Communications: The Mechanistic Perspective Essay

‘Communication — – the process of transmitting and receiving ideas, information, and messages. The rapid transmission of information over long distances and ready access to information have become conspicuous and important features of human society, especially in the past 150 years.’ The encyclopedia definition of communication encompasses the ideas of exchanging a variety of messages with others. This is important to remember when looking at communications within an organization. The whole process of communications within organizations is very complex and is certainly one of the major factors in determining whether an organization will succeed or not. The following paper deals with the different types, influences and improvements within the realm of communications in organizations. Ways of conceptualizing communications It is necessary to look at the problem from many viewpoints to understand how communications are performed within an organization. These include psychological, systems-interaction, interpretive-symbolic, and mechanistic. All of these areas are very important to understand the ‘whole picture,’ but the focus of this paper will be in the mechanistic perspective. Mechanistic Perspective Information within an organization determines their ability to make informed decisions and the effectiveness of those decisions is based on the way they communicate. This mechanistic perspective on communications deals entirely with the message, the medium and factors that aid or detract from the process. In this model, communication is initiated by the sender through to the receiver. Each process is then broken down into bits of data that can be analyzed. The areas of importance are the ways in which the sender and receiver utilize perceptive processes to encode and decode the messages and  the fact that noise is in the system. Any message from a sender to a receiver would convey exactly what the meaning is intended in a perfect world. It is very important that the sender says exactly what they are trying to say and the receiver knows exactly what the sender is saying. The following example illustrates this point: Clear and concise is what is desired within a ship building contract. If the contract does not describe ‘exactly’ what is required, the contractor can get extra money for including those ‘extras’ during the building stages. The Irving led Saint John Shipbuilding organization has made much more than their original contract for building the Canadian Patrol Frigates due to these ‘arisings.’ It was even suggested that this was part of their contract plan from the beginning. In analyzing this situation, it was very difficult for the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to ask for everything because of the complexity of the contract, the number of personnel on the contract writing team, and the fact that many iterations were required for DND and parliament prior to letting the contract. In fact, the writing was started ten years prior to the contract being let, so technology had changed many of the basic assumptions about the type of work to be done. Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications Inherent to transmission of messages are the verbal and non-verbal cues which aid in helping to decode a message. Verbal cues are dependent on language. Nuances intrinsic to a language can make the decoding difficult if not impossible even by someone who uses the same language. This may be a local dialect or cross-country differences. Examples of cross-country differences would be English from England, Canada, and the United States. Each is the same language, but each has separate nuances that can make it very difficult to decipher by someone from another country speaking the same language. A personal example is asking for a washroom in Southampton, England, at a train station and being told that they did not have one. The word that I should have used was ‘toilet.’  Dialects within a country can make it impossible to understand the original message. Another personal example is attempting to decipher someone from northwestern Newfoundland; their dialect made it virtually impossible to understand. The point is to utilize the best transmission method in order to minimize the decoding difficulty for the receiver. Non-verbal cues are ‘those expressions of emotions and attitudes toward another person and in regulating the interaction between people.’ The text organizes the cues into seven categories and includes good examples, including: environment, proximity, posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye behavior and vocalics. One area missing within communications chapter was what the person is wearing, but was included in chapter 6, perception and performance evaluations. Many books advocate ‘dressing for success.’ Some examples include shopping, salesperson and the office. If you are going to shop at flea markets, dressing ‘down’ is a good way to start the bargaining process. A car salesperson should dress to show that he is successful, but not ostentatious. In my profession, I dress towards the client based on whether ‘suit and tie’ or ‘casual’ are the choice for the client’s organization. This non-verbal cue can aid in preparing the initial psychological base for the remainder of the conversation and ensure that it does not detract from the conversation while it is ongoing. Influences on Communication Physical and personal factors influence communications. Organizational design influences physical factors, which deals with layout of the office, networks for communications, and the media selected for the message. Personal factors include the differences between individual styles, men and women, and cultures. Organizational Design The design of the organization must be based on what the organization is attempting to accomplish. Technology can enable these designs to take on new meanings as methods become available to communicate as never before. The first place to look at is the design of the office. The typical office has space allocated based on position of the employee. A worker may be in a ‘bull pen’ type of environment whereas the president will have a large office to show their particular status. Two personal examples include the Ship Repair Unit and Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group. Each has a typical office layout; the workers are in offices with partitioned walls; managers have outer offices, some with windows; and the general manager has the largest, most pretentious office space. The communications tend to have very structured down and up paths. Methods of communications include computer email, voice mail, and written memos. ‘Most critically, however, the intelligent office building must clearly improve the quality of the workplace for the individual, representing a major philosophical change in the office design. After all, what is the electronically enhanced office intended to facilitate, if not the effectiveness, productivity, and well-being of the worker, and the ultimate effectiveness of the organization.’ Traditional organizational design ideas are being challenged with the concepts of tele-commuting and virtual companies and offices. Technology has enabled us to plug into the office place anywhere in the world utilizing advanced telecommunications and computer advances. Many offices now have flexible office areas for their workers where they can sit down, plug in a laptop and have a phone, desk, and general office requirements available. When they are at their other office locations, they simply plug in to that particular location. All of this is transparent to the sender or receiver of information from that individual. An example is an advertising agency where a friend of mine works for in Toronto which has other offices in New York and Chicago. When he commutes to  these offices, he has all of the these resources available to him. This is transparent to his clients, who just thinks he does a wonderful job from his home office in Toronto. The types of communications are similar, with more emphasis based on digital transmissions (email and voicemail). I utilize voice mail effectively when on a client site by having a location for clients to call in for me and I can vet and prioritize my calls. ‘Employment in the Information Age is undergoing a transformation which may cause as much dislocation as the move from farm to factories did in the 19th century. Studies predict that the ranks of those with alternative office arrangements will grow by 10 percent or more every year during the remainder of the decade.’ The virtual company challenges communications within an organization even greater than present designs. This entity has allowed small organizations to work as effectively through the use of advanced communications and allows larger companies to change the way they do business. Some of the requirements for a company to be effective in virtual space include: robust infrastructure for individual employees, including cellular phone, portable computer with communications; remote managing – how do you know the person is doing their work?; employees must have the correct attributes to make it all work. When it does work, it works very well. The employee is either on a client site or at home and is more effective A personal example is a company in which I was a co-owner. This virtual company was a computer consulting firm specializing in Microsoft Office Integration. We had a management team from within Nova Scotia (5 people), programmers from around North America, and clients from around the world. This organization was difficult to run from the perspective of handing off information and brain-storming, but was very good at allowing each employee to work in their space of choice to increase productivity. The majority of the clients were local; a firm handshake and the ability to look someone in the eye is still stronger than the pen and keyboard. The international clients tended to be software firms who were looking for someone to subcontract a small portion of a project. The reason the business ran  effectively was that the employees were suited to the environment. If the business was not as high tech orientated, I would be reluctant to state that it would work as effectively. The type of design of the organization must be orientated to their mission. As the communication network characteristics shows , the different types of networks are good at some things and poor at others. The tradeoffs are usually flexibility and satisfaction against errors with simple tasks. Risk to human life or catastrophic failure was a point missing in network design. The text makes a number of good points about network design, but did not have an organization with strong lateral dissemination of information. This is important in more and more organizations as downsizing is taking out layers of middle managers, the overall manager cannot control or handle all of the information volume, but the job must still be done. The new managers require a horizontal flow of communications to get their job done. Personal Factors The personal factors within communications are more difficult to define. Consequently, they are also more difficult to improve upon. The text outlines very briefly some of those topic areas, including individual difference, culture differences, and male and female differences. Listening and Responding Noise is another area that inhibits or distorts the transmission of a message. The text deals with ways to be more effective in listening and responding to messages. A way to further analyze the effects of noise and barriers to communications within organizations is to study communications systems utilizing radio frequency (RF) transmissions; they have well documented aspects of noise  which can be analogous to other mediums. Modulation is the technique of employing information (the message) on a carrier signal and sending that signal to the receiver who then decodes it and gets the original transmission. Noise is what distorts that transmission. Different types of modulation techniques are utilized to cut down on the noise inherent to the medium utilized. Analog and digital communications employ all of the different types of modulation. The easiest modulation type (within the electronics) is amplitude modulation (AM) but which has the highest degree of susceptibility to noise. This is based on noise thresholds and the fact that background noise can be so loud that the original message is lost. This is analogous to trying to tell somebody an important message in a busy, noisy room. The background ‘din’ can make the message almost impossible to hear and understand properly. The second technique is frequency modulation (FM) which is more difficult to encode and decode, but is less susceptible to noise. This is because the natural noises the stratosphere produces are not over broad frequency ranges. Phase based modulation employs similar techniques, but uses phase differences to encode the information. This is analogous to listening to FM radio, which is close to what the original sounds like, but still seems weak in comparison to the ‘real thing.’ Digital communications employ the same modulation techniques as analog communications, but have distinct advantages in conveying messages over analog systems. Analog transmissions have no discrete data; it is all based on ramps of information. This would be analogous to the difference between an analog speedometer and a digital one. The analog would give you a continuous representation, but has no distinct breaks; the digital speedometer can only show you discrete amount of speed indications. In a digital system, the discrete data is only ‘on’ or ‘off’. This makes it much easier to distinguish the actual data from the noise because the threshold between the two can be much greater (the terminology used is decibels – the difference between the receiving message and the noise). This discrete data can be manipulated to ensure that the message is correct; this is referred to as error correction. A communications system analogous to this would be downloading information off the Internet and it error-checking at the receiver’s end to ensure the file is correct. The situation analogous to this entire noise discussion is that we would normally write something down if it was critical in order to ensure the information is transmitted correctly (digital systems). If we are not worried about errors in transmission, we will convey our message through speech (analog systems). The other points, including fatigue, time pressure, selective listening, status, value judgments, and source credibility are very good observations on the barriers to messages. An example of using listening and responding within communications was the idea that I based my first company on; producing multimedia applications. What possessed me to orient myself in that direction in 1991 was a statistic from the MIT media lab: 10% of people remember what they hear, 20% remember what they read and 65% remember what they interact with. One area that was missing in the text discussion was that you can get people to remember by interacting with the message. This could be in the form of CD-ROM computer based training, seminar, or one-on-one where the person is forced to think about the information being presented. Application of Communications A good example of multiple types of communications within an organization is within a warship. A personal example is H.M.C.S. Nipigon; a Canadian destroyer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The primary purpose for a destroyer is for a weapons platform in which the Government of Canada can utilize to direct their policy. The organization must be robust enough to handle multiple contingencies, including loss of life, loss of systems, and loss of communications. There is redundancy within departments (supply, engineering, operations) in order  to minimize losing one critical person. Therefore, network design facilitated this by placing the key personnel at different areas in the ship during war time situations.. There are multiple ways to power systems via primary and backup power supplies. Again, to keep communications open within the systems in order to keep the vessel floating and fighting. There are also multiple ways for external and internal communications to occur. The communications control room (CCR) can patch a multitude of apparently dissimilar systems, including telephones, radios, and digital computers. To minimize errors, the organization has a strict hierarchy with instructions as to the types of information to be handled by each person with the organization and how it will be distribu ted. This is related to the network design and the media types for information. The crew will train repeatedly in order to minimize errors. This is related to how to minimize the noise within the system. In this case, the noise would be the amount of information available and the filter would be the voice procedures that personnel must utilize to talk both internally and externally. This is of vital importance if there are situations happening internally, including fires and floods, and externally, including incoming missiles, planes, ships and submarines. The communication does not stop within the ship. Depending on the scenario, it could be a contingency of Canadian warships, NATO warships, or another conglomeration where various platforms. Inputs could be coming from satellites, helicopters, intelligence, other ships, and planes. There are strict communications protocols and transmission types for this exchange of information employing cryptography and error correction in order to minimize the chance for error. Multiple forms of communications are at work in this scenario, but the reason it all works is due to the design of the organization. Critique This chapter on communications dealt primarily with the mechanistic perspective. The other areas are needed to balance this sole focus on linear communications. Within the mechanistic approach, there were some areas which were missing which I deemed vital. These included the network flow of the large horizontal organization, importance of reducing errors in mission  critical processes, and the application of technology. Communications in organizations having large horizontal movement of information is critical to its success. As previously stated, the reduction of errors can be critical to human life and also to the success of an organization. Technology enablers have evolved so quickly that the types of hardware and software the authors talk about have changed. Concurrent engineering is a term used to describe 24 hour production of engineering problems by handing over the problems to destinations throughout the world. Bell Northern Research utilizes this technique to dramatically improve their time to market for products. Not enough research was placed into the way new companies (virtual companies) can communicate more effectively. The world is getting smaller as communications become more effective and this text should reflect more of that type of communication.

International Business – Midterm Review

AFM 333 Midterm Review Module 1: – Fall of Berlin Wall 1989 – Two Trends altering global market: globalization of markets and technological advances – Globalization: interconnectedness of national economies, growing interdependence of buyers, producers and suppliers in different countries G6 economies: US, UK, Japan, Germany, France, Italy – Account for half of global consumption with only 1/10 of population –B6 economies: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea – China is the biggest market for phones, TVs, and cars in 2007 – China and India have more middle class households than all of the households in the United States – Growth in B6 more than 3x the growth in G6 economies 62 Multinationals in Fortune Global 500 20 of these multinationals are in China 12 from South Korea 6 from India 5 from Mexico and 5 from Russia B6 have three times the labour force of G6 countries 33 million university-educated young professiona ls in developing world compared to 14 million in the developed world 00 000 IT Engineers in India vs. 50 K in US In the decade to 2020, the working-age population of emerging economies is expected to increase by more than 500 million, compared with an increase of only 3. 7 million in developed economies. Drivers of Market Globalization – 1. Reduction of trade and investment barriers – 2. Market Liberalization: move to market based economies + adopt free trade in China + Soviet Union etc. – 3. Industrialization + Modernization + developing economies creating higher value adding products – 4.Integration of World Financial Markets: international banks, globalization of finance – 5. Advances in Technology: reduces cost and time, improves coordination and communication, facilitates development, helps share information/marketing, virtual space removes distance Dimensions of Market Globalization – integration/interdependence of global economies â⠂¬â€œ increase regional economic integration bloc – growth of global investment – convergence of buyer lifestyles/preferences – globalization of production activities Social Concequences – loss of national soverignity offshoring/outsourcing jobs – effects on the poor, the natural environment and national culture Firm-level consequences – new business opportunities – new risks and rivalries – more demanding buyers (less bargaining power to supplier) – international value chains Phases of Globalization 1. 1830-1880: Introduction of railway and ocean transport (trains and ships) + phone and telegraph invented 2. 1900-1930: increased steel and electricity production + Western Europe most industrialized country so established first multinational subs through colonization (Nestle, Shell, BP) 3. 948-1970: Form general agreement on tariff and trade + high demand for consumer products and input goods to rebuild after the war 4. 1 980- now: radical advances in IT, communication, manufacturing, consultation, and privatization. Caused by: †¢Commercialization of the personal computer. †¢Arrival of the Internet and the web browser. †¢Advances in communication and manufacturing technologies. †¢Collapse of the Soviet Union and ensuing market liberalization in central and Eastern Europe. †¢Substantial industrialization and modernization efforts of the East Asian economies including China.GDP growth rates highest in developing economies who emphasize global integration Information travels faster now than ever before (ships/carraiges, steamships/cars, motor vehicles/aircraft, internet (speed of light)). Firm Level Consequences of Globalization – international value chain – demanding buyers – increased rivalry and competition – increased opportunity for business – Management must change focus – Must partner and outsource better – look for product ivity and operational efficiency gains – find and measure key global strategic assets of org. International Business trade and investment activities of firms across borders Globalization – economic integration and growing interdependency worldwide Theories of Trade – mercantilism – national prosperity = positive balance of trade (trade surplus) – absolute advantage principle – produce only products for which your country/region has an absolute advantage – comparative advantage principle – both countries produce even if one has absolute advantage in all products, relative efficiency matters, specialize in what you produce best and trade for the rest you can use scarce resources more efficientlyNational Comparative Advantages – China low cost labour – India – IT workers in Bangalore – Ireland – service economy – Dubai – knowledge based economy Comparative Advantage = superior featu res with unique benefits in global market either naturally endowed or put in place through national policy – NATIONAL Competitive Advantage = distinctive competencies of a firm from cost, size, innovation that are difficult for competitors to replicate – FIRM Factor Proportions/Endowments Theory = produce and export products that use abundant factors of production and import goods that use scarce resourcesLimitations of Early Trade Theories – they don’t account for cost of international transportation – tariffs and import restrictions distort trade flows – economies of scale bring about additional efficiencies – low cost capital now available on global markets How do Nations Enhance Competitive Advantage – governments can proactively implement policies to subsidize and stimulate the economy outside of natural endowments – create national economic advantage through: innovation stimulus, target industries for development, provide incentives and low cost capitalNational Industrial Policy – economic development plan by public sector to nurture and support promising industries through: tax incentives, monetary/fiscal policy, rigorous educational systems, investment in national infrastructure, strong legal and regulatory systems – Example Ireland: fiscal, monetary and tax consolidation, partnership of gov with unions, emphasis on high value add industry like pharma, biotech and IT, membership in EU, investment in education – improved GDP, Unemployment and National Debt 3x by 2003 from 1987 Porter’s Diamond Model: Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry – strong competitors in country serves as national competitive advantage – clusters ? Factor Conditions – labour, natural resources, capital, technology, knowledge and entrepreneurship ? Demand Conditions – strengths and sophistication of consumer demand ? Related and Supporting Industries – avail ability of clusters and complementary firms in the value chain Industrial Clusters: – concentration of suppliers and supporting firms in the same regional area – ex. silicon valley, Switzerland pharma, fashion in italy/paris, IT in Bangalore – export platform for the nationClassical Theories – International Product Cycle Theory: introduction, growth and maturity of each product and its associated manufacturing – INTRO: inventor country enjoys a monopoly in manufacturing and exports – GROWTH: other countries enter the global market place with more standard manufacturing – MATURITY: original innovator becomes net importer of product – Now – hard for innovator to maintain a lead because there is a short product life cycle – New Trade Theory: economies of scale important for international performance in some industries.Ex. high fixed costs = high volume sales to breakeven Reasons to Invest Abroad: – market seek ing – efficiency/cost seeking – resource seeking – knowledge seeking Why Internationalize? 1. opp for growth through diversification of market 2. higher profit margins 3. new P&S ideas and business methods 4. serve customers who have relocated abroad (increase/maintain market) 5. closer to supply sources, use global sourcing advantages, flexibility in sourcing products 6. access to lower cost/better value factors of production 7. evelop economies of scale in sourcing, production, marketing, economies of scale 8. confront international competitors 9. invest in relationship with a foreign partner Nature of International Business – value adding activities can be done internationally (source, manufacture, market) – cross border trade not limited to raw materials, include capital, tech, knowledge, products, services etc. – Internationalize through: Export, FDI, Licence, Franchise and JV FDI – longterm acquisition of productive assets like capital, tech, labour P&E etc – large commitment used to manufacture products in low labour cost countries MNE – big company with lots of resources, subs and affiliates in many countries (US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain) SME – small to medium size enterprise, 500 or fewer employees Born Global Firm – young company that initiates business on the global market Risks in International Business: 1. Commercial Risk – weak partnerships, bad timing of entry, high competition, poor execution of strategy, operational problems 2.Currency Risk – tax, inflation, asset valuation, transfer pricing, currency exposure 3. Country Risk – protectionism/gov intervention, bureaucracy, lack of legal safeguards/poor leagal system, social/political unrest 4. Cross-Cultural Risk – cultural differences, negotiation, different decision making styles, different ethical practices MNE Avenues for Involvement: ? Import/Export ? Licencing/Franchising ? Joi ng Venture ? FDI – get progressively more risky, higher investment, higher potential benefit, higher commitmentIntermediaries Include: – Distributor – extension of firm, takes goods under their name to sell – Manufacturer Rep – under contract of exporter to rep and sell merch – Retailer – bypass wholesaler/distributer and sell to retailer to sell to customers – IKEA, WALMART – Trading Company – based in home country, high volume, low margin resellers. – Export Management Company – US, export agent who secures contracts to export goods – usually specialize in industries and areas – Agent – works on commission Licensor – Focal firm grants the right to the foreign partner to use certain intellectual property in exchange for royalties – Franchisor – grant right to use a business system for fees and royalties – ICV – share cost and risk fo new ventur e with another company – JV – create a jointly owned new entitiy with foreign partners – Project Based Venture – collaboration with a timeline without creating a new entity, common with R&D intensive ventures Facilitator – provide services for cross border transactions: Bank, Lawyers, Freight, Consultants, ad agency, custom brokers, insurance companies, tax accountants,Turnkey Contractor: Provide engineering, design, and architectural services in the construction of airports, hospitals, oil refineries, and other types of infrastructure. †¢These projects are typically awarded on the basis of open bidding by the sponsor. †¢Examples- European Channel Tunnel, the Three Gorges Dam in China, Delhi Metro Rail Ltd. and the Hong Kong Airport. †¢Build-own-transfer venture- an increasingly popular type of turnkey contract in the developing economies where contractors acquire an ownership in the facility for a period of time until it is turned o ver to the client.MODULE 3 [pic] Advanced economies are post-industrial countries characterized by high per capita income, highly competitive industries, and well-developed commercial infrastructure. †¢Examples- world’s richest countries and include Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and Western European countries. Developing economies are low-income countries characterized by limited industrialization and stagnant economies. †¢Examples- low-income countries, with limited industrialization and stagnant economies- e. g. Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zaire.Emerging market economies are a subset of former developing economies that have achieved substantial industrialization, modernization, improved living standards and remarkable economic growth. †¢Examples- some 27 countries in East and South Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Eastern Europe- including Brazil, Russia, India, China (so called BRIC countries). [pic] Advanced Economies – 2 – 4% growth rates – mature industrial development – moved from manufacturing to service based economies – typically democratic political systems and capital economic systems – host worlds biggest MNEs – Emerging Economies – 7 – 10% growth rates 40% of world GDP – 30% of exports – 20% of FDI – low cost labour and capital, knowledgeable workers, gov support – fastest growth rate – attractive: growing middle class, manufacturing bases, sourcing destinations – market potential: percapita income, size of middle class, GNI, use adjusted GDP for PPP – middle class has some economic independence and discretionary income Hong Kong, Isreal, Saudi Arabia The EMPI combines factors that provide firms with a realistic measure of export market potential: †¢Market Size: the country’s population, especially urban population †¢Market Growth Rate: the country’s real GDP gr owth rate Market Intensity: private consumption and GNI represent discretionary expenditures of citizens †¢Market Consumption Capacity: The percentage share of income held by the country’s middle class †¢Commercial Infrastructure: characteristics such as number of mobile phone subscribers, density of telephone lines, number of PCs, density of paved roads, and population per retail outlet †¢Economic Freedom: the degree of government intervention †¢Market Receptivity: the particular country’s inclination to trade with the exporter’s country as estimated by the volume of imports †¢Country Risk: the degree of political riskChallenges of doing business with Ems – political stability – hard to forecast in uncertain conditions – beauraucracy/lack of transparency – weak IP rights – availability of good partners – presence of family conglomerates †¢Regional economic integration, refers to the growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers to trade and investment. †¢40% of world trade today is under some bloc preferential trade agreement. Premise- mutual advantages for cooperating nations within a common geography, history, culture, language, economics, and/or politics †¢Free trade that results from economic integration helps nations attain higher living standards by encouraging specialization, lower prices, greater choices, increased productivity, and more efficient use of resources. 1. Market access. Tariffs and most non-tariff barriers have been eliminated for trade in products and services, and rules of origin favor manufacturing that uses parts and other inputs produced in the EU. . Common market. The EU removed barriers to the cross-national movement of production factors—labor, capital, and technology. 3. Trade rules. The member countries have largely eliminated customs p rocedures and regulations, which streamlines transportation and logistics within Europe. 4. Standards harmonization. The EU is harmonizing technical standards, regulations, and enforcement procedures that relate to products, services, and commercial activities. 5. Common fiscal, monetary, taxation, and social welfare policies in the long run.The euro (common currency since 2002): †¢Simplified the process of cross-border trade and enhanced Europe’s international competitiveness. †¢Eliminated exchange rate risk in much of the bloc and forced member countries to improve their fiscal and monetary policies. †¢Unified consumers and businesses to think of Europe as a single market †¢Forced national governments to relinquish monetary power to the European Central Bank, in Luxembourg, which oversees EU monetary functions. †¢NAFTA passage (1994) was facilitated by the maquiladora program – U. S. firms locate manufacturing facilities just south of the U. S. order and access low-cost labor without having to pay significant tariffs. NAFTA has: †¢Eliminated tariffs and most nontariff barriers for products/services. †¢Initiated bidding for government contracts by member country firms †¢Established trade rules and uniform customs procedures. †¢Prohibited standards/technical regulations to be used as trade barriers. †¢Instituted rules for investment and intellectual property rights. †¢Provided for dispute settlement for investment, unfair pricing, labor issues, and the environment. †¢Trade among the members has more than tripled and now exceeds $1 trillion per year. In the early 1980s, Mexico’s tariffs averaged 100% and gradually disappeared under NAFTA. †¢Member countries now trade more with each other than with former trading partners outside the NAFTA zone. †¢Both Canada and Mexico now have some 80% of their trade with, and 60% of their FDI stocks in the United States. †¢Mexican exports to the U. S. grew from $50 billion to over $160 billion per year. †¢Access to Canada and the U. S. helped launch numerous Mexican firms in industries such as electronics, automobiles, textiles, medical products, and services. †¢Annual U. S. nd Canadian investment in Mexico rose from $4 billion in 1993 to nearly $20 billion by 2006. †¢Mexico’s per capita income rose to about $11,000 in 2007, making Mexico the wealthiest country in Latin America. †¢By increasing Mexico’s attractiveness as a manufacturing location, firms like Gap Inc. and Liz Claiborne moved their factories from Asia to Mexico during the 1990s. †¢IBM shifted much of its production of computer parts from Singapore to Mexico. ASEAN – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Coop – Australia, Canada, Chile, US, China, Japan, Mexico CER – Aussie and New Zealand – removed 80% of tarriffsWhy Nations Expand? 1. Ex pand market size  §Regional integration greatly increases the scale of the marketplace for firms inside the economic bloc.  §Example- Belgium has a population of just 10 million; the EU gives Belgian firms easier access to a total market of roughly 490 million. 2. Achieve scale economies and enhanced productivity  §Expansion of market size within an economic bloc gives member country firms the opportunity to gain economies of scale in production and marketing.  §Internationalization inside the bloc helps firms learn to compete more effectively outside the bloc as well. Labor and other inputs are allocated more efficiently among the member countries- leading to lower prices for consumers. 3. Attract direct investment from outside the bloc  §Compared to investing in stand-alone countries, foreign firms prefer to invest in countries that are part of an economic bloc as they receive preferential treatment for exports to other member countries.  §Examples- General Mills, Sams ung, and Tata- have invested heavily in the EU to take advantage of Europe's economic integration.  §By establishing operations in a single EU country, these firms gain free trade access to the entire EU market. 4.Acquire stronger defensive and political posture  §Provide member countries with a stronger defensive posture relative to other nations and world regions- this was one of the motives for the initial creation of the European Community (precursor to the EU). †¢The value chain can be thought of as the complete business system of the focal firm. It comprises all of the activities that the focal firm performs. †¢The focal firm may retain core activities such as production and marketing, and outsource distribution and customer service responsibilities to foreign-market based distributors, thus the global reconfiguration of the value chain. Dell makes a variety of products, each with its own value chain. The total supply chain for a notebook computer, including mult iple tiers of suppliers, involves about 400 companies, primarily in Asia, but also in Europe and the Americas. †¢On a typical day, Dell processes orders for 150,000 computers, which are distributed to customers around the world, with non-U. S. sales accounting for 40 percent. †¢Shipping is handled via air transport, e. g. from the Dell Malaysia factory to the U. S. Dell charters a China Airlines 747 hat flies to Nashville, Tennessee six days a week, with each jet carries 25,000 Dell notebooks that weigh a total of 110,000 kilograms, or 242,500 pounds. †¢One of the hallmarks of Dell’s value chain is collaboration. CEO Michael Dell and his team constantly work with their suppliers to make process improvements in Dell’s value chain. [pic] Automotive Industry †¢Manufacturing of the Chevrolet Malibu illustrates national and geographic diversity of suppliers that provide content for an automobile, a truly global value chain. †¢Suppliers are headquart ered in Germany, Japan, France, Korea, and United Kingdom, and the U.S. , and the components they sell to General Motors are manufactured in typically low-cost countries and then shipped to the General Motors plant in Fairfax, Kansas. †¢The German automaker BMW employs 70,000 factory personnel at 23 sites in 13 countries to manufacture its vehicles. †¢Workers at the Munich plant build the BMW 3 Series and supply engines and key body components to other BMW factories abroad. †¢In the U. S. , BMW has a plant in South Carolina, which makes over 500 vehicles daily for the world market. †¢In Northeast China, BMW makes cars in a joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. In India, BMW has a manufacturing presence to serve the needs of the rapidly growing South Asia market. †¢BMW must configure sourcing at the best locations worldwide, in order to minimize costs (e. g. , by producing in China), access skilled personnel (by producing in Germany), r emain close to key markets (by producing in China, India and the U. S. ). †¢Global sourcing is the procurement of products or services from suppliers or company-owned subsidiaries located abroad for consumption in the home country or a third country. Technological advances, including instant Internet connectivity and broadband availability TECHNOLOGY †¢Declining communication and transportation costs †¢Widespread access to vast information including growing connectivity between suppliers and the customers that they serve; and SUPPLY CHAIN †¢Entrepreneurship and rapid economic transformation in emerging markets. GLOBALIZATION †¢Managers must decide between internalization and externalization — whether each value-adding activity should be conducted in-house or by an independent supplier. This is known as the ‘make or buy’ decision: â€Å"Should we make a product or conduct a particular value-chain activity ourselves, or should we source it from an outside contractor? † †¢Firms usually internalize those value-chain activities they consider a part of their core competence, or which involve the use of proprietary knowledge and trade secrets that they want to control. †¢Configuration of value-adding activity: The pattern or geographic arrangement of locations where the firm carries out value-chain activities. Instead of concentrating value-adding activities in the home country, many firms configure these activities across the world to save money, reduce delivery time, access factors of production, and extract maximal advantages relative to competitors. †¢This helps explain the migration of traditional industries from Europe, Japan, and the U. S. to emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. [pic] †¢Outsourcing refers to the procurement of selected value-adding activities, including production of intermediate goods or finished products, from independent suppliers. This practice of externalizing a particular value-adding activity to outside contractors is known as outsourcing. †¢Firms outsource because they generally are not superior at performing all primary and support activities. Most value-adding activities — from manufacturing to marketing to after-sales service — are candidates for outsourcing. †¢Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The outsourcing of business functions to independent suppliers such as accounting, payroll, and human resource functions, IT services, customer service, and technical support. BPO includes:  §Back-office activities, which includes internal, upstream business functions such as payroll and billing, and  §Front-office activities, which includes downstream, customer-related services such as marketing or technical support. †¢Offshoring is a natural extension of global sourcing. It refers to the relocation of a business process or entire manufacturing facility to a foreign country. †¢MNEs are particularly active in shifting production facilities or business processes to foreign countries to enhance their competitive advantages. Offshoring is especially common in the service sector, including banking, software code writing, legal services, and customer-service activities. †¢E. g. , large legal hubs have emerged in India that provide services such as drafting contracts and patent applications, conducting research and negotiations, as well as performing paralegal work on behalf of Western clients. With lawyers in N. America and Europe costing $300 an hour or more, Indian firms can cut legal bills by 75 percent. Best Jobs for Offshoring: Large-scale manufacturing industries whose primary competitive advantage is efficiency and low cost; †¢Industries such as automobiles that have uniform customer needs and highly standardized processes in production and other value-chain activities; †¢Service industries that are highly labor intensive, e. g. , call centers and legal transcription; †¢Information-based industries whose functions and activities can be easily transmitted via the Internet, e. g. , accounting, billing, and payroll; and †¢Industries such as software preparation whose outputs are easy to codify and transmit over the Internet or by telephone, e. g. routine technical support and customer service activities. [pic] †¢Cost efficiency is the traditional rationale for sourcing abroad. The firm takes advantage of ‘labor arbitrage’ – the large wage gap between advanced economies and emerging markets. †¢One study found that firms expect to save an average of more than 40% off baseline costs as a result of offshoring. These savings tend to occur particularly in R&D, product design activities, and back-office operations such as accounting and data processing. Benefits of Outsourcing: †¢Faster corporate growth. †¢Access to qualified personnel abroad. †¢Improved productivity and service. Business process redesign. †¢Increased speed to market. †¢Access to new markets. †¢Technological flexibility. Improved agility by shedding unnecessary overhead. Disadvantages to Outsourcing: †¢Vulnerability to exchange rate fluctuations †¢Partner selection, qualification, and monitoring costs †¢Increased complexity of managing a worldwide network of production locations and partners †¢Complexity of managing global supply chain †¢Limited influence over the manufacturing processes of the supplier †¢Potential vulnerability to opportunistic behavior or actions in bad faith by suppliers †¢Constrained ability to safeguard intellectual assetsRisks in Global Sourcing: 1. Less-than-expected cost savings. Conflicts and misunderstandings arise because of differences in the national and organizational cultures between the focal firm and foreign supplier. Such factors give rise to cost-savings that are less than originally anticipated. 2. Environ mental factors. Numerous environmental challenges confront focal firms including: exchange rate fluctuations, labor strikes, adverse macro-economic events, high tariffs and other trade barriers, and high energy and transportation costs. 3. Weak legal environment.Many popular locations for global outsourcing have weak laws and enforcement regarding intellectual property, which can lead to erosion of key strategic assets. 4. Risk of creating competitors. As the focal firm shares its intellectual property and business-process knowledge with foreign suppliers, it also runs the risk of creating future rivals (e. g. , Schwinn). 5. Inadequate or low-skilled workers. Some foreign suppliers may be staffed by employees who lack appropriate knowledge about the tasks with which they are charged. Other suppliers suffer rapid turnover of skilled employees. 6. Over-reliance on suppliers.Unreliable suppliers may put earlier work aside when they gain a more important client. Suppliers occasionally e ncounter financial difficulties or are acquired by other firms with different priorities and procedures. Over-reliance can shift control of key activities too much in favor of the supplier. 7. Erosion of morale and commitment among home-country employees. Global sourcing can create a situation in which employees are caught in the middle between their employer and their employer’s clients. At the extreme, workers find themselves in a psychological limbo, unclear about who their employer really is.

Raoul Wallenberg - The Holocaust Rescuer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Raoul Wallenberg - The Holocaust Rescuer - Essay Example He hated witnessing hunting and killing of animals just for entertainment and sport (Handler, 1996). As an adolescent Wallenberg travelled far and wide and gained proficiency in English, German, Russian and French plus his native Swedish. He attended the University of Michigan for four years where he took up architecture. After finishing his degree he apprenticed in a Dutch bank located in Haifa, Palestine. Throughout his six months working in Palestine, he met Jews who luckily got away from Nazi Germany. The mad, sadistic, and hideous stories they narrate to him appalled and profoundly affected him not merely because of his compassionate nature, but because his great-great-grandfather was a Jew (Handler, 1996). When he went back to Sweden in 1936 he desired to work in the discipline of architecture, except that his American architecture did not meet the criteria for such profession in Sweden. Hence over the subsequent years he committed himself in different business ventures. He was hired in 1941 as the foreign sales representative for a Central European Trading Company located in Hungary. Hungary became a collaborator of Germany in 1939 because the Americans failed to rescue the pitiful and blameless Jews who were persecuted under the Nazi regime. Hence Sweden consented to send a special representative whose only objective would be to save the Jews from the evil clutches of the Nazis. For this mission the Swedish people chose Raoul Wallenberg for the reason that he spoke German proficiently and comprehend the ways of the Nazis (Tokudome, 1999). Wallenberg sensed that a number of Hungarian and German authorities were starting to be apprehensive of post war retribution for the heinous crimes they did to the Jews. He took advantage of this opportunity and immediately got the Hungarian and German authorities to reconsider their decisions and actions through encouraging them with intimidations and

Financial Economy and Royal Bank Of Scotland Essay

Financial Economy and Royal Bank Of Scotland - Essay Example RBS is engaged in international banking and financial services business and thus confronts with the challenges posed by any changes taking place in financial economic conditions only in the United Kingdom but throughout the world. This paper provides an insightful study on the effects of financial economic factors on the activities, operations, profits and reported earnings of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The paper starts from discussing the prime banking and financial services activities of the bank and its international operations. It then moves towards the company's debt/ gearing level and analyzes the impact of changes in interest rates, inflation and exchange rates in the activities and earnings of the company. The paper also sheds light on the extent of the RBS' involvement with the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the largest companies in the UK as well as the world. The company is ranked as the greatest company in Scotland, second largest in the United Kingdom and sixth largest in the world. The company is involved with provision of financial services to a variety of customers ranging from large corporations to small businesses and individuals (Scotland PLC: The financial industry in Edinburgh, 13.04.07). RBS has its banking operations in various parts of the world. Being a banking and financial services company, the Royal Bank of Scotland is greatly influenced by changes in financial economic conditions. RBS- Operations The Royal Bank of Scotland has a wide range of operations in various areas of banking i.e. corporate markets (investment and risk management services in both the UK and global large businesses and financial institutions), retail markets (including retail operations and wealth management), Ulser bank providing products and services to retail and corporate customers in Ireland, Citizens commercial banking organisation, RBS insurance and manufacturing (RBS annual report, 2006). The major business segments of RBS are personal banking, private banking, business banking and corporate banking (Royal Bank of Scotland, 13.04.07). Overseas Operations The Royal Bank of Scotland has its operations in different parts of the world including UK the home market, the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company's operations in UK include dealing in the areas of corporate markets, retail markets, insurance and manufacturing. In the United States, RBS has its operations in the areas of corporate and retail banking. The company is engaged in the same operations as in UK all over the Europe, whereas in Asia Pacific the RBS is involved with corporate market, retail market and manufacturing operations (RBS Annual Report, 2006). Retail Operations The company operates in a vast range of financial services including retail operations. The Royal Bank of Scotland's retail banking operations includes services to personal and small business customers. In this regard, the company provides its services in the areas of consumer banking, business banking, cards and direct finance in the United Kingdom. The Royal Bank of Scotland's has its international wealth management operations in continental Europe and Asia Pacific region, as well as in the UK home market. RBS- Debt/Gearing: The Royal Bank o

Short report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short report - Assignment Example Reduction in employee turnover will ultimately result in decrease in operations cost of the business further facilitating it to gain utmost efficacy in this particular domain. Notably, there are many methods through which staffs are recruited and selected in the business. Through recruitment one individual anticipates the potential of the other to be able to deliver the services efficiently. However, minor mistake in this process might surely impact negatively to the long-term association of the employee with the business. When employees are recruited and selected through internal process, they need to be made acquainted with the job process of the company through induction and proper training and development. However, a lack of efficacy in such domain will result in a lack of dedication, productivity and motivation amid the employees which would not only lead to employee dissatisfaction but would also increase the level of turnover (Preston, 2012; Bono & et, al., 2008). Subsequently , recruitment through external process might not bring about the scenario that emerges from internal recruitment, however due to a lack of bonding with the prevailing working process employee turnover at a high rate might arise. Hence, the impact of recruitment and selection on employee turnover is indeed quite apparent. It has been noted from the case that the company named â€Å"Ready to Eat† a national chain of takeaway food outlets has been able to reduce its employee turnover by a considerable margin from 130 per cent to 98 percent. This is owing to the aspect that the company has been using an approach where candidates after the final interview are allowed to work for one day in the workplace i.e. termed as a job experience day with the present members before getting the final appointment letter (Torrington & et. al., 2008). With this particular approach, the company has been able to testify the skills and competencies of the candidates in the practical scenario. However,

Gangs in America Why are they so out of control Essay

Gangs in America Why are they so out of control - Essay Example Gang problem in New York and California have been a long persisting issue. When comparing to others states in the US, juveniles and young adults joining gangs in these states are quite noteworthy. Notably, in majority cases, the common cause for participating in gang violence has been concentrated on sourcing money through illegal means within a short-term period. To be mentioned in this regards, California accounts for low rate of employment and low education standards that in turn substantiates the motives of young people getting involved in gang violence to suffice their economic requirements. However, in the case of New York, the motive has been identified to be more social and persisting as a trend among the youngsters (Sherwell, 2013). Concerning the legal issues associated with gang crimes, the foremost concern arises regarding social security of the community people. To be noted, as guns and other life-threatening weapons become readily available among criminals and gang memb ers, social security is hindered in the community, raising risks of domestic terrorism and various other crimes. In addition, young members of the society are also likely to become more vulnerable to gangs, hampering the stability of the society as well as its legal system at large, which will be a long-term challenge (Greenfield, 2012). To counter the issues raised by gang crimes in the society, legal authorities in New York and in California have been taking major decisions through courts, which in turn have imposed massive impressions on the nature and trends of gang violence in these states. Correspondingly, a direct influence of these court decisions can be witnessed on the strategies taken to demoralize gang involvements amid the society. For instance, the government in the US has taken effective and useful steps to reduce the crime in the nation, empowering law enforcers (Richard, 1999).

Criminal Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Criminal Law - Coursework Example The first point of homicide is murder. The actus reus of mens rea was provided by Sir Edward Coke in the seventeenth century whereby he stated that the act is committed if the defendant ‘unlawfully killeth any reasonable creature in rerum natura under the Queen’s peace’. The definition of unlawfully does not include the killing of for example the use of reasonable force for self defence (Re a (Children)1. Clearly it can be seen that due to the substance overdose the child had died and therefore this is unlawful. As far as killeth is concerned that refers to the requirement that the acts of the defendant can be attributed to be a legal cause of death. Clearly the acts/omission of Thomas to inform his wife of the correct proportion had led to the death of the child. As far as killing of the reasonable creature in rerum natura is concerned it means that a human life is taken. Clearly this is satisfied as the child has died. Finally Queen’s peace means that it must have been within England and not the killing of an enemy at war. This can be seen to have been proved on the facts, as the child died in England.. Therefore on the facts the actus reus of murder has been satisfied. Intention discussed in Woollin and applied by Matthwes and Alleyne3 was described as defendants aim or purpose was to kill or cause grievous bodily harm or he know of such harm as being a virtually certain consequence of such an act, and any level below that of virtual certainty would not suffice. On the facts it is more than evident that Thomas clearly did not possess the intention nor was he virtually certain as the consequence. Thus it is quite clear that the mens rea for murder is not satisfied. As far as voluntary manslaughter is concerned it is not relevant to the facts at hand as there was neither provocation or was there any diminished responsibility. Thus voluntary manslaughter in respect of the facts will not be argued. The next step is that of

Analyse and evaluate the impact of volunteer tourism on host Essay

Analyse and evaluate the impact of volunteer tourism on host communities - Essay Example Volunteer tourism is thus aimed at serving for the welfare of the community and at the same time facing the challenges in touring new places of diverse language and culture. Generally mass tourism is viewed as an activity of excursion or entertainment trip that is aimed at refreshment for the people undertaking the tour. The visit to new places is aimed at getting to know the language, culture and heritage of the places. The activities of mass tourism involve leisure with food and lodging, luxurious transport, etc. These activities impact the host community as it leads to environmental pollution and degradation and accumulation of garbage and waste. With the rise in globalization and increase in activities of the tourism industry, the issues of environmental degradation and conservation of wildlife and awareness of pollution have become sensitive issues all over the world. Volunteer tourism is an activity undertaken the volunteer tourists in undertaking tours to different places with an objective to serve for the welfare of the tourist spots (Benson, 2010, p.39). Discussion The activities of volunteer tourism has shifted the objective of tourism from the welfare of tourist industry to the welfare of host community or the places which host the tourist for a being popular destinations. The members of the community view the activities of volunteer tourism as restoration of nature and environmental balance of the host community. As a result of this, the members of the host community engage themselves directly in activities undertaken as a part of volunteer tourism. The members of the host community act in collaboration of the volunteers tourists and extend full co-operation and support to the volunteers in order to accomplish the goals of volunteer tourism. As a result of the volunteer tourism, the tourists are also exposed to the culture, language and social heritage of the area and thus there is a healthy exchange of culture between the local people and the volun teer tourists. The overall purpose of volunteer tourism being aimed at welfare of the host community, the local area is positively impacted by the honest efforts of the volunteer tourists. The volunteer tourists also have the objective of providing assistance to the community development projects that have been planned for execution. In order to be fully effective, the community development projects should be supported with necessary funds along with the knowledge and skill for efficient execution (Bricker,  Black and  Cottrell, 2012, p.49). The community development programmes may be aimed at development of children and women in the region, provision of food and nourishment for the under privileged, conservation of trees and forests, environmental balance, etc. The volunteer tourists play a vital role in collecting the necessary funding and also share the knowledge and skill required for execution of the community development projects. The volunteer tourism activities provide a means for the host community to increase their income levels and also accumulation of wealth. The volunteer tourist activities put up in the target destination for a period of time. Thus the basic and essential needs of the volunteer tourists need to be fulfilled by the economy of the host country. The supply from the host community is purchased by the volunteer tourists due to which the income levels of the host commu

ECG Interpretation of the Post Anaesthetic Patient Essay

ECG Interpretation of the Post Anaesthetic Patient - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that monitoring of patients who have experienced a postoperative or preoperative cardiac event is critical as it enables the nurse to respond to any abnormalities that the patient may display. In doing so, the nurse displays high standards of patient care and professional competence in a PACU setting. In the researcher’s department, the PACU uses an ECG to monitor and measure the electrical activity of the heart. 12-leads are used to provide a comprehensive view of the electrical activity of the heart. Monitoring of these values enables the nurse to respond to any abnormalities that may be revealed. These abnormal values in the electrical activity of the heart represent certain abnormalities on the heart that may require rapid intervention. For purposes of developing the researcher’s clinical practice, he got an opportunity to work at stage two PACU. At the beginning of the researcher’s clinical practice experience, his main objective was to learn how to interpret the ECG. Other objectives that he had to include developing the skills and competency required in order to recognize an abnormal ECG, and developing competency in observing and monitoring the cardiac activity of a patient during recovery. According to ACORN, a PARU nurse is expected to specialize in the clinical management and assessment of patients who are in the PARU. The PARU nurse is expected to conduct clinical monitoring and observation of the patients in PARU. The nurse must be fully aware of any clinical limitations and seek advice accordingly. The nurse must monitor, interpret and have the ability to respond to a patient’s clinical needs. It is important also that the PARU nurse optimizes the utilization of all available technologies in an effort to optimize the outcomes of the patient under their care. Among PARU patients, it is common for complications arising from coexisting diseases or anaesthesia surgery to occur. Th e PARU nurse is therefore expected to demonstrate vigilance in assessing and managing of patients while in PARU. Based on the patient’s history and or condition, it may be necessary to monitor the patient’s cardiac activity. ACORN (N6, 2011) statement 9 requires that nurses be working towards achieving knowledge on basic cardiac rhythm and arrhythmias that are life threatening. While working at PACU, I got an opportunity to gain relevant clinical practice experience with regard to the duties and responsibilities of the PACU nurse. I got an opportunity to monitor and observe one of the patients who was recovering in PACU after surgery. The patient was an 83-year-old female who had been admitted to the right cataract surgery. The patient had a medical history of AF, HTN, GORD, CCF, lung cancer and mild cognitive impairment. The patient had a permanent pacemaker inserted in her. The patient’s medication included Cardizem, Coumadin, Durogesic, Hydrea, Lasix, Movical, Nexium, Panadol Osteo and Oste Vit-D. The patient was allergic to Augmentin, Digoxin, Hiprex, Metopropl, Norspan, Oxycontin, Phenergan. The patient’s heart rate was 127 and other important values included QRDS 81, QT 338, QTcB 492, QTcF 434, and QRS 49. With regard to the patient’s observation and monitoring, I observed the patient and took the vitals. I was delighted that I w as proficient when it comes to monitoring and obtaining patient vitals. More importantly, I obtained the patient’s ECG and discussed with my facilitator the accuracy and significance of the ECG reading. The patient had given me the consent to obtain her information. On discussing with my facilitator the reading, I was delighted to be informed that my reading was accurate. Apart from obtaining the ECG reading accurately, my interpretation was also correct according to my facilitator. As a result of the reading that I had

Negative Effects of Electric Card and Gas Cars Essay

Negative Effects of Electric Card and Gas Cars - Essay Example Ozone O3 causes global warming, breathing difficulties, chest pains, lung tissue damage, and coughing. Particulate Matter may cause asthma, coughs, lung damage, heart attacks, cancer, and premature death in extreme cases. Unburned hydrogen carbon may cause cancer and while reacted with nitrogen oxides it causes the ozone. Nitrogen oxide causes lung irritation and lung damage. Subject to these effects, it is quite clear that both electric and gas cars have adverse effects on the environment and our health (Natural Gas 1). However, quantifying which type of car harbors the most significant effects is a tall order. Nevertheless, the source of electricity in an electric car clearly defines the amount of pollution created by an electric car. Hence, the source of electricity and location of deployment determines the level of pollution between the electric and gas cars. Where the source of electricity is clean, little pollution comes to place while an unclean source leads to more pollution from a gas vehicle. Hydroelectric power is a clean source of electric power while coal or oil is unclean sources of electricity (Wilkins 1). However, major sources of electricity are neither clean nor unclean thus the challenge of gauging the level of pollution. At the same time, both cars have merits that may outweigh the pollution they cause. Nevertheless, all factors considered, electric vehicles have a great potential to pollute much less than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, when the application of electric cars is in totality, they pose a great risk to pollution than gasoline vehicles. As such, there have been many studies to ascertain the actual position of pollution while comparing the electric and gasoline vehicles. This paper will seek to establish the most efficient car by comparing their negative affects to the environment and health of persons. In achieving this, the paper will address various aspects relating to both cars. In conclusion, the paper will com pare the two cars with a hybrid car and deduce which is better. Fuel consumption price  of the cars One of the factors that will help us to analyze the negative effects of electric and gas car is their fuel consumption and by extension their fuel consumption cost. In the year 2011, about one third of the total petroleum imports went to the transport industry (U.S. Department of Energy 1). It is factual that gasoline cars consume more petrol or diesel than the electric cars (United States Environmental Protection Agency 1). At the same time, in the US the cost of electricity varies in wide dimension to the cost of gasoline. As such, the cost of fuel consumption varies from the gas to the electric car. This cost also varies from one state to another where charges 8 cents per kilowatt-hour while Hawaii charges 36 cents per kilowatt-hour. The electric car's energy consumption rate is in kWh per 100 miles (kWh/100m) where one needs to multiply the recorded figure by the relevant electr ic rate to get the cost per 100 miles. Various utility companies set the cost of electricity depending on the time of use and level of use. Indeed, the consumption cost of either a gas or electric car will equally depend on the make of the car. Overall, there is an approximate 30% fuel

Resistance of a Wire Essay Example for Free

Resistance of a Wire Essay Will changing the length and type of wire affect the resistance? What is my aim of this project: To set up an electric circuit to measure the resistance of the wire. What are my Variables:   Nichrome coil What is resistance? Resistance is measured in (OHMS). It is the hindrance to the flow of charge. Why did we get resistance? An electric current flows when electrons move through a conductor. The electrons that are moving can collide with the atoms of the conductor. This then means that it is more difficult for the current to flow, which causes resistance. On the other hand, electrons have a collision with atoms more often in a longer wire than they do in a short one, however, a thin wire has fewer electrons to carry the current than a thick wire. In a thin wire there is less space, but more resistance and in a long wire there is more space, yet less resistance. The flow of electrons: Hypothesis: Before I do my experiment I predict that the resistance in the wire will increase as the length of the wire increases. I also predict that if the resistance in the wire increases, then the thickness of the wire will decrease. My diagram of my circuit: For my first investigation task I will be doing a preliminary test to find out which are the best wires to use for my investigation. This task was completed and threw my results I realised that using the Nichrome would be better for my investigation. This is what was done before the main experiment. Preliminary test: Length Apparatus Test1 Test2 Test3 Test4 Average Resistance 10cm Ammeter   The graph shows that the data is positive.  From observing this graph above I can see that my data is close fitted along my line of best fit and that the data increases a lot, showing that this is a . as well as this there is s apiece of anomaly data, which is my outlier, circled in black. For my experiment, I will be taking account the differences in resistance between the different lengths of Nichrome wires. This will be tested against copper which, has a low resistance and high current and is thinner than the Nichrome wire that has high resistance and low current. Method. In order for me to complete my investigation, I will need to gather the equipment listed above and set up my electric circuit. This will be done by the use of connecting my wires to the volt meter and ammeter and then attaching crocodile clips on each ends of the wires. It is necessary for the wires to be in this position, as the crocodile clips play an important role in griping the coil firmly whilst the investigation takes place. After doing this I will cut the chosen coil to the measurement I desire. These measurements will be of 10cm, 20cm, 30cm, 40cm and 50cm. With these different measurements, I will attach the coil to the circuit to make it complete. Then, I will turn on the power pack and take down the readings from the voltmeter and ammeter, reading off the voltage and current. From these readings, I will calculate the resistance and average. My results from my readings will be presented in a table. With this experiment, I will keep all the equipment the same however my variables will be the type of wire, the length and the thickness. Repeating my test makes my investigation more reliable. Temperature is a factor that affects the resistance. For each reading I take I will switch off the power pack between each test, making my investigation much more reliable. Below are my table results for Nichrome wire Test (1) The wires length (cm) Voltage (V) Current (A) Resistance (? ) Below is my graph on my results From my line graph I created, I can see that my readings from each test were very alike for each time the experiment was being done. From looking at my results in the graph, there were no outliers. However, it also shows that my hypothesis predicted was correct, because the longer the wire was the more resistance there was it had a low current and a high resistance. Evaluation: I think my investigation worked well against my method and my hypothesis. I was able to complete my aim of this investigation, which enabled me to take down my readings of the current and voltage easily. I found the circuit easy to manipulate with no obstructions, which enabled me to record my results accurately for the resistance of the different lengths of wires. If I had the chance to re-do this project, I would have used a smaller current, because then I wouldnt affect the wires temperature in heating. This would then mean that it wouldnt affect the resistance of the wire being tested. As well as this I would use longer measurements of wire instead of just testing up to 50cm and test more different types of wires. Lastly, I feel that my experiment went well, which achieved its aim. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Money Magazine Essay Example for Free

Money Magazine Essay It seems that Baton Rouge, Louisiana is surviving the current real estate crisis better than most cities. According to a Money Magazine article, â€Å"10 Fastest Growing Real Estate Markets† dated May 13, 2008, Baton Rouge was rated number nine. As of the date of the article, Baton Rouge showed a positive one year price change of 5. 7%; and a positive five year price change of 38%; even though the foreclosure rate had increased by 14% in the same time period. (Money, 2008). Some of the price stability in the real estate market there may be attributable to proactive legislation. If we count mortgage fraud as one of the key factors in the current economic crisis, then we can congratulate the state of Louisiana in the steps they took to prevent fraud. Louisiana’s state Office of Financial Institutions (OFI) took action in December of 2007 to join other states in passing legislation to prevent mortgage fraud. Legislators felt that even though there was not a reported high incidence of mortgage fraud, many of Louisiana’s homeowners were especially vulnerable because of the two recent devastating hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. OFI examiners sought legislative funding to assist with communication within its agency; analysis of statistics and tracking cases. Educating the public about mortgage fraud, including foreclosure help scams, became a top priority. The OFI also investigates allegations of fraud such as buyers pretending to purchase a house as an owner occupied dwelling when it is in fact an investment property. Appraisal fraud is also actively investigated. Appraisal fraud occurs when property appraisers inflate the value of a property to obtain a larger mortgage, often at the behest of a lender or mortgage broker. This scam may seem to boost instant equity in the property, but in truth is a huge detriment to homeowners. This type of activity is particularly insidious, because in the event of a market downturn, homeowners often suddenly owe more on their property than the property’s real value. (Thibodeaux, 2007). While researching this paper I became curious as to how foreclosures in Baton Rouge might compare to another city. I chose Hialeah, Florida to compare, because they are similar in size and not too far off in median age. Also, Florida is ranked in the top four states in foreclosure rates. California, Arizona and Michigan are the other three. As of July, 2007, Baton Rouge had a population of slightly over 227,000 residents; and Hialeah had a population of just over 212,000. Median age groups for both areas was between 30 and 37 years old, so neither is strictly a retirement area. The median household incomes for both areas were nearly identical at just over $32,000. per year. The similarities between these two areas ends there. (Citi Data, 2008). According to Zillow there are 66 foreclosures in Baton Rouge and a whopping 1326 foreclosures in Hialeah. I chose to use the information from Zillow rather than Realty Trac. Realty Trac displays as foreclosures properties in any degree of foreclosure; while Zillow displays houses as foreclosures after they have been sold at a foreclosure auction. Realty Trac when they display foreclosures includes as foreclosures any property anywhere on the foreclosure timeline. If a homeowner has been served with a Notice of Default or a Lis Pendens, it shows up on Realty Trac as a foreclosure. Some of these properties will not be sold at a foreclosure auction. There are many things that can happen between the time a homeowner is served with a foreclosure complaint and the auction at the county court house. A homeowner may remedy the foreclosure by paying all past due payments. The property may be sold as a short sale after a homeowner has received the foreclosure complaint. A short sale cures a foreclosure. Similarly, a homeowner may successfully negotiate a mortgage loan modification after having been served with a foreclosure complaint. A loan modification changes the terms of a mortgage loan to make it more affordable for the homeowner. Lenders have many tools at their disposal to make changes to the terms of the mortgage loan. It is within the lender’s power and discretion to lengthen the loan period for the mortgage, say from a 30 year mortgage to a forty year mortgage and adding the missed payments to the end of the loan period. This provides the homeowner with some immediate relief and the lender does not lose. Or a lender has the ability to change the terms of a mortgage from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate; or simply change the rate to a lower interest rate. Lenders also have within their power to reduce the principle of the mortgage loan, although lenders are understandably reluctant to do so. (Zillow, 2008). Besides the actual number of foreclosures in Baton Rouge and Hialeah there are also some other striking differences between their respective housing markets. Even though the median household incomes for both areas is nearly identical the median home prices are very different. In Baton Rouge the median home price in 2007 was $142,000. ; and the median home price in Hialeah for the same time period was $245,000. amounting to over a $100,000 difference. The rate of appreciation in the two housing markets also provides some insight as to why one area is so rife with foreclosures and the other is not. In Baton Rouge the median home price was $93,000 in 2000. The increase to $142,000. in 2007 represents about 5% appreciation per year over seven years. By contrast, Hialeah saw an increase from a median home price in 2000 of $102,000. to more than double over 100% in the same time period, which is around a 20% per year rate of appreciation. It is small wonder that so many homes in Hialeah have gone to foreclosure auction. (Citi Data, 2008). When I plugged the different principle amounts into a simple mortgage calculator and used an optimistic 6. 5% interest rate, and a 30 year fixed mortgage loan; the results were remarkable. The homeowner in Baton Rouge would pay $897. 54 per month for his $142,000. home; and the homeowner in Hialeah would pay $1,548. 57 for his $245,000. home. Both homeowners are working with nearly identical incomes. After researching the literature and the data collected for this paper, I wondered whether mortgage fraud played a large role in Hialeah, Florida’s foreclosure rate. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Florida is one of the states where mortgage fraud is most common, and Louisiana is not mentioned in their report. The FBI defines mortgage fraud as the â€Å"intentional misstatement, misrepresentation, or misstatement by an applicant or other interested parties, relied on by a lender or underwriter to provide funding for, to purchase, or to insure a mortgage loan. † (FBI, 2007). â€Å"Analysis of available information indicated that mortgage fraud was most concentrated in the north central region of the United States. Data from law enforcement and industry sources were compared and mapped to determine which mortgage fraud states for 2007 were Florida, Georgia, Michigan, California, affected by mortgage fraud according to available sources included Arizona, Connecticut. † (FBI, 2007). Mortgage fraud is described as a low-risk, high yield white collar crime. Individuals in finance related occupations such as mortgage brokers, lenders, and accountants were most likely to engage in mortgage fraud. These perpetrators, since they are familiar with the mortgage loan process are best positioned to exploit the process’ vulnerabilities. Victims of mortgage fraud may not only include the borrower and the lender, but entire surrounding neighborhoods as well. If foreclosure rates due to high incidence of mortgage fraud, such as artificially high appraisals, the effect is that the surrounding neighborhoods values also begin to decline. (FBI, 2007). It seems clear that there are a couple of important factors that explain the differences in rates of foreclosures in the two cities examined, Hialeah, Florida and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. First, Louisiana government took steps to prevent mortgage fraud before it ever became rampant. Second, Louisiana enjoyed a relatively modest appreciation in home values during the boom years, home prices never exceeded an amount that a family living within their means could afford. The opposite is true in Florida. In fact, Florida rated number one in the incidence of mortgage fraud in 2006 and 2007. It is simple enough to imagine that appreciate rates in double digits could not last forever. If the galloping rate of appreciation during the real estate boom years was caused by mortgage fraud then the house of cards was destined to finally collapse. References Citi Data (2008). Baton Rouge and Hialeah. Retrieved December 11, 2008. http://www. city-data. com/city/Baton-Rouge-Louisiana. html http://www. city-data. com/city/Hialeah-Florida. html Daily Report (2008). Baton Rouge ranks near bottom for foreclosure activity Oct. 23, 2008 Retrieved December 10, 2008. http://www. businessreport. com/archives/daily-report/2008/oct/23/667/ Federal Bureau of Investigation (2007). â€Å"Mortgage Fraud Report† Retrieved December 10, 2008. http://www. fbi. gov/publications/fraud/mortgage_fraud07. htm Thibodeaux, Anna (2007). Buyers Beware. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2008 http://www. businessreport. com/news/2007/dec/17/buyers-beware-fnc1/ Zillow (2008). Retrieved December 11, 2008. http://www. zillow. com/homes/map/Hialeah,-Florida_rb/ http://www. zillow. com/homes/map/Baton-Rouge,-Louisiana

Effect of Ocean Conveyor Belt on Global Climate

Effect of Ocean Conveyor Belt on Global Climate Marie Claire Attard Bason Discuss the ocean conveyor belt system and its implications on global climate Without the ocean, life on earth will be impossible. When viewed from outer-space, our planet is covered with water; water which is always in constant motion. The ocean covers 71 % of the earth, where 6% of it is covered by sea ice (Siedler, Church, Gould Griffies, 2001). These mentioned factors make the ocean an important key factor in the transfer of heat energy around the planet. This movement of through ocean currents affect the local weather and temperature to some extremes, which effects also the stabilization of global climatic patterns, the delivery of nutrients and larva to marine ecosystems and many more (Cowan, National Geographic,  http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/ocean-currents-and-climate/?ar_a=1, n.d). Moreover, in total, 81 % of the earth’s surface is covered by liquid water including lakes and rivers as well, and covered by solid water which includes snow and land ice (Siedler, Church, Gould Griffies , 2001). One should first understa nd some of the major properties of the oceans and the types of circulations and currents that exist, than understand the effect of heat transfer called the Thermohaline Circulation or known as the Conveyor belt, its implications on the climate and anthropogenic influences. First and foremost, the ocean circulation is generally classified into two parts; a wind-driven circulation that influences the upper part of the ocean system, hundreds of meters up, and the other is a density-driven circulation that influences the bottom part. The major wind currents include the sub-tropical and sub-polar, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and the equatorial currents (Grinsted, 2005). Moreover, this system is called the ‘Thermohaline’ circulation, because of its role in heating, cooling and salinification. These roles effect the production of the regional density within the ocean (Toggweiler Key, 2001). To explain this process in a much better way, the conveyor belt is the ocean circulation system that is driven by changes of heat and freshwater across the sea surface, after the heat and salt are mixed together. This is a driving mechanism (Rahmstrof, 2006). Secondly, the Thermohaline circulation is seen in the sinking phase, and interestingly enough, there is the formation of new deep water in the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. No one exactly knows the whereabouts of the upwelling zones (Rahmstrof, 2006) as the conveyor system has no end (as seen on Fig. 1), but then, in the polar seas near Greenland, there are cold winds from the northern of Canada that cools the surface waters and thus creates sea ice formation (ELF, www.andrill.org/education//3A/GlobalOceanConveyWCredits.pdf‎, n,d) . Fig. 1 Shows the Conveyor Belt pattern and transfer of currents The process of ice formation is linked to evaporation. With the rising temperature, the sea compresses out the salt from the forming ice. When this process occurs, the surrounding waters become saltier and even more denser. Then, this dense water sinks to the bottom and flows along to the North and South America direction. When this approaches Antarctica, it surrounds the continent and meets with the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). This process continues on when then flow flows towards the north into the ocean basins where gradually it mixes with warmer waters present at that site, therefore it rises to the surface in the Pacific Ocean. From there, it makes its way back to the Atlantic and becomes part of the wind driven surface currents eventually returning to the Greenland seas to begin the process again (ELF, www.andrill.org/education//3A/GlobalOceanConveyWCredits.pdf‎, n,d). In 1751, the first measurement of deep ocean temperatures was recorded by a ship captain of an English trading ship, when he discovered that the water underneath his ship, about a mile below his ship was very cold, despite the location he was at; a sub-tropic location. In 1797, again yet another Englishman named Benjamin Thompson, came up with an accurately explanation on this discovery about cold currents coming from the poles. The difference between Thermohaline and wind driven circulation was distinguished in the 19th-Century, during an argument regarding ocean currents. It was question as well weather or not these two processes happen when the wind pushes along the water or else if they are â€Å"convection currents† due to heating and cooling processes. It is important to note that both processes are combined in non-linear way, meaning that both cannot be separated by oceanographic measurements. That is why there are two obvious mechanisms of force, and neither are unique ly separable circulations. Moreover, if changed, the Thermohaline circulation will also change the wind driven currents (Rahmstrof, 2006). The Atlantic Ocean is the most powerful Thermohaline circulation in the oceans today. The conveyor belt roughly estimates at 15106 m3 of upper ocean water into deep water (Toggweiler Key, 2001) where currents typically extend down up to 1-2km depth, although wind only directly drives between 50m to 200m (Grinsted, 2005). Generally, the flow in the upper part of the conveyor mostly passes through the Florida Straits and up to the east coast of North America, which forms part of the Gulfstream (Toggweiler Key, 2001). However, one disadvantage may include climate change which is likely to weaken the Thermohaline circulation in the future, with some risk of triggering sudden changes, some of which can be unexpected, that may be irreversible (Rahmstrof, 2006). In Recent years, there have been numerous newspaper reports, articles on magazines and television documentaries that covered this topic involving concerning threatening scenarios of the Atlantic Thermohaline circulation being breakdown. If this is the case, than this affects and collapses the northern European agriculture and fisheries, and also glaciers will move very fast on Scandinavia and Scotland waters. Irreversible changes are set to be taken very seriously in the discussion on climate change effected by humans. (Rahmstorf, 2000). The Southern Oscillation is the most prominent year to year climate variability that exists in the world. It is associated with many risks such as; fluctuations on atmospheric pressures at sea level point in the tropic regions, a downpour of rainfall, and cold winter circulation over the North of America and other parts of the extra-tropic regions. When this Southern Oscillation was recognized in the late 1960’s, this was related to the oceani c phenomenon- El Nino (Rasmusson Wallace, 1983). Events concerning El Nino have instances which creates serious consequences for climate and ocean ecosystem. The 1982- 1983 El Nino was perhaps one of the strongest that happened. The El Nino Events, have been documented as far back as 1826 and they are usually followed by professionals that constantly keep and eye on any predictable patter when they occur about once every 4 years (Cane, 1983). The conveyor belt can be affected by global warming in two different ways; either by warming the surface or else by freshening up the surface. This effect will reduce the density of high-latitude water surfaces waters and therefore inhibits a deep formation in water (Rahmstorf, 2006). Our planet cannot lose all of its water from its surface reservoirs due to sub-duction processes. After an approximate of 1Billion years, only between 25- 30% of the newly generated ocean will be subducted into the mantle. It is also said by many scientists and geographers that in the far future, if the external forces are left separately, than the surface reservoirs will be kept in a steady state. Chances for the Earth’s ocean lie in the faith of external forcing. Unfortunately, all water could disappear as a result of increasing levels the temperature, globally, caused by the total of power generated from the Sun to space (Bounama, Franck von Bloh, 2001) How long will it take before the entire Earth dries up from its waters completely? There is still no certain answer to this. Results from studies done by Lovelock Whitfield (1982) show that liquid water will be always available in surface reservoirs as a result of internal processes, however, the extinction of the biosphere will be caused by other limiting factors caused by external forces.).(Bounama, Franck and von Bloh, 2001) References Bounama, C., Franck, S., Bloh, W. v. (1999). The fate of Earth’s ocean.Hydrology and Earth System Sciences,5(4), 569-576. Cane, M. A. (1983). Oceanographic events during el nino.Science,222(4629), 1189-1195. Cowan, A. M.  Ocean currents and climate A roller coaster analogy to the ocean conveyor belt Retrieved December, 29th, 2013, fromhttp://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/ocean-currents-and-climate/?ar_a=1 Environmental Literacy Framework. (). Global ocean conveyor belt. Message posted towww.andrill.org/education//3A/GlobalOceanConveyWCredits.pdf Grinsted, A. (2005). The thermohaline circulation. Lovelock, J. E., Whitfield, M. (1982). Life span of the biosphere. Rahmstorf, S. (2000). The thermohaline ocean circulation: A system with dangerous thresholds?Climatic Change,46(3), 247-256. Rahmstorf, S. (2000). The thermohaline ocean circulation: A system with dangerous thresholds?Climatic Change,46(3), 247-256. Rasmusson, E. M., Wallace, J. M. (1983). Meteorological aspects of the el Nino/southern oscillation.Science,222(4629), 1195-1202. Siedler, G., Church, J., Gould, J., Griffies, S. (2001).Ocean circulation and climate: Observing and modelling the global oceanAccess Online via Elsevier. Toggweiler, J., Key, R. M. (2001). Ocean circulation: Thermohaline circulation.Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences,4, 1549-1555.

The Formation of An Individual :: Philosophy

The Formation of An Individual Man needs a polity, and in the same way a polity needs man. This is the focus of the first chapter in the formation of an individual. The formation of an individual is a very complicated process, yet it is a process that is very necessary. Through the formation of some types of government man tries to form himself from his acquired beliefs. The most basic form of government is a couple, but it branches out to entire societies. In these societies there are certain issues that the individual must deal with, the first is oppression. Oppression is probably the hardest of all of the problems that one faces on his road to humanization. Oppression is a single force, held by few, that prevents others from reaching their status. This form of inequality can be seen in almost all forms of government, save anarchism because there are no superiors that can oppress. We saw this oppression in the movie "A Dry White Season". This movie summarized the problems with injustice, inequality, and oppression. In order for us to become more fully human, and move along on our road to our own formation we must break free from our oppressors. By breaking free, you are not starting a war, or even a conflict, but you are actively participating in your own realization. Before we can break free of the oppression that I just described we must first be able to realize when we are being oppressed. Through a complicated process of influence we gain our own thoughts, words, and actions. It first starts with our own set of beliefs. Most likely the ones that our parents set for us. But after we gain that first sense of who we are, and who we should be, then and only then can we realize if we are oppressed. We must understand the actions of ourselves before we can understand those of others. On the journey to create our own individuality we need to be influenced because after we are influenced we can then Aweed out@ the ideas that most likely conform to our own opinions. This onion is the most effective tool or method in the formation of an individual. Paulo Friere addressed the issue of oppression and why it must be stopped in his essay APedagogy of the Oppressed.@ In this essay he dictates that through education we can and must stop oppression. Yet this Abreaking free@ cannot be an individual effort, but a combine summation of forces. Near the beginning of his essay he says that man must break free of the chains that bind him to his The Formation of An Individual :: Philosophy The Formation of An Individual Man needs a polity, and in the same way a polity needs man. This is the focus of the first chapter in the formation of an individual. The formation of an individual is a very complicated process, yet it is a process that is very necessary. Through the formation of some types of government man tries to form himself from his acquired beliefs. The most basic form of government is a couple, but it branches out to entire societies. In these societies there are certain issues that the individual must deal with, the first is oppression. Oppression is probably the hardest of all of the problems that one faces on his road to humanization. Oppression is a single force, held by few, that prevents others from reaching their status. This form of inequality can be seen in almost all forms of government, save anarchism because there are no superiors that can oppress. We saw this oppression in the movie "A Dry White Season". This movie summarized the problems with injustice, inequality, and oppression. In order for us to become more fully human, and move along on our road to our own formation we must break free from our oppressors. By breaking free, you are not starting a war, or even a conflict, but you are actively participating in your own realization. Before we can break free of the oppression that I just described we must first be able to realize when we are being oppressed. Through a complicated process of influence we gain our own thoughts, words, and actions. It first starts with our own set of beliefs. Most likely the ones that our parents set for us. But after we gain that first sense of who we are, and who we should be, then and only then can we realize if we are oppressed. We must understand the actions of ourselves before we can understand those of others. On the journey to create our own individuality we need to be influenced because after we are influenced we can then Aweed out@ the ideas that most likely conform to our own opinions. This onion is the most effective tool or method in the formation of an individual. Paulo Friere addressed the issue of oppression and why it must be stopped in his essay APedagogy of the Oppressed.@ In this essay he dictates that through education we can and must stop oppression. Yet this Abreaking free@ cannot be an individual effort, but a combine summation of forces. Near the beginning of his essay he says that man must break free of the chains that bind him to his