Friday, November 29, 2019

Descriptive Vietnam War Essays - Vietnam War, Paris Peace Accords

Descriptive: Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. It began as a determined attempt by Communist guerrillas (Vietcong) in the South, backed by Communist North Vietnam, to overthrow the government of South Vietnam. The struggle widened into a ward between South Vietnam and North Vietnam and ultimately into a limited international conflict. The United States and some other countries supported South Vietnam by supplying troops and munitions, and the USSR and the People's Republic of China furnished munitions to North Vietnam and the Vietcong. On both sides, however, the burden of the war fell mainly on the civilians. The war also engulfed Laos, where the Communist Pathet Lao fought government from 1965 to 1973 and succeeded in abolishing the monarchy in 1975, and Cambodia, where the government surrendered in 1973 to the Communist Khmer Rouge. The position taken by Diem won the backing of the U. S. The government in Hanoi, however, indicated its determination to renunify the nation under Hanoi. The truce arranged at Geneva began to crumble and by January 1957, the International Control Commission set up to implement the Geneva accords was reporting armistice violations by both North and South Vietnam. Throughout the rest of the year, Comunist sympathizers who had gone north after partition began returning south in increasing numbers. The Vietcong's began launching attacks on U. S. military installations that had been established, and in 1959 began their guerilla attacks on the Diem government. The attacks were intensified in 1960, the year in which North Vietnam roclaimed its intention to liberate South Vietnam from the ruling of the U. S. imperialists. ?The statement served to reinforce the belief that the Vietcong were being directed by Hanoi. On November 10, the Saigon government charged that regular North Vietnamese troops were talking a direct part in Vietcong attacks in South Vietnam. to show that the guerrilla movement was independent, however, the Vietcong set up their own political arm, known as the National Liberation Front (NLF), with its headquarters in Hanoi. In the face of the deteriorating situation, the U. S. restated its support for Saigon. In April 1961, a treaty of mity and economic relations was signed with South Vietnam, and in December, President John F. Kennedy pledged to help South Vietnam maintain its independence significantly. In December 1961, the first U. S. troops, consisting of 400 uniformed army personnel, arrived in Saigon in order to operate two helicopter companies; the U. S. proclaimed, however, that the troops were not combat units as such. A year later, U. S. military strength in Vietnam stood at 11,200. On November 1, 1963, the Diem regime was overthrown in a military ?coup.? Diem and his brother and political advisor, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were executed. The circumstances surrounding the ?coup? were not fully clear at the time. The government that replaced teh Diem regime was a revolutionary council headed by Brigadier General Duong Van Minh. A series of other ?coups? followed, and in the 18 months after Diem's overthrow South Vietnam had ten different governments. None of these proved capable of dealing effectively with the country's miliary situation. A military councilunder General Nguyen Van Thieu and General Nguyen Cao Ky was finally created in 1965, and it restored basic political order. Later, in September 1967, elections were held and Thieu becambe president of South Vietnam. A Deepening U. S. Involvement The Vietnam War was unlike any other conventional wars, in the respect that, the war had no defined front lines. Much of it consisted of hit-and-run attacks, with the guerrillas striking at government outposts and retreating into the jungle. The war, however, began to escalate in the first week of August 1964, when North Vietnamese torpedo boats were reported to have attacked two U. S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. As a result of this attack, former-President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered jets to South Vietnam and the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. Throughout 1965, U. S. planes began regular bombing raids over North Vietnam, but a halt was ordered in May in hopes of initiating peace talks. Bombings were resumed after North Vietnam had rejected all negotiations. During this time the United States continued to build up its troops in South Vietnam. By the end of 1965 the American combat strength was nearly 200,000. The Vietnam War had much, much more details and complexities, but for the sake of time, I only covered a few of them. Peace... Despite the stepping up of U. S. bombing, both sides appeared

Monday, November 25, 2019

Example of a Bad Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter

Example of a Bad Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter If youve been dismissed from your college or university because of poor academic performance, its only natural to feel embarrassed, angry and defensive. You may feel like youve let down your parents, your professors, and yourself. Because a dismissal can be so humiliating, many students try to place the blame for the low grades on anyone but themselves. After all, if you view yourself as a good student, then those Ds and Fs cant be your fault. However, to make a successful academic dismissal appeal, you need to take a long hard look in the mirror. While many factors can contribute to academic failure, that person in the mirror is the one who got the low grades on those papers, exams, and lab reports. The person in the mirror is the one who didnt attend class or failed to turn in assignments. When Brett appealed his academic dismissal, he did not own up to his own blunders. His appeal letter is an example of what not to do. (see Emmas letter for an example of a well-written appeal) Brett's Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter To Whom It May Concern:I am writing because I would like to appeal my dismissal from Ivy University for poor academic performance. I know my grades were not good last semester, but there were a lot of circumstances that were not my fault. I would like to encourage you to reinstate me for next semester.I work really hard at my schoolwork, and I have since high school. My grades dont always reflect my hard work, though, and I sometimes get low grades on tests and essays. In my opinion, my math professor was not clear about what would be on the final, and did not give us notes to study from. His English is also really bad and made it hard to understand what he was saying. When I emailed him to ask what I made on the final, he did not reply for several days, and then just told me I should come by to pick up the exam without emailing me my grade. In my English class, I think the professor just did not like me and several of the guys in class; she made a lot of sarcastic jokes that were no t appropriate. When she told me to take my essays to the Writing Center, I did, but that just made them worse. I tried to revise them on my own, and I worked really hard, but she would never give me a higher grade. I dont think anybody made an A in that class.If I am allowed to come back to Ivy University next fall, I will work even harder and maybe get a tutor for the classes like Spanish that I was struggling with. Also, I will try to get more sleep. That was a big factor last semester  when I was tired all the time and sometimes nodded off in class, even though one reason I didnt get sleep was because of the amount of homework.I hope you will give me a second chance to graduate.Sincerely,Brett Undergrad Critique of Brett's Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter A  good appeal letter  shows that you understand what went wrong and that you are being honest with yourself and the appeals committee. If your appeal is to succeed, you must show that you take responsibility for your low grades. Bretts appeal letter fails on this front. His first paragraph sets the wrong tone when he states that many of the problems he encountered were not my fault. Immediately he sounds like a student who lacks the maturity and self-awareness to own up to his own shortcomings. A student who tries to place blame elsewhere is a student who is not learning and growing from his mistakes. The appeals committee will not be impressed. Working Hard? It gets worse. In the second paragraph, Bretts claim that he works really hard sounds hollow. How hard is he really working if he has just failed out of college for low grades? And if he is working hard but getting low grades, why hasnt he sought out help in assessing his learning difficulties? The rest of the paragraph actually suggests that Brett does  not  work hard. He says his math professor was not clear about what would be on the final and did not give us notes to study from. Brett seems to think he is still in grade school and he will be spoon fed information and told exactly what will be on his exams. Alas, Brett needs to wake up to college. It is Bretts job to take notes, not his professors job. It is Bretts job to figure out what information has received the most emphasis in class and is, therefore, most likely to be on exams. It is Bretts job to work hard outside of the classroom so that he has mastery over all of the material covered throughout the semester. But Brett is not done digging himself into a hole. His complaint about his instructors English sounds petty if not racist, and the comments about receiving his grade over email is irrelevant to the appeal and shows laziness and ignorance on Bretts part (because of privacy issues and FERPA laws, most professors will not give out grades over email). When Brett talks about his English class, he again looks to blame anyone but himself. He seems to think that taking a paper to the Writing Center will somehow magically transform his writing. He seems to think that a feeble effort at revision represents hard work deserving of a higher grade. When Brett complains that she would never give me a higher grade, he reveals that he thinks grades are given, not earned. It's Not the Professor's Job to Like You Bretts claim that the professor didnt like him and made inappropriate comments raises a couple of issues. Professors arent required to like students. Indeed, after reading Bretts letter, I dont like him very much. However, professors should not let their fondness or dislike of a student affect their evaluation of the students work. Also, what was the nature of the inappropriate comments? Many professors will make snide comments to students who are slacking off, not paying attention, or being disruptive in some way. However, if the comments were in some way racist, sexist or in any way discriminatory, then they are indeed inappropriate and should be reported to the professors Dean. In Bretts case, these vague accusations of inappropriate comments sound as if they belong in the former category, but this is an issue the appeals committee will want to investigate further. Weak Plans for Future Success Finally, Bretts plan for future success sounds weak. Maybe  get a tutor? Brett, you need a tutor. Get rid of the maybe and act. Also, Brett says that homework was one reason he didnt get enough sleep. What were the other reasons? Why was Brett always sleeping through class? How will he address the time management problems that have left him exhausted all the time? Brett provides no answers to these questions. In short, Brett has made a losing appeal in his letter. He doesnt seem to understand what went wrong, and he put more energy into blaming others than figuring out how to improve his academic performance. The letter provides no evidence that Brett will succeed in the future. If youd like Allen Groves help with your own appeal letter,  see his bio for details. More Tips on Academic Dismissals Jasons Appeal Letter and Critique: Jason was dismissed because of alcohol abuse. See how he appealed his dismissal, with feedback.10 Tips for an In-Person Appeal: You may be able to appeal in-person to the scholastic standards committee. See tips for making the best case.10 Questions You Might Be Asked When Appealing a Dismissal: Be prepared to answer these questions appropriately.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Why I find the Lemon Law interesting and what the Lemon Law Is about Research Paper

Why I find the Lemon Law interesting and what the Lemon Law Is about - Research Paper Example This was the first ever consumer protection law filed in the U.S. (Paterson The History of the Lemon Law). The creation of the Federal Trade Commission in 1914 provided consumers with further protection from deceitful business practises and brought in regulations to prevent collusion in the marketplace. In the 1930s, a flurry of government activity at all levels during President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal era saw the creation of a number of regulatory bodies to protect consumers. The Lemon Law also saw its first incarnation in 1906 under the guise of the Uniform Sales Act. Cowan (The History of Lemon Laws) explains that before 1952s Uniform Commercial Code, commerce laws were not really united under one law. In fact, it was not until 1970 when the Song- Beverly Consumer Warranty Act was created. This was the basis for our modern lemon laws. Under this particular act consumers would be protected against defective products. The Federal version of the Lemon Law which is known as the Magnuson-Moss Act was finally passed in 1975 and this act became the basis of our modern Lemon Laws. (Cowan The History of Lemon Laws). Under the Magnuson-Moss Act the buyer is protected when purchasing a vehicle because: This lemon law states that any advertised guarantee should explicitly state relevant information about a warranty. This law ensures that any warranty for goods above $15 should be clearly expressed on the goods and should be clear and easy to understand. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty act enables a consumer to bring suit to any manufacturer, supplier, warrantor, or service contractor for any defective piece of good or services. (StateLawyers.com) The term Lemon Law was originally coined by the government in an effort to describe the laws that the government had set into place in order to protect automobile (thats a car to you and me) buyers from defects. The basic definition of the law basically states that: Lemon Law refers to the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

W6 Asign BA541 Customer-Based Metrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W6 Asign BA541 Customer-Based Metrics - Essay Example For example, at the peak of their popularity with people willing to buy coffee with a more expensive price tag, Starbucks spent a lot of money opening several stores, expanding rapidly locally and internationally. In 2008, however, it was forced to assess which stores were making profit and proceeded to close 600 stores in the Unites States. (The Associated Press, 2008) Not all customers have the same value to a company. A company should be able to know who among their customers they should create relationships with to earn revenue. Some customers may buy big ticket items occasionally, but are less significant when compared to customers you regularly buy less expensive items. The customer equity test must be applied to know the degree of marketing efforts to be exhausted in acquiring and retaining customers. (Peppers, D. & Rogers, M., 2011) Seeing that Starbucks is able to maintain a loyal following, this metric appears to have been satisfied. The company offers a variety of products, dependent on the location of the store. For instance, some of their products in the United States are not available in their branches overseas. With this scenario, it can be said that the company was able to understand what their loyal customers like about them and thus made sure those items were available. An issue with this is in order to be competitive and have an edge in the industry, the company needs to come up with other ideas. One of these is providing alcohol at a certain time of the day to reach a possible market and this is problematic because as a survey has shown, some of those who have quit drinking gather at Starbucks for their support group meetings and drink coffee. (Williams, G., 2014) Knowing what the customers want is a very important strategy in a business. Customers need to feel important and needed. Thus, a company that wants to build lasting

Monday, November 18, 2019

State your side of the issues on, wheater stricter gun control laws Research Paper

State your side of the issues on, wheater stricter gun control laws reduce crime rates or does it increase the crime rates in texas - Research Paper Example The idea of gun control in the State of Texas is absurd for all reasons already mentioned in addition to the independent nature of the culture in Texas. Much the same as in other states, guns are a tradition passed from father to son, a way of life. Even if some types of guns were outlawed, the logistical problem and practicality of collecting them would also be absurd. According to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, â€Å"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (â€Å"The Constitution†, 2006). This, as were the entire Bill of rights, was added by the founders of the country so as to provide a clearer definition of the specific rights granted to all Americans. Gun control supporters consider the Second Amendment to be â€Å"obsolete; or is intended solely to guard against suppression of state militias by the central government and therefore restricted in scope by that intent; or does not guarantee a right that is absolute, but one that can be limited by reasonable requirements† (Krouse, 2002). However, they only question the need for people to own firearms that are not primarily designed for sporting purposes such as hunting. Clearly, the right to own guns was of utmost importance to the Founding fathers given that it was listed second, after the freedom of speech and religion was acknowledged in the First Amendment. The Founders recognized that by ensuring the right to own arms, the public would have the ability to defend themselves from that which may jeopardize their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. This could include physical protection from animals and persons and or from an tyrannical government that endangered the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. â€Å"The Second Amendment reflects the founders’ belief that an armed citizenry, called the ‘general militia’ was a necessary precaution against

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler Since its establishment in 1924, Chrysler has been the leading automobile company manufacturing various motor vehicles such as the Chrysler Six; which was the one of the first modern cars to be built. Chrysler Six was claimed to be the first car scoring several firsts, for instance, oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four wheeled hydraulic brakes and other such tech parts. Chrysler took over its competitor, American Motors Corporations in 1987. This was one of its initial mergers and acquisitions that placed Chrysler on the third position of United States auto manufacturers. On the 12th of January 1998, Chrysler Corporation merged with the German company, Daimler. In the period leading up to the merger, both companies were experiencing high profit growths. Daimler admired Chryslers entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking while Chrysler respected the methodological engineering and technical capabilities of Daimler. The two companies were interested in a merger as it would complement their capabilities and resources which would produce greater profits. The merger was touted as a corporate merger of equals and held high expectations among all stakeholders of the organizations (Darling, Seristo, Gabrielsson, 2005). Soon after the merger, both subgroups experienced various conflicts due to different national and corporate cultures, business practices, management and leadership styles and inefficient communication networks. Negotiations between senior leaders frizzled and led to the lay-off of then Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton. Due to the lack of management support, communication and the eventual domination of Daimlers culture over Chryslers, key executives who had been credited with Chryslers success in the 1990s left the organization. This resulted in a management brain drain which evolved into a crisis situation for DaimlerChrysler. Subsequently, an organizational restructuring, production cutbacks and cost cutting measures were announced. However, it was unable to resolve the crisis and thus faced huge losses which eventually resulted in a merger failure. Chrysler dropped from its third position in the United States automobiles chart when it went through a merger with Daimler-Benz. Although it was a merger of equals, it was soon overridden by Daimler-Benz due to Globalization, Classical Approaches, Systems Approaches, Management Styles, Leadership Processes as well as Culture. Soon it was realised that Daimler and Chrysler could not function successfully, and thus in 2009 DaimlerChrysler filed for bankruptcy which left a mark on the history of United States automobiles. The main focus of our report will centre on Chrysler, throughout the period before and during its merger with Daimler, and how internal and external factors affected its operations. GLOBALIZATION When Chrysler first started out, it scored several firsts in the industry such as an oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, and other advanced Chrysler parts. As the company progressed on, it went through several disturbances in its environment continuing into its merger with Daimler. Globalization started taking its toll on Chrysler.Globalization, according to Miller, K. (2009), is the improvement of transportation and telecommunications system making our world, both on a personal and organizational level ever more connected, efficient and interconnected towards a more global economy (p. 2). Chrysler embarked on its journey of manufacturing efficient automobiles through various improvements such as significantly expanding the electronics and computer content on vehicles, with applications ranging from power train controls for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, to enhanced safety systems and chassis controls and to on-board communication systems. Moving on in the years, Chrysler developed vehicles using outdated and expensive structures even as its sales and resources shrinked. Since Chryslers business was heavily weighted to North America, this made the organisation more vulnerable to local economic fluctuations and less able to take advantage of developing markets, as stated by the New York Times. Climate change also made an impact on Chrysler. As Stephen J. G. said, The decision to drive cars long distances to work was common among people in North America and Europe in the past 60 years. Cities grew larger. The development of suburbs often placed homes far from work places; massive road construction encouraged extravagant car useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Driving a car is the most air polluting act an average citizen commits. Chrysler produced auto vehicles that were manufactured without any consideration to its environment. Stephen J. G. (2008), said that Chrysler faced criticisms for their larger vehicles as they were exploiting the innate human tendency to seek domination over othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Bigger is better. However, in 2009, due to climate change, Chrysler changed their tactics, targeting buyers with their higher fuel efficiency and smaller automobiles. Soon after, Chrysler came up with a Hybrid car which boasted fuel efficiency. Chrysler is further expanding on this idea by following it through till 2011 by making new models of the car but using the same technology, for instance, the electric vehicle Dodge Ev. We can view Chrysler in two different views, namely the Utopian view and the Dystopian view. For the Utopian view, we know that Chrysler will continue to change along with globalization and expand its horizons further than North America. It can also adapt with other cultures and societies by learning from its past and bringing it forward to use it in its future. Despite several downfalls, Chrysler always manages to pick itself up and survive through mergers, with Daimler in 1998 and Fiat in 2009. In terms of the dystopian view, clearly, due to its several changes, Chrysler is losing its original organizational structure. Chrysler is maintaining its image by retaining the Chrysler logo for its automobiles despite merging with various other organizations. Nevertheless, even though Chrysler has worked hard to preserve its external image, it has undeniably lost its charm to potential buyers and its customer base. SYSTEMS APPROACHES During the period of cultural change in the 1990s, Chrysler made some improvements to its organizational system. It increased the involvement of people in its operations which improved the permeability of its operations with its suppliers and customers. Before the merger with Daimler, Chryslers management had allowed permeability in its operations in which there was a two way communication between Chrysler and its customers through feedback and information flows. Recognizing the importance of receiving information from customers for improving their focus on development, Chryslers system processes utilized positive, growth and deviation amplifying feedback. In which, customers were requested to provide feedback about their products. Through processing these inputs from customers and workers, Chrysler modified its products to achieve higher profits (Zatz, 1994). In addition, Chrysler improved its system properties namely, holism and negative entropy. The CEO, designers and assembly line workers held meetings together to create and gather information and ideas. This resulted in the creation of successful products by the company (Zatz, 1994). This shows the property of holism where the end product achieved was greater in value than what the employees could have created individually. Chrysler also practiced negative entropy as it valued customers feedback and provided information of its operations to the public. However, after the merger with Daimler, Chryslers existing organizational system processes and properties were replaced by the dominant Daimlers system. This resulted in organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs. The loss of Chryslers successful system resulted in high losses for DaimlerChrysler (Darling et al, 2005). The merger also brought about a high level of uncertainty among employees of Chrysler. According to Cervone, T (2009), communication was an area where DaimlerChrysler fell apart, because there were differences about what needed to be communicated and how to communicate. Daimlers style of communication was solely top-down management communication. However, Chrysler used a more in-depth and extensive communication network with its employees. Therefore as employees were unable to receive important information after the merger, equivocality was high among employees of Chrysler. This was due to the different enactments by employees which created multiple informational environments due to the limited information received in the communication networks. Karl Weicks Theory of Organizing states that reducing equivocality is central to the process of organizing in an organization. It also states that through the use of assembly rules and communication cycles, equivocality should be resolved. In the case of DaimlerChrysler, no effort was made to reduce equivocality and this eventually resulted in the departure of key executives of the organization, creating huge losses for the merger (Darling et al, 2005). The period of merger was a time of uncertainty, disorder and constant conflicts among employees of Daimler and Chrysler. There were various conflicts that stemmed from a vast difference in national and corporate cultures, conflicts on compensation as well as travel expenses. Failure to integrate or assimilate the organizational practices and cultures of both companies created disorder in the merger. Furthermore, the period after Chryslers CEO was fired by Daimler due to differences and the subsequent domination of Daimlers management, pulled Chryslers employees further into disorder (Darling et al, 2005). The New Science Systems Theory states that when systems are at the edge of chaos, order can emerge from disorder. It emphasizes the importance of relationships and being open to information to create new and innovative organizational processes. The high level of disorder present in the merger could have been advantageously used by the management of DaimlerChrysler to create a sustainable and innovative new system. However, as there were problems in the management itself and a lack of information flow and disharmony among employees in the organization, this opportunity was lost to DaimlerChrysler. CLASSICAL APPROACHES As with most German companies, Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality. There was a high emphasis placed on the respect that junior workers had to show those higher up in the hierarchy, and it was expected of workers to take extreme care not to make mistakes when names and titles were concerned. Chrysler, being an American company, was practically the complete opposite of this. There was very little emphasis placed on hierarchies within the company, and the management encouraged a very comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Many a time, mid-level executives could make decisions without fear of negative repercussions from higher-ups. In fact, it was this spontaneity and risk-taking attitude that Chryslers success was partially attributed to. (Vance Paik, 2006.) Upon the merger of the two companies, the actions of Daimler-side co-chairman Schrempp made it clear that despite touting the merge as a marriage of equals, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The Chrysler executives were used to ensuring that their opinions were heard by the rest of the board, no matter what their level was in the corporate hierarchy. This style of communication was unheard of in German companies, and Schrempp felt so threatened by this openness that he removed them from the company to preserve his position and power. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) Schrempp also axed some individuals from the post-merger management board, and a large majority of those fired hailed from the Chrysler division. Communications-wise, we can see that Daimler favored a top-down, formal style of communication within the company as seen from their strict hierarchy and style of decision-making. Chrysler, on the other hand, preferred to encourage an open floor of discussion, allowing as many employees as possible to participate and took their input into consideration. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was that of being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. (Vance Paik, 2006.) In Daimler-Benz, all decisions were made by a board of management executives in the main headquarters in Germany. Those in the lower levels of management had no power in making decisions, as everything would first have to be put past those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy. This cost the company their stability in the time period immediately after the merger, where many problems had the tendency to occur. Despite Chryslers executives being those who were used to making decisions on their own, without having to go through higher levels of authority, they were unable to make any quick decisions which might have saved the company due to Daimlers insistence on forcing them to adopt German style of decision making, which was an arduous, intricate process, and thus took a very long time. Although Frederick Taylors theory of Scientific Management offers that there is only one best way to accomplish any task, the case of DaimlerChryslers failed merger shows that this is not necessarily so there are situations which call for spontaneous, quick thinking as well. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) The reason for Chryslers apparent assimilation into Daimler, as opposed to there being a stabilized platform of equals between the two, was made clear by the remark passed by Schrempp in an interview conducted in October 2000. In it, it was insinuated that the German co-chairman had intended for it to be an acquisition of Chrysler instead of a merger of equals from the very beginning. This was ironically the exact same view that Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton had rejected so vehemently. It is then easy to see exactly why such a large majority of the Chrysler executives (about two thirds) had been either fired or left the company and replaced by managers from the Daimler corporate grid (Darling et al., 2005). DaimlerChryslers Hierarchy MANAGEMENT STYLE Despite many labelling the merger of DaimlerChrysler as the deal of the century (Keegan, 2005) where the merger of equals would bring out the best of both organisations, DaimlerChrysler went under major crisis after their merger. According to Darling, Seristo and Gabrielsson (2005), crisis is defined to be situations that interrupt an organisations usual activity and process (pp. 346-347). Crisis occurred within the newly merged company due to a few reasons; Firstly, the merger of Daimler and Chrysler resulted in irreconcilable differences in its managerial and leaderships styles. Managerial-leadership, or the lack of it, makes or breaks an organisation in times of crisis. According to Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid, Chryslers management belonged to the Country club style of management, where organisational leaders exhibited a high concern for its people as compared to the low concern for production. Chrysler, being an American based company, had its managers concentrating efforts on the establishment of a pleasant workplace with friendly and comfortable human relations. On the other hand, Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management. As quoted from Daimlers Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Daimler systematically train [their] employees so that every one of them clearly understands that compliance is not optional its an integral element of [their] corporate culture (2009), which is characterised as high concern for production and low concern for people. The organisations main objective would be to ensure that its managers focus on arrangements of components in the workplace to maximize efficiency and attain goals. Hence, unlike the American based Chrysler, German Daimler management had little concern for human needs. According to Darling et al. (2005), The DaimlerChrysler merger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was not an ordinary merger. This merger had embedded within it the existence of two very strong yet different organizational cultures that were expected to become integrated to facilitate achievement of the goals and objectives of the merged cross-cultural global enterprise. Failure to successfully integrate the two cultures gave rise to a crisis that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ threaten[ed] the existence of DaimlerChrysler. As there was no clear distinction of a culture after the merger, employees from both companies encountered various intergroup conflicts. These conflicts escalated during the interactions of these now interdependent sub bodies of an organisation that lived in mistrust and continued to perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, each perceiving the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals. Both companies failed to drop their existing organizational culture and find a shared direction or vision. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust between the two subgroups, as could be seen from how Daimler and Chrysler both openly showed their conflict. They failed to reach a compromise, much less a collaboration to solve the differences to resolve the conflict. Many later commented that the DaimlerChrysler merger was nothing more than an outright acquisition of Chrysler by the German automaker (Keegan, 2005). American President of Chrysler group Jim Holden, together with the management, was eventually replaced by Zetsche and the German management from Daimler, who tries to instil the German practice on the American organisation, hence causing the organisational culture of Chrysler to be dominated by the Daimler management. As the merged organisation fought to survive in the highly competitive manufacturing sector, they adopted the Likerts System I due to the Blake and Moutons Authority-Compliance leadership style, the exploitative authoritative organisation, which is characterised by motivation through downward communication, top-level decision making, the giving of orders, and top level control. Although the strict hierarchical regime might have worked with the German Daimler, it only served as a harsh culture shock to American based Chrysler. Chrysler and Daimler succeeded on their own because of their unique features. Merging without collaboration simply meant that their uniqueness had to be sacrificed, hence causing them to lose their edge in the market. LEADERSHIP PROCESSES After the merger of DaimlerChrysler both subgroups experienced a high level of change. Many problems surfaced during the organizational change process. Firstly there was a lack of management support by Daimler and Chryslers management. According to Darling et al. (2005), Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton who was in charge of the integration of the two companies, lacked the leadership skills or political savvy needed to help the new entity develop a unique culture that represented the best of both worlds. Secondly there was inconsistent action on the part of the management on both sides. Daimler-Benz and Chrysler both had extremely different styles of management and corporate culture. As a result, both companies experienced clashes in operational practices during and after the merger, which quickly escalated in intensity and frequency to the point where the merged company found itself entering a state of crisis (Darling et al, 2005). The leaders of DaimlerChrysler were thus unable to form a clear management vision to be shared with others in the organization. Ownership tension, characterized in this case by these two issues, hampered the successful implementation change efforts and subsequently resulted in a failed merger. In addition, communication between the two subgroups was poor. Daimler practiced an autocratic top down communication style, while Chrysler used an in depth and extensive communication style (Cervone, 2010). As the cultures and communication networks of the two subgroups were not assimilated, there was no clear communication network to both subgroups. Also there were differences about what needed to be communicated. This resulted in uncertainty and anxiety among all organizational members. Despite the multitude of problems experienced by DaimlerChrysler, during the change process, there was no clear effort by the leaders to successfully implement the change process by providing effective management support and reducing uncertainty for organizational members. These problems escalated and subsequently became one of the main factors that caused the merger failure. CULTURE In the early 1990s, Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Its relationships with its customers and various stakeholders deteriorated. These problems adversely affected the companys profits (Zatz, 1994). In order to boost its falling profits, Chrysler made efforts to create a strong organizational culture that increased individual and organizational performance to greater levels. Chrysler began by revamping its core assumption of innovation with a multitude of effective values. These values supported individual participation, growth and improvement in processes which resulted in an overall increase in organizational performance. They are also described as themes for excellent cultures by Peter and Waterman. The values Chrysler incorporated are; the involvement of people in which ideas were solicited from suppliers, customers wants and needs were collated via customer feedback, assembly line workers were included in the planning process and mechanics were consulted early in the process. The value of learning or the Hands-on, value driven theme in which members actively took part in the analysis of past mistakes and achievements in order to improve their overall processes was implemented. In addition the value of quality was created. Chrysler had in place a product quality improvement partnership program to improve quality by increasing teamwork. This is similar to the theme of Simultaneous loose-tight properties as employees exhibited a unity of purpose of achieving quality through diversity in the form of teamwork. The program was a success as it produced the 1966 Grand Cherokee and Chrysler PT cruiser which consistently appeared at the top of the quality charts (Zatz, 1994). These values were encouraged by top management and in time, supported by all employees. This form of synergy was represented in the organizations behaviours and artefacts. Chrysler adopted a participative decision making style, practised wide communication on all networks, implemented low power distance which resulted in a freewheeling open culture that was indifferent to positions or hierarchy. Chryslers Onion Model in the 1990s In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler. The merger was touted as the merger of equals. However, Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures during merger negotiations. This led to conflicting corporate cultures, unresolved problems and ultimately a failed merger (Darling et al, 2005). The German culture of Daimler-Benz was generally less individualistic then Americans. They were uncomfortable with anxiety and ambiguity, practised indirectness in communication and gave respect for title, age and background. While, Daimlers culture consisted of an autocratic leadership style, top- down management and limited involvement of employees. Daimler was characterized as being conservative, efficient and safe. This collided with Chryslers values and opposed its American values of a free-wheeling and open culture. They were characterized as being risk-taking and innovative. Therefore, misunderstandings soon occurred due to the differences in their communication styles, planning and decision-making processes and leadership styles (Darling et al, 2005). During the merger, there were long heated discussions between the CEOs of Daimler and Chrysler about the differences in their corporate cultures and behavioural traits. They recognized the differences but were unsure of how to assimilate the cultures. Finally, they decided that if the differences were far apart, they would pick a spot in the middle and they would merge (Cervone, 2010). By doing so, the CEOs failed to recognize that organizational cultures are often ambiguous. There are potentially multiple manifestations to a corporate culture which are diverse and dynamic. Thus, picking a spot in the middle of two different cultures will not create an effective culture for DaimlerChrysler. Also, organizational cultures are not unitary. It is impossible to characterize an organization as having a single culture as there are multitudes of subcultures existing in conflict or harmony with one another. As such, the CEOs decision to pick a culture that is midway between their cultures will not result in success. This would fail to recognize the subcultures within the organization that largely impacts its behaviours and decisions. In addition, organizational cultures are complicated. Integrating two independent companies with divergent cultures into one cohesive organization is a major undertaking (Zatz, 1994). Simply picking a culture will not create a sustainable culture for DaimlerChrysler. This objectifies culture by simplifying it and de-emphasizing the complex processes via which organizational culture is created and sustained. Culture is in actuality pervasive and it affects the everyday business of the firm (Weber, Camerer, 2003). Thus, more effort is needed to collaborate both cultures. The leaders should create joint basic assumptions and related values for the organization. This would create a shared meaning among all employees and subcultures which would in turn create similar behavioural traits. This level of synergy in cultures will result in success for DaimlerChrysler. Furthermore, organizational cultures are emergent. It is a product of constant interrelationships between organizational members in different contexts and settings. After the merger, cultural workshops were put in place to integrate both subgroups of the company. These workshops were not supported by both members and thus failed. Subsequently, no other efforts were made by the management to integrate the members. As no clear distinction of a culture was made, Daimlers culture grew to be more dominant and oppressing to employees of Chrysler. Employees became increasingly dissatisfied and there were constant cultural collisions in the interrelationships between Daimler and Chryslers employees. This led to the departure of key Chrysler executives who had led the company to success in its domestic and international markets for creativity, efficiency and profitability. As a result, the companies faced huge losses (Zatz, 1994). This situation could have been avoided by integrating employees of both corporations. By creating opportunities for employees to interact in settings such as orientation of members to the newly merged company, company events, department dinners or joint work teams, would have increased familiarity and created cohesive relationships between employees. Also, communication networks should be expanded and fully utilized to disseminate information during the merger in order to reduce uncertainty and increase support of the merger. These methods would have allowed a cohesive culture among members of both companies to emerge over time. CONCLUSION Why was Chrysler a success? Chrysler initially pioneered several automobile parts, making it more accepted in the automobile market. After being criticised for not being environmentally friendly, Chrysler replied to the criticisms by introducing a new line of automobiles such as Hybrid cars and electric cars in the Dodge EV series and brought the brand back into demand. Why was DaimlerChrysler a failure? The merger of Daimler and Chrysler did not thrive as many people had predicted. It would have became the collaboration of the century if only they had managed to solve the problems that occurred within the newly formed DaimlerChrysler. The issues they faced were: There were problems with the organizational system processes of the newly merged organization. Chrysler, on its own, constantly strived to improve its system properties, for instance, holism and negative entropy. However after it was merged with Daimler, they went under organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs resulting in a high level of uncertainty among employees due to limited information received in communication network. Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality, while Chrysler placed very little emphasis on hierarchies within the company. Furthermore, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was them being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. The lack of a suitable managerial-leadership also caused a crisis. Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management over Chryslers style of management of the Country club. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust when they failed to even reach a compromise to resolve their conflict. Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures and assimilate them during merger negotiations, thus causing DaimlerChrysler to lose its edge in the market, which ultimately led to a failed merger. What they should have done to solve the problems? During the negotiations prior to the merger, leaders of Daimler and Chrysler should have identified the vast differences in the national and corporate cultures of both companies. As both of the companies merged to complement their capabilities and resources, the domination and oppression of Daimlers culture over Chrysler adversely affected the merger. Chrysler experienced a loss of culture and an erosion of its successful values which reduced its overall capability. Therefore, the leaders of DaimlerChrysler should have exhibited cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to facilitate the growth of a cohesive culture. Through the collaboration of shared meanings and values, DaimlerChrysler would have created a successful merger. What happened to Chrysler in the end? Chryslers sales tumbled 30 percent in 2008 and it ended the year with only $2 billion in cash and reliant on a government bailout to keep it afloat. After which Fiat took an interest in Chrysler after thorough research of whether it will have minimal downside and be profitable. As JP Morgans analyst Himanshu Patel said, the merger for both Fiat and Chrysler could help the U.S. automaker secure another round of bailout funds. This is a strategic alliance, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer with Solaris Asset Management in New York By Gilles Castonguay and Poornima Gupta We hope that Chrys

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Sherman Alexie Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Sherman Alexie The odds were against Sherman Alexie on that day in October 1966. Not only was he born a minority, but he was also hydrocephalic. At the age of 6 months, he had a brain operation, but was not expected to live. Though he pulled through, doctors predicted he would be severely mentally retarded. Fortunately, they were wrong, but he did suffer through seizures and wet his bed throughout his childhood ("What" 1). Rather than being called "Native American," which he feels is a "guilty white liberal term," he prefers to be called Indian. He is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, in fact, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. To avoid being picked on by the other reservation kids, he spent most of his time indoors, where he developed a love for reading. But as he grew older, alcoholism, which plagues most reservations, found its way to Alexie, and he suffered this disease for five years until he became sober at 23 ("What" 1). He graduated high school with honors and originally planned to become a doctor until a fainting episode in a Human Anatomy class changed his mind. He attended Gonzaga University on scholarship and graduated in American Studies from Washington State. He then received two consecutive Fellowships in 1991 and 1992, and shortly thereafter wrote six poetry and poem/short story books. Two of these, The Business of Fancy Dancing and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, earned him literary awards (What" 1). By 1998, his list of accomplishments grew to include Reservation Blues (1995), which earned him Granta’s Best of Young Novelists, the Before Columbus Foundations Book Award, and the Murray Morgan Prize. Indian Killer (1996), his second novel, was The New Yo... ... reders in and keep them turning pages. He writes so visually that they feel they are actually there with the other characters. But most importantly, his stories make them think, not only about the characters and what is happening to them in the stories, but also about themselves and the world in which they live. His fiction echoes Chinua Achebe’s idea that the strong must listen to the weak. They are stronger in number only, which doesn’t make them right. Those who are outnumbered, the weak so to speak, have something to say. They have a voice that deserves to be heard. Alexie has a powerful voice, and it would do us all good to listen. Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York: Harper Perennial , 1994. "What it Means to be Sherman Alexie". The Official Sherman Alexie Site. Online. America Online. 8 April 1999.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Marketing Qantas

The report discuss all the crucial information on Qantas Airways Limited required for business and competitor intelligence needs and contain a study of the major internal and external factors affecting Qantas Airways in the form of SWOT and PESTEL analysis as well as a breakdown . And examination of leading product revenue streams of Qantas Airways. Data is supplemented with details on Qantas Airways history, key executives and business description, location and subsidiaries as well as a list of products, services and the latest available statements from Qantas Airways Limited.To undertake the report, primary/qualitative (Qantas Web site) and secondary/quantitative (Internet journals, reports and news) data was collected. The oil market is going through dramatic shifts in regional demand and supply balances. In 2012 the influence of OPEC and strong demand from the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, and Chinese (BRIC) economies prevented a decline in price (IATA, 2014, p. 12). This can be se en as a major factor affecting Qantas International’s profitability. With socio political factors in Middle East and North Africa may have low potential impact on the growth of aviation business.Aviation Industry’s growth was always linked to technology. New developments in this front are gathering pace and will continue to influence future dynamics of the industry. New trends in aircraft technology will continue to influence the delivery. Aviation Industry continues to make progress in the area of environmental protection where new aircraft models are designed to cut back emissions and to improve efficiency. On the legal front, industry continues to achieve harmonized legal framework for aviation industry. 2. Qantas International –Important Macro environmental factors2.  1 Crude Oil PricesAviation fuel process follows trends in crude oil prices. One of the most important macroeconomic factors affecting Qantas International Operations and profitability will be fuel prices. Looking at the latest financial statements (Fig 2) it is obvious that fuel contributes to the expenses in a large scale. Thus any changes in fuel prices are going to affect the bottom-line. As mentioned in the PEST Analysis in the previous section, crude oil prices maintained position preventing a decline in fuel oil prices. Source: Qantas Group Annual Report 2013Fig. 2 2.2Technology Technology will be one of the important macroeconomic factors which will be driving Qantas International’s transformation. Qantas group will continue its investments in new aircraft technology, customer experience technology, training, customer service etc. Emerging technologies like New Distribution capabilities (NDC) are going to transform customer shopping experience. Technology will continue to impact following areas of the business†¢Aircraft Design ( Fuel efficient designs, reduced carbon footprint)†¢Customer Experience †¢Ground Handling†¢Customer shopping e xperience Marketing Qantas The report discuss all the crucial information on Qantas Airways Limited required for business and competitor intelligence needs and contain a study of the major internal and external factors affecting Qantas Airways in the form of SWOT and PESTEL analysis as well as a breakdown . And examination of leading product revenue streams of Qantas Airways. Data is supplemented with details on Qantas Airways history, key executives and business description, location and subsidiaries as well as a list of products, services and the latest available statements from Qantas Airways Limited. To undertake the report, primary/qualitative (Qantas Web site) and secondary/quantitative (Internet journals, reports and news) data was collected. The oil market is going through dramatic shifts in regional demand and supply balances. In 2012 the influence of OPEC and strong demand from the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, and Chinese (BRIC) economies prevented a decline in price (IATA, 2014, p. 12). This can be s een as a major factor affecting Qantas International’s profitability. With socio political factors in Middle East and North Africa may have low potential impact on the growth of aviation business. Aviation Industry’s growth was always linked to technology.New developments in this front are gathering pace and will continue to influence future dynamics of the industry. New trends in aircraft technology will continue to influence the delivery. Aviation Industry continues to make progress in the area of environmental protection where new aircraft models are designed to cut back emissions and to improve efficiency. On the legal front, industry continues to achieve harmonized legal framework for aviation industry.2.Qantas International –Important Macro environmental factors2.1 Crude Oil PricesAviation fuel process follows trends in crude oil prices. One of the most important macroeconomic factors affecting Qantas International Operations and profitability will be fuel prices. Looking at the latest financial statements (Fig 2) it is obvious that fuel contributes to the expenses in a large scale. Thus any changes in fuel prices are going to affect the bottom-line. As mentioned in the PEST Analysis in the previous section, crude oil prices maintained position preventing a decline in fuel oil  prices.Source: Qantas Group Annual Report 2013Technology will be one of the important macroeconomic factors which will be driving Qantas International’s transformation. Qantas group will continue its investments in new aircraft technology, customer experience technology, training, customer service etc. Emerging technologies like New Distribution capabilities (NDC) are going to transform customer shopping experience. Technology will continue to impact following areas of the business†¢Aircraft Design ( Fuel efficient designs, reduced carbon footprint) †¢Customer Experience †¢Ground Handling †¢Customer shopping experience

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Laziness caused by Technology

More and more in this time, all I can see is people being lazy. Children do not want to play outside. Instead of playing outside children sit inside all day playing on their videogame systems, tablets, computers, and phones. Adults are just as bad sitting around glued to whatever tech toy they have. Technology is making people lazy. People hardly have to leave their homes to do anything anymore. Technology has made it so easy for people to get virtually anything and everything they could possibly want or need at the touch of a few buttons. No longer do people have to walk around a store and haul their own things in and out of their cars. All people have to do is go online and those things will be delivered right to their front door. When people do leave their homes to go to work, a lot of them are going to jobs where they sit behind computers all day. Even students staring in elementary school do a lot of school work, tests, and school projects behind a computer or tablet now. Many college students are picking careers to do with technology and can even get their education all online. Don’t get me wrong, technology is not all bad. Technology has helped our culture in the fields of medicine and science greatly, but our society is letting technology take over. People are not being active enough anymore. Laziness is spreading like a disease. Being so lazy and depending so much on technology is causing health issues of its own. Technology is ok in moderation. People need to stop letting technology take over their lives. Sitting at home in their pajamas ordering what they want and need instead of getting out and being active is just plain lazy. With everything so readily available with a few clicks of a button technology is winning. Technology is definitely making people lazy.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Analogous Structures in Evolution

Analogous Structures in Evolution There are many types of evidence supporting evolution, including studies in the molecular biology field, such as DNA, and in the developmental biology field. However, the most commonly used types of evidence for evolution are anatomical comparisons between species. While homologous structures show how similar species have changed from their ancient ancestors, analogous structures show how different species have evolved to become more similar. Speciation Speciation is the change over time of one species into a new species. Why would different species become more similar? Usually, the cause of convergent evolution is similar selection pressures in the environment. In other words, the environments in which the two different species live are similar and those species need to fill the same niche in different areas around the world. Since natural selection works the same way in these environments, the same types of adaptations are favorable, and individuals with favorable adaptations survive long enough to pass down their genes to their offspring. This continues until only individuals with favorable adaptations are left in the population. Sometimes, these types of adaptations can change the structure of the individual. Body parts can be gained, lost, or rearranged depending on whether their function is the same as the original function of that part. This can lead to analogous structures in different species that occupy the same type of niche and environment in different locations. Taxonomy When Carolus Linnaeus first began classifying and naming species with taxonomy, the science of classification, he often grouped similar-looking species into similar groups. This led to incorrect groupings compared to evolutionary origins of the species. Just because species look or behave the same doesnt mean they are closely related. Analogous structures dont have to share the same evolutionary path. One analogous structure might have come into existence long ago, while the analogous match on another species may be relatively new. They may go through different developmental and functional stages before they are fully alike. Analogous structures are not necessarily evidence that two species came from a common ancestor. It is more likely they came from two separate branches of the phylogenetic tree and may not be closely related at all. Examples The human eye is very similar in structure to the eye of the octopus. In fact, the octopus eye is superior to the humans in that it doesnt have a blind spot. Structurally, that is the only difference between the eyes. However, the octopus and the human are not closely related and reside far from each other on the phylogenetic tree of life. Wings are a popular adaptation for many animals. Bats, birds, insects, and pterosaurs all had wings. But a bat is more closely related to a human than to a bird or an insect based on homologous structures. Even though all these species have wings and can fly, they are very different in other ways. They just happen to fill the flying niche in their locations. Sharks and dolphins look very similar due to color, placement of their fins, and overall body shape. However, sharks are fish and dolphins are mammals. This means that dolphins are more closely related to rats than they are sharks on the evolutionary scale. Other types of evolutionary evidence, such as DNA similarities, have proved this. It takes more than appearance to determine which species are closely related and which have evolved from different ancestors to become more similar through their analogous structures. However, analogous structures themselves are evidence for the theory of natural selection and the accumulation of adaptations over time.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Burj Khalifa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Burj Khalifa - Assignment Example From the outset, we decided a leader and set about delegating tasks and dividing labor to be more productive (Murphy, pg.12). Someone was assigned to draw the schematic that we were to follow. Another pair was assigned to make the measurements and do the adequate research to ensure accurate replication. Moreover, assignments were made to ensure that there were a few people that were dedicated solely to the actual building of the tower, while someone was delegated the task of painting the tower, and finally, the most diligent of us all was selected to make final measurements and check to see whether everything has been up to par. Delegation of tasks really helped us save time, while allow each individual to focus on one task, making the whole project efficiently done throughout (Lussier & Achua, pg. 194). We started by drawing out a schematic picture of the tower, as we wanted to build it. This stage involved a lot of work as every line and angle had to be accurately drawn, as it woul d be the blue print we would be working against. Pictures of the tower were downloaded, and much research was done to get the images of the inside of the tower, with its floors, ceilings, and curvatures. Those of our team that were the best with a pencil got to work, and drew a good, detailed and revealing picture of the tower, with exact dimensions and angles. ... We used rulers, setsquares, and many protractors while building the erect tower. The base of the hotel was built using plaster of Paris hard clay that was left to dry overnight to give the model a hard, sturdy texture. The plaster was shaped into the curved "sail" that the hotel is often compared to by building it upright by adding layer upon layer of the plaster and making minute changes as it grew taller and took on its final shape. The final, top most portion of the tower, which was pointy was the hardest bit, and was made using a blade and a softer plaster to allow for finesse that is more delicate. Finally, after leaving the figure to dry, the rough edges of the top layer of the tower were scraped off with a blade, leaving a smooth, tall tower behind, that appeared majestic, even without being coloured into. Once the base of the tower and the building itself had been made, the painter got to work by painting the tower, adding details such as windows and lights that gave the towe r a realistic look. To ensure the colors were close to the actual building, we used color charts and different shades of paint. Finally, last measurements were made using the finest of rulers and vernier calipers to check whether the plan was adequately followed, and that the tower was really a miniature version of the hotel we had set out to replicate. Even though this was a very hard project, we were pleased with what we had achieved, although it was not without challenges. For example, during our planning stages we had not allowed enough time for the Plaster to dry up and harden, and so, once we continued to mold it after letting it stand for a few hours, we felt it give.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Website evaluation for a destination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Website evaluation for a destination - Essay Example The font size and color combination was not so good. Here we can have a same theme of heading. Each heading in the webpage has different color that gives the feeing of distraction to the users. 14 Acceding to most of the questionnaire respondents the website navigation is good. In this web site we have a clear view of our presence in the website. Here we have proper and functional hyperlinks that offer us the capability to navigate through the whole website in an effective way. 14 Web based information platforms are aimed at offering the people valuable information about the relevant area or subject. The human computer based analysis offers the capability to weigh up and assess these systems working and performance regarding their interaction to users. This research and analysis based report will also offer deep and comprehensive overview of the website evaluation through the human computer interaction rules. This website is an E-Tourism website that belongs to Bangladesh. It is an official website of Bangladesh Government for tourism and its online address is: www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd. The main intention of this research is to evaluate this website regarding its design, content, usability and interactivity for the better and effective system development that can effectively interact with its audience. The subject of Human–computer interaction deals with the analysis of the interaction among people and computer. In this paradigm we analyze how we can build a system (web site) that is able to offer better support and facility during the usage of system. This subject investigates the user psychology, behaviors and develops the system or designs the web site that is capable to meet the user expectations regarding system working. Website evaluation for better design, content, usability and interactivity is main area that developer needs to address while developing a web site for the user. Human computer interaction rules based evaluation process is