Monday, September 30, 2019

Cost when using photovoltaic cell Essay

Solar energy industry utilizes prize per Watt peak, which is the primary unit of measurement for computing cost. Current prevailing price for solar energy generation is at around $4/Wp. Basically; cost would depend on the total installed cost for the system. Around 40% to 50% of the cost would be for the solar module. A complete system includes the entire required component for a functioning system. As of 2003 a residential system would cost at around $8,000 – $12,000 per kWp installed (SolarBuzz, 2006). Based on data, a 1kWp unit would produce differently depending on the location and levels of sunlight. Generated data for Southern California produced 1800 kwh/year while for Northern Germany was 800 kwh/year and 1600 – 2000 kwh / year in India using the same 1kWp unit of solar system. However, gradual improvements on the silicon crystal model of PV cells contributed to a dramatic reduction of the cost of photovoltaic electricity (Cartlidge, 2007). Actual generated power would still depend on the location and prices are variably dependent on the local tariffs. Compared to other existing rates for energy generation distributed solar PV would be 30cents to 50cents/kWh the current rate is still far from the 3 – 5 cents / kWh rate for combined cycle gas turbines. Although there is a promising trend of decreasing rate of generation cost due to decrease in installation cost (Space_Daily, 2005). The amount of roof space needed to roof-mount a solar system is based on the size or â€Å"generating capacity† or â€Å"rating† of the system you purchase. Most residential systems require as little as 50 square feet of mounting area for a small â€Å"starter† system, or as much as 500-1,000 square feet for a PV array capable of meeting all of a homeowner’s needs. Commercial systems are typically much larger than residential systems. A rule of thumb is that a square foot of single- or poly-crystalline PV module area produces 10 watts of power in bright sunlight. Therefore, a 1000-watt system requires about 100 to 200 square feet of roof area, depending on the type of PV module. The amount of roof area needed also depends on the PV module’s efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity. Table 1 provides approximate roof area requirements as a function of PV efficiency (percent) and rating (watts). Table 1: Roof Area Needed for Various Sizes of PV Systems Although the efficiency (percent of sunlight converted to electricity) varies with different types of PV modules, higher-efficiency modules typically cost more. One of the main barriers to the development of rural electrification markets with photovoltaic is the financing of the high up-front investment of an SHS, which is the critical point for most of the rural households, as well as for many photovoltaic intermediaries. Depending on the size of the local market, taxes the share of locally manufactured components and governmental policy regarding solar technology and rural electrification, an SHS costs between US $500 to US $1,500. Even with the existence of subsidies for the installation of an SHS, such investment costs are much too high compared to the average income of the target households. For this reason, financing schemes allowing payment by installments must be offered – they are needed in national electrification programs as in commercial markets. In this connection, micro-finance institutions (MFI) could play an essential role in the dissemination of SHS. This not only represents a solution for the existing barriers regarding the electrification of remote rural households, but also offers new market opportunities for . MFI for example, ill form of rural electricity loans, which additionally offer the convenience of secure guarantees of the hardware, especially the solar panel. PV today is economical only if it does not have to compete with grid electricity. Nevertheless, the technology is only at the beginning of its development and hopes are high for further large cost reductions. At present, however, it is not obvious that the cost of PV can reach present levels of the cost of base load electricity, but it call reach consumer retail prices. Besides development of technology, market expansion is a proven way of bringing down cost. In several countries that take their obligation to reduce greenhouse gases seriously, comprehensive support programs for distributed PV installations have been legislated. One example is the German renewable energy law, which stipulates that utilities have to pay for PV electricity fed into the grid about 0. 5 $/kWh for twenty years. This reimbursement is reduced by 5% each year for new installations in order to stimulate cost reduction (Elwell & Komp, 2007). Manufacturing of PV cells undergoes many processes. After producing the solar cells, they have to be transported and assembled. Solar cell usually have a life span of 25 years. After which they are disassembled and transported for proper disposal. A study was conducted to measure the total energy consumed in the manufacture alone of the solar cells. Using the Sharp ND-205U1 module, which cost $850, a forty-four-module order would require $28,900, not including the cost of wires and inverters installed along with the solar modules (Riley & Meyers, 2005). Renewable sources in Middle East In the Middle East, governments are pushing for finding an alternative to fossil fuels to meet its energy requirements. Renewable sources are being eyed. Due to the depleting supply of fossil fuels, United Arab Emirates has already undertaken projects in preparation for meeting the required power needed. It is estimated that by 2015, 14% of estimated power requirements would be saved with the utilization of wind and solar energy. By 2050 it is forecasted that almost half of energy requirements of UAE would be supplied by wind and solar energy with PV generation forming the largest percentage of the two (WFES, 2004). Other Middle East countries are likely to follow in their endeavor to preserve the region’s main source of wealth – oil and gas. Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran Bahrain and Lebanon have already implemented or will be implementing strategies in harnessing these renewable sources abundant in the region (Middle_East_Electricity, 2005). One project initiated in Israel, which aims to provide electricity and water supply in a small rural village in Palestine. Greenstar identified one of the four-target villages Al Ka’abneh, West Bank, Palestine. The purpose of the project is to supply electricity with the installation of PV cell system. Before the project was instituted, the village had no electricity and water was not sanitized, thus resulting to health problems as one of the prevalent challenged areas of the village. The locals were taught how to maintain and utilize the PV system installed in their village and care was delegated to them. The project supplied the village with a 100 kW PV generator, which was used to power the village’s health clinic, mosque and school. Aside from the generator, the village was also supplied with a PV powered water pumping and desalination units. Among the lessons learned from the project is that solar energy provides simple solutions to simple electrical needs of small isolated villages where a national grid is rendered superfluous (Greenstar, 1999).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Hannibal’s Crossing of the Alps

Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps is one of history’s most remarkable military achievements even to this day. There are many accounts of the crossing of the Alps and what happened during those weeks and we can only speculate and use the sources and information that has lived through the decay of time. Our main primary sources that historians use to piece together the crossing of the Alps are by two of Rome’s most famous historians, Polybius and Livy.Polybius was a very rounded and mostly non-biased historian who got out of his way to travel to his locations to document facts and information which he used in his text and who lived during the time of the First and Second Punic Wars. On the other hand we have Livy who was a very pro-Roman historian who had documented his facts based on other historians who were before him as he lived almost 200 years after the Punic wars.When we compare the two accounts by both historians we tend to believe and rely more on the accoun ts made by Polybius as we know him as a reliable and fairly non-biased source whereas Livy was very biased towards Rome and based his information off of other historians. Although we see Polybius as the more reliable source, Livy does come up with some points that concern the crossing that are quite conflicting with the information presented to us by Polybius. By analysing both of these accounts we can get a better understanding of the crossing of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps.Polybius who was a very reliable historian who we know lived around 200-118 BC during the time of the two Punic Wars provided a very detailed account of both Punic wars and Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. Polybius is known for his determination to get actual factual evidence and firsthand knowledge of events that occurred. He resided in Rome for most of his life and occasionally undertaking long journeys throughout the Mediterranean to get knowledge on historical sites and interview primary so urces who were actually at the events.Polybius’s works (The Histories) documents the events between 264 and 146 BC which mainly involved the rise of the Roman Empire and the effort in which they went to subdue their rival Carthage. Polybius documents the First and Second Punic wars with incredible detail and is our main source for the wars, although Livy also provides some very important facts and information. Titus Livius Patavinus (59 BC – AD 17) (more commonly known as Livy) we know as to be a very pro- Roman historian who can be seen as very biased towards the Romans and paints them in an honourable and almighty glow within his texts.Some of his texts we can see as just plain lies and so we are reluctant to solely use Livy’s information to base our research and understanding around. Livy wrote a complete history of Rome from its very foundations all the way up to the reign of Augustus in Livy’s own time but the only surviving work of his is the  "History of Rome†. During the reign of Augustus Livy wrote his texts emphasizing the accomplishments and triumphs of Rome, and wrote everything with a pro-Roman view to promote a new type of government which was implemented by the emperor Augustus.With that being said a lot of Livy’s texts and accounts mislead to reader into taking a Roman view and often cut out pieces of information which would downgrade the view on Rome, and so we have come to rely more on Polybius’s accounts than Livy’s, although Livy does also provide many accounts and descriptions of events that are unavailable elsewhere and so his texts and reports are still highly valued is one of the main sources we have. Both Polybius’s and Livy’s accounts of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps can be seen to have many similarities and so we can determine that the same source and information has been used.Although there are many similarities between the two there are also some dif ferences which can be seen throughout both texts. For example when Hannibal is crossing the Alps and he soon finds his path blocked by a pile of rocks Livy states that he uses Vinegar and Fire to break through the rock. Polybius says nothing of the subject and up to this day there has been no evidence of rock that has been carbonized at the site in which Livy had stated. Livy’s accounts of the crossing were very much the same as Polybius’s although we can see in some parts of Livy’s work that his Roman bias has written the work for him.When Hannibal was making a speech to his men after their crossing of the Rhone Polybius wrote that Hannibal spoke of their past achievements and that the hardest part of their journey was already over, but according to Livy Hannibal told his men that they were going to be fighting against the most powerful and grandest city in the world. This was not the case in Hannibal’s time and so we can clearly see that Livy had just c reated a false fact and account just to paint Rome in a brighter light.Livy’s biased for Rome is something that constantly alters Livy’s accounts. Much of Hannibal’s ascent and crossing of the Alps documented by Polybius and Livy are very similar with only a few minor alterations in the accounts of some events which took place. The main reason why the accounts of some events are different is mainly because of Livy’s biased and attitude towards Rome which makes him document the account and alter it in such a way that it paints Rome in a sense of glory and success.Another main reason which dictates the differences of the accounts is that Polybius who lived during the time of these events could go to places and get a firsthand experience and knowledge of the event by interviewing the people involved and taking notes on the actual location whereas Livy who lived a long time after the crossing had to rely on other peoples accounts and could not get firsthand k nowledge on a lot of the events.The crossing of the Alps is a fairly well documented event during the Second Punic war and one that is the most remarkable. Polybius and Livy both have very detailed accounts of the crossing and we rely on this information to piece together Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. Although some of the facts of the crossing remain disputed and unknown we have sufficient information between both sources to have a good understanding of the crossing.Both historians give a lot of information on the crossing although we tend to use Polybius’s account as it is more reliable and he had firsthand experience and knowledge whereas we know Livy to be a very pro-Roman and did not live during the event but many years later. Both accounts of the crossing have proved to be very useful for our understanding of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Report - Essay Example ket that is really efficient in which the voluntary exchange is mutually beneficial in terms of the value agreed upon between these two parties based on freely-available information. However, a truly efficient market is only in theory because no matter how people will try to be efficient, there will always be distortions in a capitalist market. The distortions can be the lack of adequate or timely information, resulting in less than optimal distribution of the goods and services produced within a certain economy. The sub-optimal distribution results in what we call as an externality to the two-party transaction that involves other third parties not included specifically in that transaction between a seller and a buyer. As used in economics theory, externalities refer to the so-called transaction spill-over effect in which the actual costs or benefits of a product or service are not fully transmitted in the prices. In other words, the actual price being agreed upon between seller and buyer is not the actual cost of production because of market inefficiencies or there might be unintended benefits to third parties other than the buyer. Externalities can even cause significant social problems if not at all examined, checked and corrected immediately (Hunt, 2002, p. 397). Externalities are defined by economists as the unintended result in terms of benefits or costs to other third parties. This means some people will end up carrying the burden of costs although they are not a party to the transaction (spill-over effects) or conversely, a third party will benefit somehow although he or she is not the buyer of a particular product or service. There are many examples of externalities in capitalist societies because externalities are one form of the so-called market failures which in turn results when the allocation of goods and services in a free market is not totally efficient. A free capitalist market is supposed to be self- regulating in which the best interests of

A critical evaluation of the Military Cooperation between US and Research Proposal

A critical evaluation of the Military Cooperation between US and Nigeria since the return of Democracy in 1999 - Research Proposal Example recognizes the importance of Nigeria because of its oil supply and the fact that it has to protect the billions of dollars of investments by US companies. US policies centre on Nigerian involvement in Africa’s peacekeeping efforts, such as in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and influencing the government to stop drug trafficking syndicates and government corruption. Added to this is the issue of human rights and strengthening democracy in Nigeria. (Fleshman 2001, p. 3) Nigeria has been considered a subregional power because of the reputation it earned in West Africa and has succeeded to maintain its status as a power broker because of the crafty way it has used in dealing with existing differences between the Anglophone and Francophone states and the conflicts between them. Nigeria is now being consulted by member states with matters pertaining to economic, political and military problems. It has helped finance and sustained ECOWAS (Economic Organisation of West African States) and the member states, making the environment more peaceful and the region to survive the adversities. (Fleshman 2001, p. 3) The United States consider Nigeria of strategic significance; the multinationals consider it very important to their business. The U.S. government feels this importance because of Nigeria’s energy reserves and geographic position. Nigerian oil reserve is so large that the world is shifting to this kind of crude. Added to this is the quality of Nigeria’s crude which can be easily refined into gasoline. Moreover, Nigeria is much nearer than the Middle East to the United States, making shipping a bit cheaper. Because of these factors, the U.S. government considers Nigeria a political friend. In 2007, the U.S. government established a special military command, the AFRICOM, to improve security in Nigeria and in the African continent. (Peel 2010, p. 6) One of the effective ways for the Americans to protect their interest in the Niger Delta is to provide military support

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Organizational Behaviour of Ritz Carlton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organizational Behaviour of Ritz Carlton - Essay Example s the vast potential of demographic and cultural diversity among people and accepts the imprint of globalization on everyday living and organizational competitiveness. (Hunt, et al 2004)1 Previously managerial decisions were mostly directed towards organizations objective while addressing concerns like production, sales and marketing with little attention towards the people working in the organization which is rightly mentioned by Harris et al (2001)2 and (Hunt et al, 2004). It is further stated that progressive workplaces presently are looking and acting differently from those of the past with new approach towards customers and client markets. There are competitions from all corners and the company has to meet the demand and expectations of the customer. (Hunt et al, 2004) In view of the above, the present global environment asks for more commitment, skills and ability to tackle the challenges effectively which can be possible only through changes, individually and institutionally, to keep pace with dynamic and complex environment. The present paper aims to critically examine leadership and management styles adopted by the management of Ritz Carlton during the period of change, their nature of team motivation and policies to achieve high performance. The approach for the present research is qualitative methodological approach relying only on secondary data from online sources, books and journals which were earlier published. The view points and interviews of senior managers of Ritz Carlton Hotels have been collected for the purpose of this research to identify the management and leadership styles during the change , their strategies for employee and team motivation and policies to achieve better quality of service. Ritz Carlton has a long history which goes back to 1898 when the founder of the industry Cesar Ritz moved to Paris working in finest hotels and restaurants and later opening London’s Carlton Hotel setting the stage for Ritz Carlton Company. The

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Marketing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Marketing assignment - Essay Example Many writers considered that there are four Ps of a successful marketing mix strategy. However, with the passage of time people also included another P in this and now as we see it we have five Ps that are related to the marketing mix. These include: Product, Packaging, Pricing, Placement, and last but not the least Promotion. There are a lot of factors involved, if an organization or a big corporation like McDonald’s wants to develop a successful marketing strategy. First of all, the marketers will have to investigate and research the market accordingly, in the context of McDonald’s Corporation products and service they offer. This research will provide an important vehicle to McDonald Corporation in developing appropriate products, good pricing decision, better distributional channel, and then will help them to reach to their target audience by the means of advertising and promotional activities. All the above decision will help McDonald’s in earning optimal re turn on investment. However, as we see it today, McDonald’s marketing policies have always been spot-on, ever since it was formed and serving a lone hamburger in 1955. After that, when Ray Kroc took a important decision to expand this restaurant and to make it a global entity through advertising, it was probably the wisest decision ever, that contributed in making McDonald Corporation the most valuable global brand. The greatness of McDonald’s Corporation lies in the fact that it not only produces standard products all over the world, but it also make slight alterations in line with the diverse cultures of the different countries in order to produce a product that is in concert with the religion, culture, values and trends of the home country in which the franchise is operating in. This respect given by McDonald’s to different culture has clearly

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Nestle Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nestle - Case Study Example The board of directors of the company does not show good tactics in solving the issues affecting the company. This is the main problem that has afflicted General Mills Company for many years. Lack of good strategies in running the company is very evident. The company is seen to be shifting from one type of business into another with the aim of expanding their business or maximizing profits, but in return, it gets losses. This is a show poor market research and consideration of the market statistics over the years. According to Wojahn, General Mills Company underwent a series of losses after it decided to start business dealing in non-food substances. This was immediately after the Second World War when it ventured into home appliances, electronic goods, animal feeds, and commercial flour. Wojahn (Wojahn, 2003: p25) says that this was as a result of the rush they had into the market after noticing opportunities to invest in. They needed to conduct a market research to determine the ma rket trends, their preferred produce and customer patterns before they could venture into it (Wojahn, 2003: p25). Their lack of good strategies also makes the board decide on moving out of a market without proper consideration of future outcomes. The company easily pulls out from a market it has tried out but has not been successful. This is shown immediately after the Second World War when it pulled out from electronic goods, home appliances, and animal feeds. In this case, the company had to set the right strategies that could see it, make profits in the same business venture rather than losses. They needed to conduct market research and improve on their products so as to gain a good market share that could make them gain good profits (Wojahn, 2003: p25). After the fail in home appliances, electrical goods, and animal feeds the company still ventured into worldwide sale of snack foods. This could have been a success to the company, but they pulled out so soon. General mills Compan y bought a number of companies dealing in snacks in the following years and even had plans to acquire an international company to deal in manufacturing of shaped snacks (Wojahn, 2003: p25). This vision went blank when FTC restricted them from buying any more companies due to antitrust reasons. The company then started to sell the bought companies one by one, until it remained with only one company. In this case, they needed to expand the already acquired companies to gain market share and profits, which they could use to open other companies. Pulling out of the business after some time shows a lack of good strategies in running the company (Wojahn, 2003: p25). Considering their lack of tactics in dealing with issues at hand, the company’s board of directors, is seen to lack active participants in discussion of matters affecting the company. This is evident when the CEO of the company urges the directors to ask for questions that can help to point out a problem in decisions ma de by the board. The board is seen to remain silent (Wojahn, 2003: p25). This is a big show of the lack of tactics in dealing with issues affecting the company. The CEO of the company is also seen to lack tactics in handling situations when it is evident that, he takes an average of the views put forward by the board to make a decision. A director need to listen to his directors views but come up with his own critically analyzed decision. Following any of the views put forward is the main problem facing the company. From the above analysis, one of the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Course of Action Statement and Sketch Coursework

Course of Action Statement and Sketch - Coursework Example In accordance with Field Manual (FM) 3-21-31 (2003), â€Å"Decisive operations at any echelon (accomplished by a designated main effort) directly achieve the purpose of the mission of the higher headquarters.   At the SBCT level, there is only one decisive operation†.   By that definition, once the attack by Ahurastan forces occurs, EUCOM will automatically switch to Phase 2, which is Seize the Initiative.   With 4ID aviation assets disrupting enemy forces, it is hoped that the SBCT will be able to accomplish its main decisive operation as established by the 4ID CG, to designate two routes through AO for passage and to close said routes on/order.   These routes have been designated on the map as the primary and alternate route.   AA1 has been preliminary chosen as the primary route because of the dam adjacent to AA2.   If the Commandos choose to sabotage the dam, road traffic would be cut off, especially considering there is no improved bridge on AA2. Because the 4 ID battle plans are not finalized as of this date, it is impossible to determine whether the division CG will require simultaneous shaping and decisive operations.   Therefore this COS will assume they will be separate entities.    In order to maintain the Decisive Operations as described above, SBCT fires teams will be established at integral areas along both designated routes, as well attempting to neutralize all enemy assets in the AO.   Engineer assets should be mobilized closer to AA2 with a fires team.... If the Commandos choose to sabotage the dam, road traffic would be cut off, especially considering there is no improved bridge on AA2. IV. Shaping operations Because the 4ID battle plans are not finalized as of this date, it is impossible to determine whether the division CG will require simultaneous shaping and decisive operations. Therefore this COS will assume they will be separate entities. In order to maintain the Decisive Operations as described above, SBCT fires teams will be established at integral areas along both designated routes, as well attempting to neutralize all enemy assets in the AO. As it slow to move them, Engineer assets should be mobilized closer to AA2 with a fires team in order to keep that route operational in case AA1 is overrun. If the area is not as heavily attacked as is predicted, the engineers can work on preparing a possible bridge over the ARAKS, even temporary will work in the event of an emergency. V. Sustaining operations By the FM, sustainment ope rations are conducted throughout the area of operations, so it would probably be best to break the sustainment down into the levels as discussed in Chapter 1 of the FM. The Op Order states the SBCT should be prepared to accomplish this mission for â€Å"several weeks†, until the Task Force is fully deployed and operational, a large order considering support is â€Å"austere†. V.1 Movement Military Police will provide movement control along the designated routes, especially once enemy forces have been neutralized. This will be one shortfall for the SBCT, as the MP’s will be stretched extremely thin along some 120 kilometers of roadway. If there are any MP assets available, perhaps the 4ID CG can attach them to the Combat Team, to augment our own forces. V.2 Security (Including rear

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ap Language and Composition Synthesis Essay Example for Free

Ap Language and Composition Synthesis Essay Society teaches the morally incorrect and socially unacceptable aspects of murder. George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting and Elephant† and Foster the People’s â€Å"Pumped up Kicks† address the contrary, the instances in which society leads one to murder. Orwell’s switch from first to second person within â€Å"He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it† reveals the distance that the murderer puts between himself and his action creating a sense of personal distain; the same sense of detachment is evoked through Foster the People’s dreamily synthesized lyrics. The short clauses without conjunctions â€Å"In an instant, in too short a time, one would have thought, even for the bullet to get there† increases the pace just as the murderous act occurs intensifies the guilt suddenly felt. On the contrary, as the chorus begins in â€Å"Pumped up Kicks† the music picks up pace with a lighter music layered over the heavy down beat evokes a sense of relief that that the murder will bring after society drove the murderer insane. Both Orwell and Foster the People address varying situations in which murder must occur through their written and melodic choices. Part 2Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† and George Orwell â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† offer a satirical view of British Imperialism. Orwell openly mocks the British control of Burma through â€Å"I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British† which ironically reveals the disapproval of the governing body even by those that it employs. Swift’s absurd suggestion â€Å"that a young healthy child well nursed at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food† casts light upon the horrible treatment the Irish receive from the British while the radical suggestion parallels the extensive poverty Ireland experienced. Likewise, the thought of â€Å"shooting an elephant† develops a ridiculous idea about allowing death; the awkwardly large size of an elephant criticizes the outrageous living conditions within Burma. Orwell describes the elephant as â€Å"He took not the slightest notice of the crowd’s approach† which symbolizes the blind eye the British turned to the people of Burma. Similarly, Swift justifies babies as being good food for landlords because â€Å"they have already devoured most of the parents† relating the wealthy to cannibals because of their lack of humanity toward the poor. However, Orwell directly develops empathy toward the natives of Burma stating â€Å"It was perfectly clear what I ought to do† relating to shooting the elephant to please the people and gain acceptance. Swift’s constant sarcasm does not pity the poor, but it criticizes the British for allowing their way of life. Orwell’s narrative and Swift’s sarcastic essay critique the British government’s inability to uphold moral laws and just treatment for all people.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Industrial Relations vs. Worker Safety and Health

Industrial Relations vs. Worker Safety and Health Industrial Relations vs. Workers Safety and Health aspects A). The Past and The Present Links Between Industrial Relations And Safety And Health Introduction Industrial relations or better still ‘employment relations’ together with safety and health aspects of any organizations are vital elements in the relationship between the employee and the employer. In simple terms, industrial relations refer to the relationship between employees and the employers. It is a multidimensional field which looks into the employment relationship between the employers and the employees as it’s a cutting edge focusing on the ever changing nature, forms and regulations of the employment relationship. The main objective of this paper is to look into the past and links between safety and health practices within an organization and the industrial relations, in addition to the importance for safety and health practitioners (Monappa, 1990). Since time immemorial, all employers have a duty of care to their employees, and in turn the inception of the Occupational health and safety (OHS) concept which became paramount in employments. Moreover, a safe working place between the employees and the employer involves more than the physical environment. Harassment and bullying, discrimination and equal opportunity are as well important topics and relate equally to employee welfare as do, the more obvious physical hazards in the workplace. The main aim of â€Å"Occupational health within an organization is the maintenance and promotion of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations within an organization. In addition, it also helps in the prevention of workers leaving work due to health caused cases in their working conditions (Edwards, 2003). Links between industrial relations and safety and health The term industrial reactions have a broad and also narrow outlook. In the past, the term industrial relations were broadly defined in order to include the relationships and interactions between the employees and the employer. From this perspective, industrial relation the aspect of industrial relations entailed all the aspects of employment relationships, such as human resource management, employee relations, and union-management (or labor) relations. Over the time the issues that were once under the umbrella of the ‘industrial relations’. However, the definition of the term has seen changes, becoming more specific and restricted. It is the gradual changes of industrial relations that have seen the connections between ‘its’ and the health and safety measures within an organization continue to exist (Blanpain Baker, 2010). Consequently, industrial relations pertains to the study and practice of combined negotiations, trade unionism, and labor-management relations, while on the other hand human resource management is a disconnect, largely distinct field that deals with non-union employment relationships and the personnel practices and policies of employers. In addition, it also entails the management of differences/conflict between employers, workers, and trade unions whenever it arises. Evidently, the nature of industrial relations is shifting, and the impetus for the same being provided by the changing scenarios. However, the main connection remains as the enhancement of the worker-employer relationship whereby one of the aspects is the provision of health and safety measures to the employees (Venkataramana, 2007). It is evident that, the environment in which employers-employees and trade unions find themselves has changed considerably in the one decade and will go on with changing over the coming times. One of the changes that is noticeable is the ongoing disintegration of workplaces and the shift in the balance from collective to individual models of employment relations. However, the functions of the industrial relations remain as they were’ protecting the employer through the maintenance of a healthy relationship between all the parties involved in employment. The significance of the workplace relations over the time shows the link between the industrial relations and safety and health is there and still remains. Traditionally, employment (or industry) relations, has been associated with the management of either collective or individual conflict in the workplace. In recent years, the focus has opened out to consider the benefits of high performance working on productivity, but also the wider social implications for individuals and their dependents. The workplace provides not only the money that we need to support ourselves and our families, but it can also provide purpose, status, and friendship, allowing people to develop new skills, both technical and social. The ability of line managers to manage employment relations on a day-to-day basis and to get the best from their staff has implications for innovation, productivity, quality and reliability, and ultimately levels of growth at a national level and our ability to compete on the global stage. With so much invested in work by managers and employees individually, employment relations have never been so important (Stellman, 1998). B). Importance for â€Å"Safety and Health† Practitioners to Understand Industrial Relations As seen above, industrial relations are an important aspect in the management of organizations. There is in turn a very strong and positive business case for the safety and health practitioners to understand all the aspects of industrial relations. This would enable all the parties involved to fully understand what is needed for each one of them. In addition, it helps understand the fact that, a happy and healthy employee is a more productive employee. In turn it enables the employer understand the repercussions of disgruntled employees. The very last thing any employer would want is a group of dissatisfied employees who might scrutiny their organization’s administration team as one that is concerned only about profits and not anything for workers well-being because this group will not be very industrious.Clear understanding of industrial relations helps the management to take care of their employees for better return in terms of productivity. Moreover, clear understanding of the industrial relations, helps in placing and maintaining of worker in a work-related setting through the adaptation and understanding of physiological and psychological capabilities of the employees. This can be summarized as the ability to manage the workforce for maximum production within an organization (House builder’s health safety, 2008). In addition, understanding of industrial relations helps the management to understand the fact that, injuries and ill-health that is caused by poor work circumstances can impose significant and repeatedly unrecognized monetary and legal costs to their organizations. Not to state the implication that could be felt if the corporation directors are found to have been negligent for the workers. Word also gets out and a company with a poor health and safety record will be far less appealing in a tender bid than one which is already fully compliant and has a good health and safety record. Even those companies that do not tender for work still need to protect their reputation; hence a good reputation can be maintained, through understanding of Industrial Relations (Wilson et all, 2003). Conclusion Industrial relation has grown to become of the broad aspects within organization management. The employees-employer relation has been enhanced by the understanding of the aspects within the industrial relations. This in turn brought along the issues of safety and health for the employees within any given organization. Through the understanding of public relations, the employer understands the main focus of occupational health, such as: (i) the maintenance and promotion of workers’ health and working capacity; (ii) the improvement of working environment and work to become conducive to safety and health and (iii) development of work organizations and working cultures in a direction which supports health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a positive social climate and smooth operation and may enhance productivity of the undertakings. References Monappa, A. (1990).Industrial relations. New Delhi: Tata mcGraw-Hill. Edwards, P. (2003).Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice. Oxford: Blackwell Pub. Blanpain, R., Baker, J. (2010).Comparative labour law and industrial relations in industrialized market economies. Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International. Venkataramana, P. (2007).Industrial relations. New Delhi: A.P.H. Pub. Corp. Gross, J. A., Compa, L. A. (2009).Human rights in labor and employment relations: International and domestic perspectives. Champaign, IL: Labor and Employment Relations Association, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Stellman, J. M. (1998).Enclyclopaedia of occupational health and safety. Geneva: International Labour Office. House builders health safety. (2008). Northampton: Construction Industry Publications. Labour inspection: [general survey of the reports concerning the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (NO. 81) : third item on the agenda: information and reports on the application of conventions and recommendations]. (2006). Geneva: Internat. Labour Office. Wilson, L., McCutcheon, D., Buchanan, M., University of Alberta. (2003).Industrial safety and risk management. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press.

Friday, September 20, 2019

First-principles Study of Spin Transport in Si-C Nanotube

First-principles Study of Spin Transport in Si-C Nanotube First-principles study of spin transport in Si-C nanotube with ferromagnetic contacts Surendra Jalu Abstract  Ã¢â‚¬â€ We perform first-principles calculations of spin-dependent quantum transport in a two-probe device, viz. Fe-SiCNT-Fe device in which (8,0) Si-C nanotube is sandwiched between two Fe electrodes. Substantial tunnel magnetoresistance and perfect spin filtration effect are obtained. The zero bias tunnel magnetoresistance is found to be several hundred percent, it reduces monotonically till the bias voltage 0.4 V, sees marginal increase at the bias of 0.6 V, and eventually goes to nearly zero after the bias voltage of about 1 V. The spin injection factor is 100% at the zero bias, it reduces sharply to 57% at the bias of 0.4 V, and remains reasonably high, in the range of 60%-75%, after the bias voltage of 0.6 V when the magnetic configurations of two electrodes are parallel. The spin-dependent non-equilibrium transport features can be understood by analyzing microscopic details of the transmission coeà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã†â€™cients. Keywords — First-principles; Tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR); Spin injection; One-dimensional; Spin filter I. Introduction Si-C crystals have unique properties, including thermal stability, chemical inertness, high thermal conductivity, and others. These properties make Si-C materials an appropriate candidate for fabricating electronic devices operating in high power, high temperature environments. Recently synthesized Si-C nanometer materials, such as nanorods, nanowires and nanotubes, have attracted tremendous interest (1-4). These materials obviously broadened the application range of the Si-C crystals, especially in fabricating nanometer gas sensors, electronic devices, field emitters and other novel devices. Silicon carbide nanotubes have a great potential for application in chemical and biological sensors (Taguchia et al 2005a; Xie et al 2007). Recently, scientists have suggested to make silicon carbide nanotubes (SiCNTs) as a possible alternative to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for field emitting applications (Taguchia et al 2005b; Alfieri and Kimoto 2010), which has boosted the interest for SiCNTs and several studies on the electronic properties of SiCNTs can be found in the literature (Mavrandonakis et al 2003; Mpourmpakis et al 2006; Larina et al 2007; Muralidharan et al 2007; Wu and Guo 2007; Lakshmi et al 2008; Moradian et al 2008; Raidongia et al 2008; Voggu et al 2008; Wu et al 2008; Manna and Pati 2010; Zheng et al 2010). It is well known that CNTs undergo a semiconductor to metal transition (SMT) (Ren et al 2009) or metal to semiconductor transition (MST) (Lu et al 2003) when deformed. Therefore, it is of interest to understand how the semiconducting (8,0) SiCNT would behave when i t is brought in contact with ferromagnetic electrodes. On account of important applications in magnetoresistive random access memory [1], programmable logic elements [2] and magnetic sensors, the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effects in systems with spin-polarized transport are at the heart of spintronics [3] and attract many theoretical and experimental investigations. A basic magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device consists of tunnel barrier separating two ferromagnetic (FM) layers which play the role of device leads. During a tunneling process, the spin-up and spin-down electrons from the metal layers traverse the nonmagnetic tunnel barrier with different Fermi wave function due to electronic structure of the ferromagnetic material. The electrical resistance of MTJ is therefore sensitive to the relative orientation of the magnetic configuration of the electrodes, resulting to a TMR [4]. Hence, the MTJs behave as spin valves [4–8]. It is possible to control the orientation of magnetic moments by imposing an external magnetic field in experiments [9,10]. It is important to note that, MgO-based MTJ has progressed at a rapid pace in recent years and produced the highest measured TMR at room temperature. When the electrodes and the tunnel barrier are all one-dimensional (1D) materials such as nanowires or nanotubes, it is experimentally feasible to achieve MTJ at the 1D scale. It is worth mentioning that Wang et al. [12] construct a 1D TMJ using Fe-doped carbon nanotubes and theoretically investigate its spin-dependent transport properties. What is a pity that, the zero bias magnetoresistance ratio is only ∠¼ 40%, which may restrict the spintronics applications in nanodevices where the large magnetoresistance ratio is desirable. Here, we theoretically investigate the spin-polarized transport of a 1D MTJ constructed by (8,0) SiCNT in contact with FM(Fe) electrodes. It is observed that (8,0) SiCNTs are semiconducting and we believe that it can be used as a tunnel barrier for 1D or molecular-scaled MTJ. In our work, We have chosen (8,0) SiCNT as the tunnel barrier and two semi-infinite FM materials, namely Fe, as electrodes. Significant TMR and perfect spin filtration effect are obt ained according to the first-principles calculations of spin-polarized quantum transport by adopting non-equilibrium Green’s function method combined with density-functional theory. TMR has already led to the construction of the present generation of magnetic data storage devices. However, in order to reach storage densities of the order of Terabit/inch2, a substantial down-scaling of the read/write devices is extensively expected. Such 1D MTJ and spin filter with diameter less than 1 nm may realize the storage densities of the order of Terabit/inch2 and hold promise for extensive spintronics applications of nanodevices. II. Model and method Our investigation is based on a recently developed self-consistent first-principles technique which combines the Keldysh non-equilibrium Green’s-function formalism (NEGF) with a self-consistent density-functional theory (DFT). The package we use is the Atomistix Toolkit [20], which incorporates the NEGF technique into the well tested SIESTA method [21] to realize the simulation of electrical or spin-polarized quantum transport in the molecular conductors under non-equilibrium situations. In the calculation, the local density approximation (LDA) in the form of the Perdew and Zunger [22] (perdew burke ernzerhof) exchange-correlation functional is used. Only valence electrons are self-consistently calculated, and the atomic cores are described by standard norm conserving pseudopotential [23]. The valence wave functions are expanded by the localized numerical (pseudo) atom orbitals [24]. The k-points sampling is 3, 3, and 200 in the x, y, and z direction, which has been proven to be enough to give the converged results. The convergence criterion for the Hamiltonian, charge density, and band-structure energy is 10-5 via the mixture of the Hamiltonian. The positions of C and Fe atoms at the interface of the device are relaxed until the force tolerance 0.05 eV/Ã… is achieved. The spin-current (spin-polarized charge current) is calculated [25] as I↑(↓) = e/h ∠« T↑(↓)(E, Vb) [F(E − ÃŽ ¼L) – F(E −  µR)] dE [R] Where F is the Fermi–Dirac distribution, ÃŽ ¼L and ÃŽ ¼R are the chemical potentials of left-electrode (L) and right-electrode (R) respectively, T↑(↓)(E, Vb) is the transmission coeà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã†â€™cient for spin channel ( ↑ , ↓ ) at the energy E and bias voltage Vb. While building SiCNT, it is utterly important to use optimum bond-length between Si and C atoms to obtain correct results which in our case, as mentioned in various literatures, is 1.78 Ã…. We couldn’t find the optimum bond-length between C and Fe atoms in literature but we were able to optimize a geometry that consisted of only a few atoms of Fe and C and this way we found the optimum bond-length between Fe and C atoms to be 2.04 Ã… (Fig. 4 (b)). The whole system (Fig. R) is divided into three parts from left to right in practical theoretical simulations: the left electrode, the central scattering region, and the right electrode. The left electrode and right electrode are exactly the same and are made of Fe atoms. Si-C nanotube acts as central scattering region between two electrodes. The whole structure contains 328 atoms (192 Fe, 72 C, 64 Si). 4 (a) 4 (b) Fig. 4(a) Fe-C bond-lengths in non-optimized geometry 4(b) Fe-C bond lengths in optimized geometry Fig. 4(c) Fe-SiCNT-Fe device III. results and discussions Fig. 2(a) and (b) plot the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics for the parallel magnetization configuration (PC) and the antiparallel magnetization configuration (APC) of the two electrodes, respectively. In the case of PC, the spin-up current (I↑) are always much larger than the spin-up current (I↓). The I↑ increases steeply with bias voltage especially after the bias of 0.8 V while on the other hand I↓ is almost negligibly small compared to I↑ at almost all bias voltages. The total equilibrium conductance of 0.0022G0 is found at zero bias, where G0 is the conductance quanta, G0 = 2e2/h. In the case of APC, I↑ and I↓ have almost the same values at all bias voltages. The total equilibrium conductance of 0.0095G0 is found at zero bias. From the I–V curves, we infer a TMR ratio using the common definition: TMR = (IAPC − IPC)/IAPC, where IPC and IAPC are the total currents in PC and APC, respectively. At Vb = 0 when all currents vanish, we calculate TMR using equilibrium conductance. Fig. 2(c) shows the TMR, where the RTMR ∠¼ 322% at zero bias is obtained, which indicate in the perfect tunneling magnetoresistance effect. It sharply decreases to ~ 80% at the bias voltage of 0.4 V, sees slight increase at the bias voltage of 0.6 V and gets reduced to almost zero after the bias voltage of 1 V. The TMR decrease with bias voltages because IPC increases at higher rate with bias voltages than IAPC. It is possible for TMR to assume negative value but in our case no such behavior is observed. The device structure presented here indeed has substantial TMR and could be utilized for spintronics applications. The spin-injection factor ÃŽ · which is defined by spin currents: ÃŽ · = mod(I↑ I↓) / (I↑ + I↓) are plotted in Fig. 2(d). At the bias voltage of 0.0 V, the current is 0 A and hence we use the equilibrium conductance represent current. For the case of PC, ÃŽ · is 99% at the zero bias, it monotonically reduces to 57% at the bias voltage of 0.4 and it increases and remains fairly within large values once the bias voltage goes beyond 0.4 V. The spin-injection factor ÃŽ · is as large as ~73% at the bias of 1.2 V and may even improve at higher bias voltages. For the case of APC, the ÃŽ · is meager ~49% at the zero bias. It’s dramatic that it reaches ~85% at the bias voltage of 0.2 V but then it keeps reducing with increase in bias voltages and attains very negligible values at the bias of about 1 V to 1.2 V. From Fig.R it is observed that in the case of PC the spin filtration effect manifests itself very clearly when the bias is above 0.4 V while in the case of APC no such effect is seen. The source of this behavior maybe originates from the quantum size effect which results in the quantized subbands in the cross section of 1D electrode. Detailed analysis is in the below. Spin injection into semiconductors has been measured experimentally using the optical techniques [26,27]. Such 1D TMJ contr olled spin injection into semiconductors should occur in devices that are smaller than a spin relaxation length in extent and have resistance that is limited by the insulating BNNT. The voltage dependent of spin current, TMR ratio and spin-injection factor can be understood from the behavior of the transmission coeà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã†â€™cients [ T (E, Vb) ] , since the current is essentially given by the energy integral of the T (E, Vb) over the bias window [see Eq. (1)]. The T (E, Vb) for several bias are shown in Fig. 3, where the (a) and (b) are spin-up and spin- down channel of PC setup respectively and the (c) and (d) are spin-up and spin-down channel of APC setup respectively. For both PC and APC setup, these bias-depended T(E,Vb) have several sharp peaks especially after the bias of 0.35 V, due to quantized subbands in the cross section of the 1D electrodes, already mentioned above. The spin up channel contribute to the T(E,Vb) above the Fermi level and spin-down channel contribute both above and below the Fermi level. Refer to the notation from molecular transport theory [28] we can deduce that the spin-up channel conductance is through the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) while the spin-down channel conductance is through both the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and LUMO of pristine (6,0) BNNT in scattering region. From Fig. 3(a), one can see that the T (E, Vb) shifts to high energy but roughly maintains its shape when bias increases. The T (E, Vb) are all almost absolutely inhibited in spin-up channels around Fermi level, while in the spin-down channel the T (E, Vb) is smooth and several orders of magnitude larger than in spin-up channel around Fermi level. This is why the I↓ linearly increases while the I↑ is inhibited under the bias of 0.75 V, already discussed above for Fig. 2(a). As the bias increases, the electrochemical potential in the left electrode (ÃŽ ¼L) is shifted down, and that in the right electrode (ÃŽ ¼R) is shifted up. Hence, the bands in the two electrodes are shifted correspondingly [29–32]. When the bias increase beyond 0.75 V, a little resonance states A1 are induced around Fermi level showed in Fig. 3(a) for the bias of 0.75, 0.95 and 1.15 V, which originate from the alignment of the LUMO of left electrode with the HOMO of right electrode in spin-up channel because the bands in the two electrodes are shifted. These resonance states significantly enhance as bias increasing, which result in the rapid increase about I↑ after the bias of 0.75 V. Consequently, the rapid increase of I↑ also leads to the rapid decrease about ÃŽ · for PC setup after 0.75 V, already discussed above for Fig. 2(c). The bias dependent T (E, Vb) for APC setup are more complex than PC setup. From Fig. 3(c), one can see that the T (E, Vb) in spin-up channel roughly maintains its shape when bias increases. A little resonance states A2 below Fermi level, which presents for the bias of 0.00 and 0.15 V are removed after the bias of 0.15 V. As the bias increase, only a little resonance states above the Fermi level enter to the transport window (i.e., the part of transmission function in the bias window integrated to obtain the current) and contribute to the I↑, which result in very slow increase of the I↑. After the bias of 0.15 V, the T (E, Vb) shifts to larger energy and large resonance states are induced around Fermi level due to the alignment of spin-down states around Fermi level of left electrode with HOMO of right electrode in spin-down channel because the bands in the two electrodes are shifted. These induced resonance states continuously enhance as bias increase, which result in r apid increase of I↓. Eventually, the total current for APC setup exceed PC setup after the bias of 0.75 V, result in negative RTMR, already discussed above for Fig. 2(c). As mentioned above, the quantum size effect leads to the quantized subbands in the cross section of 1D electrode. Hence, there are two peaks in the induced resonance states around Fermi level after the bias of 0.35 V, showed in Fig. 3(d). When T (E, Vb) continuously shifts to higher energies, these two peaks pass the Fermi level one by one, which cause the oscillation about the spin-down conductance. Thus, the spin injection factor ÃŽ · is oscillating with bias in the APC setup. IV. conclusion We theoretically investigate the spin-polarized transport properties of V atoms doped (6,0) single-wall BNNT using non-equilibrium Green’s-function formalism with a self-consistent density- functional theory. The RTMR is as high as 789% at the bias of 0.05 V. It decays to zero and eventually to negative values when bias is increased. The ratio of spin injection is not below 99% until the bias of 0.55 V when the magnetic configurations of two electrodes are parallel. When the magnetic configurations of two electrodes are antiparallel, the ratio of spin injection oscillates with the bias. Our calculations indicate that it could design perfect 1D MTJs and spin filter using TMs doped BNNTs. The perfect TMR effect and spin filter effect are obtained. References The template will number citations consecutively within brackets [1]. The sentence punctuation follows the bracket [2]. Refer simply to the reference number, as in [3]—do not use â€Å"Ref. [3]† or â€Å"reference [3]† except at the beginning of a sentence: â€Å"Reference [3] was the first † Number footnotes separately in superscripts. Place the actual footnote at the bottom of the column in which it was cited. Do not put footnotes in the reference list. Use letters for table footnotes. Unless there are six authors or more give all authors’ names; do not use â€Å"et al.†. Papers that have not been published, even if they have been submitted for publication, should be cited as â€Å"unpublished† [4]. Papers that have been accepted for publication should be cited as â€Å"in press† [5]. Capitalize only the first word in a paper title, except for proper nouns and element symbols. For papers published in translation journals, please give the English citation first, followed by the original foreign-language citation [6]. G. Eason, B. Noble, and I.N. Sneddon, â€Å"On certain integrals of Lipschitz-Hankel type involving products of Bessel functions,† Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, vol. A247, pp. 529-551, April 1955. (references) J. Clerk Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed., vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon, 1892, pp.68-73. I.S. Jacobs and C.P. Bean, â€Å"Fine particles, thin films and exchange anisotropy,† in Magnetism, vol. III, G.T. Rado and H. Suhl, Eds. New York: Academic, 1963, pp. 271-350. K. Elissa, â€Å"Title of paper if known,† unpublished. R. Nicole, â€Å"Title of paper with only first word capitalized,† J. Name Stand. Abbrev., in press. Y. Yorozu, M. Hirano, K. Oka, and Y. Tagawa, â€Å"Electron spectroscopy studies on magneto-optical media and plastic substrate interface,† IEEE Transl. J. Magn. Japan, vol. 2, pp. 740-741, August 1987 [Digests 9th Annual Conf. Magnetics Japan, p. 301, 1982]. M. Young, The Technical Writer’s Handbook. Mill Valley, CA: University Science, 1989.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

McDonaldization Essay examples -- essays research papers

McDonaldization About seven months ago, I met an American guy who had arrived at New Zealand just a few days before. While exchanging our sentiments (I am from Japan) on New Zealand and its culture, the guy told me how he was surprised to see the country is so Americanised, mentioning McDonald’s as one of the examples. Now, in a different sense, this was surprising to me, too. I had never had the idea that having McDonald’s is being Americanised. In fact, McDonald’s is nearly everywhere in the world so that many people think it has already become part of their own cultures. But then the question arises: How did this come to be the case? Here is a brief outline of its history (based on Hebert, 1997; McDonald’s Corp., 1997; Mclennan, 1996). History In 1937, McDonald’s was founded as a small local restaurant by two brothers, Maurice and Richard McDonald in Pasadena, California. In 1948, the brothers then converted their barbecue drive-in with car hops into limited-menu, self-service drive-in, in San Bernardino, California - the first advent of quick service restaurant industry. It is in April 1955, however, that the real ‘McDonald’s Corporation’ launched, by a salesman called Ray Kroc, who gained exclusive US franchising rights from the brothers. Starting with Des Plaines, Illinois, McDonald’s rapidly extended its outlets first over the Chicago area, then the US and eventually all over the world, including two largest restaurants in Moscow (1990) and Beijing (1992), both with 700 seats. There are currently over 21,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries (and about 100 in New Zealand), and the 1996 year-end systemwide sales reached 31.812 billion dollars, 59 percent of which came from the outside of the US. McDonaldization The worldwide business of McDonald’s is not just a globalisation of its economy. In his book, ‘The McDonaldization of Society,’ the American sociologist Dr. George Ritzer (1993, cited by Allan, 1997) contends that it also represents the process of rationalisation - â€Å"... the master concept of Max Weber’s analysis of modern capitalism, referring to a variety of related processes by which every aspect of human action became subject to calculation, measurement and control† (Abercrombie, Hill & Turner, 1988, p.902, cited by Allan, 1997). According to Ritzer, McDonaldization can be understood in terms of the following aspects: (1) Eff... ...t Since I am not a sociology-major student, my understanding of McDonaldization may not be accurate, and I certainly do not have a clue on whether such phenomena are good or bad. Still, the point I want to make here is clear: Our societies are increasingly reigned by global standards, which profoundly affect the way we think, process information, and interact with others. (Yes, I know this is a kind of clichà © in psychology.) Without doubt, McDonald’s and its ideas define part of our lives, and across cultures, we definitely share certain commonalities, both materially and psychologically. The only concern that remains, however, is the fact that the standardisation is typically based on the fashion preferred by those who are socially affluent or culturally dominant. In this regard, the same is true for the ‘internet’ system. Surely, this technology is a revolutionary tool that not only removes boundaries from the realms of our social interactions, but also pushes further the potential of human cognitive development. Nonetheless, information found on the net is the product of people who have access to computers, with inevitable reflection of their own personal or social viewpoints.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Temporary Working Essay -- Business, Temporary Employees

Temporary employment is becoming increasingly popular within the UK, allowing organisations to manage when they encounter staff shortages, and external and competitive pressures. Temporary workers are individuals who are employed by organisations to fulfil job roles when they are in demand. Temporary employees may work full-time or part-time, for one week or several, depending on whether or not the organisation requires their labour. Temporary working contributes to the labour problem of low productivity and low performance, this essay will considered this employment form from a number of perspectives and discover solutions to this problem. The articles will be critically evaluated weighing up opinions and arguments made by each author. Firstly a brief introduction of the profiling of the temporary workers, followed by reasons for employing temporary staff, and the benefits and drawbacks to both the employer and employee. Following the evaluation will be an analysis of each management perspective and solutions for the temporary working labour problem. Profiling Temporary Workers Kirk and Belovics (2008) suggest that a large number of individuals comply with the key characteristics of temporary workers. The most common profile of temporary employees is those individuals who are looking for flexible working arrangements or low-skilled work; women, students and immigrants. Conley (2002) agrees with Kirks and Belovics (2008) profiling of temporary workers, as studies have revealed that higher numbers of temporary contracts are held by these individuals. However, in Burgess and Connell (2006) article, Hipple and Stewart (1996) argue that the nature of temporary work has changed and is continuing to chang... ...rary employees may feel disloyal to their work, lack commitment towards the company, and harm their market share, providing reasons for these predicaments. Moreover it is clear that with the adaption of management perspectives’ within an organisation, there are solutions. If Conley (2002) was to adapt the unitarism or the pluralism perspective into the UK public sector they may find that NQTs are more likely to stay within the industry and they would receive lower annual resignation figures. However, by taking these perspectives, managers may find themselves getting too attached to employees who are there to carry out tasks and lose their right to control them. Consequently, with the adaption of the correct management perspectives and techniques to individual employees, organisations should discover effective solutions to their employee relations issues.