Although the texts The Prince (1513) by Niccolo Ma Essays

Although the texts The Prince (1513) by Niccolo Machiavelli and William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1599) are close to 100 years apart, they share commonality in the timeless lust for power that leaders have felt throughout the ages. Shakespeare reflects his context of a possibility of civil war through a historical play set in Rome, and Machiavelli provides the context of important power figures from history that can be used as parables to provide lessons on the nature of humans when dealing with power. Machiavelli and Shakespeare present various systems of governance where both favour monarchy as the most stable system despite Machiavelli being a staunch Republican. Power is ultimately seen as being gained through deception and violence and is kept through the different qualities of the leader, whether it be through the way they talk, or how they act and think. Both texts illustrate messages which not only apply to their times, but also to the modern lifestyle of power play, provi ng the texts to be of lasting relevance. One of the most distinctive qualities of Machiavelli's essay The Prince is its lack of interest in personal morality. Machiavelli's primary interest is in the end justifying the means and how the ambition for power can be achieved and maintained, thus leaving little room for questions of morality. The distinctive quality of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is the play's focus on the complex moral question of what would drive a good man to commit an evil act, believing he was doing it not for his own ambition but to curb the ambition of another. The reading of these two texts in relation to each other thus emphasises their distinctions rather than their similarities. Machiavelli, enmeshed in the world of political intrigue of Florence, believed that ambition drove men to action, but Shakespeare explores a more complex idea. He creates a character, not driven by personal ambition but by idealism; someone who is not driven by emotion but by reason and who will act because he fears another's ambition. In the process, Shakespeare recreates one of the traditions of Elizabethan theatre, the soliloquy. These direct speeches to the audience had been a way to share the character's motivation and prefigure their next move. Cassius' soliloquy after he tries to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy is a typical example. Now Shakespeare changes the purpose of such direct speech, so it can reveal the inner workings of a character's mind: It must be by his death; and for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crowned. How that might change his nature, there's the question. At the start of this new scene Shakespeare trusts his audience to know whom Brutus speaks about. In four lines he moves from certainty, must', to the uncertainty of that question'. The broken rhythm using enjambment and mid-line caesura creates the effect of a man wrestling with his conscience and while he remains uncertain, So Caesar may', he later comes to a decision, Then, lest he may, prevent'. Machiavelli wrote that A good ruler should stick with the good if he can, but know how to be bad when occasion demands.' In Shakespeare's portrayal of Brutus we see this dramatized, but unlike Machiavelli who is interested in the outcome, Shakespeare appears more interested in the effect of such decisions on the individual. As a civil servant who had lost his position in the Florentine republic, Machiavelli's purpose was to flatter and impress the new absolute ruler and potential mentor, Lorenzo di Medici. Working in the humanist tradition of the Italian Renaissance, he uses the persuasive form of the essay, drawing examples from classical times and recent Italian political history. However, he breaks with that tradition by disregarding morality. Previous writers had considered what actions would be right; Machiavelli changes the equation by simply asking, what actions are effective? This caused many of his contemporaries to see him as an immoral monster and led to our modern understanding of the term Machiavellian'. It is not that he is unaware of the moral perspective - he just chooses to ignore it. He holds up Cesare Borgia as a touchstone for princely

Song Of Solomon Essays - Song Of Solomon, Milk, Pontius Pilate

Song Of Solomon Essays - Song Of Solomon, Milk, Pontius Pilate Song of Solomon Throughout the centuries many authors have attempted to capture the individuals quest for self-authenticity. In the novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison depicts the many aspects of self-actualization, as well as the tormenting road that leads to the shaping of an individual. Through beautiful language, with immense reality, she is able to describe young black mans journey as he uncovers his personal history, myth, and essence. The story revolves around generations, past and present, of a black family in the south. The character of Milkman (Macon Dead jr.) evolves through the descriptions, events, and experiences of others. His parents, Macon Dead sr., and Ruth Foster Dead, represent the wall-blocking Milkman from his true authentic identity. Many of Milkman's major problems are a direct result of his parents suffocating mistakes. Ruth breast-fed Milkman until he was six years old, hence the name Milkman. She was sexually repressed by her husband for twenty years, and used her young son as a substitute for sexual intimacy. Ruth believed that she possessed no authenticity, and that she was insignificant and isolated. By passing these negative attributes and emotions to Milkman she disturbed his natural process for growth, and ultimately left him feeling lost and insecure. Instead of encouraging Milkman to grow and mature, Ruth hoarded him into the world that she herself despised. Milkman's father, Macon Dead sr., became a ruthless money hound after his father, Jake, was shot and killed for his property. This devastating event from his childhood made him miserly, insensitive, and stingy. Macon Dead sr. becomes a money hungry machine because he does not want to suffer the same fate as his father. Macon Dead sr. fails to tell Milkman the reasons behind his miserly attitude. Thus creating an insurmountable gap between their relationship. Milkman's mother and father both thrust their personal fears on him adding to the destruction of his personal identity. Only after Milkman uncovers these tribulations behind his parents' identities, can he begin his quest for self-authenticity. By displacing the profound effect Milkman's parents have on his quest for self-actualization, Morrison is able to convey her theme of generational conflict. Without appropriate parental guidance, honesty, and explanation Milkman has trouble finding the authentic individual within himself. The inner turmoil within both Ruth and Macon Dear sr. reflects negatively upon Milkman, leaving him lost and unfocused. Morrison writes of this hole within Ruth, "?because the fact is that I am a small woman. I don't mean little; I mean small, and I'm small because I was pressed small. (p. 124)" Instead of accepting the problems with their own authenticity, both parents force their unauthentic values on Milkman. The overbearing needs of both parents result in Milkman's need to find his personal Identity in other places, other people. The individual who first inspires Milkman to discover his own identity is Pilate, the forbidden sister of Macon Dead sr. She is a mysterious woman, large, masculine, and frightening. Her brother abandoned her after years of support because she began making wine. Macon Dead sr. this drunken profession, and subsequently forbid Milkman to encounter her. Despite his father's wishes Milkman is intrigued by Pilate and quickly becomes absorbed in her magical, spiritual, fulfilling world. This was the same world that once held his father in awe. Morrison writes, "surrendering to the sound, Macon moved closer. He wanted no conversation, no whiteness, only to listen and perhaps to see the three of them, the source of that music that made him think of fields and of wild turkey and calico. (P.29)" By entering into Pilate's' home Milkman begins to question why his father acts the way he does. Through Pilate, Milkman discovers a past that seems lost within his father. This realization begi! ns Milkman's quest for self-authenticity. Milkman's flight to identity takes him many places. He is fortunate to have a friend, Guitar, who is also lost, and hunting for his authentic identity. The two pursue adventures and their contrasting personalities leave them wit ha wide perspective on events and experiences. While Milkman seems quiet, poetic, almost stumbling on his authentic self. Guitar is eager, outgoing, and aware of his needs. Morrison creates Pilate as a metaphor for a pilot, guiding Milkman through his quest. The

Paraphrasing lab report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paraphrasing lab report - Essay Example These values would allow clear differentiation as they are both known and largely differ with methyl salicylate melting at approximately -8 Â °C and pure salicylic acid at 159 Â °C. The melting point of the product was found to be approximately 160Â °C. Other parameters that were also assessed include the Rf of the substance which was found to be (0.35), as compared to the known Rf and co spot of methyl salicylate (0.75) and pure salicylic acid which is (0.33). In addition, the percent yield was determined to be 93,7%. In summation, the product was confirmed to be salicylic acid and not methyl salicylate due to the values obtained from the TLC tests and melting point. 2. The experimental data illustrated that the purified product has a melting point range of 157-161 Â °C; in addition, pure salicylic acid has a known melting point of 159 Â °C; as opposed to that of methyl salicylate which is -8 to -7 Â °C. The experimental data further illustrated that the melting point of the s ubstance was within the range of 159 Â °C Therefore, the known melting point of salicylic acid is 159 Â °C and it is in close range with that obtained in the experiment of 157-161 Â °C hence concluding that the purified product derived in the experiment was salicylic acid. ... In addition, the product obtained in the experiment is in a similar location to that salicylic acid in the xo spot. Therefore, the values obtained in the TLC and melting point experiments were substantial in concluding the product was salicylic acid not methyl salicylate. The data obtained in the experiments also illustrated that the experiment design was appropriate and the procedure was ideal as the results showed that the production of salicylic acid was successful due to the correlation between the experimental values of the product and the known melting points and Rf co spot values for salicylic acid. This also showed the purity level of the product as it was within the range of pure salicylic acid; hence showing the majority of the impurities had been alleviated from the final product in the recrystallization process. The percentage yield data gives an indication of the reaction and the amount of the product that is practically possible to obtain and isolate. The experiment had a good percentage yield of approximately 93,7% indicating that 6,3% of the product was lost during recrystallization and removal of impurities and vacuum faltering. Table 2. Rf values Compound Distance of Compound movement (cm) Distance of mobile phase movement (cm) Rf Pure salicylic acid 1.7 5.1 0.33 Product 1.8 5.1 0.35 Co-spot 1.7 5.1 0.33 Methyl salicylate 3.8 5.1 0.75 Figure 4. TLC plate 3. In the stationery phase the polarity of the compound determines the Rf value. Hence, salicylic acid will have the lowest Rf value as it has the highest polarity compared to silica gel which is also very polar, resulting in both compounds sticking together. However, non polar compounds such as

Critical paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Critical paper - Essay Example To become effective in asserting women’s rights movement, however, a collective effort must be done with the participation of various players in society at an international level. This necessitates a transnational women’s rights movement to make such effort effective where the issue of women’s rights is elevated at an international level discussed in the article of Friedman using education as one of its main vehicle. The Friedman article tackled the problem posed against the women’s rights movements and various efforts that were exerted in transnational arena that had substantial outcomes that positively impacted women’s rights movement. This is an important discussion considering the challenge faced by women’s right movement by a conservative countermovements such as opposing women’s greater participation in society. This article discussed the efforts of the NGO’s that helped advocate women’s equality, their approach in influencing policy direction and ultimately, to encourage engagement with women’s rights. The article is clearly organized into different sections that address different aspects. The first category analyzes the transnational social movement, it discusses the definition of a transnational women’s movement in contrast with a social movement. The inherent difference is then clearly conveyed and the reader is fully able to distinguish the meaning of transnational women’s movement. Transnational social movement is â€Å"sustained contentious interactions with opponents- national or non-national –by connected networks of challengers organized across national boundaries†. The difference therefore between a transnational movement and a social movement is the categorical basis. Friedman analyzes the progress of transnational women’s movement through four elements: political opportunity, structure, mobilizing structure, frames and action repertories. The conferences that

Creating a GUI for ThermaKin2D

Creating a GUI for ThermaKin2D Tamfor Dulin Graphical user interface are used in OSX, Windows PC, and even on phones and tablets. It is found on almost every technological device used by people from computer programmers to toddlers. GUIs (Graphical User Interface) have been helpful over the years as well as it is going to be for the end product of this project. In general, GUIs simplify the use of an application so that it is user-friendly. Another subject that plays an important role is combustion, which is an exothermic chemical reaction, combustion is required to understand the purpose of this GUI. If it is hot enough the combustion can cause a flame. In this reaction there is a cycle in which the fuel is melted and afterwards burned to fuel the fire. This can be calculated to acquire an ideal set of numbers that represent the flame but no one would understand such data and this is where the GUI comes into place. In this project, a GUI will be created for a solver that can calculate the flame spread, the data calculated wil l be manipulated and visualized by the GUI, and this will be able to help understand the results of the solver into a visual depiction. GUI (Graphical User Interface) is defined as, in computer science terms based on Harding, â€Å"a visual operating display that the monitor presents on the monitor to the computer operator† (Jansen, The Graphical User Interface.). GUIs act as mediator between the program and the user. GUIs are useful in technological devices in that they make understanding apps easy. GUIs are advantageous and increase usability as well as productivity rate. It is a type of computer human interface on a computer that includes clickable inputs, a combination of icons, taskbars and other images so that a computer will be able to display these interfaces. This is more commonly known as a Window, Icons, Menus, and a Pointer (WIMP)(Hinckley, Haptic Issues for Virtual Manipulation). WIMP are now found in the majority of graphical interface. GUIs also are composed of a windowing system, an imaging model, and an application program interface (API). The WIMP is created by the windowing system. The imaging models determines the font and the image and partially produces the WIMP. Lastly, the API is the medium which the user tell the program on how the windows will appear (Jansen, The Graphical User Interface.). GUIs have simplified the complicated Command Line Interface (CLI) which has a steep learning curve. It also, â€Å"attempt to solve this blank screen problem.† (Jansen, The Graphical User Interface.) This blank screen is caused by command lines and DOS (Disk Operating System) prompts which are interfaces in which the user types commands to execute certain tasks and are limited with only prompts. CLI and DOS prompts tend to have blank screen and the user is expected to know what to do to proceed with the process. Unlike command lines and DOS prompts, the GUI guides the user to know what to do next, with prompts and indications. Unfortunately, GUIs are not as flexible and as powerful to control an application. GUIs have been used for more than 30 years. It all started out with the multiple researchers at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), they created the first application with a GUI (Jansen, The Graphical User Interface.). The researchers were dedicated to creating the GUI before they started with application itself. This application was name Xerox Star, unfortunately it was too slow and commercially unsuccessful. After the Xerox Star came Apple Lisa made by Steve Jobs and some hired researchers who previously created the Xerox Star. The Apple Lisa was still unsuccessful and this is when the Apple Macintosh finally was created (Jansen, The Graphical User Interface.). As it is still known and used today, the Apple macintosh’s GUI was successful. After the success of Apple Macintosh many other common and modern GUI started to sprout. From the old International Business Machine (IBM) to X-Windowing System which developed to be now windows 7 or 8. Other than those GUIs, there was Linux (Operating system), UNIX (Uniplexed Information and Computer Science) and other Linux-based and UNIX-based operating system which come into place like android and iOS, respectively. Knowledge of a flame spread is vital. Combustion is a chemical reaction that releases heat or energy with a fuel and an oxidant, in most cases oxygen is the oxidant. Through this reaction, a fire is formed which in turn makes a flame, the visible part of combustion. Flames have complex, hard to predict movement because of the particular substance that is being burned. To predict the flame spread, is one of the most complicated fire problems. Flame depends on the substance being burned and all its attributes which differ through each substance. The size, density, mass, shape, porosity, and if there are impurities cause the flame to react differently. This flame cannot not be easily predicted because if there was to be an experimental prediction, it would not have been accurate since the substance could have been slightly impure or any miscalculations. To have accurate measures it would have to be simulated in an ideal situation. Since flame spread is random and cause by unknown situations or situation caused by human error, it will easily be identified through simulations which would require chemical and physical properties to calculate how the flame would spread. To easily predict flame spread through simulations, ThermaKin2D will be used. It was created by the University of Maryland and Federal Aviation Administration. This solver is able to solve the rate of fuel production, heat transfer rate, fuel burn rate, and flame spread rate in a given amount of time by using the physical and chemical properties of the thermochemical decomposing solid (Stoliarov, Levention, and Lyon, 1). The reason why this program was created was to be able to predict and understand flame growth through models (1). The understanding of the calculation and chemical activity is crucial for predictions. Previously, there was a program called ThermaKin that would calculate the rate at which a pyrolyzing solid will burn, the fuel released during the process, changing mass, and energy conservation (1). The only problem with the ThermaKin was that it was mainly 1-Dimensional which means that it did not greatly represent a surface flame and it was limited since it could not simulate a flame spread. Using the data yielded from ThermaKin2D, one is able to make a 2D simulation of the data. ThermaKin2D is similar to ThermaKin but in a 2D perspective and an adaptable representation of a surface flame (1). This 2D visualization enhances the comprehension of the data being shown and it is a highly accurate depictions of a flame. It is greatly flexible and can handle up to chemical activity of up to 30 first and second order reactions (Levention, â€Å"Two-dimensional Model of Burning for Pyrolyzable Solids†). Each component is classified by density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, gas transfer coefficient, emissivity, and absorption coefficient ((Stoliarov, Levention, and Lyon, 1). It has been used in simulation of combusting non-charring and charring polymers in a cone calorimetry-type scenario. (1) The main features that separates ThermaKin2D from other solvers are â€Å"a gas solid interaction formulation that enables gas driven sample simulations.† Also is it a â€Å"Monte Carlo based radiative heat transfer sub model† and â€Å"a versatile kinetics solver that can handle chemical mechanism consisting of up to 30 first and second order reactions.† Its boundary condition is broad and it is able to handle most situations provided that you have the chemical and physical property. ( Leventon, Two-dimensional Model of Burning for Pyrolyzable Solids) Additionally, the purpose of ThermaKin was to have a model of thermochemical decomposition and combustion of complex polymers (Stoliarov, Levention, and Lyon, 1). Just as ThermaKin was for industrial, educational, facility, and personal uses, once a GUI has been created for ThermaKin2D, it will be used for the same purpose and more and be accessible to more people. Such example of the uses would be to create a model for combustion, as well as a pyrolysis model in 2D. Another example would be visualizing 2D simulation of a substance burning with the reactions and outcomes. With all these possibilities one may be able to test different substances with mixtures. This enables one to identify which substance is more flammable or is less conductive. Another example could be determining the rate at which fuel is produced which can be used in making candles. ThermaKin2D can be used in multiple ways but, without the GUI, many people would not be able to use it and reducing the rate at which ones house is burning would not have been easily accomplished. ThermaKin2D will need a graphical user interface because without it, it will be used by a small population or be complex to use in that you would have to remember each and every command. But the purpose of ThermaKin2D was for it to be used by anyone who need to study the flame on a substance. Also the GUI will be needed to convert the numerical data into graphs and simulations. In this case it will give the previously measured data to the solver and the solver will yield data needed to simulate and visualize. ThermaKin2D will require a GUI because currently it is in a command line interface which is arcane. It has a blank screen and a prompt which only few will be able to understand and indications will be required to know what to do when the program starts. The program will need a graphical interface for inputting the information so that the user will know when and where to place the information they need to give. Without the GUI, inputting and receiving data will be confusing, with a lot of numerical data and no images to easily identify what is going on in the calculations. Unfortunately the failure or success of the product is dependent on the GUI. Having a good GUI is important so that the user will not be frustrated. Also, it is not easy to tell if the GUI is easy and efficient. Overall ThermaKin2D is based on ThermaKin in which it will calculate the rate of fuel production of a thermally decomposing solid. In this project as previously mentioned, A GUI will be created for ThermaKin2D created by University of Maryland since it is now available in a command line interface and it is arcane, only the creators are the one to understand. In creating this GUI, it will help explain the useful purpose of GUI which make the application less complicated and not have someone take an aspirin after using an application. A good GUI design eliminates the complexity of the communication with the computer system and the user to work directly on the problem at hand. Without this GUI only a few people will be able to use this ThermaKin2D and will not help the society as a whole. Works Cited Hinckley, Ken. Haptic Issues for Virtual Manipulation Microsoft Research. Haptic Issues for Virtual Manipulation Microsoft Research. N.p., 1996. Web. 04 Oct. 2014. Hopp, T.; Schwarzenberg, G.F.; Zapf, M.; Ruiter, N.V., A MATLAB GUI for the Analysis and Exploration of Signal and Image Data of an Ultrasound Computer Tomograph,Advances in Computer-Human Interaction, 2008 First International Conference on, vol., no., pp.53,58, 10-15 Feb. 2008 Jansen, Bernard J. The Graphical User Interface. ACM SIGCHI Bulletin 30.2 (1998): 22-26. Print. Leventon I. T.; Stoliarov S. I.; Evolution of Flame to Surface Heat Flux during Upward Flame Spread on Poly(methyl methacrylate); Proceedings of the Combustion Institute; vol. 34, pp. 2523-2530 (2013). Levy, Jr. Steven. Graphical User Interface (GUI) (computing).Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2014. Li, Jing, Junhui Gong, and Stanislav I. Stoliarov. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Gasification Experiments for Pyrolysis Model Parameterization and Validation 74 (2014): 738-44. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Elsevier, 30 July 2014. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. Miranda, Gutierrez M. THE IMPORTANCE OF GRAPHIC USERS INTERFACE, ANALYSIS OF GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE DESIGN IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION IATED Digital Library.THE IMPORTANCE OF GRAPHIC USERS INTERFACE, ANALYSIS OF GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE DESIGN IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION IATED Digital Library. N.p., 4 July 2011. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. Ogras, Hidayet, and Mustafa Tà ¼rk. Utilizing Simulink and MATLAB Graphical User Interface in Modelling and Simulation of Chaos-Based Digital Modulation Techniques.International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education50.1 (2013): 19-33.ProQuest.Web. 15 Sep. 2014. Quintiere, James, Margaret Harkleroad, and Yuji Hasemi. Wall flames and implications for upward flame spread. Combustion Science and Technology48.3-4 (1986): 191-222. Quintiere, J. Q., and C. H. Lee. Ignitor and Thickness Effects on Upward Flame Spread. Fire technology 03 1998: 18-38.ProQuest. Web. 24 Sep. 2014 . Smith, Scott T.MATLAB: advanced GUI development. Dog Ear Publishing, 2006. Stoliarov, Stanislav I., Isaac T. Levention, and Richard E. Lyon. TWO-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF BURNING FOR PYROLYZABLE SOLIDS. Tech. no. DOT/FAA/TC-TN12/59. U.S. Department of Transportation, Mar. 2013. Web. 25 July 2014. Tuck, Michael. The Real History of the GUI. SitePoint. Michael Tuck, 13 Aug. 2001. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. Wilder, Ron. Understanding the Basics of the Command Line Interface. MacAuthority 06 2004: 6-9. ProQuest. Web. 1 Oct. 2014 .

Narrative Essay Writing

Life to some people is a long learning lesson and process. Everyday is a learning experience and a novel opportunity to expand our knowledge and information bank, we stock piles our minds with both vital and non crucial information, hoping to utilize it as time goes by. This is a philosophy that reluctantly I have come to ascribe to. Looking back at my life, no matter how short it has been, reveals a rather extensive period of learning. I am a 23 years old girl, born in Korea and just immigrated to the U.S.A two years ago in a bid to better my life and pursue my dream career. Growing back in the suburbs of Seoul from my childhood days, through to my adulthood, is itself a thrilling experience. Although lacking in some luxuries and carefree attitude available in many American cities, I cherish the sweet memories of the good times I have gone through in Korea. I was born and brought up by my two staunch parents, who partook their parenting duties with the strictness and seriousness it deserves. To them, bringing out the best in me, as their only child, was their sole calling. No resource would be spared in ensuring that their only daughter got the best that life could offer and emerge triumphantly. Whether or not I have come out successfully is another story altogether. Many will agree with me that their childhood days though full of bliss and joyous moments, was not always a bed of roses, especially if you had an uncompromising mother or a nanny watching behind your back in every move you made. I came to agree that they meant well but our naivety and simple minds could not fathom the reason why we could not be allowed to do what we wanted. I take a look at my life and appreciate that I have come from far. Importantly though, is that the best that I am today, I owe it to my adorable parents. It is said that, cleanliness is second to godliness-that I have come to see is true. I have received compliments and encouraging words regarding how organized and neat I am, from my teachers, friends and even strangers. Many however do not know that this has not always been the case, as my parents can attest. My young urchin life is a complete opposite of the tidiness and smartness I exhibit today. I grew up in a neighborhood inhabited by diverse people and hence diverse characters. My immediate neighbors were two boys whose sweet memories I still cherish, however, the care-free attitude they had instilled in me than is a trait I would not have wanted to acquire. It is a known fact that kids can be extremely naughty especially in the wrong environment. My mother had always been trying to emphasize the importance of neatness especially in girls, trying to buy me bright colored dresses to ensure that I looked my best. I could not hear anything of it and was always in crumpled clothing and uncombed hair. By the age of 12, my mother had given up. Not even my father’s smart and stern look could change me. I used to be extremely untidy both at home and in school. My homework was not being delivered in time and when delivered it was just a bunch of illegible scribbling. My parents had a perfectionist attitude towards life, but that too could not change me. Every road has a turning point and every night a daybreak. My annoying habits too had to come to an end. This came at the night of my 15th birthday. Since the tender age of three years, it had been a tradition in our house to hold my birthday party where I would invite my friends for a day full of celebrations. I had wished to see a different thing happen this 15th birthday. At my age, it was considered trendy to hold a birthday party at night and let your friends enjoy an orgy till day break. I conferred with my parents and they had no problem with that. However, it was on a condition that our house nanny would not play a role in tidying up the house before or after the party. I had to somehow find a way of cleaning the place. How I tidied up my room is a story for another day but I did it altogether, and the results were quite impressive. My friends had always thought of me as a disorganized person with no cleanliness ambitions; it amazed them that I could be that tidy. My parents were quite impressed and I could see a sense of renewed affection in them. I was hoping to maintain this and made it may birthday resolution; since then I have never looked back. I can tell when my parents are relieved and happy. After my tidying up I could tell they had renewed their hope in me. Their next concern was to be in academics where I had been recording a dismal performance over a long time, a performance that had emanated from the fact that I disliked studies. I found the idea of devoting my precious time in abstracts a laborious task. This had to change somehow. My dad is not only smart in terms of dressing, but it also very knowledgeable. This was a trait he had all along wished to instill in me. He started by buying me short story books to try and arouse more interest in me. This is what eventually would see me develop an unquenchable interest in reading and digging for knowledge in topics ranging from almost every aspect of life. I have come to like reading both fictional and scholarly materials especially those authored by famous people. It is in reading widely that one gets to know more about the world. I have come to appreciate the role my parents have played in my life. They have taught me the essence of grooming well and proper self-organization as a key ingredient to succeed in life. My academic life has improved greatly as a result of the important tips accorded to me by father. Now it is to my discretion to either squander the useful information and experience I have gathered in life or see it go to waste altogether. Reference: James L. Kinneavy and John E. Wcoriner, 1998. Elements of Writing. Orlando. Florida. Harcourt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brace and Company

Paradoxical Twins Acme and Omega Electronics

Case Study on Paradoxical Twins Acme And Omega Electronics By ABC Paradoxical Twins Acme And Omega Electronics Defining the issue After reading the case of the â€Å"Paradoxical Twins Acme and Omega Electronics†, I found Both Acme and Omega produce similar products and offer similar services. Acme president John Tyler is a very tough going individual and he is portrayed to be an autocratic individual because there is one way communication in Acme. The case provides an opportunity to evaluate both Acme and Omega’s organization structure of a business.Both companies used to have the same organizational structure but after they were sold to different investors, as a consequence of this, each company has its own procedures and company policies. Following are the same facts about both the company mentioned in the case after they became the separate business entity. Acme retained original management and promoted GM to the president. They have well defined organizational struc ture  and  decisions are often taken by top management without consulting manufacturing department.And they have  well defined job responsibilities and authority. Omega  hired a new president and upgraded several existing personnel within the plant. They don’t have the organizational structure and they believe that  Organizational chart seems like artificial barrier. They have a participative management style of leadership and they don’t have well defined job specification. Acme has shipped the 100 prototypes on 2 shifts, and 20% of  these units were found defective. While Omega has shipped the100 units on time, and no defective items were  detected.Despite of these facts, and although, as seen in the previous section,Omega was more effective than Acme, the photocopier manufacturer decided to split the final contract between  Acme and Omega, under the conditions of maintaining zero defects and lowering the final cost  Justifications of this decision c ould be: 1-Acme retained the original structure of Technological Products of Erie, and has been able to be an Omega in profitable contracts in the past. This has formed a good reputation for Acme that might have contributed in giving them a chance to have a ortion of this contract. 2- Acmes price was slightly lower than Omega’s, and since the photocopier manufacturer have conditioned high quality, I t might have been more profitable to choose  Acme as well as Omega. 3-Omega was not rejected because that would be unethical and may be illegal since they met the deadline and provided high quality inputs to photocopier manufacturer. At Acme: The high formality of coordination, and the  tall hierarchy of the organizational chart, has affected the way activities were being done.The most important effects can be summarized as follows: 1-Little information was communicated to the organization as a whole and between different departments. 2-Lack of motivation, as some manager†™s voiced. 3-Some inertia against trying new methods of work existed. 4-Coordination between divisions was not high enough that some important decisions were wrongly taken. At Omega: 1-Due to the highly informal fashion work was being done in,employees had an ambiguous view of their own roles. 2-Information sharing was high among all levels, with sometimes caused a waste of time. -Innovative thinking was encouraged. 4-The work was  highly collaborative Analyzing the case data The paradoxical twins describe two organizations, Acme and Omega  Electronics that  are competing for the same contract for manufacturing a memory unit to be used in a photocopier. Omega, having an organic structure, wins the race because they are able to produce the higher quality memory unit. On the other hand, Acme having mechanistic structure seems less competent and less reliable because of its low quality memory unit which they are unable to produce in time and some of its prototypes fail to work. Omega even corrects a design error in the original blueprint, which improves product quality. But, both the company is given half the order, and they were encouraged to find the way to reduce the cost  Ã‚  and Acme takes advantage of this opportunity to experiment to find ways to reduce its costs, whereas Omega does not. Finally Acme discovers the way to reduce the cost by 20% and they won the contract. Omega may have won the battle, but Acme has won the war because its mechanistic structure fosters a concern for technical efficiency and cost reduction in what is a routine manufacturing environment.In this particular case, Acme decides to run a â€Å"tight ship† (mechanistic structure) in order to increase productivity and efficiency, and to decrease costs. The advantage of this strategy is that they can undersell their competition (Omega) by selling at a lower cost. Omega, on the other hand, is nearly too opposite. They run a more organic structure, which relies heavily up on communication, delegation and teamwork. This strategy allows Omega to effectively compete with Acme by stressing reliability and by placing emphasis on quality.Omega’s decentralized, organic approach allowed for the building of prototypes 10 days faster than Acme, correction of errors, and a highly reliable prototype—much more reliable than Acme’s, which had a 10 percent failure rate. Omega was more effective when evaluated by these criteria, although Acme’s prices were lower than Omega’s because of that Acme won the competition and which was a fair result in my opinion. Its mechanistic structure provided it with the management system and incentives needed to improve and reduce its manufacturing process, so that Acme won the final race over Omega.Generating alternatives * Change in the organizational structure of both companies is needed. * Development and adaptation of new technology and techniques is required in both companies. * There should be a change in the workflow of the companies. * The merger of both companies is also an option open for both companies. Selecting decision criteria Selection criteria for the alternatives is performance and working style along with organization structure is adopted to find and recommend the alternatives. Analyzing and evaluating alternativesSome changes can be made at both plants that would increase efficiency of work and hence enhance their competitive advantage against each other. Selecting the preferred alternative Alternative-1Change in structure Omega is a decentralized organization, where managers and subordinates delegate important decisions to lower level about new organizational projects. Omega's management believes in mutual adjustment, which is the practice of using judgment on problem solving and also creates an informal way of communicating with each other rather than using standardization or written rules.There is not clear cut job analysis (job description and specifi cation). Sometime new employees don’t know what to do for a month and even longer. Omega's organic structure gives the employees more flexibility to innovative thinking, and creates a unity within the organization but it is not enough to be the effective organization. Omega should have mix organization structure; it means it would be better if there is a mix of mechanical and organic organization structure.There should be a formal communication channel to make sure that information is passed down or up whenever necessary. In my opinion, the company President Jim Rawls doesn’t have proper control over the employee’s functions and activities due to the lack of properly designed structure and communication network. They communicate information by direct meeting which is not good all the time especially during the rush time. Not only this, but also, the president spent too much time on listening to suggestion rather than having his own clear cut idea.Therefore, in c onclusion, to solve this kind of problem they should have transparent communication network within the organization to make sure there are no barriers in effective communication, they should define the job authority and responsibility of each task, there should be some chain of command in the organization or the top level management should decide in certain things which critical to the organization. They should change the structure to mechanistic structure and finally they should change their technology to mass production so that they also can reduce the cost of production and be more competitive in the market place.To be effective, Omega electronics should have some kind of hierarchy where employees feel themselves in the chain of command and there should be clear authority and responsibility of each employee. They should make sure that they communication channel within the organization is effective and transparent for the efficient and prompt flow of information. Alternative- 2 Me rger In the case of Acme and  Omega, the high level of competitions seems to be the main motivator for both plants to strive excellence, once they merge, this motivator will vanish.Another problem that might arise is a cross cultural conflict between members of the two  plants. At Acme, every role is clearly defined, and the specialization level is high, while at Omega, roles are spread among members and specialization is not that high, conciliating such differences will be a  hectic job. If those two issues were overcome, combining the well defined structure that Acme holds and the skills of its workers, with flexibility and the innovative nature of work that Omega provides,An Acme Omega merger would be a successful one and a great competitor to other plants in their industry Developing an action/implementation planAt Acme: I would be of great benefit of cross functional teams were introduced into the structure to handle jobs such as the one in this case study. It would also be a great motivator and booster  of quality of work if  managers as well as specialists were given some open space to share their view collectively rather than the unidirectional channels that are adopted at Acme. This will  also need a higher level of coordination between departments. Innovation should also be highly encouraged, due to the high pace of change and introduction of new products in Acme’sindustry.At Omega: The informal nature of the structure seems to be working fine,except that it needs a bit of formalization and  clarification of  people’s roles. This structure was a point of strength for Omega in this bid; however, it won’t work for other tasks that need faster accomplishments of the activities. For example, instead of  exchanging opinions and suggestions most of the time, this can be organized using information sharing systems that centralized data that everyone in the organization needs.