Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 48

Journal - Essay Example Mostly, ethical practices in manufacturing organizations include taking care of the surrounding community with regard to avoiding pollution. This shows the integrity of the organization, which is usually determined by reasoning and habit to make the ethical behaviour continuous and consistent. Ethical behaviour attracts many benefits for the organization that include attracting many customers, which boosts sales and profitability, increase the human resource retention capabilities of the organization, which improves productivity, and attracting additional investors that helps in eliminating business takeover possibilities while increasing the market share. Ethical behaviour can also be said to be corporate social responsibility whose main function is to boost an organization’s image and reputation. In fact, an organization would achieve more when practicing ethically than it would when undertaking its practices unethically. This is because the contemporary world values businesses that value the environment and that protect the interests of the customers through provision of healthy products. Although at times, unethical practice may result in profit, it takes a shorter period of time before the investors start pulling out of the organization and the customers abandon the organization due to negative effect on the organization’s reputation (Ethical Behavior is Good Business, n.d). This causes extensive loss making and could lead to bankruptcy. This implies that the organization’s reputation is mainly sustained through ethical behaviour. Therefore, maintaining high principles of conduct is the best course of action for any organization so as to achieve its objectives ethically and to realize more benefits from the available

Introduction to statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to statistics - Essay Example Line graphs also allow us to see overall trends such as an increase or decrease in data over time. Clearly, looking at the graph we don’t observe any disparity in the data given The intuition can further be confirmed from the t-test significance analysis conducted. From the table below, the percent of goods moved in the year 2000 was 16.53 while that moved in the year 2009 was 15.69, this shows no significant difference. Also from the same table (table 2), we observe that the p-value=0.206>0.05 (significance level), we thus fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that indeed there is no significant difference in the goods moved in the year 2000 and those moved in the year 2009. In this part we regressed the 2009 data on the 2000 data since the data was found to follow a normal distribution we opted to use a parametric test (Bivariate regression analysis), we used bivariate because we only had two variables to test (simple linear regression) and the model produced

Customer loyalty programmes in the retail sector

Customer loyalty programmes in the retail sector The retailing is all around us. It permeates our lives. It is very obvious to buy products and services from their shop, their websites and their catalogue. There are plenty of procedures in which customers are attracted to buy from a certain store, one of which is the customer loyalty programme offered by them. The major reason for selecting this topic as my research subject is to gain an in-depth knowledge over it and resolve the questions rose on the topic customer loyalty programme. The approach to this dissertation will be to resolve the below questions. How does customer loyalty programme influence the retail sector What are the advantages of customer loyalty programme to the customers and retailers What are the measures that should be taken when implementing these programmes? How does these customer loyalty programmes affects the culture of retail chains and influence customers. The customer loyalty programmes are a concept adopted by the retail chains to attract their customer and retain them. These programmes are offered to provide customers with benefits over their purchase. Thus by the end of this research it would enable me to understand the benefits of the customer loyalty programme offered by the retail chains to their customers. The subject marketing communication has been a great interest to me, which cultivated a desire to opt my research into a topic of it. As we know that retail industry is at boom and the retail marketing strategy is a great concern for the retailers, I have opted for this area for my research which would enhance my knowledge on the subject. Review of Literature The nature of the customers does not possess an interest for loyalty. The only reason they purchase from a certain store is to satisfy their own needs. The style and presentation for the product and services from a business creates a response of customer loyalty. The only reason behind any purchase from any store is because the consumers desire to buy it. There is no compulsion to persistent purchase from any business. The consumer purchases are made from a certain store because they have a connection with them through offers made by products and services that appeal them. Consumers are self serving. Their main intention is to transact with a business that delivers them their desired needs. Consumer does not possess the characteristic of loyalty, it is the response from consumer to action to business, they are not inherently loyal or disloyal. The question should not be among the entire customer who is more loyal or why we dont possess much loyal customer. The question should be what are the ways in which we can retain our customers. The issue of customer loyalty is centred to business, not to the customers. Customer loyalty programme is the answer today as it has been in the past and will be in the future. This make the customer loyal and these loyal customers are easier to business with, are more predictable, and dont carry the expense associated with attracting new customers. Creating loyal customer by these programmes is considered as an answer to all the worries of retailer. A loyal customer has been an open option for any business to trade with. These customer loyalty programmes are at the common site for every consumer looking to satisfy its need. These programmes can be seen as Loyalty card holder schemes, Pay as you go scheme, buy now pay later schemes, etc. we can easily see all such programmes in any kind of retail store be it food, grocery, electronics, clothing, etc. Loyalty programmes have become an increasingly common part of retailers marketing strategies. Eventually, it was not uncommon for any business with an interest in a loyalty proposition to make an attempt at establishing its own variation. Following the financial crisis hundreds of stores ranging from corner shops to large department stores were forced to close their doors. But successful loyalty marketing allowed some companies to thrive and even expand. It can be noticed that the global competition in consumer market is rapidly getting intense and retailers and marketers are striving for the new strategies to maintain the interest and loyalty of their customers. Hence the associated marketing has grown in popularity since the past decades and the execution of associated marketing is slowly increasing (Noble/Philips 2004, P. 290). Presently retailers understood that satisfy and retain the customers with the usage of relationship building activity is one among the most potential form if sustainable competitive advantage. Though customer loyalty cannot be counted as the direct reason for profitability, various studies have found that profits for each year has been continually grown through custmners trust over the company and their continued purchases for every year (Meffert 2008, p.160; Noble/Philips 2004, p.290; Reinartz/Kumar 2000,p. 28) As merchant loyalty offerings began appearing in unprecedented numbers, loyalty programmes associated with just one retailer was no longer the rule. Consumption patterns have changed and consumers are becoming more frugal and discretionary in their spending. Major loyalty programme issuers know that customers are demanding increased flexibility and a wider variety of rewards. In a bid to survive many businesses experimented with cross-marketing; it is not uncommon to find ceramic ornaments offered through a hair salon loyalty card, or discounted health tests redeemable through a video rental chains membership programme. For many companies, the cross marketing of services is especially appealing as it removed the hassle of holding inventory for merchandise giveaways. A few years ago, the author of the Loyalty Paradox Report (Evans, 1999, P.4) criticised existing loyalty programmes for being mechanical, hard sell promotion, which overlooked the reason for repeat customers-emotions and trust, habit and inertia and communication and service. There is a danger that customers will be loyal to the programme itself rather than to the programme sponsor. It is clearly not sufficient to be an effective promoter of the economic benefits of loyalty programme participation. There is a need to offer consumer socio-cultural benefits, to provide the feel good factor that is missing from the shopping experience of other retailers (Burch, 2007). Burch also argues that it is the main reason why supermarkets are so keen to be perceived as a health promoting agency, a family friendly firm, and a household problem solver. As the manager of a Safeway (UK) store explained some years ago; Our success can be put down to our regard for our moral as well as our legal responsibilities (Cumming, 1994, P.5). For this reason, analysing the subtle mobilisation of consumer loyalty towards supermarket as an institution is as important as understanding the hard sell of loyalty programme activities and the negotiated supply chain partnerships. It is as both guide and guardian that supermarkets actively promote and regulate the social practices that underpin consumption behaviour. Contribution to Knowledge/Originality: The attractiveness of relationship marketing has progressively developed from the past few decades. To satisfy and retain the customer through relationship building is seen as the most sustainable competitive advantage adopted by the retailers. Though the customer loyalty cards are popular in the retail industry, many programmes of customer loyalty are almost transposable, with lack of attractiveness and differentiation. Thus it is essential to acknowledge the elements of customer satisfaction that relates to these programmes. Hence aiming towards the satisfaction of customers relates to understand and anticipate what consumer need from the loyalty programme. It is very common in retail to use the card based programs for loyalty enrichment strategy. These card based programmes issues special coded cards or special card that can be scan readable, those can be used at the checkout holding an objective to increase consumer tendency. Consumer gains few benefits on these loyalty card like reduction in price, percentage, gift pack service, own area for parking, etc. (Naslund 2002, p. 322). Loyalty cards are a common practice to offer in European retailing, after growing with 25 to 30 percent each year since 1990s. In some of the markets this card based programme has achived its saturation stage but in few it is still new process growing at a steady pace (Ziliani/Bellini 2004, p. 283f). Loyalty card Programs are the most admired relationship building activity in Australia. However, many loyalty card programme are almost transposable and customers dont use them (Hoffman/NaB 2007, p.6). There are numerous reasons why customers do not desire to bond in relation with retailer. Usually consumers dont sense the benefit those retailers offer are satisfactory or of no importance to them (Noble/Philips 2004, p. 300). In addition to this there is a lack of charm and delineation (Tomczak 2008, p. 325) Thus to offer suitable benefits to the customer, it is essential to understand the factors of customer satisfaction with the loyalty card programme. Focussing on the satisfaction of customer means to understand and anticipate what consumer desire from the loyalty program, through which a positive response is generate and posses the aptitude to astonish the consumer. The reason to opt for this study is to examine various attributes and recognise the major influential facto on consumer satisfaction. Methodology of Research The study will be based on the qualitative and quantitative approach. The primary source of data collection will be done by the questionnaire because it is said to be the least expensive procedure for the research (Trochim, 2002). The research forces me to investigate different retail chains that offers customer loyalty programmes to benefit the customer. Investigating on those retail stores will give me an elaborated idea over the benefits and drawbacks shared by the retailer and the customer through those loyalty programmes. The data collection sources will through book, journals, periodicals, news papers, articles, magazines, etc. The research will not limit itself with only reference of books and journal but as well extend its reach to gain the ideologies of the marketing experts and professionals working in the retail sector. The customer loyalty programme plays a vital role in enhancing a retail stores image by offering them benefits. Thus the focus of this research study will be on analysing the customers perception over these programmes and how does they view these loyalty programme. My main focus for the research will be to gain an overview towards the retail store, stating how these loyalty programs had benefited it. The qualitative approach will derive the perception of the respondents by using the tools as interviews and observation as this method believes in the opulence of data (Naslund 2002). Furthermore qualitative approach generates fresh idea and latest theory (McKenzie 2006). The conduction of interviews will be held to gain the views from the professionals working in retail industry and the marketing experts. The data collection will be done mainly through this area; Interviewing the professional working in the retail Industry Interviewing the managers working in the retail chains (sportsdirect.com, Marks Spencer, ASDA, TESCO, etc.) Discussing the subject with the professors of marketing Subject overview through collection of detailed data from books, journal, web sources, newspaper articles, etc. Observing and evaluating the previous research of different students on the topic and gathering information The analysing of data and information will be done through the following tools Diagrammatic Graphical presentations Flow Charts Anticipated Outcome The below are the anticipated outcomes of the study; The result of this study can be generalised to reflect the attitudes, perception and practices of a proportion of customers in the retail sector (UK) The research study will result in enhancing the knowledge on the customer loyalty programmes issued by retailers This research study will benefit the reader in describing the advantages and difficulties by customer loyalty programmes shared by both retailers and customers. The dissertation will state the different type of customer loyalty programme adopted by various retail chains and their experiences on its success or failure. The research will be deliver the literature contributed by various authors on the subject. The study will confine itself with few UK retail chains so that it does not exceed its limited completion period. Targeted deadlines TIME ITEM ACTIVITIES 21th Jan -26th Jan 2011 Investigation and assortment of data 1. Conduction of review of literature 2. Evaluate the obtained data. 30th Jan 2011 1st meeting 1. Extracting suggestions through discussing topic and how to go ahead with it. 2. Discuss the source for conduction of interviews 7th Feb 22st Feb 2011 Research Questioners 1. Design the questionnaires for research 2. Connecting it to the needed outcome of research 25th Feb 2011 2nd meeting 1. Confer about the task achieved and accomplishing task 2. Consult on the ultimate interview questionnaire 3. Identifying the targeted interviewers 27th Feb3th March 2011 Conduction of interview 1. Interviews initiation 2. Collecting the performance data of organisations 13th March 2011 3rd meeting 1. Evaluation and analysing data during interviews 2. dissertation structure discussion 13th March-21th March 2011 Dissertation Structure 1. Align thesis formation 2. Forecast the gathered data consequently. 24nd March 2011 4th meeting 1. Obtaining the supervisors ideas in writing the thesis 2. Proceeding sequentially as guided 3rd April 2011 5th meeting 1. Asking supervisors evaluation on the first draft 11th April 2011 6th meeting 1. Complete the final draft of the thesis Gantts Chart Time Table Activity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Research Introductin Literature Review Research Methodoly Questionnaires Field work (Interveiw) Data Analysis conclusion Recommendation 1st Draft / 2nd Draft Submission of Dissertatin Ethical Issues The basic aim of writing this proposal was to gain an overview of the subject and head towards the research study. The proposal was completed with an aim of gaining knowledge and was done by thorough honesty. The quest for knowledge over the topic had enforced me to opt this subject and obtain the desired knowledge. Through the end of dissertations I will equip myself with complete details of the subject and enlighten my area of interest. The endeavour made to complete this thesis will benefit me and bright my IQ over the subject, so this work of dissertation will be done with total truthfulness and integrity. The approach to stay away from plagiarism would be to ensure the research with the software for plagiarism provided by the university called as TURNITIN. Additional software will be used as an added precaution to check the plagiarism with software called as VIPER accessible from internet. These measures are taken to be sure that the research conducted is not copied or plagiaris ed work. There would be proper referencing made in Harvard style to state any of the content that is adopted in the research. I would attend regular meeting held by my supervisor to get approval for my work and make the necessary amendments prescribed by my guiding professor.

The Common Cold :: essays research papers

The common cold has been plaguing humankind since the beginning of human existence. Even in these advanced times, there is no vaccine or cure. There are many symptoms that accompany the common cold. Some of these infamous symptoms are a runny nose, caused by inflammation of the nasal tissues, resulting in over production of mucus to trap the virus, and coughing. there are two different kinds or types of coughs that are common with colds. The first, is the less common dry hacking cough, these kinds are more likely to keep you up at night and just plainly annoy you than do any thing else. The other more common type of cough is the kind whose purpose is to expel mucus and or phlegm. These help to combat the cold by helping to expel the mucus that has the virus trapped in it. Other symptoms include a slight tingle or tickle in the back of the throat that usually turns into a sore throat and sneezing. Both of these symptoms are was for your body to help expel phlegm or mucus from the body. Another symptom is swelling of the face and or neck usually accompanied by pain around the eyes, nose, and forehead. This pain and swelling is caused by the introduction of the virus into your upper respiratory tract, therefore causing mucus building up in your nasal passages and then in your sinuses causing them both to become impacted. Many people complain of hoarseness, aches and pains in their joints, fever of about 101 degrees, and general aches and pains all over their bodies (Anthanasoid). There are at least two hundred different kinds of viruses that are known to cause what is known as the common cold, and an unknown number of undiscovered causes (Nourse 56). The virus who is usually responsible for a cold is called a rhinovirus, and it accounts for around thirty to fifty percent of all colds that afflict the adult part of the human population. The virus that is secondly responsible for most common colds, is called a coronavirus, and it is only different form a rhinovirus by a margin of few select proteins in it's molecular structure. The rhinovirus is so small that it can only be measured in milimicrons, one milimicron is about 1/25,000,000 of an inch, that means that about five hundred rhioviruses can fit on the point of a pin. That fact makes the rhinovirus and the coronavirus categorized in the medium territory. The virus cannot reproduce by itself. In fact scientists cannot even decide whether to classify it as an animal or a plant, because it is so primitive. To reproduce, the virus must first latch onto a nearby cell and inject it's genetic makeup into the

Angels Demons Chapter 74-79

74 Langdon saw what he was looking for a good ten yards before they reached it. Through the scattered tourists, the white marble ellipse of Bernini's West Ponente stood out against the gray granite cubes that made up the rest of the piazza. Vittoria apparently saw it too. Her hand tensed. â€Å"Relax,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"Do your piranha thing.† Vittoria loosened her grip. As they drew nearer, everything seemed forbiddingly normal. Tourists wandered, nuns chatted along the perimeter of the piazza, a girl fed pigeons at the base of the obelisk. Langdon refrained from checking his watch. He knew it was almost time. The elliptical stone arrived beneath their feet, and Langdon and Vittoria slowed to a stop – not overeagerly – just two tourists pausing dutifully at a point of mild interest. â€Å"West Ponente,† Vittoria said, reading the inscription on the stone. Langdon gazed down at the marble relief and felt suddenly naive. Not in his art books, not in his numerous trips to Rome, not ever had West Ponente's significance jumped out at him. Not until now. The relief was elliptical, about three feet long, and carved with a rudimentary face – a depiction of the West Wind as an angel-like countenance. Gusting from the angel's mouth, Bernini had drawn a powerful breath of air blowing outward away from the Vatican†¦ the breath of God. This was Bernini's tribute to the second element†¦ Air†¦ an ethereal zephyr blown from angel's lips. As Langdon stared, he realized the significance of the relief went deeper still. Bernini had carved the air in five distinct gusts†¦ five! What was more, flanking the medallion were two shining stars. Langdon thought of Galileo. Two stars, five gusts, ellipses, symmetry†¦ He felt hollow. His head hurt. Vittoria began walking again almost immediately, leading Langdon away from the relief. â€Å"I think someone's following us,† she said. Langdon looked up. â€Å"Where?† Vittoria moved a good thirty yards before speaking. She pointed up at the Vatican as if showing Langdon something on the dome. â€Å"The same person has been behind us all the way across the square.† Casually, Vittoria glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"Still on us. Keep moving.† â€Å"You think it's the Hassassin?† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"Not unless the Illuminati hires women with BBC cameras.† When the bells of St. Peter's began their deafening clamor, both Langdon and Vittoria jumped. It was time. They had circled away from West Ponente in an attempt to lose the reporter but were now moving back toward the relief. Despite the clanging bells, the area seemed perfectly calm. Tourists wandered. A homeless drunk dozed awkwardly at the base of the obelisk. A little girl fed pigeons. Langdon wondered if the reporter had scared the killer off. Doubtful, he decided, recalling the killer's promise. I will make your cardinals media luminaries. As the echo of the ninth bell faded away, a peaceful silence descended across the square. Then†¦ the little girl began to scream. 75 Langdon was the first to reach the screaming girl. The terrified youngster stood frozen, pointing at the base of the obelisk where a shabby, decrepit drunk sat slumped on the stairs. The man was a miserable sight†¦ apparently one of Rome's homeless. His gray hair hung in greasy strands in front of his face, and his entire body was wrapped in some sort of dirty cloth. The girl kept screaming as she scampered off into the crowd. Langdon felt an upsurge of dread as he dashed toward the invalid. There was a dark, widening stain spreading across the man's rags. Fresh, flowing blood. Then, it was as if everything happened at once. The old man seemed to crumple in the middle, tottering forward. Langdon lunged, but he was too late. The man pitched forward, toppled off the stairs, and hit the pavement facedown. Motionless. Langdon dropped to his knees. Vittoria arrived beside him. A crowd was gathering. Vittoria put her fingers on the man's throat from behind. â€Å"There's a pulse,† she declared. â€Å"Roll him.† Langdon was already in motion. Grasping the man's shoulders, he rolled the body. As he did, the loose rags seemed to slough away like dead flesh. The man flopped limp onto his back. Dead center of his naked chest was a wide area of charred flesh. Vittoria gasped and pulled back. Langdon felt paralyzed, pinned somewhere between nausea and awe. The symbol had a terrifying simplicity to it. Angels & Demons â€Å"Air,† Vittoria choked. â€Å"It's†¦ him.† Swiss Guards appeared from out of nowhere, shouting orders, racing after an unseen assassin. Nearby, a tourist explained that only minutes ago, a dark-skinned man had been kind enough to help this poor, wheezing, homeless man across the square†¦ even sitting a moment on the stairs with the invalid before disappearing back into the crowd. Vittoria ripped the rest of the rags off the man's abdomen. He had two deep puncture wounds, one on either side of the brand, just below his rib cage. She cocked the man's head back and began to administer mouth to mouth. Langdon was not prepared for what happened next. As Vittoria blew, the wounds on either side of the man's midsection hissed and sprayed blood into the air like blowholes on a whale. The salty liquid hit Langdon in the face. Vittoria stopped short, looking horrified. â€Å"His lungs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she stammered. â€Å"They're†¦ punctured.† Langdon wiped his eyes as he looked down at the two perforations. The holes gurgled. The cardinal's lungs were destroyed. He was gone. Vittoria covered the body as the Swiss Guards moved in. Langdon stood, disoriented. As he did, he saw her. The woman who had been following them earlier was crouched nearby. Her BBC video camera was shouldered, aimed, and running. She and Langdon locked eyes, and he knew she'd gotten it all. Then, like a cat, she bolted. 76 Chinita Macri was on the run. She had the story of her life. Her video camera felt like an anchor as she lumbered across St. Peter's Square, pushing through the gathering crowd. Everyone seemed to be moving in the opposite direction than her†¦ toward the commotion. Macri was trying to get as far away as possible. The man in the tweed jacket had seen her, and now she sensed others were after her, men she could not see, closing in from all sides. Macri was still aghast from the images she had just recorded. She wondered if the dead man was really who she feared he was. Glick's mysterious phone contact suddenly seemed a little less crazy. As she hurried in the direction of the BBC van, a young man with a decidedly militaristic air emerged from the crowd before her. Their eyes met, and they both stopped. Like lightning, he raised a walkie-talkie and spoke into it. Then he moved toward her. Macri wheeled and doubled back into the crowd, her heart pounding. As she stumbled through the mass of arms and legs, she removed the spent video cassette from her camera. Cellulose gold, she thought, tucking the tape under her belt flush to her backside and letting her coat tails cover it. For once she was glad she carried some extra weight. Glick, where the hell are you! Another soldier appeared to her left, closing in. Macri knew she had little time. She banked into the crowd again. Yanking a blank cartridge from her case, she slapped it into the camera. Then she prayed. She was thirty yards from the BBC van when the two men materialized directly in front of her, arms folded. She was going nowhere. â€Å"Film,† one snapped. â€Å"Now.† Macri recoiled, wrapping her arms protectively around her camera. â€Å"No chance.† One of the men pulled aside his jacket, revealing a sidearm. â€Å"So shoot me,† Macri said, amazed by the boldness of her voice. â€Å"Film,† the first one repeated. Where the devil is Glick? Macri stamped her foot and yelled as loudly as possible, â€Å"I am a professional videographer with the BBC! By Article 12 of the Free Press Act, this film is property of the British Broadcast Corporation!† The men did not flinch. The one with the gun took a step toward her. â€Å"I am a lieutenant with the Swiss Guard, and by the Holy Doctrine governing the property on which you are now standing, you are subject to search and seizure.† A crowd had started to gather now around them. Macri yelled, â€Å"I will not under any circumstances give you the film in this camera without speaking to my editor in London. I suggest you – â€Å" The guards ended it. One yanked the camera out of her hands. The other forcibly grabbed her by the arm and twisted her in the direction of the Vatican. â€Å"Grazie,† he said, leading her through a jostling crowd. Macri prayed they would not search her and find the tape. If she could somehow protect the film long enough to – Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. Someone in the crowd was groping under her coat. Macri felt the video yanked away from her. She wheeled, but swallowed her words. Behind her, a breathless Gunther Glick gave her a wink and dissolved back into the crowd. 77 Robert Langdon staggered into the private bathroom adjoining the Office of the Pope. He dabbed the blood from his face and lips. The blood was not his own. It was that of Cardinal Lamasse, who had just died horribly in the crowded square outside the Vatican. Virgin sacrifices on the altars of science. So far, the Hassassin had made good on his threat. Langdon felt powerless as he gazed into the mirror. His eyes were drawn, and stubble had begun to darken his cheeks. The room around him was immaculate and lavish – black marble with gold fixtures, cotton towels, and scented hand soaps. Langdon tried to rid his mind of the bloody brand he had just seen. Air. The image stuck. He had witnessed three ambigrams since waking up this morning†¦ and he knew there were two more coming. Outside the door, it sounded as if Olivetti, the camerlegno, and Captain Rocher were debating what to do next. Apparently, the antimatter search had turned up nothing so far. Either the guards had missed the canister, or the intruder had gotten deeper inside the Vatican than Commander Olivetti had been willing to entertain. Langdon dried his hands and face. Then he turned and looked for a urinal. No urinal. Just a bowl. He lifted the lid. As he stood there, tension ebbing from his body, a giddy wave of exhaustion shuddered through his core. The emotions knotting his chest were so many, so incongruous. He was fatigued, running on no food or sleep, walking the Path of Illumination, traumatized by two brutal murders. Langdon felt a deepening horror over the possible outcome of this drama. Think, he told himself. His mind was blank. As he flushed, an unexpected realization hit him. This is the Pope's toilet, he thought. I just took a leak in the Pope's toilet. He had to chuckle. The Holy Throne. 78 In London, a BBC technician ejected a video cassette from a satellite receiver unit and dashed across the control room floor. She burst into the office of the editor-in-chief, slammed the video into his VCR, and pressed play. As the tape rolled, she told him about the conversation she had just had with Gunther Glick in Vatican City. In addition, BBC photo archives had just given her a positive ID on the victim in St. Peter's Square. When the editor-in-chief emerged from his office, he was ringing a cowbell. Everything in editorial stopped. â€Å"Live in five!† the man boomed. â€Å"On-air talent to prep! Media coordinators, I want your contacts on line! We've got a story we're selling! And we've got film!† The market coordinators grabbed their Rolodexes. â€Å"Film specs!† one of them yelled. â€Å"Thirty-second trim,† the chief replied. â€Å"Content?† â€Å"Live homicide.† The coordinators looked encouraged. â€Å"Usage and licensing price?† â€Å"A million U.S. per.† Heads shot up. â€Å"What!† â€Å"You heard me! I want top of the food chain. CNN, MSNBC, then the big three! Offer a dial-in preview. Give them five minutes to piggyback before BBC runs it.† â€Å"What the hell happened?† someone demanded. â€Å"The prime minister get skinned alive?† The chief shook his head. â€Å"Better.† At that exact instant, somewhere in Rome, the Hassassin enjoyed a fleeting moment of repose in a comfortable chair. He admired the legendary chamber around him. I am sitting in the Church of Illumination, he thought. The Illuminati lair. He could not believe it was still here after all of these centuries. Dutifully, he dialed the BBC reporter to whom he had spoken earlier. It was time. The world had yet to hear the most shocking news of all. 79 Vittoria Vetra sipped a glass of water and nibbled absently at some tea scones just set out by one of the Swiss Guards. She knew she should eat, but she had no appetite. The Office of the Pope was bustling now, echoing with tense conversations. Captain Rocher, Commander Olivetti, and half a dozen guards assessed the damage and debated the next move. Robert Langdon stood nearby staring out at St. Peter's Square. He looked dejected. Vittoria walked over. â€Å"Ideas?† He shook his head. â€Å"Scone?† His mood seemed to brighten at the sight of food. â€Å"Hell yes. Thanks.† He ate voraciously. The conversation behind them went quiet suddenly when two Swiss Guards escorted Camerlegno Ventresca through the door. If the chamberlain had looked drained before, Vittoria thought, now he looked empty. â€Å"What happened?† the camerlegno said to Olivetti. From the look on the camerlegno's face, he appeared to have already been told the worst of it. Olivetti's official update sounded like a battlefield casualty report. He gave the facts with flat efficacy. â€Å"Cardinal Ebner was found dead in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo just after eight o'clock. He had been suffocated and branded with the ambigrammatic word ‘Earth.' Cardinal Lamasse was murdered in St. Peter's Square ten minutes ago. He died of perforations to the chest. He was branded with the word ‘Air,' also ambigrammatic. The killer escaped in both instances.† The camerlegno crossed the room and sat heavily behind the Pope's desk. He bowed his head. â€Å"Cardinals Guidera and Baggia, however, are still alive.† The camerlegno's head shot up, his expression pained. â€Å"This is our consolation? Two cardinals have been murdered, commander. And the other two will obviously not be alive much longer unless you find them.† â€Å"We will find them,† Olivetti assured. â€Å"I am encouraged.† â€Å"Encouraged? We've had nothing but failure.† â€Å"Untrue. We've lost two battles, signore, but we're winning the war. The Illuminati had intended to turn this evening into a media circus. So far we have thwarted their plan. Both cardinals' bodies have been recovered without incident. In addition,† Olivetti continued, â€Å"Captain Rocher tells me he is making excellent headway on the antimatter search.† Captain Rocher stepped forward in his red beret. Vittoria thought he looked more human somehow than the other guards – stern but not so rigid. Rocher's voice was emotional and crystalline, like a violin. â€Å"I am hopeful we will have the canister for you within an hour, signore.† â€Å"Captain,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"excuse me if I seem less than hopeful, but I was under the impression that a search of Vatican City would take far more time than we have.† â€Å"A full search, yes. However, after assessing the situation, I am confident the antimatter canister is located in one of our white zones – those Vatican sectors accessible to public tours – the museums and St. Peter's Basilica, for example. We have already killed power in those zones and are conducting our scan.† â€Å"You intend to search only a small percentage of Vatican City?† â€Å"Yes, signore. It is highly unlikely that an intruder gained access to the inner zones of Vatican City. The fact that the missing security camera was stolen from a public access area – a stairwell in one of the museums – clearly implies that the intruder had limited access. Therefore he would only have been able to relocate the camera and antimatter in another public access area. It is these areas on which we are focusing our search.† â€Å"But the intruder kidnapped four cardinals. That certainly implies deeper infiltration than we thought.† â€Å"Not necessarily. We must remember that the cardinals spent much of today in the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica, enjoying those areas without the crowds. It is probable that the missing cardinals were taken in one of these areas.† â€Å"But how were they removed from our walls?† â€Å"We are still assessing that.† â€Å"I see.† The camerlegno exhaled and stood up. He walked over to Olivetti. â€Å"Commander, I would like to hear your contingency plan for evacuation.† â€Å"We are still formalizing that, signore. In the meantime, I am faithful Captain Rocher will find the canister.† Rocher clicked his boots as if in appreciation of the vote of confidence. â€Å"My men have already scanned two-thirds of the white zones. Confidence is high.† The camerlegno did not appear to share that confidence. At that moment the guard with a scar beneath one eye came through the door carrying a clipboard and a map. He strode toward Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? I have the information you requested on the West Ponente.† Langdon swallowed his scone. â€Å"Good. Let's have a look.† The others kept talking while Vittoria joined Robert and the guard as they spread out the map on the Pope's desk. The soldier pointed to St. Peter's Square. â€Å"This is where we are. The central line of West Ponente's breath points due east, directly away from Vatican City.† The guard traced a line with his finger from St. Peter's Square across the Tiber River and up into the heart of old Rome. â€Å"As you can see, the line passes through almost all of Rome. There are about twenty Catholic churches that fall near this line.† Langdon slumped. â€Å"Twenty?† â€Å"Maybe more.† â€Å"Do any of the churches fall directly on the line?† â€Å"Some look closer than others,† the guard said, â€Å"but translating the exact bearing of the West Ponente onto a map leaves margin for error.† Langdon looked out at St. Peter's Square a moment. Then he scowled, stroking his chin. â€Å"How about fire? Any of them have Bernini artwork that has to do with fire?† Silence. â€Å"How about obelisks?† he demanded. â€Å"Are any of the churches located near obelisks?† The guard began checking the map. Vittoria saw a glimmer of hope in Langdon's eyes and realized what he was thinking. He's right! The first two markers had been located on or near piazzas that contained obelisks! Maybe obelisks were a theme? Soaring pyramids marking the Illuminati path? The more Vittoria thought about it, the more perfect it seemed†¦ four towering beacons rising over Rome to mark the altars of science. â€Å"It's a long shot,† Langdon said, â€Å"but I know that many of Rome's obelisks were erected or moved during Bernini's reign. He was no doubt involved in their placement.† â€Å"Or,† Vittoria added, â€Å"Bernini could have placed his markers near existing obelisks.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"True.† â€Å"Bad news,† the guard said. â€Å"No obelisks on the line.† He traced his finger across the map. â€Å"None even remotely close. Nothing.† Langdon sighed. Vittoria's shoulders slumped. She'd thought it was a promising idea. Apparently, this was not going to be as easy as they'd hoped. She tried to stay positive. â€Å"Robert, think. You must know of a Bernini statue relating to fire. Anything at all.† â€Å"Believe me, I've been thinking. Bernini was incredibly prolific. Hundreds of works. I was hoping West Ponente would point to a single church. Something that would ring a bell.† â€Å"Fuco,† she pressed. â€Å"Fire. No Bernini titles jump out?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"There's his famous sketches of Fireworks, but they're not sculpture, and they're in Leipzig, Germany.† Vittoria frowned. â€Å"And you're sure the breath is what indicates the direction?† â€Å"You saw the relief, Vittoria. The design was totally symmetrical. The only indication of bearing was the breath.† Vittoria knew he was right. â€Å"Not to mention,† he added, â€Å"because the West Ponente signifies Air, following the breath seems symbolically appropriate.† Vittoria nodded. So we follow the breath. But where? Olivetti came over. â€Å"What have you got?† â€Å"Too many churches,† the soldier said. â€Å"Two dozen or so. I suppose we could put four men on each church – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† Olivetti said. â€Å"We missed this guy twice when we knew exactly where he was going to be. A mass stakeout means leaving Vatican City unprotected and canceling the search.† â€Å"We need a reference book,† Vittoria said. â€Å"An index of Bernini's work. If we can scan titles, maybe something will jump out.† â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon said. â€Å"If it's a work Bernini created specifically for the Illuminati, it may be very obscure. It probably won't be listed in a book.† Vittoria refused to believe it. â€Å"The other two sculptures were fairly well-known. You'd heard of them both.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"If we scan titles for references to the word ‘fire,' maybe we'll find a statue that's listed as being in the right direction.† Langdon seemed convinced it was worth a shot. He turned to Olivetti. â€Å"I need a list of all Bernini's work. You guys probably don't have a coffee-table Bernini book around here, do you?† â€Å"Coffee-table book?† Olivetti seemed unfamiliar with the term. â€Å"Never mind. Any list. How about the Vatican Museum? They must have Bernini references.† The guard with the scar frowned. â€Å"Power in the museum is out, and the records room is enormous. Without the staff there to help – â€Å" â€Å"The Bernini work in question,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"Would it have been created while Bernini was employed here at the Vatican?† â€Å"Almost definitely,† Langdon said. â€Å"He was here almost his entire career. And certainly during the time period of the Galileo conflict.† Olivetti nodded. â€Å"Then there's another reference.† Vittoria felt a flicker of optimism. â€Å"Where?† The commander did not reply. He took his guard aside and spoke in hushed tones. The guard seemed uncertain but nodded obediently. When Olivetti was finished talking, the guard turned to Langdon. â€Å"This way please, Mr. Langdon. It's nine-fifteen. We'll have to hurry.† Langdon and the guard headed for the door. Vittoria started after them. â€Å"I'll help.† Olivetti caught her by the arm. â€Å"No, Ms. Vetra. I need a word with you.† His grasp was authoritative. Langdon and the guard left. Olivetti's face was wooden as he took Vittoria aside. But whatever it was Olivetti had intended to say to her, he never got the chance. His walkie-talkie crackled loudly. â€Å"Commandante?† Everyone in the room turned. The voice on the transmitter was grim. â€Å"I think you better turn on the television.†

Operation Management Essay

1.Operation Management For the success of an organization, the management crew plays a major role. An organizational structure is based on different operational parameters and in order to perform all the operations, it is mandatory to scrutinize every major aspect related to the organizational strategy. Keeping the significance of operation management under consideration, different authors have developed different concepts and hence promulgated all of them in order to indicate all the major aspects that can define what the operation management is and how it helps an organization in achieving high level of success. This paper is basically about how proper operation management helps an organization in performing different tasks strategically. For this purpose, the analysis is done from different perspectives. The first part of the paper gives an overview of what is operation management and for this purpose; different definitions promulgated by different authors have been cited as evidence. The second part of the paper throws light upon the role of an operational manager and what strategic efforts enables him to perform his duty effectively. The third part of the paper identifies the relationship of operation management with other core functions and for this purpose, the case studies of Heathrow International Airport and Nestlà © UK Chocolate Factory have been elaborated. Hence, the entire paper indicates how effective operation management affects the progress graph of the company in one way or other. However, before elaborating how the manager performs  his job, it is mandatory to throw 1.1.Definition of operation management Operation management can be considered as one of the most significant factors responsible for any country’s economic growth. As service sector has observed mass development and changes, the very concept of operation management emerged with a focus on economic efficacy in manufacturing. The traditional concept of manufacturing was otherwise limited to concept of production management only. The manufacturing capabilities have been advanced through innovative procedures and techniques, new materials and facilities as numerous challenges and opportunities have been posed by rapid development in technology sector. It thus gave rise to development and management of a service system which could effectively resolve major challenges for global competitive environment (Heizer, Jay H. and Render, Barry, 2008). Around the world, operation management has now been considered as major business procedure for productivity and improvement. Organisations have become more vigilant in acquiring operation management procedures and techniques to achieve their objectives with minimum resources and efforts. (R. Pannerselvam, 2004) defined operation management as a system which an organisation employs within its framework to transform a wide range of inputs into the desired outputs (services) by achieving its requisite level of quality. Operation management transforms by combining several resources which are being used in organisation’s operation subsystem into value added products and services. Undoubtedly this has to be a controlled process and it should follow the policies of organisation, therefore the whole concept of operation management works as integrated and interrelated management activities. These management activities are sometimes limited to manufacturing of certain products which is called production management, but when the same idea is extended to effective service management, then resultant sum of manag ement procedures is called as operation management. Resources, transformation, systems and value addition activities are some key factors which represents a broader picture of operation management within an organisation. Resources are material, capital and human inputs to the process of production. Material resources include materials and physical facilities such as inventories, supplies and plant equipment etc. capital resources include bonds, stock and/or taxes which can  be used to regulate flow of associated resources. Human resource is sum of intellectual capabilities of managers, technical and non-technical staff and is considered as most vital asset of the organisation. Transformation is basically the process of combining resources for obtaining higher value goods and services than original inputs under controlled conditions. Systems depict an arrangement of multiple components developed to obtain require objectives of the plan. Business systems contain personal, finance, engineering and operation, functioning altogether for integrity of organisation. Value addition activities ensure to increase organisations’ productivity ratio and give more value to the products (Waters, C. D. J. (1991). After reviewing different definitions promulgated by different experts, the next part of the paper will analyze the role of an operational manager in an organization. 1.2.The role of Operation Manager Operation managers of any organisation are concerned with planning, systemizing and controlling the action which impact human behaviour with the help of models. Planning helps in establishing action plan for the organisation and provide future-decision making. It is thus duty of operation manager to define the objectives and goals for the operations and it’s subsystems of the organisation. They need to design procedures and policies in order to achieve those objectives. This stage embraces the clarification of role and focus of certain operations into organisation’s overall strategy. Product and services planning conversion process and facility designing are also included in the planning. The establishment of authority and tasks and other related activities fall under the head of organizing. The flow of information and structure of roles are being established by the operation managers within operation subsystems. It is their responsibility to determine the attributes es sential for goals achievement and they need to assign the responsibility and authority to carry them out (Joseph, G. Monks, 2004). Other prime responsibilities of operation managers include transforming inputs into the outputs. To devise an effective production plan, say, which employs capacity, knowledge of production facility and materials is prime responsibility of an operation manager. They are supposed to schedule and control the system demands in order to retain require services and/or produce desired goods. They need to  evaluate quality inventory levels, cost etc. to maintain the quality associated with goods and services. They are obliged to regulation of systems and resources within the organisation thus maintaining transformation and effective value addition activities. Operation managers are required to observe parameters which may affect the human behaviors. They need to evaluate models and frameworks of an effective operation management within an organisation (Slack et al). As operation management is primarily concerned with the accomplishment of both resource utilization and satisfactory customer services, operation managers are supposed to maximize both and maintain an overall satisfactory performance of the organisation. Sometimes there is improvement in customer satisfaction while deterioration in resource utilization. To overcome any such activity, operation managers are trained to tackle such conflicts and they need to find and implement a balance for the organisation in order to achieve its basic objectives. The principle customer service objective is strongly dependent upon services of an en enthusiastic and able operation manager (S. Anil Kumar, N. Suresh, 2008). The next part of the paper will discuss the relationship of operation management with the core functionalities of the organization. 1.3.Relationship of operation management with other core functions One of the most significant functions that operation management plays in an organisation that it defines the ways for strategic planning of an organisation. As strategic planning is concerned with organisation’s decisions and remedies for certain environmental and business conditions, operation management provides road map for strategic planning for the organisation and eases the way with help of fundamental concepts. The scope of operation management is not limited to transformation of inputs into the outputs by utilising physical resources thus achieving successful customer satisfaction along with efficiency, development and adoptability for the organisation, but it is deeply associated with other core functions of an organisation such as marketing, finance, personnel etc. It also include product design, quality control, maintenance management, location of  facilities, materials management, planning and product control, process design and many other core and support functions. The modern concept of operation management is very dynamic and promising and it evidently brings outstanding results for an organisation working under controlled environment (Dilworth, James B., 1999). 2.Case Studies Following are two cases studies that indicate how proper operation management strategy helps the organization in achieving its ultimate objectives. In this regard, the Heathrow International Airport and Nestle UK Chocolate Factory have been taken a evidence. 2.1.Heathrow International Airport Heathrow International Airport is the UK’s only hub airport. Around 5,500 people have been employed by the BAA at Heathrow of which 25% employees perform operational, customer service and maintenance roles. Other 75% are in security and head office functions. In addition, BAA has some 65% interest and it operates the Naples Airport. These figures show the need and significance of operation management within framework of Heathrow International Airport. An insight into Heathrow’s planning and preparation and its outstanding level of services and commitment will explain operation management practices being observed by the organisation. For example, winter resilience enquiry recently examined and implemented by operation management ensures its ability to provide excellent services and support given to passengers and employees during severe weather conditions, (Heathrow, 2011). The winter resilience initiative was carried out by operation management teams through expert peer review and extensive quality assurance. Teams studied and learned from Dallas Fort Worth, Madrid and Minneapolis-St. Paul airports which possess strong reputation for passenger welfare, airport operations and the clearance of snow. The devised plan for Heathrow was being examined and peer reviews helped it to carry out one of the most effective operation management tasks. For this, Heathrow had invested marvelously in acquiring innovative equipment which could effectively clear the airfield in reduced time. The equipment included taxiways, airside roads, runways, stands etc. and were used for the disposal of collected ice  and snow. This one task brought the Heathrow airport to fully operational status. It in fact appointed a full-time operations manager for winter that is responsible for Airport’s winter readiness controlled. The regular refinement and review of organisationâ €™s plans distinguishes it from other leading airports all over the world, (Heathrow, 2011). 2.2.Nestlà © UK Chocolate Factory Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s brand and product portfolio ranges from local favorites to global icons. The products are supported by vigorous research and development facility, focused driving renovation and innovation, and with clear priorities which is attractive and relevant for consumers. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s desire in becoming a leader of renovation and innovation, whether of systems, processes or products define the role of governing operation management body which gives its product an entire new and refreshing aspect. From brand effectiveness to effective supply chain, from farm to the fork, nestle UK chocolate factory ensured best production and operation management. Best raw materials are being used in the preparation of chocolate and other products. For operations needs, nestle has set four pillars for effective operation management which include; increasing effectiveness and efficiency, operational efficiency, improved quality and elimination of waste. For continuous excellence and to make most innovative and appreciated products in most efficient way, nestle has implemented these four pillars into its operational management structure. The product and operational excellence has been given utmost importance all because Nestle ensures to provide its consumers with delightful products whenever and wherever they need them. Customer satisfaction is undoubtedly complimentary in consumer product market and Nestle has significantly earned it through continuous planning and operational excellence besides giving its products the desired and unmatched taste and nutrition, (Nestle, 2011). 3.Major Understandings of the study Major understandings of the study suggest that operation management is, by far, one of the most significant aspects of any organisation’s development and economic growth. It provides enormous value to the resources of the organisation and adds value to them. The resources and investments of any  organisation need to be utilized in more effective way for on-going progress. Furthermore, strategic planning division works hand-in-hand with operation management as it provides sustainable grounds for effective and efficacious planning and preparation. Indeed no organisation can survive without future plans and policies that define its objectives and goals and its overall competitive market value. Operation management thus promises sustainable future for the organisations and procures enormous economic growth under controlled conditions (Everett, E. Adam, Jr.Ronald J.Ebert, 1994). Another great aspect of operation management is its ability of giving added value to products and services of the organisation. It is aimed at increasing the efficiency of the products and services by minimizing the circumstances that may prevent organisations to achieve great market value for their products and services. As it is clear as crystal that today’s competitive environment demands higher level of excellence and efficiency from manufacturers and service providers, organisations should concentrate more and more on improving their standards. This can only be done through sustainable operation management plans and procedures. Furthermore, operation management not only serves as great tool in improving standards and adding value to goods and services, it has been proved as cost reduction tool within the framework of organisations. Great amount of capital and resources could be saved by implementing a resourceful and sustainable operation management plan which will ultimately turn the organisation into leading brand. To earn a competitive advantage in business sector, one needs to overlook every aspect that could affect it either positively or negatively. Only then unmatched products and excellent services can be manufactured and being provided (Hill, Terry, 1993). 4.Conclusions Operation management works in combination to several support and core functions of the organisation. It also increases the potential and performance of those areas where strategic and effective operation handling is essential. The scope of operation management is never dying and it embraces internal and external factors associated with business of any organisation. From manufacturing to supply, from marketing to customer satisfaction, from financing to human resource, operation management has its deep roots in the organisation’s framework (S. Anil Kumar, N. Suresh, 2008). Two case studies helped in understanding the role of operation management and how it can be utilized in improving overall performance of the organisations. Heathrow Airport is among world’s leading organisations that provide its customers with excellent services and it managed to sustain that position through years by effective operation management procedures. It has assigned one fourth of its employees to operational tasks which ensures greatest level of quality service. On the other hand, Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ employed a tremendous operation management task force to maintain its brand value. It is evident of the fact why nestle consumers prefer its products over other brands. It has successfully achieved a competitive advantage over other foods and beverage companies operating all over the world through systemic and devoted operation management and planning. Concluding, the most significant role operation management plays is ensuring greater levels of customer satisfaction for the organisations for their brands, products and services. Customer satisfaction is utmost objective of any organisation and it will require that organisation to develop, implement and manage a sustainable operation management plan that could work in vicinity of other necessary activities and operations. Operation managers at organisations have the utmost responsibility in promising desired levels of satisfaction among consumers and customers thus fulfilling requirements for achieving basic objectives for the organisation. Their role in economic development is as essential as organisation’s survival in the competitive environment (Chambers et al, 2007) References †¢Chambers, Stuart, Johnston, Robert and Slack, Nigel (2007) – Operations management (5th ed) †¢Dilworth, James B. (1999) – Operations management : providing value in goods and services. (3rd ed) †¢Everett, E. Adam, Jr.Ronald J.Ebert, 1994. â€Å"Production and Operations Management†, Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, 5th Edition †¢Heathrow, 2011. â€Å"Heathrow Winter Resilience Programme†, [online] Available at: [Accessed: 03rd December 2012] †¢Heizer, Jay H. and Render, Barry (2008) – Operations management (9th ed) †¢Hill, Terry (1993) – The essence of operations management †¢Joseph, G. Monks, 2004. â€Å"Theory and Problems of Operations Management†, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited, 2nd Edition †¢Joseph, G. Monks, â€Å"Operations Management†, McGraw-Hill International Edition, 3rd Edition. †¢Nestle, 2011, â€Å"Annual Report 2011†, [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 03rd December 2012] †¢R. Pannerselvam, 2004, â€Å"Production and Operations Management†, Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, 9th print †¢S. Anil Kumar, N. Suresh, 2008, â€Å"Production and Operations Management, New Age International (P) Limited Publishers, 2nd Edition †¢Slack et al, Operations Management 4th Edition – online version †¢Slack et al, Operations Management 6th edition – online version †¢Waters, C. D. J. (1991) – An introduction to operations management

Flamin Country Joe essays

Flamin Country Joe essays In 1992, an antiwar activist, Country Joe, violated a Georgia statute by acting out a skit that urged people to refuse to fight in the Persian Gulf war, overthrow the government and form a socialist regime. He then burned a military uniform in opposition to the war, and was arrested for his actions. This paper will examine the Georgia statute that Country Joe violated and address the constitutionality of that law. The Georgia statute under which Country Joe was arrested made it a crime to wear the uniform of the armed forces of the United States in any way that brings discredit upon that armed force. Further, the uniform may not be used in any way that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force. Further, the uniform may not be defaced, mutilated or treated in a contemptuous manner. The question in this case is not whether Country Joe violated the Georgia statute, but whether the law is constitutional. Following the standards set forth in Texas v. Johnson, we must first establish that Country Joes actions constituted expressive conduct. Next, if his conduct was expressive, we must decide whether the state statute is related to suppression of free speech. If the statute is not related to expression, then the less stringent standard announced in United States v. OBrien, which regulates noncommunicative conduct, controls. If it is related to expression, then the regulation is outside of the OBrien test and we must decide whether this interest justifies Country Joes conviction under a more demanding standard. First, in deciding whether Country Joes conduct was expressive, we must ask if an intent to convey a particularized message was present, and [whether] the likelihood was great that the message would be understood by those who viewed it. Given the fact that Country Joe is a known antiwar activist, it is apparent that he intended to convey ...

The Nation Takes Shape essays

The Nation Takes Shape essays published by the University of Chicago Press The period of time from 1789 to 1839 was an age of growth for the United States of America; the United States grew bigger and better in general, it expanded into the West, and its commerce and industry also grew substantially. This is in part because of the great political leaders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson, but also in part of growing national pride and the yearning to become a successful nation. America grew larger and improved greatly in the first half century of its life. The territory of the United States tripled in size as America bought large amounts of property from other nations, and the number of the states in the Union doubled. The population doubled twice from around four million people to almost sixteen million people, and by the year 1840 rolled around. American exports also quadrupled in size to about $80 million dollars in profit. The national debt from earlier years was completely paid off in this time period; a feat that has not been accomplished since. An Army and Navy were established to protect the country, and judiciary, legislative, and executive departments of the government were formed with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. Transportation became much easier in America by 1840. Approximately 2500 miles of canals and 3000 miles of railroads had been constructed. Harbors, lighthouses, and dry docks had also greatly increased in number to aid the seafarers. In the first fifty years of its history, almost all parts of America grew enormously, from schools to post offices to forts. America was a becoming a stronger nation in a world of giants. Another area of American growth was the West. As the Constitution was being signed, virtually ...

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus The Stranger is a famous novel by Albert Camus, who wrote about existential themes. The story is a first-person narrative, through the eyes of Meursault, an Algerian. Here are a few quotes from The Stranger, separated by chapter. Part 1, Chapter 1 Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know. I got a telegram from the home: Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. That doesnt mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. It had been a long time since Id been out in the country, and I could feel how much Id enjoy going for a walk if it hadnt been for Maman. Part 1, Chapter 2 It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed. Part 1, Chapter 3 He asked if I thought she was cheating on him, and it seemed to me she was; if I thought she should be punished and what I would do in his place, and I said you cant ever be sure, but I understood his wanting to punish her. I got up. Raymond gave me a very firm handshake and said that men always understand each other. I left his room, closing the door behind me, and paused for a minute in the dark, on the landing. The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted p from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there, motionless. Part 1, Chapter 4 She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didnt mean anything but that I didnt think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her. Part 1, Chapter 5 I would rather not have upset him, but I couldnt see any reason to change my life. Looking back on it, I wasnt unhappy. When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered. Part 1, Chapter 6 For the first time maybe, I really thought I was going to get married. Part 2, Chapter 2 At that time, I often thought that if I had had to live in the trunk of a dead tree, with nothing to do but look up at the sky flowing overhead, little by little I would have gotten used to it. Part 2, Chapter 3 For the first time in years, I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. The spectators laughed. And my lawyer, rolling up one of his sleeves, said with finality, Here we have a perfect reflection of this entire trial: everything is true and nothing is true! They had before them the basest of crimes, a crime made worse than sordid by the fact that they were dealing with a monster, a man without morals. Part 2, Chapter 4 But all the long speeches, all the interminable days and hours that people had spent talking about my soul, had left me with the impression of a colorless swirling river that was making me dizzy. I was assailed by memories of a life that wasnt mine anymore, but one in which Id found the simplest and most lasting joys. He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to him and made one last attempt to explain to him that I only had a little time left and I didnt want to waste it on God.

Critically examine the claim that people are an organisation's most Essay

Critically examine the claim that people are an organisation's most valued asset. How this claim would be translated into prac - Essay Example Different approaches have been developed in the literature regarding the role of people within modern organizations. In accordance with a common view, people are the most valued asset of each organization. The specific issue is examined in this paper. Reference is made to the potential translation of the above statement in practice, especially regarding the development of organizational strategies. The research on the particular subject has revealed that people are, indeed, the most valued assets in modern organizations; however, their contribution in the development of the organizational practices is not always appreciated, an issue highlighted in the study of Lawler et al. (2008). The common statement that employees are key assets of an organization does not always reflect the actual thoughts of organizational leaders – a problem mostly related to the different perceptions of organizational leaders on the role of employees within organizations. The literature published in th e specific field is presented – followed by a critical analysis of the finding, at the level that such activity would help to understand the role of employees as part of the organization. 2. ... In the literature, additional perceptions on the role of people within organizations have been developed. In accordance with Sveiby (1997) the role of people within organizations could be explained as follows: the balance sheet of each organization has a series of invisible assets: ‘employee competence, internal structure and external structure’ (Sveiby 1997, p.10). It is made clear that employee competence refers to the ability of employees to develop the various organizational tasks, i.e. to respond to the organizational needs, no matter even if these needs are related to tangible or intangible assets (Sveiby 1997, p.10). The above explanation of the role of people within modern organizations is based on the perception that people are indispensable part of organizations, since no organization would exist and operate without the employees who manage its various activities. A similar approach of employees as assets is presented in the study of Storey (2009, p.140); in th e specific study emphasis is given on the role of employees as intangible assets of organizations. On the other hand, Holbeche (1998) notes that employees are a valuable asset of each organization; however, the specific asset is different from the other organizational assets at the level that it is extremely ‘volatile and easily damaged’ (Holbeche 1998, p.10); it is explained that the organization that has not secured the position of its employees is likely to face severe organizational failures. It is also mentioned that the organizational leaders are likely to develop different views on the value of employees in their organization. Moreover, if employees within the particular organization are highly motivated, then their value in the

Baby Boomers Retiring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Baby Boomers Retiring - Research Paper Example As baby boomers retire, there will be need for knowledge transfer as they get replaced by new workers. This is because as they retire they are bound to escape with their wealth of experience and knowledge from the workplace. In order to achieve this, there will be need for the establishment of excellent working relationship between the older and the younger workers. This working relationship will ensure that institutional knowledge is maintained as the mature workforce retires according to DeLon (2004). The better the relationship between both existing and incoming workforce, the greater the possibility of knowledge transfer. Consequently, a more influential intergenerational synergy is likely to thrive. The transfer of knowledge can be made easier and possible through mentoring. This is because the younger workers may find it hard to appreciate the credibility, and maintain respect for the talent and skills of the mature workers. Organizational culture can be defined by the differen t generations working within its environment. The presence of baby boomers and the younger workers in organizations, beyond doubt, create generational differences. This generational difference is likely to affect the organizational culture and work environment. ... The sharing of ideas usually depends on the particular generation. As far as the culture of organizational innovation is concerned, the younger workers have a competitive merit as opposed to the older generation as noted by Venneberg and Eversole (2010). The baby boomers are less risk takers in so far as organizational culture is concerned. They prefer maintaining the status quo. How to Replace Baby Boomer Workers There has been a growing concern about the retiring of baby boomers considering that many of the Canada’s organizations have not planned for the retiring workforce. With the continued retirement of baby boomers, there is bound to be a major change in the demographics of the Canadian workforce (Roberts, 2005). As they retire, the younger generation which is quite inexperienced will have to replace them even as many businesses and organizations are likely to remain unprepared for the looming change. Various analysts have stated that businesses in Canada are likely to f ace a shortage of workers for the next ten years as a result of the retirement of baby boomers. Hence, organizations which fail to plan for the replacement of this workforce will end up facing loss of labor skills and expertise that may prove difficult to counterbalance. The issue of how to replace the retiring baby boomers has raised a lot of concern to many employers. Their concern revolves around where to get new employees and the cost of training the new workforce. In order to replace the retirees, organizations might be forced to invest a lot in the training of new workers as noted by Peschard-Sverdrup and Center for Strategic and International Studies (2008). Similarly, organizations might be required to

Ethical and moral issues via Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical and moral issues via Internet - Essay Example Governments in different parts of the word censor internet providers for various purposes. These include protecting the customer from antisocial problems such as gambling, gaining access to explicit information including pornographic sites among other reasons and China is not an exception. In the current political systems, autocratic governments are increasing blocking citizens from accessing the internet in order to prevent them from acquiring information that would incite them into violence and overthrow the current governments (Stephen, 2005). In the recent past Chinese government was reported to be censoring internet providers and search engines including Google preventing the citizens from getting certain information online (Elliot, 2006). This decision raises serious moral and ethical issues in a highly globalized world where the flow of information is important for commerce and maintaining social order. Chinese government is a communist’s state and the flow of informati on is highly regulated not only in the internet but also in the other forms of communication including the media and other electronic means such as television and radio (Stephen, 2005). In largely capitalistic world, Chinese government attempts to maintain their preferred form of government at all costs by preventing free flow of information. One of the main characteristics of communism is denying the citizens the freedom of expression and association (Stephen, 2005).

Law o tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law o tort - Essay Example Stevenson 1932). The claimant should prove that the negligent behaviour of the defendant has caused injury or loss in order to win the case. in the case of North Glamorgan N.H.S. Trust v Walters, it can be seen that the defendant was negligent in that the â€Å"claimant's infant son developed an epileptic fit as a result of the admitted negligence of the defendant trust, which caused irreparable brain damage and death when the child's life support system was turned off.† The act of turning off the support system aggravated the problem and this led to the claimant suffering a pathological grief reaction. The claimant is a secondary victim and is entitled to claim damages as a result of the horrific experience she encountered at the hospital. The psychiatric injury experienced by the claimant is a direct result of the action of the medical staff at the hospital and this is the reason why she is entitled to get damages. Though the defendant does not directly accept the charges, t he facts are so glaring that it can be seen that they are responsible for the illness experienced by the claimant after the horrific incidence. 3. a. ... The harm is a direct result of the actions of the medical staff and these factors were taken into consideration by the trial judge. b. The control mechanism that was in dispute is that the 36 hour period involving all the events that transpired could be held in law as one horrifying event. The defendant also argues that the judge erred when he concluded that the case was sudden since it transpired over a certain period of time that was characterised by changing events. However, the judge upheld that the control mechanisms were satisfied by the claimant in this particular case. . 4. a. The ground for appeal by North Glamorgan N.H.S. Trust is that the judge expanded the control mechanism involved in the case. In other words, the defendants are saying that the judge did not take into account the provisions of the law with regards to the facts that should be considered in case of a secondary victim suffering psychiatric harm as a result of the actions of the defendant. The defendants als o argue that the mother appreciated the removal of the life support system from the child which led to his death. The dependents also tried to invoke certain sections of public policy but it was established that the judge did not take any incremental position in passing the judgement in favour of the claimant. b. The Lord Justice Ward considered the issues that constituted the necessary event in dismissing the appeal by the defendants. The events took place in a progressive way which led the judge to believe that there was an element of secondary causation of psychiatric injury to the claimant. The other issue that was taken into consideration by the judge is that the aspects of proximity in terms of time and relationship between the two

Case Study-Based Assignment Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

-Based Assignment - Case Study Example On general physical examination, Bukowskii had increased respiratory rate (22 breaths per minute), deep and laboured breathing and saturations of 89 percent on oxygen of 6L per minute. Respiratory system examination revealed intercostal muscle recession on inspection and diminished air entry to both bases and crepitations in the right base on auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed PaO2 less than 60mmHg (58mmHg) and PaCO2 more than 50 mmHg (54mmHg) with pH of 7.3. These are the four pieces of evidence pointing towards acute respiratory failure. Respiratory failure may be acute or chronic. In case of Bukowski, the respiratory failure is acute and this is indicated by the drastic change in the acid-base status (pH= 7.3). The cause of respiratory failure in him is the right lower lobe collapse-consolidation secondary to pneumonia. Lower respiratory tract infection is known as pneumonia. The pathology lies in the parenchyma of the lungs which consist of alveolar sacs. There are several causes to pneumonia, the most common of which is bacterial (Stephen, 2009). Bacterial pneumonia can be community acquired or hospital acquired. In case of Bukowski, the pneumonia is hospital acquired. The most common respiratory failure is acute hypoxemic respiratory failure or type-1 which is seen in pneumonia. In acute respiratory failure, the pH is less than 7.3 (Nettina, 2009) as in Bukowski. Decreased oxygen saturation: Acute respiratory failure occurs when the body is unable to maintain gas exchage at a rate on par with the demands of the body like in paneumonia. The damage to lung parenchyma in pneumonia results in release of inflammatory mediators and fluids because of which intrapulmonary shunting, ventilation-perfusion mismatching, hypoventilation and diffusion defects occur (Stephen, 2009). All these eventually lead to hypoxemia which is evident in the blood gas analysis of Bukowski (Ranjit, 2001). In ventilation-perfusion mismatch, areas which have lower ventilation as against perfusion contribute to hypoxemia. Intrapulmonary shunt causes deoxygenated blood to bypass ventilation in the alveoli resulting in venous admixture of blood (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003). Both these mechanisms cause a widening in the alveolar-arterial oxygen difference. The normal difference is less than 15mmHg and when the difference exceeds this value, respiratory failure ensues (Kaynar and Sharma, 2009). The hypoxemia causes increased work of breathing resulting in respiratory fatigue. Respiratory fatigue and reduced alveolar ventilation in turn cause hypercarbia (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003).Thus, Bukowski developed hospital-aquired pneumonia because of which adequate gas exchange commensurate with the needs of the body was not met, resulting in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Elevated respiratory rate and work of breathing: Increased respiratory rate and accessory muscle usage are indicators of increased work of breathing (Stephen, 2009), secondary to decreased oxygen in the blood. Respiratory acidosis: The hypoxemia causes increased work of breathing resulting in respiratory fatigue. Respiratory fatigue and reduced alveolar ventilation inturn causes hypercarbia (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003). Auscultation: Pneumonia occurs secondary to immune and inflammatory response secondary to bacteria. Due to this, fluid and pus accumulate in the airspaces. This is h eard as crepitations on auscultation.

Unfair Dismissal and Redundancy Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unfair Dismissal and Redundancy - Outline Example This includes drug abuse, disclosure of confidential information, theft, violence, unauthorised absence and breach of contract among others. Redundancy is also a ground for fair dismissal when conducted in a fair manner. The recent global financial crisis places much focus on redundancy; hence, the issue is detailed later as an independent topic. The fourth reason upon which the fairness of a dismissal rests is statutory restriction, where the employer would be in contravention of a statutory provision if the employment continues. The considerations for this ground include situations where a breach of immigration rules may occur, loss of a driving license and presence of a criminal record among others. The fairness of a dismissal may also be argued based on â€Å"some other substantial reason† (s.98 Employment Rights Act (ERA) 1996) due to the impossibility of capturing all grounds under the law. Here, examples include conflict of personalities and relationship breakdowns, res istance to necessary changes in employment terms and legitimate commercial reasons among others. A valuable consideration which arises here is the reasonableness of the dismissal, where the law expects the employer to act reasonably at all times. Automatically Unfair Dismissals Certain circumstances qualify a dismissal as unfair without question according to the law. These include unlawful discrimination; for having asserted a statutory right; when an employee raises issues of health and safety; whistle-blowing; trade union activities/membership; pregnancy, maternity or childbirth; working time regulations; National Minimum Wage; and information and consultation rights. Redundancy The recent global financial downturn... This essay discusses that one of the most significant considerations in the fairness of a dismissal is the legal definition of an employee. An employee is one who has entered into, or works under a contract of employment. The law also requires sufficiency of service as proof of being an employee; one must have worked continuously for over a year to qualify as an employee. The next aspect that needs definition is dismissal itself, with the importance of defining the term exemplified by the Futty v D & D Brekkes 1974. Legally, a dismissal takes place on three occasions; first, when the employer terminates employment with or without notice; secondly, when the employee resigns with or without notice and where the employer constructively dismisses them; and lastly, when the employer does not renew a fixed term contract. Hence, independent resignation, mutual contractual termination and operation of law in termination do not qualify as dismissals under the law. Certain circumstances qualif y a dismissal as unfair without question according to the law. These include unlawful discrimination; for having asserted a statutory right; when an employee raises issues of health and safety; whistle-blowing; trade union activities/membership; pregnancy, maternity or childbirth; working time regulations; National Minimum Wage; and information and consultation rights. The recent global financial downturn saw many employees around the world dismissed on one particular ground; redundancy.

Case Study-Based Assignment Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

-Based Assignment - Case Study Example On general physical examination, Bukowskii had increased respiratory rate (22 breaths per minute), deep and laboured breathing and saturations of 89 percent on oxygen of 6L per minute. Respiratory system examination revealed intercostal muscle recession on inspection and diminished air entry to both bases and crepitations in the right base on auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed PaO2 less than 60mmHg (58mmHg) and PaCO2 more than 50 mmHg (54mmHg) with pH of 7.3. These are the four pieces of evidence pointing towards acute respiratory failure. Respiratory failure may be acute or chronic. In case of Bukowski, the respiratory failure is acute and this is indicated by the drastic change in the acid-base status (pH= 7.3). The cause of respiratory failure in him is the right lower lobe collapse-consolidation secondary to pneumonia. Lower respiratory tract infection is known as pneumonia. The pathology lies in the parenchyma of the lungs which consist of alveolar sacs. There are several causes to pneumonia, the most common of which is bacterial (Stephen, 2009). Bacterial pneumonia can be community acquired or hospital acquired. In case of Bukowski, the pneumonia is hospital acquired. The most common respiratory failure is acute hypoxemic respiratory failure or type-1 which is seen in pneumonia. In acute respiratory failure, the pH is less than 7.3 (Nettina, 2009) as in Bukowski. Decreased oxygen saturation: Acute respiratory failure occurs when the body is unable to maintain gas exchage at a rate on par with the demands of the body like in paneumonia. The damage to lung parenchyma in pneumonia results in release of inflammatory mediators and fluids because of which intrapulmonary shunting, ventilation-perfusion mismatching, hypoventilation and diffusion defects occur (Stephen, 2009). All these eventually lead to hypoxemia which is evident in the blood gas analysis of Bukowski (Ranjit, 2001). In ventilation-perfusion mismatch, areas which have lower ventilation as against perfusion contribute to hypoxemia. Intrapulmonary shunt causes deoxygenated blood to bypass ventilation in the alveoli resulting in venous admixture of blood (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003). Both these mechanisms cause a widening in the alveolar-arterial oxygen difference. The normal difference is less than 15mmHg and when the difference exceeds this value, respiratory failure ensues (Kaynar and Sharma, 2009). The hypoxemia causes increased work of breathing resulting in respiratory fatigue. Respiratory fatigue and reduced alveolar ventilation in turn cause hypercarbia (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003).Thus, Bukowski developed hospital-aquired pneumonia because of which adequate gas exchange commensurate with the needs of the body was not met, resulting in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Elevated respiratory rate and work of breathing: Increased respiratory rate and accessory muscle usage are indicators of increased work of breathing (Stephen, 2009), secondary to decreased oxygen in the blood. Respiratory acidosis: The hypoxemia causes increased work of breathing resulting in respiratory fatigue. Respiratory fatigue and reduced alveolar ventilation inturn causes hypercarbia (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003). Auscultation: Pneumonia occurs secondary to immune and inflammatory response secondary to bacteria. Due to this, fluid and pus accumulate in the airspaces. This is h eard as crepitations on auscultation.

Hydrogen Peroxide and iodine ions Essay Example for Free

Hydrogen Peroxide and iodine ions Essay The reason for the blue-black complex is due to the formation of polyiodide chains during the reaction between starch and iodine. The amylose in starch forms helices with which the iodine molecules align, causing a transfer of charge. This charge transfer corresponds to the absorption spectrum, in which the blue-black colour is the complementary colour. The details of this reaction are not fully known yet. The strength and deepness of the colour is dependent on the amount of amylose present. 3The rate of the reaction can be explained by the collision theory, which shows that the rate can be altered by4: concentrations, pressure, temperature, intensity of radiation, particle size, surface area and a catalyst. In this experiment I will be looking at concentrations, temperatures and the affect of a catalyst. The collision theory also states a reaction will only take place if threeconditions are met: 1. Reactant particles collide with each other The reactant particles must collide with the correct orientation. 3. The collision must provide enough energy to overcome the activation energy. 2This is due to the fact, if particles collide but are not orientated correctly the molecules will just bounce of each other, this is often due to charge of the molecules which causes repulsion if the orientation is incorrect. If particles collide with the correct orientation, they must collide with a minimum energy otherwise they will just bounce of each other. The activation energy is used to break some of the original bonds, which is essential for a reaction to occur. The activation energy is this minimum energy and can be shown on an energy profile. We can see from the below graphs how in an endothermic reaction the energy of the reactants is lower than the energy of the products, this is why it absorbs heat. Whereas an exothermic reaction will give out heat as the reactants have a higher energy than the products. 2The activation energy can be marked on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution refers directly to gases, however the principles can be taken and applied to liquid reactions also. 5The area underneath the curve represents the different particles and their level of energy. Only the particles that have energy higher than the activation energy will undergo a reaction. We can see that the kinetic energy of a molecule can never be zero, but theoretically can be ever increasing, as there is no defined maximum energy value. You can then change the shape of the curve or move the activation energy in order to increase the number of collisions that overcome the activation enthalpy. Changing certain variables can do this, which is what will be done in this experiment. 6 7 The first variable I will be varying is concentration of the different reactants; I will be using 5 different concentrations for each reactant. Increasing the concentration of a reactant means that there are a higher proportion of particles per unit volume. This then causes the rate of reaction to increase because particles have a higher chance of colliding  with sufficient kinetic energy to cause a reaction. 8By varying the concentration of each reactant it allows me to calculate the order of the reaction, by investigating their effects. By finding the order I can then calculate the rate constant and rate equation. As shown above the majority if the percentage errors are minimal, however we can see the largest error was that of the colourimeter which came to 7.14%. Unfortunately there is little that can be done to prevent this, as the reading is so small. I ensured the same colourimeter was used each time, to eliminate as much error as possible. In replacement of the thermometer, a digital thermometer could be used to gain a more accurate reading of the temperature, as the precision error for it is  ±0.05 °C. Other than this the equipment used was well chosen as it gave the smallest amount of error possible. The investigation was accurate as most of the percentage errors are very low and mostly insignificant. Other errors are likely to be that the room temperature varied between 19 and 23 degrees C, throughout the experiment on a day-to-day basis, a factor out of my control, therefore this would have affected the rate constant. To reduce this error and improve the experiment, each experiment could be done in a thermostatically controlled water bath. After looking at the published data of the activation enthalpy for a non catalysed, I can see my experiment is reliable as the value I got was only 5.794 KJ mol-1 off the actual activation enthalpy, however in order  to be able to fully justify my findings I would need to repeat each experiment numerous times, a minimum of three, to then allow me to calculate an average and to disregard any anomalous data. As each experiment was only conducted once, it could be that all the data is anomalous. By using two different methods at looking at how concentration affects the rate of reaction, my results are more reliable as both methods back each other up. To improve this aspect of the investigation I would use more and a wider variety of concentrations of each reactant, during the colourimetery, as only two concentrations of each were used. The main reason for this was the time allocated to this aspect of the investigation, as each run of colourimetery took around 25 minutes. To improve and investigate further into this experiment I would create a calibrate curve through the colourimeter by making up solutions of the coloured substance of known concentration, then measuring the absorbance of each, ensuring to use the same conditions as the experiment will be done as. The graph of absorbance against concentration will give your calibration curve. This would then allow me to see how much iodine was produced at each stage of the reaction. Allowing me to closely monitor the rate of reaction. A limitation of my experiment would be the catalysed experiment; due to the fact the reaction occurred so rapidly. The human reaction time is only accurate to 0.5 seconds, and in some cases the reaction took only 3 seconds, meaning the percentage error is 16.7%. To look into this particular catalyst further, I would dissolve the catalyst and dilute it to lower the concentration; this may give a longer time period before the blue-black complex forms. You would also be able to investigate if the concentration of catalyst changed the rate of reaction. Another potential way to improve this would be to investigate how different catalysts may affect the reaction and to what extent do they lower the activation enthalpy. A catalyst that could be tried would be ammonium iron sulphate, using the iron (III) ions to catalyse the reaction. Another limitation of the experiment that would have reduced the accuracy would be the fact the blue-black complex forms gradually, therefore it subject able as to when to stop the stopwatch. In order to reduce this error a black cross was marked and the experiment was stopped once the black cross could no loner be seen. However whilst conducting the temperature experiments the reaction was done in test tubes and no cross could be used, to minimise the error the stop clock was stopped immediately at the first sign of the blue-black complex. The final main limitation would be that the conical flask was swirled in order to mix the two solutions. Although best efforts were made to ensure the solutions were swirled evenly in each experiment, it is difficult to control. An improvement would be to use a magnetic stirrer, set at the same speed to ensure the same kinetic energy throughout the solutions, ensuring this did not affect the reaction. As found in the Nuffield Book of Data, I can see that the order of the reaction with respect to H+ ions is dependent on the concentration. To further my investigation it would be interesting to look further into how the concentration of sulphuric acid may cause the order to be either 1 or 0 with respect to the H+ ions. I could then look at the point at which it changed from being zero order to first order. It would then be interesting to see how this affected the activation enthalpy of the experiment. I can conclude my results are accurate and reliable, due to the fact the equipment was chosen with low precision errors and any errors given were too small to have a large impact. This can be backed up by the published data found in the Nuffield Book of Data.