Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Role Reversal between Children and Adults

#1) There are certain dangers that parents often over look even if they try to pamper their child and one of which is the new culture that has emerged in our very home (Beder, 1998). This brings far more danger to their child than they can imagine. Consumerism is what advertisers teach our children as they bombard them with advertisements of junk foods, toys and basically any product that has children as their target.They teach children the freedom to choose from tons of flavors of junk foods that they release in the market making the parents obliged to ask the preferences of their children before buying the product. The parents therefore have less or no influence on the food or toys for their children. They buy what their children want to simply avoid the â€Å"nagging factor† from their children and to save time in returning food that their children does not want to eat. This in a way reverses the role of the parent and child where the parent ought to decide for their childr en.In this generation, parents give in to their children when it comes to food and toys. Children at the age of five now have the freedom to choose what kind of food they want and the toys they want to play with. Since these children have no purchasing power, they turn to their parents who give in to their demands. The parents claim that their children know a lot more of the products than they do. This can be attributed to the fact that magazines for children have most of the pages allotted for junk food and toy advertisements.At an early age the children are thought about commercialism and the culture of consumerism even if they have no purchasing power, thus the book â€Å"Born to Buy† by Juliet Schor is appropriately named. Even kids nowadays have their concept of booze as finding of Wynne Tyree, the director of JustKid incorporated show that kids use sugar instead of caffeine to give then energy for the day. It is used the same way as adults use coffee. #2) Kids nowadays are way different. They tell you what they want and if you don’t give them that they can be a real pain.I do agree that the new culture that is cultivated in the minds of our children through the media has a lot to do with this behavior. I don’t intend for my kinds to be raised in a culture of consumerism. They will become a slave of capitalism and will buy and spend even if they have no money for such luxury. I believe that parents should still decide what heir children will eat since they know what is best for their child. We should not give in to their demands and prevent the reversal of roles.Advertisers only encourage, manipulate and persuade these children into a lifestyle of wastefulness and extravagance and what is worst is that it has long term effects on our children. It is a parent’s goal to be a good provider for our children but financing their excessive demands is way out of context. I think responsible parents should think for their children when it comes to the goods that we buy, after all, we are the ones who have the power to but. With that power is the responsibility of buying the right kind of goods for our children.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Honda Motor Company Ltd. Essay

How does Mr. Honda’s history with suppliers relate to Honda’s current supply management strategy? Honda’s current supply management strategy is consistent with Mr. Honda’s history. There three factors about Honda’s supply management strategy, focus on local market, emphasis on competition and reliable suppliers. According to the Honda’s export strategy of â€Å"Honda and U.S. – Japan Automotive Trade†(1997), it is clearly that Honda focuses on regional markets which contributes to developing more sales, strong research and better development. And their strategy of manufacturing the products where or near to where they are sold is the result of their being local strategy. Additionally, focus on local market benefits not only Honda but also the local government. Taking the US market as an example, on one hand, â€Å"Honda’s commitment to global trade and the positive benefits that result for U.S. jobs, suppliers, consumers and exports.† On the other hand, when the government benefits from Honda, it is easier for Honda to develop in the future. The other one is that Honda always emphasizes the competition of globalization. And during the intense competition, finding reliable suppliers to ensure and advance the quality of production is very important. Being globalization is the corollary goal if one company wants to make more benefit. And reliable suppliers are of great significance for company. This is the foundation of being on time as well as having good quality. Furthermore, Honda’s suppliers are able to be involved in the development process to give suggestion and have negotiation with Honda. In this way, Honda has access to know how to make it better and faster. Why is purchasing so important at Honda? Purchasing is important to Honda because of its strategy to be globalization. As Honda is a transnational corporation, it is very important to know the different policy, culture and environment in different local places in order to producing saving, managing contracts effectively and maintaining productive supplier relationships. Effective supply chain management depends on material availability, purchase volume, product cost and types of materials. As there thousands of parts in a car, sometimes materials should be bought from all over the world to reduce cost. Purchasing ensures the lowest price with good quality. And with communication as well as  negotiation to the suppliers, it is possible to make all the products to be produced on time with lower cost which is very important. Additionally, purchasing takes what kind of contract is the best into consideration which contributes to managing contracts effectively. Due to the different environment in every location, an appropriate type of contract benefits Honda and suppliers at the same time. Furthermore, as mentioned above, Honda pays a lot attention to the relationship with suppliers. One of the important part of purchasing is negotiating with the suppliers. With good negotiation and communication, it not only increases the chance of getting better deal but also contributes to establishing positive relationship with suppliers. How does purchasing rank in the corporate structure at Honda? Purchasing ranks highly in the corporate structure at Honda. It is in charge of local purchasing which decides the local suppliers as well as the global source. Besides, it has the option of adding a second source of supply. How is Honda organized globally? How does this help/hinder the purchasing function at Honda? Honda has lead automotive exporter which increase the buying and selling power for Honda. Honda focus on the localization as well as globalization which neutralizes the effect of currency rate. However, it also causes some problems such as at the beginning it is hard to coordinate between the local and the global. But this problem has been solved when the international purchasing department strengthen its macro-control of the local and global purchasing. Honda is sensitive to international requirements which means it takes advantages as well as create opportunities with local government. Since 1986 the MOSS came out, Honda created thousands of job opportunities in US and in turn it gets a lot benefit. What are the key elements of Honda’s supplier evaluation policy? How does it differ from others (e.g. the Big Three)? Suppliers are able to be involved in the product development to some degree. Different from others which control everything during purchasing and the suppliers are just responsible for supplying products as what is in the contract, Honda’s suppliers are able to offer advice about enhancing the efficiency which facilitate the cooperation as well as the products. In other words, Honda and its suppliers are mutually-beneficial cooperation rather than Honda just relies on suppliers. Continuous development and responsiveness of suppliers at the early age of product development process is critically important. â €Å"Honda tries to  encourage suppliers’ suggestions early before finalizing drawings, particularly in the area of cost reduction and quality improvement.† Honda always tries to maintain relationship with suppliers. It is hard to communicate effectively in Honda’s four trade zone but Honda always pays attention to it. As Mr. Morita says, â€Å"Honda places value on maintaining relationships, so we do not enter into them lightly.† Different from companies which focus on the immediate benefit of low cost rather than long-term benefits of maintaining relationship, Honda values suppliers and tries best to maintain good relationship with suppliers which turns out to be a very economical strategy. Because changing suppliers or having problems with current suppliers always takes a lot of time and money of fix it. What is Honda’s policy on new product development and supplier involvement? How does it differ from other automotive companies? Honda’s policy on new product development and supplier involvement includes two pars: Pacific Automotive Cooperative since 1986 and Re-assigned Pacific Automotive Cooperative since 1995. The former one was signed by Japanese and American government which required companies to report all of their import and localization volumes. The latter one consisted of 32 shareholders from joint venture composed of Japanese automakers which was established to meet political objecti ve for production in North America. Both of the policies emphasize on the involvement and cooperation of suppliers. Different from other automotive companies, suppliers of Honda have access to have knowledge of product development process and to offer suggestion which enhance the relationship between Honda and suppliers as well as promote the production efficiency. Honda’s culture have always emphasized globalization. Honda cultivated an international background at a very early age resulting in getting along with suppliers well. Conversely, Nissan and Toyota primarily exported vehicles, and did not develop this international culture. Does Honda support local sourcing from domestic suppliers? What are the advantages / disadvantages of this approach? Yes, Honda strongly supports local sourcing from domestic suppliers. Advantages: Firstly, it is easier for Honda to create and develop domestic market with domestic suppliers which understand customer culture and market better than Honda itself. Secondly, domestic suppliers decrease the cost of time and  money to distribute and produce. Thirdly, as there may be several domestic suppliers, so Honda has more options to choose the best one. And additionally,, domestic suppliers lower the risk of discontinuousness. Disadvantages: At the beginning of purchasing, domestic suppliers may be lacking in specific raw materials or components. And furthermore, how to adjust the domestic suppliers with global market is very important. Honda’s policy and commit to long-term relationships has been criticized as being â€Å"too loyal†, and Honda will go to â€Å"ridiculous lengths† to maintain a supplier relationship before severing ties. What do you think about these criticisms? Although Honda’s policy is criticized, in my opinion, it is still of great significance. When choosing suppliers, quality of products they supply compared with the cost and delivery fee are the most important factors. If the suppliers were able to satisfy these requirements, there is no need to change suppliers. Additionally, Honda keeps increasing the relationship with suppliers by involving them into the product development process, which benefits both Honda and suppliers. Stable and long-term relationship doesn†™t equal ridiculous lengths. With efforts, it is one way to increase the quality of suppliers.

Best Teacher Essay

I was the kind of child that always struggled to pay attention in school. I never wanted to be in class, except to visit with my friends. At times I wanted to drop out of school. I always felt like school was a big waste of time. Until I met a teacher named Mrs. Meyers at Kent Mountain View Academy. Mrs. Meyers is a teacher that is the most influential person in the world, (but the world doesn’t know it yet), I really admire her because she always encouraged me to go to class and treat other teachers and students with respect, and to try my best. If I ever needed any extra help in homework; she was there, it didn’t matter which subject it was. She always told me that I was very smart and to never to doubt myself. Mrs. Meyers is easy to talk to, I could just tell her anything because she’s very honest and talks to me (or anyone for that matter) openly about anything in life. She was always ready to listen to me when I was feeling down. With her comfort and warm words I always felt better and important. When I needed some advice, she was there for me. She is my friend, my mentor and like a mother. Mrs. Meyers has a great passion and love to teach children. She has so much patience to sit down with them and explain the work to them. She never makes the school work boring; she always made it fun and exciting and easier to learn. She always did it with a smile on her face, even when she wasn’t feeling well. If I had one hour to spend with Mrs. Meyers, I would ask her what influenced her passion for teaching children, how did her life experiences influence her to be a teacher, and many other questions relatable to that. I would ask these questions because she’s a great person, and who doesn’t want to know about a great person? I hope one day I could feel that same passion, care and love that she has of teaching and helping children like the way she help me. She completely changed my life around and made me a different person the one I am today. Mrs. Meyers was the one person who influenced me the most and to whom I am very thankful because she gave me the inspiration to become a teacher or at least strive to do my best at whatever job I choose. I am very glad that I met her and I think that without her I would never do as well as I do in school. Or in life for that matter.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Polish migration to United Kingdom Research Paper

Polish migration to United Kingdom - Research Paper Example The system of wages in the United Kingdom is prominently higher than many of the states in European Union and also those states which are not parts of European Union. This paper is aimed to analyse and explicate the impact of Polish migration to United Kingdom under the free movement policy of the European Union on the economy of United Kingdom. It also presents the description of migrations to the United Kingdom and its impact on its economy. Lastly, this paper also provides recommendation for the United Kingdom to remain a part of European Union or to withdraw from it in concordance with the analysis of the economy and Polish migrations to United Kingdom. European Union and Free Movement Law European Union is a transnational political and economic union consisting twenty eight members primarily from Europe. The operations of European Union are conducted through supranational institutions which are independent. The decisions of European Union are finalized after intergovernmental ne gotiations with all of the member states (Thomson 3-9). On these bases, the legislation for free movement of persons, immigrations and asylums has been passed with mutual consent of every state in European Union. This policy of free movement is the basic principle of the Treaty in article 45. The Treaty is based on the functioning of the European Union. ... He would not be required to take the work permit to work in the migrated country and he can also be a resident of that country for the purpose of work. According to this policy, a person can stay in the migrated European Union state after the end of his employment with the right to have an equal amount of treatment as the nationals of that state enjoy. This includes access to employment in any field, the working conditions of the organization where the immigrant has been employed and every other social or financial advantage (European Commissions para. 2). Immigration to United Kingdom The United Kingdom has been one of the most favourite countries for the asylum seekers and migration mostly from former colonies such as India, Caribbean, Pakistan, Kenya, South Africa and Hong Kong. After the enactment of British nationality Act in 1981, the immigration to the United Kingdom has substantially elevated not only from non-European Union countries but also from the countries which are mem bers of European Union (BBC 5-10). As mentioned in the introductory paragraph of this paper, the United Kingdom is a member state of European Union. The free movement of workers has played a significant role in the increase of immigrations to the United Kingdom from the member states of European Union (BBC 9-10). According to a report from BBC, there were 567,000 individuals who arrived to live in United Kingdom out of which 371,000 left. Despite of this, the total inward migration to the United Kingdom was 196,000 in 2009 (BBC UK para. 1). In 2006, the number of approved citizenship is 154,095 from which the applications received were 149,035 for British citizenship. The major groups from the granted citizenships

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The 4 pillars of SMS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The 4 pillars of SMS - Assignment Example In this regard, the 4 common pillars of SMS are safety policy, risk management, assurance and promotion. This component establishes the top management’s dedication to constantly improve safety. This is because it entails the organizational policies and structure that define the responsibilities of the management to ensure safety precautions (Waring, 2006). Organizations cannot effectively operate without the observation of safety policies, which help in reducing confusion and errors. The safety policy component is efficient for creating a proactive and predictive program because it offers new regulations that can help in improving equipment and system designs (Ludwig, 2007). For instance, the management can decide to employ new safety programs that will reduce the occurrence of risks. This SMS component determines the requirement for improved risk controls based on the appraisal of suitable risk. The pillar also offers a formal system of hazard recognition, risk evaluation, resource distribution and system monitoring. The component is suitable for creating a proactive and predictive safety program because it helps engineers develop, determine and administer a safety culture that decreases injuries (Waring, 2006). As a result, the safety risk management pillar provides a proactive response before the occurrence of risks. This is because it predicts and tries to prevent accidents through the appropriate response mechanisms. This SMS pillar comprises of coaching, communication and other activities to establish a favorable safety culture within all workforce levels. It is prudent that constant communication of safety values and performances help to support a sound safety culture. Its value in the predictive safety program is that the communication and training initiatives are essential for equipping workers with the required skills to tackle emerging threats (Ludwig, 2007). The workforce needs to acquire modern training facilities in order to prepare for

Saturday, July 27, 2019

MANAGING IN A MIXED ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

MANAGING IN A MIXED ECONOMY - Essay Example In today’s mixed economy, governments belonging to diverse nations have been dealing with private organisations through PPP as it provides three major facilities. First, PPP is quite efficient in assisting government to react with increasing demand of infrastructure based services. The second facility is that PPP assists government to exploit the public resources that would be utilised for making infrastructure development, hence shifting the liability of capital outlay to the private segment. PPP permits government to allocate resources for other admirable improvement related expenditures. And the third facility is that PPP supports government in terms of effective supply of services. The corporate pattern of private segment provides improved effectiveness and also offers higher returns on investment in comparison to government possession. The root of so called PPP is considered to be originated from the United States and the United Kingdom correspondingly. Denationalisation of public services and deregulation are few key aspects which has characterised the new era of management reorganisation and restructure of governmental activities (Bovaird & Loffler, 2009). With respect to PPP, the UK is considered as the leader. UK has first presented large scale PPPs in the economy. From the years 1987 to 2004, the government of the UK has contracted about 677 PPPs that valued nearly about  £43 billion. ?43 billion. The amount of PPPs in the UK has increased considerably from the year 2000 due to increased pressure from the citizens to provide as well as to develop essential infrastructures for them (McQuaid & Scherrer, 2008). PPP is the tag for standard modification in public management which is applied mainly for innovative improvements. PPP has its derivation from established business administration concept which is overwhe lming the incompetent distribution of resources in public authorities and delivery of public services. Public establishments are found to suffer from several economic disasters because of inherent faults in functional and operational management. PPP therefore attempts to gain substantial profit from the improvement of public segments by a greater level (Richards & Smith, 2002). It has been apparently observed that the governments belonging to dissimilar nations established PPP in order to encourage privatisation and support private entrepreneurs. However, it is worth mentioning that PPP is basically regarded as a set of institutional association between government and several actors of private segment. PPP is viewed to be neither an improvement strategy nor an unattached collaboration between different representatives; rather it is continuing set of dealings to accomplish certain predetermined objectives (McCartney & Stittle, 2008). The government of the UK believes PPP as a variety of business structures and partnership arrangements. The government of the UK has developed three major types of PPP which are proprietorship, endowment of services and sales of public services. Furthermore, PPP has corresponding role in allowing organisations to provide mutual basis between public and private segment in order to encou

Friday, July 26, 2019

Analysis and forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis and forecasting - Essay Example Within these markets they have been able to develop segments and market effectively to them. They are also making steady progress into the educational market. Dell's primary competitor in the PC and peripheral market is Hewlett-Packard; HP #1 in the peripheral market and #2 in the PC market (Davis, 2001). Other rising competitors are Sony, Microsoft and E-Machines. Dell still has a prominent place in the marketplace, but will need to leverage peripherals to stay ahead f the pack. Products are Dell's forte and are targeted at very specific markets. Their placement is based on their direct sales model and more recently through non-traditional efforts like kiosks. Dell's promotional efforts have been effective through the use f traditional advertising on TV and direct mail, while also maximizing the effectiveness f email and the Dell web site. Price is a key differentiator for Dell and the use f state f the art production facilities has enabled Dell to keep their prices very competitive. Dell has been carried through the wave f technology the last 20 years without really contributing any new technology. There is very little spent on research and development, both viewed as crucial for the livelihood f major tech firms. A recent threat is the emphasis on non-traditional competitors, notably Sony and Microsoft, entering the fray and innovatively integrating various digital components together (PDAs, digital cameras, computers, video, etc). To maintain its competitive advantage, Dell must enhance and diversify its line f products offered to consumers and corporations. This will enable Dell to differentiate their offerings from the competition could give Dell a fresh look and enhance their reputation f providing cutting edge technology first. The initial stages f research questioning are key as they set the tone and focus for the final objective and/or opportunity. Clearly determining the end goal is crucial, otherwise the study may be a waste f precious resources (time and money) - or worse, the data analyzed may be misconstrued in such a manner that it would lead to poor business decisions. How do organizations avoid making these costly mistakes By employing the practice f research design to properly structure the study to achieve the desired objectives. Good research is derived, in part, from the following characteristics: clearly defined purpose, detailed research process, thoroughly planned research design, and maintaining high ethical standards. One f the final stages f research questions is deriving the research problem statement. This can be done by generally brainstorming ideas for organizational improvement, such indicating known problem areas f concern, and outlining goals for the organization. For example, Dell has the following goals: (1) conduct research to gather and analyze research new markets, and (2) make new products available to customers who are already intent on purchasing a base computer system. Combining these goals into a problem statement, "What (new) ancillary products could be sold to drive revenue, when combined with (existing) product lines" Dell

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Ff options can only be priced because they can be replicated, why do Assignment

Ff options can only be priced because they can be replicated, why do we need them - Assignment Example Although derivatives are technically conspicuous reason being they can undergo replication using basic financial instruments, they are still the tools that provide those who participate in the market to full of risk to manage the particular risks. Nature of options dynamic replication Dynamic hedging of options is never conducted even with the market makers(Lussier & PareI, 2004). In nature, options are hard to deal with due to the technicality of the language used to describe the tools. The difference between dynamic and static hedging is small since hedging is only realized on minor positions. The risks taken by either parties are very different and highly distinguished, those with the buyer and distinct from those with the writer of the options hence asymmetry in the payoffs making it very hard for dynamic replication. Options also have the tendency of changing their character in a dynamically replicative way depending on whether they are in the money or out of the money. Dependen t on this, is the fact that the value of out of the money option is the probability that at expiry the said option will have some value without dynamically replicating (Lussier & PareI, 2004). Dynamic replication assumes a constant movement of asset prices while the real prices of the assets can move non-constantly. This has the effect of derailing the possible outcomes of accurate replication. The risk presented by this is on the options themselves upbringing bankruptcy to businesses that do not have enough capital (Lussier & PareI, 2004). All these factors combined have an impact on the way both the put and the call options will be priced using the relevant dynamic models. Options are of very high value since in its own context it allows the person holding it to be able to modify the risks they are exposed to favorably. In addition, the asset also gives the holder the special chance of escaping the contract when they realize they are not favored by the occurrences of dynamic repli cation. Pricing of options in relation to dynamic replication Dynamic replication understanding can well be discussed and how it works in relation to the option pricing theory, their relation and functionality is as well discussed. The pricing of options today bases its pricing on discrete time method where the valuation of the asset will take only two general forms depending on the skewness of dynamic replication (Roman, 2004). The pricing of an option depends on the ability of an individual to predict the future behavior of the asset prices. The call option value is arrived at in the end by getting the difference between the asset price and the strike price of the asset, which is maximized incase it is positive in value, and minimized when the value is negative. Under option contracts, option writers are most of the times obligated to deliver some form of liability with regard to dynamic replication, which are valued by way of creating a diversified portfolio that is underlying an d that exactly matches the residual costs involved in setting up both sides leading to a replicated product (Roman, 2004). Arrival at the fair value of an option is therefore arrived at depending on the ability of the writer of the option to form a dynamically replicating portfolio of the assets. Among the many methods used to price options, we have the Black-Scholes option-valuation model (Ross, 2008), which employs intensive analysis in its

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Critique assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critique assignment - Essay Example It should be noted that the author has also helped in identifying a flow of the problem with the research purpose. The manner in which the topic has been discussed in the introduction makes it easier for the reader to expect the research methodology and findings. From the first instance of having a look at the title of the article, the readers can expect that the introduction will be able to create a textual as well as contextual construct. In simpler words, it can be said that the introduction of the article is clearly relevant with the objective as appointed by the author. It can also be said that the author has address some of the information tags in the introduction which may provide information which takes the reader beyond the understanding of article’s subject matter. This may be considered as irrelevant by some of the critiques but it is important to note that additional information in the introduction allows the readers to evaluate the peculiarities of the research. T hus, overall it can be said that the introduction written by the author in the article proves to be a stronger context to the research’s findings (Barton et al. 2012) The article has been published by International Journal of Audiology which is one of the most significant contributions in the field. The article was received on 15th September 2010. As per the reliability test, the acceptance of the article was done on 10 September 2011. Since the journal in publishing the content for the research purpose, it took another year for the journal to publish the article. The affiliation of the article is with International Journal of Audiology which makes it joint with British Society of Audiology and Nordic Audiological Society. The article’s publishing source, International Journal of Audiology has been a publishing source for many high-rated contributors in the field of audiology. The journal includes both original articles as well as reviews of

West Indian Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

West Indian Literature - Essay Example The novel, narrated different stories of Caribbean ways of life, particularly in relation to the group’s attempt to create their self-identity on foreign lands. African-Caribbean cultural identity is demonstrated in the novel as an overall individual identity as well as attributed as a feature of the community. Moreover, African-Caribbean cultural identity, as illustrated in the novel, emphasized the commonalities among Afro-Caribbean people over time and across space. As shown by the different characters in the novels, identities have changed during periods of adjustment. For the individual, the repercussions are also reflective. There have been arrays of themes explored in the novel such as code switching and the importance of expressiveness, as well as other qualities of identity management. These can be viewed as components of the enduring and dynamic nature of identity as Afro-Caribbean preserve a sense of self while adapting to challenging situational difficulties. Furthermore, it can be assumed from the content of the novel that cultural identity will be more or less significant for individuals, particularly with respect to the Afro-Caribbean childrens’ worldview, and in specific circumstances. Hence, an Afro-Caribbean may be distressed by behaviour that pressures cultural id entity in a position in which this identity is not specifically prominent. To sum it up, the novel placed stress on these particular themes in the outlook of the Afro-Caribbean children: Afro-Caribbean children and youth, education, parenting styles, Afro-Caribbean comradeship, dating, and marital bonds Furthermore, one of the most exploited themes in Olive Senior’s novels is â€Å"gardening† as a symbol of the need for identity distinctions and dynamic communications, positioning the garden as a representation of an ambivalent past, breathing space of colonial segregation and postcolonial heredity. Race, gender and social

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

New and Improved Rewards at Work Research Paper - 2

New and Improved Rewards at Work - Research Paper Example The most important goal for an employment compensation strategy is to offer better rewards for right employee actions for success of the company. In order to make competitive compensation packages for employees, companies need to consider what their rivals are offering so that they do not end up running into losses by offering more than the equilibrium package in the industry or offering less than the minimum, because this will make it impossible for them to recruit and retain staff. Best packages are sometimes those that are preferred by employees while at the same time appear to be competitive in the particular industry. One advantage with compensation schemes is that they are able to underpin organizational culture, something that is highly desired by companies. The government governs every aspect of employee compensation within the public sector. In many instances, this leaves no room for innovative ideas towards formulation of important compensations schemes. Companies that are highly innovative in engaging their employees record high returns that are sometimes double those of rival companies which do not engage their employees adequately (Pollitt, 2081) The first way to creatively engage your skilful employees is by putting them in a position where they can have direct contact with consumers of their products. In many industries, employees design products and dispatch them for sale, yet they have no idea about the impact of the products on the lives of their end users (Grant, 2007; Grant, 2008). A good example is the automotive industry where automotive engineers design cars of all kinds worldwide but they never gets the chance to have direct feedback from drivers of the cars, authors as well compose many pieces of literature to millions of faceless readers but never meets them for feedback. Meeting end users as a product developer has been known to enhance prosocial motivation as well

Monday, July 22, 2019

Toll Fraud Schemes Essay Example for Free

Toll Fraud Schemes Essay Toll fraud is identified as the stealing of long distance call services by unknown third party hackers (Aginsky). The said call operators are after the money they can get from stealing and selling access to international calls. There are also instances that they are doing toll fraud schemes just for fun (Aginsky). It primarily uses telephone calls to gain profit in a very easy way by fabricating stories and disguising as company representatives. Three Examples of Toll Fraud Schemes (1) Toner Phoner or Voice Mail Penetration Scheme This scheme usually happens when someone receives a call from someone declaring to be from any office supply companies and offers best deals and last chance promos for you to buy their products (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 38-39). Upon payment, no supplies will be delivered and if ever supplies are delivered, it is overpriced and of low quality (Rosoff, Pontell, Tillman 38-39). Once a complaint is filed against the supplier the truth will came out and the customer will be surprised to know that the one who called him/her has nor elation with the regular supplier (Aginsky). â€Å"Fraudulent companies often use threats of collection or legal action to get payment† (Aginsky). (2) Telemarketing The scam with telemarketing varies in forms. It can be in mail form or by means of phone calls solicitation of products to be donated in prominent charities only to find out that these charitable institutions are unregistered and fake (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 35-41). Callers often disguise as sick or old and attempts to obtain delicate information like bank account or credit card numbers (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 35-41). Another scenario of telemarketing is when business offices are called and they are asked of the brand and specifications of their products. After the call, shipments of unsolicited supplies will be received by the company and they will be charged with overblown prices. (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 35-41). (3) Phone Phreaking Phone phreaking occurs by acquiring facts about the network operation of a certain telephone company in order to gain access to place unauthorized international calls (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 366). Phone phreaks usually do this for personal use especially when their relatives are based abroad. It is also used for tricking telecommunication employees to gain technical information (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman 386-389) The effects of fraudulent schemes to consumers and businesses Victims of fraudulent schemes are not only consumers but business owners and employees as well. The reputation of businesses will be damaged and they will loose loyal customers because of wrong accusations against their company. Customer reliability is important to gain trust from customers who will patronize a particular business. Because of fraud schemes, this reliance is lost and business owners will be criticize and ridiculed   Consumers are left with the burden of paying phone bills and certain products which they did not made or purchased (Rosoff, Pontell, and Tillman).

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Value Of Happiness In The Workplace

The Value Of Happiness In The Workplace To write this essay, I mixed the main findings of the text and included some additional references with my own opinion. I believe that the text wants us to reflect on this question: does work allow happiness? In our contemporary society, and especially for someone like me who is starting my professional career, I think it is a relevant question, a controversial topic very interesting to discuss, that has become a real debate nowadays. About Happiness Happiness is a state of fully satisfied consciousness. Its a state of mind that depends on how it is interpreted. Happiness may also be defined as the experience of frequent positive affect, infrequent negative affect and an overall sense of satisfaction with life as a whole (Myers Diener, 1995). In recent years, there has been a craze to measure happiness due to feelings of individuals who dont feel happier despite of an increase in wealth and of the increasing importance given to quality of life, hence the concept of sustainable development for example. Happiness is not just being happy: as Aristotle wrote, A swallow does not a make a spring, nor one single day ( « une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps, ni non plus un seul jour  »). This phrase became proverbial, meaning that happiness is not the affair of a moment; it must really last over time if it is true. The ambition of the great schools of antique philosophy is to allow men to reach happy lives: the search for lasting happiness is the purpose of this part of philosophy called ethics. Aristotle as well as the Epicureans and the Stoics agree on this point: only a just and upright life can give us access to true happiness, that is to say durable, long-lasting happiness. For the Epicureans, if pleasure is essential to happiness, some desires bring more disorders than festivities: they must be set aside, and we should content ourselves with natural and necessary desires, because they are source of pleasure and easy to satisfy. For the Stoics, happiness cannot be sustainable if it depends on external circumstances: I have to discipline my will to learn to only depend on me, because my happiness cannot be left with the whims of the fortune. 2. About Work Due to its etymology (tripalium meaning in Latin torture trestel), the concept of work is already inconsistent, contradictory with the idea of happiness. While in antiquity and in a society of orders work was contrary to social prestige, employment is nowadays a discriminating element. Indeed, we see appearing in the society a social category of working poors and many precarious jobs. From then on, become central constituent element of both lifestyle and standard of living, work appears today not as a Garden of Eden but more as a source of conflicts, concerns, and gloom. In fact, happiness and work do not seem to be compatible. 3. Work and Happiness Happiness depends on work According to the relative index of happiness, work is one of the most important factors that influence happiness. You cannot separate one from the other. This notion of work rises through the tasks we execute, of course, but also in the relationships we have with colleagues, in the recognition that we obtain from our employer, in our level of empowerment and in the valuation bound to the fact of learning and discovering. In addition, in a French study published in 2003 work to be happy? ( « travailler pour à ªtre heureux?  »), it seems that a quarter of the French respondents emphasize that work constitutes in itself an essential part of happiness. If a quarter of the French states that individual happiness directly depends on work, it reveals not only the importance of work as a major source of definition of the conceptions of happiness, but also the wide variety of professional situations. This can be understood as far as work is thought by men as a source, multifaceted, essential, of happiness. In this sense, without work, unemployed men cannot get to know happiness. Indeed, the activity is today privileged and highly valued in the economic and social life. France, which has a relatively high unemployment rate compared to its European neighbors such as Germany, regularly puts in place specific economic policies aimed directly at reducing the unemployment rate. In our society, the professional activity is valued because it provides legitimate resources (wealth, social status, salary, etc.) In addition, we can only emphasize the omnipotence of work. The occupation appears in this perspective as a necessary condition for happiness because it allows for a whole range of human needs. Happiness can be compatible to work to the extent that a productive activity can also be a creative activity, a fruitful activity, especially source of satisfaction of multiple needs. Abraham Maslow has shown in his pyramid theory of needs that men must satisfy first their physiological needs, then their safety needs (i.e. earn money to meet their basic needs, that is to say, food, housing ) before considering other needs more extensive as sense of belonging, esteem from others, self-esteem etc.. But it is precisely through the professional activity that men will be able to meet their first needs, indispensable to happiness. For the majority of workers, working is a condition of their happiness and their job is an irreplaceable source of income and social inclusion. Indeed, for some employees, the firm is not only a workplace, but a real social institution, where they can really socialize with others. As a matter of fact, with the current economy, for some it is a real luck to have a job to be able to live (housing, food), and this work can make them happy! In addition, a personal development, a self-fulfillment is done by working with the satisfaction obtained after the effort. To illustrate this, we can cite people who do a thankless job, but who follow an ideal, and whom it makes happy! For example Mother Theresa worked in the garbage dumps to look after the rejected, unloved, and neglected people and was happy to help them even if the environment was dreadful. I think that happiness at work is different for everyone, for some people, happiness will reside in the social side provided by the activity, for others it will be being able to travel, for other it will be obtaining a big pay etc In addition, many people will say that if you like what we do, you obtain better results. Having happy employees can be the key to business success. During my internship, I have noticed that employees who seemed happy were more team-players, were more concentrated, more proactive and wasted less time and resources. Indeed, if we take the example of a salesman, if he looks happy and satisfied, he will transmit his enthusiasm, he will probably encourage more easily customers to buy, his sales will increase, his performance and efficiency will participate to a productivity increase and the company will benefit directly from it! Basically, having happy, satisfied and loyal employees will bring happy, satisfied and loyal customers! And happy, satisfied and loyal customers will bring higher profits! The motivation to reach our objectives increases with professional fulfillment. It also stimulates and encourages creativity and innovation. I think if that if we are really happy, we are then 100% invested in what we undertake, and we can even go beyond what is expected of us. Then starts a virtuous circle because the company, happy with the employees results, will give him or her more autonomy and responsibility, which will increase the workers satisfaction. In addition, I think that in general, when were happy, when we see life in pink, we look at the future in a more positive way, and obstacles appear less insurmountable. According to the hierarchy particularly, if a worker is successful, he will be easily granted better positions, more responsibilities and higher salaries which will participate to increase his happiness. Achieve contentment and satisfaction of its employees is a real challenge for a company. But it is really beneficial because it helps decrease employee turnover and absenteeism due to illness or overwork, through better energy management and health. Negative stress is transformed into positive stress. I recently read that a real link was established between being happy at work and health. We can cite the example of management in the company Google. In my opinion, the company has implemented many policies to achieve well-being and satisfaction of its employees. For example, employees can enjoy many benefits such as free haircuts, sports facilities (gyms, swimming pools), laundry services, medical personnel on the workplace, recreation rooms (billiards, babyfoots, video games), enjoy massages and so onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I think thats part of why Google is placed number 1 of the 100 best companies to work for in 2012 by the magazine Fortune. I think it is important to emphasize the important place of labor relationships for happiness. Empathy has a prominent place. At work, there are four types of relationships with colleagues: Friends outside of work, who become friends in the normal way Friends at work, whom we only see at work, for example, during breaks or lunch time The friendly relations at work, people with whom we dont have a break or lunch with Labor relations only, that is to say those which we avoid But in closer relationships, two types of behavior are favored; on the one hand cooperation and on the other hand, jokes and gossip. It was found that these two ways of acting promote job satisfaction, help to reduce the impact of stress on health, and decrease the psychosomatic effects. We know now that health is a driving force in self-realization, in self-fulfillment, in the pursuit of happiness. Thus, good working relationships facilitate the achievement of personal happiness. It is for this reason that the employer must ensure that the working environment is positive. This is for example why numerous team building activities were developed these recent years. In my view, the recognition by colleagues and superiors of the accomplished work is essential. An even more important relationship is the one between an employee and his supervisor. In order for the employee to be satisfied in his work and thus allow opening a door to his general happiness in life, the immediate supervisor must show a lot of consideration and well-being. He must also be careful not to be too prescriptive but suggestive, not imposing a way to do things but imposing goals for examples. The supervisor should give feedback, recognize successes, offer new challenges and especially show justice and fairness. I also believe that a good manager is a supportive manager. To be happy at work, it is important for employees to work in an environment that is not hostile but dynamic and fair. In other words, we could say that even if the hierarchy must remain, hierarchical barriers must fall. Moreover, we can highlight that various intellectual traditions held thinking work, not only as a place of possible alienation (Marxist tradition), but also in a more modern way, as a place for membership, belonging, and identity creation. Indeed, if work is often seen as a painful constraint, it is nevertheless a way by which men overcome nature and conquer their freedom and humanity. This is what Hegel shows by teaching me to delay the satisfaction of my desires, working requires me to discipline myself ( « en mapprenant à   retarder le moment de la satisfaction de mes dà ©sirs, le travail moblige à   me discipliner  »). Through the effort, men gradually master themselves: they free themselves from the nature (their instincts) by transforming the nature out of them. Work is thus needed in a second sense: without it, men cannot realize their humanity. Work should not be considered in the horizon of survival: by their work, men cultivate and humanize nature (Marx) and educate themselves. This is the meaning of Hegels dialectic of the master and the slave, the master, that is to say, the one who enjoys the work of others without doing anything with his ten fingers, is finally the true slave, and the slave who learned to discipline himself and to patiently acquire knowledge becomes master of himself and of the nature. While it was an undergone constraint and the mark of slavery, work becomes the driving element of our liberation as it allows the realization of ourselves. Thus, work can be seen as a liberating or emancipating activity. But work also has a more specific educating value: work is a source of education according to Kant. Indeed, as Rousseau stated, work involves effort, perseverance, consistency, qualities that are opposed to our natural tendency to inertia. Working is educational as it teaches us to go against our natural tendency to passivity and ease. In a way working is doing violence to our nature: work also teaches us to master ourselves. If work takes such a central place in our lives, it nonetheless also shapes our own representations of happiness. Thus, we must also understand the sense in which 75% of French respondents in the survey work and happiness think work is not in itself a part of happiness. Happiness doesnt depend on work If professional activity is not necessarily an integral part of individual happiness, it is because happiness can come from other sources. Also, if some ethics believe work can make people happy, some other ethics believe non-work constitutes a way to be happy. In other words, it is primarily the type of profession that will determine whether a person is happy or not. Sweetened and idealized images of the self-made man or of the businessman travelling have to face those darker images of the warehouseman or of the unpacker employee subjected to difficult schedules. Thus, some individuals place their work in the center of their happiness, but others emphasize the concepts of health, family, friends. Within the sociological study Happiness and Work ( « Bonheur et Travail  ») directed by Christian Baudelot and which resulted in the book Work to be happy ( « Travailler pour à ªtre heureux  »), it has been shown that the reference to work is uneven from one social group to another. In fact, 43% of workers, but only 27% of business leaders, executives and self-employed mentioned it. It is therefore a visible paradox: the apparently less valued professions (such as blue-collar workers), believe work is a superior source of happiness than more socially desirable occupations such as managers and higher intellectual professions (who believe work is a less important source of happiness). A film like Human Resources from Laurent Cantet in 1999 ( « Ressources humaines  »), which describes the arrival of a young adult into the Human Resources Direction service of his fathers company, shows the dichotomy of the business and social world and highlights the different relationships to work. For the father, work is the backbone of a lifetime; for the son, work is a means by which it seeks its own identity. Moreover we can distinguish the white collars, whose profession is a way to conduct a good life out of the company (family, friends, outings, travels, leisureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), and the blue collars, like the father of the young hero, who, once returned from the factory in the evening, continues for his pleasure to work on parts. In this logic, we can assume that for many workers, happiness depends on other things deemed more important than work. We can also note that work is sometimes thought, certainly in a more marginal way, as antithetical to happiness. This is particularly the case when the activity in question is suffered, undergone because of it is hard, arduous, precarious or not remunerative enough. It can also be translated more concretely by the introduction and implementation of alternative lifestyles, refusing work, as described in the movie directed by Pierre Carles in 2003 Attention danger work ( « Attention danger travail  »). It is important to highlight that many workers emphasize a certain job insecurity due to structural changes and to the desire of companies to maximize flexibility. Also, the first professions to be exposed to the major recent developments of capitalism (the end of massive industrialization and the development of the tertiary sector), have been either deleted or replaced (we can think for example of minors or steel workers in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais). Nowadays, these trends, continued and emphasized by growing financialization of economies and increased power to shareholders, thus bring some professionals in specific sectors of the industry in situations where the sense of fragility and precariousness outweighs safety. Outsourcing and relocation waves to conquer new markets and produce at a cheaper labor cost, have recently crystallized in France this deep fear of workers for their personal future. To sum up, we can that that because of the severe downturn of todays economy, a big majority of employees are apprehensive about the security of their positions and this leads to higher levels of self-doubt and conflict into the workplace. Considering in this perspective that a precarious profession couldnt be constitutive of happiness in the long term, we can understand that so few French respondents said they were happy with their work because their work is no longer their predominant value. The working time reduction, the emergence of a leisure society, and the omnipresence of consumption lead the professional activity to become an incidental or accessory occupation. At the same time, authors like Dominique Meda with his book Work, an endangered value ( « Le travail, une valeur en voie de disparition  ») or Andrà © Gorz with his book Work metamorphoses, search for meaning ( « Mà ©tamorphoses du travail, quà ªte du sens  ») show that the modern work is not necessarily at the heart of concerns. On one hand, for Dominique Meda, work in contemporary Western societies requires individuals to make permanent choices and tradeoffs between professional life and family life. On another hand, for Andrà © Gorz, any activity that aims to minimize its working time cannot at same time boast or glorify work as a source of personal fulfillment. In short, it is therefore clear with these two authors that technical and technological progress tends to make work become a mere moment, often restrictive and constraining, of life. In addition, professions where hardness and physical or mental efforts to produce are numerous can logically less contribute to happiness, compared to other more fulfilling professions. Also, those jobs where wages and salaries are very low cannot actively contribute to happiness. Moreover, it would be interesting to know whether the professions traditionally favored, envied and valued are actually those where happiness is possible, at work, and out of work. It is interesting to note that managers, for example, is the profession where people say they are most exposed to a significant nervous tension, rather than workers, for example. We can cite as an example that the year 2012 saw the greatest number of burn-outs. In addition, new researches show that such stress at work is as dangerous for the health and the well-being of an individual as smoking. Similarly, because the professions with high responsibilities are absorbing and time consuming, the life out-work is sometimes disturbed which questions and threatens the general equilibrium of life. Managers are more likely than workers to report that their occupation prevents them from practicing other activities. They are in fact subject to a dilemma: to invest in their profession to climb the social ladder and eventually earn more, or focus on areas outside work to find a personal harmony. Suffering at work (psychological pressure, for example) is thus not only the prerogative of professions usually less valued like blue-collar workers. In addition, examples of recurring depression and suicides at work (for example in France Tà ©là ©com in 2008) are in any case symptomatic of a doubt about the ability of work to make us happy. In the past few years, large companies such as IBM have created within their organizations positions of Well-being Director or Happiness Director. As a matter of fact, the question of happiness at work is today no longer immediately obvious; it is not a certainty anymore for more and more workers, employees or entrepreneurs. In the same range of ideas, we can highlight that Luc Boltanski and Eve Chiapello have in their book The new spirit of capitalism ( « Le nouvel esprit du capitalisme  ») also shown how capitalism has managed to integrate all the external ideological reviews and has incorporated them in its ways of doing. The liberation of the personal creativities, the expression of everyones happiness in the company can, in fact, become a daily burden. If the modern managerial discourse laid the mysteries of employees happiness, the practice of happy work has become a reality often illusory. 4. Conclusion I believe we can say that the 25% of French people who responded positively to the question of whether their work constitute in itself a part of happiness can be considered privileged. On the one hand, work has become a major source of self-fulfillment as a condition to meet our needs, but it retains the possibility to submit, use, coerce, through human traditional subjugation for specific tasks, such as through managerial techniques aiming at excessive responsibility: to ensure not only the competence, the knowledge, but also the know-how and the skills. On the other hand, work was subjected in all its aspects, dimensions and possibilities to profound and deep changes that have made it more difficult to achieve happiness. In a way, the work reinventing itself in the contemporary period, it is all traditional conceptions of happiness that could be challenged. It is ultimately through a rational individual arbitration between working time and leisure time, made possible by a harmonious relationship with ones business, which could be found the source of a possible fulfillment through work. Some retired or inactive people, seek to continue working rather than stop. In fact, they highlight the importance work takes in our society. It allows standing in life, worthy, dignified and proud of our human condition. Therefore, maybe should we question the economic policies of employment nowadays in France because they dont sufficiently take into account the importance of work as a source of personal fulfillment and not just as a source of income?

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Design of 4 Line Private Exchange Box

Design of 4 Line Private Exchange Box INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION Private branch exchange system (PBXs) operates as a connection within private organizations usually a business. Because they incorporate telephones, the general term extension is used to refer to any end point on the branch. The PBX handles calls between these extensions. The primary advantage of PBXs was cost savings on internal phone calls: handling the circuit switching locally reduced charges for local phone services. The private branch exchange (PBX) provides internal station-to-station communications for a well-defined set of users. Three distinct generations of private branch exchanges have appeared. In the first generation (1900-1930), a human operator manually set up calls. Second-generation private branch exchanges (mid-1930s to mid-1970s) used mechanical relays to establish the call path. The third generation of private branch exchanges is the stored-program microprocessor-controlled system. Introduced in the mid-1970s, these systems use computer instructions to perform th e call set-up and tear-down. The third-generation private branch exchange is physically much smaller than electromechanical models, uses less power, and generates less heat.(Brooks, 1999) In this project, the design of a 4 line telephone systems with full signaling and switching functions similar to those of the central office systems was embarked upon. Dial tone, busy tone, and ring tone are provided during call process. Switching employs integrated circuit (IC) matrix switches on four buses. Thus, this system is expandable to 8 lines (4 pairs) if more hardware is added. This system is switching on the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) dialing signal. 1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The major problems this project intends to deal with are: Cut down cost of internal calls made within a company. Eliminate the need for a central telephone company to help you monitor your internal calls. Eliminate Stress of notification of telephone company each time you need a new extension and thereby reducing cost. Ensure security of your internal calls which otherwise can be tapped by company operating it. Eliminate the need for a manual switchboard and subsequently an operator to connect the calls. Reduce man-hours lost through staff walking about in an office in order to pass information to each other. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this project is to design and implement a 4 line private exchange box that is able to create connection between four different telephone lines internally without having to connect to an external or trunk line. The objectives include: Establishing connections between the telephone sets of any two users. (e.g. mapping a dialed number to a physical phone) Maintaining such connections as long as the users require them. (i.e. channeling voice signals between the users) Creating an easy means of communication in an office without getting to spend money for their internal calls. To switch between telephone users thereby creating connections. To make sure the connection remains in place as long as it last, by keeping its resources. To properly end the connection when a user hangs up. 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The ability or concept of providing an easy and less expensive way of communication within a small office or organization without having to pay for your internal calls or having limits to the rate or length of calls within the office. Also it is not necessary to go from office to office when something is needed, information is to be passed; a call to a colleague saves stress of walking about. 1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY The Private Exchange System in this project is limited to a four lines which means that internal calls can be made from only four nodes. As such, it is only suitable for very small organization. 1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The review of existing and related works to source appropriate information on how to go about the implementation of the project will be carried out. Information shall be gathered from text books, magazines, journals, and World Wide Web to provide answers in relation to the study. Based on the review, the design and implementation of a four line private exchange box system shall be carried out. 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY There are several factors that could contribute to the group not delving deeper into this project which could have resulted in a more comprehensive work. Constraints are unavoidable in any system, be it a natural system or a computer system. Due to the extensiveness of this project topic, limitations were encountered some of which include: Time constraint. Financial constraints. Inadequate facilities to work with. 1.7 ORGANIZATION OF WORK In chapter one, the research topic is introduced, which is followed by the statement of problem after which the aims and objectives of the study are stated, significance of study, scope of study and research methodology are all identified. The second chapter gives us a view of the related works which have been done and how they are related to our work. The third chapter is about our design methodology and this emphasizes on how the whole private exchange system works and its components. The quality of the system is tested and documented in chapter four. Also in chapter four, an in-depth manual of the system functions and contents is given. A summary of all chapters, a conclusion is outlined in chapter five. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 HISTORY OF PRIVATE EXCHANGE BOX In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls. A central office is the physical building used to house inside plant equipment including telephone switches, which make phone calls work in the sense of making connections and relaying the speech information. Early telephone exchanges are a suitable example of circuit switching; the subscriber would ask the operator to connect to another subscriber, whether on the same exchange or via an inter-exchange link and another operator. In any case, the end result was a physical electrical connection between the two subscribers telephones for the duration of the call. The copper wire used for the connection could not be used to carry other calls at the same time, even if the subscribers were in fact not talking and the line was silent. The first telephone exchange opened in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878. The switchboard was built from carriage bolts, handles from tea pot lids and bustle wire and could handle two simultaneous conversations. Later exchanges consisted of one to several hundred plug boards staffed by telephone operators. Each operator sat in front of a vertical panel containing banks of  ¼-inch tip-ring-sleeve (3-conductor) jacks, each of which was the local termination of a subscribers telephone line. In front of the jack panel lay a horizontal panel containing two rows of patch cords, each pair connected to a cord circuit. When a calling party lifted the receiver, a signal lamp near the jack would light. The operator would plug one of the cords (the answering cord) into the subscribers jack and switch her headset into the circuit to ask, number please? Depending upon the answer, the operator might plug the other cord of the pair (the ringing cord) into the called partys local jack and start the ri nging cycle, or plug into a trunk circuit to start what might be a long distance call handled by subsequent operators in another bank of boards or in another building miles away. 2.1 PBX SYSTEM COMPONENTS PBX is a telephone exchange serving a single organization and having no means for connecting to a public telephone system it serves a user company which wants to have its own communication branch to save some money on internal calls. This is done by having the exchanging or switching of circuits done locally, inside the company. There are some important components which play a major role in the implementation of an effective PBX system. Some of the Component The PBXs internal switching network. Central processor unit (CPU) or computer inside the system, including memory. Logic cards, switching and control cards, power cards and related devices that facilitate PBX operation. Stations or telephone sets, sometimes called lines. Outside Telco trunks that deliver signals to (and carry them from) the PBX. Console or switchboard allows the operator to control incoming calls. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) consisting of sensors, power switches and batteries. Interconnecting wiring. Cabinets, closets, vaults and other housings. 2.2 PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE (PBX) There are essentially three different types of PBXs that could be deployed within an organization infrastructure. It is necessary to be certain of type in use, so as to be able to identify the essential numbers. There are currently three different PBX classes: Centrex; Direct Inward Dialing (DID)/Direct Outward Dialing (DOD) and Megalink. 2.2.1 CENTREX Centrex is the easiest of the PBX types. This PBX, unlike other types is installed within the telephone companys Central Office (CO) and does not require dialing an extension code (normally 4 numeric characters) after having dialed the 7 to 10 digit number to connect a call to an individual. In a simplistic manner, it could be considered similar to the telephone used at home. It has an area code (NPA), an Exchange (NXX) and a Unique Number, (0000 to 9999) and does not require the dialling of another number after it in order to place a call. These numbers may be entered through a PAD. 2.2.2 Direct Inward Dialing(DID)/ Direct Outward Dialing (DOD) Unlike a Centrex, these types of PBXs is not installed within the telephone companys Central Office. Secondly, if a cut of the telephone wire occurs outside the building, individuals are still able to dial within it to talk to colleagues by simply dialing their extension number (normally a number between 0000 to 9999) lastly; this PBX is controlled via a computer interface at a control console. Since the PBX requires constant power to function, it may be necessary to hook it with generating plant, in the absence of power from electricity company. Direct Inward Dialing (DID) and Direct Outward Dialing (DOD) are simply features of an Automated PBX which require that you dial the companys general telephone number followed by the entry of the individuals extension number when prompted to do so. DIDs allow you direct dialing (seven digits) to locate an individual within an organizations PBX. It is a trunk phone number that must be entered into the PAD program and flagged as a PBX to ensure that the outgoing line(s) get priority. PBXs may be privately owned or telecommunication company owned. If PBX is programmable it is possible to assign specific trunk lines to specific numbers. These trunk line numbers may then be entered on PAD thus providing dial tone protection. 2.2.3 MEGALINKS The major difference between this and a Centrex PBX is that the exiting trunk lines from a building to the telephone company central office are comprised of fibre optic cables and not through twisted pair wiring. Another difference is that unlike a Centrex that is identified by its ten digit telephone number (NPA, NXX, and Unique), Megalinks are identified by a circuit ID number. This number may contain characters and may even resemble a telephone number, however, PAD does not allow for the entry of the circuit switch identifier. The reason is quite simple, fibre optic cabling circuits can handle far more traffic than twisted pair PBXs. 2.3 INTERFACE STANDARDS Interfaces for connecting extensions to a PBX include: POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) the common two-wire interface used in most homes. This is cheap and effective, and allows almost any standard phone to be used as an extension. Proprietary the manufacturer has defined a protocol. One can only connect the manufacturers sets to their PBX, but the benefit is more visible information displayed and/or specific function buttons. DECT a standard for connecting cordless phones. Internet Protocol For example, H.323 and SIP. Interfaces for connecting PBXs to each other include: Proprietary protocols if equipment from several manufacturers is on site, the use of a standard protocol is required. QSIG for connecting PBXs to each other, usually runs over T1 (T-carrier) or E1 (E-carrier) physical circuits. DPNSS for connecting PBXs to trunk lines. Standardised by British Telecom, this usually runs over E1 (E-carrier) physical circuits. Internet Protocol H.323, SIP and IAX protocols are IP based solutions which can handle voice and multimedia (e.g. video) calls. Interfaces for connecting PBXs to trunk lines include: Standard POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) lines the common two-wire interface used in most domestic homes. This is adequate only for smaller systems, and can suffer from not being able to detect incoming calls when trying to make an outbound call. ISDN the most common digital standard for fixed telephony devices. This can be supplied in either Basic (2 circuit capacity) or Primary (24 or 30 circuit capacity) versions. Most medium to large companies would use Primary ISDN circuits carried on T1 or E1 physical connections. RBS (Robbed bit signaling) delivers 24 digital circuits over a four-wire (T1) interface. Internet Protocol H.323, SIP, MGCP, and Inter-Asterisk eXchange protocols operate over IP and are supported by some network providers. Interfaces for collecting data from the PBX: Serial interface historically used to print every call record to a serial printer. Now an application connects via serial cable to this port. Network Port (Listen mode) where an external application connects to the TCP or UDP port. The PBX then starts streaming information down to the application. Network Port (Server mode) The PBX connects to another application or buffer. File The PBX generates a file containing the call records from the PBX. The call records from the PBX are called SMDR, CDR, or CIL.   (Micheal, 1999) 2.4 TELEPHONE Telephone is one of the most amazing devices ever created.   Although most people take it completely for granted, the telephone is one of the most amazing devices ever created. To talk to someone, just pick up the phone and dial a few digits; connection will be established with the person and a two-way conversation can take place. It is an instrument designed for simultaneous transmission and reception of the human voice. It works by converting the sound waves of the human voice to pulses of electrical current, transmitting the current, and then retranslating the current back to sound. The U.S. patent granted to Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 for developing a device to transmit speech sounds over electric wires is often called the most valuable ever issued. Within 20 years, the telephone acquired a form that has remained fundamentally unchanged for more than a century. The advent of the transistor (1947) led to lightweight, compact circuitry . Advances in electronics have allowed th e introduction of a number of smart features such as automatic redialing, caller identification, call waiting, and call forwarding. The figure 2.1 shows the major components that makes up a telephone set. 2.5 HOW TELEPHONE WORKS When a person speaks into a telephone, the sound waves created by his voice enter the mouthpiece. An electric current carries the sound to the telephone of the person he is talking to. A telephone has two main parts: (1) the transmitter and (2) the receiver.The Transmitter of a telephone serves as a sensitive electric ear. It lies behind the mouthpiece of the phone. Like the human ear, the transmitter has 14 eardrum. The eardrum of the telephone is a thin, round metal disk called a diaphragm. When a person talks into the telephone, the sound waves strike the diaphragm and make it vibrate. The diaphragm vibrates at various speeds, depending on the variations in air pressure caused by the varying tones of the speakers voice.   Behind the diaphragm lies a small cup filled with tiny grains of carbon. The diaphragm presses against these carbon grains. Low voltage electric current travels through the grains. This current comes from batteries at the telephone company. The pressure on the carbon grains varies as sound waves make the diaphragm vibrate. A loud sound causes the sound waves to push hard on the diaphragm. In turn, the diaphragm presses the grains tightly together. This action makes it easier for the electric current to travel through, and a large amount of electricity flows through the grains. When the sound is soft, the sound waves push lightly on the diaphragm. In turn, the diaphragm puts only a light pressure on the carbon grains. The grains are pressed together loosely. This makes it harder for the electric current to pass through them, and less current flows through the grains. Thus, the pattern of the sound waves determines the pressure on the diaphragm. This pressure, in turn, regulates the pressure on the carbon grains. The crowded or loose grains cause the electric current to become stronger or weaker. The current copies the pattern of the sound waves and travels over a telephone wire to the receiver of another telephone. The Receiver serves as an electric mouth. Like a human voice, it has vocal cords. The vocal cords of the receiver are a diaphragm. Two magnets located at the edge of the diaphragm cause it to vibrate. One of the magnets is a permanent magnet that constantly holds the diaphragm close to it. The other magnet is an electromagnet. It consists of a piece of iron with a coil of wire wound around it. When an electric current passes through the coil, the iron core becomes magnetized. The diaphragm is pulled toward the iron core and away from the permanent magnet. The pull of the electromagnet varies between strong and weak, depending on the variations in the current. Thus, the electromagnet controls the vibrations of the diaphragm in the receiver.The electric current passing through the electromagnet becomes stronger or weaker according to the loud or soft sounds. This action causes the diaphragm to vibrate according to the speakers speech pattern. As the diaphragm moves in and out, it pulls and pushes the air in front of it. The pressure on the air sets up sound waves that are the same as the ones sent into the transmitter. The sound waves strike the ear of the listener and he hears the words of the speaker. (www.howstuffworks.com) 2.6 THE RINGER Simply speaking this is a device that alerts you to an incoming call. It may be a bell, light, or warbling tone.  Ã‚   The ringing signal is in an AC wave form.   Although the common frequency used can be any frequency between 15 and 68 Hz.   Most of the world uses frequencies   between   20 and 40 Hz.  Ã‚   The voltage at the subscribers end depends upon loop length and number   of   ringers attached to the line; it could be between 40 and 150 Volts. The ringing cadence (the timing of ringing to pause), varies from company to company.   In the United States the cadence is normally 2 seconds of ringing to 4 seconds of pause. An unanswered phone in the United States will keep ringing until the caller hangs up.   But in some countries, the ringing will time out if the call is not answered. The   most   common   ringing   device is   the   gong   ringer; a solenoid   coil   with a clapper that strikes either a single or double bell. A gong ringer is the loudest signaling device that is solely phone-line powered. Modern telephones tend to use warbling ringers, which are usually ICs powered by the rectified ringing signal.   The audio transducer is a small   loudspeaker via a transformer. Ringers are isolated from the DC of the phone line by a capacitor. Gong ringers in the United States use a 0.47 uF capacitor.   Warbling ringers in the United States generally use a 1.0 uF capacitor.   Telephone companies in other   parts   of   the world   use   capacitors   between   0.2   and   2.0   uF.  Ã‚   The  Ã‚   paper capacitors of the past have been replaced almost exclusively with capacitors made of Mylar film.   Their voltage rating is always 50 Volts.   The capacitor and ringer coil, or Zeners in a warbling ringer, constitute a resonant circuit. When phone is hung up (on hook) the ringer is across the line; and it has merely silenced the transducer, not removed the circuit from the line. When the telephone company uses the ringer to test the line, it   sends   a   low-voltage, low frequency   signal   down   the   line (usually   2 Volts at 10 Hz) to test for continuity. The company compares result with the expected signals of the line.   This is how it can tell whether an added equipment is on the line. If your telephone has had its ringer disconnected, the telephone company cannot detect its presen ce on the line. Because there is only a certain amount of current available to   drive ringers, if ringers are added to phone lines indiscriminately, a point will be reached at which either all ringers will cease to ring, some will cease to ring, or some ringers will ring   weakly. A normal ringer is defined as   a   standard gong   ringer   as   supplied   in   a   phone   company   standard   desk telephone; Value given to this ringer   is   Ringer   Equivalence Number   (REN)   1. It can be as high as 3.2, which means that device consumes the equivalent   power   of   3.2 standard ringers, or 0.0, which means it consumes no current when subjected   to   a   ringing   signal.   If   there is a problem with ringing, it could be that the REN is greater than 5, disconnecting ringers until REN is at 5 or below will usually solve the problem. Other countries have various ways of expressing   REN,   and some   systems   will handle no more th an three of   their   standard ringers.   But whatever the system, if an extra equipment was added and the   phones   stop ringing, or the phone answering   machine   wont pick   up   calls,   the solution is disconnect   ringers   until   the problem   is resolved. Warbling ringers tend to draw less current than   gong   ringers, so changing from gong   ringers   to   warbling ringers may help spread the sound better. Frequency response is the second criterion by which a ringer is described. Because a ringer is supposed to respond to AC waveforms,   it will tend to respond to transients (such as switching transients) when the phone is hung up, or when the rotary dial is used on   an extension phone.   This is called bell tap in the United States; in other   countries,   its often called   bell   tinkle.  Ã‚   While European and   Asian phones tend to bell tap, or   tinkle,   United States ringers that bell tap are considered defective. The bell tap   is   designed out of gong ringers and fine   tuned   with   bias springs.  Ã‚   Warbling   ringers   for use in the   United   States   are designed   not   to respond to short transients;   this   is   usually accomplished   by   rectifying the AC and filtering   it   before   it powers the IC,   then not switching on the output stage unless the voltage lasts long enough to charge a second capacitor.(Roberts, 2006) 2.7 HOOK SWITCH This is a lever that is depressed when the handset is resting in its cradle. It is a two-wire to four-wire converter that provides conversion between the four-wire handset and the two-wire local loop. There are two stages, which are off   hook and on hook Off hook: The state of a telephone line that allows dialing and transmission but prohibits incoming calls from being answered. The phone is off-hook when the handset is removed from the base unit of a stationary phone or press Talk on a portable phone. The term stems from the days when the handset was lifted off an actual hook. When the handset was removed, a spring caused contacts to press together, closing the circuit from the telephone to the switchboard. On hook: The condition that exists when a telephone or other user instrument is not in use, i.e., when idle waiting for a call. Note: on-hook originally referred to the storage of an idle telephone reciever, i.e., separate earpiec, on a swithch hook. The weigth of the recieved depresses the sping leaded switch hook thereby disconnecting the idle instrument (except its bell) from the telephone line.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Roberts, 2006) 2.8 THE DIAL There are two types of dials in use around the world. The most common one is called pulse, loop disconnect, or rotary; the oldest form of dialing, its been in use since the 1920s. The other dialing   method,   is called Touch-tone, Dual Tone Multi-Frequency   (DTMF) Pulse dialing   is traditionally accomplished with   a   rotary dial,   which is a speed governed wheel with a cam that opens   and closes a switch in series with the phone and the line.   It works by   actually   disconnecting   or hanging   up   the   telephone   at specific intervals.   The United States standard is one disconnect per  Ã‚   digit,  Ã‚   so if a   1, is dailled, the telephone   is disconnected once. To dial a seven means that it will be   disconnected seven times; and dialling a zero means that it will hang up ten times. Some countries invert the system so 1 causes ten disconnects   and 0,   one disconnect.   Some add a digit so that dialing a 5 would cause six disconnects and 0, eleven disconnects.   There are even some systems in which dialing 0 results in one   disconnect,   and all   other digits are plus one, making a 5 cause six   disconnects and 9, ten disconnects. Although most exchanges are quite happy with rates of 6   to 15   Pulses Per Second (PPS), the phone company accepted   standard is   8   to   10 PPS.   Some modern digital exchanges, free   of   the mechanical   inertia problems of older systems, will accept a   PPS rate as high as 20. Besides   the PPS rate, the dialing pulses have a   make/break ratio,   usually   described as a percentage, but   sometimes   as   a straight   ratio.   The North American standard is 60/40   percent; most of Europe accepts a standard of 63/37 percent.   This is the pulse measured at the telephone, not at the exchange, where   its somewhat   different, having traveled through the phone line   with its   distributed   resistance, capacitance,   and   inductance.  Ã‚   In practice, the   make/break   ratio does not   seem   to   affect   the performance of the dial when attached to a normal loop.   However,each pulse is a switch connect and disconnect across   a complex   impedance, so the switching transient often reaches   300 Volts. Usually, a safe practice is not to have fingers   across   the   line   when dialing. Most pulse dialing phones produced today use a CMOS IC and a keyboard.   Instead of pushing finger round in circles, then removing finger and waiting for the dial to return   before dialing the next digit, the button can be punched as fast as desired.   The IC stores the number and pulses out the number at the correct rate with the correct make/break ratio and the switching is done with a high-voltage switching transistor.   Because the IC has already stored the dialed number in order to pulse it out at the   correct rate,   its a simple matter for telephone designers to   keep   the memory alive   and allow the telephone to   store,   recall,   and redial the Last Number Dialed (LND).   This feature enables easy redial by picking up the handset and pushing just one button. Touch tone is the most modern form of dialing. It is   fast   and less   prone to error than pulse dialing.   Compared to pulse, its major advantage is that its audio band signals can   travel   down phone   lines further than pulse, which can travel only as far   as the   local   exchange. Touch-tone can therefore   send   signals around   the   world via the telephone lines, and can   be   used   to control phone answering machines and computers.   Bell   Labs developed DTMF in order to have a dialing   system that   could travel across microwave links and work   rapidly   with computer   controlled exchanges.   Each transmitted digit consists of two separate audio tones that are mixed together. The four   vertical columns on the keypad are known as   the   high group and the four horizontal rows as the low group; the digit   8 is   composed   of 1336 Hz and 852 Hz.   The level of each   tone   is within   3   dB   of the other.   A complete touch-tone pad has 16 digits, as opposed to ten on a pulse dial.   Besides the numerals 0 to 9, a DTMF   dial has *, #, A, B, C, and D.   Although the letters are not normally found   on consumer telephones, the IC in the phone is capable   of generating them. The   * sign is usually called star or asterisk.  Ã‚   The # sign,   often referred to as the pound sign. is actually   called an   octothorpe. Although many phone users have never used   these digits      they are not, after all, ordinarily   used in   dialing phone   numbers. They   are used   for   control   purposes,   phone answering machines, bringing up remote bases, electronic banking, and repeater control.   The one use of the octothorpe that may be familiar occurs in dialing international calls from phones.   After dialing the complete number,   dialing   the octothorpe   lets the exchange know youve finished   dialing.  Ã‚   It can now begin routing your call; without the octothorpe, it would wait and time out before switching your call. Standard DTMF dials will produce a tone as long as a key   is depressed.  Ã‚   No matter   how long you press,   the   tone   will   be decoded as the appropriate digit.   The shortest duration in which a digit can be sent and decoded is about 100 milliseconds   (ms).   Its pretty   difficult   to dial by hand at   such   a   speed,   but automatic dialers can do it.   A twelve-digit long distance number can be   dialed by an automatic dialer in a little   more   than   a second about as long as it takes a pulse dial to send a   single 0 digit.(Roberts,2006) 2.9 MODULAR CONNECTORS Modular connector is the name given to a family of electrical connectors that were originally used in telephone wiring. Even though they are still used for that purpose they are used for a variety of other things as well. A modular connectors advantage over many other kinds include; small size and ease of plugging and unplugging. Many uses that originally used a bulkier connector have migrated to modular connectors. Probably the most well known applications of modular connectors is for telephone jacks and for ethernet jacks, which are nearly always modular connectors. Figure 2.2 shows types of connectors commonly used. Modular connectors were first used in the registered jack system, so registered Jack specifications describe them precisely. These are the specifications to which all practical modular connectors are built. Modular connectors come in four sizes: 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-position. A position is a place that can hold a conductor (pin). The positions need not all be used; a connector can have any even number of conductors. Unused positions are usually the outermost positions. The connectors are designed so that a plug can fit into any jack that has at least the number of positions as the plug. Where the jack has more positions than the plug, the outermost positions are unused. However, plugs from different manufacturers may not have this compatibility, and some manufacturers of eight position j

Nicole Jumper Essay -- Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Papers

Nicole Jumper The desire to change one’s body image is very prevalent in today’s society; and in most cases what people want to change is their weight. Companies who market diet programs and miracle diet drugs are very much aware of this commonality among consumers and take advantage of the susceptible nature of those who want to lose the weight and lose it fast. Among the multitude of pills, programs and promises that are offered as cures to the unhappiness of being fat, one new concept has emerged that stretches the boundaries of logic: the catabolic diet. WHAT IS THE CATABOLIC DIET? The catabolic diet is based on the concept that a person can eat â€Å"catabolic† foods that actually have a negative calorie effect. These are foods that supposedly take a person more calories to digest them than the food itself actually contains. Simply put, they are foods that burn fat instead of creating it. (http://www.rarebooks.net/beck/cataboli.htm) INFORMATION FOUND ON THE NET The creators of the catabolic diet have used the Internet as their primary marketing tool; therefore, there are many sites about the diet. Some are blatant advertisements and others pose as being informative and factual. The bottom line: all the sites found on the catabolic diet are looking to make a profit and want the browser to buy into a program. One site, http://www.blackbeard.com/newlook/, claims that the catabolic diet is so effective that, â€Å"[It] works three times faster than starvation.† Yet, after making this statement the site also says that the â€Å"Catabolic Diet is a medically created diet. . .† Needless to say there is no medical doctor’s endorsement found a... ... REFERENCES Astrup, Arne. â€Å"Dietary Approaches to Reducing Body Weight.† Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Ed. Jeff P. Holly. New York: AMA 1999. 109-120. Berstein RS; Thornton JC; Yang MU; Wang J; Redmond AM; Pierson RN Jr; Pi-Sunyer FX; Van Itallie TB. (1983a). Prediction of the Resting Metabolic Rate in obese patients. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1983 Apr, 37(4): 595-602. Brannon, Linda and Jess Feist. Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2000. Westerterp-Plantega MS; Rolland V; Wilson SA; Westerterp KR. (1999a). Satiety related to 24 h diet-induced thermogenesis during high protein/carbohydrate vs high fat diets measured in a respiration chamber. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999 June; 53(6): 495-503.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Role of Ethnicity and Race in the Way Audiences Interpret Media Mes

The Role of Ethnicity and Race in the Way Audiences Interpret Media Messages According to the sociological definition of race and ethnicity, there is a close interrelation between race and ethnicity. Race has not been defined by the biological difference that it is stood on the social construct. Race does not discriminate the skin color from others which is related to the ethnicity. Race is defined on the social construct which based on physical and cultural features (Fulcher & Scott, 2007). ‘Ethnicity is a general category for describing collective identities’ (Fulcher & Scott, 2007:200). Ethnicity is based on the cultural and historical background that it means the people in this ethnic group is sharing the same language, religion and same experience of life. Ethnicity is the ethnic characteristic for the specific race. Ethnicities represent the role for separating the different race. In terms of race, people might have the racism to the different culture of others which might base on the historical colonization, the control of the western culture and so on (Fulcher& Scott, 2007). This racism also occurs in the media. The western media may intentionally neglect the people of Black or Asian. Media are more likely to use the white people as their main character. Although media has increased the number of the Black and Asian people in recent year on the screen, there is still the inequality in the media product. The Black and Asian people might totally disappear in some scene which is shot in the place with the large number of Black and Asian people (Ross & Playdon, 2001). This phenomenon provokes the anger and dissatisfaction of the Black and Asian people. Also, media may offer the wrong information for those minorit... ...rom you born to die that race is innate for everyone. In this world, everyone is equal that each person might have the same right to stay in this society. Works Cited Fulcher, J. and Scott, J., (2007) Sociology 3rd ed., Oxford : Oxford University Press Ross,K.,(2001) White Media, Black audience: Diversity and Dissonance on British Television in Ross, K. & Playdon, P.(eds.) Black marks : minority ethnic audiences and media, London: Ashgate Dines, G. & Humez, J.M.(eds.) (2002) Gender, race, and class in media : a text-reader London : Sage Dickinson,R., Harindranath, R. & Linnà ©. O.,(1998) Approaches to audiences : a reader, London : Arnold Saltzis, K.(Professor), (2010 February 23) CULTURAL STUDIES AND THE AUDIENCE Lecture 5, University of Leicester, UK Downing, J. & Husband, C. (2005) Representing race: racisms, ethnicities and media, London: SAGE

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Mathematics Initiative Training On The Math Academic Education Essay

AbstractionPercepts of Effectiveness the Mathematics Initiative Training on the Math Academic Performance of Elementary Students. Emmaundia Whitaker, 2011. Applied Dissertation Concept Paper, Nova Southeastern University, Fischler School of Education and Human Services. ERIC Forms: Mathematicss, Mathematics Initiative, Math Academic Performance, Elementary Students This applied thesis was designed to determine identify instructors ‘ perceptual experiences of the effectivity of the Mathematics Initiative Training on impacting the Math academic public presentation of simple pupils.Table of ContentssPage Table of Contentss iii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 C Chapter 1: IntroductionStatement of the ProblemOne of the intents of instruction research-and 1 that has been progressively stressed in recent old ages with the passage of the Education Science Reform Act of 2002 and the constitution of the Institute of Education Sciences ( IES ) -is to develop and rigorously evaluate plans to measure whether they are effectual in back uping pupils ‘ acquisition and accomplishment. This research docket includes an accent on mensurating execution fidelity and associating those steps to plan impacts ( U.S. Department of Education, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Tomlinson ( 2003 ) , research is needed to place effectual ways to educate and foster success among pupils. Elementary pupils in School District X have hapless academic public presentation in Mathematics. Still, mathematics and reading are typically considered by the bulk of society to be the cardinal topics to cognize and are therefore what are most normally used to mensurate a pupil ‘s or school ‘s success or failure. In peculiar, mathematics is said to function as a â€Å" critical filter, † or a gateway to many high-status businesss ( Schoenfeld, 2004 ) , as quantitative accomplishments are important in such countries as commercialism, medical specialty, engineering and defence ( National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008 ) . In add-on, mathematics accomplishment is considered to be a better index of school effects because it is thought to be less influenced by household background and place effects than other topics ( Heyneman, 2005 ) . Therefore, the research presented herein focal points on mathematics achievement as a step of school effectivity. The research job. Progressive educational reform has been a little yet ever-present current in schooling in the United States ( Wilson, Floden, & A ; Ferrini-Mundy, 2001 ) . As the subject has grown and developed during the last 20 old ages, mathematics instruction in peculiar has been forcing on the boundaries of this on-going motion ( Cuoco, 2001 ) . A peculiarly ambitious issue with progressive mathematics instruction reform is that instructors are being asked to make for pupils experiences those instructors have ne'er had themselves ( Richardson & A ; Placier, 2001 ) . Naturally a critical inquiry has emerged as many mathematics teacher pedagogues, math pedagogues, mathematicians, professional developers, and research workers likewise have been working to do such progressive mathematics larning environments a world: how do we best prepare instructors to learn a mathematics radically different from that which emphasized drill, pattern, and memorisation of stray facts and algorithm s? ( Kilpatrick, Swafford, & A ; Findell, 2001 ) . Background and justification. A instructor ‘s cognition is one of the biggest influences on schoolroom ambiance and on what pupils learn ( Hill, Rowan, & A ; Ball, 2005 ) . Elementary school instructors need professional development in mathematics because, most normally, they have been trained as Renaissance mans. This means that simple instructors may hold been trained to learn all nucleus topics, such as reading, scientific discipline, societal surveies and math ; but the instructors have non developed specialised accomplishments in the instruction of any one topic ( Greenberg & A ; Walsh, 2008 ) . â€Å" Bettering the mathematics acquisition of every kid depends on doing cardinal the learning chances of our instructors, † ( Ball 2003, p. 9 ) . The work of Ball ( 2001 ) unveiled those instructors with increased mathematical cognition for learning produced significantly larger additions in pupil accomplishment. Due to its proved influence, the mathematical cognition of import for the work of instruction has become a important issue in mathematics instruction ( Stylianides & A ; Ball, 2004 ) . Sing the aforementioned, it is imperative understand how, why and under what conditions the Math Initiative is effectual in bettering the Math academic public presentation of simple school pupils. Presently, many pupils are non accomplishing province criterions ( Tomlinson, 2003 ) . With this in head, the current survey efforts to gestate the sensed impact, by instructors, that engagement in the Math Initiative has had on mathematics academic public presentation. To make this, the research worker will use a plan rating using a summational attack. Harmonizing to Patton, rating has philosophical roots, such as formative, summational, and knowledge-oriented ratings. Each rating attack has different ends and aims and seeks to turn to different issues. A formative rating seeks to better a plan in some manner through analysis of the plan constituents, while a summational rating Judgess the plan ‘s effectivity ( Patton ) . A summational rating measures the success of the completed plan. It is used to do determinations about the hereafter of the plan. Use the consequences of this rating to enroll new host sites, support beginnings, and participants, and to publicise the plan. The summational rating frequently turns up unforeseen results, placing facets of the plan that would be otherwise overlooked. Lacks in the grounds. As schools endeavor to maintain up with national criterions for improved scheduling for instructors ‘ professional development, more surveies are needed that take into history teacher perceptual experiences of the types of professional development available ( Ellis & A ; Berry, 2005 ) . In add-on, Grouws and Cebulla ( 2007 ) asserted that surveies are needed to measure the quality of the professional development instructors have attended and the positions on the value of the professional development. Last, Kulm ( 2009 ) contended that more surveies are needed to measure what pupils benefits are a by merchandise from what the instructors have learned. Audience. Harmonizing to Dooley ( 2001 ) , plan ratings help decision makers, school boards, and forces make informed determinations sing course of study content or way. By uniting quantitative informations related to plan effectivity and qualitative informations related to single instructor ‘s perceptual experience sing plan strengths and failings, this survey will lend to the organic structure of bing cognition related to the Math Initiative as a whole. Additionally, the consequences of this survey have potential to help collegiate mathematics pedagogues in understanding the common and specialised content cognition that pre-service instructors should obtain from mathematics content classs. This apprehension can help those responsible for developing appropriate course of study for pre-service instructors ‘ mathematics content classs.Definition of FootingsAcademic public presentation. Academic public presentation refers to a kid ‘s public presentation in academic co untries ( e.g. , reading or linguistic communication humanistic disciplines, math, A scientific discipline, and history ) ( 71 Fed. Reg. at 46662 ) . Effectiveness. Effectiveness is the grade to which an educational plan or forces yields the coveted results of accomplishment or specific demands ( Sammons, 1999 ) . Elementary School Student. A kid in kindergarten through 5th class ( GaDOE, 2011 ) .Math Initiative.Math schemes. Multiple waies in Math that enable pupils of different abilities, involvements or larning demands experience every bit appropriate ways to absorb, usage, develop and present constructs as a portion of the day-to-day acquisition procedure ( Faivillig, 2001 ) . Percepts. Percepts involve the procedure of geting, construing, choosing, and forming centripetal information ( Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary ) . Professional development. Professional development is the activities instructors participate in to inform or better the job-related cognition, accomplishments or attitudes of school employees or a procedure of turning and going a professional ( Cooney, 2001 ) . Traditional text editions. Traditional text editions refer to commercially generated text edition stuffs that reflect a acquisition position focused chiefly on processs and direct instruction methods ( Ball, 2001 ) .Purpose of the StudyThe intent of this plan rating is to demo how the assorted degrees of execution and fidelity to the Mathematics Initiative Training affect pupil academic public presentation in the country of mathematics. Specifically, the intent of this survey is to place instructors ‘ perceptual experiences of the effectivity of the Mathematics Initiative on impacting the Math academic public presentation of simple pupils. Sing the aforementioned, a plan rating will be a utile tool for finding the effectivity of the Mathematics Initiative. A summational plan rating of the Mathematics Initiative will supply a method for roll uping, forming, analysing and describing informations for multiple audiences. Harmonizing to Babbie ( 2007 ) , summational plan rating measures the success of a course of study in accomplishing scholar aims for all targeted scholars, its success in accomplishing its procedure aims, and/or its success in prosecuting, motivation, and delighting its scholars and module. In add-on to quantitative informations, summational plan rating may include qualitative information about unintended barriers or unforeseen effects encountered in plan execution ( Denscombe, 2007 ) .Research QuestionsA reappraisal of the literature resulted in the undermentioned research questions/hypothesis, which will steer the current survey: R1. What are the instructors ‘ perceptual experiences of the effectivity of the Math Initiative Training?Focus Group QuestionsIn what ways is the Math Initiative Training effectual or uneffective in impacting the Math academic public presentation of simple pupils? What grounds supports the effectivity of the Math Training Initiative? What are the most effectual constituents of the Math Training Initiative? What are the most uneffective constituents of the Math Training Initiative? What do you see as the educationally related hereafter of the Math Training Initiative in simple school scenes? R2. Is at that place a difference in the Math academic public presentation of pupils in the 2006-2008 school old ages before the Math Initiative Training compared to the 2008-2010 school old ages after the Math Initiative Training?Null HypothesisHO1: There is non a statistically important difference in the Math academic public presentation of pupils in the 2006-2008 school old ages before the Math Initiative Training compared to the 2008-2010 school old ages after the Math Initiative TrainingDrumheadEducational and social stakeholders want to cognize if professional development is a worthwhile investing ( Clotfelter, Ladd, & A ; Vigdor, 2006 ) . Opportunities have to be in topographic point for followup, reappraisal, and monitoring of execution of the instructors new cognition from professional development ( Ball, 2003 ) . Claims of effectivity or ineffectualness may be indefensible and invalid unless the grade to which plans are implemented as intended by the developers is defined a nd assessed ( Rivkin, Hanushek, & A ; Kain, 2005 ) . Puma and Raphael ( 2001 ) argued that rating of any enterprise or preparation should be viewed as portion of the procedure of constructing local capacity reform. Documenting the connexions between the aforesaid professional development chances and instructor acquisition is important for the betterment of pupil acquisition. Following this debut chapter is Chapter 2, which will show a reappraisal of related literature. Chapter 3 will discourse the research design and methodological analysis for the research survey. Selection of topics, instrumentality, informations aggregation and premises will be detailed in this chapter. The chapter will reason with the processs utilized for carry oning the research and the information processing and analysis and the appropriate statistical process for proving the hypotheses. Chapter 4 will show the informations collected for the research every bit good as the information analysis employed to reply each research inquiry and the findings from the information analysis. Chapter 5 will reason the research with a treatment of the findings, decisions, deductions for professional pattern, and deductions for future research. Additionally, recommendations for execution will be presented.