Overpopulation Problems

Before we move on to overpopulation problems, we need to know about the various factors that are responsible for this incessant rise in population. Significant improvement in quality of life and basic health services has resulted in decline in death rate, and at the same time has caused an increase in the birth rate. Continuous migration of people from underdeveloped areas to developed areas has triggered an unnatural growth in population in developed areas, thus, putting immense pressure on available resources. Our failure in understanding the problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas is reflected in unplanned growth of newer towns and cities. More importantly, a look at the projected population growth is even more horrendous, which in itself stresses on the fact that we are not learning from our mistakes. Read more oncauses of overpopulation. Problems Caused by Overpopulation Overpopulation problems refer to a series of interwoven problems which are basically caused due to population explosion. The worst thing about these problems is that they act as major hindrances in the process of development. Though restricted to the urban areas as of now, these problems have already begun and it will be just a matter of time before they engulf the entire planet. Scarcity of Resources Available resources will not be sufficient to meet the demand of rising population. Only 3% of water on the planet is potable, so overpopulation problems will start with the lack of drinking water for millions of people across the globe. Land available for agricultural production is also shrinking, which means the amount of crop produced will decrease with time. If population increases and crop production decreases, a large part of population will be left to die of hunger. In fact, Thomas Malthus had predicted this problem of food shortage due to rise in population two centuries ago through his theory of population. Scarcity of resources will not just be restricted to food and water, it will also affect various other walks of life, including health services, jobs and many basic amenities. Health Problems The amount of waste produced by increasing population will hamper the waste management program in several countries. Untreated waste and poor hygiene will result in the spread of diseases. A large population will make the spread of contagious diseases even more easier. Health resources available with us will not be sufficient enough to cater to the needs of the huge population in case of an epidemic, and the death toll will be difficult to handle. Entire planet will experience large scale outbreaks of diseases, which will wipe out a large part of population by itself. Environmental Issues Increase in population will also increase the anthropogenic activities which cause global warming and related climate change. Larger the population, more will be the environmental issues that we will have to deal with like pollution and deforestation. We have proved time and again that we won't hesitate to encroach upon the natural surroundings and destroy them if we don't have a place to stay. This will result in loss of habitat for various species and cause a severe ecological imbalance on the planet. It would be foolish to expect that we will be safe from these overpopulation effects, as all lifeforms subsisting on this planet, including humans, are dependent on each other, either directly or indirectly. These overpopulation problems would not have affected us if we had unlimited land and resources, but that is not the case. Already limited resources are being continuously divided into smaller and smaller portions, especially the land. Perhaps we are yet to understand the hazards of overpopulation, or maybe we will continue to turn a blind eye to them until it causes some serious calamity. The need of the hour is to identify the solutions for these

Hyundai and Kia Essay

The international corporate branding strategy of Hyundai and Kia are similar yet varied. Both organizations put plans into action that would potentially catapult their brands into the first-class market share position. Hyundai began its strategic branding process by focusing on improving the perception of their brand, positioning itself as a maker of â€Å"refined and confident† automobiles. While Kia attempted to improve consumer perception by billing the maker as an â€Å"exciting and enabling† automaker. Brands must adapt and communicate in more ways than one to reach a fragmented and or distracted audience. The challenges associated with rebranding the identity of both Hyundai and Kia involved the development of purposeful attributes to bring about and reinforce the emotional perceptions. For example, Kia’s global pledge or brand promise was built on the maker’s â€Å"commitment to surpass customer expectations through continuous innovation.† To fortify this promise, through brand positioning, Kia incorporated six attributes into its products: dynamic styling, responsive engineering, well-equipped vehicles, versatility, safety and reliability, and top-tier product and service quality. Integrating the six attributes added to the brands image of quality. Even if a consumer had never experienced the handling of any Kia product, the brand image conveys quality; quality backed by market surveys, reports, market positioning, target advertising, pricing, and other facts that represent a brand image of quality to the world. Corporate branding strategies can add significant value in terms of helping the entire corporation to â€Å"convert awareness into brand consideration in the consumer purchase process.† The overly saturated automobile market in China and Korea is problematic in that the number of cars being manufactured doesn’t allow consumers to focus on the brand message. This is evident of the lackluster sales of the NF YU Xiang of Hyundai and Tianlime of KIA Motors. Both President Noh and Lee crafted a branding strategy for each of their brands to boost sales. Analyzing the data provided, branding modifications could have been made in a few areas. Initially, the case suggests that there were too many cars being made in China and not enough focus on consumer needs by connect it to Brand  Awareness. Chinese consumers were sensitive to price and fuel efficiency, which affected brand choice. Automobiles were also viewed as a young person’s desire for a lifestyle change rather than the need for convenient transportation. So consumer’s preferences were based on emotional and intangible attributes such as style/outlook, and brand image. Improvements could have been made with its brand logo through brand revitalization to revolutionize the brand in order to regain equity. Research has indicated that Asian consumers prefer a brand’s foreign names to its American name. The companies should have established the same concept with the two declining brands instead of retaining the local brand name or expanded the brand awareness by using the local brand as one of the vehicles in the â€Å"taxi project† that did so well, instead of the globally recognized brand-Sonata. The luxury sedan â€Å"Equus† will be launched in China in the E segment by BHMC. President Noh must focus on global customer-based brand equity and global brand positioning for this next line of cars. To establish a global customer-based brand equity, President Noah must create brand salience to distinctively differentiate marketing concepts for each market it will introduce the vehicle in. Brand image can be tricky in a global market because of existing competition, so they must analyze the competitors in each market and focus on meeting a diverse group. The consumer’s response to the brand must elicit positive judgment, consumers must find the vehicle of good quality, and it should be worthy of consideration and superior to similar cars lines. Finally, the company must cultivate resonance for the consumers; they must have enough opportunities and incentives to purchase and own this vehicle. Marketing for the product and a prototype must be in the market place long be fore full production is underway. To establish global brand positioning, each market must be revised by defining the core brand association, identifying point-of-parity, points-of-difference and crafting a brand mantra for the Equus (Keller, 2012, p. 492). To establish standards and customize this product against the competition and for it to do well in the marketplace, President Noh must focus on product strategy-consumer behaviors; communication strategy advertising; distribution strategy-retailers and types of channels; and pricing strategy-value for the consumer. Marketers are blending global objectives with local concerns, there must be sufficient levels of brand awareness and  strong, favorable and unique brand associations in the market the brand is sold to provide and build brand equity (Keller, 2012, p. 511)

Why Is Testing Stage of Sdlc so Important?

Why is the testing stage of systems development so important? November 2012 Introduction †¢ Systems Development Lifecycle †¢ Types of SDLC †¢ Stages of SDLC †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Waterfall method Testing Programme Testing Acceptance Testing Limitations of Testing Case Study 1: University of Salford Case Study 2: Knight Capital Group Summary Conclusion References Systems Development Lifecycle †¢ Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process of developing information systems through various stages from identifying initial requirements through analysis, design, testing, mplementation and maintenance. †¢ Many different models but each generally consists of a series of defined steps or stages. Laudon & Laudon (2006) Types of SDLC †¢ Waterfall †¢ Fountain †¢ Spiral †¢ Rapid prototyping †¢ Incremental Bocij et al (2006) Waterfall †¢ One of the oldest, best known †¢ Li near sequential set of phases †¢ Review at end of each phase before moving on to the next †¢ Logical chain of events, e. g. programming cannot begin until specification completed †¢ Many different versions †¢ Many critics – does not work? Laplante & Neill (2004) Dennis et al (2008) Stages of SDLCVary according to the methodology used but usually some variation of the waterfall method which has Galin (2004) served as a framework for others. †¢ Systems analysis – identify problems & establish requirements †¢ Systems Design – create design specifications †¢ Programming – translate design specification into code †¢ Testing †¢ Conversion – plan conversion, train users †¢ Production & Maintenance – operate, evaluate and modify the system Laudon & Laudon (2006) Testing Why test? System should be tested to ensure that it meets the requirements laid out at the start of the process. Develop a test plan †¢ Involve users as well as developers †¢ Simulate data and test system processes e. g. entering a new record, inserting incorrect data Laudon & Laudon (2006) Test Plan Test Number Purpose of Test Test Data Expected Result Actual Result 1 Test the validation rule on the â€Å"Date of Birth† field to ensure that valid dates of birth can be entered. 15/02/1988 Accepted Accepted 2 Test the validation rule on the Date of Birth field to ensure that a date in the future cannot be entered. 14/10/2013 Rejected Accepted Adapted from: Laudon & Laudon (2006) Testing 2 basic phases of testing: programme testing – ensures that the programmes work as expected in controlled environment †¢ acceptance testing – ensures users are able to use the system and that it operates as expected when in use. Laudon & Laudon (2006) Programme Testing 3 phases †¢ unit testing – individual modules of the system are tested for any potential errors in the code. †¢ integration testing – to check the modules work together as expected †¢ complete system testing – see how all the components will work under various conditions Bocij et al (2006) Acceptance Testing User Acceptance Testing (UAT) by actual end users of the ystem to determine how well it meets their expectations and requirements. †¢ alpha testing – using simulated data †¢ beta testing – using actual data – final stage before implementation Bocij et al (2006) Acceptance Testing †¢ Security testing – whether security policies have been implemented as intended †¢ Recovery testing – how the system reacts when it has been forced to fail †¢ Performance testing – in different environments †¢ Stress testing – attempts to â€Å"break† the system by not following guidelines. Looks at how the system performs under heavy demand. Bocij et al (2006) Limitations of Testing Impossible to guarantee that once a system is tested it will work exactly as expected †¢ Too many factors to carry out exhaustive testing †¢ It is often given insufficient importance and other stages overrun at the expense of testing †¢ Cannot rule out unforeseen problems further down the line BUT: Gives a good idea, identifies major errors Morris (2005), Bocij et al (2006) Case Study 1 – Careers Service †¢ New system to manage Careers Service appointments, workshops and events †¢ Alpha testing revealed few errors which were resolved †¢ Beta testing revealed significant issues re: student status, ducation details, appointment booking abilities †¢ Issues were resolved and pilot system launched †¢ Phased implementation. Testing continues†¦ Case Study 2 – Knight Capital Group †¢ Trading US equities electronically (high frequency trading) †¢ Dormant software from a legacy system inadvertently reactivated †¢ Multiplied stock trades by 10 00 †¢ 45 minute delay in shutting down the system †¢ Proper testing and â€Å"appropriate market simulations† †¢ Estimated $440M loss Detterman (2012), Ruhle, Harper and Mehta (2012) Summary †¢ Defined SDLC †¢ Types & Stages of SDLC †¢ Types of Testing †¢ Limitations of Testing Case studies demonstrate importance of thorough testing Conclusion †¢ Testing reveals any errors and incompatibilities †¢ Essential to ensure they can be corrected before implementation †¢ Testing is a continual process. There needs to be a cut off point before implementation but it can (and should) continue †¢ Testing is critical because it is the only way to determine whether the system operates to requirements and actually works! Laudon & Laudon (2006), Cervone (2007) References Cervone, H. F. (2007),†The system development life cycle and digital library development†, O CLC Systems & Services, Vol. 3 Iss: 4 pp. 348–352 [online ]. Available from: [Accessed 12 November 2012] Dennis, A. , Wixom, B. H. & Roth, R. M. (2008) Systems Analysis and Design, 4th Edn, Oxford: Wiley Detterman, E. (2012) â€Å"Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Case Study – Result = $440m Loss. † Solid Logic Technology. 12 August 2012 [online]. Available from: [Accessed 11 November 2012] Galin, D. (2004) Software Quality Assurance: from theory to implementation. Harlow: Pearson Education Laplante, P. A. & Neill, C. J. (2004), â€Å"The Demise of the Waterfall Model Is Imminent† and Other Urban Myths†, ACM Queue, Vol 1, No. 10 [onliine].Available from: [Accessed 12 November 2012] Laudon, K. C. and Laudon, J. P. (2006) Essentials of Management Information Systems: Organization and Technology in the Networked Enterprise, ninth ed. , New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Morris, S. , (2005) â€Å"Software Development Cycle†, Tessella Support Services plc, available at < http://www. tessella. com/wp-content/uploads /2008/05/softwaredevelopmentcycle. p df> [accessed 12 November 2012] Ruhle, S. Harper, C. & Mehta, N. (2012) Knight Trading Loss Said to Be Linked to Dormant Software. Bloomberg. 14 August 2012. [online] Available from: {Accessed 01-11-2012]

Food intake for 3 full days Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Food intake for 3 full days - Essay Example I was also taking evening snacks everyday that provided me lots of carbs. Also, my butter intake (fat) has been increasing since some days. I must cut down on eggs, potatoes and butter to keep the macronutrients in balance. c. Excess of lipids causes heart diseases, stroke, high cholesterol and blood pressure. Too few lipids result in cancer, diabetes, deficiency of fat soluble vitamin, fatty liver and many growth problems (Hesson, 2009, p.45). c. Bread and rice provided me the most fiber while fruits (apple) provided me the least fiber. My food choice trend tells me that I have more liking for bread and rice, and least liking for fruits and vegetables. a. I should cut down my bread and rice intake and should adjust vegetables, cooked or boiled, in lunch or dinner. I should also focus on adding more fruits in my diet like strawberries and bananas, which are very good sources of fiber. I like apples but I must take them along with their skin to increase the amount of fiber. d. For effects of excessive or insufficient protein, carbs and fats, refer to part (2). Excessive fiber causes diarrhea, cramping in abdomen, and other gastrointestinal diseases (Johnson, 2011). Deficiency of fiber causes constipation, obesity, type-2 diabetes and

A discussion of the positve and negative impacts of social networking Essay

A discussion of the positve and negative impacts of social networking on today's youth - Essay Example Cotterell (2013) is of the assumption that the social media has increased the interaction environment and paradigms. The young people are able to interact with persons from different cultures, countries and races thus increasing their view of life and the society. It is also a positive effect that social media that the social media increase the social networking skills of the youth (Tufekci, 2008). The author further asserts that the skills acquired are effective in creating the required cultural, social and political awareness (Tufekci, 2008). Through social networking the youth have increased ability to acquire and process information from a global perspective (Sonia, 2008). This approach allows then to respect the opinion from different religious, cultural and racial affiliations. Their understanding of other social affiliations part from there is increased. In regards to educational purposes, social networking create learning platforms. Specifically, social educational platforms are adversely provided by social networks. The results can be reflected in the educational experiences of the youth (Ruddock, 2013). The greatest negative impact of social networking is the significant strength of peer pressure created (Larson, Eccles & Mahoney, 2006). The young people are recipients and creators of massive unsupervised and uncontrolled information. The information provided is significant in creating perception that may be negative in the young minds (Sonia, 2008). Wang, Tchernev & Solloway (2012) point out that social media has minimized the effectiveness of physical social interaction. The modern day youth rarely take part in the creation of relationships in the offline world. This creates a social gap in the age group. Youths in social networks often provide personal information in online sites. The information may be used for negative purposes. In an argument by Ruddock (2013) the access private information is an extreme negative aspect of social

Construction Management & Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Construction Management & Organisation - Essay Example The project manager has to establish a team of functional specialists to complete the individual tasks of the project. The project manager usually has such qualities as team building, be able to motivate, communicate and be a good listener. In addition, the manager has to be a facilitator and not a supervisor, one who synthesizes instead of being an analyst and finally be problem oriented rather than being discipline oriented. An effective project management has got four main functions; Project planning, team building, directing and control measures. The planning process entails a sequence of activities planned to ensure that the project meets the deadline given, within budget and the expected outcome. Results from planning have to make sure that the overall objectives of the project can be realized. The planning process entails considering schedules and budgets. The budget identifies the resources needed and the means of financing the project. Scheduling establishes timeliness and milestones for the completion of tasks and activities that makeup the project. Project scheduling involves a sequence of activities in a logical and systematic way. Once established, appropriate resource allocation for each activity becomes the next challenge. Budgeting applies to the costs associated with each activity. There are the budget figures with time. The costing has to be done on material and labor, direct and indirect. Team building can be defined as finding the appropriate person to do a specified task in a competent manner. The project has to determine the staff level requirements for each task, the period of engagement for each member, and where each team member lives. The members may come from either within the organization or from an external consulting firm. Directing involves guiding project activities to their timely completion within the assigned budget. Through directing, staff members get to familiarize themselves with the project and their individual

According to Premo Levi's book The Survival of Auschwitz how did Essay

According to Premo Levi's book The Survival of Auschwitz how did Auschwitz systematically dehumanize prisoners - Essay Example Men, women and children were dumped in the concentration camps not for the purpose of reformation and rehabilitation. Their spirits were totally subdued before their bodies were disposed of through heinous procedures. Primo Levi writes, â€Å"Then for the first time we became aware that our language lacks words to express this offence, the demolition of a man. In a moment, with almost prophetic intuition, the reality was revealed to us; we had reached the bottom. It is not possible to sink lower than this; no human condition is more miserable than this, nor could it conceivably be so.†(16) Even the garbage that is being lodged in the dumpers commands some sort of discipline and procedure for disposal. But the human beings in the concentration camps were stripped of all their possessions, their self-respect included. Levi’s only apprehension was what he was going to lose next? Was there anything more for being robbed at all! Dehumanization is the psychological process; o ne’s feelings and emotions are attacked. It is more vicious than the physical violence. In the psychological torture of an individual he is made to feel not worthy, he is the lesser category of a human being. He is alienated from the normal society, mocked at for no personal fault. His individuality is put to test severely and conditions are created that he will be facing death at the time, only place and manner to be decided by the authority that has imprisoned him. That was the philosophy of the people who created Auschwitz. When you were confronted with the dehumanizing process, in the circumstances prevailing in Auschwitz, physical confrontation with those responsible for that malicious activity was impossibility. But you were forced to fight for your humanity and to protect the individual dignity. You were conscious in your inner world that you did not deserve the treatment that you were getting. You had the vague conviction that something dramatic would happen and there was going to be an end to the mean process. Those who were in charge of the camp were treating the prisoners like the animals, and you would not like to be one; you resist that with all the inner strength at your command. To survive in those grim circumstances for ten months spoke about the grit and strong will power of Primo Levi, as many of the fellow-suffers in the camp perished. The beginning of the dehumanization process—was it dehumanization or much more? Auschwitz was not the beginning; it was one of the terminals of the dehumanization process. Levi writes, â€Å"With the absurd precision to which we later had to accustom ourselves, the Germans held the roll-call. At the end the officer asked, â€Å"Wieviel stuck?† The corporal saluted smartly and replied that there were six hundred and fifty â€Å"pieces† and that all was in order.†(5) Primo Levi’s desperate struggle against this demonic process began before his arrival at Auschwitz. From Italy preparations for transportation of a group of six hundred and fifty people began and they were to be condemned to death. At the time of boarding the train the dehumanization process began. Levi writes, â€Å"Here we received the first blows: and it was so new and senseless that we felt no pain, neither in body nor in spirit. Only a profound amazement: how can one hit a man without anger?†(5) In the wagon where he was seated, there were forty-five people and only four survived, including Levi. During the journey to Auschwitz they had to encounter cold, torment, and

Why Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Why Communications - Essay Example Without communication, it may be impossible for other people to know what their colleagues think or like. As such, it is important for people to exchange information in order for them to understand each other. We use communication in all facets of our life. For instance, we socialize through communication since we use it to exchange information. This also helps us to create mutual understanding among us so that our communities can be habitable if we understand each other. Conflicts in a given society are minimised if people understand each other through communication. Another important element about communication that makes it valuable in our lives is that it differs from place to place. There are also different types of communication, for instance, the most common ones are verbal and non verbal communication. In as far as non verbal communication is concerned, it can be noted that there are different signs that are used to convey meaning between two people involved. There is need for one to understand different signs used by other groups of people in order to communicate effectively with such people. Another important issue that should be taken into consideration with regards to non verbal communication is that signs differ from place to place. It can also be seen that communication skills are required especially in verbal communication when one is to achieve his or her desired goals. In business for example, there are different communication skills that are used in order to achieve the desired goals. For instance, the communicator ought to use persuasive speech in order to appeal to the interests of the targeted people or customers. This in turn can compel them to buy the products offered. Therefore, persuasion is a very important component of communication. There are different concepts that characterise communication in different scenarios. The message itself is a very important

Procurement, contracts and strategies Assignment

Procurement, contracts and strategies - Assignment Example It seems to oscillate between adopting a bold and inspirational stance and being timid and accepting. It is caught between the need to encourage as much growth as the local economy can accommodate and the desire to be selective and discerning on the grounds of quality. There is a wide gap between the ambition of being a truly European city and the reality. Those who aspire to be control of urban development in Leeds are more at its mercy than they could like to think or have us believe. Leeds city council struggles to raise the value of their goods and services. This will lead to improvement in the monetary value. The following procurement strategy is mainly focused on the openness and transparency, category management, lifecycle approach the skills and capacity of procurement professionals. This idea is striving to exploit the examples of good practice and skilled with expertise professionals that are within the council’s premises from the local community to the international community. In addition, it also deals with the private sector and the public and responds to the views received through extensive ranging discussion and pilot projects. Recently changes have occurred to the procurements of Leeds city council that are not far related to those of Staffordshire county council. It has been overshadowed that the changes will take approximately twelve months to be fully implemented and function in Leeds city council across all units of the council. This procurement strategy will be checked semi-annually together with the documents set to show the possible changes and lessons learnt from the new procurement. Leeds city council at present spends $1500 million each financial year in terms of revenue and capital. The council acquires a very extensive range of services, goods and works. This includes back office support and the

Principal and practice of managment Essay Example for Free

Principal and practice of managment Essay The Principles of Scientific Management is a monograph or a specialist work published by Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1911. Scientific management is a new thinking on management. The literary meaning of scientific management is performing the work of management in a scientific manner. In other words, discarding the traditional approaches to management and adopting newer and more scientific approaches in their place is called scientific management. Taylor has said that before commencing any work, a manager should first analyze it thoroughly, and only then take any decision, first let’s try to understand the principles of scientific management by Taylor in brief then we will see why these scientific principles differ from the ordinary principles. Scientific management by Taylor consisted of four principles- 1.They develop a science for each element of a mans work, which replaces the old rule-of-thumb method. 2.They scientifically select and then train, teach, and develop the workman, whereas in the past he chose his own work and trained himself as best he could. 3.They heartily cooperate with the men so as to ensure all of the work being done in accordance with the principles of the science which has been developed. 4.There is an almost equal division of the work and the responsibility between the management and the workmen. The management take over all work for which they are better fitted than the workmen, while in the past almost all of the work and the greater part of the responsibility were thrown upon the men. Now let’s try to see why principles of scientific management differ from the ordinary principles. Below are the points where we can see the important principles of scientific management and the difference between principles of scientific management and ordinary principles. †¢Decisions are made on the basis of facts and by the application of scientific decisions in scientific management principles in contrast to ordinary principles. †¢Scientific management principle suggests that work assigned to any employee should be observed, analyzed with respect to each and every element and part and time involved in it in contrast to ordinary principles. †¢Scientific management brings replacement of ordinary rule of thumb by the use of method of enquiry, investigation, data collection, analysis and framing of rules. †¢In  the Scientific management, management has to provide opportunities for development of workers having better capabilities in contrast to ordinary principles. †¢According to Taylor efforts should be made to develop each employee to his greatest level and efficiency prosperity in the Scientific management principle. †¢Physical, mental other requirement should be specified for each and every job. †¢There should be scientifically designed procedure for the selection of workers in contrast to ordinary principle. †¢Workers should be selected trained to make them fit for the job. †¢The management has to provide opportunities for development of workers having better capabilities. †¢According to Taylor efforts should be made to develop each employee to his greatest level and efficiency prosperity. †¢Taylor believed in co-operation and not individualism. †¢It is only through co-operation that the goals of the enterprise can be achieved efficiently. †¢There should be no conflict between managers workers. †¢Taylor believed that interest of employer employees should be fully harmonized so as to secure mutually understanding relations between them. †¢This principle determines the concrete nature of roles to be played by different level of managers workers. †¢The management should assume the responsibility of planning the work whereas workers should be concerned with execution of task. †¢Thus planning is to be separated from execution.

Primate distribution in southern India

Primate distribution in southern India Primate distribution in southern India The Western Ghats of India is one of the biological ‘hot spots’ of the world (Myers et al., 2000). The western slopes and the ridges of these hills are covered with evergreen tropical rainforests. The eastern slopes and the adjoining Deccan plateau harbor mainly deciduous forests. The Western Ghats are divided into two regions: the southern and the northern Western Ghats, south and north of the Palghat Gap respectively. The rainforest regions are particularly rich in arboreal mammals and avifauna. Among the mammals, the most obvious species are primates and squirrels. The distribution of nonhuman primates varies in the two regions of the Western Ghats. Lion-tailed macaques occur from the southern tip of the Western Ghats, up to north of Sharavathy River, where the rainforests of the medium altitude end. Bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs occur throughout the Ghats. The distribution of Nilgiri langur from the southern tip of the Western Ghats ends in the north at Brahmag iri, the region which also marks the end of Cullenia dominated forests (Pascal, 1988). South of Brahmagiri Hills, all four primate species are found in the forests of the Ghats. Primarily, bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs are found in the dry deciduous forests of the eastern slopes, whereas lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs are found in the rainforests at the ridge and the western slopes. Each major forest type, therefore, is inhabited by a macaque which is a frugivorous species, and a langur which is a folivorous species. In certain areas of the southern Western Ghats, the bonnet macaques seasonally intrude into the rainforests and become transiently sympatric with lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs (Sushma, 2004). Habitat specialists and habitat generalists Species that make use of a wide range of resources or habitats are generalists and they tend to be widely distributed, whereas species that make use of a narrow range of resources or habitats are specialists and they often have a limited distribution (Brown, 1984; Hanski, 1982; Hanski and Gyllenberg, 1997). According to Hanski and Gyllenberg (1997), the biogeographic distribution patterns of specialists are the result of their using relatively smaller habitats than those exploited by generalist’s species. Generalists and specialists use different cues to locate their habitat and necessary resources. The ecological niche occupied by a species results from trade-offs in the fitness gained in different habitats or on different resources, and the level of specialization of an organism should reflect these trade-offs (Bonsall et al. 2004). Generalists have an advantage in exploiting a wider range of resources, whereas specialists are assumed to be more efficient at using a particular resource (Strickler 1979). To survive and reproduce organisms must extract energy from substances present in the environment. However, not all organisms extract the same energy from the same sub-stances. Different organisms may specialize in the type of food they eat. The internal food-processing mechanism of an organism (gut, colon, metabolism, etc.) tends to become adapted to the particular diet in such a way that the quantity of energy the organism is able to extract from each food type is determined evolutionarily. Langurs Langurs could be considered a model for the study of social organization since they inhabit variety of ecological conditions (Sterck, 1999; Karanth et al, 2010; Karanth, 2010). They are known to exploit diverse habitats from thick forests to human dominated landscapes (Fooden, 1980; Prater, 1993; Kumara et al, 2009; Sharma et al, 2009). Even though certain traits such as male dispersal (Rajpurohit, 1987; Rajpurohit and Mohnot,1988; Sommer and Rajpurohit, 1989; Rajpurohit and Sommer, 1993; Launhardt et al, 2001; Borries et al, 2004; Sharma et al 2009;), female philopatry (Sterck, 1997; Sterck, 1998; Koenig, 2000; Koenig et al 2004; Sterck, 2005), infant transfer (Poirier, 1968; McKenna, 1979; Scollay, 1980; Stanford, 1992;Kumar, 2005; Brent, 2008) etc. are common to all langur species, striking habitat related differences are observed in their group composition and social organization (Sterck, 1998; Koenig et al, 1998; Sterck,1999; Harris, 2006; Snaith Chapman, 2007; Wich Sterck, 20 07). Hence studies on inter-specific differences in behavioral ecology of langurs can provide insight into some of the crucial questions of social systems and individual behavior patterns of these species. Hanuman langurs / Nilgiri langurs South Asia is home to 15 species of langurs (Walker Molur, 2007). Nilgiri langurs are usually found in tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats at an altitude of 500 meter above sea level (Sunderraj, 2001; Sunderraj Johnsingh, 2001) whereas the Hanuman langurs are distributed all over the Indian subcontinent-including several species/subspecies such as S. e. achates, S. e. hypoleucos/S. hypoleucos, S. e. priam/S. priam priam (Kumara et al, 2009; Sharma et al, 2009; Karanth et al, 2010; Karanth, 2010). Nilgiri langurs are known to be largely habitat specialists (Singh et al 1997; Sunderraj, 1998) and Hanuman langurs are habitat generalists (Kumara et al,2009; Sharma et al; 2009). Because of a restricted range of occurrence, it is expected that the Nilgiri langurs show less genetic variability and thus less flexibility than the Hanuman langurs. Nilgiri langurs are mainly arboreal (Poirier, 1968; Sunderraj, 2001) whereas Hanuman langurs tend to be more terrestrial (Roonwal Moh not, 1977). Hanuman langurs are more adaptable influenced by availability and distribution of food (Chhangani Mohnot, 2006). Home ranges of Hanuman langurs are larger and they overlap extensively (Chalise, 1995; Chhangani, 2000; Chhangani Mohnot, 2006). Nilgiri langurs are more territorial and occupy smaller home ranges (Poirier, 1968; Sushma, 2004). In Hanuman langurs, the groups can be one male bisexual, multimale bisexual or all male band groups (Borries, 1997; Koenig et al, 1997; Sharma et al, 2009) and Nilgiri langurs are primarily one male bisexual groups (Poirier, 1968; Sunderraj, 2001). Behavioural studies on Hanuman langurs have been intensively carried out at various locations in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka (Monhot and Srivastava, 1992; Rajpurohit et al. 1994). However, in India, these studies have been conducted mainly in arid environment (Rajpurohit et al. 1994) and in dry/moist deciduous forests (Vasudev, 2006). Hanuman langurs are successful in their ability to adapt to a wide variety of habitats showing high social flexibility making them the ideal species for studies. However, very little has been known about the rainforest Hanuman langurs expect for one study on feeding ecology (Singh et al, 2011; Roy et al. 2012). It will be of interest to explore the social adaptations in the rainforest Hanuman langurs and to see how their behavior have evolved in comparison to arid environment. Studies on Nilgiri langurs suggest that the social structure and relationships and their behavioural patterns resemble that of Hanuman langurs (Poirier, 1968; Tanaka, 1965). Changes in ecological factors like habitat destruction and fragmentation, langur habitats may have been reduced leading to changes in group composition and social system (Sunderraj and Johnshingh, 2001). The present study will be conducted to better understand both langur species’ behavioural patterns and social systems to explore and carry out comparative analysis on differences in their present environmental conditions. The aim of the present study is to employ same methodology to study the behavioral ecology of Nilgiri langurs and Hanuman langurs and attempt a quantitative comparative analysis. Hence, the study has been designed with the following title. Looking for behavioral flexibility TRAITS TO BE STUDIED Life history traits On the base of the above mentioned differences between the two species. The life history of hanuman langur is expected to be more of r-type and Nilgiri langur to be more of K-type. Being primarily the dwellers of rainforests, Nilgiri langurs are expected to be more efficiency oriented whereas Hanuman langurs, being habitat generalists, are expected to be more reproductive efficiency oriented. This may result in differences in birth dynamics such as net reproductive rates, duration of infant dependency on the mother and infant development patterns. It is also suggested that different habitats and group dynamics may have an influence on reproductive (Rajpurohit et al, 1994) or competitive efficiency. Social system Large interspecific variation in group size is seen in Hanuman langurs (Sterck, 1998; Sterck, 1999; Sharma et al, 2009) whereas Nilgiri langurs tend to cluster around the mean (Joseph Ramachandran, 2001; Sunderraj, 2001). Female between group aggressions and infanticide (Rajpurohit et al, 2003; Rajpurohit Chhangani, 2003; Sharma et al, 2009) has been recorded only in Hanuman langur (Sterck, 1998) and not in any other langur species (Van schaik1992). Although the moving range of Nilgiri langur and Hanuman langur are found to be similar (0.1km and 0.15km respectively), Nilgiri langurs are said to travel less due to availability and abundance of food resources in their habitat (Tanaka, 1965). The Nilgiri langur has a unimale social system which is formed when juvenile males in a group mature to adulthood and then the group fissions into smaller unimale groups. In Hanuman langurs, group composition is formed according to the availability and distribution of food and space. There are three types of groups in Hauman Langurs, which are unimale, multimale and all male groups. A linear hierarchy exists amongst the females in Nilgiri langur where as in Hanuman langurs dominance hierarchy among females is less definitive than among males. Dominance hierarchies in Hanuman langurs were found to be significantly linear and relatively stable, but less so with increasing group size (Koenig, 2000). Individual behaviour Compared to Macaca, langurs show less frequent individual behavior differences (Tanaka, 1965). Although Nilgiri langur and Hanuman langur are relatively similar in their group size, composition and organization and also in behavioural patterns, intra- and inter- group activities are seen less in Nilgiri langurs when compared to Hanuman langurs. Behaviors like grooming, mounting and presenting, juvenile plays, etc were observed to be less frequent among Nilgiri langurs. Sugiyama (1965) observed that langurs travel widely when the food availability was sparse. In Nilgiri langurs, the habitat is usually forage abundant and good quality resulting in lesser travel. In Hanuman langurs the range size differs on the availability and quality of food in their distributional habitat/zone. As a result, more varied vocal communication is expected in Hanuman langurs than Nilgiri langurs. STUDY GROUPS One group each of Hanuman Langur and Nilgiri langur has been selected. Hanuman langur – Many intensive studies have been carried out on the populations of Hanuman langurs in arid, deciduous and semi-evergreen habitats. Since there is a lack of systematic and long-term study on rainforest Hanuman langurs, the present study will be carried out in rainforests of the Western Ghats at Gerusoppa, Uttara Kannada district. A unimale group (total 17) with 8 females, 5 juveniles/subadults and 3 infants has been selected. Nilgiri langur- For comparative analysis, a study group in Nelliyampathy, Kerala (Western Ghats) has been selected. A unimale group (total 14) with 8 femals, 3 juveniles and 2 infants has been selected. STUDY AREA The study area is low altitude degraded coastal evergreen rainforest in the Western Ghats of north Karnataka in Uttara Kannada district (Gerusoppa). Forest is mainly Dipterocarpus-Holigarna-Persia species with an average altitude of 650 m with an average annual precipitation of 4200mm with relatively high humidity of 95%. Ecologically this stretch of forest is important because, this is the northern most distribution of lion tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) which is sympatric with bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) and western hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus achates) (Kumara and Singh, 2004). Nelliyampathy is a Hill Station on the Western Ghats mountain ranges in Palakkad, Kerala. The green lush forest covers the whole hill area with coffee, tea, cardamom, vegetable and orange plantations. Nelliyampathy plateau lies at an altitude of 500-1000m. Major vegetation is evergreen, semi evergreen and moist deciduous. The forest mainly comprises of Cullenia, Mesua and Palaquim (Ramachandran and Joseph 2000). Three species of primates namely Bonnet Macaque, Lion tailed Macaque and Nilgiri langur are found in this habitat. Study Parameteres 1. To study the general activity pattern of the study species a. What are the different types of activity they do? b. What is the duration of different observed activities of each species? 2. To study the different social behaviour within a single group of each species a. Which are the socio-positive behaviour (like play, groom, inter- individual distances etc.) within a single group? b. Which are socio-negative behaviour (aggression, fight, bark etc.) within a single group? c. What kind of reproductive behaviour are shown in the adult individuals of a single group? 3. To study the inter-group interaction of each study species a. What is frequency of inter-group interaction with the neighbouring group of each study species? b. What kind of inter-group interaction they show with their neighbouring group? 4. To study the demography and social structures of the study species a. What is the group size of each study species? b. What is the age-sex ratio of the respective groups? OBSERVATIONAL METHODS Three methods have been adopted in this study for data collection they are: Ad libitum sampling The data is in the form of notes for events as and when they occur. We simply note down whatever is visible and seems relevant at that time. The events include identity of the individual and direction of agonistic encounter like threat, attack, dominance mount, subordinate present and displacement among individuals of a group. It is useful during preliminary observation or for recording rare but important facts. Focal animal sampling One individual was the focus of observations during a particular sample period of 5 minutes-Usually for several different categories of behaviour. What is recorded here is the behaviour of those individuals that are most easily observed. The choice of the focal individual is determined prior to the observation. During this period the time spent by the individual on different activities is recorded. It is also important to record certain aspects of other individual’s behaviour such as interaction with others and to whom a behaviour is directed. When the focal individual moves completely out of sight the recording would be stopped until it is visible again. Scan Sampling Instantaneous sampling or scan sampling was used here to study the different activity pattern of the individual animals. The methods involved collecting data on all visible individuals of the group. This was done for a period of 5min in which each individual was observed and data was collected through a pre-formatted data sheet. Data on distance between the individuals (any two particular individuals, one is nearest and other is distant one at an instant of time) was collected through scan sampling. During a scan, the data was gathered on: Date; Time; Individual (with identity); Activity (including Resting, Ranging, Foraging; Feeding on insects, Feeding on plant (specify the plant part being used), Social behavior; Substratum used (while feeding on insects); Place (tree or ground); Height of the tree; Height at individual was seen; Plant species (when the individual fed on plant food). Definition of Activities: Resting – Passivity lasting at least 5 seconds; Ranging – Travel and movement; Feeding – Ingestion of plant or animal food; Foraging – Searching for food; Social behavior – Any interaction between/among conspecific individuals. Study Period The study on Nilgiri langurs was carried out in Nelliyampathy reserve forest, nenmara forest division in Palakkad district of kerala.We observed the group of Nilgiri langurs from December 2010 to April 2011 and from April 2012 to January 2013 as a part of a large study on the behavior of primates in the Western Ghats. The amount of time spent on focal animal sampling was 235 h and 915 scans were collected. The study on S.hypoleucos was carried out in Gerusoppa forest division in the state of Karnataka.We observed the group of S.hypoleucos from January 2011 to April 2012 as part of the same study. The amount of time spent on focal animal sampling was 270 h and 1070 scans.

Effects of Temperature on Enzyme Amylase

Effects of Temperature on Enzyme Amylase Introduction Enzymatic reactions are very paramount in the body and in nature too as they ensure that any reactions including Biological processes are hastened in order to achieve the results within the shortest time possible. In the body, there are many enzymes and enzyme amylase is one of the most significant as it aids in degradation of complex carbohydrates into glucose molecules which are absorbable. Apart from natural salivary amylase, there are also industrial amylases which catalyze processes at different ecological environment varying from the body environments. However, whether natural or synthetic amylase, their catalysis is affected by temperatures and they only yield maximally at optimal temperature. The following report will discuss effects of different range of temperatures on synthetic reactions. Aims The aims of this practical were to investigate the effects of temperature on reaction of enzyme amylase. In addition, the practical investigated the possibility of industrial enzyme amylase to function at higher temperatures. Materials The materials and apparatus used included Spotting tile, water bath, test tube, starch solution amylase, iodine, and test tube rack. Procedure Two drops of iodine into each well put test tube.   2ml starch placed over water bath that was set at three different temperatures 40, 60, 80 degrees was allowed to remain there for 5 minutes. First tube contained 2ml of starch, second tube 4ml of amylase, and then they were mixed together. Finally, was introduced into few drops of the mixture into the well already containing iodine Results The results obtained indicated that industrial amylase functioned well at 40 degree Celsius. Starch was degraded into glucose hence the color of Iodine changed to blue-black when the test tube containing amylase at 40 degree Celsius. However, the color of iodine remained brown after introduction of amylase enzymes heated at 60 and 80 degree respectively. Discussion Amylase whether natural or industrial is proteins in nature. They are responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates into its smallest units called glucose. However, temperature has a very significant role in the reactions involving these enzymes . Lower temperatures deactivate the reaction of enzymes while higher temperatures above optimal temperatures destroy the enzymes by denaturing them hence reducing their reactions and eventually bring it into a halt . In this practical, the industrial amylase was found to function better at 40 degree which is optimal. This therefore did not denature the enzymes nor did this temperature deactivate them. The reactions here were constant and rapid. The enzyme amylase was able to work on starch solution in the well whereby it reduced the starch into glucose. Eventually, the color of resulting iodine remained brown. This indicated that there was no starch present in the solution. Iodine is the reagent that is commonly used to test the presence of starch in a food sample. Presence of starch is portrayed by the change of Iodine color from brown to blue-black Consequently, the amylase heated at 60 and introduced in other wells containing starch did not catalyze any reaction. This is because the high temperatures had already denatured the enzymes and completely destroying them. This led to changes in the color of iodine from brown to blue-black since the solutions contained starch. On the other hand, the reaction at 80 degree too did not show signify degradation of starch by enzyme amylase. Therefore, the color of iodine changed to blue-black from brown as it was evident in previous reaction at 60 degree. This therefore confirmed the denaturation of enzymes by high temperatures hence acted as a confirmatory test. Industrial amylase can withstand higher temperature hence optimal temperature was beyond the 37 degree which is the maximum optimal temperature in the human body where natural amylase if found . Conclusion In conclusion, the practical found that enzyme amylase is capable of degrading starch at optimal temperature. Enzymes are very important in many Biological reactions which are important in the production of important and helpful products. Knowledge about the optimal requirements is paramount in enzymatic reactions since its only at necessary environment that an enzyme is able to catalyze a reaction.

Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Feminism Feminis

Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper " was originally shunned by the American patriarchal literary powers present before the turn of the century. Despite editors' hesitation, Gilman's determination eventually led to the story's publication in New England Magazine in 1892. It was not until the early 1970's, however, that the story was adopted by the feminist literary movement and viewed as the author undoubtedly intended. A popularly held opinion among critics is that this delayed acceptance was "a case of misinterpretation by audiences used to 'traditional' literature. " Before the modern feminist movement in literature, readers would not have expected or looked for the kind of message found in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Were the story written a century later, the feminist message would likely be stronger. To get it published and portray the realities of her narrator, however, Gilman recognized the need for ambiguity in the story's feminist message. Gilman left the story ope n to patriarchal interpretations, but included enough commentary within and beyond the narration to convince the feminist reader of her true intentions. The submissive unnamed protagonist and narrator acts as an enabler to her patriarchal surroundings. Gilman clarifies on the first page the narrator's feminist disinclination, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage." This defines the woman's attitude towards her position in her marriage and society. The woman's defeatism also works to 'put her in her place' in the patriarchal society. After briefly explaining that her husband does not believe s... ...not discounting, does somewhat deflate, or mask, the argument that Gilman is offering a truism about the difference between males and females. Some of the greatest writers, artists, and musicians have been patently misread or ignored by their contemporaries, only to be discovered as visionaries decades or centuries later. By creating a submissive female narrator, Gilman makes a powerful statement to the modern reader about the realities of women before the 20th century. The narrator's acquiescent quality is simultaneously a common trait for women of the time and the catalyst of her insanity. Considering the state of women when the story was written, the narrator had to be as she was to be believable. Thus, the story's recent rise to popularity must be attributed to Gilman's subtle feminist assertions, almost a century ahead of their time.

Success Essay -- essays research papers

~~†If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams, and endeavors to lead a life which they have imagined, they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.† – Henry David Thoreau What is success?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is it the process of doing a task and receiving a positive result, or is it simply achieving ones own personal goals? One’s ability to succeed in life is almost directly related to an image of the perception of what success is. Many of America's most successful businessmen, such as J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie, understood what it took to survive in the rapidly evolving business world. Their belief was that success is tangible only through smart business interactions and good money management, personality and good looks only serve as a bonus. Rene Gallimard in Madame Butterfly and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman evidently did not grasp these experts' concept of success. Both Willy Loman and Rene Gallimard define success as their antithesis, and measure their level of accomplishment against their individual barometers for success. Willy Loman preaches that success comes hand in hand with a great smile and a jovial personality but he believes that success is hidden in far off opportunities. Rene Gallimard defines a successful person as one who has the ability to control and maintain power over another. Both of these images are tainted because they are simply representations of their maligned, s...

I Stand Here Ironing

These events had to do with Email's father align out on them, Emily having to go to daycare In her early years, and also self esteem Issues from not looking Like the other girls In school. The central Idea In this story seems to be the mother's search of an understanding of her daughter's personality and outlook on life. The majority of the story Is the mother trying to depict reasons for why her daughter is the way she is, so delicate, reserved, needless, and even unhappy at times.She seems to also defend her parenting choices by making excuses or blaming the urges of others in order to not have all the blame on her. She peaks about how she had no other option but to put her in the care of someone else at the age of two, even though she knew the teacher was â€Å"evil† (Peg. 925). â€Å"It was the only place there was†¦ The only way I could hold a Job† (peg. 925). The main conflict in the story is internal, the mother vs.. Herself. I would also say there is a slig ht conflict of Emily vs.. Herself and an external conflict of the mother vs..Emily. The mother defiantly had and internal conflict within herself with her decisions and how things could have been done differently while raising her daughter. The conflict reface real early in the story, when the mother goes to say, â€Å"Or will I be engulfed with all that I did or did not do, with what should have been and what cannot be helped. † (peg. 924) During the story the mother expresses regrets and seems to be, in a way, tormented by her parenting decisions because she can easily recall every moment in Emily childhood.Clearly the mother had a deep love and concern for her daughter. In the end, the mother's conflict within herself is resolved. She states, † Let her be. There is still enough to live by†¦ Only help her to know-that she Is more Han this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the Iron† (Peggy). The mother has decided that what has been done cannot be changed, and does not want to spend any more time dwelling on It. Just let her be, she will be fine. The conflict of the mother vs.. Resell and the central Idea of the mother trying to explain why her daughter Is the way she Is are both related In that they are both based on how the mother has raised her daughter. I enjoyed this story; I think the mother shouldn't be so hard on herself because parenting Is not a skill that can be mastered to perfection. I Stand Here Ironing By sensationalism Tillie Olsen. In the story, a mother of a nineteen-year-old girl named Emily is ironing some clothes, as she is pondering a recent message she received from one of Emily The mother begins to think back to the very beginning of Emily life.She starts stating all the various events that took place in Emily life that could have played a role in why Emily is the way she is now. These events had to do with Emily father walking out on them, Emily having to go to daycare in her early years, and also sel f esteem issues from not looking like the other girls in school. The central idea in personality and outlook on life. The majority of the story is the mother trying to depict Let her be. There is still enough to live by†¦Only help her to know-that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron† (Peggy). The mother spend any more time dwelling on it. Just let her be, she will be fine. The mother vs.. Herself and the central idea of the mother trying to explain why her daughter is the way she is are both related in that they are both based on how the mother has raised her daughter. I enjoyed this story; I think the mother shouldn't be so hard on herself because parenting is not a skill that can be mastered to I Stand Here Ironing These events had to do with Email's father align out on them, Emily having to go to daycare In her early years, and also self esteem Issues from not looking Like the other girls In school. The central Idea In this story seems to be the mother's search of an understanding of her daughter's personality and outlook on life. The majority of the story Is the mother trying to depict reasons for why her daughter is the way she is, so delicate, reserved, needless, and even unhappy at times.She seems to also defend her parenting choices by making excuses or blaming the urges of others in order to not have all the blame on her. She peaks about how she had no other option but to put her in the care of someone else at the age of two, even though she knew the teacher was â€Å"evil† (Peg. 925). â€Å"It was the only place there was†¦ The only way I could hold a Job† (peg. 925). The main conflict in the story is internal, the mother vs.. Herself. I would also say there is a slig ht conflict of Emily vs.. Herself and an external conflict of the mother vs..Emily. The mother defiantly had and internal conflict within herself with her decisions and how things could have been done differently while raising her daughter. The conflict reface real early in the story, when the mother goes to say, â€Å"Or will I be engulfed with all that I did or did not do, with what should have been and what cannot be helped. † (peg. 924) During the story the mother expresses regrets and seems to be, in a way, tormented by her parenting decisions because she can easily recall every moment in Emily childhood.Clearly the mother had a deep love and concern for her daughter. In the end, the mother's conflict within herself is resolved. She states, † Let her be. There is still enough to live by†¦ Only help her to know-that she Is more Han this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the Iron† (Peggy). The mother has decided that what has been done cannot be changed, and does not want to spend any more time dwelling on It. Just let her be, she will be fine. The conflict of the mother vs.. Resell and the central Idea of the mother trying to explain why her daughter Is the way she Is are both related In that they are both based on how the mother has raised her daughter. I enjoyed this story; I think the mother shouldn't be so hard on herself because parenting Is not a skill that can be mastered to perfection. I Stand Here Ironing By sensationalism Tillie Olsen. In the story, a mother of a nineteen-year-old girl named Emily is ironing some clothes, as she is pondering a recent message she received from one of Emily The mother begins to think back to the very beginning of Emily life.She starts stating all the various events that took place in Emily life that could have played a role in why Emily is the way she is now. These events had to do with Emily father walking out on them, Emily having to go to daycare in her early years, and also sel f esteem issues from not looking like the other girls in school. The central idea in personality and outlook on life. The majority of the story is the mother trying to depict Let her be. There is still enough to live by†¦Only help her to know-that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron† (Peggy). The mother spend any more time dwelling on it. Just let her be, she will be fine. The mother vs.. Herself and the central idea of the mother trying to explain why her daughter is the way she is are both related in that they are both based on how the mother has raised her daughter. I enjoyed this story; I think the mother shouldn't be so hard on herself because parenting is not a skill that can be mastered to

Alpha Corporation Essay

1) Sources of Cash – Accounts receivable (payment from customers) , Proceeds from Sale of assets(PP&E), proceeds from sale of discontinued operations, Issue of Stock and long term debt Use of Cash – Buying of inventories, Account payables (payments to suppliers) , Purchase of Assets(PP&E), Investment in capitalized software, principal payment of short term debt, Repurchase of Stock, Dividends paid 2) Cash flow from operations (125.2, 89.3, and 46.8) was greater than that from net income (- 377.9, -623.5 , and -320.6). The reason for difference is lot of non- cash expenditure such as depreciation, amortization, and restructuring was deducted from the revenues to come to Net Income. Also, the gain from investment was deducted from the Net income as it is also a non-cash item. 3) No, the cash generated from operations (125.2, 89.3, and 46.8) was less than the investment in capital expenditure (129.7, 174.4, and 303.8) 4) No, the cash generated from operations (125.2, 89.3, and 46.8) was less than the total of investment in capital expenditure (129.7, 174.4, and 303.8) and dividends paid(0, 7.2, and 26.0 ). 5) Not applicable 6) Alpha corp used the following sources to fund capital expenditure and dividends – Proceeds from Sale of assets (PP&E), proceeds from sale of discontinued operations, Issue of Stock and long term debt. 7) Yes, Currents assets such as account receivables, inventory, and other current assets and current liabilities such as Accounts payable were uses and source of cash from the working capital respectively. 8) The other major items that impacted cash are – payments of long term debt , and proceeds from Disposal from PP&E Part 2 1) Net Income- in the last three years NI has decreased from -320.6 to -377.9. That is the company has been incurring increasing losses. 2) Cash flow from operations – in the last three years CFO has tripled(approx.) from 46.8 to 125.2. 3) Capital expenditure – Company has been investing the capitals but the amount has steadily decreased from 303.6 to 129.7. 4) Dividends – Alpha corp stopped paying dividends in 1991 though it paid in the previous years. 5) Net Borrowing – Net borrowings were positive in 1989 but since then Alpha has been paying off lot of long term debts resulting in negative net borrowin in 1990 and 1991. 6) Working capital accounts – In 1989, Alpha was buying more assets and paying off current liabilities such as account payables. However, in 1990 & 91, the trend was reversed. Part 3 Alpha – seems to be going through troubled times in the last two years. It has been running into losses for all the 3 years. Though it’s operations are generating cash but its NI is taking a hit because of lot of depreciation/amortization and restructuring. Also, the CFO is not enough to cover the capital expenditure because of which it has been selling assets, borrowing debts from market and issuing class B stocks. Beta – has been doing pretty well financially. Its NI has been growing at a good pace from 400K to 6,323K. It is in growing phase which is evident from the increasing investment in capital expenditure and growing inventory. It also invested excess cash in marketable securities and issued common stock as well. However, it needs to be vigilant of growing accounts receivable from 613 to 10,837 from 1990 to 91. Gamma – From 1989 -91, Gamma has gone from a net income of 1Bn to a loss of 617Mn. Even though the operation is still generating cash but the amount has been gradually decreasing. The decrease in Accounts payable and inventory indicates that the operation has taken a hit apparently because of decrease in demand. The decrease in Account receivables suggests that it has been selling less. Though it has been investing in capital the amount invested has been decreasing suggesting low confidence of management in future outlook. An equivalent amount of sales and repurchase of treasury stocks is also not good sign.

Energy Policy in Canada

Each day millions of tons of fossil fuels are being consumed by the world. As most people already energy is the basis of industrial civilization; without energy, modern life would cease to exist. Presently, fossil fuels make up a large portion of present day energy sources. Canada, one of the world's largest industrialized nations uses an abundance energy to support its ever growing society. However, the population of Canada is slowly growing each day and with that the closer demise of fossil fuels. For this reason Canada has implemented an energy policy which in turn is to establish guidelines and standards. In Canada, natural resource ownership is largely controlled by the various national provinces, which are allowed to legislate in the areas of resource development, production control, taxation, and resource extraction. Provincial governments have major responsibility for both the management of resources and environmental protection within their boundaries. The provinces are assisted in varying degrees by private companies in the exploration, development and distribution of natural resources. Because so much of Canadian energy policy lies outside of federal jurisdiction, strategic partnerships and linkages among provinces themselves and between provinces and the government are very important. In many cases, these take the form of shared commitments to provincial and territorial energy programs, building codes, environmental goals, and efficiency targets. However, the government's resolve n environmental issues is still being questioned, however, due to a sharp debate over the matter of legislative versus voluntary measures on climate change For this reason it can be stated that Canada's energy policy has some good policies but is still greatly flawed. Moreover, it is essential that alternatives to hazardous fossil fuels are found and efficiently implemented before the demise of fossil fuels is soon a reality. Also it is imperative that people of the world learn to conserve and prevent further abuse of fossil fuels.

How Social Media Has Changed Our Society Media Essay

Social media has changed the way we live in many ways. It has changed everything from the way we communicate with each other to where we get our news from. It happened so fast that people hardly realized just how much their lives had changed. Personal and professional communities are now intertwined and within arm’s reach and our once small social and work networks have now expanded to proportions that were once unimaginable. Just like in any revolution or period of expansion, there are many positive and negative aspects involved in the world of social media. The world of social media is complex and nowhere near its pinnacle. It’s exciting to think of where it will take us in the years to come. Needless to say, our communication has sped up tremendously since social media was introduced. It has made it easier to keep in touch with people all over the country or all over the world for that matter. Social media has even made finding a date easier to a certain extent by mu ltiplying the size of our social circles. Social media allows people with similar interests to connect and converse. It allows professionals to network easier than ever before. Social media allows businesses to advertise for free and actually seem somewhat human to consumers. It also allows for cost effective campaigns and strategies for growing businesses. It also has the power to drive traffic to a website or even a real business. Some people think that social media is adding to human interaction while other people think that social media sites are basically replacing face-to-face interaction. see more:speech about social media Online interactions can become a substitute for actual human contact. It can encourage people to say or do things they never really would have done or meant to do, due to the fact that they feel like it’s not reality. It can lead to covert dealings and perhaps lead to infidelity. This social media frenzy has allowed bullies to spread destructive information about others and they can even bring out the nastiest conversations because people feel anonymous in some instances. Social media can ruin the image of a company due to the wrong angle or brand image. It can also have a negative impact on worker productivity. Either way you look at it, whether you like it or not, social media is changing our lives in one way or another. One aspect of society that will experience the greatest amount of social change over the next ten years is social media. Social media is going to grow larger and become more encompassing of our lives and able to capture more of our lives. Because we capture more of our  lives the people in our social circles will spend more of their time living vicariously through us. Therefore, they will spend less time learning about society and less time developing their own interpersonal relationships. Already social media encompasses several different media forms. Currently, these forms are music, writing, video, and pictures. Soon social media will include other forms of communication, such as augmented reality. Projects like Google Glass place a screen in front of your eyes all day; the glasses can recognize people’s faces and provide information. The glasses are able to listen to your conversation and provide relevant Google search results, for information you might want to know during the conversation. Therefore, interactions between people will be more fact-checked by information people make on the internet. As augmented reality projects like Google Glass become more widespread and developed, people will be constantly plugged into the internet and to the â€Å"hive-mind†. Eventually people will start dreaming their lives on the internet in part or in whole. You will become more of a public person, and in doing so more shaped by the society around you. Social media changes at the speed of which the technology that supports social media is developed and embraced. For new developments in social media to be embraced the new technological developments must be useful and intuitive. People need to have a reason to care about a new development. Society embraced the sharing of pictures because we like to capture glimpses of other people’s lives. We have embraced video because it expands upon pictures. Words were the first versions of social media, and were exchanged because they are the essence of communication. As long as people exist we will continue to seek new ways of exchanging information. What we call social media now will be but a small fraction of what social media is ten years from now. Eventually social anthropologists will look back at these times just as current social anthropologists examine cave paintings. We can ask ourselves, â€Å"What are the engines that are driving this change in our society?† For example, there are many reasons that drive people to use the site know as Facebook. Research resulted in nine ways that drive people to use Facebook; to conduct a survey, upload photos, putting your page together, posting an event, ask a question, create desktop backgrounds using images from an ev ent, and you can even post a picture of the day. The news media even use it to run a contest and give away merchandise, and posting of videos. Facebook has become an  overnight sensation for social networking, and what makes this so amazing is that Facebook did not even exist until 2004. Three college students created it to allow other students to network and meet each other, and it has caught on with people around the globe. Facebook has had many impacts on today’s technologically advanced society. It allows people who probably never would have met each other in person to communicate; it creates new relationships and friendships, and it places distance between people who could communicate in person but instead choose to communicate online. Facebook is nothing more than a medium for communication, and yet, it is so much more than that. At a glimpse, a person can learn everything from what gender a member of Facebook is, to what religion they believe in, what school he or she attends, and their likes and dislikes, with just a click of a mouse. An article in the Network Journal of Communications written by Brent Leary, compares and contrasts popular social networking sites and his recent experiences with them. He talks about being a member of over twelve differe nt social networking sites in which he has spent time using each network. One of the main interest in this article was the author’s insight into his most recent addition to his list; Facebook. He also notes that business application providers such as Yahoo, Finance, Zoho, etc. are building widgets to work with Facebook in order for Facebook to infiltrate further into the business networking field. The most appealing characteristic of Facebook is that they have been able to grow from what was once only a college based network, to a worldwide network with many different areas of interest. Most importantly they have been able to do this while staying very user friendly, professional, and private, unlike other social networks such as MySpace. This has allowed Facebook to become as financially valuable to its creators as it is socially valuable for its members. It is very interesting to see how Facebook has not only established itself in the networking world, but in the financial market as well that people use it for. Experts estimate that many people now spend at least 50 percent of their waking time online. For many, a large part of this time is spent in social networking sites like Facebook. Facebook on the surface is a socially acceptable networking site for students and others to connect, share experiences, and meet old friends. It does say some disturbing things about how our society is adjusting to the age of technology, and it brings into question how a generation of Face  bookers will deal with the challenges of the real world in person like career, family, and success. There are tons of data that show that the social media wave (hype) is going to continue and is here to stay. Take Facebook and Twitter for instance. Many large associations and companies advertise on these social media platforms like the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL to name a few. From a company stand point CBS, CNN, Wal-Mart, and Apple advertise on these social media platforms also. According to Michael A. Stelzner, â€Å"Social media marketing involves engaging people with online social networks to generate exposure, increase traffic, gather insight, improve search rankings, enhance customer relations, build strong brand advocates, generate quality leads and grow sales† (â€Å"Quickly Grow Your Business†). Social media helps businesses grow around the world. This is one major reason why social media is going to continue to prosper. Social media involves a lot of youth in today’s society. For example, social media has greatly influenced youth to vote or seek education about this year’s Presidential Election. According to Foster Web Marketing, â€Å"The younger genera tion (18 to 35 years old) is the largest group of social media users. They pretty much rely on social media and other internet sources for information. With the structure of social media, information is easily skewed as users exchange it with others. Because someone has to pass on the information to another, they can add their 2 cents along with the relevant content, meaning the end result can lean heavily toward one side or another†. It was said that in this year’s Presidential Election, the youth played a big role in the reelection of Obama. Social media played a major role this election and is projected to play a bigger role in the next Presidential Election. Social media also allow news companies and news stations to get information out to the world within minutes. Good or bad, social media has impacted the world in a major way. It has allowed long lost friends, family members, and lovers to reunite. Since its arrival, social media has changed the way the world socializes in general. Undoubtedly, social media is capable of bringing people together. They potentially create friendships and partnerships, expose users to advertisements therefore developing business endeavors, and allow individuals who would otherwise remain silent virtually shout their thoughts and opinions to a broad range of strangers, friends, and acquaintances alike. There are certainly already  acknowledgeable pros and cons to social media. With the cyber doors wide open, people are able to learn a lot about someone before they even lay their own eyes on them: name, address, looks, personal preferences, etc. It is easy to assume that many social media users are alienating themselves from true personal contact with potential friends and partners. Granted this will not always hold true, younger generations who will grow up under the direct influence of social media will come to believe that it’s okay to meet all their acquaintances through the internet which would ultimately hinder their social skills, confidence, and charisma. In order to measure the future impact of social media on society, over the next decade we will inevitably have to look to efficient research methods for accurate conclusions. Sociologists rely on surveys to gather information about both small and large populations- mostly behavioral and opinion information. â€Å"Surveys are one of the most commonly used quantitative research techniques in sociology.† This method of research is the most effective because surveys allow the sociologist to capture an opinion of a large group which will therefore give the data that is needed to site the information. This information will show the change accurately and promptly. Random sampling for the survey w ill give everyone an equal opportunity in participating in the survey. A diverse amount of people will result in finding an abundant amount of opinions about this topic. We have seen the social media change in just months since new phones have emerged such as the iPhone 5. Apple is one of the number one leading companies in technology and their Apple products are constantly updating. From the article on the apple website, it states, â€Å"We use the iPhone to log in and launch an infrastructure management client. I can screen share with senior architects and lead them through the challenges they’re facing. Being able to do that anywhere — without a computer — is a major benefit to us. We can respond to customer needs much faster and solve problems on the go.† As we can conclude from this quote, the change is inevitable because it’s more convenient, and convenience is what we love. Social media has undergone such a significant change since its founding. This is due to all of its possible uses. When social media first began it was for the purpose of enabling it’s users to locate and communicate with others. Now it has broadened from that into many other possible uses. There has been such a variety of benefits, for both  individuals and business, to using social media. For individuals, one of the benefits has been that they have been able to keep in touch with their friends and loved ones. They are able to see what they have going on in their lives and contact those that they have lost contact with. Individuals are able to stay abreast of the different activities and functions in both their area and other areas. They also use social media to spread the word of functions, using this as a free method of invitation. Social media has also been a beneficial tool for children as well. Kids gain confidence from interacting with others online, which has long term benefits. Online communities are very diverse and expose children to different viewpoints, technologies and ideas. In addition, this is the easiest way of communicating internationally. For businesses, they have caught hold to the trend and have acknowledged the benefits and possibilities to grow their corporations. This has become used by both large and small businesses. They use social media to both promote and survey their businesses. They have saved an abundance of money by using it as a method of free advertising. Many businesses have grown, become established, or have been saved by using social media. They also use this as a way to widen business contacts and as recruitment tools. Social media will experience more social change than a ny other in its class because as times change, need will change. Social media will adapt to meet the needs of society. There will be different and more advanced searches and possibilities for both individuals and businesses. Technology has become the forefront of advancement in today’s society and social media will be modified to meet the needs and encourage different endeavors for its users. With the already present benefits of social media, there will continue to be advancements that will add greater opportunities for growth than any other area in the next ten years. We all enjoy a little social media one way or another in today’s society. Some of us, in fact many of us can’t survive a day without updating our MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook. With the help of these social networking sites, the internet has made our lives as Americans extremely simple and easier. These sites allow their patrons to not only connect with their friends, but are very useful for things such as employment, networking and even getting your brand as an artist, whether music, drawing or any other talents that you may have, out and viewable by today’s society. But with time always comes change. Whether  good or bad, change is the one constant entity in society. The functionalist theory of social change best describes the change in social media because these sites have changed the way we as Americans live and adapt to this new phenomenon. Functionalism is a macro level of analysis, which basically describes how each level or part of society contributes to society as a whole and when something changes from the norm the ability to adapt to that change. Take this for example; milk of course comes from cows for the most part, so it would originate from a farm somewhere in Middle America. After being collected from the farms, it would be transferred via most likely an eighteen-wheeler to a factory for processing. After being deemed consumable, it would then be bottled up and placed perhaps on another eighteen-wheeler, plane or other mode of transportation to be transferred to your local market, and later delivered to your doorstep by your milkman. In this instance, the farm, the eighteen-wheeler, the factory, the market and the milkman are all parts of society working together in the milk industry. But what happens if you were to remove one part of the process. Milk delivered to your front door step isn’t very common anymore, which took the milkman out of the equation. Society didn’t just stop enjoying the great taste of milk; they simply went to the market themselves to purchase the milk. They adapted to the change that was presented to them. Social media has no doubt changed society as a whole, but have we as a society been able to adapt to that change? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. A lot of parts in certain processes that are being used in today’s society have experienced changed due to social media. Take Facebook for example and the effect it has had on the hiring process. Generally, face to face interviews were used to develop an idea of what type of person an applicant may be, but now if you throw Facebook in the mix, employers can take a look at potential employee’s page and develop an idea on that person’s character from their page. In this instance an interview may not be needed, and if you do get an interview, the employer may have developed an idea of your character and has decided whether or not you’re going to get that job. The internet changed the hiring process and we as a society have adapted. Functionalism best explains the change in social media and social networking. Our society has shown that change will always occur but it’s the ability to adapt to the change that actually brings the change to light. In conclusion, social media has forever  changed the way society works, whether it’s the sharing of an idea, the communication of news, or the availability of a product or service. Society today is on the verge of a new way of existing that it’s never experienced before. No longer will people from one side of the world be really able to say that they will never see a person or communicate with someone from the other side of the world ever in their life. No longer will people not be able to share an idea, if they really want to share it (no matter how radical it may be or no matter how many people may disagree with it). No longer will the spreading of information or the expressing of an opinion be able to be completely silenced. As long as there is a person who wishes to express their opinion, share their music or art, or simply say hello to another human being in another country or culture, social media will allow them to do so.

Informative speech on the differences in mile stones between a normal Essay

Informative speech on the differences in mile stones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities - Essay Example Childhood is a period marked by incredible growth rate and every parent is excited about the future prospects of their children. Despite our differences that we show once we are on this earth, we develop along a certain route but at different rates. While some are slow in developing, others are fast. Yet others need wheelchairs to move around. Meyerhoff (6) believe that children are always surrounded by eager caretakers who follow every step of the kid’s growth, always enquiring why the child next door is developing fast than theirs. Many beg to ask if normal development has a range. Although, people develop at different rate, normal development has a range that is used to show the differences in milestones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities. According to Meyerhoff (6), developmental milestones are crucial in assessing the development of a child. It is good to note that the milestones are not static as different individuals either exhibit skills earlier while other individuals are late in exhibiting the skills. The milestones are also used to diagnose children with developmental disorders. These milestones are often associated with development of language capabilities, motor and social development. The milestones are divided into age categories and a normal child should show the skills and abilities of one age category before they enter into the next age category. It is also important to note that children develop differently in the different areas. Further, children who develop fast in one area may be slow in other areas. For example, a child who learns to use verbal language may struggle with spoken language. Another factor to note in developmental milestones is cultural differences. The development of an individual may be influenced by cultural and environmental differences. It is common knowledge that cultures perceive things differently. For example, making eye contact, speaking to adults and

How the Manifest Destiny Affected Native Americans in the U.S Research Paper

How the Manifest Destiny Affected Native Americans in the U.S - Research Paper Example The paper tells that almost four decades after the ratification of the Relocation Act, the removal procedure keeps on. Even though the initiative has been seriously and constantly denounced, it has had merely narrow modifications and has never been severely pressured with closure. The hesitance of Congress to financially support it at a point that would have terminated it more quickly may partly reveal the undecided sentiments of several of those who permitted its continuation. Opposition from the targets of relocation, under the headship of quite a few religious leaders and aged Navajo women, resulted in a chain of constitutional measures, the most triumphant being the case of Manybeads claiming that relocation infringed their religious rights. Just like in numerous other cases of relocation, the underlying reason of the relocation of the Navajo people had nothing do with their interests or welfare. The case of Navajo is distinctive in the sense that it does not require the ravaging of their territories and does not belong to any development plan. Nevertheless, as in other instances of displacement, Navajos target for relocation were not permitted to choose freely whether to abandon or stay in their lands. Scudder and Cernea emphasize in their relocation classifications that triumphant relocation plans should take into account the needed socioeconomic elements for building enduring bonds to the new land. Nevertheless, both scholars argue that majority of relocation plans was unsuccessful. The senior consultant on social policy for the World Bank, Michael Cernea (1998), supports positive collaboration between sociological and economic disciplines for the purpose of decreasing relocation and improving the subsistence of relocatees.4 The Navajos’ relocation from the Hopi Partitioned Land (HPL) has been disastrous. It was badly premeditated and executed forcibly. The relocation procedures have been performed in lack of knowledge of the Navajo people’ s land possession and dwelling patterns, livelihood, and economic production.5 A number of the most unfavorable outcomes of this relocation could still be alleviated with sufficient subsidy, developmental design, and practical conditions for actual community involvement. However, with no such dedications, aimed at reviving or regaining abandoned economic production prospects, it is not likely that complete economic resurgence will ever happen.6 Examining the responses of the Navajo people to forced relocation from HPL clarifies several common features of the response differences of the displaced people, the vitality of economic production self-rule, and importance of traditional land possessions. Relocation is comparatively triumphant merely when the targets of the relocation revive or broaden their economic production tasks.7 Nonetheless, forced removal harms inhabitants and no measure can quantify the difficulties of these people against the actual reparation they get. The U.S. Go vernment versus the Navajo John O’Sullivan, an American correspondent, introduced the concept of ‘manifest destiny’ in 1845 to characterize American westward expansion. As stated by this principle, white Americans were fated to expand westward by God’s will. American merchants, as early as the 1820s, disseminated encouraging accounts of the Navajo People and frequently conveyed compassion and high regard for their attempts to oppose the Mexicans inhabiting contemporary New Mexico.8 Frontiersman Josiah Gregg, for instance, assumed that the New Mexican people and their chief had â€Å"greatly embittered the disposition of the neighboring savages, especially the Navajos, by repeated acts of cruelty and ill-faith well calculated to provoke

Understanding levers for organizational change the case of AB Ltd Essay

Understanding levers for organizational change the case of AB Ltd - Essay Example Whenever there is a change in the overall organizational strategy for success, it is followed by a significant change in the organization. These changes may be found in the operational management spectrum or in the total organizational culture itself. Such changes are bound to happen just as they happen in the case of any life cycle process. Under those circumstances it becomes the responsibility of the top management of the organisation to perceive the nature and methods of such changes and prepare the organization to meet the challenges of such changes.The changes are due to take place in any organization simply due to the passage of time where the organisation's life is longer and hence it may become necessary to introduce changes in the operating strategies and plans. This necessitates significant strategic practices in all functional areas of management. In order to make the change process successful it is important that the change leaders have a thorough understanding of the co ntext of change. This includes a thorough insight into the basic organizational systems and structures as well as the external environment in which the organisation is operating. Organizational context is created and renewed through tangible and concrete management actions. (Ghosal, S. and Bartlett, C. A. 1994) Unless the changes in the organisation are preceded by an in-depth analysis of the internal and external environments, any endeavour by the management to bring about changes may not produce the desired results. Thus an evaluation of performance of each link in the organization is an essential prerequisite for effecting the organizational change. Another equally important consideration while deciding on the changes in the organization is the impact of the external environmental forces on the effectiveness of the organizational performance. With this background this paper presents a report on the nature and methods of change management in the 2.0 Change Process in AB Limited The following is the change process as evidenced by the senior management in the case of AB Ltd. The process is identified through a series of interviews with the managers and team leaders of Change management in the Company. The description involves a detailed report on the change process being effected by the company. 3.0 Change Process The process of change being a complex in nature must be well planned so that the change process is accomplished without hurdles. The change process involves the following steps: Discovery Process - Making a case for organisational change Commitment from the top management Defining change strategy Alignment of change strategy with the overall business strategy Implementation of the change and Monitoring and refinement (Kaplan Consulting) 3.1 Discovery Process The first step in bringing about any changes in the organisation is to make a strong and airtight case for the introduction of such changes. In this step the change leaders may take the help of tools like (a) Online surveys conducted on various issues that may be the core change aspect (b) High impact interview protocols may also help effectively in the process (c) An analysis of the competitive environment of the business including the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors (d) Technique of benchmarking will also be one of the useful tools (e) A well defined assessment of the customers and suppliers may also lead to the identification of change areas (f) Gap analysis is another tool that helps in the identification of changes required in the organisation 3.2 Commitment from the Top Management It is vitally important that the top leaders are prepared intellectually and motivationally for the introduction of changes as they are the people, who have to pilot the change process, sell it among other organisational members and arrange for the deployment of the necessary resources. The steps involved in this process are