Motivation behind Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Motivation behind Behavior - Essay Example The topics of the course were very diverse. They ranged from an overview of sustainability aspects including engineering perspectives, health, corporate and consumer responsibility to planning, designing, and measuring sustainability. They offered broad knowledge and adequate case studies such as Offshore Wind Farm negotiation that were practical and taught me how to plan and execute negotiations with stakeholders for a sustainable environment (Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005; â€Å"PON at Harvard Law School – Offshore Wind Farm Negotiation,† 2008). Moreover, they also enabled me to understand how to perform an analysis of a project impact. Leadership lessons taught me how to motivate others, identify developing conflicts, and solve them. The Strength Deployment Model taught me to identify positive things from people’s behavior, learn the motivation behind their behavior, and use appropriate language to motivate them towards a sustainable environment (SDI, 2015). Concepts in this lesson helped me understand myself and my roles as a leader in sustainability. It taught me the value of being aware of happenings in the society or the importance of an aspect such as the climatic change to society. Some of the main aims of leadership include actively solving the issue of how to organize the collective effort for optimal outcomes. It also taught me that working with people is challenging and I now know the challenges to expect and what to do to create a motivating environment for everyone to accomplish sustainability measures in society.

Developing A Warranty Cost Model

Developing A Warranty Cost Model Chapter 2: literature review. 2.1. Introduction to Reliability: The reliability expression may sometimes be unclear in general logic due to the differences in understanding it among customers. Each customer can define reliability from a different point a view. As an example; a customer may define it as cheap product which has a long guaranteed life cycle period and in the meanwhile works hardly enough. Whereas another customer may define it as a reasonable price product which has a life cycle period and will definitely work as intended. (Institute et al., 1968) The concept reliability is very clear and understandable in the practical and industrial world. Reliability of a product, process, or system is the probability that it will perform as specified, and under certain condition, for a specified period of time.(2Blank, 2004) Reliability is known as the likelihood of a product, machine or a component, to keep doing its intended task without breaking down under precise conditions for a given period of time. (Yang, 2007) (Yang, 2007) The above expression holds three significant essentials to ensure the full understanding of reliability: To know the planned function or task of a product, machine and component. To know the planned duration specified relating to a product, machine and component. To know the environment surrounding where the product, machine, and component, suppose to be working at. Knowing these three essentials conditions will allow us to estimate the product, machine or component reliability capability from the first instance. 2.1.2. Reliability Engineering Studies: The purpose of reliability engineering studies is to control, or to make sure that a product, machine or component will be reliable under normal operation in a specified studied manner, as well as away from breaking downs. (Smith, 1972) Reliability engineering studies are science used to minimize the outcome effects and possible behaviour which will result in maximizing reliability. There are three necessary conditions to achieve the previous statements: To build a maximum reliability consideration into a product, machine and component, during the design and development stages; this consideration is known to be the most critical point due to its responsibility in inherent reliability. To cut down production process differences; this will guarantee that the process will not deliberately degrade the inherited reliability. Once a product is manufactured. A well maintained operation should be commenced; this will prevent the performance degradation and will extend the product life.(Hartman, 2007) These considerations are presented within a large selection of reliability techniques, as an instance; reliability planning and specification, fault tree analyses, accelerated life testing, degradation testing, reliability verification testing and warranty analysis.(Yang, 2007) 2.1.3. Reliability Main Factors: To judge on the reliability of any product, there are factors should be known, as an instance: Intentional usage or application. Product, machine and component specification. Price. Customer expectations. Level of inconvenience caused by product, machine or component breakdown. 2.1.4. Reliability Measurements: In a view of the fact that reliability is measured by probability or likelihood, any effort to measure it will engage the usage of statistical methods. Therefore statistics are very important tools in relating to reliability studies. (Yang, 2007) 2.1.5. Reliability Formula: Warranty and reliability share the same patterns for an economic sense to be observed. Reliability has been identified as the likelihood of a product to keep performing its intended task without breaking down. R= reliability. P (s): success probability. N: number of attempted trails. S: number of success. F: number of failures. Reliability mainly presents the successes and failures in a process, where a good economic warranty cost model has high accuracy in reliability prediction. Design for Reliability: Overview of the Process and Applicable Techniques. 2011. Design for Reliability: Overview of the Process and Applicable Techniques. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.reliasoft.com/newsletter/v8i2/reliability.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.1.6. Reliability Improvement: There are many ways by which the reliability can be affected, below are two ways: Quality is the integration of features and characteristics of a product or a service, to enable us to meet the needs and specific requirements. Repetition of the same task causing financial and labor waste. (6Condra, 2001) 2.1.7. Reliability Applications: Various phases of a power plant such as construction, production and maintenance shall apply the reliability data analysis. Such a data might be (Heyman, 1988)applicable for production planning, benchmarking , trend analysis, plant components improvement, risk issues, RCM , spare parts optimization, Design review , Structural reliability. (Heyman, 1988) Data on existing units can be effectively useful for benchmarking the unit performance, during RCM, failure preventions, the spare parts optimization.(Heyman, 1988) 2.1.8. Reliability Prediction Science: It is considered to estimate the effects of the choices made prior the system is built or put into service. Reliability prediction handles the analysing of products with the help of models better than real systems to supply a solid foundation for testing, analysing, planning, manufacturing, and estimating reliability. An ideal example of reliability prediction is to predict the system of specified design and specified group of components in an ideal working environment. At the end of the prediction the reliability of the same system should be tested in a different surroundings from those which data and prediction were obtained from earlier.(3Blischke and Murthy, 2000) Reliability prediction procedure is attempted at the very first steps of improving a program to hold up the design procedure. Commencing a reliability prediction helps in supplying clear demands of reliability enhancement within the improvement stage, and the knowledge of the possibilities of failure of the equipment in its operation life. The advantage of applying reliability prediction, machinery designs are able to develop, money is saved rather than spending on poor designs and time is preserved concerning testing. A widely used way for prediction the reliability of machinery is based on database usage, however this way is not probable due to variety types of failure rates which dramatically happen to similar products.(Geitner and Bloch, 2006) 2.1.9. Objective of Reliability Prediction: The importance of reliability prediction lies down under several points: The reliability prediction should be implemented as an assurance program in different sections of a plant. Repairing decisions are taken when and where problems appear.(Kececioglu, 2002) 2.1.10. Taxonomy Related to Reliability: Availability: It can be defined as the probability that the component will function at any random time. Mean time to failure (MTTF): The time that elapses until a failure occurs. Mean time between failures (MTBF): It is the average time between failures. It is used for repairable systems. Failure Rate: The failure rate in a time interval which is the probability that a failure per unit time occurs in the interval given. Hazard Function: The failure rate limit as the interval approaches zero.(Pham, 2006) 2.2. Reliability Centred Maintenance: The word maintenance from the engineering point of view is: to take the necessary action to maintain or restore equipment and machinery, or system to determine the practical requirement to achieve maximum validity. This includes corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance. What is maintenance? Definition and Meaning. 2011. What is maintenance? Definition and Meaning. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/maintenance.html. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. Reliability centred maintenance or (RCM) can be expressed as an advanced study into maintenance, which joins the maintenance of interactive applications, preventive, predictive, and proactive, as well as the formation of plans to make the most of the life of the product, and also to ensure proper function for the product, machine and component at the lowest possible cost. Introduction to Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Part 1. 2011. Introduction to Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Part 1. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.plant-maintenance.com/RCM-intro.shtml. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.2.1. Preventive Maintenance: Preventive maintenance is the programme of planned maintenance, which aims to prevent the collapse and failure. The main objective of preventive maintenance is to prevent the failure of equipment before it happen. It is designed to maintain and improve equipment reliability by replacing worn components before they fail in practice. Preventive maintenance activities include equipment checks and repairs, partial or complete checks at fixed intervals, oil changes, and lubrication and so on. In addition, workers can record equipment deterioration so they know when to replace or repair defective parts before they cause system failure. It would be an ideal preventive maintenance program to prevent all equipment failure before it happens. Preventive Maintenance. 2011. Preventive Maintenance. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.weibull.com/SystemRelWeb/preventive_maintenance.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.2.2. Predictive Maintenance: Techniques help to determine the status of equipments in service in order to predict when you must perform maintenance. This approach offers cost savings over routine preventive maintenance. What Is Predictive Maintenance?. 2011. What Is Predictive Maintenance?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-predictive-maintenance.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.2.3. Terms and Goals of Using Reliability Cantered Maintenance: The majority of maintenance organizations classify the goals of using (RCM) by the below listed steps: Scheduling the tasks by its priority. Consider the safety prospective. To be familiar with the machinery capabilities; each type of machinery will have different performance type. Knowing the failure causes; to recognize when the right moment to reduce it is. Using skilled staff; to help out in scheduling priorities. Practicing preventative tasks; to help in knowing the machinery status. Disposing and replacing the damaged components; to ensure the effectiveness of the other related parts. Standards must be identified for each step mentioned above. It is important that the steps are done by the same staff who are responsible of the function and operation of the plant.(Tweeddale, 2003) The conditions to develop a sufficient (RCM) program depend on the success of using the observation and statistical methods, because sometimes both methods depend on each other. 2.3. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: Mechanical failures are introduced as any significant changes regarding size, shape or material characteristics in a system. The first and main responsibility of any mechanical designer is to make sure that the design produced is capable of doing its function properly, meets the designated life time and most important is to be competitive in the market. Estimating and identifying all possible modes of failure which may restrict the functionality of the design will ensure the success in designing. The designer must be familiar with the variety collection of failure modes presented in the work sites as well as the circumstances leading to it, so the designer becomes ready to prevent failure from occurring once again. The designer should preferably have an on hand experience to investigate predictable failures in a professional manner, thus failures could be prevented in future. It is clear that the failure analysis, prediction, and preventative are significant to be known to every designer.(5Collins, 1993) The term behind the failure can be known as the failure to meet some specific performance measurements. Different between definitions terms such as defects, malfunction, fault and reject are usually vital in comparing causes of failures, as well as in the categorizing and analyzing of provided information. The different between the terminologies is mainly to define the types of failure, reasons, and level of failure. For any introduced definition of failures there are no doubts in introducing reliability. Because the failure is the absent of the specification and so changes in performance capabilities occur. (Smith, 2005) The estimation of the data could be done by two methods, first by using history data; this will enable us to have a look at similar machinery which may had experienced identical problems, warranty data, and customer feedback. Second method is conducted, by using several mathematical methods, models and simulations. Dealing with (FMEA) does not always mean that one way is better or more accurate than the other; both of the methods can be used if applied correctly. The proper way in commencing (FMEA) will result is providing helpful data which can help in reducing the hazards relating to work load in a system, product and service. The (FMEA) is one of the most efficient ways considered in preventative maintenance. The (FMEA) will help in having knowledge about what is suitable correction tasks should be done to keep failures away from happening. An effective and successful (FMEA) system could be recognized by meeting these objectives, first recognize the known and possible failures modes, and then reasons of failures. Schedule the failures modes according to the highest risk level, and finally follow up the work done to ensure the correction of the failure.(Stamatis, 2003) 2.3.1. When and Where To Use Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: The (FMEA) procedure is extensively used in different stages, regarding product designing and manufacturing processes. It offers a well organized structure and an easy way to communicate amongst the team of manufacturers. It can be used as well in developing services which will help production process.(McDermott et al., 1996) Traditional failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) are mainly used models in warranty cost among other models in the automobile industry. (Majeske, 2003) An essential term to inherent reliability into a product or system is by recognizing the failure causes, and making sure they are removed or that their likelihood of happening once again is low. This thought can be done by conducting tests, or logically by using models. Failure mode and effects analysis is a planned way in clarifying the origin of failures modes, and it is considered to be a sufficient reliability schedule, especially it links to reliability development throughout design stage.(7Denson, 2006) 2.4.4. Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP): Risk analysis is an orderly and systematic method for Examination system and risk management. In particular, are often used as a risk and operating Technique to identify potential hazards in the system and identify interoperability problems. It assumes that events are caused by the risk of design or operating intentions. This approach is a unique feature of risk and vulnerability to treatment methodology that helps to stimulate the imagination of the team Members when exploring potential deviations. Figure (2) shows a sample of HAZOP system.(Organisation and Safety, 1988) Figure (1) a sample of HAZOP system Hazard Operability Studies (Hazops) 1 of 2. 2011. Hazard Operability Studies (Hazops) 1 of 2. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.lihoutech.com/hzp1frm.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.3.2. Failure Prevention: Failures are predictable, sooner or later all products, machines and component will experience failure due to many reasons.(Yang, 2007) In any engineering system failures are expected. The effects of failures differentiate from little inconvenience costs to financial drops. Failures happen due to various factors, such as: Bad engineering design. Manufacturing process errors. Insufficient testing. Human mistakes. Poor maintenance. Misuse. In order to reduce failures or breakdowns in any engineering systems, there are some methods should be followed: Identify the cause and the way the failure happened. Identify how many times do the failure tends to repeat. Reliability handles the failure concepts in details via different statistical approaches. Whereas safety tries to study, specify, measure, determine, and analyze the failure.(Verma et al., 2010) 2.4. Introduction to Hazard: The accurate understanding of hazard is appreciated due to its criticality. It supplies us with the base foundation of a system safety. Hazard analysis is conducted to identify hazards consequences, and hazard main factors, As well as to determine the risks facing the system. To carry out hazard analysis in a proper manner, it is essential to recognize what causes hazards and how to define hazards. Understanding the hazard character is an important issue to improve the skills needed to identify potential hazards and their results in a system design.(Ericson, 2005) 2.4.1. Hazard Analysis: This analysis involves describing the complete process first, and then collecting the answers for a set of systematic questions. The purpose is to identify how exactly the deviations from the design can arise.   These deviations are further assessed by any negative effect of their consequences on the safe and efficient operation of the plant.   The assessment would provide a basis for any action to be taken to cure this situation. From an engineering point of view, hazard analysis process is the best tool for analyzing reliability data. It can be used to make conclusions about the reliability of a component. (12002) 2.4.2. Survival Analysis: Survival function, also known as a reliability function of the survivors, is a property of any random variable that maps a set of events, usually associated with failure of some system. 2.4.3. Hazard Rate Function: Hazard rate function can be obtained by an equation which assumes a constant hazard rate. 2.4.5. Bathtub Curve: Figure (2) illustrates the bathtub curve which demonstrates the product failure rate against time. Any product cycle life can be divided into three separate durations: The first duration (early life): This duration where the failure probability is decreased to minimum. . It what happens in the early life of most new products, sometimes the first period is mentioned as the mortality period. The second duration (normal life or useful life): This is represented in the graph by a flat line. Failures and breakdowns happen randomly within this duration. In this period the failure rate tends to become somehow constant. During this period the lowest failure rate is observed, so it is the most appropriate time to make reliability predictions. The third duration (wear out): this begins where the slope starts to rise till the end. This typically happen to products when they get old, thus the failure rate increases. Wear out is usually caused by break down due to various reasons such as physical wear and stress.(speaks, 2005) Figure (2) a bathtub curve. A Brief Introduction to Reliability. 2011. A Brief Introduction to Reliability. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.weibull.com/LifeDataWeb/a_brief_introduction_to_reliability.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.5. Statistical Models for Life Data: Statistical models for life data such as weibull distribution, survival analysis and warranty help in producing high accuracy in prediction. The automobile manufacturing having relied heavily on warranty interval in its warranty provision inclines more in reliability and therefore seek such analysis. (Ward and Christer, 2005) 2.5.1. Weibull Distribution: The weibull distribution is named after a Swedish professor Waloddi Weibull. He explained the ability to use the weibull distribution in small sizes measurements and it is easiness to supply an accurate model for a broad data sets. At the beginning of his exploring weibull distribution he faced some obstacles and doubts form his colleagues. However, the weibull distribution has ended now to be widely practised in reliability.(8Dodson, 2006) A reason for the wide spread of the weibull distribution is that it has a large different shapes, which makes it easy to fit any data. Also, it is perfect to show the weakest connection of a product. For example, if a system has more than one part, the weibull distribution will present each failure time of each part at the same distribution no matter how insignificant they are .(Nelson, 2003) Figure (3) is a sample of weibull a distribution plot. Figure (3) a sample of weibull distribution plot. Guidelines for Burn-in Justification and Burn-in Time Determination. 2011. Guidelines for Burn-in Justification and Burn-in Time Determination. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.reliasoft.com/newsletter/v7i2/burn_in.htm. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.5.2. Kaplan Meier Survival Estimator: The Kaplan Meier estimator is named after Edward L. Kaplan and Paul Meier. It estimates the survival function. In engineering this method is used to measure the time until failure of different products, machine and components. Kaplan EL, Meier P. J Am Stat Assoc 1958; 53:457-81. [Cited by: McKenzie S, et al. JOP. J Pancreas (Online) 2010 Jul 5; 11(4):341-347. (Reference 14)]. 2011. Kaplan EL, Meier P. J Am Stat Assoc 1958; 53:457-81. [Cited by: McKenzie S, et al. JOP. J Pancreas (Online) 2010 Jul 5; 11(4):341-347. (Reference 14)]. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.joplink.net/prev/201007/ref/02-014.html. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.5.2.1. Formulation: Where: t (1) 2.5.3. Exponential Distribution: This is the most commonly used distribution in reliability, and is often used to predict the probability of survival to time (t) figure (4) shows a sample of exponential distribution graph.(9Dovich, 1990) Figure (4) a standard exponential distribution graph Continuous Random Variables: The Exponential Distribution. 2011. Continuous Random Variables: The Exponential Distribution. [ONLINE] Available at: http://cnx.org/content/m16816/latest/. [Accessed 19 March 2011]. 2.5.3.1. Formulation: The probability density function is: Where Mean time to failure = Or, where 2.5.4. Disadvantages and Advantages of Statistical Method: Cost; studying and analyzing a quantity of data of different products within a system are an expensive job. The results revealed are not sufficient enough to build an understanding of the type of maintenance needed in this particular situation. The only disadvantage of the observation method appear is when applying it carelessly and without keeping record of foundings, this will result in mixing up different judgements.(4Chalifoux and Baird, 1999) 2.6. Introduction to Warranty: Warranty is a provision for a seller to provide assurance to a buyer that the product will perform as implied. (Zhou and Tang, 2008) Warranty brings confidence to the buyer; automotive vehicles like any other automated system consider warranty to a buyer. (Wu and Li, 2007) Unlike the quality loss function which assumes a fixed target and accounts for immediate issues, warranty loss occurs during the customer use. (Zhou and Tang, 2008) In automotive industry, data is tracked and analyzed regularly (Zhou and Tang, 2008). The interval can be evaluated on the basis of their costs. The effect of warranty especially in the context of the interval, affects the performance of the company especially if the number of returns on warranty is high. (Wu and Li, 2007) Neglecting the fact that warranty cost is a result of conflict between the customer expectation and the performance of the product, the interval of the warranty liability disturbs the economic sense of warranty. (Wu and Li, 2007) Warranty costs have in many companies been positioned as operational costs. (Ward and Christer, 2005) The impact of warranty in the whole business performance has challenged vehicle manufacturers to develop vehicles that are less costly to repair (Metric: Warranty $s) and are more reliable within a longer period of time. (Metric: annual failure rates, AFR) For this purpose to be done, warranty cost models that make the impact of reliability on cost and costs associated with repair of specific failure modes should be economically healthy. (Wu and Li, 2007) 2.6.1. Warranty Probability: The ratio as Pw is termed as the warranty probability (Ward and Christer, 2005). The warranty probability is the ratio of the number of complaints N against the total number of products Tp. Pw Another factor that is important in warranty cost analysis is the complaint factor. (Ward and Christer, 2005) The complaint factor is the ratio of the actual number of complaints and the potential number of complaints where the actual number of complaints is the number of actual complaints fixed. (Ward and Christer, 2005) The method for calculating the warranty probability depends on product performance and customer expectations. (Wang et al., 2010) The distance of performance is a function of the warranty interval. (Ward and Christer, 2005) It is supposed that as time passes, the distance of performance increases, this is the common feature referred to as mileage. In motor vehicles the time age of the car has been consistently assumed to be a factor representing its use. (Manna et al. 2008) Despite the fact that mileage can be determined, the correlation between mileage and age of the car is strong and positive. (Manna et al. 2008) Since vehicles manufacturing designs and model change with time, the automobile industry prefer attaching warranty to age of the vehicle rather than calibrated mileage. Warranty is a key factor in bringing confidence to a buyer. The higher the warranty time, the more the confidence is the buyer. (Manna et al. 2008) 2.6.2. Warranty Distribution Analysis: Feedback from warranty returns provides a solid basis in determining use failure distribution. (Murthy, and Blischke, 2006) The time interval as a factor contributes significantly to predictions. The warranty intervals are the most solid factor that can be used in assessing the failures prediction. By maintaining warranty and assessing failures for a longer period of time, more knowledge on the performance especially for automated systems is achieved. (Murthy, and Blischke, 2006) Reasons for carrying out warranty data analysis are the following: Forecasting warranty claims. To determine risk assessment and monitoring. Reliability assessment.(12002) 2.6.3. Reduction strategies for cost drivers There are two factors that have been identified as primary warranty cost drivers. The number of occurrence of an event which can be noticed by the analysing failure rate and the cost of the process are the identified cost drivers. (Attardi et al., 2005) The strategies employable for reduction of costs are by reducing the factors. (Attardi et al., 2005) 2.6.4. Cost model in product development The cost model has been used in product development in making economic sense of organizational existence. (Karim and Suzuki, 2005) Through its impact in influence of decision making by providing design alternatives that come handy in warranty cost, the model establishment should be in advisory of the product development through calculation of estimates of product total warranty cost. (Aldridge, and Dustin, 2006) Difference in warranty costs based on design alternatives provides a short projection of the optimized design that maintains both customer confidence through warranty and economic advantage to the organization. (Attardi et al., 2005) Identification of necessary product features, capabilities and diagnostic tools that are required in automobile projected warranty savings for the warranty intervals is achievable through the cost model in product development. (Aldridge, and Dustin, 2006) Under the foundation of the cost model, the risk involved in the warranty interval can be evaluated by analyzing the risk involved in an extension of warranty in automobiles. (Aldridge, and Dustin, 2006) It should be taken into consideration that the cost model economic impact is dependent on the period of warranty especially with automobiles that are known to wear and tear. (Karim and Suzuki, 2005) Chapter 3: case study (from notes given by doctor) Introduction: Field data in the automotive industry often comes in two types, the first is grouped data expressed by months in service. The second is ungrouped data available from company owned but customer operated fleets and expressed as miles to failure. In many scenarios, data which comes from late stages have a greater importance over the former because of the following reasons: Mileage is more objective measure of the component life than time in service. There are types of failures are not tracked by the warranty system. The complexity of censoring mechanism in relating to reliability analysis of grouped warranty data. Therefore, this theoretical case study will focus on the analysing of ungrouped mileage data which is not represented by time in service, because it comes from the company owned fleets. Aim and objective: To discuss a procedure to estimate the censoring mileage and the reliability function for a component of interest (e.g.: battery). Data: Table 1 shows a format of failure data from a customer operated fleet. The vehicle mileage is reported only at failure or service events. VIN failed / serviced comopnent failure / service mileage X009 battery 45000 X018 fuel pump 91680 X021 brake pads 78470 X006 front wipers 77350 X028 head lamp 4007 X015 clutch disks 150400 X031 front wipers 51420 X003 ign.switch 3961 X013 battery 16890 X007 front struts 27160 X026 battery 72280 X031 battery 131900 X027 door lock 7298 X017 fuel pump 4734 X

Asteroids Essay -- essays research papers

Asteroids In our solar system today there are over 30,000 asteroids flying around in all direction colliding with other asteroids and planets, without a care about the destruction they might convey. Our planet Earth is caught right in the middle of all of this action and is liable to entire extinction of any life forms on the planet if a large enough asteroid crosses its path. Any single asteroid has the possibility to erase thousands of years of history and wipeout the human race, as we know it. Asteroids are large or small chunks of rock and metal flying around space up to speeds of 80 000 km/h. These chunks were believed to have formed millions of years ago during the "big bang". These rocks didn’t form any planets and were stuck floating around space on their own or in the gravitation of the asteroid belt. This asteroid belt is approximately 300 million miles from the Sun and it contains thousands of asteroids; some being miles in diameter. Another theory of the formation of asteroids is that a planet between Mars and Jupiter once existed and after many years it exploded into thousands of pieces that are still revolving around the sun in the form of an asteroid belt. Other asteroids are formed when large meteors collide with large asteroids creating more small ones. These meteors can also collide with planets breaking off chunks of the crust into space. Ceres is believed to be the biggest asteroid that was in space at one point in time. Ceres was believed to be 600 miles wide, making up 1/3 of the total mass of all asteroids. Ceres was the first asteroid discovered and was found in 1801. There are two main types of asteroids; the first dominates the outer part of the belt and are found to be rich in carbon, the second group are located in the inside of the belt and are found to be rich in minerals. The average temperature of the surface of an asteroid is approximately -73 degrees C. Many people don’t know that over 50,000 small asteroids called meteors hit the Earth every year. These meteors are the outside layer of larger asteroids that have been chipped off or are the surface of other planets that have detached from their positions when hit with larger asteroids. Asteroids sometimes align with Earth when meteors flying through space collide with other asteroids in the belt causing pieces to break off and head in all directions. ... ... wide and found within 8 million kilometers of Earth. It is very probable that a large asteroid will hit the Earth in the future because of the planet’s past experience with asteroid collisions. Scientists estimate that an asteroid more than 800 m in diameter hits the Earth every million years and a smaller one hits every century. An asteroid bigger than 1 km would mean the end of about 30% of the World’s population. This size of an asteroid would be the equivalent explosion to 2 million Hiroshima bombs. This explosion would cause destruction of all living creatures within a hundred mile radius as well as blocking off the Sun with dust and rock particles for weeks or even months. Asteroids are probably the deadliest force that our solar system can produce, one strike could put man back in the dark ages and would kill almost the entire population of our planet. It is for this reason that scientists should focus more on understanding asteroids and research more into the defense of our planet. At the moment we only know where a fraction of the asteroids out there are. The asteroid that could destroy our planet could only be a year away and we don’t even know it exists.

Monomyth: Hero and Family Versus Loyalty

Monomyth: Fact or Fiction? Does every story truly follow the common stages of monomyth? Joseph Campbell first describes the monomyth in his book â€Å"The Hero With a Thousand Faces† written in 1949. In William Faulkner’s story â€Å"Barn Burning† one can look close enough and see the stages of monomyth. In â€Å"Barn Burning† the loyalty to family versus loyalty to the law is tested. The basic structure of a hero’s journey, in this case Sarty, is shown through the three stages Campbell explains.Campbell’s monomyth starts with a departure, initiation, and return. Sarty is faced with all three. Sarty is given a call to adventure, refusal to call, and a crossing of the first threshold. His call to Adventure was while the family had to go to a new place. He and his family were forced to leave by the Justice, he said to them, â€Å"This case is closed. I can’t find against you, Snopes, but I can give you advice. Leave this country and don ’t come back to it† (504). Sarty’s refusal to call is when he hopes it’s all over.All the running and breaking the law with his father he gets so sick of having to take up for his father. After they left town his father asks, â€Å"You were fixing to tell them. You would have told them. † Sarty answered in a whisper, â€Å"yes† (505). The family was living on DeSpain’s land and that is Sarty’s crossing of the first threshold. The initiation in the story is when the hero is initiated into true heroic stature. Sarty faces the road of trials, atonement with the father, and the ultimate boom. The trial he faces of not knowing if he should keep helping his family.His father tells him to go get oil and as he’s going he’s thinking, â€Å" I could keep on, I could run on and on and never look back, never need to see his face again. Only I can’t. I can’t. † (512). The father figure that the family has t o answer to is DeSpain because they are on is land. The ultimate boom is when Sarty actually tells DeSpain what his father is doing to the barn. Sarty cried, panted. â€Å"Where’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Barn! † he cried. â€Å"Barn! † â€Å"What† the white man said. â€Å"Barn? † â€Å"Yes! † the boy cried. â€Å"Barn! † â€Å"Catch him! † the white man shouted (513).He’s so shook up he can’t even speak clear sentences. After initiation the hero can return in triumph to deserved recognition, although this in itself may not be without trials and tribulations. Sarty refuses to return, takes a magic flight, is rescued from without, and given freedom to live. He takes the magic flight and runs away after telling DeSpain about the barn. He made the decision to run and to not look back, his refusal to return. He made a bold choice to turn away from his family. While running he hears a gunshot, and that rescues him from wi thout.The narrator says,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦a long, swirling roar incredible and soundless, blotting the stars, and he springing up and into the road again, running again knowing it was too late yet still running even after he heard the shot and, an instant later, two shots, pausing now without knowing he had ceased to run, crying â€Å"Pap! Pap! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (514). The relief of not having to answer to his father was enough for Sarty, he had his won life to live with any of the people he chose. With that, he was given the freedom to live. One could say that yes, most stories do follow Campbell’s monomyth.Sarty had a hard choice to make in this story but still came out to be the hero according to monomyth. Monomyth is interesting to those who take the time to learn about it. It does apply to stories and movies in modern day. An example would be The Matrix, Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, and even Hangover. There is a fair share of critics, typically saying that not all stor ies are like this. Some may even say this leads to safe movie and book making, thus leading to boring repeats. The same was said about Shakespeare, and his works are famous.

Being Human

As we all know that we are all human beings with uniqueness. Each one of us has different and unique traits, personalities, features and is in total different from an animal or any creatures on the earth. This means to say that we as a human being cannot be like another animal or machine on earth. We have our own set of feelings, habits, likes and dislikes, etc. In fact it can be said that we are probably the only creatures on earth that give priority and importance to relationship and love. However, since these aspects are basically the study of mind we cannot claim that love does not exist among other creatures.Many of us who are used to having pets at home understand the extent to which an animal can express love. However, we cannot judge of the concepts of sin, reasoning, self-awareness, critical thinking, individuality, emotions, empathy, etc. in case of animals. Individuals with psychological problems, sadistic personality disorder, transgressive behavior, cannibals and murdere rs can therefore be considered as being inhuman. There are also instances when human beings under the effect of drugs, neuroscience, introspection, and experiences cause irreversible changes in their traits and characteristics.There are several literatures that talks about the stories of people who were inhuman. There are people who are more â€Å"humane† than the humans around them. This, perhaps, is what really the meaning of being human. There are many people today who are arguing that the present trends in science and technology has kept man and god together. For instance, technologies such as cloning and stem cells have brought in the capability to create a whole new organism. Human beings or for that matter any organism is a result of natures cloning.However, today manmade cloning is a subject of controversy and has raised several ethical questions. There are several arguments made for and against cloning. Some have put forth valid arguments stating the immorality of cl oning. Others use the religion argument saying it goes against God's intention (McCoy n. pag). For any technology to progress and produce beneficial results it is essential that we look at the positive impacts that these technologies may have on the society. There are several researchers who have tries to divine the word being human. For instance, â€Å"Rev. Mitsuo Aoki, Ph.D has said that â€Å"The greatness of aging is to enable you to realize for the first time the deeper meaning of that it means to be human. Not the religious, not that, but more human and it's only in this process of aging that this quality of being human is realizable. You begin to understand the nature of faith, the meaning of hope. And so hope is not about something you achieved, but the life that is always shining in front of you†¦ Is beckoning you. And you only understand that in the process of aging. It's amazing what has been manifested in this process. That beyond all these things is something we call love†¦love. † (KGMB9) Different group of people define this term differently. For instance, â€Å"the constructivists state that Human Nature is a simple cultural artifact†. Sociobiologists, however, are determinists. They consider that human nature – being the inevitable and inexorable outcome of the inhuman ancestry – cannot be the subject of moral judgment†. Human dignity is indeed used to indicate that all human beings have intrinsic worthiness. Every human deserves unconditional respect and is not related to any difference in age, sex, anthropological origin, health, political boundaries, religion, or personal history.In other words it can be said that these are exclusively human. According to the Catholic thought â€Å"human dignity† is linked to an array of human life issues. For instance, it includes health care ethics. In other words catholic moral thoughts are the basic tradition’s understanding of common justice, th e common good, and the right to life and the right to health care in all aspects (Ascension Health). We as human beings have the right to choice and can select what we want in our life. This is not true in the case of animals.Self organizing is another aspect of human beings that is rare in other animals. We live as a social being and participate in the political system. The term being human can be easily understood if we know the meaning of being inhuman. Inhuman means lacking kindness, pity, or compassion or being cruel to other human beings, nature, or any organism. These acts are easily recognizable and are to a greater extent disliked by the majority of us. Besides, the ability to communicate to each other using different languages, the educational background, the society and the impact of religion makes us more human.Morality and immorality is the term that is used to define if a human being can be considered being human or inhuman. Additionally, the concepts of mortality/immo rtality mirror on the promises of life and the predictability of death. It is throughout human development, even for early man called the Neanderthals, this concept has been dominant and in some cultures it is believed that life after death is a reality. The present state of knowledge of the human being is one which has been developed using the special skills and intelligence of human beings.However, it is more by the materialistic thinking of modern technological science. We as human beings need to be more compassionate towards other creatures, nature and think of the development in a sustainable manner. It is also important to realize that we are human beings and not machines. Often times, in today’s run for success and fame, people are not realizing the basic needs of self, family as well as other related organisms. Cooperate world is more like using humans as machines to make profit, to achieve targets and generally think of the human body as being merely an elaborate mac hine which is a real problem.It is essential to realize that we as human beings need to be human to ourselves and other fellow human being with all the non-material aspects of the human being- thinking, feeling, attitudes, emotions, mores, imagination, etc. Work cited Ascension Health. Principle of Human Dignity (2007) KGMB9. The Deeper Meaning of Being Human†¦ Love (2008) McCoy, L. Lloyd's pro cloning essay. (1998).

15 Smile Quotes to Improve Your Face Value

15 Smile Quotes to Improve Your Face Value Every morning, the newspapers bombard us with stories of death, destruction, and agitation. On a rare occasion, we read news that brings optimism and hope. Why should we begin our day reading morose news that builds on our frustrations? Lets begin our day with a smile. Smile. It is a simple act, but sometimes takes a lot of effort. Why dont we smile more often? Is it too tough to smile? The answer lies in our attitude towards life.  If we are more accepting of situations, we will be able to smile more easily. A smile can do wonders. Start your day smiling and see how the magic begins to work. People smile back at you; you feel happier, and you also make others happier. Sounds simple, right? Yet, we forget to smile. If you want a smile on your face, read these  fun quotes. It’s the best way to bring some fun into your life and start smiling. A smile can improve your looks and makes others find you pleasant, but apart from these obvious benefits, smiling has many more advantages: A Smile Makes You Look and Feel Younger A smile is an outward expression of a happy person. A positive attitude releases the right neurotransmitters and makes you feel and look young. It is a well known fact that happy hormones retard the aging process. Smiles Can Patch up Problems and Make Them Go Away Of course, the smile has to be a genuine one, not a wicked, sly grin. If you want to say sorry, sometimes an apologetic smile can suffice. Want to break ice in a new group? Smile! You will usually find others responding with a smile. Have you fought with your girlfriend, but dont want to stay mad? Smile and let go of your pent up anger. Smiles Bring in Business All sales people are taught to smile and befriend their customers. A smiling salesperson opens more doors to business than an unsmiling one. Likewise, if you are presenting to a delegate of buyers or dealers, a smile will improve your presentation manifold. Use your smile as an ultimate business tool to generate revenue. Pets Will Love You More If You Smile New research has shown that dogs are able to understand human smiles as a positive. They can look into a human face and decipher whether the face is smiling or frowning and what that means. Pets connect with humans on an emotional level. So the more you smile, the more your dog will love you. A Smile Can Spell the Beginning of a Great Relationship Like that girl in the neighborhood? Why dont you begin your friendship with a smile? Work on your facial curves and win her heart with your handsome smiles. Be generous when it comes to smiling. A smile is all it takes for love to blossom. Dont look for the best pickup lines, or a perfect way to say, I love you. A smile can say it all. Quotes on Smiling Read these quotes that teach you to smile.  As  Martin Charnin said, Youre never fully dressed without a smile. Phyllis DillerA smile is a curve that sets everything straight. Charles GordyA smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. John Ray Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. Jim Beggs Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. Mae West Dont cry for a man who has left you, the next one may fall for your smile. Mother Teresa Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. George Carlin If a man smiles all the time, hes probably selling something that doesnt work. Maya Angelou If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Dont be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning Good morning at total strangers. Andy Rooney If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. Lee Mildon People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile. Walter Anderson Smile. Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends? Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over. William Shakespeare The robbd that smiles, steals something from the thief. Leo Buscaglia Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. George Eliot Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. Mark Twain Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.

Capital City of Canada Why Ottawa

Capital City of Canada Why Ottawa SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you’re preparing for a geography exam or simply want to learn more about your friendly neighbor to the north, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we'll answer an important question everyone should know the answer to: what is the capital of Canada?In addition, we'll explain how this place came to be the capital city of Canada and what all the capital cities of the Canadian provinces and territories are currently. What Is the Capital of Canada? The capital of Canada is Ottawa, which is located in Ontario- that is,the province directly above the Great Lakes and the US states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and (part of) New York. Ottawalies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, which runs between and defines the borders of the provinces Ontario and Quebec. Opus Penguin/Flickr Together, Ottawa and the city of Gatineau, which is located directly across from Ottawa in Quebec, make up the National Capital Region called Ottawa-Gatineau. This specially designated region refers to not only the cities themselves but also their surrounding Census Metropolitan Areas. Due to Ottawa’s placement between the primarily English-speaking Ontario and the mostly French-speaking Quebec, it is one of the most bilingual cities in Canada. Beloware some quick facts to know about Ottawa, the capital city of Canada: Location: Southeastern Ontario Original Settlers: Odawa tribe ("Odawa" is said to mean "traders") in the mid-17th century Population (2016): 989,567 (Ottawa-Gatineau) Population Rank (2016): Sixth-largest city in Canada (Ottawa-Gatineau) Year Established: 1850 as town of Bytown, 1855 as city of Ottawa Climate: Continental, with warm summers (70℉) and cold winters (15℉) Major Employer: Federal government Landmarks: Parliament Hall, ByWard Market, National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Canal, University of Ottawa Closest US State: New York Closest Big City: Montreal in Quebec A Brief History of the Capital of Canada Ottawa has been the capital city of Canada ever since Canada became a self-governing country. But how exactly did it manage to become the capital of Canada- and why? In 1841, what was originally called the Province of Canada (the present-day provinces of Ontario and Quebec) came under British colonial control. The next 16 years witnessed ongoing disputes over what the capital of the new province should be; contenders included Quebec City, Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, and finally Ottawa. Each of these cities held the title of capital of Canada for varying lengths of time. Here is a chronology of exactly how the capital city of Canada changed in just two and a half decades: Kingston (1841-1844) Montreal (1844-1849) Toronto (1849-1851) Quebec City (1851-1855) Toronto (1855-1859) Quebec City (1859-1865) Ottawa (1866-present) It was clear already by 1857 that the decision of where to place the capital of Canada was going to be difficult and time-consuming. At this time, Queen Victoria was asked to select the capital city of Canada. Her choice of Ottawa- a fairly small and newly incorporated city- surprised many. Still, Ottawa had a lot of promise: it was starting to experience economic growth and was home to an impressive railway system; it also had a long history of trade due to its location near several rivers. Butnot everyone agreed with the queen’s pick,which led Toronto to remain the capital for another two years followed by Quebec City for another six years. It wasn’t until 1866 that Ottawa was officially designated the capital city of the Province of Canada and began to hold Parliament. In 1867, the Province of Canada became the Dominion of Canada, making it an official, self-governing colony of the British empire. This also meant that Ottawa was the first (and so far only) official capital of Canada as we know it. What Are the Capital Cities of Canada? We now know that Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, but what about the capital cities of all the provinces and territories within Canada? Similar to the United States, where there is a capital city for each state, Canada has capital cities for all 13 of its provinces and territories. The following chartdepicts the capital city of each Canadian province/territory and its population from the 2016 census. Provinces and territories are listed alphabetically. Province/Territory Capital City Capital City Population (2016) Provinces - - Alberta Edmonton 932,546 British Columbia Victoria 85,792 Manitoba Winnipeg 705,244 New Brunswick Fredericton 58,220 Newfoundland and Labrador St. John’s 108,860 Nova Scotia Halifax 403,131 Ontario Toronto 2,731,571 Prince Edward Island Charlottetown 36,094 Quebec Quebec City 531,902 Saskatchewan Regina 215,106 Territories - - Northwest Territories Yellowknife 19,569 Nunavut Iqaluit 7,740 Yukon Whitehorse 25,085 Note that while the capital city of Canada (Ottawa) is located in Ontario, it is notthe capital of Ontario itself- thisstatus belongs to Toronto. For most provinces/territories in Canada, the capital city is also the most populated city, but this isn’t always the case. Here are the biggest cities for the Canadian provinces for which the capital city is not the most highly populated: Province Biggest City City Population (2016) Alberta Calgary 1,239,220 British Columbia Vancouver 631,486 New Brunswick Saint John 67,575 Quebec Montreal 1,704,694 Saskatchewan Saskatoon 246,376 What’s Next? Are you taking the IB geography class? Then you might want some tips and resources with our comprehensive guide. Preparing for the AP Human Geography exam?Get an overview of what's on the test and then learn the best ways to study for it. You can also check out our expert picks for the best AP Human Geography prep books.

How to Study for a Test or Final Exam

How to Study for a Test or Final Exam The end of the term is drawing near, and that means final exams are looming. How can you give yourself an edge this time around? The most important thing you can do is give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Then follow this simple plan: 1) Study2) Test yourself with a practice test3) Discover your weak areas4) Study again5) Test yourself again That’s the simplified version. For really great results on your finals: Science Says Start Early There are many recent studies that show  that it is important to study in stages. The findings say that its best to  start early and give your brain a rest, then study again. If youre preparing for a comprehensive exam, gather together all the material you’ve received during the term. You probably have handouts, notes, old assignments, and old tests. Don’t leave anything out. Read through your class notes twice. Some things will sound familiar and some things will sound so unfamiliar you’ll swear they were written by somebody else. That’s normal. After you study all your notes for a term, try to come up with themes that connect all of the material. Establish a Study Group or Partner Schedule at least one meeting time with a study partner or study group. If you absolutely can’t get together, then exchange email addresses. Instant messages will work well, too. Invent and use learning games with your group. You could also consider communicating through an online forum like the Homework / Study Tips forum. Use Old Tests Collect your old exams from the year (or semester) and make a photocopy of each one. Whiteout the test answers and copy each one again. Now you have a set of practice tests. For best results, you should make several copies of each old exam and keep taking the tests until you score perfectly on each one. Note: You can’t white out the answers on the original, or you won’t have an answer key! Build Up Your Class Notes Organize your notes by date (do the best you can if you didn’t date your pages) and make note of any missing dates/pages. Get together with a study partner or group to compare notes and fill in any missing material. Don’t be too surprised if you missed key information from the lectures. Everybody zones out once in a while. After you organize your new set of notes, underline any keywords, formulas, themes, and concepts. Make yourself a new practice test with fill-in sentences and term definitions. Print out several tests and practice several times. Ask the members of your study group to make practice tests as well. Then swap. Re-Do Your Old Assignments Gather any old assignments and re-do the exercises. Many textbooks have exercises at the end of every chapter. Review those until you can answer every question with ease. Use Different Textbooks If you’re studying for a math or science exam, find another textbook or study guide that covers the same material that you’ve studied this term. You can find used books at yard sales, used book stores, or in the library. Different textbooks will provide you with different explanations. You might find one that makes something clear for the first time. Other textbooks can also give you a new twist or fresh questions on the same material. Thats exactly what your teacher will do on the final! Invent Your Own Essay Questions For history, political science, literature, or any theory class, focus on themes. Read your notes again and mark anything that looks like it would serve well as an essay question. Which terms make good comparisons? For example, what terms could a teacher use as a â€Å"compare and contrast† question? Try coming up with your own long essay questions by comparing two similar events or similar themes. Have your friend or study partner come up with essay questions and compare.

The Influence on Identity of Changez in the Novel The Reluctant Essay

The Influence on Identity of Changez in the Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Essay Example However, it worked to his advantage in the co-operative world of Manhattan-based Underwood Company. Because he was always top of his class, Jim the person that employs him shortly takes keen notice of him. The notice is mainly because of two things which include the fact that they shared the same education background at Princeton and same economic background that was coupled with financial hardships (Hamid, 34). The discussion that is advanced in this paper looks at the indecisive nature of the protagonist and how this aspect has been affected by other characters in the novel especially Jim and Juan. It opines that despite the fact that Changez has a high level of education, much of his actions are deviated by the characters in the novel. It is therefore difficult to identify his own standing in the main issues that the writer tries to project through him. In this perspective, the author tries to show that the influence of many factors put together like environment add to the persona lity of an individual and direct the position taken. The input of education is important in one’s life. The protagonist goes through a high level of education but several instances indicate that the person is motivated by his previous environment. Ailing from a poor background, Changez is forced to live in a society of the elite in order to receive an education. He has to cook his own meals just to sustain his livelihood while receiving the education. The identity that is being built here is resilience. He has to survive in a totally new environment despite the fact that his previous environment does not fit this lifestyle. Poverty forces him to come up with techniques to survive and in this case, he has to make do with the little he has. We are also informed of the cases in the novel that he is footing much of his educational bills by aids.

Personality Theorist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personality Theorist - Research Paper Example (1905-1967) was a very renowned American psychologist. Born in Perth, Kansas, Kelly belonged to a very strict religious family. They were constantly on the move from one area to another. As a result much of the schooling which he had was mostly either home or from a variety of schools. Finally, when he was thirteen he was sent to a boarding school in Wichita. He studied for three years at Friends University and a final year at Park College, graduating with a degree in Physics and Mathematics. However, during these years Kelly’s interest started moving towards debates and discussions, developing into a popular orator. Later he studied at a variety of institutions such as Universities of Kansas, Minnesota, and Edinburgh, before graduating with a Ph. D. in psychology from University of Iowa in 1931. After completing his education Kelly entered the job market during the time of the Great Depression. During this time period he worked at Fort Hays Kansas State College and developed his theory and techniques. Kelly worked hard on his clinic and it was then when he developed most of his future ideas. When the Second World War broke out Kelly accepted a post in Aviation psychology branch of the US Navy and served there throughout the war. After the war he spent some time teaching in the University of Maryland. In 1946 he joined Ohio State University where he made important contributions to his theory. Because of his important theoretical contributions and hard work in the profession of clinical psychology, Kelly was made the president of clinical and consulting divisions of American Psychological Association for 1954-55 and 1956-7. In 1965, he started research in Brandeis University and died soon after in March 1967. The Theory Kelly developed a theory of personality known as the Personal Construct theory. It is this theory which became the foundation of the field Personal Construct Psychology. The main focus of this theory is the way in which individuals constru ct and reconstruct the meanings of their lives. This theory was first founded in 1955 discussed in detail in his book, ‘The Psychology of Personal Constructs.’ Although the implementation of this theory has expanded over the years, it still predominantly focuses on individuals, families and social groups. The prime aspect or the foundation idea of Kelly’s theory is that people are like scientists. â€Å"A person's processes are psychologically channelized by the way in which he anticipates events.†Ã‚  (Kelly, 1955, p.46) . This means that people to create the meaning of things or events themselves. They are constantly doing this so efficiently that according to Kelly they are like scientists constructing meanings. Thus, the individuals are making hypotheses which are called as constructs. What are constructs? Constructs are the ideas or meanings which people attest to the events or things in the society. They differ from person to person. These constructs indicate the meaning which the individual construct of events or happenings of the surroundings. Constructs also indicate the view a person is likely to construe of a certain event. Thus, these define the individual himself and indicates how his brain functions like a scientist. A construct has two extreme points like happy-sad etc. An individual normally places eventsor people between these scales and retains such ideas about them. These constructs are formed in the very early stages of life and

Chose an interesting Topic - Make it strong or Use Bridging the Essay

Chose an interesting Topic - Make it strong or Use Bridging the Digital Divide - Essay Example Such is the case with the urbanized communities, who are in a better position to access such technologies, as opposed to the rural communities. The access to computer and other forms of technology comes with its educational advantage, where the societies accessing the computers have higher chances of becoming educated than those who do not have the access (Bridging the Digital Divide, 49). Owing to digital divide, Nicholas Negroponte started the One Laptop per Child Program (OLPC), whose main objective was to bridge the digital divide, by making computers available and accessible to all children all over the world. Despite facing various challenges, the program has registered considerable success, by making computers accessible to many children all over the world, with some countries such as Uruguay completely meeting the objective of providing every child with a computer (Bridging the Digital Divide, 50). Due to the power and electricity accessibility problems in different parts of the world, as well as the internet infrastructural issues, the program focuses on availing computers that are not entirely dependent on electricity as a source of power and with inbuilt internet accessibility. This has seen the development of Computer models such as the OX-I, OX-1.75 and OX-3(Bridging the Digital Divide, 50). This initiative has seen other technology companies such as Intel launch similar programs, with its Classmate-PC initiative that has since made computers even more accessible to different parts of the world. The importance of such programs in bridging the digital divide cannot be overemphasized. Question 1 There are various reasons why digital divide matters to children and their families. First, digital divide places some sections of the community at an advantage over the others, through providing them with opportunities for education and information accessibility, which the other sections lack (Servon, 48). Digital divide also matters to children and their pa rents, since it serves to increase the social and economical inequality, through making computer technology affordable to the families that are at a higher economic level, enabling their children to enjoy the benefits that come with computer and internet skills, while the poor families are left behind. This translates to the rich families dominating the poor families in social aspects, such as economical and political (James, 15). Digital divide also determines the infrastructural development of the society. This means that the societies that have access to computer technology will also enjoy other infrastructural development such as electricity, compared to societies with no computer technology access. This translates to families and children who have no computer technology access remaining disadvantaged by underdevelopment (Yelton, 33). Question 2 The OLPC project will be successful. This is because; the program has translated into reality in countries such as Uruguay and parts of the US, with the same also happening in Australia and Rwanda, and in other countries in the near future (James, 23). Additionally, the initiative to provide every child with a laptop is attractive to many philanthropists, NGOs, charitable organizations and even governments, which can easily translate such a program to

Human Resource Management in a Business Context Essay - 1

Human Resource Management in a Business Context - Essay Example This essay focuses on the discussion of the racial discrimination in police, that is one of the problems affected human relations and work productivity. The most insidious prejudices are negative attitudes directed toward groups of people. They take the form of assumptions or generalizations about all or most members of a particular group. This kind of in-group versus out-group hostility that disrupts work unit interactions and subverts organization effectiveness. The behaviors, customs, and values of out-group people are labeled strange or weird. Verbal misunderstandings are frequently the beginning of problems between culturally different police officers. Most police officers fear things and people who are different and they often verbally strike out or physically lash out in an aggressive manner to protect themselves. Aggressive discourse occurs as dominant-group members verbalize negative feelings toward minority-group members, and vice versa. The researcher states that effective communication and diversity training initiatives are the main methods, which help to eliminate racial envy and ethnic differences in police. The absence of positive conversations about particular minorities can usually be correlated to the absence or underrepresentation of these individuals in the workplaces in question. In conclusion, the researcher mentiones that racial discrimination is unlawful and illegal, so police administration should take corrective actions to avoid further dissemination and victimization of racial minorities.

Middle eastern cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle eastern cuisine - Essay Example Marriage entails two individuals to be together, living under the same roof, hopefully for the rest of their lives. Now what can one expect if this marriage is composed of spouses whose cultures greatly differ from each other?3 In answer to this, the paper aims to explore the different causes of issues in interracial marriages in an effort to find answers to why some individuals and societies view such marriages with hostility. Arab Religion and Culture Islam dominates the Arab world, 4 with their laws and culture revolving mainly around the beliefs and practices deemed lawful or acceptable by the religion.5 If one is aware of the Arab culture and beliefs, it is easy to see centuries-old practices and stereotypes that could be strikingly different from other cultures around the world. Even non-Muslim Arabs have a set of practices that are unique to this race. This region of the world is highly patriarchal, and even though the western idea of gender equality may have reached some soci eties, particularly non-Muslim societies, there is still a segregation of gender roles in every family unit.

Nursing Care of COPD Patient Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Nursing Care of COPD Patient - Research Paper Example Nursing knowledge seeks to derive and acquire a set of rules through explanatory theories leading to the production of critical analysis and thinking skills through which the professional nurse generate integrative understanding about the care she is required to deliver to any patient (Fawcett and Alligood, 2005). The main forms of knowledge that the nurses need to employ in practice are personal practical knowledge, knowledge of medical theoretical knowledge, knowledge about procedures that they need to participate, knowledge on the culture of the ward, and knowledge about how to reflect on the care provided to consolidate the experience and seek more knowledge. However, the academic or theoretical knowledge would also involve seeking evidence from research to inform, guide, and modify practice. Jenny and Loagn (1992) indicated that nurses knowledge also include the knowledge about their patients whom they care since they tend to identify and know the holistic dimensions of the pers on they care, different from their knowledge about their diseases. Melesis (2007) indicated that based on this knowledge, the nurses are concerned with their care which involves "hygiene, rest, exercise, sleep, nutrition, relief from pain, rehabilitation, and safety in the context of a patient’s daily life, state of health or illness, and their environment† (Melesis, 2007). It has been argued that the current care systems based on a holistic approach tends to change the delivery of care by the nurses, and these would require new knowledge and ways of knowing. The traditional models of nursing knowledge and medical-model learning may be inadequate to suffice the needs of these clients. Sullivan-Marx (2006) has indicated continuous development and progress of nursing knowledge through experience from care scenarios (Youngblut and Brooten, 2001).

Middle eastern cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle eastern cuisine - Essay Example Marriage entails two individuals to be together, living under the same roof, hopefully for the rest of their lives. Now what can one expect if this marriage is composed of spouses whose cultures greatly differ from each other?3 In answer to this, the paper aims to explore the different causes of issues in interracial marriages in an effort to find answers to why some individuals and societies view such marriages with hostility. Arab Religion and Culture Islam dominates the Arab world, 4 with their laws and culture revolving mainly around the beliefs and practices deemed lawful or acceptable by the religion.5 If one is aware of the Arab culture and beliefs, it is easy to see centuries-old practices and stereotypes that could be strikingly different from other cultures around the world. Even non-Muslim Arabs have a set of practices that are unique to this race. This region of the world is highly patriarchal, and even though the western idea of gender equality may have reached some soci eties, particularly non-Muslim societies, there is still a segregation of gender roles in every family unit.

8th Journal Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

8th Journal - Movie Review Example Inhabitants of a coastal small village of Nuadkhibu live in expectation of a bright future. Before going to Europe, 17-year-old Abdalla visits his mother who lives in this settlement. The guy doesnt speak local language and seems a stranger to locals. He also doesnt like rural way’s archaism. However, having got acquainted with people closer, Abdalla starts feeling the call of the blood. Such description can create an impression that the plot is romantic, but if to watch the whole movie, it becomes clear that the movie depicts real events which happen when strangers come to a country and try to impose their rules. The inhabitants of the village suffer from religious political extremism. The religious political extremism is religiously motivated activity directed on violent change of a political system or violent seizure of power, violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, on initiation of religious strife and hatred for this purpose. As well as the ethno-nationalist extremism, religious political extremism represents a kind of political extremism. It is distinguished by certain characteristic features, which make it different from other types of extremism. The religious and political extremism rejects the possibility of negotiations, compromise, and consensus solutions of socio-political problems. Supporters of religious and political extremism are distinguished by extreme intolerance in relation to everybody who does not share their political views, including brothers in faith. For them there are no rules in the game of politics, no borders. The Malian city of Timbuktu appears in religious extremists’ occupation, and the followers of jihad commit crimes here every day. More than a half of the city is occupied by the newcomers, and women suffer more than men. Through the story of Kidan, Fatima, their daughter Toya and little herder Issan, Abdurrahman Sissako expresses a protest against the hard

Drivers Of The Recent Wave Of Globalisation Economics Essay

Drivers Of The Recent Wave Of Globalisation Economics Essay Globalisation describes the ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures become integrated through a global spanning network of communication, cultural diffusion, travel and trade. The phenomenon of globalisation has been present since the start of the nineteenth century and it has nowadays been established as perhaps the most vigorous force shaping contemporary society, business, management and economics. The term is sometimes used to refer specifically to economic globalisation, in other words the reduction and removal of barriers between national borders in order to facilitate the flow of goods, capital, services and labour, (1). The unrestricted flow of information, ideas and cultural values add to the globalisation processes promoting converging market preferences and market-driven open economies. Although a situation of perfect integration (called homogenisation), where ideas and values are characterised by a global commonality does not exist (2), business orientation becomes more global based on the belief that the world is becoming more homogeneous and that distinctions between national markets are not only diminishing but, for some products, will eventually disappear (3). Recently the problem of business globalisation has become more evident worldwide. Even the most successful and well-established companies cannot survive on domestic sales alone, if they are in global industries such as banking, consumer electronics, travel services, entertainment, etc. It is, hence, useful to identify a number of key drivers, which affect the structure of economies and markets. According to George S. Yip, it is possible to define globalization drivers in four areas: Market Drivers Cost Drivers Governmental Drivers Competition Drivers The drivers of globalisation are a combination of many factors which have lead businesses to look outside their domestic markets for growth opportunities (4). It is usually the combined effect of just some of these separate factors that have more of gravity rather than all of the factors separately. In the next section the first three globalisation drivers are further analysed. Further investigation Market Drivers Market drivers refer to global market convergence, in other words, the increasing similarity of consumer tastes and product preferences in certain markets, as evidenced by the popularity of global brands in certain markets. Market globalisation drivers depend on customer behaviour and the structure of distribution networks. These factors are analysed in more detail below: Common customer needs: product and technology are transferred by means of communication throughout countries with similar needs. Some products such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, KFC, etc. have been palatable to many countries. Global customers: not only consumer needs become more similar but also firms operating in globalised markets become global customers and may search for suppliers who can operate on a global basis. Global market channels: free trade, which was facilitated by regional trade blocks such as the formation of EU and NAFTA, and falling trade barriers have formed globe-spanning channels that enable companies to distribute goods and provide services internationally. For example, Carrefour and Wal-Mart have developed global channels to distribute products. Deloitte and HSBC have expanded their services worldwide. Lead countries: some countries have built up reputation in certain manufacturing industries. For instance, Japan is well known for consumer electronics, Switzerland for watches as well as its banking system, USA for computer software, etc. Transferable marketing and global branding: Adidas, Top Shop, IBM, Toyota, Apple, Samsung, Kodak, Vodafone have become local brands in the global environment. Global market convergence is measured by the percentage of worldwide sales attributed to standardized products. We have the example of NOKIA here, which increased its Indian market share from a mere 300,000 subscribers in 1996 to a whopping 55 million subscribers in 2004 (5). More and more global brands are brought to life, with the percentage of worldwide sales attributed to them continuously increasing. Cost Drivers Globalisation of the productive process allows firms to choose concentrating or dispersing value adding activities around the world according to the location advantages to be obtained. The cost advantage obtained affects activity concentration and depends on the following factors: Global scale and scope economies: national markets cannot be large enough for a domestic business to achieve all economies of scale and scope. A global organisation can expand and coordinate internal production and operations to increase its value through a combination of manufacturing, reduced delivery costs and economies of scale. The aim is to join multiple markets and sell a standardized product in several countries, increase overall sales thereby reducing the cost per unit of development, concentrate selected value activities and shift production in response to exchange rate fluctuations (6). Figure 1 shows the rise of standardized IT serves. Almost 60% out of the 340 companies of the survey admitted a significant benefit of using standardized products due to lower production and services costs of the product, lower operations costs and easier deployment (7). Figure : The Rise of Standardized IT Servers Sourcing efficiencies: centralized purchasing of new materials can significantly reduce the costs. We have two categories of sourcing efficiencies: outsourcing and offshoring. Outsourcing is when a company relocates a whole process, a piece of a process, a function, or a discrete piece of work outside of its own corporate boundaries. India has been the most popular outsourcing destination the last decade. Off-shoring refers to the relocation of a whole process, a piece of a process, a function, or a discrete piece of work outside the geographic boundaries. The work can be done in an offshore location either within the boundaries of the company or outside the boundaries of the company. Favourable logistics: A favorable ratio of sales to transportation costs enhances the ability of the company to concentrate production. Other factors are negligible need of location close to customers, absence of time urgency, even the shape of the product. Favourable logistics is the main reason retailing accounts for 75% of logistics activity in China. The sector is also stretched to the breaking point. The total handling capacity of Chinas coastal ports is already over one billion tons, and capacity is increasing quickly. Not quickly enough though (8). Knowledge and experience: some industries are characterised by an emphasis on creating value from new ideas and concepts, the so called knowledge-based industries. The accumulation of foreign market expertise can be highly beneficial for technology intensive many sectors like software development, engineering services and biotechnology. Other areas include financial services and pharmaceuticals. The steeper the knowledge and experience curve, the higher the benefit. We have the case of increasing workforce being educated in Western countries and returning to their Eastern located home countries. Product development costs: product development costs are rising due to short life of products that require higher return on investment, e.g. airlines, communications, pharmaceuticals, etc. These costs can be reduced by developing a few global or regional products rather than many national products. Differences in country costs and skills: Factor costs vary across country. The availability of particular skills also varies. Concentration of activities in low-cost or high skill countries can increase productivity and decrease costs. Managers, however, have to anticipate the danger of training future offshore competitors. Governmental Drivers The increased globalisation of financial markets, the fading of trade barriers and the formation of global alliances provide firms with the opportunity to take advantage of beneficial national regulations. Unrestrictive trade and investment policies: Reduction of tariff barriers, creation of trading blocks, decline in role of government, reduction in non-tariff barriers, shift in open market economies, increase in level of world trade, increase in foreign acquires of corporation, increased formation of global strategic alliances and globalization of financial markets are all favourable trade policies that promote globalisation of industries and services. Compatible technical standards: differences in technical standards, especially government imposed standards, limit the extent to which products can be standardized. For example Motorola products were withdrawn from the Japanese market because they were operating at a higher frequency than permitted. Common marketing regulations: the marketing environment can also affect the extent to which global marketing policies can be applied. Certain types of media can be prohibited or restricted. For example, it is the case that in many countries advertisements showing children toys are either not allowed or allowed after a particular time of the day. Globalisation drivers are revealed by the increasing percentage of countries that possess uniform or mutually- recognized technical standards, increasing staring from US and Canada, EU to China which recently became an open economy.

The Character of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls :: An Inspector Calls

Analyse the character of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley. Discuss his: * Role in the play * Effect on the other characters * Stage presence When the Inspector first knocks on the front door, it is dramatic irony because Arthur just said a matter of seconds before of how he ‘might get a knighthood if we don’t get into any sort of trouble’. This is a very significant time of entering, similar to knocking over a tower of Jenga – everything one has hoped for has just evaporated into thin air. As an audience we expect something very important, an altered atmosphere in the play from this moment forward. The Birling’s smug satisfaction is put on hold. It abruptly comes to a halt. Edna comes into the Dining room and says to Mr. Birling, â€Å"Please, Sir, an Inspector’s called†. The Inspector, at first appears to the audience to be a police officer. He said he had recently moved to Brumley; the family find out he is a fake when Arthur rings the police station at the end of the play. This news is even more disturbing than the questioning that takes place throughout the play, because they realised that the Inpsector had deceived them all. They had been had! But on the other hand, was the purpose of the visit fulfilled? I think the purpose of his visit was to show the family that their lives and what they do during their life is far more influential than they realise, either positively or negatively. Had they helped Eva Smith, her life may not have been lost, but in fact, the Inspector’s intention was to help them see where they went wrong and secure them on the right pathif they were willing to respond. He wanted to aid them in their understanding that in life there are huge decisions and choices to make which, if are chosen wrongly, can have devastating effects, not only for them but for other people . The reason the Police Inspector arrived here at the Birling household was to investigate a suicide. He seemed to already know everything that the family told him of the questions he was asking. It was as though he had been watching them for the past 10 or so years and knew everything that had gone on. It appears innocent, just routine innocuous questioning. On one level, J.B. Priestley is using the Inspector’s character to solve what seems to be a police inquiry, investigating a suicide. On a deeper level, Priestley is using the Inspector to help the family see where they can take greater responsibility in society; he is helping

Sharpios auto Wreck: The Theme Of Death Essay example -- essays rese

Sharpio's "Auto Wreck": The Theme of Death Few subjects can be discussed with more insightfulness and curiosity than death. The unpredictability and grimness of it are conveyed well in Karl Shapiro's poem, "Auto Wreck". The poem starts with a description of an ambulance rushing to the scene of a crash, and hurriedly gathering up the victims and rushing them away. The aftermath of the police investigation that follows leaves the crowd gathered around the scene to explore privately and individually a range of feelings and emotions about the reality of death. Shapiro's usage of imagery together with figurative language is a key element in getting the theme of death across to the reader. By bringing the scene of the accident to life and relaying the emotions of the spectators with language and several metaphors, the poem gains a realistic and sometimes transcendent effect. In some places in the poem, the words can easily be taken literally to convey scenery or an emotion, but they can also be taken so as to make the reader think about possible higher meanings. The thoughtsexpressed in the poem help to suggest these other meanings by clearly stating what is being felt by the speaker and the crowd around the accident. By stating clearly and vividly the emotions of the scene, it is easy for the reader to identify the theme itself, and also to identify with it. In the first stanza, the speaker describes the ambulance arriving on the scene more so than the actual scene itself. The ambulance is described using words such as "wings", "dips", and "floating", giving the impression of the hectic nature of its business at an accident. When the ambulance arrives and breaks through the crowd, "the doors leap open" to further convey the hurried state it's in. In line 5, as the ambulance passes the beacons and illuminated clocks, it gives the reader an obvious clue about setting. To take the words' meaning further, it can be argued that the illumination of the clocks and the emptying light in line 8 symbolize life itself as light in an otherwise dark situation. Also, the allusion to a heart by use of the words "pulsing", "artery" and "beating" personify the ambulance as the new life giving support of the victims of the crash. ... ... our physics with a sneer". Taking the meaning from these parts and the last lines of the poem takes the speaker and reader through the realization that death is unpredictable and thought provoking, knowing that it can happen in the worst way at any given time. "Auto Wreck" deals with the complex subject of death by exposing the reader to the feelings of the speaker after witnessing a crash. The theme that death is unpredictable and grim is presented through these feelings. The stanzas are set up such that the steps from shock to realization of what death contains can be presented in order of occurence. The first stanza describes the ambulance coming to try to save the victims, and the second stanza deals with the immediate aftermath of the crash. These first two stanzas really create a background to the final stanza, which takes the reader through a range of emotions along with the speaker. The last stanza entirely is the perfect example of how the imagery and figurative language get these emotions across to the reader. In doing such, the theme is revealed very clearly and the reader can think to himself for whom the bell really tolls.

Mitsubishi Corporation Analysis

Capital structure in Japan has been noted to be more highly leveraged than comparative North American firms which brings to mind the question: how is it that Japanese firms have been able to take on such high levels of debt? The answer lies in the environment that Japanese firms have been operating in. More specifically, the levels of debt are likely to have been induced by the lack of alternative sources of finance because of the effect of government regulations, and the different ownership structure in Japanese firms (with institutional lenders being major equity holders). So, the higher leverage has been a consequence of the conditions that Japanese business face-with a more pronounced effect (due to relationships) in companies which are in corporate groups known as keiretsu. These conditions were characteristic of the past. As the benefits of debt are well known in finance theory (tax shields, signaling etc.), the lack of independence and efficiency in decision making borne by Japanese managers seem to be the costs. The result for some firms has been a reduction in debt levels to those more resembling U.S. companies. The questions now have become: What is the optimal debt level for a Japanese firm? Should firms still be taking advantage of the benefits of their keiretsu relationship that have allowed them to take on such levels of debt? Our analysis focuses on Mitsubishi Corporation, a core conglomerate that is part of the larger Mitsubishi Group keiretsu having the capital structure characteristics mentioned above. The report will first explore the circumstances that may have induced Mitsubishi to its present capital structure, then look at more recent events and trends that may affect future financing decisions, and conclude with the Mitsubishi capital structure/optimum debt level analysis. Japanese corporations have outpaced rival firms in the US and Europe in terms of capital investment throughout the 1970†³s and into the 1980†³s. One of the main reasons behind the high level of investment is the better access to capital that Japanese firms have compared to their western counterparts-the result is that Japanese firms seem to have more debt than their U.S. counterparts. A common motive for taking on more debt is for the tax advantages, but there is little to suggest that there is much difference in the taxation systems between the two countries to support such a reason . The most likely factor for this trend in Japan has been the result of the close relationships that Japanese firms have with each other in a keiretsu. In Japan the majority of companies are formed into enterprise groups called keiretsu (which translates as â€Å"series† or â€Å"group†. The basic features of a keiretsu are as follows: cross-share holding agreements, interlocking directorates, intra-group financing, joint investing, and a consistent pattern of dealing among group members. The largest of the keiretsu are Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, Fuji, Daiichi Kangyo, and Sanwa (the latter three are centered around Japan†s largest commercial banks. Together, these six corporate groups account for a quarter of total Japanese business assets. Prior to the Second World War, several large monopolistic companies dominated Japanese industry. They were known as zaibatsu – the dominant four were Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Yasuda. During the post-war Occupation the holding companies of the zaibatsu that controlled member firms were dissolved. Many firms subsequently regrouped to create the keiretsu we see today. Types of keiretsu: Vertical and Horizontal Vertical keiretsu are arranged hierarchically along production and distribution lines and organized under a principal manufacturer. The benefits of this network include increased efficiency and customer service, decreased distribution costs, simplified marketing channels, rationalized inventory controls and the facilitation of effective information sharing between members. Also, the principal manufacturers receive the benefit of being in a dominant position, which creates a high degree of bargaining power. Horizontal keiretsu are large groups of Japanese companies in a wide range of industries, organized around a commercial bank. Direct competition is avoided between member firms by only having one company in any line of business. The success of this type of keiretsu is attributed to their cross- shareholding and the availability of bank loans to their members. This is supplemented with personnel exchanges and consensus decision making between member firms. Being in a horizontal keiretsu also means that a stable core of long-term shareholders is in place for a company. For our purposes we will be focusing on the capital structure and other features of firms in a horizontal keiretsu. The economic environment that Japanese firms operated in favored highly leveraged capital structures. The following are some of the factors, besides belonging to a keiretsu, that have had an effect on a Japanese firm†s capital structure. The reluctance of Japanese managers to raise equity capital stems from the operations of the Japanese stock markets. Firstly, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is less stringent on disclosure requirements as compared to the NYSE, for example, which causes sharp asymmetric information differences between corporate insiders and the market. The result of this asymmetry is a severe underpricing of new share offerings and a reluctance to issue on management†s part. Firms, therefore, had a preference for bank debt which was less likely to suffer from such pricing effects. Secondly, equity has been an expensive form of finance in the past. The notion of issuing shares at market value is a recent phenomenon whereas traditionally firms issued equity at a historical par value of 50 yen with a fixed dividend. Investors typically demanded a 20 to 30 percent annual dividend on the par value (in essence the instrument was a preferred share), which were paid out of after-tax cash flows. Loans on the other hand were easily obtained through an affiliated bank at reasonable interest rates, and provided a tax shield through the deductible interest payments. Government Regulations and the Bond Market Table 1 shows how the domestic bond market in Japan began to open up during the 1980†³s. Until that time, strict bond issuing criteria that applied internationally kept most firms out of the domestic and foreign bond markets. Government regulations worked against issuing corporate bonds. The government saw corporate bonds as a competitive threat to the its own bonds since interest rates would have to be raised in order for the government†s bonds to compete with those of the top corporations. It wasn†t until 1985 that unsecured straight-debt corporate bonds were even issued. These conditions meant that firms had a reliance on their bank for debt financing; and as a result of their close relationships to banks, had a lower cost of capital and the ability to invest more than those who did not. Structure of Corporate Ownership in Japan The structure of corporate ownership in Japan is quite different compared to their counterparts in the West, with ownership being highly concentrated in Japan. Japanese laws allow institutional investors to exert more control over firms and their management inducing them to seek higher levels of share ownership. Indeed, there is a striking difference between Japanese and US corporate ownership. Ownership by financial institutions (particularly commercial banks) is far greater in Japan than in the US. Japanese commercial banks and insurance companies hold approximately two to three times the number of outstanding shares of public firms than their US counterparts do. On top of being a predominant shareholder, financial institutions play the simultaneous roles of also being the largest creditors of the firms as well being an important long-term commercial business partner. For example, it has been shown that out of 344 manufacturing corporations, financial institutions own 34.48% of the common equity and individuals own 29.53% . Therefore, many Japanese firms have access to more debt since financial institutions have highly concentrated ownership in firms. Ownership concentration does not differ significantly between keiretsu and independent Japanese firms . With high ownership concentration and cross-share holding by banks, suppliers and customers, keiretsu firms are better able to monitor decisions of firms within the group and direct management†s actions to benefit the whole and to act as a collective rather than just being contractual business partners. During the high growth era, the government of Japan†s Ministry of Finance directed investment to high growth industries. To ensure that investment capital was available to firms in these industries, implicit guarantees on the liabilities of financial and non-financial corporations were given to lenders. The provision of a safety net for the loans made the banks eager to lend money to finance rapid expansion in these industries, and the corporations willing to borrow it. Banks were also threatened by market bonds since they posed direct conflict to their business in two ways. First, there was a fear that interest rates on bank deposits would have to be raised from their artificially low rates to keep funds from migrating to other investment instruments. Second, banks did not want to lose their traditional customers for loans to the capital market. Because of their presence in the management and the board of directors in firms within the keiretsu structure, they were able to effectively keep these companies financing their operations with loans. This was relatively easy since most firms could not issue bonds anyhow until recently. The keiretsu system helped to reduce many of the direct and indirect costs faced by Western firms, which may have allowed firms to raise their debt levels. A major benefit arising from keiretsu affiliation is the reduction in costs of financial distress for member firms thus allowing them to take on a higher debt to equity ratio than otherwise possible. This is mainly attributed to keiretsu banking relationships and the consequent high levels of share ownership by financial institutions. Since a Japanese keiretsu is primarily financed by its main bank, to which a firm has close ties to, the extent of financial distress is greatly reduced. Hypothetically, when a firm within a keiretsu is entering financial distress, its main bank will coordinate rescue efforts by arranging loans from other banks as well as itself. In extreme cases, the bank will even find a company within the same keiretsu to merge with the distressed firm. In the event of a bankruptcy, the main bank will bail out the keiretsu firm by absorbing all losses by taking a subordinated position to other debt holders, eliminating the need for squabbling between the other claimants. The other features of the keiretsu, namely cross-ownership of shares and intra-group financing, also decrease the cost of financial distress. Since all firms within a keiretsu have some sort of stake in the distressed firm, it is in their best interest to try to keep that firm in operation . Aid from companies in the keiretsu can come in the form of stretched receivables, favorable transfer pricing and direct management incentives. To decrease the probability of bankruptcy and to increase the likelihood of recovery by a financially distressed firm, it would be ideal to expand, invest, and allow their organizations to grow. This is consistent among keiretsu firms since in times of financial distress, they tend to invest 46 percent more compared to non-keiretsu firms . Firms in financial distress generally have problems in raising capital, which may be in part due to a free rider problem. Firms with diffuse groups of creditors are faced with this problem because individual debt holders would not be willing to refinance the firm or renegotiate debt claims even though it would be in their collective best interests to do so. This problem is absent however, when a keiretsu firm is primarily financed with bank loans from a single creditor. Free rider problems are less severe or eliminated in keiretsu organizations. In addition, keiretsu firms tend to stay out of Japanese bankruptcy courts. Since financially distressed keiretsu firms are bailed out internally, the direct costs of bankruptcy such as legal and advisory fees, are vastly reduced. American firms on the other hand see the majority of disputes, arising from financial distress, ending up in bankruptcy courts. This problem in the US corporate system can be partially attributed to the wide use of bond financing. A multitude of bondholder claims are more difficult to restructure than a single bank loan and US bankruptcy legislation prevents companies from changing the principal, interest, and maturity without unanimous consent from bondholders. Therefore, keiretsu firms do not incur these large costs of financial distress, which can reach up to five percent of firm value, incurred by their US counterparts. In the end, the lower costs of financial distress is another reason why Japanese firms can take on more debt and thus lower their costs of capital even more with increased utilization of their tax shields. A financial keiretsu, through its network of corporate cross-shareholdings and strong relationship with a main bank, serves as an effective system for monitoring the actions of a member firm. Member firms are in unique positions to serve as mutual monitors because the success of a single firm is in the best interests of the entire keiretsu. As keiretsu firms typically have seats on other member firm†s board of directors, they can make sure that the actions of management are in accord with the interests of the entire group. The main bank acts as the primary lender and as a major shareholder, also tends to have its own executives sit on the board. This dual role ensures that the banks will be looking out for the interests of both bond and equity holders of the firm. The costs of monitoring are not as high as they are in the US system for any one party since the ownership is not as diluted. Hence, each member has a signficant interest in monitoring the firm†s activities and the free rider problem is alleviated. This system of corporate governance effectively makes sure that management pursues long run value creation. Agency costs are reduced in a keiretsu because of the unique relationships within the group. Shareholders cannot participate in moral hazard activities such as transferring risk to debt holders or transferring wealth from them by encouraging management to take on negative NPV projects. Both the higher level of debt and the structure of ownership, i.e. the bank being a creditor-owner and the high proportion of shares being cross-held within a keiretsu, serve the purpose of keeping managerial interests in accord with the group. The lower agency costs also results from the fact that most of the debt is short-term and secured.