Case analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case analysis - Assignment Example During the same time 2011, the internet sales increased by 12%. By 2004 online sales made 50% of the total books sold in the US. Currently, websites owned by independent used books account for 9% of total books sold online. Currently, Amazon is the leading online bookseller of used and new books. There has been lots of competition with many authors opting to include shipping costs for their consumers in order to increase their sales. Ironically, most of the consumers preferred purchasing used books due to their low prices. It is argued that despite the book being used the information still remains the same. According to reliable sources of information Amazon generated 49% of its revenue through sales of used books. By 2010, most of the consumers used bookstores as their main sources of book which accounted for 30% of total sales. During the same year34 million customers bought books online. For quite a long time Amazon has been dominating this business since its inception in 1995. The entry of Google Books in the field of online sales and books is also creating competition (Deahl). This is because Google enjoys the largest search engine in the world and their ability to provide online books at cheaper rates is creating a lot of competition for Amazon and other booksellers. Bookstore channel made significant strides and more sales with American company Barnes and Noble enjoying up to 1,700 stores in the US which accounted for 30% of total sales in the years 2010. In the previous year 2009 the company was the best seller of online books which accounted for $5.8 billion and an operating profit of 0.63%. Amazingly, only 10% came from online shops while the rest were made from the physical bookstores which are spread all over US. The bookstores were large enough ranging from 3000 square feet to 60,000 square feet meaning that the stores could make up to 200,000 different titles in their shelves. The increase in sales and

Rosalind Franklin Essay Example for Free

Rosalind Franklin Essay When Watson came calling in January 1953, Wilkins revealed he had been quietly coping Franklins data. When Watson saw one of the photos, his mouth fell open. Ultimately, trial and error produced a working model of DNA, but the information they used was based on Franklins data. It was March 7, 1953 that Cricke announced to the patrons of a local pub, that he and his confrere had found the secret of life. (Parshall, 173) Soon after, the results were published into an article in Nature, along with a supporting article from Franklin. (Maisel, 1) Rosalind Franklin continued her previous work. She collaborated on studies of the structure of the tobacco Mosaic Virus and also helped determine that RNA is a single-stranded helical molecule. (Sayre, 1) While on a visit to the United States later in life, she experienced episodes of pain in her abdomen. In the autumn of 1956, she learned she had ovarian cancer. Franklin continued her research up until only a few weeks before her death on April 16, 1958 at the age of 37. (Sayre, 1) The Nobel Prize was awarded to Watson and Cricke, in 1962. Rosalind Franklin never received credit for the work she had accomplished with the structure of DNA. This prestigious award it cannot be given to the dead. Ironically Wilkins was also awarded for his collaboration with Watson and Cricke. The Nobel Committee credited him with Franklins stellar work as well as his own. (Parshell, 74) In Cricks view, If Franklin had lived, it would have been impossible to give the prize to Maurice and not to her, because she did the key experimental work. (Write, 172) Even though Rosalind Franklin is no longer alive, research continues due to her previous work. If the structure of DNA had not been discovered, biotechnology would not be where it is today. By 1952 it was known the DNA had an exclusive role, as the substance capable of storing all the information needed to create a living being. It is considered to be the fine line between the living and the nonliving. Watson went on to teach at Harvard and eventually headed the National Institutes of Healths Human Genome project. This Project was begun with the intention of mapping out every gene in a human, and eventually learn their functions. This is where the field of bioethics is introduced. Many beneficial things may result from this knowledge. For example, with this information we may be able to cure many diseases and birth defects. Studying how the DNA is altered to cause these conditions will help scientist develop what is necessary to prevent these things. This project was recently completed which caused the public to question where the line must be drawn. With this new information, a couple may be able to pre-select the gender of their baby or maybe even certain traits. The new question is, When has science gone too far? Even though the mapping of the human genome may bring enormous benefits, it can be assumed that someone will want to abuse this new knowledge. As always we must accept the good with the bad. Discovering the structure of DNA and thus how it is able to replicate has also made cloning possible. This was demonstrated with the sheep named Dolly. It was cloned using DNA extracted from an adult sheep and inserted into an unfertilized egg. This process could be very beneficial in the future. We may be able to keep certain species from becoming extinct. As with any other situation, there is also a negative side. What if people want to clone themselves? (As pictured in the movie Multiplicity) There is a fine line between what is ethical and can be allowed and what cannot. For example, it would be unethical for people to continue to clone themselves in an effort to elude death. (Assuming this would be possible. ) Would it be unethical the clone in order to produce needed tissues or a certain blood type? Without Rosalind Franklins work, this information would not have been discovered for at least several years until the technology caught up with the project. It is because of her work that we may one day be able to cure birth defects, cancer, or other genetically related diseases. Unfortunately she has not received the recognition she deserves for her contributions to the scientific field. She spent most of her short-lived life working in the laboratory and most biology classes do not attribute any of her hard work to her. She has greatly impacted the world and everyones future. Stephanie Luchenfield 1. Were there any parts of the Paper that need to be more clearly explained? (ie scientific terms)? I am familiar with scientific terms so I understood what you were talking about. 2. Did it adequately explain why she was such an important person in history? Yes 3. Was it easy to follow? I found a lot of it hard to follow mainly because there were some parts that felt like I was reading a textbook. 4. What was your favorite part of the paper? I liked the part when you really explain the cloning process on regular terms by related what you were talking about with the sheep and the movie. . It was also where she crossed paths with Maurice Wilkins. (maire, 1).

The Essence Of Mbo Business Essay

The Essence Of Mbo Business Essay The use of management objectives was first widely advocated in the 1950s by the noted management theorist Peter Drucker. It can be defined as a process whereby the employees and the superiors come together to identify common goals, the employees set their goals to be achieved, the standards to be taken as the criteria for measurement of their performance and contribution and deciding the course of action to be followed. The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing course of actions and decision making. An important part of the MBO is the measurement and the comparison of the employees actual performance with the standards set Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal setting and the choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfill their responsibilities. THE PROCESS OF MBO: Management by objectives (MBO) involves setting specific measurable goals with each employee and then periodically discussing his/her progress toward these goals. The term MBO almost always refers to a comprehensive organization-wide goal setting and appraisal program that consist of six main steps: Set the organizations goals. Establish organization-wide plan for next year and set goals. Set departmental goals. Here department heads and their superiors jointly set goals for their departments Discuss and allocate department goals. Department heads discuss the departments goals with all subordinates in the department (often at a department-wide meeting) and ask them to develop their own individual goals; in other words, how can each employee contribute to the departments attaining its goals. Define expected results (set individual goals). Here, department heads and their subordinates set short-term performance targets. Performance review and measure the results. Department heads compare actual performance for each employee with expected results. Provide feedback. Department heads hold periodic performance review meetings with subordinates to discuss and evaluate progress in achieving expected results. MBO appraisals are suitable for measuring quantitative and qualitative output of high-level employees. High-level employees such as managers generally report to directors, according to hierarchy and the chain of authority present in many organizations. Therefore, managers and the directors or executives they report to often work together to establish MBO goals for this type of appraisal. Performance Appraisal : A Look Employers use performance appraisals to measure both the quantity and quality of production. Performance appraisals typically are conducted annually, and employers often base decisions about salary raises, wage increases and year-end bonuses on employee performance. An MBO appraisal is just one method among several types of performance measurement tools. Others include: Graphic Ratings Scales, Narrative Evaluations, 360-Degree Appraisals, Peer Evaluations, Forced Ranking Or Differentiation Appraisals. One well-regarded and widely used approach to performance appraisal is called MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES (MBO). By definition, under this method, you evaluate your employees on the basis of results. MBO is more than performance appraisal its a construct for managing the entire organization. Its breadth includes the organizations vision, values, strategies, goals, and performance measurement. MBO (management by objectives) methods of performance appraisal are results-oriented. That is, they seek to measure employee performance by examining the extent to which predetermined work objectives have been met. MBO begins with managers at the top of the company setting goals. Then managers and employees at each successively lower level develop their own goals. Employees goals are designed to support the goals of their own managers. In this way, the entire organization is linked together in the pursuit of objectives. The focus is on outcomes that are clear, specific, measurable, and supported by action plans, benchmark dates, and deadlines. All aspects of the goal-setting process also apply to the employees personal and developmental goals, such as building their skills or knowledge base. Once an objective is agreed, the employee is usually expected to self-audit; that is, to identify the skills needed to achieve the objective. Typically they do not rely on others to locate and specify their strengths and weaknesses. They are expected to monitor their own development and progress. After employees meet with their managers to establish their goals and action plans, the employees return to work newly energized and focused on specific short-term and longer-term targets. Simultaneously, their managers monitor the employees performance, provide coaching and support, remove barriers or help employees overcome them, and make adjustments and course corrections as necessary. The employees performance and progress are clear, measured, documented, and transparent every step of the way. Employees are highly motivated through MBO because theyve been able to actively participate in the process of setting goals, instead of simply having the goals dumped on them. Their involvement in this type of decision-making helps meet many of their higher-level needs for accomplishment, achievement, recognition, and self-worth. MBO brings a wide range of advantages to the appraisal process: It helps build relationships between managers and employees. MBO includes a great deal of contact and communication between managers and their employees, which builds camaraderie, communication, and trust all key elements in strengthening teamwork. It fosters a comfortable climate in the workplace. MBO helps build an atmosphere of respect and trust within a given department and beyond. Because managers work directly with employees to identify and solve problems, MBO improves the quality of decision-making and problem solving. Its fair. Employees are evaluated on the basis of their performance and attainment of goals, which is regarded as fair and energizing. Its quick and easy. Performance evaluation forms associated with MBO are a breeze to complete. Typically, they spell out each objective as established at the beginning of the cycle, and then provide a space for the manager to summarize the results. Some MBO forms also include a scale that asks for a numerical assessment of the employees success in meeting their goals. These scales guide the managers in the rating process by including specific descriptions of excellent, good, fair, and poor levels of goal attainment. Management by Objectives and performance appraisal: The MBO approach overcomes some of the problems that arise as a result of assuming that the employee traits needed for job success can be reliably identified and measured. Instead of assuming traits, the MBO method concentrates on actual outcomes. If the employee meets or exceeds the set objectives, then he or she has demonstrated an acceptable level of job performance. Employees are judged according to real outcomes, and not on their potential for success, or on someones subjective opinion of their abilities. The guiding principle of the MBO approach is that direct results can be observed, whereas the traits and attributes of employees (which may or may not contribute to performance) must be guessed at or inferred. The MBO method recognizes the fact that it is difficult to neatly dissect all the complex and varied elements that go to make up employee performance. MBO advocates claim that the performance of employees cannot be broken up into so many constituent parts as one might take apart an engine to study it. But put all the parts together and the performance may be directly observed and measured. CONCLUSION: Although OD emphasizes the macro aspects of the organization, the individual is not ignored. In fact, individual developmental aspirations are identified and integrated with management development; managerial needs are translated into personal development objectives and action plans. Management by Objectives, the widely acclaimed and applied approach to management, has undergone considerable change over the years. In its early development, MBO was primarily an appraisal tool. Next, it integrated individual needs with organizational objectives. MBO was then expanded to include long range, strategic planning. But to remain a viable and effective managerial system, MBO must continue to evolve. New knowledge, where appropriate, must be merged with MBO. The inputs to the organization are transformed through the MBO process to produce the outputs. To be sure, this new MBO model is complex, but so is management. MBO must continue its evolutionary path and continue to aid, not add to, the work of the manager.

Babe Ruth Essay -- Biography Biographies

Babe Ruth Baseball player. Born George Herman Ruth, Jr., on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the first of eight children born to Kate and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Most of the Ruth children died in infancy and only George Jr. and his sister Mamie survived to maturity. Little George, as he was called, grew up in a poor waterfront neighborhood in Baltimore, where he lived above the family saloon. In 1902, the Ruth’s sent their son away to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, which was both a reformatory and an orphanage. Ruth developed a love for sports, particularly baseball, which served as his escape from the strict environment at St Mary’s. From an early age he showed potential as an athlete, and in his late teens he had developed into a professional candidate. His tough southpaw pitching attracted Jack Dunn, manager of the minor league Baltimore Orioles. In 1914, the Orioles signed Ruth to his first professional baseball contract. He became the team’s youngest member, and was befittingly nicknamed â€Å"Babe.† Within five months, 19-year-old Ruth graduated to the major leagues, and signed with the Boston Red Sox. He remained with the team for six seasons, alternating positions as pitcher and outfielder. With his great pitching, powerful bat, and winning personality, he was quickly on his way to greatness, overshadowing players like Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. After a controversy revealed that the Chicago White Sox conspired to throw the 1919 World Series, the sport of baseball was in need of a hero. The scandal had shaken the public’s faith in the game. However, in 1919, while still a part-time pitcher for the Red Sox, Ruth made his home-run assault on the record books. His 25th home run that year shattered the modern major league record held by the now forgotten Gabby Kraveth. By the end of the year, Ruth’s record was an unprecedented 29 home runs, and he was credited with reviving faith in the game. In December of 1919, the Boston Red Sox sold the invaluable player to New York Yankee owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert. Ruppert bought Ruth’s contract for over $100,000, which was a staggering price at the time. In 1920, Ruth joined the Yankees, who as yet had never won a pennant. For years they played in the shadow of the New York Giants. Without a baseball park to call their own, the Yankees were forced to hold their games at the G... ...ue team. Ruth was diagnosed with cancer in 1946. Although the extent of his illness was kept from him, he knew that his time was limited. He spent the remainder of his life making countless visits to children’s hospitals and orphanages. In 1948, Ruth made his final appearance at Yankee Stadium, celebrating the 25th anniversary of â€Å"The House that Ruth Built.† His number was retired, and April 27th was declared â€Å"Babe Ruth Day.† On August 16, 1948, Ruth died at the age of 53. At the time of his death, he held 54 major league records, including most years leading a league in home runs (12), most total bases in a season (457), and highest slugging percentage for a season (.847). While with the Red Sox, Ruth married 18-year-old waitress Helen Woodford, whom he had known less than three months. In 1929, Ruth’s wife died in a fire. At the time, they had been separated for three years. Her tragic death allowed him to marry Claire Hodgson, a former model and actress. With Claire’s daughter from a previous marriage and Ruth’s adopted daughter (with Woodford), they became an immediate family. Ruth and Hodgson remained together until Ruth’s death. Bibliography: biography.com

Culture and Multicultural Education Essay

In the modern world, the society is characterized by diverse populations with different cultures. It is important that individual members of today’s society learn to interpret and interact with other individuals from different social groups. Since the colonial era, society has experienced inequalities based on cultural and social factors. Some cultures have been depicted as more superior and others inferior. The colonial masters created a general notion that theirs was a more superior culture that others needed to assimilate and follow. However, since the revolutions of 1960’s multiculturalism has been embraced and is now accepted as an important facet of learning. Culture Mitchell, B. M. & Salsbury, R. E. (1996) defines culture as a common set of values, beliefs, perspectives and practices that are learned and shared by a particular social group and which contribute to the behavioral outcomes of the said social group. Culture forms a basis on which individuals defines interpret and interact with others. It influences individuals’ aspirations and relationships. Multicultural Education This refers to a system of learning that cultivates educational equity, awareness of and respect for the diversity of the modern society in an educational setting. Thomas, D. G. (1994) posits that multicultural education is based on the realization that children need to learn how to interact with others who are culturally different from themselves. Multicultural education is an important tool that can address cultural differences and bias in an educational setting this is because increased understanding of the nature and basis of differences can enhance peaceful coexistence where the student learn to respect one another as well as the others’ beliefs and practices. In this way multicultural education destroys the basis of bias not only in the educational setting but also in the society at large. Additionally, multicultural education creates a self awareness for the students in such that they learn how to place themselves among their peers which improves their relationships. According to Grant, C. A & Lei J. L. (2001), multicultural education serves an important purpose of eliminating the suspicion that exists between people from different cultures that is usually as a result of misconceptions and misinformed stereotypes. My preconception in light of research. Initially I had thought that the cultural practices I considered extreme like the FGM just needed to be simply done away with but have realized from my research that the people practicing that deserve respect and it should not therefore be imposed on them that they stop the practice. Rather they should be treated with dignity and such approaches as education be used to create awareness of the adverse effects of the practice. Again research has helped me understand that the cause of cultural bias cannot necessarily be blamed on ignorance alone but rather that the issue is multi faceted touching on the very foundations of the modern society. It is important that a better understanding of the cultural question be cultivated in the best forum there is i. e. education setting. As a teacher the responsibility lies heavily on my shoulders to pass this education to the students and the understanding gained will enable me to be more sensitive in the course of instructing my students. I intend to create a classroom atmosphere that embraces diversity. Having a cultural day at school where students display different cultural aspects such as dress, song and dance, and foods is one idea that I would like to implement in the quest of enhancing understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. Reference Thomas D. G. (1994). Implementing multicultural education in teacher education Programme. Childhood education vol. 70 Grant C. A. and Lei J. L. (2001) Global constructions of multicultural education: Theories and Realities Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mitchell B. M. and Salsbury R. E. (1996). Multicultural education an international guide to research, policies and programme. New York Greenwood press Alex Moore (2000). Teaching and learning pedagogy, curriculum and culture. New York Routledge.

Static Electricity

Everything is made up of tiny particles called atoms. The atoms are made up of even smaller parts called protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge (+), electrons have a negative charge (-) and neutrons have no charge at all, they are neutral. Atoms normally have the same amount of electrons and protons, making them neutral and having no charge. When rubbing things together, electrons can move from one atom to another, resulting in some atoms having extra electrons and a negative charge.The other atoms now have more protons than electrons and a positive charge. When the charges are separated, it is static electricity. â€Å"Electricity is present in all matter in the form of electrons and protons. Any device that develops and maintains a voltage can be considered a voltage source. To accomplish this, the voltage source must remove electrons from one point and transfer electrons to a second point. † (Petruzella, 2001. ) One type of electricity is static ele ctricity. The term static means standing still which makes static electricity an electric charge that is at rest.Static electricity is defined as â€Å"an accumulation of electric charge on an insulated body. † (Free Dictionary) In other words, it is a charge that is created when two objects that are not good electrical conductors are rubbed together, and electrons from one of the object rub off onto the other object. Some of the results of static electricity may be sparks, shocks, or even materials clinging together. The simplest way to form static electricity is by friction. Friction is simply the rubbing of one object against another.By rubbing two different materials together, â€Å"electrons may be forced out of their valence shells in one material and picked up in the shell of the other material. The material that gives up electrons more freely becomes positively charged and the one that gains electrons becomes negatively charged. † (Petruzella, 2001. ) When the electrons are relocated from one material to another, it is called triboelectric charging. Static electricity is formed much better in areas with low humidity and dry air. With humid air, tiny water molecules can collect on the surface of different materials and prevent the buildup of an electrical charge.Although small amounts of water, such as those developed from humidity, can affect a charge, â€Å"extreme turbulence among water drops†, such as in a thunderstorm cloud, can cause static electricity to build up on the water droplets themselves. Benjamin Franklin showed that static electricity is created in a thunderstorm cloud by flying a kite during a storm. He noticed the static electricity by seeing the hairs on the kite stand on end and created an electric spark with a metal key. There are other ways to produce a static charge other than friction or contact.An object can also be charged by induction. Induction is used to produce a charge of opposite polarity. Inductance is defined in the text as an â€Å"electrical property which opposes change in current. † (Petruzella, 2001. ) An inductor is â€Å"a device that generates a counter emf that tends to oppose any change in current through the use of ac current flowing through a coil wire. † (Petruzella, 2001. ) Charging by induction makes use of the electrostatic field surrounding a charged body in order to charge an object without touching it.If a negatively charged rod is brought close to the sphere on the inductor, the negative charges in the sphere move as far away from the rod as possible. By touching the sphere, it is grounded and allows the electrons to completely leave the sphere. Once you remove your finger, the electrons no longer have a way of returning to the sphere and the rod is then positively charged. Static electrical charge can be produced by a high-voltage direct current source. Many air purifiers use both positively and negatively charged plates to remove tiny dirt particles from the air.This system uses an electrostatic precipitator and oppositely charged grids. The dirty air moves through the precipitator which gives the dirt particles a positive charge. All of those particles are then attracted to the negatively charged grid and then the air passes through a carbon filter to remove any odors. Static electricity is also used with photography to work a photocopier. An â€Å"electrostatically charged drum† attracts toner particles to the image in the original document. The metal drum inside the machine is charged at the eginning of each copy. The system inside the photocopier then puts an image of the document onto the drum. The electric charge goes away wherever light shines on the drum and so only the dark parts of the image are still charged on the metal surface. The particles of black toner are oppositely charged and then applied to the drum. The charged parts, which contain the image, are attracted to the toner and transferred to t he paper and finally attached to the paper with heat. Static electricity can cause materials to attract or repel each other.If you use a hair dryer on your hair and then comb through it or just comb it on a very dry day, the plastic comb will collect negative charges from the hair and leave the hair with an excess amount of positive charges. Since like charges repel, the hair strands will push away from each other causing your hair to stand up or â€Å"flyaway. † Static electricity can also cause a spark to jump from one material to another, like when you touch someone and â€Å"shock† them. As you walk across something like a carpet, electrons cling to you.When you have extra electrons, you then have a negative charge and are attracted to positive charges so once you touch someone else, assuming they have a positive charge, you will feel a tiny shock which is a quick movement of electrons. If there are enough positive electrical charges on one object or material and e nough negative charges on another, the attraction may be so great that the electrons will jump to the other object with out the two touching. After a few electrons make the jump, the air begins to heat up and causes more and more electrons to move and the air to get even hotter.This all happens so fast and causes the air to get so hot that it glows for a split second and is known as a spark. The same process occurs with lightning only on a much larger scale. Removing or preventing a static charge can be very simple such as opening a window or using an air humidifier to â€Å"increase the moisture content of the air and make the atmosphere more conductive. † (Wikipedia) Items that are very sensitive to static discharge can be treated with an antistatic agent. Wikipedia defines an antistatic agent as something that â€Å"adds a conducting urface layer which ensures that any excess charge is evenly distributed. † An example of an antistatic agent is fabric softener or dry er sheets which are used in your laundry to prevent and remove static cling. â€Å"Semiconductor devices† which are used in electronics are very sensitive to static charge. These devices are protected using antistatic bags and those who work with these devices ground themselves by wearing conductive antistatic straps to protect their bodies. To test for a charge on an object, you must see how that object affects another object with a known charge.If the two objects repel, that means their charges are alike and if they attract, the charges are opposite. To see if an object is neutral, test it with another neutral object. Neutral objects do not attract with each other, only with another positive or negative object. â€Å"An aluminum-leaf electroscope is a device for detecting the presence of an electric charge and also for determining whether the charge is positive or negative. † (Petruzella, 2001. ) This device is made up of a flask with an insulating stopper. A metal r od goes through the center of the stopper and a metal knob is fastened to the outside end of the rod.Two very thin pieces of aluminum are attached to the other end of the rod inside the flask. â€Å"Normally the positive and negative charges within the electroscope balance each other, leaving it neutral. When a negatively charged body touches the knob of the electroscope, electrons flow from the charged body into the knob and down to the aluminum leaves. Each leaf then becomes negatively charged. Since like charges repel and both leaves are negative, they will diverge, indicating that the object contained a static charge. † (Petruzella, 2001. )In conclusion, static electricity is all around us. It may clean our air or be the cause of a terrible hair day but has both positive and negative effects on many daily routines.Work Cited Page Petruzella, Frank. Essentials of Electronics. Second Ed. Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2001. 39-43. Print. Kurtus, Ron. â€Å"Basics of St atic Electricity. † School for Champions. N. p. , 23 Jan 2009. Web. 17 Oct 2010. . â€Å"Definition of Static Electricity. † The Free Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Web. 20 Oct 2010. . â€Å"Static Electricity. † Wikipedia. N. p. , 16 Oct 2010. Web. 17 Oct 2010. .