Oilwell Cable Company Case Study Essay

1. If Norm chooses to go ahead with the microprocessor conversion on the machinery without passing it by the team, what are the potential conflicts that might arise? What are the advantages of such a move? – The biggest potential problem here is that the production team might feel slighted as their opinions were not considered in this major decision, and it may affect their current strong feeling of value hat they have with the company. Essentially if feeling of value is affected then productivity will be affected, as Steve Cooper a contributor to Forbes points out studies show that companies that effectively appreciate employee value enjoy a return on equity & assets more than triple that experienced by firms that don’t. (Cooper, 2012) The advantage of such a move would be fulfilling the employees wishes of upper management making the tougher decisions not the team; also it would not only eliminate the three day deliberations that usually precede the team’s decision but it would also meet the employees desire of less time spent in team meetings. 2. If Norm decides to put the decision to the appropriate production team, what are the potential problems? What would be the advantages? – Here the potential problems is the deliberation period normally associated with team decisions, as this means a loss in productivity as these deliberations happen on company time. It could also affect morale, as employees already have a desire for less team meetings adding more to reach a decision will result in loss of confidence in upper management. Additionally, this decision based on the org chart, will then have to be approved by upper management which results in additional lost time as these decisions are already a struggle for them. On the flip side advantages here is that it would keep high value alive, as the employees would see that their opinions are truly valued when decisions affect the entire business; also it would be a great opportunity for upper management to gather thoughts and feedback from their employees who live the day to day process of the job. Finally when employees can connect value to their job productivity and implementation go smoothly because th ey each â€Å"own† it. 3. If the production team chooses to approve and implement this microprocessor conversion project, what form of project organization will this represent? – Functional organization, as the production team is the functional division of the company as our text points out that has the most interest in ensuring this project’s success or can be most helpful in implementing it. (Meredith & Mantel, 2012 pg.177) 4. Given the size of this organization and the number of projects they deal with, would it make sense to institute a Project Management Office? Is there another arrangement that might be a good alternative? – I think a PMO makes sense, as our text makes clear, a project management office (PMO) can provide critically important services for all projects. The skill with which the PMO organizes, administers, and carries out its responsibilities will have a major impact on the ability of projects to meet their objectives. (Meredith & Mantel, 2012 pg.177) This is vital as the company will be able to keep track of project progress and decisions can be made quicker, possibly eliminating the current double deliberation periods. Alternatively as projects arise if project teams of the necessary parties could be quickly formed and headed by an assigned company PM or the best suited yet most qualified individual from upper management for the job; this may also work to the company’s advantage. 5. How much impact might microprocessors have on production costs? Assume that variable overhead represents the same percentage of costs as fixed overhead. Find the net present value if the microprocessors cost $25,000 and their installation runs another $5,000. Assume a 10% margin. – Here the impact of the microprocessors on production will not be high as the variable and fixed overhead costs are the same percentages, meaning that both fixed costs that are unchanged based on production and those costs that vary by output are equal percentages. Additionally net present value impact in a year would be $30,300 based on the total initial start up cost; here to see a true balance it would be best for Norm to also investigate the financial  benefits (cut time, less scrap, and overall profit). 6. Compare Norm’s recollection of the division’s productivity gains between 1995 and 1999 to Exhibit 2. Explain the inconsistency. – Here human recollection versus actually data results makes it clear why data should be collected and reported on versus relying on memory. The consistency could be due to the fact that in 2000 the company was hit hard by the recession and productivity took a serious negative hit, therefore as productivity rose and eventually surpassed its pre-recession numbers Norm simply was reminded of the â€Å"good old days† of high productivity. 7. What would you recommend that Norm do? – I would recommend that a PMO be implemented for the task of; Establish and enforce good project management processes such as procedures for bidding, risk analysis, project selection, progress reports, executing contracts, and selecting software. Also, collect and disseminate information, techniques, and lessons learned as reported in project evaluations that can improve project management practices. (Meredith & Mantel, 2012 pg.194-195) If that’s not currently feasible, I would suggest that Norm first runs the decision by upper management as there are many benefits with the planned implementation of microprocessors; once agreed upon this decision should be conveyed to the employees, then the production team should be allowed to voice their opinions and suggestions on the decision. This approach will avoid any animosity the team may feel towards upper management, while avoiding the unnecessary deliberation process that results in lost time. Resources: Cooper, S. (July 30, 2012). Make More Money By Making Your Employees Happy. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevecooper/2012/07/30/make-more-money-by-making-your-employees-happy/ Meredith, J.R., & Mantel, S.J, Jr. (2012). Project management: A Managerial Approach (8th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Trust Issues Found on Family Trip

My parents and I had been looking forward to our trip for seeks and everything Just seemed precisely planned and made us all excited as the days got closer. That to me was what it meant when you had a family trip, to me It was a time where you get excited to be together and work on building this bond that you all have and just enjoy each other's company. You start counting days down and get hyped up wanting adjust be at that one place where you know a new level of family love can be found.You realize that in this place is where any problems can be forgotten even If Just for a temporary time and that you can find new adventure amongst the simplest spot with the most beloved people in your life. However sometimes moments can change and become ones that will affect you for possibly the rest of your life, this is unknowingly what was in store for my family and l. Hernandez 2 Wanting to stay with my Aunt and uncle who live in Arizona, my parents and I went for New Years expecting a fun fa mily time.Unexpectedly my father's grandmother ended up passing away so amongst our trip he decided to stay back for her funeral. Arguing back and forth about what to do occurred with the end result being that my father would stay behind to later come up to Arizona and take us back home at the end of the stay. Unfortunately as time went on through the week my parents continuously fought over the phone to the point where my father told my mother he no longer wanted to be with her. This shocked me as I wanted my parents to be together forever, I did not want them to end and I definitely did not want my family to split up.My mother certainly did not want that so she got my father to be calm enough to agree that when he came down to Arizona they should in person actually talk things through. The day had later finally come where my father was now with us and my mother wanted to have a thorough conversation with him. Being only 13 at the time I was still young and thought well they can wo rk it out I know they can, they always work their problems out, so there is no way they will break up. However I was so wrong, hearing the words that my father spoke to my mother truly broke my heart.Saying he no longer loved her and he couldn't be with her honestly shook me to my core, I Just could not believe that right before my eyes I was seeing my parent's 1 OFF and that I knew he loved my mother. Being young I could not have imagined the real reason behind his words that ended up feeling like a knife in our family back. Believing my father's words I simply believed that he had fallen out of love with my mother. I did not like it but no matter how much I tried to change my father's mind he would not budge. Therefore, I saw that I had no say in the matter at all that really what I wanted did not nor Hernandez 3 would it ever matter.In having no choice in the matter I felt heart broken, my family was simply slipping through my fingers. Being only 13, still so young I would have n ever imagined that behind my father's words were lies and the fact that he had cheated on my mother. Honestly he became someone different to me at this moment, e was like a stranger, definitely not the father I once was close with. Within finding out this information I lost all respect for my father and faith that relationships last, even in the belief that families can really always remain together.Saying that my trust in people had changed was an understatement, I had went from trusting my father was a great guy to not being able to believe a word he said. In seeing how easily my father could hurt my mother and Just leave his family made me think if he could do that then why wouldn't someone else I love do that. I began to think that all people especially men were liars and cheaters. I felt that I wouldn't be able to trust again and I wouldn't be able to fall in love or have a family of my own.My thoughts were that two people making promises to love one another for the rest of the ir lives was Just nothing but a lie. My ability to trust had been completely broken, but within this I also felt abandoned by the one man who had said he would always be there. My father had lied and in thinking he was Just leaving my mother had left me too, so I believed that was what all men were capable of. I felt that if I gave anyone the lightest ounce of my trust that I would Just get hurt again and being heartbroken was not a feeling I wanted to go through yet again in my life.An apology was never even heard through any of it by my father so I Just assumed he didn't care at all. It wasn't until going to a therapist and actually talking my feelings out happened that I heard an apology. In hearing that years later at the age of 17 was when I began to realize that no matter what I wish would have happened or wished I could have changed, it Hernandez 4 would never be different. My parents would never be together again and my father loud never undo the hurt he had caused and the a nger I had felt towards him.No matter how much I wanted my father to be the same guy I had always looked up to he wouldn't because I had lost my respect for him and my trust in him. Losing my trust in him was one of the hardest things to deal with, but I knew I still loved my father and over time I wanted to be able to have a relationship with him again. In realizing this I saw that I had to move forward in my life and forget the past in order to work at rebuilding my trust not Just within my father but in people in general. That I had to let go of my hurt and anger towards my father in order to have the chance at that new relationship.In simply wanting this I knew that looking to the future was the only option no matter how much my past had changed me, therefore the past had to remain in the past. I had to mature and be happy moving on and enjoying my life, There you have it a family trip turned into a moment that split a family a part and caused trust issues along with so much hur t and anger. It went from being about relaxation to uncovering lies and deceit in someone who was so beloved to me. Having my trust broken and questioning relationships made me believe I would never be happy.Over time however, I was able to realize that the past had to stay in the past, that I had to only look forward to the future. I knew I wanted to be happy and regain my sense of trust, so slowly piece by piece that has been able to begin to be rebuilt. I still do have issues that I know will take more time to fix, but at least now all I really look forward to is having a bright, happy future. One where hopefully my relationship with my father can change and be Just as good as it used to be before the New Year's trip we had went wrong.

Opportunities and Challenges of Benchmarking

The first question to be asked is what benchmarking can do for any organization. The process of benchmarking permits the entire organization to identify, share and use the knowledge that exists within the organization as also the best practices prevalent within the organization. The attempt is to concentrate on improving the situation of any business unit and not to just measure the best performances that have been achieved. The method for this is to apply the use of best known methods of solving the problems that are facing the business. The results come from the utilization after determination of the problems and this can come only after a careful study of the problems. On determination it is expected that the best solutions will be implemented. (Defining Benchmarking) The result will come to the organization in the form of gaining important advantages for the organization in the form of advantages. These can be in any form or more than one form – strategic advantages, operational advantages, or direct financial gains. At the same time, it also is an indirect admission that some others are better at the function that we are involved in than ourselves. At the same time, we are being wise enough to understand our own shortcomings and are trying to improve our position so that we can improve and match them in performance. If all our efforts are in the direction of development, a stage may come when we would be in a position to perform better than them. (Defining Benchmarking) The process of benchmarking is not just calculating numbers, getting briefs about sites on which organizations are to be set up or traveling through the factories of other organizations, or even copying, spying or espionage. The process does not end here and it has to continue further throughout the entire life of the organization and as the organization improves to a better position, there has to be additional steps which have to be taken so that the organization can successfully step even further. When benchmarking is not performed and a major in any industry ignores the competition levels there are chances that it would tend to fall behind in its own development and leadership qualities. It is also not the same with regard to establishing benchmarks which involve the setting up of acceptable levels of standards, so that the product or service can move forward to the next immediate step and not be rejected automatically as a result of quality control. Benchmarks are defined in terms of how many units are to be produced in one unit of time, how quickly the product line can transfer itself into manufacturing another product, how high the production levels can be from one shift, or what the minimum levels of production are which are being acceptable. The similarity of benchmarking and benchmarks is in that benchmarking tries to find out and understand the direct reasons for the production to be high in certain relevant situations and not be so high in other situations/conditions. Once the reasons are being determined then the same methods can be expanded for use in other parts of the complete production process so that the total production level can be at higher levels and correspondingly the profits of the organization as well. This is the real benefit that can be obtained from the practice of benchmarking. (Defining Benchmarking) Looking at the acts of benchmarking in benefiting the organization, one can see some direct benefits. It prevents reinventing the wheel and what is meant by that is that since the process or machinery or item has already been invented, anybody else trying to reinvent the same is only wasting money. The second method in which it provides benefits is through using tested and proven practices that have already been used successfully by others, it convinces people who do not take kindly to fresh ideas by demonstrating to them that it works, and it forces the organization to move at a rapid pace as it knows that competitors are already using the method. The third advantage is that it leads to development of some ideas that were not being used earlier and these are innovative ways to improve methods and in many cases they have come from outside the industry. The use of benchmarking also forces organizations to check on the present process and many times these may lead to direct improvements in terms of quality or quantity directly. The last use of benchmarking is also advantageous in making changes more likely as the process involves the direct participation by the owners. Today is the age of competition and it is very difficult to say which manufacturer is the best, and at the same time, this is an age when every manufacturer can claim that they are the best based on scientific studies of their machines. Let us view it in a simpler context and try to determine which team is the best in baseball, and may be you have a reason for determining this – you may love the game, you may be laying a bet on the results of the current season, or just curiosity. It is known that New York Yankees have won the World Series Championships seven consecutive times. In the opinion of quite a few of the fans, that would make them the best team. Thus one of the first points in benchmarking is deciding on the benchmark, and then one has to decide as to how the performance can be measured against the benchmark. If the required standard is not known by the organization trying to be the best then it cannot possibly reach the target. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) In certain cases they are measured by definitions like Mean Time between Failures or MTBF. This will help the customer also and make him ask the manufacturer as to the MTBF for the product. Then let us say that on one of the products of the client is 120 hours and on another product is 150 hours, then that will have to be mentioned to the customer. Then to be the best, the concerned organization has to find out or determine the method to get to the best possible benchmark. Now let us say that on investigation it is found out that for competitors, the MTBF is 10,000 hours. It is clear now as to which manufacturer will get the order. Thus often benchmarking is not a stand alone exercise, but a part of a Process Re-engineering or Quality Improvement Initiative. The requirement is not a management fad, but is a requirement to be able to compete in the market. Most of the initial work on benchmarking was done in manufacturing, and it is important that it is still done there, but benchmarking has now developed into a management tool that can be used anywhere. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) One has to develop a system which permits the organization to produce material of a certain quality, as if that is not produced many incidences may occur which are of great importance to the organization but also to the nation. Let us take a few examples of this and one of them is the case of the disaster of the space shuttle Columbia, and another is the power outages in August 2003 in New York which was followed by power failures in United Kingdom and Italy. There are reasons for this and one reason which is often quoted is â€Å"failure of maintenance†. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) At the same time, maintenance is also a part of benchmarking and it is not a benchmarking of the product, but of the service system in the organization. Thus the problem can be manifest in many different ways in the field. There were four charges of manslaughter placed on individuals who were in charge of maintaining or managing railways in United Kingdom at the time of the Hatfield Train Disaster. The charges against these people were dropped only in August 2004. Among the people who were charged was the previous Chief Executive Officer of the company who owned all the assets indirectly. Another case is the legislation in Canada which imposes criminal liability on businesses and individuals when workplace accidents take place. In short it is becoming very important that proper maintenance is done and for that purpose, benchmarking is essential for the assets. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Desired future state and goals against which to evaluate alternatives It is clear that benchmarking is an activity of the individual organization undertaken with a purpose of developing the organization and giving it benefits or advantages over competition. The details for such studies are obviously not available, and we got information only from an instance when the exercise was done at the initiative of the Surface Mining Association for Research and Technology. They commissioned a research project the main purpose of which was to enable comparison of equipment performance in the mining industry, and this was due to collaborative relationships between the mining industries to gain competitive advantages at a global level. There was not much collaboration between the different units of the industry and as a start the attempt was made to establish some common definitions for availability and utilization. The entire exercise was conducted over some twenty five mining operations based in Canada and United States. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) After developing the common definitions the next stage was to collect the response from different members of the industry and put them in a position where the responses could be classified. In terms of operations there were some typical events that were encountered as all the units were involved in the operation of a mine. These also had to be identified and included in the entire exercise for study. At the end of the study it was found that among the entire group the formulas and definitions for availabilities and utilizations of different parameters were similar, yet there were differences in the meanings of the formulas that were used by different units. There are also differences in classification of different events in terms of their importance. The two differences combined in the final report to show differences in the operating characteristics of different mines, and the events that we are referring are fairly common in the operations of mines. Thus it was possible to find out some common definitions for the mines in terms of operating parameters, yet all comparisons between them are meaningless. For any comparisons to be made, it is important that the discrepancies which are clearly seen to be happening due to their differences in meanings first being turned into some common time categories. In practice it was not possible to get the different mines to change their formulas or collection practice for data as these systems had been well established over many years, it was seen that it was important to develop a parallel system which could collect similar data from the existing data collection system. This of course could be done only in organizations which wished to continue in the entire exercise of benchmarking all these units and getting to some results. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) This led essentially to the establishment of a central database. This is where all the units participating in the study would be able to reach the data that they wanted or needed. They would also be able to compare their own formula and definitions with the new data that was collected. This would permit them to comparisons with the earlier data that they had, or even the standardized benchmarking formula that they were using. This was the first method of industry wide comparisons. Once these were developed they would be the benchmarking definitions for the industry and thus the first step to development of industry-wise standards for required operating measures. Most of the mines understood that this was required, but very few wanted to proceed on these lines, and all their actions are concentrated to their own mines. There does not seem to be much collaboration in the industry and most organizations are doing the same thing over and over again. There is a certain amount of interest in sharing of maintenance information there is scope for a study in which the maintenance practices can be compared as also the development of performance standards in the area of maintenance. This would be of great use to the mining industry. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Identify two to four potential solutions Here again the solution are different for every application of benchmarking and the solutions will depend also on the problems for which the solution is being sought, the nature of the industry, state of development, projected future growth, etc. Since we have started with the mining industry, let us continue with the same industry. One point that has to be remembered is that this industry has continued to remain behind other industries in the application of benchmarking. The reasons for the shortcomings have already been discussed to some extent – a reluctance to share information as they feel it violates confidentiality and privacy concerns with a special sensitivity to cost data; available resources within the different units to spend time on the required initiatives for benchmarking; a specific lack of commitment and support for the benchmarking exercise at all levels of the organization; and the lack of consistent and relevant indicators for performance. The problems of these organizations has to be solved by meeting the difficulties in all these respect and this makes the first solution as to stop comparisons till the operating events are clearly classified. Till this issue is resolved, there is very little value in suggesting common definitions for availability and utilization. The clear resolution thus also involves on consistent allocation of operating events as per agreed time classifications. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) The second solution comes from the survey interviews and that stated clearly that there is a great interest in information sharing and comparison, and still none of the organizations showed that they would be willing to accept new definitions for their operating parameters or accept new standards for the allocation of operating events so that they could get information in exchange. At the same time, there is strong interest in the exchange of data. There is a solution to this apparently conflicting position and this can be done only through information sharing taking place in a manner that existing operating data collection and reporting systems at individual units proceed on their operations unaffected, but the data that had been collected earlier are not touched through any mode. The solution comes from utilizing data storage and manipulation with a capability of existing data collection systems being utilized for this purpose. This will take care of the constraints. The third solution is from the general interest in sharing of maintenance information between different units. This arises as most of the units understand the importance of improving maintenance management systems and processes. In general it can be said that development of maintenance performance management has not developed as fast as the other production systems in mines. This area requires collaboration, but much of that has not been coming. Thus it is clear that most organizations are just concentrating on doing the same job under different names. The solution would be to implement a study comparing management practices and development of performance standards for maintenance. This would be found to be useful by the entire industry in that area. The fourth point is that once the data collection is built up, then it may be applied to other areas of the entire system so that those areas could also benefit. Some of those areas are the large tire user group that requires data common to the entire exercise; OEM availability guarantee reporting and lost control system benchmarking. It could also be seen that the structure which would be established for such initiatives could become the basis for a framework that could be used by the group for purchasing. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Let us now go to another area of benchmarking that we have used earlier and this is with reference to asset management. This has been important throughout history, and yet poses a special economic challenge during the 21st century. The reason for the challenge is from our efforts to release economic value from our investments in asset investment as much as is possible and the main cause for that is the extreme competitive nature of industry and business now. The challenge has led to our tackling the issue of benchmarking asset investment in three different areas and these are through minimizing life cycle costs of asset ownership, minimizing direct costs that are related to asset management and minimization of costs associated with new asset purchase and renewal of assets. Here the question of asset renewals means the overhauls and renovations that are carried out to the assets. All our benchmarking efforts are now directed to this area so tat any new effort should give benefits in these terms. The question is whether that is enough? An introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Apart from this there has been a very rapid change in the use of technology and this has forced many professionals from other areas rapidly into the functional areas of management of assets. The new managers are making, managing or even otherwise deciding on assets. Do they have the capability? They have no experience or any depth of knowledge or experience in the area that they are now managing. In terms of areas, these may be system selection, implementation and regular day to day management. This is leading to decisions being taken many times on issues which are not connected to management and the decisions may not concern the assets themselves or the asset managers. These sorts of incidents are happening throughout the world. The issue of maintenance was earlier seen as a secondary rollout of a large scale system originally decided for financial or supply chain reasons, and the decision was taken whether the solution was the best for asset management or not. Another important change has been the shifting of maintenance function to outsourcing and this is also likely to affect the function. This is a change that has been predicted many times by management consultants and also recommended by them as a method of reducing direct costs, improving the level of contact with specialized skills and of avoiding the complications that exist in finding and controlling a skilled workforce. This is very useful when the total production function is being outsourced. This has also led to many changes in employment patterns throughout the world. Many technical and repetitive roles like software development, call center management and some engineering functions are being shifted away to the third world from the first world. In those countries the salary levels with the similar competencies as those in the 1st world are much lower. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Now that we have talked a lot about the advantages of benchmarking, let us also take a look at the other side. These refer to the times that existed before benchmarking came to be called benchmarking, and it was viewed as just application of common sense. It is always true that the best method of learning how to do a job is to see how others do the work and then trying to do it. It is said that the great Henry ford went through the operations of production methods in a Chicago slaughterhouse before deciding how to set up his own production line for which he is rightly renowned. At the time, and probably for many decades since that time, it was called a good idea – till in the 1980s, this process of learning was given the name of benchmarking. It is true that benchmarking can provide very good improvements of the product and deserved returns based on efficiency, cost savings and new revenues. The process also is able to reduce cycle times, productivity, customer service, quality and production costs. This can make them a part of an effort of the company to change the culture of the organization to a more customer oriented and results focused. Yet many companies make a mistake in letting this excellent process of benchmarking to become an end in itself. This is quite common in corporate settings which have already established full fledged benchmarking teams. (Benchmarking: The trend line) The organization ends up loosing sight of the objectives and start on benchmarking as an objective in itself. This can be seen in the case of Florida Power and Light Co. This received the Deming Prize in 1989 as it had performed excellently in benchmarking. In the same year, the company was put under the charge of a new CEO and he dismantled large sections of the company as those sections were mainly based on benchmarking and less on functions of the company. Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Inc said â€Å"He found the company was more committed to winning awards than serving the customer†. (Benchmarking: The trend line) This is a loss in focus that can happen if benchmarking is made a part of the jobs of line managers and they have other responsibilities. They are more inclined to take up practical applications for their talents. (Benchmarking: The trend line) Let us take a case of a computer based service organization. The organization is trying to speed up the service of its computers when they fail as the computers are the main machines which help them keep their business in running condition. The question is that there are many parts inside a computer and every time it was repaired, there used to be a serviceman who would come and replace the part. Of course the bill for the part would be received and the amount paid. The organization decided to go through an exercise of benchmarking so that the cost of repairs can be reduced. The decision was to introduce the system of codes so that it would be known which part was failing. These codes are numbers which are cross referenced to a complete list of code descriptions. The codes may also be a series of alphanumeric descriptions. Now since computers are fairly commonplace the full descriptions of the failed parts are now being stored. (Failure codes) The storage of the complete list was in the computerized management system. The required parts are input by the person who was reporting the failure and if it was not known to him then it had to be input by the technician when he repaired the equipment. The main use of these codes is in providing statistics about machine failures. Thus one can know the reasons for machine failures and take corrective actions. (Failure codes) The risks of using such a procedure is very low as the computers also have self assessment procedures and that can often tell the region of failure. This information is unlikely to be wrong. For the technician when he comes in to repair, he has to change the required part for the machine to start running again, and thus he is also unlikely to be wrong. The risks with finding out the part number are thus very low and can be safely viewed to be accurate. The objectives of determining the part numbers are also very simple as each part stops certain functions that the machine is supposed to do. This slows down operating procedures and once the reasons for delays are known, action may be taken to speed up the entire process. Once the operations are speeded up, the organization is expected to earn more revenues. The total impact can only be assessed after the full analysis is made. This sort of a system is also used in certain organizations where computerized systems are used to deliver items at fixed schedules like newspapers, milk processing machines, etc. Present the recommended solution and the rationale behind the recommendation We are now in a period of history where we have to totally depend on machines for all our functions and most industrial tasks. At the same time, repairs and other tasks are becoming increasingly complicated as no extra persons are available. Computerized machinery is very good as long as they run, but when they fail, they fail completely and no action can be taken till they are repaired. Thus getting the machine repaired is very important. The technicians come quickly, but often they do not have the needed parts and when that happens, the machine will continue to remain out of order fro quite a few days, and that is what is sought to be avoided through this exercise. The objective is not to increase profits directly, but make the operations more dependable. The new machinery has been responsible for dramatic increases in productivity levels, but it has also led to high direct costs for asset management over the last few years. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) The problem with determination of reliability in most cases is that some factors may be brought up by theory and through strategic planning, but they do no translate into reality at the end of the day. In many cases, the results that are achieved cannot justify the investments that are made to achieve them. There are many areas which hurt the realization of benefits. Here the change in process is just the recording of a part number and that should not take much time when compared to the total time lost in terms of production. We are talking about the requirement to note down the part numbers when the machine fails. Identify the expected impact and value The expected impact is in terms of costs is not much as has been explained earlier, but the impact in terms of value is expected to be high. The effect will be in terms of extra production capacity that should be available. The exact benefits can only be determined when the total picture is known. It is not useful to make advance calculations in such cases, as the present production is for the total usage of the company and no extra jobs can be taken up without meeting this requirement. Provide a summary of how you would approach implementing the recommended solution and measuring its effectiveness The implementation methods are very simple. Prepare a list of the parts that go wrong in the machines in different areas and hand them over to the operators. Every operator has to make a failure report and when that is submitted, the reason for failure that is given has to include the part number. Once the part numbers are made available in this way, then in the report itself they should be noted, and after a period of six months, a search program or a summary should be made of the reasons for failures. This is a totally internal exercise and we do not have to observe the other requirements now. APQC has now developed and wants adherence to the following code – â€Å"guide benchmarking efforts, advance the professionalism and effectiveness of benchmarking, and help protect the members from harm†. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) According to this code will help the implementation of efficient, effective and ethical benchmarking. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) The question is that ultimately the entire process is for internal development and to be done totally internally, so why are we all getting so excited about it? Make the changes that you have to after a cool consideration.

Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Management - Assignment Example In essence, the user(s) gains control over their project tasks and they are helped by the Project guide to create projects, trail tasks, and report outcomes. Finally, Microsoft Project software package is installed with a customizable mechanism that takes the user(s) through the process of a project creation- starting from assigning their tasks and resources to reporting and evaluating the ending outcomes (Kennemer , 2002). Redmine This is an Open Source project management tool with a big base of user friendly scheming features. This is the chief and dominant characteristic of this open source tool. In addition, Redmine does not put the user to the need to move from page-to-page or back-and-forth surfing for simple operations, rather it displays all the information and the Gantt chart very conveniently (Redmine, 2013). Microsoft Project has over the years evolved and current version allows for the projects to be viewed through tabulated graphs and elaborative Gantt chart display. In addition, the information is presented in a format that the user is able to analyze and understand. However, unlike other open source management tools, Microsoft Project uses the .mpp format. ... Accordingly, Redmine has the ability of approximating the most probable completion time for a project. For instance, on the Microsoft Project, it is easy to locate the task say Task 21 on the graphical representation, and equally follow the arrows on the Gantt chart to link the association with other tasks in the project. On the contrary, if the same task (21) is analyzed through Redmine all on has to do is click on the task and all relationships and information about the task is revealed. Thus, on this note, Redmine is easier to read information and schedule from than is the case with Microsoft project. From projects in the Microsoft Project tool, the manager has not been allowed the chance to analyze the probability of completing the project on time, rather, this software has mainly emphasized on the dates of start and completion. However, based on the fact that the tool allows for dependency, it has the option of allowing the incorporation of an overlapping tasks by defining a â⠂¬Å"Lead time† for the successor task. Equally, in case a task is delayed and the predecessor task ought to start this software allowed for enter by defining a â€Å"Lag time†. These features were very significant because the tool was able to allow for an overlap of numerous tasks. On the other hand, Redmine was equally equipped with this option but the option is covered through its ability to handle multiple tasks and through its time tracking ability. The Microsoft Project’s default view in is the Gantt chart view option. This is so since, through it, users are able to see task information as both text and bar graphics. Accordingly, the Gantt chart is displayed on a window that is split into two sections.

Deficit, Debt and Political Theory of Government Debt Essay

Deficit, Debt and Political Theory of Government Debt - Essay Example Those who support this theory base it on the following two assumptions: 1. A budget constraint for the government does not mean that the government will have a deficit forever. A tax reduction or increase in expenditure that leads to spending being higher than revenues means that the deficit will have to be financed through a future tax increase or decrease. 2. The second assumption assumes that consumers are rational and will not increase consumption due to a debt financed tax cut. Their being rational means that they will reduce their consumption, because they understand the government’s fiscal policies that the increase in government spending finance through debt, will lead to higher taxes in future. The above assumptions imply that lower taxes and higher government expenditure through increased debt will not affect the economy as a whole (Alesina & Guido, 1990). There are those economists who are against the Ricardian equivalence and argue that a budget deficit can be extr emely dangerous for an economy. According to Ricardians, lower taxes today means higher taxes tomorrow. The opponents see the timing of the expected future tax increase to trickle up to a future generation.... More debt for the government leads to a higher budget deficit (Barro, 1974). Budget Deficit and Public Debt Public debt or government debt is the amount a government owes. A government needs money to finance its expenses. It finances through borrowing from the public by issuing treasury bills or bonds and borrowing from corporations, individuals and foreign governments. The public debt is the outstanding amount borrowed in the past but has not yet been repaid. The size of the public debt is determined by the cumulative amount of borrowing that the government has done. Budget deficit is the excess spending the government has incurred over its income. When the total expenses are subtracted from all income and there is a shortfall, this is known as a budget deficit. The government has spent more money than they can earn. When the income is more than the expenditure this is known as a surplus. The link between budget deficit and public debt is that when a government has a budget deficit it has to get money to finance the deficit and it does this by borrowing which leads to accumulation of more debt. The magnitude of the debt is measured by the debt to GDP ratio (Barro, 1979). Foreign investors will be interested in the debt to GDP ratio, as this clearly indicates the financial position of the economy. A foreign investor will invest in a country that can pay its debt and where the economy is growing. Factors determining an Explosive dynamic Debt to GDP Ratio Public debt increases due to excessive borrowing by the government from issuing treasury bills or bonds and borrowing from foreign governments, individuals and state corporations. GDP is the Gross Domestic Product of an economy and it is the total income from individuals, corporations and the government. Debts are

Resent Collapse of Financial Sector in Southeast Asia in 1997 Essay

Resent Collapse of Financial Sector in Southeast Asia in 1997 - Essay Example Maintenance of sufficient current account balance is identified as the successful management strategy to prevent these financial crises in future. The secondary source of information revealed some more meaningful strategies. South East Asia comprises of nations like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Hongkong and South Korea. They were recognized as tiger economies as the rate of economic growth was quite phenomenal within a short period. However, the economies of South East Asian countries witnessed a debacle in 1997-1998 leading to the sudden collapse of the financial sector. The South East Asian financial meltdown, experienced in late 1997, was considered to be one of the most serious financial debacles we have had since the 1930s. Approximately an amount of more than a trillion dollars was eroded during this crisis. It took considerably longer period for all these nations to witness the past glory, to recover from this financial crisis. However, there was a substantial recovery in some of the region's markets and investors sorted out specific strengths and weaknesses, differentiating among national economies. The weaknesses in financial markets of China and Japan were als o exposed. Hence there is a strong need to study and analyze the factors responsible for this debacle so that efficient management measures can be taken for preventing the similar type of incidents in future. Keeping this in view the present study is being formulated with the following research aim and objectives. Several researchers documented the causes for South East Asian financial crisis of 1997 (FN 1, FN 2, FN 3 and FN 4, FN 5 and FN 6, FN 7 and FN 8, FN 9). The East Asian financial crisis was reported to be originated in July 1997 in Thailand and it severely affected currencies, stock exchanges and other asset prices in several Asian countries, many considered Tiger economies (FN 10).

BRICS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BRICS - Research Paper Example In order to identify the potential buyers in the automotive industry of Russia it is necessary to gain in depth knowledge about consumer behavior and their needs and wants for the products offered in the country's automotive industry. As a whole the dealerships are considered to be the primary buyers within the automotive industry in Russia. However the pull exerted by the end users is also important. The switching costs for the dealerships is very high mainly because of the fact that in most cases the automotive manufacturing companies have an exclusive contractual agreement with the dealerships. In a way the dealers are actually forced to sell the models and brands as preferred by the consumers. All these factors suggest that dealerships are the primary buyers in the market and they should be targeted in an effective manner to become successful in capturing the market in Russia. Next it is important to identify the target consumers and their specific needs and requirements to resul t in increased customer satisfaction. According to a research study conducted by Nielsen (2011), the main factors that are considered by the consumers in Russia while buying a car have been shown in the figure - 1. Figure – 1 The main factors of choice of cars by Russian consumers (in %age) Source: (Autobusiness, 2012) As evident from figure - 1, the most important factor considered by the consumers in Russia while purchasing a car is quality and reliability of the product offered to them. Apart from this other key factors considered while selecting a car includes the car price, fuel consumption, safety, design of the car, total cost of ownership (TCO), comfort levels, roadability and the car capacity. Quality of products, reliability and price are in general important factors considered by consumers of all age groups, and gender. However TCO is preferred to design by men as compared to women who prefer design over TCO. As regards the age differences, consumers in the age gro up of 20 to 30 years are more concerned about the design of the cars and they prefer powerful cars. The middle age group (31 to 40 years) consumers are found to be practical in nature and they prefer cars with increased capacity and of lower prices. Quality and reliability are the major factors concerning consumers in the age group of 41 to 60 years (Autobusiness, 2012). The key factors or measures that should be considered while analyzing the automotive market in Russia includes population growth, new passenger registration, household earnings, pattern of growth of the middle class people, and oil consumption pattern in Russia. This study is designed to research on the possibility of General Motors expanding its business in Russia in the field of luxury cars. It is expected that by the end of 2016, Russia would become the largest automotive market in Europe. The Russian automotive market has experienced an unprecedented growth in sales of luxury cars in the recent years. It has bee n estimated that in the first nine months of 2012, 2.18 million luxury cars has been bought by the Russians as compared to 2.36 million bought by the Germans which is the highest recorded figures in the industry. With respect to the rise in oil prices, the elite class people were benefited the most and there has been a rise in the sales of luxury cars in Russia. This rise in sales of luxur

Internet & Interactive Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet & Interactive Media - Essay Example This would help to evaluate the organization as well as the area of focus of the company in such competitive environment. Secondly, the creation and development of the brand image would be taken under consideration. This indicates that the sources that the company constantly uses would be assessed and evaluated in order to find the factors that have helped the organization to survive and grow in such cut-throat retail environment. Content would also be taken under consideration after this. In content, the area of focus would be to evaluate the organization’s marketing mix that has helped the organization to attract the customers over long period of time. This would also help to evaluate that how does the company constantly update its marketing mix in order to remain fresh in the eyes of the customers. Creativity and design are often the most important factor in success. This creativity and design would be evaluated to identify the modes or tools of advertisement used by the or ganization to create awareness and gain customer’s attraction in the market. In addition, the reduction of clutter in the world of advertisement would also be evaluated under the same heading. E-commerce has gradually entered the corporate world which makes the evaluation of e-commerce of M&S quite crucial. The evaluation of E-commerce would help to indicate that whether e-commerce is just a primary objective or secondary objective. In addition, the use of mobile strategy is at its peak due to which this factor would also be taken under consideration during the evaluation of e-commerce. Next, the assignment would aim to evaluate and identify the ways through which the organization develops relationship with the customers in the market. Furthermore, the type of buzz marketing used by the organization would also be evaluated which would help to identify the reasons which led the organization to survive and grow over such long period of time. In addition, the presence of organiz ation on social media would also be included and evaluated under this particular heading. Next, the data mining outside of purchases of the organization would become the spotlight of this assignment. It would help to evaluate all the sources used by the organization to accumulate the data gathered through sales promotion, personal sales, direct mails and programs introduced by the organization. This would be followed by evaluation of public relations. This would help in the evaluation of the organization’s ability to provide the customers with relevant information regarding the company along with the products and services offered to the customers. In addition, it would also help to evaluate the ways in which the organization communicates with its target audience in the market via its website. Lastly, this assignment would evaluate the use of other IMC elements used by the organization i.e. traditional media to create awareness regarding the company’s website. This woul d also help to identify the reasons for the use of traditional media while other more effective sources are available in the corporate world. Marks and Spencer Overview Marks and Spencer is one of the leading retail organizations in UK. The prestige and reputation of the company can be evaluated through 21 million customers visiting the retail outlets each week. The company not only provides the customers

Compare and Contrast Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Compare and Contrast - Research Paper Example However, the American’s political analysts and scientist have been reluctant in carrying out studies on the religious organizations. This means that political science has shown some lack of interest to religious issues and the politicians have failed to merge their work to the theories of religion. The different religious interest groups have different operation whose characteristics are unique. It’s safe to claim that most religious interest groups have to some point, been involved to the politics in America. This chapter focuses on the religious politics that raises concern for the religious interest groups. It also attempts to identify the various religious interest groups in the United States and their views of political issues. I will also discuss two types of religious interest groups and their goals at the national level. Evidence is derived from studying the various religious interest groups. The religious diversity in the United States has resulted to the diver sity of goals and how their means of seeking them. Religious traditions in U.S.A The religious tradition in the United States is manly Judeo-Christianity. It divides the entire religious community into six groups. They include, the Roman Catholics, black Protestants, evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, Jews and the Secular people. The biggest religious group in the United States is the Protestant community. The Evangelical Protestants view the Bible literally and have the mission of bringing people back to Christ. The Black Protestants have more liberal political views than the Evangelical Protestants. Some groups in the religious tradition detach themselves from the secular or non-religious people in the society. However, majority of them obtain power from the political system of the nation. Most political scientists claim that the religious interest groups are to be held responsible for the absence of multiparty system in America. The religious interest groups organize ecumenical coalitions just like how political parties construct coalitions, in order to gain influence on various political issues in the Country (Wentz,67). Types of religious interest groups The types of religious groups discussed in this chapter are the Christian and Muslim interest groups. The two interest groups have both similar and different understanding of the political matters. Christian Religious group The Christian coalition was formed to improve the agenda on preserving the traditional view of the political and social system in the United States as well as the traditional values of the Americans. In 1989, Pat Robertson established the Christian coalition after losing the presidential nomination in 1988. The coalition mainly consisted of evangelical Protestants. The Christian coalition in America is composed of two million members and an additional of two thousand chapters in different fifty states. It influences the actions of political legislators in favor of tradition al values of religion and family. It also supports school prayer and market capitalism. On the other hand, the Christian interest group in the United States opposes gun control, abortion and secular influence. The organization was very selective in supporting the political candidates. It supported some and ignored others. However, the organization’s power of influence started to decline as membership dropped

The Case of Egyptian Metal Industries (Metalco) Study

The of Egyptian Metal Industries (Metalco) - Case Study Example By employing the traditional costing method, Metalco uses only â€Å"direct labor-hours† (Information Resources Management Information, 2013, p.1432) which shows very little relationship with the accumulation of the â€Å"factory overhead costs† (Information Resources Management Information, 2013, p.1432). This results in distortion of product price and also decreases the inducements for the managers in their way of managing the product costs. It has been found that both the methods are providing different results because the volume-based method of costing uses only cost of direct labor and the method of activity-based costing (ABC) make use of various cost drivers for each activity. There is difference in the way of computing per unit cost of factory overhead under both the methods. The method of traditional costing takes only â€Å"direct labor-hours† (See Appendix 1), while ABC method activity cost driver into consideration to compute the unit overhead cost (S ee Appendix 2). The result from the traditional method shows that product COM is more profitable as compared to RES (See Appendix 3). Whereas, the result form the ABC method reflects that product RES is more profitable then COM (See Appendix 4). Therefore, it has been observed that traditional method does not provide accurate result, whereas, ABC method gives more specific result. It has been analyzed that traditional method of costing does not provide accurate result because it does not utilize activity cost drivers for analyzing the per unit overhead cost. The result which has been obtained from both the methods are different form one another. Traditional method shows that product COM is better than RES, while the ABC method provides opposite result. Metalco shifted its preference from traditional method to ABC method because it gives more accurate analysis of the product cost. The ABC method determines each activity related to producing the item as

AlfredHitchcock, Essay Example for Free

AlfredHitchcock, Essay Final Paper Mamet and Hitchcock’s Suspenseful Similarities While comparing the film’s Strangers on a Train, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and The Spanish Prisoner directed by David Mamet, two suspenseful mysteries unfold. In this essay I will compare both directors use of themes, tones, and camera effects to convey the thrilling story of a confused and tortured protagonist. While they are different plotlines, both stories overlap in many ways. Perhaps Mamet may have even made an homage to Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train by mirroring various scenes and themes in The Spanish Prisoner. Strangers on a Train is the story of two strangers that meet on a train, but it is hardly that simple. One a tennis star, Guy Haines, and the other, a wealthy psychopath Bruno Anthony. Bruno proposes a scheme to Guy to kill someone the other person wants to dispose of, a â€Å"criss-cross†. Unknowingly, Guy agrees to kill Bruno’s enemy and vice versa. Bruno kills Guy’s wife that he had been trying to divorce, and expects Guy to kill his father. They get mixed up in a cat a dog chase of murder and confusion, which ended with Bruno’s death and Guy marrying the women he loved, Anne Morton. The Spanish Prisoner is titled from a con game that traps a mark into turning over thousands of dollars to scam artists. David Mamet character Joe Ross is a math genius that devised a process that will earn his company billions of dollars. The process is the maguffin (a typical trait of Hitchcock); we never find out what the process is, only that rival Japanese corporations will do anything to steal it. Joe Ross ends up happily ever after similarly to Guy Haines. Both stories reflect one another in multiple ways. One is that Bruno the sympathetic villain in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train that we love and hate is very similar to that of Julian ‘Jimmy’ Dell who elaborately tried to steal the process. We grow relationships with Jimmy Dell and with Bruno Anthony; they are both the catalyst of all bad that comes to the protagonist, yet each director makes them appealing and loveable. Both plotlines are obviously different, but Joe Ross is a similar reflection of Hitchcock’s creation of Guy Haines as well. Both men are mixed up in what they thought were brief encounters with ice or eccentric strangers. Yet both men get fooled along the way and get entangled in a web of lies, murder, and deceit. Mamet mirrors Hitchcock storyline in various ways throughout the films with character similarities again and again. On the plane ride back to the States, Susan asks Joe the films signature question: â€Å"Who in the world is what they seem? † In this scene, instead of a tr ain they are on an airplane, and instead of Bruno asking Guy a question, it is Susan to Joe. Inevitably they are the same. Susan endows doubt and a motive to do something out of character, much like Bruno’s question to Anthony, â€Å"My theory is that everybody is a potential murderer. Didnt you ever want to kill somebody? Say one of those useless fellows Miriam was running around with? † Each character is stricken with a striking comment that unravels the rest of their fate. In the same scene in the airplane Joe responds to Susan by retreating to the planes bathroom to unwrap Dells gift, which turns out to be a first edition of Budge on Tennis. The tennis theme is another similarity echoed in Strangers on a Train. Guy Haines is a pro tennis player and many of the scenes have imagery of tennis. Metaphorically it could represent the mental state of characters or plot, the back and forth of sense and logic. Later when Joe is trying to meet up with lawyers to discuss the process in Central Park, he goes onto a carousel. Mamet does no mistake by copying Hitchcock’s carousel tool as a dizzying climactic point. The spinning of the carousel signifies the mental state of both protagonists at the time. Each is on the verge of a breakdown, not knowing who to trust or what to do next. Camera angles enhance the scene in Hitchcock’s version because he uses high angle shots and differential focus on the faces of the patrons riding the carousel while the background spins quickly it creates a highly suspenseful and memorable scene. Hitchcock also used that little carnie man who crawled under the moving carousel, I was in awe of the camera angles throughout this scene, it made me hold my breath. The scene from The Spanish Prisoner where Joe was in the carousel was not as thrilling, the tone was different, he just walked around it slowly. The tones of the two scenes are like night and day. Hitchcock’s is loud and scary, while Mamet’s is eerily quiet and somber. Thematically they both explain the mental state of the protagonist, but Hitchcock’s tone is intense, fast paced, and surreal at times, while Mamet’s tone is cerebral and realistic. Not only are the characters, the themes, and elements comparatively similar, but also many of Hitchcock’s trademarks are found in both movies. One is the falsely accused man. This is present in Guy Haines, as well as in Joe Ross. Each protagonist is being chased for a crime they didn’t commit. It is a classic trait of suspense thrillers and is defiantly a major part of each film. The second trait is the guilty woman. This is present in Susan in Spanish Prisoner, and in Miriam in Strangers on a Train. Both directors convey police as idiotic throughout the movie as well, which is another Hitchcock trait. The final element is the pathological deviant. This is present in Bruno Anthony and in Julian ‘Jimmy’ Dell. This is the figure that spun the web of lies and created a â€Å"trustworthy† bond while in reality being completely crazed for a purpose that is unattainable. While both movies are similar in their theme, tone, characters, and director traits, they also vary in ways that make them unique. Both the stories are well conveyed due to the director’s clear point of view. One was referencing the other, both were gripping and suspenseful tales of an innocent man trying to fix a problem that they cant seem to solve. Mamet’s mirroring of Hitchcock was done well, but Hitchcock’s surrealistic shots and character like the carnie make it more interesting and compelling of a movie to me.

How the arts relate Essay Example for Free

How the arts relate Essay The arts are inter-related because they rely and complement one another. It will be absurd for any of the arts to stand alone. They are all inextricably linked- for example, can anyone dance without music? The simple answer to this is â€Å"no. † Music gives direction to dance. In other words, music inspires the movement involved in dance. The dance steps are in line with the rhythm of the music. Dance is performed in theatres before live audiences or recorded on film so that the people who are not present can view the performance later. Theatre is a special face to face type of communication with a limited audience. However, when productions in the theatre are placed on film, the audience is broadened. Relationship between dance and music Dance involves a lot of body movement. Much of this body movement in dance involves the use of various parts of the human body. These various body movements need to be properly done in order to have an effect on a theatrical audience. Highlights this point when they write that, The dramatic effectiveness of a dance, however, invariably depends on myriad factors-movement dynamics of body parts and torso, movement in space, location on stage, direction of focus, use of weight, muscle tension, and so on (2). As a performance, dance is often creative and novel. When dance fulfils these attributes, it sparks interest in the minds of the audience. These audiences can either be at home or live. Live performances are often held in theatres while recordings on film extend the experience to people who were not present at the time. Dance is often directed by choreographers, while music is written by composers. Over the years, the work of these two groups (choreographers and composers) has been studies in order to unearth the innate relationships between the two. In their analysis of choreographers and composers, Joseph B. Rovan, Robert Wechsler and Frieder Weiss find that, In the past, traditional models of collaboration between composers and choreographers have subjugated either dance or music, or sidestepped the question altogether by removing all correlation between movement and sound. †¦one that avoids this conflict entirely by making the work of choreographer and composer interdependent rather than dependent; fused instead of segregated (5). The fusion between dance and music which Joseph B. Rovan, Robert Wechsler and Frieder Weiss state above is also reiterated in computer animations. In the real world music and dance are complimentary. Thus in animations as well, these two forms of art stick together. It is absurd to hear of someone who dances amidst silence, instead of taking step and making body movements according to music playing in the background. Takaaki Shiratori, Atsushi Nakazawa and Katsushi Ikeuchi present an amazing analogy of the relationship between music and dance when they write that, The ability to dance to music is a natural born skill for a human. Everyone has experienced a desire to move their bodies while listening to a rhythmic song. Hip-hop dancers can simultaneously compose a dance motion to the musical sounds they are listening to†¦. Considering this ability, we are led to believe that dance motion has strong connections with music, (1). Naturally, music moves people to dance. It is often difficult to ignore music especially when it is interesting. Over the years and across many cultures in the world dance steps have evolved according to various types of music. In many places dance schools are set up and certain pieces of music and dance steps have become very popular across the world. Relationship between theatre and film The similarities and differences between theatre and film have been a subject among scholars for a while. According to Susan Sontag, there was a need to ensure, †¦the maintaining and clarifying of barriers between the arts (256). Toward this end Susan Sontag embarked on the task of unearthing the relationship between theatre and film. In a bid to accomplish this task, she raised questions which were meant to challenge, unbridgeable division, even opposition between the two arts (249). However, it is important to note that Susan Sontag was limited by the realities that were present when she undertook the study. A lot has changed since then. Agreed, theatre and film have a lot of similarities and differences but they often go together in many ways. For example, in marketing of artistic productions, theatre box office sales are an important source of revenue. Apart from this source, sales of recorded copies of the production too bring in a lot of money. This analogy raises the question whether there can be a struggle between theatres and film for audiences? In truth there can be a struggle especially when managers and producers do not manage the two effectively. Usually, in marketing, theatre and film complement each other. In theatre, the performance is live, thus there is an intimacy between the performance and the audience. However, in film, the performance is recorded, thus there is no direct connection with the audience. With film, producers are able to include certain effects which may not be possible on a theatrical stage. While live performance in theatres has its advantages, recorded performances too are beneficial in various ways. In this way both theatre and film are complementary. The complementary nature of theatre and film is highlighted when Ralph Hammerthaler talks about the concept of the â€Å"theatre movie. † He writes that, â€Å"If there is a trend in the theatre of the 1990s, then it is the trend to the theatre movie. † According to him the concept of theatre film encourages the incorporation of various forms of art into film such as music films, filmed plays, etc. Apart from the fact that theatre is a recorded performance, it uses a lot of devices and techniques that are used in film production such as sound track, rhythm, fade overs, clips, etc. The relationship between dance, music film and theatre Music is inevitable in film and theatre because it is often used as sound track. Sound tracks have special significance in film and theatrical productions because they heighten the mood. Depending on the sound track used, the audience can feel a sense of shame, fear, pity or suspense. Furthermore, Simon Frith adds that music structures time in film productions. Music performs the same function in theatre as well. Dance on the other hand is often accompanied by music and performed on stage or recorded for a wider audience. Conclusion The arts are inextricably related- each plays an important part in order to yield a wholesome result. Due to this reason, none of the arts can stand alone. It will be absurd to dance without music and where will music and drama be performed if not in a theatre? Furthermore, what happens when other people besides the audiences in theatres are interested in viewing a production? They definitely join the larger body of audiences by viewing the production on film.

Role of Zinc in Physical Growth and Cognitive Development

Role of Zinc in Physical Growth and Cognitive Development Summary The study covered 2 to 3 year old children in Laguna, Philippines. The study was conducted for the following purposes: to determine the zinc status and its relationship to physical growth and cognitive development; to describe the socio-economic and demographic characteristics, water and sanitation practices, health services, and child care and feeding practices of mothers; to evaluate the food intake and nutrient adequacy; to assess the nutritional status, zinc status and iron status; to determine the level of cognitive development; and to examine the association of zinc status with water and sanitation practices, health services, child care and feeding practices, nutritional status, iron status, and cognitive development. Socio-economic and demographic characteristics revealed that more than half of the households were located in lowland areas. Majority were living in single houses. Some owned the house and inherited the lot from parent. In terms of house materials, most roofs and external walls were made from galvanized iron and concrete/brick/stone. More than one-third of the households have floorings cemented with tiles/linoleum. The main source of electricity was MERALCO in which more than half have their own electric meter. LPG was their major source of fuel for cooking. Further, few households have small holding with agricultural animals like cattle, chicken, ducks, horses and milk cows. Of the households, 69% have 3 to 5 members in the family and 38.5% have children 12 years old and below. In terms of household income, the monthly income ranges from Php1, 000.00 to Php67, 200.00 with a mean monthly income of Php7, 762.00. In general, 57.7% of households were below poverty threshold. The age of mothers ranged from 19 to 58 years old. With a mean age of 29.9 years, more than one-third of the mother-respondents were between 25 to 29 years old. Nearly 3% and 25% were below 20 years and beyond 35 years of age, respectively. In terms of education attainment, majority of mother-respondents either reached high school or graduated from high school. Probably because of lack of education, majority of them have no occupation. Majority of the mothers were married. With regards to religion, most mothers were Roman Catholic. There were more children in district 2 who participated in the study probably because of higher number of children in the area. More than half were 31 to 35 months of age and were female. Some of them belong as the second child in the family. Moreover, 30.2% of the mothers remembered the birth weight of their children based from recall and as recorded in the child’s birth certificate. Only 4% of children were born with low weight. More than one-third of the households have main source of and access to drinking water from the community water system. More than half of the mothers stockpiled water in plastic containers with cover for less than 5 days which can reduce the risk of water storage from being contaminated. Perhaps having an access to sufficient quality and quantity of safe water for consumption, nearly one-third of the mothers do not to store water for drinking. Majority of the mothers spent amount of time obtaining water from water sites that could have been dedicated to other activities like child care. In terms of toilet facilities, almost all households have their own water-sealed latrines however 30.9% of them shared their toilets with other households. In relation to garbage disposal and segregation, most of the households have their garbage collected and carried out proper waste segregation possibly because of the garbage collection system being implemented in the province. In terms of health conditions, almost 70% of the children have been sick for the last 30 days. The most common type of illness experienced was Upper Respiratory Tract Infection such as cough, cold and pneumonia. Parasitism was one of the existing health illnesses among children but majority of them were not yet dewormed. Among children who had suffered from illnesses, 85.9% of the mothers sought for medical help probably because of better access to health centers. In terms of infection, only 12.1% of children were tested positive with infection. Male children were more at risk to infection than female counterparts. With regards to health services, 48.3% of children were not fully immunized, 20.1% received iron syrups and 79.2% received Vitamin A supplementation. More than half of the mothers brought their children to health centers when suffering from diarrhea and nearly 30% of children were provided with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). In terms of participation in nutrition educati on classes, only 32.2% of the mothers were attending. In addition, 65.1% of the households were involved in different government nutrition programs food fortification, food assistance, community food production and livelihood programs. Relative to child care and feeding practices, most of the mothers were the main source of physical and emotional care of the children. In her absence, 31.6% of grandmothers took responsibility by feeding the child, bathing the child and baby-sitting. All mothers claimed that they frequently talk, praise, kiss/hug/show affection, play, and tell stories with their children. During meals, majority of the mothers help, encourage and motivate the children to eat as well as they maintain eye to eye contact and minimize distractions if children lose interest easily. Similarly, most of the mothers put their children to sleep and take care of them when they wake up at night. In terms of the children’s personal hygiene, more than half of them have their own utensils. Majority of children’s hands and face were being washed before eating and after toileting. Of the mothers, almost all wash their hands after toileting the child. In relation to the cleanliness of environment, most of the mothers made sure that their children do not eat food picked up from the ground, do not eat food touched by animals and keep their children away from animal excrement. Moreover, most of the mothers exclusively breastfed their children; initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of life; and gave colostrum during infancy. Nearly half of the children were introduced with solid foods at six months. Most of the children were continued being breastfed by mothers even when they have been given solid food. As children grow old, almost all mothers said they increase their children’s quantity of food, frequency of feeding, consistency of food, and number of food given to them. Moreover, nearly all mothers experiment food combinations, tastes and textures for their children. Similarly, majority of the mothers feed their children during illnesses and recovery. In reference from the scoring system developed for the study, results show that child care and feeding practices of the mothers were excellent which may be attributed to participation in health and nutrition education activities conducted in every barangay. Feeding problems were being encountered among children. Majority of the children accept very limited number of food and reject other food thus they eat food of the same nutrients. Most of them tend to linger with their food during mealtime. More than half eat more than what they need. Conversely, a few of them felt like vomiting especially when fed with coarse foods and some asserted independence in choosing the taste of food. The mean 2-day total food intake of children weighed 1126.2 grams. The two food items considered as the most important in children’s diet were rice and rice products, and whole milk. Overall, majority of the children had energy intake of 100% or more and protein intake of 80% or more. More than 80% of children were able to meet the EAR for Fe and 79.2% for Zn. Thus, no elevated risk of zinc deficiency was found among children based on zinc intake. In terms of supplementation, results show that 47% of children were given with vitamin supplements. Based from the three anthropometric indices, weight-for-age showed that 81.2% of the children had normal weight-for-age while 18.8% suffered from acute malnutrition. Disaggregating by gender, females were more at-risk to acute malnutrition than males. Height-for-age revealed that 33.5% of children were stunted while 66.4% of children had normal height-for-age. The distribution of height-for-age by gender revealed that males had higher prevalence at 19.5% than females. Weight-for-height presented that 3.4% of children had low weight-for-height. Majority had normal weight-for-height while 1.3% was overweight-for-height. Considering the weight-for-height distribution by gender, the current nutritional status of children revealed that 45.6% and 49.7% males and females, respectively, had normal weight-for-height. In terms of biochemical indices, the overall zinc deficiency prevalence was 2%, which considered as low public health significance. The mean serum zinc level in children was 123. 13Â µg/dL. Both gender had the same mean serum zinc, but female children were found at risk to zinc deficiency. The overall anemia prevalence rate was 12.1% and considered as moderate public health significance. The mean hemoglobin level of children was 11.95 g/dL. Mean hemoglobin level and prevalence was higher among female children than male. Only 12.1% of children were tested positive with infection. Male children were at risk to infection than female counterparts. Assessment of cognitive development showed that the average cognitive scaled score was 9.72 points. Disaggregated by age in months, 31 to 35 month old children had the highest average cognitive scaled scores. In general, 27.5% of children were delayed in overall development, from which 12.1% had significant delay while 26.2% were advanced in their overall development from which 1.3% was significantly advanced. Correlation analysis revealed that significant associations were found in water and sanitation practices, health services, infection, food intake, nutritional status and cognitive development. No association was found between child care practices and nutritional status. Using the regression model, the study showed contributory factors that zinc status were energy intake, iron intake, zinc intake, height-for-age, cognitive development and infection. Conclusions The study imparted some knowledge and understanding on the association of zinc status, physical growth, other biochemical indices and cognitive development. It provided evidences on the association of zinc status with water and sanitation practices, infection and health services, child care and feeding practices, food intake, physical growth, iron status and cognitive development. The study found factors that were associated with nutritional status of children. Water and sanitation practices of the households and the mothers like sources of water, storage of water, garbage disposal and waste segregation as well as health services extended to children were associated with nutritional status. In the same manner, infection, food intake and cognitive development were associated with nutritional status. Similarly, weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height were associated with zinc status, iron status and cognitive development. Associations were found in zinc status, iron status and cognitive development and between iron status and cognitive development, as well. Regression model showed the contributory factors that may affect zinc deficiency. Children with adequate intake of energy, zinc and iron were less likely to become zinc deficient. Similarly, zinc deficiency was less likely to occur among children with normal height for their age and who have an average cognitive development. Conversely, zinc deficiency was higher in children with infection. Recommendations With the assessment of zinc status and its relationship with physical growth and cognitive development, it is recommended that in the achievement of optimum nutritional status of 2 to 3 year old children, food intake should be improved early in life. Nutrition counselling among mothers on Infant and Young Child Feeding should be implemented to promote breastfeeding; the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding and timely introduction of complementary feeding; and its effect on infant growth and survival. Considering the new child growth standards, promotion of breastfeeding and improvement of appropriate complementary feeding are important due to its effects on morbidity, feeding patterns and growth outcomes beyond infancy. Similarly, exclusively breastfed infants of mothers with adequate zinc nutriture can provide their zinc requirements up to 5 to 6 months in life. However, after 6 months of age, breastmilk alone cannot supply sufficient zinc to meet infant’s needs. S o, delayed introduction of complementary foods until after 6 months of age, or inadequate amounts of absorbable zinc in complementary foods increased the risk of zinc deficiency. Therefore, ensure messages on zinc that presented to have associations with stunting and cognitive development. These nutritional outcomes are important in the overall growth and development of children. Because stunting is irreversible after 36 months of age, interventions on pregnant women and young children, particularly those under 24 months of age, should be given attention. Supplementary feeding interventions beyond 36 months of age would not reduce stunting, as rapid weight gain in later childhood is associated with adverse long-term outcomes. A preventive strategy of behavioural change communication for mothers and food supplementation for all 6 to 23 month old children should be targeted in conjunction with the content and timing of present nutrition interventions. In the Philippines, zinc supplementation is provided for the treatment of diarrhea. The study had recognized that zinc delivery intervention such as supplementation improves zinc status, physical growth and cognitive development, as well as documented in the Lancet Series 2013. Health service providers should examine the existing policies on micronutrient supplementation and consider if zinc supplementation could be integrated in the program. Mothers’ participation in health and nutrition services and programs improved the nutritional status of children. Thus, the local health units and health service providers should encourage the participation of the mothers in all health services such as immunization, deworming and micronutrient supplementation. The implementation of micronutrient supplementation should be properly strategized and improved. Health service providers should be more competent and more responsive. Supplies should be continuously available. Health information system should be more efficient and client care should be organized. Government programs should be intensified as these contribute to the improvement of nutritional status. Proper targeting of households and individuals should be designed especially when resources are inadequate. Moreover, nutrition programs should be periodically monitored to review the information, implementation and coverage and use for comparison with the implementation plans. Similarly, programs should be systematically and objectively evaluated to measure the relevance, efficiency and cost-effectiveness; to determine if needs and results have been or are being achieved, and to analyze the details for any discrepancy.

Women and Love In Chaucer Essay -- Chaucer Poetry Poem Essays

Women and Love In Chaucer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaucer's opinion of women and his views on love are very prominently featured in his poetry. Focusing on women, one must first examine the popular views concerning women during Chaucer's time. Arlyn Diamond writes of Chaucer that, ". . . he accepts uneasily the medieval view of women as either better or worse than men, but never quite the same." (Green 3) This is evident in Chaucer's portrayal of women in such poems as "The Wife of Bath" and "The Clerk's Tale" which assault the reader with antithetical views of women. The Wife of Bath is one of the most memorable characters Chaucer ever created. She is considered, in view of Diamond's statement, to be better than the men in her life. Patient Griselda in "The Clerk's Tale" is a peasant woman, married to a nobleman, who tests her loyalty through a series of ordeals in which she is lead to believe her children to be murdered. In this tale Chaucer is exposing his reader to a woman who is beneath her husband, and is treated horribly by him. Chaucer frequently treats the women he writes about as objects, some prize to be won by the heroic man. This is evident in "The Knight's Tale," in which the two protagonists, Palamon and Arcite, war over the hand of Emily, who they have never met, but only gazed upon from a distance. Their devotion to her branches not from love, but the want of men to contain and control the women surrounding them. Now on to the subject of love. Chaucer writes in "The Knight's Tale" of a love based on physical beauty, where the two protagonists fall in love at first sight. This is a common device used in medieval literature to create conflict between characters. "The Book of the Duchess" focuses on the real love between the Black Knight, and the White Woman. This allows Chaucer to explore the nature of love in context.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaucer's Wife of Bath is a domineering woman who demands the men in her life to be subservient. The reader gains from her prologue that she is concerned with sovereignty, which she views as the control or mastery in the relationship. She does not appear to truly love any of her husbands. The first three are older men whom she seems to marry for their money. They pass on quickly leaving her with wealth, standing, and the chance to find herself a more suitable man. Her fourth husband was a profligate, a man of loose morals, who keeps ... ...t sight. The pointless death of Arcite only emphasizes the hollow nature of this love. Love in "The Book of the Duchess" is treated differently. When Arcite dies there is no real pain felt for his loss. This is not the case with the death of the Black Knight's lady. Chaucer spends about eight hundred lines allowing the knight to lament his lost love. In his poetry Chaucer tries to be sympathetic to the plight of women. He endeavors to discuss love honestly, accepting the contradictory types of love and giving them all equal opportunity to prove themselves. The problem, however, lies in the subjects, for no matter how long or intently you look at them, they will always be as complex and incomprehensible as they always were. Works Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Green, Richard Firth. "Chaucer's Victimized Women." Studies in the Age of Chaucer. Ed. Thomas J. Heffernan. Vol. 10. 1988. 3-21.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wynne-Davis, Marion., ed. The Tales of the Clerk and the Wife of Bath. By Geoffrey Chaucer. Routledge: New York, 1992.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edwards, Robert R. Stephen Spector. Ed. The Olde Daunce: Love, Friendship, Sex, and Marriage in the Medieval World. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1991 154-176.

Skylake :: Personal Narrative Writing

Skylake I think I learned how to swim before I learned how to walk. My family and I moved to Miami, Florida from Long Island, New York when I had just turned 4 years old. According to my mother, it was just too cold for her up north. We moved into a comfortable home, the same house we now live in fifteen years later. The house is on a lake, along with about sixty-five other homes. My brothers say that when we first moved in, I used to go down to the lake and just sit and stare at it for hours on end. My first girlfriend lived on my lake. Her name was Anat. I would take my paddleboat over to her house and then go around the lake with her for hours. It was easier to walk to her house, but more impressive to swing by on a boat. I had just turned twelve, and spent the summer with her on the lake. Our relationship came to an abrupt stop after six weeks. Apparently I was not spending enough time with her, and too much time with the fish. A year after we moved in, my father's best friends, Joe Haimson and his wife Bernice, came to visit us for a week or two. The two of them were pretty devoted fishermen. They went out and bought a couple of basic fishing rods and reels and taught my brothers and I how to fish. My brothers were not nearly as enchanted by fishing as I was. Their interest in it fizzled out shortly thereafter. Mine had just begun. I remember when I was about five or six. sitting at my dock, usually alone, putting little breadballs about the size of a marble on the hook, making short casts, and catching one bluegill after another. They weren't big fish, maybe a quarter to a half a pound, at the most. Not a real anglers trophy, but to me they were the most mesmerizing things I had ever seen, each one more beautiful than the next. On Friday evenings, when I was about nine or ten, I used to sit on my dock with my grandfather, Max, before Sabbath dinner. He used to love it when I pulled those things out o f the water.

Tissue Engineering Essay -- Organ Transplant Medical Health Essays

Tissue Engineering Tissue engineering, labeled by Time.com as the number one hottest job for the 21st century, holds great potential for medicine and the treatment of chronic diseases and disorders. With tissue engineering, familiar problems like the rejection of foreign tissue by the body, the severe shortage of organ donors, and the inefficiency of artificial devices may be solved. However, this cutting edge biotechnology has already spurred intense controversy over the ethics and morality of creating spare human body parts. The goal of tissue engineering is to grow tissues and neo-organs that can be used for transplants. Tissue engineers must first decide what type of cell they want to use and stimulate to grow. Because animal cells may be unsafe and rejected by a human immune system, human cells are preferred when the end goal is an organ for human use. Embryonic stem cells may be used, but it is difficult to be able to coax the cells to differentiate into the specific cells needed for the organ (e.g. liver cells). Progenitor cells are not fully differentiated and thus can be stimulated to grow into different cell types. For example, there is a progenitor cell that can form into either bile-producing cells or cells that line bile ducts, depending on the way it is manipulated in culture. For a wound or bone fracture, an injection of growth factors can stimulate the specific cells around the wound to regenerate and facilitate healing. The specific cells can also be grown in bioreactors that simulate the conditions of a human body and expose the cells to growth factors. Using the cultured cells, tissue engineers then seed them on a molded scaffold. The scaffold is made out of a biodegradable material that disintegrat... ...th kidney disease, and she, the recipient of two brand-new engineered kidneys, displays a quasi-jealousy over the patient who will have dialysis treatment and receive attention every week. With neo-organs readily available to replace diseased and worn out organs, what will happen to doctor-patient relations? We may be able to one day perfect tissue engineering, but a flawless science will not do much so long as we have emotionally flawed humans like Olivia and Troy. Sources Langer, Robert S. and Joseph P. Vacanti. â€Å"Tissue Engineering: The Challenges Ahead.† Scientific American April 1999: 86-89. Mooney, David J. and Antonios G. Mikos. â€Å"Growing New Organs.† Scientific American April 1999: 60-68. â€Å"What Will be the 10 Hottest Jobs?† Visions of the 21st Century. 1 May 2000. http://www.time.com/time/reports/v21/work/mag_ten_hottest_jobs.html.

Body Image in Society

Destiney McCraney Ms. Wills English 100 19 September 2012 Go Against the Grain Remodel your nose, show your chest, and bend over for the camera. This is basically the message society is sending to women today. If you conform to the world’s idea of what a woman should look like then you will be accepted. In the two articles â€Å"The Pitfalls of Plastic Surgery† by Camille Paglia and â€Å"The Beauty Myth† by Naomi Wolf, the way women have responded to the message from society is discussed from both perspectives.Wolf is clearly against women's confinement to societal pressures. She reveals that there is a â€Å"secret underlie poisoning our freedom,† referring to the way women focus on appearance and fitting in (Wolf 10). Paglia's argument focuses on the extent of women using plastic surgery to become what they believe society wants them to be. She writes about the way women have made themselves their own â€Å"works of art,† taking plastic surgery t o higher levels in the industry. Wolf emphasizes the way women have changed their values over the years.She makes an emotional appeal by concluding that the â€Å"contemporary ravages† are â€Å"destroying women physically and depleting us psychologically†(Wolf 19). Over time, society has influenced women to confine themselves to what the world believes is beauty instead of embracing the power of being a woman and focusing on their place in the economy. The first image portrays a woman who is perfectly proportioned yet still uncomfortable with her body. The woman in the ad has her hands behind her back as if she’s nervous about people seeing her in the bikini she’s wearing.The light blue color of the background symbolizes renewal instead of the sadness that would be portrayed from a darker blue; losing weight creates a brighter future. The bend in her leg reveals her shyness as she looks towards the weight loss product, feeling like she has to use it in o rder to be confident. The fact that she isn’t comfortable after she has lost 25 pounds and is wearing a black bikini reveals the extremes that our society force us to go to in order to be accepted.If it isn’t one part of the body, it’s another. The phrase â€Å"jealous exes† is used to draw attention to the product giving a perspective on what women feel is important these days. Just by looking at this ad it is implied that most women want to make all their exes jealous, not become a CEO of a company. The ad as a whole, pin points how the world thinks women should want to look. Why 25 pounds and not 5? Why is she still uncomfortable? The pressure from society creates this never ending cycle of conformity to the ideal woman.It seems as though women today have shifted their attention to issues that shouldn’t matter. Many women are concerned with â€Å"physical appearance, bodies, faces, hair, clothes,† bringing attention to the relationship be tween â€Å"female liberation and female beauty. â€Å"(Wolf 9) The pressures of society have influenced women to believe they all need to resemble one another. The media always tends to focus on skinny models, light-skinned women, long-haired women, and tall women when they refer to the word â€Å"beauty. These are the types of women that are scarce in our society because everyone obviously isn’t born that way. Most of our society is filled with women who have curves, like the plus sized models of today, or who have darker skin compared to the famous models with fair complexions. The spotlight on the preferred image of women in society causes them to think they have to be just like that vision in order to be accepted. In the image I have chosen, there are two different women who both won a beauty contest in different areas of the world.One woman is skinny with long, blonde hair in her face, while the other has curves and dark, shorter hair out of her face. The woman with curves is more conservative with her outfit and her make-up. She is wearing a bikini, but covering her bottom with a wrap and her make-up is more natural. The skinny woman on the other hand is showing off her body in a bikini and her make-up is on heavier than the other woman’s. The women in our society today feel like they can’t achieve certain goals in life without being the world’s ideal women, but according to this image, it is possible.The plus sized woman in this image is a great example of an empowering figure for women in our society because she is confident with her body and makes the statement that it is okay to love you the way you were born. Who is to blame for women thinking they constantly need to change themselves to fit in? Why aren’t women comfortable with their bodies? When people like the media are repeatedly beating you up for being yourself you tend to change if you are not confident. The media exploits women through ads, magazines, a nd â€Å"pornography† and the women of today are allowing it to happen (Wolf 10).There are only a hand full of women who aren’t ashamed to go against the grain and be proud of who they are. In the photo of J-woww, the magazine is criticizing her for moving her leg a certain way causing her cellulite to show. She is wearing a pink bikini that shows off her tattoo and tanned skin. The magazine points out that she can’t cover up every flaw with tattoos and tanning oils implying that she is full of imperfections. In the eyes of many other people she has a nice body, but according to the media she needs work done. As long as she is comfortable with her body their opinion doesn’t matter right?Wrong. Many people look at this in a magazine and agree because society has taught us to judge one other the same way they judge us. In the words of Wolf, these obsessions are â€Å"poisoning our freedom,† women in earlier days worked hard and sacrificed for women t oday to have the power and money they have, but the way women today feel about themselves leaves them â€Å"worse off than our unliberated grandmothers† (Wolf 10). Society has conned women into focusing on beauty and acceptance instead of being empowered and useful in the economy.Women are usually projected as sex symbols that should always look a certain way. It is rare to see a woman in a movie or magazine with a professional outfit on that isn’t showing too much skin. A woman wearing a nice skirt with a blazer and a shirt buttoned all the way up is a great icon to other women because it shows how you don’t have to have your chest out and be exploited to be important. The image portraying a professional woman flexing her arms like a man would shows how women can have power without conforming to society’s expectations.The way her mouth is open gives the impression that she is excited to be in the position she is in, and comfortable with herself as a woma n. The workplace has more women in it now than it did years ago, and more women need to start taking advantage of this new opportunity. Over the years women have been influenced to confine themselves to the ideals of society. Women are constantly judged and criticized forcing them to change themselves when there was no need to. There are not many women who will stand up and go against what the world thinks, embrace the power of being as woman, and take heir rightful place in the economy. If there is going to be a change it has to start with the women not the men, the media, friends, or society as a whole. â€Å"If we are to free ourselves from the dead weight that has once been made out of femaleness, it is not ballots or lobbyists or placards that women will need first; it is a new way to see. (Wolf 19). Works Cited Paglia, Camille. â€Å"The Pitfalls of Plastic Surgery. † Harper’s Bazaar (May 2005). Print Rpt in Convergences. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 20 09 Print Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. New York: Harper Collins, 2002. Print