. Surgical wounds that have been stitched together, just clean the old blood prior to the application of a dry dressing. The most important thing is to try to determine the cause of the injury or the object which caused the injury and when the injury occurred. Wounds greater than six to eight hours old have an increased risk of infection. With all traumatic injuries assess the patient’s tetanus status and ensure they have adequate coverage. Following this an assessment of the wound can be made for the location, size, and depth and any additional trauma to underlying structures such as muscle, tendon, nerve, vascular and bone. Animal bites must be monitored for 24-48 hours for signs of infection. Precautionary antibiotic may be administered. Burns Burns can be sustained in a number of ways with children and the elderly where it is the most common. Scalds involving hot liquids are the most common type of burns. In adults, flame burns are more prevalent and other causes can include chemical contact, electrical, friction damage, and sunburn. The seriousness of a burn injury depends on several factors including the size, depth of the burn, the location of the burn, and the age and general medical condition of the burn patient. Clinical studies suggest that about 95% of all burns are relatively minor, however about 5% require hospitalization and highly specialized treatment. The severity of a burn determines the type of treatment it requires. There are 5 recognized grades of burns, minor/superficial, superficial partial thickness, mid dermal partial thickness, deep dermal partial thickness, and full thickness, which has replaced the first, second and third degree terminology used before. Minor/Epidermal is characterized by red, painful, usually not blistered, and will heal within approximately 7 days with no scarring. Superficial dermal is characterized by blistered with pale pink base, very painful and usually heals by epithelialization in 10 – 14 days with no scarring. Mid – Deep dermal is characterized by blotchy, red or white base +/- blisters, no capillary return, predominantly painless, prolonged healing with possible scarring and contracture, and heal in 14 – 28 days. Full thickness is characterized by leathery, white or charred, painless, and prolonged healing with scarring and possible loss of function. The clinical objectives for management of burns are stabilize the patient, cool the wound, debride devitalized (necrotic) tissue, protect from infection, and close the wound by first or second intention healing or by grafting. The impact of first aid cannot be overemphasized with rapid, effective first aid helping to prevent further damage and deeper tissue loss. Burn wound conversion refers to the process whereby tissue damage can extend to deeper layers resulting in prolonged healing. This increases the risk of complications post healing such as contraction and keloid or hypertrophic scarring. Pressure Ulcers . A Pressure Injury is a wound caused by unrelieved pressure of tissue compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface which is classified according to the extent of tissue damage. Synonymous terms include pressure sores, bedsores, and decubitus ulcers. As a result of unrelieved pressure, the network of vascular and lymph vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues can be occluded. Several factors are involved in determining if a Pressure Injury will develop and include: duration of pressure, intensity of pressure, and the ability of tissue to tolerate pressure (tissue tolerance). However, there is no universal agreement as to the length of time and the intensity of pressure before tissue damage occurs. Other major factors include: shear, friction forces, and moisture. Pressure Injuries affect people who are largely immobile. They are most common amongst the elderly, but can effect anyone who is confined to a bed or wheel chair. On average 10% of hospitalized p atients can develop a pressure ulcer during their stay. Recent prevalence studies undertaken in several major Australian teaching hospitals identified the prevalence rate of pressure ulcers as being between 5.4% and 15.6%. The most common positions for pressure ulcers are Sacrum/tail bone, Heel, Ischia/buttocks, and Greater trochanters/hip Pressure injury classification are classified according to the level of tissue damage that has been sustained and staging system is used. There are 4 stages of pressure injuries, and are as follows. Stage one is described as intact skin with observable changes including areas of persistent redness. Stage two is described by partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and or dermis. Stage three is described by full thickness involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue that may extend down to, but not through, underlying fascia. Stage four is described as full thickness skin loss with extensive tissue destruction to muscle, bone, or supporting structures, tendon, and joint capsule, and may have undermining or sinus formation. The primary treatment and objective for management of pressure injuries are: reduction of pressure and shear forces, management of exudate, prevention of contamination leading to infection, creation of a moist wound environment, and to minimize the frequency of dressing changes, which is generally more cost effective, and provide more rapid healing and less disruption to the patient. Skin Cancer. Skin cancer occurs when errors occur in the DNA of skin cells. The mutations cause the cells to grow out of control and form a mass of cancer cells. Cells involved in skin cancer begin in your skin’s epidermis. The epidermis provides a protective cover of skin cells that your body continually sheds. The epidermis contains three main types of cells: the squamous cells that lie just below the outer surface and function as the skin’s inner lining, the basal cells, which produce new skin cells, sit beneath the squamous cells, and melanocytes which produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its normal color, and are located in the lower part of your epidermis. Melanocytes produce more melanin when you’re in the sun to help protect the deeper layers of your skin. Where skin cancer begins, is determined by its type and will also determine the treatment options. Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells that most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But th is common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Checking your skin for suspicious changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment. Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day like your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, and your genital area. Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, its more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun Ultraviolet light and other potential causes Much of the damage to DNA in skin cells results from ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight and in the lights used in tanning beds. But sun exposure doesnt explain skin cancers that develop on skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. This indicates that other factors may contribute to your risk of skin cancer, such as being exposed to toxic substances or having a condition that weakens your immune system. Risk factors Factors that may increase your risk of skin cancer include: Fair skin.  Anyone, regardless of skin color, can get skin cancer. However, having less melanin in your skin provides less protection from damaging UV radiation. If you have blond or red hair and light-colored eyes, and you freckle or sunburn easily, youre much more likely to develop skin cancer than is a person with darker skin. A history of sunburns.  Having had one or more blistering sunburns as a child or teenager increases your risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Sunburns in adulthood also are a risk factor. Excessive sun exposure.  Anyone who spends considerable time in the sun may develop skin cancer, especially if the skin isnt protected by sunscreen or clothing. Tanning, including exposure to tanning lamps and beds, also puts you at risk. A tan is your skins injury response to excessive UV radiation. Sunny or high-altitude climates.  People who live in sunny, warm climates are exposed to more sunlight than are people who live in colder climates. Living at higher elevations, where the sunlight is strongest, also exposes you to more radiation. Moles.  People who have many moles or abnormal moles called dysplastic nevi are at increased risk of skin cancer. These abnormal moles — which look irregular and are generally larger than normal moles — are more likely than others to become cancerous. If you have a history of abnormal moles, watch them regularly for changes. Precancerous skin lesions.  Having skin lesions known as actinic keratosis can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. These precancerous skin growths typically appear as rough, scaly patches that range in color from brown to dark pink. Theyre most common on the face, head and hands of fair-skinned people whose skin has been sun damaged. A family history of skin cancer.  If one of your parents or a sibling has had skin cancer, you may have an increased risk of the disease. A personal history of skin cancer.  If you developed skin cancer once, youre at risk of developing it again. A weakened immune system.  People with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of developing skin cancer. This includes people living with HIV/AIDS and those taking immunosuppressant drugs after an organ transplant. Exposure to radiation.  People who received radiation treatment for skin conditions such as eczema and acne may have an increased risk of skin cancer, particularly basal cell carcinoma. Exposure to certain substances.  Exposure to certain substances, such as arsenic, may increase your risk of skin cancer References http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/policies/policy_manuals_via_ms_word/wocn/wocn_08.pdf http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/562489_4 http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/9/1425.full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17523178 http://www.mayoclinic.com

Essays --

Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex is believed to be one of the best classical examples of the Greek classical order and what tragedy represents. Many Greek tragedies include a central character that is known to be the â€Å"tragic hero†. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus the main character plays this role. This paper will give a brief summary of some of the characteristics of a tragic hero, while also analyzing all the major events that lead to Oedipus rise and downfall. Oedipus, the king of Thebe’s tragedy modelled Aristotle’s theorizing’s of what tragedy is in his book the Poetics. The play has a very well-constructed plot that follows Greek classical order. Aristotle and subsequent critics have labeled Oedipus the ideal tragic hero. A brief summary of the play: Oedipus is the son of the King and the Queen of Thebes. The king Laius learns from an oracle that his son will grow up to murder him and marry his wife. Horrified at the prophecy Laius sends his son to be killed to avoid the prophecy from becoming true. The servant pity’s the baby and gives the child to someone else who then gives it to their king and queen who were unable to have children. Oedipus grows up and goes to the oracle who then tells him about the prophecy. Afraid of what might happen he leaves the kingdom trying to avoid the prophecy as well. While on the road he crosses paths with a group of males and get into a confrontation, the fight escalates and Oedipus kills them not knowing that one of them is Laius his father. He continues and arrives at Thebes and sees that a sphinx has taken the city hostage. He resolved the riddle of the sphinx, which had been killing the young men of Thebes. By solving the riddle he became highly praised b y the city of Thebes. As... ... parents. His initial intention was to relieve Oedipus from his fears of the prophecy; instead the results prove to be contradictory to his initial intent. The messenger provides him with critical information that immediately reveals to Oedipus that he was not successful in preventing the prophecy his actions lead him right into it. As Aristotle recommends, this is directly connected to the anagnorisis, for the messenger and the herdsman are the missing link to Oedipus true story. The messenger enables him to â€Å"recognize† his true identity, he gains the initial knowledge he lacked. The peripeteia and anagnorisis changes Oedipus fortune. His good fortune turns out to be a catastrophe that leads to suffering. His actions will be considered a setback of his intentions, and each of them will give him more insight of the truth that will eventually lead to his downfall.

Thou Shalt not Trample on the Constitution :: essays research papers fc

Thou Shalt not Trample on the Constitution. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This is the first amendment to the Constitution. In essence this states that the government will not become involved or sponsor any religion. There is a reason our founding fathers added this amendment to the Constitution. Any time a government becomes involved with religion or visa versa, Disaster happens. If you want evidence of this look at the history of Europe for the past 700 years and see what chaos has arisen when religion and the state intertwine. Yet we do not seem to be learning from the past. Congress on June 17, 1999, passed a law that slaps the First Amendment in the face. That law allowed for the states to choose to post the Ten Commandments in public schools and other government buildings. The law that was proposed by Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), Rep. Robert Alderholt (R-Al), and Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL). The bill was created in response to the Columbine shootings that took place April 20, 1999. The bill was swept through the house at a time when the country was in shock over the shootings. There were several reasons why the house felt the need to pass such a bill. Rep. Alderhold believed that it is an important step to promote morality, and an end of children killing children. (Leavitt) Rep. Hyde believes that the amendment should â€Å"slow the flood of toxic waste into the minds of our children.† (Webster) Rep. Barr went as far to say that if â€Å"Columbine had the Ten Commandments posted that the massacre of April 20th would not have occurred.†(Webster) Thes e are the arguments for the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools. These are the best reasons our elected representatives could come up with to slap the First Amendment in the face. Is it really as Rep. Alderholt said â€Å"We have the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion†? (Leavitt) According to the Supreme Court The honorable Alderholt is wrong. In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law, which required all classrooms to post a copy of the Decalogue, was unconstitutional. The oppositions' arguments against this law are enormous.

Holden Caufield as Untrustworthy Narrator in The Catcher in the Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

Holden Caufield as Untrustworthy Narrator in The Catcher in the Rye The problem with most first person narratives is that there is only one point of view. In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caufield shares his past experiences as a distressed teenager. The entire story is told through his own troubled mind, which often distorts the experiences. Salinger portrays the reason behind Holden's immaturity by demonstrating his untrustworthy qualities. Most of Holden's views contradict themselves because of Holden's own confusion. This confusion blinds him from being able to realize that most of his criticism is against himself. Salinger clearly presents this after Stradlader hits Holden. "All that blood and all sort of made me look tough. I'd only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them. I'm not too tough. I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth"(46). Even though Holden enjoys to see himself beaten up, he contradicts himself by proclaiming he is a peaceful person. Salinger utilizes these contradictions to reveal how unreliable Holden's observations are. Salinger also depicts Holden's immaturity through the judgment of his peers and elders. Holden's disillusionment of good people alters the true personality of each person he meets. Holden even criticizes his new classmates, whom he has not even meet yet. "It's full of phonies/.../and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses, and all you do is talk about girls and liquor and sex all day"(131). Just because Holden is uncomfortable in his school, he feels the need to disapprove of everyone. Salinger exploits this immaturity to illustrate the reason for Holden's loneliness and confusion. Throughout the story Salinger introduces characters that actually appeal to Holden, which give him guidance and make him feel better about himself. Mr. Antolini is one of these people. Holden seems hopeless in his quest for happiness, but Mr. Antolini guides him in the right direction. Even after all the help, he still finds a way to scrutinize Mr. Antolini. "What he was doing was, he was sitting on the floor right next to the couch, in the dark and all, and he was sort of petting me or patting me on the goddam head"(192).

Employee Relations HND 2013 Assignment 1 Essay

Unitarism is considered to be as a family-type system where the association is alleged to be an incorporated and pleasant atmosphere like a happy family. A principal theory of the unitary approach is all employees and the employers as well in the entire organization share the same goals, interests and dedications therefore working hand-in-hand and towards their mutual objectives. Somewhat like an Ant Colony, all of the ants work together for the same goals, and for the colony. Which brings me to another point where in Unitarism has a sort of a paternalistic approach where loyalty of all members is a must, just like ants where the queen is considered the father figure. Trade Unions are not referred to as much and are deemed unnecessary and conflict is alleged to be disorderly. From an Employee’s point of view, The Unitary approach should encompass; Waged work ought to be flexible; Individuals ought to be oriented, multi-talented, effective and efficient in business procedural improvement. If any Trade Union is recognized its purpose is that to improve communications between the employees and the employer. Good relationship is stressed on and the terms and conditions of employment are complete and comprehensive. Employee brainstorming sessions are encouraged therefore bringing out the best solutions to any problems. Also helping employees bring out their innovation, creativity, qualities and it leaves room for improvement. Workers should have a sense of belonging and security at the workplace through the skills and expertise of the managers who are informed regarding their endeavors, therefore allowing them to maximize their efficiency at the workplace. From an Employers point of view, The Unitary Approach should incorporate; The company policies must maximize the unification of employee efforts, inspiration and motivation. The company’s extensive goals must be communicated in an organized and proper manner to all staff. Systems should be established to ensure employee loyalty and commitment such as reward-systems. Line Managers should ensure ownership responsibilities of their team/staff. Staff-management conflicts – from the perspective of the unitary framework – are seen as arising from lack of information, inadequate presentation of management’s policies. Personal objectives of each employee in the entire organization must be discussed with them and then incorporated with the organizations requirements. Pluralist Perspective; Pluralism consists of powerful, divergent sub-groups, managements and trade unions within an organization. This approach responds to conflicts of interest and misunderstandings between managers and workers in regard to distribution of profits as a normal and inescapable problem. In regard to this, Managements would opt less towards administrating and monitoring, and opt more towards convincing and synchronization. Trade Unions are supported a lot here and considered to be legitimate legislatures of employees. Conflict is solved by cooperative negotiations and is regarded not necessarily as a negative entity and if accomplished can in fact be channeled into development and positive energy. Realistic managers cannot deny the fact that conflict occurs and have no choice other than to accept it. There is greater susceptibility for conflict than harmony. They must have procedures in advance for settling any disputes that may arise which may include; Industrial Relations and Personnel Specialists who guide managers and offer specialist services in respect of staffing and matters relating to union consultation and negotiation. Autonomous external negotiators should be incorporated to help in regard to settlement of disputes. Union recognition should be encouraged and union representatives given scope to carry out their representative duties All-Inclusive mutual agreements must be negotiated with unions. The Differences between Unitarism and Pluralism; Unitarism and pluralism are concepts that differ vastly in their definition as well as their procedures. These terms are mainly heard of in employee relations. Unitarism believes that the management or employees of the organization have to be interconnected and work hand in hand with each other to achieve their goals and for the welfare of the company. While Pluralism on the other hand believes that various groups of employees have different needs and necessities therefore making it sort a selected procedure and acknowledging this fact can help the company achieve its goals. Something one must know is that unitarism believes that the employees and company shares the same agenda, the experts call it a â€Å"Unitary Outlook† Pluralism does not believe in the control implemented by the management. . This is one of the main differences between pluralism and Unitarism. Pluralists encourage that a particular system be followed in the interest of the organization. It opines that power is nicely dispersed rather than concentrated in the hands of a few individuals. Pluralism gives ample opportunity for employees to voice out their opinions. On the other hand, unitarism believes in the perception of the entire organization as one big family. The management and the staff share common objectives, interests and purposes according to unitarists. It has a paternalistic approach, and it expects the loyalty of the employees. Pluralism on the other hand, is not paternalistic in its approach and hence, it does not expect the loyalty of the employees. These are the important differences between unitarism and pluralism in the arena of human resources development. Question 2: The past 25-30 years have seen massive overall changes in the regard to employee relations in the United Kingdom’s Organizational sector. The main factors that influenced this change are political, economic, social and technological factors, The influence of the Conservative government played a major role in the political aspect of employee relation change which was performed during 1979-1997. –The Wilderness Years- These years had drastic changes and were very unstable for the Conservative government, they included declines in trade unions, new laws and acts sorted out and the importance of the Labour government from 1997 to the present day which has also brought different changes to employee relations. In regard to legal perspectives the Conservative government has played a significant role in labour law which involved changing the relationship between the employer and employee, the employer and the union and the membership therefore establishing effective communication and understanding. The other changes inaccordance to legal reference were; Removing constitutional supports for collective bargaining. Advertising and Promoting Non-Unionism. Abolition of the obligatory union membership. Restraining industrial action and increasing fines for unlawful action. Regulation of internal Union government. Flagging labour law and social security measures which delivered a level to wages. Removing protection afforded by individual employment rights. Technological Impacts; All organisations function within specific technological limitations which have an impact on its size and structure, whereas the size and structure have an influence on the culture of an organization. As culture affects the relationship between people it can be seen that technology and technological development play an important role in employee relations. It is important for employee relations professionals to understand the meaning of the word ‘technology’ If it simply suggests some form of process or engineering, then does it have any role outside of manufacturing? It is more than an engineering process, in the perspective of an organization it is the application of skills and knowledge. New technology can be viewed in three ways in regard to employee relations; 1.) Its impact on traditional skills acts as a de-skilling agent as well as a creator of un employment. 2.) In a more positive way it creates a chance for old employees to learn new skills. 3.) This perspective views technology as a way to remove previously unpleasant or repetitive tasks from the equation. Question 3: Workers (Employees); The role of the employee is classified over the things he should yearn for in an organization. A good employee will try to develop oneself and seek a variety of assignments, tackle tough problems and ask for feedback. Coaching is also a very helpful activity it can be both ways as one looking for others to coach and another looking for a coach to learn from. Asking for feedback can be very helpful especially when working with different varieties of people in different situations. One should look for developmental relationships that can help provide a lot of learning and understanding. They should identify goals for new skills and abilities and organize how to achieve those goals. Attending classes and workshops would be a great source of filling in conceptual needs. The responsibility of an employee given to him/her by the organization should be recognized by the employee, Things that the employee must ensure and study when starting work towards development; Precise Goals; identifying goals for new abilities and organizing methods to reach those goals. Vigor to make his/her development successful. Diversity of work assignments. Requesting for feedback. Chances to coach other employees and finding good coaches for oneself. Developmental relationships that give a chance for an assortment of learning Managers; Managers are the head of Employee relations and are responsible for creating a rational, respectful, varied and high performance culture allowing employees to give their best effort. The post holder will improve, provide and uphold a business engrossed employee relation strategy that is to the point and ensures that the E.R team achieve their goals and work plan. The main responsibilities of a manager are; Head of discussions with any official union and staff relations with a purpose to successfully achieve positive outcome and comprehensive understandings to proposals which meet organisation objectives. Lead on the employee relations phases of projected variations to organization structure, employment levels and agreements to support the delivery of business goals. Donate to the considered development of the Human Resource function by introducing a progressive, business focused employee relations strategy that validates the current and future needs of an organization. Contribute to the sustained enhancement of the health of the organization by observing performance indicators, like sick leave, levels of grievances and disciplinaries , work/life balance, increasing initiatives and solutions to establish positive trends. Recognize and implement positive employee relations programmes, in discussion with the applicable stakeholder groups, that will increase effeciencey and motivation in the workforce. Deliver approachable and high quality support, training and advice to all parts of the business including senior managers to guarantee the to ensure appropriate management of all employee relations issues, including poor performance, grievances and disciplinary action. Manage and organize the people aspects of any streamlines within the organization, including redeployment and redundancy that must be completed within timescales and using the budgets. Ensure that the appropriate Human Resource support mechanisms are in place for staff. Give advice and direction regarding all the employee relations aspect of pay and reward projects, deviations to pay, terms and conditions of employment, pay reviews and their application. Improve and implement discussing mechanisms with trade unions which support the yearly pay and benefits with any organizational changes. Effectively manage all legal proceedings and Employment tribunal cases for the organization and act as the ‘Intelligent Client’ for retained lawyers, protecting the reputation and finances of the organization. Preserve relationships with internal diversity networks to enable the organizations targets to be met and contribute to the development and implementation of diversity action plans that fulfill the overall goals of employee relations. Lead a team and use good people management practices. Particularly with regard to performance management and career development. Organizations; One of the main functions of an organization in employee relations is to act as the employer’s spokesperson in pursuit to influence the broad policy environment in a manner conducive to their constituents’ interests (in this respect, it might be noted that the IR function was originally, and in many cases has remained, the cornerstone of the operations of many employers’ organizations). This representation role will remain significant. But â€Å"the ultimate credibility of employers’ organizations will depend on the provision of quality services to enterprises and their capacity and skill in negotiating on behalf of employers† (de Silva 1996:3). In this regard, considerable emphasis is now being given within the region to developing employers’ organizations as strong professional organizations. Priority is being given to strategic planning; developing direct services to members across a range of issues (eg, labour law, IR/HRM, labour market information, human resource development, etc); and providing the necessary internal capacities to deliver these services (which requires knowledgeable, well-trained technical staff, supported by sophisticated research and information bases). References: http://books.google.ae/books?id=FuUmIixUldwC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=technological+changes+to+employee+relations+in+uk+from+1979&source=bl&ots=Ha2NfkrfnW&sig=DS13XkOYCpc8RFROwW1O2t_2kXY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-0HlUdDjC4KJrQf4ooCgDw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=technological%20changes%20to%20employee%20relations%20in%20uk%20from%201979&f=false http://industrialrelations.naukrihub.com/pluralistic-perspective.html http://industrialrelations.naukrihub.com/unitary-perspective.html http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-unitarism-and-vs-pluralism/ http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/conthatnewright.html

Iliad and Hector

In the Iliad, both Hector and Achilles display heroic characteristics that go along with the heroic warrior code of Greece. Both characters have their strengths and weaknesses and differences in their approach to being heroic. Even with their differences, they have many similarities. Hector is a great leader and family man and a protector of his people. Achilles is a self-centered warrior who is only in it for the glory. Hector commands the Trojan army, while Achilles commands the Greek army. They both have pride and glory and are seen as heroes in the eyes of their sides’ people.Having a passion for revenge might be considered a glaring flaw in today’s standards, but it definitely conforms to the heroic code of Greek society. Hector has mixed feelings about taking part in the war. His wife pleads with him not to go, and he does not want to make her a widow, leaving her â€Å"at the loom of another man†. Hector shows heroism for going to war, but at the same time shows his human side by being indecisive about leaving his family. In Book Twenty-Two, Hector stays outside the ramparts, whereas his supporters are secure.His father Priam, wants him to retreat to safety with Achilles approaching, but his pride and honor prevent him from backing down. His fearlessness is an extremely heroic action. He then flees, which is very unheroic. It seems apparent that there is an inner conflict with emotions and the heroic code. Hector eventually stands his ground and fights. Achilles kills Hector in a very cruel way. Before desecrating Hector’s body, he allows him to die a slow and painful death. His action is another way his behavior conforms to the Greek heroic code.Even the most valiant soldier must have a human side, which definitely must object to the savage killing that is inevitable in war. On the other hand, when Achilles and his soldiers get some type of pleasure from repeatedly stabbing Hector’s lifeless corpse, another kind of hum an emotion is being displayed. This is the pent up anger and hostility that build up during one’s quest for revenge or simply battle. So, it might be concluded that the heroic code and the human emotions might not conflict after all.Hector is viewed as the more heroic one. He knows his role as the defender of Troy. Although he has a strong love and devotion to his family, he still goes off to defend his country, even after the pleading from his wife. Hector’s traits and character as a husband and father no less admirable than that as his as a warrior. Hector is a man who loves his child and wife and who can forget war when a little child cries. He is seen as the bravest and most accomplished of the warriors. He is a team player, a very gifted leader and soldier.Unlike Achilles, Hector is a more complete and well-rounded person. Hector was a man who was willing to fight until the end. Which he did. Achilles is more of a loner, except of his close friendship with Patrocl us. Marriage has no weight in his consciousness. He seems more the estranged youth than the manly defender represented in Hector. He is revered as the greatest warrior in the world, and no man can stand against him. Achilles was a very spoiled and pampered only child. He had a much undeveloped sense of his place in the world.He is viewed as an admirable warrior, and his still in battle boosts the morale of his fellow Greeks when he chooses to fight, but he is an unreliable leader who sulks when he does not get his way. Both Hector and Achilles behave as heroes throughout the Iliad. While they try to win glory in war for their families, their country, and themselves, they both have certain strengths and weaknesses in their character which dictate their very different courses of action and their thoughts.They are both presented with conflicts and dilemmas throughout the story, the resolutions of which must be made using both their human side and their aggressive heroic side, and it ap pears as if Achilles meets with the most success in this difficult task. Works Cited Homer. â€Å"The Illiad. † Lombardo, translated by Stanley. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawall. 8th Edition. New York: W W Norton & Company, 2006. 107-205.

IBM’s Multicultural Multinational Teams Essay

When someone thinks of a well-established and traditional company, they may think of IBM. IBM is well known for its written and unwritten rules. IBM likes to focus on individual promotions and achievement and the expectation of lifetime service at the company. But times have changed in this day and age. The company’s new focus is on teamwork. The total amount of hours that IBM devoted to management time for team projects is a great idea and has shown that teams can improve a company for the better. Their human resources department did an excellent job in dedicating those hours to team projects. The teams of employees that IBM sends overseas will bring them new clients but will also widens the opportunity for new clients through helping other companies or organizations. By developing teams, IBM will be able to prepare an extremely strong and varied team. The teams can coup-up with any culture and get the job done successfully. By developing teams IBM will get a leader or problem solver, the team members can work together globally and become sensitive to another culture and their traditions or customs, it will build trust and understanding amongst the team members to complete a project, and any experience team can support a team that does not have a leader or someone who is an affective communicator. Working in teams will benefit both IBM and the employees. IBM’s culture had to change to keep up with society and the changing times. Not only will that but team focused companies have skills variety, diversity, a common purpose and goal. So, essentially companies that are focus on teams rather than individual work are better companies. There are five stages to forming an effective team. These developing steps are forming, storming, and norming, performing and adjourning. The first stage, forming is when the team members will get together to meet each other professionally and hear about goals and any information that the managers have given to help them. The second stage, storming is the adverse phases of the group stop progress. This phase is when members of the group may become unwilling to abide by the rules and regulations that where agreed upon during the forming stage. In some instances, management may have to set in and resolve the issue. The third stage is norming, in which disagreements are resolved Rules, regulations and leadership may have been changed to better suit the group. During this phase more constructive work and assignment completion may happen. The fourth stage is performing; this is when the group is at the top of performance.

Why and how do writers of English Literary and playful texts “break the rules of” English?

After having defined the terms â€Å"playful and literary†, I will then look briefly at foregrounding and the classification of the English Language. Then rhyme, rhythm and repletion would be examined followed by how writers break syntactic rules to show thought process. This will be followed by literary usage of the metaphor, collocation and iconicity. Then I will examine playful text in relation to graffiti, newspapers and advertising. Literary and playful usage of language is different from that of everyday language in that it draws attention to the language itself. Writers achieve this by being creative, original and imaginative. Moreover, by â€Å"skilfully manipulating language to create patterns and usage† to express ideas, which draws the readers giving them an original insight into the world of the writer. (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 198) Writers of literary and playful text use language to draw attention to it by way of surprising the reader into an original perception of the language and the subject matter. This according to the Russian formalists is foregrounding (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 163). Foregrounding is achieved, by breaking the rules of language, that is sound, grammar and meaning to place the reader in the text. Thus, the reader is surprised into seeing the image, hearing the sounds and feeling the emotions. The English Language is classified according to the way words are arranged in sequence and it is referred to as a subject verb object or SVO language. This is because the subject always comes before the verb and the object that is being referred to follows the verb. (Graddol etal. , 1994, p. 5) Looking first at rhyme, rhythm and repetition in literary usage, writers especially poets use this as a form of foregrounding. They use rhyme, rhythm and repetition in to make original observations. As in William Blake's poem â€Å"The Tyger†, one can see that there is an end rhyme with the first line rhyming with the second, and the third with the fourth in an aabb pattern. This is not something is common in normal speech or text. Therefore, Blake, whilst following the tradition of writing poetry in end rhymes is breaking the rules of English. Blake does this because he is not only foregrounding the symmetrical pattern of the verse in its aabb rhymes pattern, but he is also highlighting the eye symmetry of the text. This is done in the first and last stanza where both stanzas are symmetrical apart from one word. Thus, there is a sense of closure and we understand that we have arrived at an end, but because of the aabb pattern, there is also continuity and the idea of the circle of life. Blake also uses rhythm, with each line consisting of four alternating stressed and unstressed words, is used to emphasis the beat of not only the tread of the Tyger but also the rhythmical beating of the hammer on the anvil. The creator of the Tyger and the creator of the poem also use repetition and alliteration to foreground the symmetry of the design. (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 165) Authors also use rule breaking to foreground their characters thought processes. William Faulkner In his novel â€Å"The Sound and the Fury† manipulates the language and surprises the readers into the thought process of the narrator Benjy, who thinks and voices his thoughts, as would a child. He achieves this flow of thought process by omitting the object after the verb. Thus, the reader is uncomfortable with the language, which is limited, showing and creating a sense of incompleteness. This is exactly what Faulkner is aiming for, because Benjy although being thirty-three, is incomplete and exhibits the thought and language process that of a child. Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 167) The Charles Dickens also breaks the rules governing the syntactic relationship between words. In his novel The Bleak House Dickens does not, use the verb â€Å"is† after the subject, which is the fog and the object, which is everywhere and everything. By doing this, he foregrounds the reader into an innovative outlook and the reader receives the impression that there is no escaping from the fog; it is all invasive invading the countryside, the social, cultural and political environment. (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 167) Another distinctive feature of literary usage is the metaphor and collocation. Metaphors are comparisons that are not made explicit. They exploit the meanings of words and â€Å"are slipped into â€Å"the sentence (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 165). The rules of English are broken by the metaphor by playing on the various meanings of a word and the paradigmatic relationship of a word. As in the use of â€Å"burning† and â€Å"burnt† in Blake's The Tyger the words not only refer to the eyes of the Tyger but also to the furnace and the stars when speared are also burning too such an extent that they water the heaven with their tears. Collocation refers to the combining tendencies of words† (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 169) that is, the relationship words have with each other, the meanings that are associated with words and in the context that they are normally used. When this rule is broken, the writers are able to utilise our sense of word collocation to foreground â€Å"unusual and striking association of meaning† (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 169). In Carol Ann Duffy's poem ‘Litany' metaphors and collocation is used when she writes â€Å"The terrible marriages crackled cellophane round polyester shirts†. Marriages do not crackle. The word crackle is usually associated with dry inanimate objects; it is this association, which surprises the reader into looking at the marriage in a new light. The metaphor of the cellophane and polyester shirts continue this theme of inanimateness, dead and lifeless as opposed to the marriage being alive and thriving. Collocation is also associated with playful usage of English as in Punning. This occurs when the different meanings of the words are exploited, as in â€Å"My Children! My Africa! Here the Playwright plays on the word ‘riot' to emphasis the difference in culture and explores the difference in meaning associated to a word by differing social groups. (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 171) Another feature of literary usage is the iconic â€Å"where the sounds and shapes of words and phrases imitate particular objects or process† (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 172) writers use this device in order for the reader to experience and hear the sounds being described. Wordsworth in ‘The Prelude' uses it to call upon the simple childhood pleasure of making oneself dizzy. He does this by having a long sentence where the subject and verb occur late in the passage. This achieves the effect of rushing and spinning to an abrupt stop. In addition, one can almost imagine that even though we have stopped the â€Å"solitary cliffs Wheeled by†¦ the earth rolled†¦ † (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 172) e e cummings uses this technique in his poem I (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 202) He relies on the visual effect of the poem to emphasis the falling of one leaf and its oneness. Playful text also uses language to draw attention to it this is achieved, by breaking the rules of language, that is sound, grammar and meaning Just like in literary usage. Graffiti although regarded as being antisocial and illegal is an area where English is used in a playful and entertaining way to highlight a particular comment on social issues or give voice to those sub groups that have been denied access to mainstream. Because of the very nature of graffiti, it tends to be short and succinct. The Graffiti â€Å"Glory to God in the High St† (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 10) by deleting a single letter from the angel's message to the Shepard's, the graffiti satirises the original Christmas message and reflects the commercialization of Christmas. This is achieved by playing on the sounds and the meaning of the two words Highest and High St. An example of iconic graffiti that is a thought process would be â€Å"Dsylexia rules KO† The popular press also use puns and word play in their headlines e. g. â€Å"Belly Nice (model Naomi Campbell with bare stomach), Wedding Prez (President Clinton unexpectedly attends a wedding)† (Maybin and Mercer, 1996, p. 17). They by virtue of being tabloid newspapers need to capture the readers' attention quickly and be able to express in a short headline the nature of the article. Therefore, by using headlines like â€Å"Belly Nice† they play on the phrase â€Å"very nice† in referring to the bare stomach and associating it to her second name Campbell. Another area that breaks the rules of English in a playful way is advertising. Advertising uses all the literary techniques of foregrounding to sell the product, image or idea. In the P&O advertisement, the text is simple; it has rhyme, rhythm and repetition, and seems at first glance to be a simple, child's first reader. However, each line does not have the object. It is only at the end that one realises that the last word is the object of the previous lines. In conclusion after having looked at the various distinctive features of literary and playful usage of text one can see that writers, poets, graffiti writers, journalist and the advertisers use and break the rules of English to foreground there ideas in a creative, original and imaginative way.

Gsm Specification & Air Interface

[pic] WHAT IS GSM GSM: GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications: originally from Groupe Special Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile telephone systems in the world. The GSM Association, its promoting industry trade organization of mobile phone carriers and manufacturers, estimates that 80% of the global mobile market uses the standard. GSM Specifications-I RF Spectrum GSM 900 1. Mobile to BTS (uplink): 890-915 MHz 2. BTS to Mobile (downlink):935-960 MHz 3. Bandwidth: 2* 25 MHz GSM 1800 1. Mobile to BTS (uplink): 1710-1785 MHz 2. BTS to Mobile (downlink) 1805-1880 MHz 3. Bandwidth: 2* 75 MHz GSM Specification-II 1. Carrier Separation : 200 KHz 2. Duplex Distance : 45 MHz 3. No. of RF carriers : 124 4. Access Method : TDMA/FDMA 5. Modulation Method: GMSK 6. Modulation data rate: 270. 833 Kbps ADVANTAGES OF GSM: 1. GSM uses radio frequencies efficiently & due to the digital radio path the system tolerates more intercellular disturbances. 2. The average quality of speech achieved is better than in existing analogue systems. 3. Data transmission is supported throughout the system. 4. Speech is encrypted & subscriber information security is guaranteed. . Due to the ISDN compatibility, new services are offered compared to analogue systems. 6. International roaming is technically possible within all the countries concerned. 7. The large market toughens the competition & lowers the prices both for investments & usages. GSM SPECIFICATIONS The main idea behind the GSM specifications is to define several open interfaces which then are limiting certain parts of the GSM system. Because of this interface, openness the operator maintaining the network may obtain different parts of the network from different GSM network suppliers. Also when an interface is open it defines strictly what is happening through the interface & this in turn strictly defines what kind of actions/procedures/functions should ne implemented between the interfaces. STRUCTURE OF GSM: [pic] GSM Specifications: Before looking at the GSM specifications, it is important to understand the following basic terms: * Bandwidth —the range of a channel's limits; the broader the bandwidth, the faster data can be sent * Bits per second (bps) —a single on-off pulse of data; eight bits are equivalent to one byte * Frequency —the number of cycles per unit of time; frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) Kilo (k) —kilo is the designation for 1,000; the abbreviation kbps represents 1,000 bits per second * Megahertz (MHz) —1,000,000 hertz (cycles per second) * Milliseconds (ms) —one-thousandth of a second * Watt (W) —a measure of power of a transmitter Specifications for different personal communication services (PCS) systems vary among the different PCS networks. Listed below is a description of the specifications and characteristics for GSM. * Frequency band — the frequency range specified for GSM is 1,850 to 1,990 MHz (mobile station to base station). * Duplex distance —The duplex distance is 80 MHz. Duplex distance is the distance between the uplink and downlink frequencies. A channel has two frequencies, 80 MHz apart. * Channel separation —The separation between adjacent carrier frequencies. In GSM, this is 200 kHz. * Modulation —Modulation is the process of sending a signal by changing the characteristics of a carrier frequency. This is done in GSM via Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK). * Transmission rate —GSM is a digital system with an over-the-air bit rate of 270 kbps. * Access method —GSM utilizes the time division multiple access (TDMA) concept. TDMA is a technique in which several different calls may share the same carrier. Each call is assigned a particular time slot. * Speech coder —GSM uses linear predictive coding (LPC). The purpose of LPC is to reduce the bit rate. The LPC provides parameters for a filter that mimics the vocal tract. The signal passes through this filter, leaving behind a residual signal. Speech is encoded at 13 kbps. GSM Subscriber Services There are two basic types of services offered through GSM: telephony (also referred to as tele services) and data (also referred to as bearer services). Telephony services are mainly voice services that provide subscribers with the complete capability (including necessary terminal equipment) to communicate with other subscribers. Data services provide the capacity necessary to transmit appropriate data signals between two access points creating an interface to the network. In addition to normal telephony and emergency calling, the following subscriber services are supported by GSM: * Dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) —DTMF is a tone signaling scheme often used for various control purposes via the telephone network, such as remote control of an answering machine. GSM supports full-originating DTMF. * Facsimile group III —GSM supports CCITT Group 3 facsimile. As standard fax machines are designed to be connected to a telephone using analog signals, a special fax converter connected to the exchange is used in the GSM system. This enables a GSM–connected fax to communicate with any analog fax in the network. * Short message services —A convenient facility of the GSM network is the short message service. A message consisting of a maximum of 160 alphanumeric characters can be sent to or from a mobile station. This service can be viewed as an advanced form of alphanumeric paging with a number of advantages. If the subscriber's mobile unit is powered off or has left the coverage area, the message is stored and offered back to the subscriber when the mobile is powered on or has reentered the coverage area of the network. This function ensures that the message will be received. * Cell broadcast —A variation of the short message service is the cell broadcast facility. A message of a maximum of 93 characters can be broadcast to all mobile subscribers in a certain geographic area. Typical applications include traffic congestion warnings and reports on accidents. * Voice mail —This service is actually an answering machine within the network, which is controlled by the subscriber. Calls can be forwarded to the subscriber's voice-mail box and the subscriber checks for messages via a personal security code. * Fax mail —With this service, the subscriber can receive fax messages at any fax machine. The messages are stored in a service center from which they can be retrieved by the subscriber via a personal security code to the desired fax number. Supplementary Services GSM supports a comprehensive set of supplementary services that can complement and support both telephony and data services. Supplementary services are defined by GSM and are characterized as revenue-generating features. A partial listing of supplementary services follows. * Call forwarding —This service gives the subscriber the ability to forward incoming calls to another number if the called mobile unit is not reachable, if it is busy, if there is no reply, or if call forwarding is allowed unconditionally. Barring of outgoing calls —This service makes it possible for a mobile subscriber to prevent all outgoing calls. * Barring of incoming calls —This function allows the subscriber to prevent incoming calls. The following two conditions for incoming call barring exist: baring of all incoming calls and barring of incoming calls when roaming outside the home PLMN. * Advice of charge (AOC) —The AOC service provides the mobile subscribe r with an estimate of the call charges. There are two types of AOC information: one that provides the subscriber with an estimate of the bill and one that can be used for immediate charging purposes. AOC for data calls is provided on the basis of time measurements. * Call hold —This service enables the subscriber to interrupt an ongoing call and then subsequently reestablish the call. The call hold service is only applicable to normal telephony. * Call waiting —This service enables the mobile subscriber to be notified of an incoming call during a conversation. The subscriber can answer, reject, or ignore the incoming call. Call waiting is applicable to all GSM telecommunications services using a circuit-switched connection. Multiparty service —The multiparty service enables a mobile subscriber to establish a multiparty conversation—that is, a simultaneous conversation between three and six subscribers. This service is only applicable to normal telephony. * Calling line identification presentation/restriction —These services supply the called party with the integrated services digital network (ISDN) number of the calling party. The restriction se rvice enables the calling party to restrict the presentation. The restriction overrides the presentation. * Closed user groups (CUGs) —CUGs are generally comparable to a PBX. They are a group of subscribers who are capable of only calling themselves and certain numbers. AIR INTERFACE In cellular telephone communications, the air interface is the radio-frequency portion of the circuit between the cellular phone set or wireless modem (usually portable or mobile) and the active base station. As a subscriber moves from one cell to another in the system, the active base station changes periodically. Each changeover is known as a handoff. A cellular connection is only as good as its weakest link, which is almost always the air interface. Radio-frequency (RF) circuits are subject to many variables that affect signal quality. Factors that can cause problems include: * Use of the handheld phone set or portable wireless modem inside buildings, cars, buses, trucks, or trains * Proximity to human-made, steel-frame obstructions, especially large buildings and freeway overpasses * Abundance of utility wires that can reflect radio signals and/or generate noise that interferes with reception * Irregular terrain, particularly canyons and ravines * Inadequate transmitter power in phone set or wireless modem Poorly designed antenna in phone set or wireless modem In addition to these variables, some cellular networks have inadequate coverage in certain geographic areas. Usually this is because there are not enough base stations to ensure continuous communications for subscribers using portable (handheld) phone sets. As a network evolves, more base stations may be installed in a given region, and in that case, this problem will dim inish with time. Conversion of a network from analog to digital can result in dramatic improvement.