Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 175
Assignment Example Mr. E. Pass and his wife Mrs. Martha N. Pass crashed with their aircraft after it had been repaired by Shelby Aviation. After half year Mr. Max filed a case against Shelby Aviation claiming that they had broken, â€Å"Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code†. The UCC does not apply in this case, because Mr. Pass accepted the devices which were fixed to aircraft even though they were of low quality. Shelby could have fixed the devices under instruction of Mr. Pass hence no enough evidence for UCC to apply in the case. In this case, both Randy and Bob were injured due to negligence. The Seat post broke and Bob felt down; this shows that the manufacturer manufactured substantial product, which did not ensure people safety. If the health club supervised people, Bob could not have mishandled the facilities. Due to negligence both manufacturer and the club are guilty and they should compensate. In the second case, Randy sued both Bob and club for negligence. In this case they do not have evidence to prove their innocence. Bob destroyed everything and the club failed to supervise
Monday, October 28, 2019
Management Influences on Turnover Intention of Software Developers Essay Example for Free
Management Influences on Turnover Intention of Software Developers Essay Introduction The Information Technology (IT) Age has created many opportunities for employment in the IT and IT services industry. IT professionals are in demand all over the world. Organizations worldwide invest money that go not only into salaries but for further training of IT professionals they hire. However, around the world, the demand, supply, selection, recruitment and particularly retention of IT professionals has threatened organizations that use, manage or deal in IT or IT services for the past few years (Parà © and Tremblay 2000; Ermel and Bohl 1997; Morello 1998; Guptill et al. 1999). This is why the departure of an IT professional from a company usually comes with disastrous effects to the organization. When an IT professional resigns, the organization suffers loss of business process knowledge and acquired technical skills (Dorà © 2004). Since late 1996, the turnover for IT professionals has jumped from 15% to 20% annually, with only 8 of 10 IT positions being filled with qualified candidates (McNee et al. 1998). With the annual turnover rate estimated at 20% or more (Alexander 1999; Kosseff 1999), job-hopping of IT professionals has been one of the biggest problems among managers and human resources (HR) experts (Parà © and Tremblay 2000). IT professionals seem to have a tendency to change their jobs faster than other employees when they feel dissatisfied with their current employer (Hacker 2003). The estimated cost of replacing IT professionals range from 1.5 to 2.5 times of their annual salaries for the companies they resigned from (Kosseff 1999). On the other hand, the cost of losing a qualified IT professional is actually 3 to 6 times more expensive than the cost of losing a manager (Kochanski and Ledford 2001). IT professionals, as also mentioned previously in this study, also tend to change jobs more quickly than other employees when they feel dissatisfied with in their current employment (Hacker 2003). However, rational models of voluntary turnover cannot be used to explain the high turnover rates for IT professionals (Rouse 2001) since many IT professionals remain dissatisfied with their jobs even though they enjoy high financial rewards yet their creativity and expertise do not receive high respect from their peers, supervisors and companies as a whole (Fisher 2000). Furthermore, another explanation why IT professionals may resign more quickly when dissatisfied with their current employment is that â€Å"much of IT work is project oriented, the technical employee’s loyalty may be more to the project, and not necessarily to the employer†(Hacker, 2003, p. 15). These trends place intense pressure on both IT executives and HR managers. High IT professional turnover translates to a threat not only to an organization’s IT department but to the business as a whole. Most importantly, high IT turnover poses a threat to the growth, competitive positioning and strength of the global economy (Parà © and Tremblay 2000). A dissertation by Dr. Timothy Lee Dorà © (2004) studied the relationships between job characteristics, job satisfaction and turnover intention among software developers. These two factors – job characteristics and job satisfaction – are deemed to play crucial roles in understanding turnover intention not only among software developers but IT professionals as a whole. The current study aims to investigate the management influences on employee retention of IT professionals, focusing on job characteristics and job satisfaction, and their impact on turnover and retention.            1.1.1   Scope and Limitations of the Study This research will study the impact of job characteristics and job satisfaction on the turnover intention of IT professionals. Although this paper intends to replicate some of Dorà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s findings, the study will not be limited to software developers only as this sector only constitutes a small sample of IT professionals as a whole. Specifically, the research study will focus on the turnover intention of IT professionals in___________. In studying the relationships between job characteristics, job satisfaction and turnover intention, this study is limited to the use of the following theoretical models and theories to support its conclusions: For the discussion on job characteristics, the research study will make use of the Job Characteristics Model developed by JR Hackman and GR Oldham (1975/1980) and the analysis on Model Employers by Minda Zetlin (2001). For the discussion on job satisfaction, as well as motivation, the paper will use the Motivator-Hygiene Theory by F. Herzberg (1968/2003) and the Synergistic Model by T.M. Amabile (1997). For the discussion on turnover, the study will use the Voluntary Turnover Model by R.M. Steers and R.T. Mowday (1987); the Rational Turnover Model by P.D. Rouse (2001); the Instinctual or â€Å"Unfolding†Model of Turnover by T.W. Lee, T.R. Mitchell, L. Wise and S. Fireman (1996); and the Conceptual Model for Investigating Turnover in IT, developed by J.B. Thatcher, L.P. Stepna and R.J. Boyle (2002-03) These models will be discussed in detail later in this chapter, as well as in Chapter 2 on Review of Related Literature. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature This chapter will analyze the various literature which are related to this research paper. It will discuss the works of other analysts and researchers on theories/models that will be used to support this study, as well as pertinent literature on IT professionals’ turnover intentions. The chapter begins with a general discussion on motivational theories, cutlure, and leadership which are all critical factors that affect an employee’s intent to leave. The discussion them dovetails into a more specific presentation of the framework used in the current study. This chapter will also include a definition of terms incorporated into the discussion of related literature. 2.1      Relationships between Job Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention In 2004, Timothy Lee Dorà © submitted a dissertation titled â€Å"The Relationships Between Job Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention Among Software Developers†.  According to Dorà ©, the factors leading to the turnover intention of software developers have been poorly understood. His study was designed to further understand the relationships between job characteristics, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among software developers. His study involved the use of 326 web surveys that contained questions relating to job characteristics, job satisfaction, turnover intention and demographic information. The results of Dorà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s study showed that several factors can influence turnover intention, most significantly, job characteristics that may be influenced by management, such as training, autonomy, feedback, number of developers, task significance, and skill variety (Dorà © 2004). In his study, Dorà © made use of two research questions and sixteen hypotheses to understand the job characteristics variables which contribute to the various dimensions of job satisfaction, and which of these job satisfaction dimensions, in turn, contribute to turnover intention. Dorà © made use of indirect effect tests, to determine if certain job characteristics could be linked to turnover intention through the job satisfaction scales he provided. The results of his study indicated that ten of the indirect effects were statistically significant. All ten of the statistically significant indirect effects were associated with only three of the seven job satisfaction scales: internal work motivation, general job satisfaction, and satisfaction with pay. The largest indirect effect, according to Dorà ©, was the effect of autonomy on turnover intention through general job satisfaction: higher levels of autonomy lead to lower levels of turnover intention by increasing general job satisfaction.  The next largest indirect effect was the effect of organizational training on turnover intention through general job satisfaction: organizational training decreased turnover intention through an increase in general job satisfaction. The next three highest indirect effects in Dorà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s findings were also between a job characteristic (feedback, skill, variety, and number of developers) and turnover intention through general job satisfaction (Dorà ©, 2004, p. 130). 2.2      Measuring Turnover Intentions Among IT Professionals Guy Parà © and Michel Tremblay, in contrast to Dorà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s study, completed a research covering the turnover intention of not just software developers but IT professionals as a whole. Their study, â€Å"The Measurement and Antecedents of Turnover Intentions among IT Professionals†(2000), submitted to Cirano research center, aimed to present and test an integrated model of turnover intentions that address the unique nature of the IT profession (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 3). The authors identified a multidimensional set of HR practices that will most likely increase retention among IT employees.  They emphasized citizenship behaviors as well as two distinct types of organizational commitment as key antecedents of turnover intentions. The study involved the sending of questionnaires to 394 Quebec members of the Canadian Information Processing Society.  The study addressed four research questions: 1) What are the essential HR practices necessary to create an effective plan for retaining IT professionals? 2) What is the impact of compensation and negotiation conditions on the turnover intentions of IT personnel? 3) What is the effect of employee demographic characteristics on the turnover intentions of IT personnel? 4) Do organizational commitment and citizenship behaviors mediate the effects of HR practices, compensation and negotiation conditions as well as demographic characteristics on the turnover intentions of IT personnel? (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 4) Parà © and Tremblay provide that IT employees who are highly committed to their organization are less likely to leave than those who are relatively uncommitted. They attach three distinct dimensions to organizational commitment: affective, continuance and normative commitment (Meyer and Allen 1997). 1)       Affective commitment – means an employee’s personal attachment and identification to the organization. This results in a strong belief in an acceptance of the organization’s goals and values. â€Å"Employees with a strong affective commitment continue employment with the organization because they want to do so†(Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) 2)       Continuance commitment – is a tendency to engage in consistent lines of activity based on the individual’s recognition of the â€Å"costs†associated with discontinuing the activity.  â€Å"Employees whose primary link to the organization is based on continuance commitment remain because they need to do so.†(Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) 3)       Normative commitment – provides that employees exhibit behaviors solely because they believe it is the right and moral thing to do. â€Å"Employees with a high level of normative commitment feel that they ought to remain with the organization.†(Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) In their findings, Parà © and Tremblay provide that affective commitment and continuance commitment are negatively related to turnover intentions (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 6). In addition to these two distinct types of commitment affecting turnover intention, their studies also points to the factor they call Organizational Citizenship Behavior or OCB. OCB is considered as a key element in organizational effectiveness. OCB is defined as â€Å"an employee’s willingness to go above and beyond the prescribed roles which they have been assigned†(Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 6, quoting from Organ 1990). Based on Parà © and Tremblay’s findings, the stronger the citizenship behavior of an IT employee, the more likely they are to stay in their company. The IT professional’s affective commitment, or attachment to his or her organization, also decreases turnover intention. 2.3      Job Characteristics Model Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model, as earlier introduced in Chapter 1 of this research study, predicts what aspects of jobs reflect the level of job enrichment for employees, and how these relate to employees’ individual differences and to the work outcomes required. The model includes five core job characteristics that can be applied to any job: skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy and feedback. Skill variety is defined as â€Å"the number of different skills required in the job†(Hackman and Oldham 1980; Pilon 1998). Task identity means â€Å"the completeness of the tasks done in the job†(Hackman and Oldham 1980; Pilon 1998). Task significance on the other hand is defined as â€Å"the importance of the job to the served population.†(Mohamed 2004). Autonomy means â€Å"the vertical expansion of responsibility, the amount of decision-making and independence allowed for employees.†(Mohamed 2004). And lastly, feedback means â€Å"the extent that the job itself provides information about employees’ performance†(Huber 2000). These characteristics – skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback – are combined into a single predictive index which is called the Motivating Potential Score (Hackman and Oldham 1980). Figure 1. Job Characteristics Model Source: A.H. Mohamed (2004)            The five core job characteristics enumerated in the previous paragraph are in continuous interaction with individual differences that evoke three critical psychological states in an employee. These three states are: 1) when the job is structured by skill variety, task identity and task significance this could lead employees to experience meaningfulness in their work. 2) The second state, task autonomy, which leads to feelings of responsibility for the outcomes of work. 3) The third and last state is feedback, which leads employees towards knowledge of the results of their work (Douthit 2000; Huber 2000).            These three critical psychological states lead to a set of affective and personal outcomes: high internal work motivation, high growth satisfaction, high general satisfaction, high work effectiveness, and low rate of absenteeism (Mohamed 2004; Donovan and Radosevich 1998).            These affective and personal outcomes are the results of en employee’s job characteristics. They are defined as follows: High internal work motivation – this is the degree to which an employee is willing to work and to consider the organizational objectives as part of his or her own goals (Mohamed 2004). High growth satisfaction – this is the achievement of the employee in overcoming challenges, succeeding and growing (Steers and Black 1994) High general satisfaction – this the feeling derived from the overall satisfaction with the work itself. â€Å"This type of satisfaction is reflected mainly in decreased rates of absenteeism among employees†(Steers and Black 1994; Omachonu et al 1999). High work effectiveness – this refers to both the quality and quantity aspects of work performance (Hackman and Oldham 1980). Low rate of absenteeism. The Job Characteristics Model, also includes three attributes that are identified as Moderators: knowledge and skills, context job satisfaction, and employee growth-need strength. These attributes indicate which employee will respond positively to the Motivating Potential Score of their job and its outcomes (Hackman and Oldham 1980). An employee’s knowledge and skills are dependent on their educational qualifications which in turn will reflect their perceptions toward their work outcomes (Sabiston and Laschinger 1995). On the other hand, an employee’s perception of his or her context job satisfaction involves factors like pay, supervision, colleagues, and job security. All these affect the employee’s outcomes as well (Mohamed 2004).  Lastly, growth-need strength is the degree in which an employee seeks opportunities in his or her job for self-direction, learning and personal accomplishment. These elements in turn affect the employee’s level of work internal motivation (Mohamed 2004). An example of a study which made effective use of Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model is the one conducted by A.H. Mohamed (2004) called â€Å"Using the job characteristics model to compare patient care assignment methods of nurses†for the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alexandria in Egypt.  The population used were the nurses in the Alexandria Main University Hospital. Mohamed made use of a Job Diagnostic Survey (also developed by Hackman and Oldham) to determine nurses’ perceptions towards the components of the Job Characteristics Model in relation to their performance in utilizing the case and functional methods of patient care assignment (Mohamed 2004). In his study, Mohamed concludes that the jobs of intensive care unit nurses result in different expectations based also on the different categories of nurses, based on skills and challenges inherent in the work they perform (Mohamed 2004). Generally speaking thus, studies like Mohamed shows that an employee’s personal and affective outcomes are a result of the employee’s job characteristics. 2.4      Model Employers However, management also plays a crucial role in the retention and conversely turnover of IT professionals.  Since IT professionals still enjoy a wide selection of employers to choose from, employers constantly compete to attract the best IT professionals by becoming â€Å"model employers†. In her 2001 article for Computer World, called â€Å"Model employers†, Minda Zetlin outlines the strategies that make certain companies â€Å"model employers†. By compiling its eight annual list of 100 Best Places to Work in IT, Computer World roughly sums up the model employers as offering not just top compensation, but also â€Å"opportunities for career growth, investment in training, diversity in the work place, work flexibility, and, ideally, a comfortable and fun place to spend their daytime hours†(Zetlin 2001). Zetlin in her article outlines three common themes behind the success of these model IT employers: IT is central to the best employers’ success According to Zetlin, excellence in IT is a top corporate strategy.  Prioritizing IT should not be limited to companies that strictly provide IT or IT services. Companies such as Avon, for instance, which ranks 4th in Computer World’s list of 100 best employers, may be perceived to operate on a relationship-based environment.  Yet to process its more than 60 million custom orders every year, the company relies heavily on IT to process its complex supply chain. The fact that is it is actually a very transactional business, dependent on technology, makes IT one of its priorities (Zetlin 2001). Management takes an active interest in employers’ careers from the day they arrive This includes having development plan for employees as soon as they join the organization. Employees meet with their managers on a periodic basis for a formal review to assess their development plan and to evaluate its progress.  Orientation programs at the start of the employment are also part of this strategy. Apart from orientation, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (ranked as No. 11) also provides for a yearly self-assessment for its employees against the established competencies for their jobs, with their supervisors doing the same (Zetlin 2001). Such focus on career development per employee makes the employee feel that management takes an active interest in aligning its objectives with the employee’s personal goals. Model employers also provide for continuous interest on their employees’ careers throughout their employment with the company. Knowledge mentoring programs and career mentoring programs, used by the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (ranked No. 13), for instance, allow employees to learn more skills and career guidance from their more experience colleagues, and help management to identify employees to fill leaderships positions in the short and long term (Zetlin 2001). State Farm’s mentoring program is in fact so successful that it has extended the program to employees who haven’t even arrived yet – such as assigning mentors to college students who plan to join State Farm after they graduate. There are no walls between business and IT Unlike other organizations, model employers ensure that IT people and business people work side by side. There is no division or competition.  IT professionals are given a better understanding that what they do helps the business succeed. This understanding leads to career satisfaction for IT professionals. Technology people know exactly how they contribute to the revenues of their business and how important they are in the business plan. One advantage here is that a close relationship between IT and business allows people to switch between the two fields (Zetlin 2001). Another strategies such as cross-functional work teams gives career development not just to IT professionals but to business people in the organization as well.  There are continuously different career tracks available. An IT professional may opt to advance by taking on management roles within technology, or they may shift to business management positions (Zetlin 2001). 2.5      Voluntary Intention Model            R.M. Steers and R.T. Mowday, in their study â€Å"Employee turnover and post-decision accommodation processes†(1981) analyzed turnover as rooted in voluntary intention. Steers and Mowday viewed the interaction of intention to leave, and alternative job opportunities (ease of movement) as direct antecedents to turnover (Steers and Mowday 1981; Rouse 2001).            As earlier discussed in Chapter 1 of this study, the direction of the process in Steers’ and Mowday’s Voluntary Intention Model starts with Job Expectations, then Affective Responses, then Turnover Intention, then finally, Actual Turnover (see Section 1.2.1.1 of this paper). However, these four elements were actually grouped together by Steers and Mowday under three steps. As can be seen in the Figure 3: Each step in Figure 3 contains two constructs. The second construct (Job Attitudes) of Step 1 becomes the first construct of Step 2. The second construct (Intent To Leave) of Step 2 becomes the first construct of Step 3. Step 1 of the Voluntary Intention Model involves the manner in which job expectations influence an employee’s attitudes regarding his or her job. Attitudes are composed of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job involvement. Job expectations in turn are influenced by three stimuli. The first stimuli focuses on individual characteristics such as occupation, age, tenure, family concerns, and personality form (Steers and Mowday 1981; Rouse 2001). The second stimuli involves information obtained during the recruitment process and at various assessments points throughout the employee’s career (Steers and Mowday 1981; Rouse 2001). For instance, studies have shown that job expectation levels are often high when the employee first accepts a new job (Porter and Steers 1973). At these particular periods, expectations are developed from both the employee and employer’s ends. In other words, a sort of unwritten social contract is deemed to be adopted by the two parties (Prouse 2001). Lastly, the third stimuli affecting job expectations are alternative job opportunities. Studies have shown that the more alternatives there are confronting an employee, then the more negative the employee’s attitudes becomes concerning his or her current job (Pfeffer and Lawler 1979). Step 2 in the Voluntary Intention Model involves the Affective Responses that are elicited from Step 1. These responses include the construct of job satisfaction, and how those responses influence the employee’s desire to leave the organization. Factors that affect the employee’s decision to leave include non-work factors such as family, hobbies, religion and political influences (Cohen 1995). Steers and Mowday also identified the potential of employees to alter their actual job, in terms of pay, working hours, environment, etc., and thus change their attitudes regarding their jobs (Prouse 2001). Chapter 3 Methodology The aim of the research is to examine the relationships between job characteristic, job satisfaction and turnover intention among IT professionals in ______________. The proposition is that job satisfaction and job characteristics as management influences have indirect impact to the levels of turnover intention among IT professionals. The literature review indicates that there are different factors affecting IT professionals’ turnover intention. This research is going to study the turnover intention of IT professionals in _____________. 3.1      Research Questions The study will answer the following two research questions: Which job characteristic variable(s) causes the job satisfaction among IT professionals in ____________? What job satisfaction variable(s) cause the turnover intention among IT professionals in ____________?            In answering these two primary questions, the thesis will make use of the following framework:  Hypotheses Research Question 1            â€Å"Which job characteristic variable(s) causes the job satisfaction among IT professionals in _______________?†           The first research question will analyze the standardized effect of job characteristics to job satisfiers.  The null hypotheses tested were: Job Characteristics à Job Satisfactions H1: The level of IT training does not affect the various measures of job satisfaction. H2: The level of user contact does not affect the various measures of job satisfaction.      H3: The job-required skills do not affect the various measures of job satisfaction.      H4: The level of task significance does not affect job satisfaction.      H5: The amount of workload does not affect job satisfaction.      H6: The amount of feedback does not affect job satisfaction. Research Question 2            â€Å"What job satisfaction variable(s) cause the turnover intention among IT professionals in ________________?†           The first research question will analyze the standardized effect of the job satisfaction scales to turnover intention.  The null hypotheses tested were:            Job Satisfactions à Turnover Intention      H7: The level of internal work motivation does not affect turnover intention.      H8: The level of job security satisfaction does not affect turnover intention.      H9: The level of social job satisfaction does not affect turnover intention.      H10: The level of job growth satisfaction does not affect turnover intention.      H11: The level of satisfaction with pay does not affect turnover intention.      H12: The level of satisfaction with supervision does not affect turnover intention. Research Procedures            3.3.1   Data Collection            Research is a process of studying and analyzing situational factors of a specific problem or issue in order to determine solutions of it (Cavana, Delahaye and Sekaran 2001). According to Cavana, Delahaye and Sekaran (2001), there are three research paradigms: positivist, interpretivist and critical research.            As the research hypotheses of this study try to explore the relationships between job characteristic, job satisfaction and turnover intention among the IT professionals in __________________, the positivist approach will be adopted and it will provide the framework upon which the methodology of this study can be used.            In this study, the research problem requires primary data to specifically address the twelve hypotheses. An Internet questionnaire will be used as it is the most effective and appropriate data collection method. â€Å"Questionnaire†is defined as a â€Å"pre-formulated written set of questions to which respondents recorded their answers within closely defined alternatives†(Cavana, Delahaye and Sekaran, 2001). A well-designed questionnaire provides accurate and useable data for analysis in order to make a conclusion of accepting / rejecting a research hypothesis.  A copy of the questionnaire to be used is attached as Appendix A of this study.            After gathering the data from questionnaires, the analysis of the data (including frequency distribution, correlation analysis and regression analysis) will be performed by a quantitative data analysis tool called SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). SPSS predictive analytics advances in usability and data access, drawing reliable conclusions from the collected quantitative data (SPSS, Inc. 2002). In depth quantitative analysis of the data will be undertaken. Frequency Distribution, Correlation Analysis, and Regression Analysis will be used to analyze the collected data.            The population of this research is the _________ professionals in the country. The research is expected to have a 10% response rate (i.e. ____ questionnaires). A reminder email will be sent to the students to ensure reaching the planned response rate. Participants are not inconvenienced or exposed unnecessarily to potential harm by recruiting more than is required. The research conducted by Dorà © in 2004 (which this paper intends to compare itself to) only received 326 responses which is less than 0.1% of the population.            An invitation email will be sent to the administration managers of the participating institutions. Then the manager will forward the invitation email to all qualified IT professionals and invite them to fill in the Internet anonymous questionnaire within 10 business days. A reminder email will be sent by the manager on the 6th business day. The invitation email only contains a consent form  and a URL to the Internet anonymous questionnaire. Participation is entirely voluntary. The participant can withdraw at any time and there will be no disadvantage if the participant decides not to complete the survey. At no time will any individual be identified in any reports resulting from this study. A copy of the consent form is attached with this application. Variables            The variables which will used in this study can be categorized into two categories: job characteristics and job satisfaction. The factors within each category are discussed as follows:            The following job characteristics for IT professionals were selected for this study, based also on previous usage in similar studies as indicated in the literature review: IT Training User Contact Job-required Skills Task Significance Workload Feedback      On the other hand, the job satisfaction scales include the following: Internal Work Motivation Job Security Satisfaction Social Job Satisfaction Job Growth Satisfaction Satisfaction with Pay Satisfaction with Supervision Data Analysis            The study will make use of descriptive and inferential analysis were used throughout the study.  Descriptive statistics (percentages, means, standard deviations, frequencies, and item means) were computed using the SPSS (SPSS, Inc., 2002). This general-purpose analysis program will be used to characterize the sample in terms of demographic characteristics pertaining to gender, income, education, age, years as an IT professional, years in the current organization, and years in the current position. SPSS will likewise used to analyze the correlation among job characteristics, the correlation between job satisfaction scales, the correlation between job satisfaction and job characteristics, and the correlation between job characteristics, job satisfaction, and turnover intention.            The primary inferential technique that will be used is bivariate correlation. SPSS will  also be used to analyze the regression analysis for the data. A 0.01 level of significance was adopted for testing significance. The standardized effects of all the job characteristics for each job satisfier will also be computed. The same method will be used to analyze the standardized effect of all the job satisfaction scales to turnover intention. From these standardized effect analyses, the prediction of turnover intention by job satisfaction scales will be computed.  The job satisfaction scales which had a 0.60 level were considered significant to turnover intention. The reliability coefficients ranging between 0.60 and 0.70 are deemed adequate for research purposes (Aiken, 2000, p.88). For purposes of this study, the job satisfiers and job characteristics which have indirect effects of 0.60 above significance to turnover intention will be used. The standardized effect of the significant job characteristic will be multiplied to the standardized effect of the particular job satisfier.            Each of the twelve hypotheses of this study will be tested in essentially six multiple regression analyses – one for each job satisfier as the constant, independent variable and its relation to each dependent variable represented by the job characteristics. Otherwise stated, each job satisfier will represent a criterion variable and the six job characteristics will be considered predictors in each of the six regression analyses. 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(2000). The Measurement and Antecedents of Turnover Intentions among IT Professionals. Scientific Series. Ciprano. September 2000. Pfeffer, J., Lawler, J. (1979). The effects of jb alternatives, extrinsic rewards, and commitment on satisfaction with the organization: A field example of the insufficient justification paradigm . Berkeley: University of California. Pilon BA. Outcomes and surprises of work redesigning: how other leaders are coping with changes. Nursing Management, 1998, 29(8):44–5. Porter, L. W., and R.M. Steers. (1973). Organizational, work and personal factors in employee turnover and absenteeism. Psychological Bulletin, 80, 151-176. Rouse, P. D. (2001). Voluntary turnover related to information technology professionals: A review of rational and instinctual models. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 9, 281-290. Sabiston J.A., and H.K. Laschinger (1995). Staff nurse work empowerment and perceived autonomy. Journal of nursing administration, 1995, 25(9):42–50. SPSS, Inc. (2002). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Version 11.5) [Computer software]. Chicago, IL: SPSS, Inc. Steers, R. M., and R.T. Mowday. (1981). Employee turnover and post-decision accommodation processes. In L. Cummings B. Staw (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 235-281). Steers, R.M., and J.C. Black. Organizational behavior, 5th ed. New York, Harper Collins, 1994:95–101. Thatcher, J.B., Stepna, L.P. and R.J. Boyle (2002-03). Turnover of information technology workers: Examining empirically the influence of attitudes, job characteristics, and external markets. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19, 231-261. Zetlin, M. (2001, June 4). Model employers. Computerworld, 40-45.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
birmingham bowling :: essays research papers
BIRMINGHAM BOWLING CENTERS The first bowling house in Birmingham is somewhat of a mystery. As happens so many times, it depends on whom you ask. Some say there was a bowling house on 1st Avenue North near the Old Terminal Station; while others say the YMCA had the first, with either two or four bowling lanes located in the YMCA building. It is agreed, however, that the first regularly used bowling center was opened in 1933 and known as The Phoenix Bowling Alley, located in the basement of the Phoenix Building at 1706 2nd Avenue North. It was a twelve- (12) lane house, owned and operated by Harry and Elizabeth Arnold. Its opening in 1933 coincided with the forming of the Greater Birmingham Bowling Association. First officers of the association were V.G. Shields - President, Manual A. Ellis -Secretary, and F. J. Stanton - Treasurer, and the Executive Committee included Dr. N. C. Glass, Jr. and M. A. Moran. The Phoenix Bowling Alley remained in business until the Phoenix Building burned down. During the 1930’s and until the war, Birmingham bowling, like most activities, was centralized in the downtown area - between 2nd and 5th Avenues North. Bowling Houses, in addition to Phoenix - in alphabetical order - were: Downtown (Birmingham) Bowling Lanes, Liberty Bowling Alley and Lucky Strike Lanes. Bowling grew in popularity after World War II and continued to grow through the fifties, and with this popularity, came an increase in bowling alleys: Tarrant City (8 lanes), Fairfield (6 lanes), Woodlawn (8 lanes), lrondale (16 lanes), Five Points South (12 lanes), and Chapman Lanes, later to be known as LoMac Bowl (16 lanes). Chapman Lanes got its name from one of the proprietors, Ben Chapman - the great major league baseball player from Birmingham. Marvin Lowry (Lo) and Joe McCorvey (Mac) purchased Chapman Lanes, and the name was changed to LoMac Bowl. It was not long until small 6-12 lane houses gave way to the modern automated centers. In the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s, came the introduction of today’s modern Bowling Centers. The first one to open in Birmingham was Holiday Bowl (32 lanes), followed by Bowl-O-Mac) LoMac Bowl closed and the name was reversed for the new center to read BowLoMac), Eastwood Bowl Roebuck, Ensley, Homewood, Pine Bowl, Trussville (later Cahaba), Green Springs, Vestavia Lanes, Star Bowl, Honey Lanes, El Dorado (later Super Bowl) and Riverview Lanes.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Product Management and Samsung Essay
From Gallop to Run – Samsung started in 1939 in South Korea. – In 1960 they started producing calculators and black and white tv’s by copying other brand technology. – In 1993 Samsung unveiled a ‘new management.’ – Their goal was to dethrone Sony as the biggest electronics consumers brand. – Samsung wanted all it’s products to pass the ‘Wow!’ test. – The interbrand list ranked Samsung in 2012 at the 19th place – However the 2012 list ranked Samsung on the 9th place. – A quote from the interbrand website is: †Samsung is one of the biggest successes of 2012, marked by a meteoric 40% rise in brand value.†– Samsung reached it’s goal to become more famous then Sony, with Sony staying 30 places behind Samsung. – Samsung has plans to go further in developping mobile devices which can connect to home devices. Samsung Technological History Key person: Lee Kun-hee From Copycat Brand to Product Leader Hiring of new designers New products -bold – beautiful – sleek – stylish Lifestyle works of artâ€Å" = New interpretation of electronic use Strategy Change of strategy = Expensive and stylish = product Is Samsung’s product development process customer-centered? Team-based? Systematic? Samsung’s product development process is team based. They develop a lot of products at the same time. All the products are developed by specialized teams of designers who make the product from start to finish. However they have combined their approach with the customer centered approach to gain a competitive edge by getting new products to the market faster. This is probably why BusinessWeek places them higher on their list of most innovative company’s every year. Samsung’s technological History „New managementâ€Å" New goal Change of target group High-end user High investigations Customer-centered – Completely new products – Made to solve costumers’ problems – Wow effect Team based – 1 team of designers/developers from start to finish – A little bit late on the market but with better quality than competitors – High quality Systematic – Collects ideas from customers, employees etc. – Innovative products. – Small selection out of many ideas Product Life Cycle and challenges for Samsung – Short PLC – Freshest innovations – Must be faster and better than the rest – Stay focused on the needs, wants & demands of the customer Questions? Will samsung likely achieve its goals in markets where it does not dominate such as smartphones?
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Sustainability Of The South African Coastal Environmental Sciences Essay
The sustainability of South Africa ‘s coastal systems is at hazard due to many lending factors and South Africa as a state has begun to take action. Sustainability is the ability to reap or utilize the resource without doing depletion or lasting harm. South Africa needs to aim the jobs and set into action the Torahs that will guarantee the sustainability of South Africa ‘s coastal ecosystems and resources. The South African coastline stretches for about 3000 kilometer from the north-west adust boundary line with Namibia, around the Cape to the booming Eastern St Lucia estuaries near the Mozambique boundary line. The coastline is rugged and exposed to high moving ridge energy. For most of the twelvemonth, there are air currents along the seashore. South Africa ‘s east seashore is characterised by comparatively warm H2O, whilst the West seashore has colder Atlantic H2O. In the South, intermediate temperatures are prevailing. The alimentary rich Waterss off the south West seashore support abundant marine life while a smaller measure of fish but a greater diverseness of species can be located off the E seashore. These available resources offer chances for South Africa ‘s hereafter development, both socially and economically. Like many other states, South Africa is going progressively cognizant of the importance of the proper direction of marine resources. Extreme force per unit area is being placed on the oceans by angling vass that are able to easy turn up and catch big sums of fish. In many cases, marine life, other than comestible fish, is being caught in the fishing cyberspaces and this is holding a negative impact on the sustainability of South Africa ‘s marine resources. Fishing is a primary economic activity in South Africa. The demand for resources has resulted in fish stocks being over harvested. The depletion of these resources has and will hold rough effects for the communities depending on them and the South African economic system in general. Rural countries where the communities rely on the usage of marine resources for their subsistence have increased force per unit area on these marine beginnings through the harvest home of fish, mussels, crayfish and ear-shell and therefore hold ad ded to the force per unit area on resources. Every twelvemonth, about 4000 ships pass the Cape of Good Hope. Due to the notoriously bad conditions conditions along the Cape seashore, the hazard of marine pollution additions, peculiarly from oil oilers. Due to the high figure of foreign ships dispatching their ballast H2O in South African ports, a figure of foreign invasive Marine beings have been introduced into the South Africa coastal Waterss. These invasive beings are replacing autochthonal beings, thereby puting utmost force per unit area on autochthonal beings which could finally ensue in the autochthonal beings vanishing from the South African seashore line wholly. The individual greatest subscriber to environmental alteration in the coastal zone of South Africa is population growing and related development. Much of the state ‘s coastal development revolves around seven big commercial ports including Cape Town, Durban and Richards Bay. The alteration in coastal land usage, through urban invasion, consequences in estuaries being placed under environmental strain from the environing land based home grounds. This strain frequently consequences in the closing of the estuaries and the impairment of marine H2O quality, which increases human wellness hazards because of sewerage, storm H2O and other wastewater being discharged into the estuaries. There are about 63 outflowing mercantile establishments located along the South African seashore. These mercantile establishments daily discharge a big volume of sewage and industrial waste into the sea. This causes bathing H2O and marine beings such as shrimps and mussels to go contaminated. Previously, there were legion provincial coastal development policies in topographic point in South Africa. This resulted in an uneffective scheme. In add-on, many offices were under staffed and underfunded which resulted in confused and contradictory attacks to coastal zone direction. This was exacerbated by the hold in O.K.ing support to pull off negative impacts on the coastal zone including the discharge of untreated sewerage along the shoreline. Although there has been extended research of South Africa ‘s coastal and marine systems, there are still many countries which have non yet been researched and which have resulted in many spreads in the scientific apprehension of these systems. Much of the bing information relates to piscaries including estuarial ecology. However, and although the alteration in coastal land usage is impacted on badly through urban invasion, this country of research is still dawdling behind. Marine diamond excavation along the west seashore of South Africa is being undertaken, in peculiar between the Orange River oral cavity and Lambert ‘s Bay. This excavation disrupts the seabed therefore upseting the bing home grounds of marine life. This break takes decennaries to retrieve and it is unknown whether these home grounds of all time return to their original province. Miners along the east seashore of South Africa besides mine a figure of heavy metals such as Ti. This excavation impacts negatively on and upset the sand dunes systems and estuaries. In peculiar, the damming of laguna H2O by the mineworkers adversely affects fish and crustaceans in the lagunas. South African ‘s duty and execution of policies to protect its coastal and Marine systems has historically been fragmented. However, and over the past figure of old ages, it has introduced environmental statute law and policies which have resulted in new Torahs to increase the functionality and sustainability of the South African coastal and marine systems. These Torahs and policies were introduced as a consequence of international legal duties placed on South Africa and South Africa recognizing that it has a responsible function to play in the direction and usage of its coastline and marine systems. The Torahs that have been introduced hence require more effectual and efficient direction of the seashore and marine systems. Included in the new Torahs which have been introduced, South Africa promulgated the National Environmental ; Integrated Coastal Management Act that became jurisprudence in December 2009. This jurisprudence is dedicated to guaranting the sustainability of Sou th Africa ‘s coastal and marine systems. The act besides makes mention to coordinated and incorporate direction of the coastal zones, and the saving, protection and extension of coastal public belongings. Apart from the coastal direction stairss, which have been taken, the Government of South Africa has established an estuarine research and direction unit to advance the direction of estuarial systems in South Africa. As the control of pollution at sea is besides an of import facet of continuing the coastal and marine systems in South Africa, South Africa has followed international tendencies and introduced statute law to command pollution at sea. This statute law has been extended to include an oil spillage program for the South African coastline to guarantee that in the event of there being an oil spill, that those who are responsible for battling oil spills along the seashore, are good placed to make so. Last, the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention empowers South Afric a to command all activities within its sole economic zone. This jurisprudence assists South Africa in cut downing the possible hazard of pollution along its coastline as it has the sole and sole authorization to modulate activities within this zone. South Africa needs to take action and do certain that many follow and abide by the Torahs put in topographic point Through the execution and enforcement of Torahs, South Africa will be able to take down the hazard of its sustainability of coastal resources and guarantee the safety of the state ‘s development.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Free Essays on Personality Testing
Personality Testing Personality is defined in Webster’s as â€Å"The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person.†The construct in which I chose to do my test critique on was Personality. The three test which I selected all were personality tests that tested people ranging form ninth grade up to adults. Within all of these tests each test had a particular design to help those wanting to make a career-related assessment with their personality. Personality tests interest me because I have grown up around an aunt who administers personality tests, and I have been given quite a few of them. When researching this construct I wanted to be able to relate to the topic, and personality tests greatly interest me. I feel as if they can predict a lot about a person and how they normally interact with others, and how a person deals with things on a daily basis. In the three personality tests that I examined I found two of them to be very useful, but the other not so useful. The first test in which I examined was the called the Gordon Personal Profile-Inventory (Revised). Creating eight factors that deal with personality set up this test. The eight factors that consisted in this test were Ascendancy, Responsibility, Emotional Stability, Socialibility, Cautiousness, Original Thinking, Personal Relations, and Vigor. A ninth was added by the sums of the four scales and that was Self-Esteem. Each section measured the person’s personality by giving the test taker an option of two high preferences responses and two low preferences responses. Although this test seemed to be very reliable it did not seem to be as valid. Since the test was created such a long time ago, not much had been revised but the manual. Although it did measure a person’s personality, there seem to be better indictors then this test itself. The best personality test that I reviewed was the Hogan Perso... Free Essays on Personality Testing Free Essays on Personality Testing Personality Testing Personality is defined in Webster’s as â€Å"The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person.†The construct in which I chose to do my test critique on was Personality. The three test which I selected all were personality tests that tested people ranging form ninth grade up to adults. Within all of these tests each test had a particular design to help those wanting to make a career-related assessment with their personality. Personality tests interest me because I have grown up around an aunt who administers personality tests, and I have been given quite a few of them. When researching this construct I wanted to be able to relate to the topic, and personality tests greatly interest me. I feel as if they can predict a lot about a person and how they normally interact with others, and how a person deals with things on a daily basis. In the three personality tests that I examined I found two of them to be very useful, but the other not so useful. The first test in which I examined was the called the Gordon Personal Profile-Inventory (Revised). Creating eight factors that deal with personality set up this test. The eight factors that consisted in this test were Ascendancy, Responsibility, Emotional Stability, Socialibility, Cautiousness, Original Thinking, Personal Relations, and Vigor. A ninth was added by the sums of the four scales and that was Self-Esteem. Each section measured the person’s personality by giving the test taker an option of two high preferences responses and two low preferences responses. Although this test seemed to be very reliable it did not seem to be as valid. Since the test was created such a long time ago, not much had been revised but the manual. Although it did measure a person’s personality, there seem to be better indictors then this test itself. The best personality test that I reviewed was the Hogan Perso...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Free Essays on Violence In Television
Do the television shows children watch today negatively affect the way they act? The television shows of today differ very extremely from the ones of ten years ago. Ten years ago shows like â€Å"Leave It To Beaver†, â€Å"The Brady Bunch†, â€Å"The Facts Of Life†, and â€Å"I Love Lucy†were popular because they were very funny and the characters encountered everyday problems which were solved peacefully and fairly. These televisions programs encouraged children to go about their problems peacefully and kindly. Whereas, the shows of today paint an extremely different picture. The television shows of today don’t have a lesson to be learned in the end. Almost every show made today to entertain children is filled with violence. For example, â€Å"Buffy the Vampire Slayer†, â€Å"Angel†, â€Å"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers†, and â€Å"Bevis and Butthead†are all shows children watch because they are exciting but the whole po int of the show is to kill the bad guy not to settle anything peacefully. Children that do not have the ability to distinguish right from wrong watch these shows then act out in ways they see actors do because they think â€Å"if its alright for them to do it then it’s alright for me to do it†. In the average home, a television is on for almost half of the time the family is awake. It is estimate that children watch about 22 hours of television each week. (American Family Physician) Most of the shows these children watch are filled with violent acts that cause them to act violently themselves. In December of 1993 a young ten-year-old child after watching an episode of Bevis and Butthead went into his two-year-old sister’s room and lit her baby crib on fire. This did not only burn down the house, but it also gave the boy serious third degree burns and killed his two year old sister. (Mark Variety) This proves that the shows these children watch have issues in them that the children do not understand yet and will act out b... Free Essays on Violence In Television Free Essays on Violence In Television Do the television shows children watch today negatively affect the way they act? The television shows of today differ very extremely from the ones of ten years ago. Ten years ago shows like â€Å"Leave It To Beaver†, â€Å"The Brady Bunch†, â€Å"The Facts Of Life†, and â€Å"I Love Lucy†were popular because they were very funny and the characters encountered everyday problems which were solved peacefully and fairly. These televisions programs encouraged children to go about their problems peacefully and kindly. Whereas, the shows of today paint an extremely different picture. The television shows of today don’t have a lesson to be learned in the end. Almost every show made today to entertain children is filled with violence. For example, â€Å"Buffy the Vampire Slayer†, â€Å"Angel†, â€Å"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers†, and â€Å"Bevis and Butthead†are all shows children watch because they are exciting but the whole po int of the show is to kill the bad guy not to settle anything peacefully. Children that do not have the ability to distinguish right from wrong watch these shows then act out in ways they see actors do because they think â€Å"if its alright for them to do it then it’s alright for me to do it†. In the average home, a television is on for almost half of the time the family is awake. It is estimate that children watch about 22 hours of television each week. (American Family Physician) Most of the shows these children watch are filled with violent acts that cause them to act violently themselves. In December of 1993 a young ten-year-old child after watching an episode of Bevis and Butthead went into his two-year-old sister’s room and lit her baby crib on fire. This did not only burn down the house, but it also gave the boy serious third degree burns and killed his two year old sister. (Mark Variety) This proves that the shows these children watch have issues in them that the children do not understand yet and will act out b...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
The 7 Biggest Social Media Mistakes
The 7 Biggest Social Media Mistakes Social media can be an incredibly valuable tool for you professionally, either for networking or in a job search. It can also derail your best and most professional efforts by giving a potential employer the wrong impression of you at the worst possible time with these 7 biggest social media mistakes. Here are 7 common social media mistakes you should avoid.1. Inappropriate photosEasiest step: make all of your photos private. More nuanced step: go through and take down any pictures of you high, or partying, or wielding a gun, or wearing an offensive t-shirt, or making an obscene gesture, etc. Sit down with your profile and try to view it as if you were a very conservative professional recruiter. If you cringe, take it down. If it’s even just iffy, take it down.2. DiscriminationNo matter what your personal views, never ever ever post things which discriminate against any person or group on the basis of sex, gender, color, religion, etc., etc. No one will hire you if they thi nk you’re a bigot.3. Badmouthing your current employerâ€Å"Ugh work today sucks #fml†(or equivalent). If a recruiter sees you complaining about your job, your coworkers, or your boss†¦ forget about it. Save those complaints for happy hour with your out-of-work friends.4. Posting during work hoursThis might seem nit-picky, but recruiters might look at the time stamps of your posts. If you’re posting during work hours, they’ll take note. Stick to after hours and weekends for your social media sharing.5. Being a social media ghostConversely, recruiters might just be plain weirded out if you don’t have any social media presence. At very least, make sure you have a LinkedIn profile that’s searchable and recognizable as yours.6. Friending your interviewersJust because your interviewer is being super friendly and you have tons in common, resist the temptation to follow or friend them. This crosses unwritten boundaries and can make people su per uncomfortable. Wait until you get the job.7. Rehashing your interview onlineOnce you’ve had your interview, resist the urge to post about how well/awful/catastrophic/fantastically it went. Chances are, they’ll see it and it won’t reflect favorably on you.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Conflict that occurs in a nuclear family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Conflict that occurs in a nuclear family - Essay Example Conflicts in a nuclear family occur mostly because of misunderstandings between and among its members. Traditional or extended families usually provide buffers during misunderstandings and conflicts. Since the nuclear family is deprived of other family members like aunts, uncles and grandparents who can help resolve these misunderstandings, these differences in opinion or misunderstandings take a longer time to resolve in nuclear families. As a result, â€Å"conflict in the form of misunderstanding or disagreement can be intensified unless repaired in time†(Tseng & Hsu, 1991). It is also undeniable that in times of crisis or when children become ill, the nuclear family is left to fend for itself. Without a strong support system, the members of the nuclear family often become stressed. They would also tend to vent their anger and frustrations on other family members. This often happens between parents who tend to break down and become stressed while dealing with family crisis. They lack the advantages that extended and traditional families would have been able to give them. Families can, without a doubt, provide a strong support system in times of stress and during health crises. The support and help that extended families can give the family are invaluable gifts that can go a long way towards easing family burdens. Another source of conflict in the nuclear family is usually seen among the children. Children have different ‘places’ in the family. The eldest, middle, and the youngest child are sometimes treated differently; as a result, they tend to act differently. The first born child is usually the most responsible and dependable child. He sees himself in the role of leader among his siblings. Conflicts often arise between him and his parents when the latter expect too much out of him. The first-born sometimes feels that too much responsibility is
Friday, October 18, 2019
Poor nutrition; food poverty; food deserts in Nigeria Essay
Poor nutrition; food poverty; food deserts in Nigeria - Essay Example Just like the rest of the world, most African countries suffer from poor nutrition, food poverty, and food deserts. In West Africa, Nigeria turns out to be one of the most affected countries, and such conditions mostly trickles down to pregnant women. While the role of proper nutrition and food security in pregnant women in African needs efficient management, it is also essential to apply concepts of food economics in the management of the outlined issues (Yamin & Norheim, 2014). This report will aim to analyse poor nutrition issues in pregnant women living in Africa, while relating to specific countries, as well as the influence these issues have on health promotion. Furthermore, the report will examine questions concerned with the control of prevalent diseases in pregnant women. One of the main issues affecting Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of poor nutrition is the rise of migration patterns in recent years, especially to the Western world. Currently, among all African countries, Nigeria takes the lead in representing the continent, claiming the most predominant immigrant residents in a number of first world nations (Shrimpton, 2006). On the other hand, if at all there are any impacts of immigration on their nutritional status and the results of pregnancy of women in their native countries, many studies have not captured such data comprehensively. Thus, it is currently unidentified, to some extent, about the dietary insufficiencies as well as pregnancy complications not only in Nigeria, but also in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa. These discrepancies have led to unexploited opportunities focused on the most suitable antenatal care aimed towards the reversing the likely high risks in different groups of women during pregnancy. According to Shrimpton (2006), poor nutrition in pregnancy among Sub-Saharan women, with in-depth focus on Nigeria, leads to the most common
Financial strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Financial strategy - Essay Example It is however, critical to understand that such balancing act often depend upon the firm’s choice of the risk level which it attempts to undertake. (Walsh, 1996), As such the growing firms may be more risk loving and willing to take on higher level of risks and therefore all their decisions to expand and develop their markets will be based upon the higher degree of risk firm is willing to assume. Similarly, if a firm is more mature and risk averse in nature, its overall strategies will be relatively different as compared to a growing firm. (De Wit, & Meyer,1998). This paper will attempt to argue and explore that a firm’s overall risk consciousness governs the underlying strategies of the firm. The concept of Risk and firm The question of whether risk is the major factor behind the strategy formulation or not need to be discussed from the different perspectives. Each organization operates in an environment which is both internal and external to it and therefore develops its strategies in accordance with its environment. Firms, to a large extent, develop their capabilities to deal with the risks arising from their internal environment however; it’s the external competitive landscape of a firm which poses it significant and important risks because of the volatile and uncontrollable nature of the external environment. The overall development of the risk consciousness of the firm therefore largely depends upon the kind of external environment faced by the firm and how firm can actually utilize its strengths to withstands such external risks Risk as a concept therefore outlines that the outcome of any decisions or strategies of a firm may not be exactly according to what is perceived by the firm. As such it becomes critically important for the firms to account for and plan risks and develop strategies which can help them to counter risks arising from their internal as well as external environment. It is this uncertainty of the external environmen t which firms need to account for and prepare themselves through proper planning and strategy formulation process. It is also important to understand that the overall risk factors in an external environment can be diverse however; normally firms perform PESTLE Analysis to analyze their external environment. PESTLE Analysis allows the firms to actually evaluate the impact which political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors could have on the firm. (Ellis, & Williams, 1993) If a firm has relatively high tolerance for the risk, it may choose to work in an environment which can be politically volatile and uncertain. For example, any firm willing to operate in Afghanistan now must have relatively higher tolerance for the risk because of volatile and extremely uncertain political environment. As such its policies and strategies will be driven by the volatility of the external environment within which it is operating or willing to operate. Risk and Return Risk and Return criteria serves as the basic premise under which all the economic decisions are made. Every investor as well as the firm attempts to decide and take actions based on their overall risk and return profile.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Sustainable Development for a Stable Future Essay
Sustainable Development for a Stable Future - Essay Example When new businesses come into existence, it is largely under the principles of established businesses and therefore unsustainable and environmentally harmful ideals are fostered at the initial period. If attitudes were to change at the fundamental structures of business, people could set up organisations that nurtured and conserved the environment instead of using it up for profit. The former is what has been termed sustainable development. The idea has been difficult to promote to society, since it seems to involve a complete change of ideals when it comes to business and daily life; regardless of this hesitation, can sustainable development be the way towards a healthy environmental future world wide As pointed out in Conformity and Conflict, Easter Island has been shown as a microcosm of the entire world; resources used up completely and the human society made impossible and then extinct (Spradley et al 2000 pp.118-126). The difference is glaringly obvious: the inhabitants of earth have no viable options when it comes to relocating, whereas the Easter Islanders were able to abandon the island and inhabit outlying lands. Diamond explains how the society of Easter Island was built up quickly and then brought to an almost immediate halt as the people living there used up virtually every resource that was available to them. Where the island had been rich in plant and animal life when humans initially settled there, a mere few hundred years of unsustainable development left the rich lands barren of all life sustaining resources and now sits bare with the skeleton of human society for all to witness. How does this factor into today's society Diamond explains that Easter Island can be used as an example to the rest of the world because the people there acted in exactly the same way as we are now, all over the world: they did not respect the balance of life and overstepped their boundaries as one species and one small part of an ecosystem. Easter Islanders will have noticed their food and other natural supplies dwindling, however they certainly didn't manage to rectify the situation in time for their own survival. The ethnographer notes that these isolated Polynesians "grew bananas, taro, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, and paper mulberry" while their only domesticated animal being the chicken (Ibid.). Extensive use of fishing hooks, Polynesian style tools and above all their amazing stone statues and carvings goes to show that the island must have supported several thousand inhabitants at its peak. Diamond asked, "what happened to those settlers" Linguists and archaeologists are in agreement that the society flourished from around A.D. 400 to after the 1500's, after the resources had run out. Archaeologists have found that during the prosperous years of the Easter Island culture, sustainable development was not on the agenda despite the fact that the society was obviously structured and quite complex and capable of many th ings. For the erection of
Critically analyse the value of Roche's dramatological dimension Essay
Critically analyse the value of Roche's dramatological dimension perspective in helping us to understand the meaning of megaevents - Essay Example Another disadvantage is the threat f terrorism. First and foremost, a number f studies have shown that any city bidding for the Olympic Games is normally benefited with better infrastructure including new transport systems, latest media and communication's equipments and high standard sport facilities. For example, according to Gerlin, Sydney, where the Summer Games 2000 was organised, has been left with an expanded airport, a large number f main roads upgraded, and especially new and high standard sport facilities including the gigantic Telstra Stadium ( 2005, 54). Besides, the Games usually gives the host city an incentive to transform itself that otherwise might never have been attempted (Burton, 2003, Internet). This may be illustrated by the Barcelona 1992 Games. Gerlin mentioned that before bidding for the Games, insufficient road access, airport and coastline was what this city tackled. However, the Games created opportunity for Barcelona to be financed with ambitious projects. As a result, after the Olympics, Barcelona re ceived a noticeable new appearance such as new seafront, underground roads, and become one f the most favourite tourist destinations in Europe ( 2005, 52, 53). The second advantage is the increasing ability to obtain greater economic growth. ... For example, the report f PriceWaterhouse Coopers about the business and economic benefits f the Sydney 2000 informed that the Games helped NSW earn $3 billion in business outcomes, over $6 billion from tourists spending during 2001, received more than $6 billion f investments and so on (New South Wales Department f State and Regional Development, year unknown, Internet). Such changes may create more job opportunities, increase business income, raise Government budget and encourage economic activities. In support, those benefits mentioned above may be the reason why Barcelona experienced such a significant growth that doubled every year from 1986 to 1991 (Preuss, 2004, 65). Finally, bidding for the Games is an extreme opportunity for any city and country to enhance its national pride and image due to its increases in international exposures, found out by the KPMG Peat Marwick studies (Toohey & Veal, 2000, 209). Concurrently, Preuss proved that the Games is the quickest and most effective way to show the major changes in the hosting country to the world economy. For instance, South Korea was able to replace the image f a developing country by a modern and high technology industry thanks to staging the Olympics. Another important example is the case f the Sydney Olympics 2000. Young and Rubican found that before the Games, foreigners often considered Australia as country f great source f raw material. However, after the Olympics, the image f Australia has been changed in to a "friendly, fun and trust worthy" tourist destination (Preuss, 2004, 20, 48). It should be noticed that those increases in the world's level f awareness about the host country are rea lly important, because not only do they attract a vast number f future
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Sustainable Development for a Stable Future Essay
Sustainable Development for a Stable Future - Essay Example When new businesses come into existence, it is largely under the principles of established businesses and therefore unsustainable and environmentally harmful ideals are fostered at the initial period. If attitudes were to change at the fundamental structures of business, people could set up organisations that nurtured and conserved the environment instead of using it up for profit. The former is what has been termed sustainable development. The idea has been difficult to promote to society, since it seems to involve a complete change of ideals when it comes to business and daily life; regardless of this hesitation, can sustainable development be the way towards a healthy environmental future world wide As pointed out in Conformity and Conflict, Easter Island has been shown as a microcosm of the entire world; resources used up completely and the human society made impossible and then extinct (Spradley et al 2000 pp.118-126). The difference is glaringly obvious: the inhabitants of earth have no viable options when it comes to relocating, whereas the Easter Islanders were able to abandon the island and inhabit outlying lands. Diamond explains how the society of Easter Island was built up quickly and then brought to an almost immediate halt as the people living there used up virtually every resource that was available to them. Where the island had been rich in plant and animal life when humans initially settled there, a mere few hundred years of unsustainable development left the rich lands barren of all life sustaining resources and now sits bare with the skeleton of human society for all to witness. How does this factor into today's society Diamond explains that Easter Island can be used as an example to the rest of the world because the people there acted in exactly the same way as we are now, all over the world: they did not respect the balance of life and overstepped their boundaries as one species and one small part of an ecosystem. Easter Islanders will have noticed their food and other natural supplies dwindling, however they certainly didn't manage to rectify the situation in time for their own survival. The ethnographer notes that these isolated Polynesians "grew bananas, taro, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, and paper mulberry" while their only domesticated animal being the chicken (Ibid.). Extensive use of fishing hooks, Polynesian style tools and above all their amazing stone statues and carvings goes to show that the island must have supported several thousand inhabitants at its peak. Diamond asked, "what happened to those settlers" Linguists and archaeologists are in agreement that the society flourished from around A.D. 400 to after the 1500's, after the resources had run out. Archaeologists have found that during the prosperous years of the Easter Island culture, sustainable development was not on the agenda despite the fact that the society was obviously structured and quite complex and capable of many th ings. For the erection of
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Prostitution Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Prostitution - Coursework Example This was during the Korean war, when a tremendously high rate of sexually transmitted diseases began to affect the active soldier duty roster. Back home, prostitution is considered illegal in all U.S. states except Nevada. The reason being that Nevada has a historical connection to prostitution dating all the way back to the 18th century. According to Karah Lucas Nevada limits prostitution to legally registered brothels and towns with populations of less than 400,000 thus leaving Clark and Washoe counties out of the program (Legal Prostitution Has A Special Presence in Nevada, p. 1). The legalized prostitution program of Nevada has had a positive effect on the trade which our government should actually take notice of. Since the trade is overseen by the state, there are actually rules and regulations that insure the protection of the women in the trade, the men who partake of the benefits of the trade, and the state to whom the brothels pay business taxes to. According to Paul Armetano (The Case For Legalized Prostitution, p.1) , sexually transmitted diseases are actually controlled from spreading because of the weekly mandated testing for the prostitutes. For some strange reason, the brothels also take pride in having healthy women on their staff because it shows the quality of their â€Å"business†. Even though there are actual benefits to be had from the legalization of prostitution, such as the control of sexually transmitted diseases, protection of the sex worker, standardization of the work practice, and more importantly, additional income for the city or state, there are still those conservatives who fail to see these reasons. They choose to remain in their out-dated and out-moded world where prostitution is something that destroys lives due to the degradation and objectification of women. For those in the military service,
The Impact Of The French Revolution Upon English Poets Essay Example for Free
The Impact Of The French Revolution Upon English Poets Essay The impact of the French Revolution upon English poets, and especially Wordsworth, is well known. Wordsworth’s Prelude , which was begun in 1798 appeared only after Wordsworth’s death, is an account not only of a poet’s coming of age, but also of his disillusionment with the radical political causes that propelled the unexpected violence following from the first revolutionary acts that culminated in the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Writing The Prelude in 1798, Wordsworth expresses the ecstasy he and his contemporaries felt When Reason seemed the most to assert her rights / A prime enchanter to assist the work / Which then was going forward in her name . These hopes were dashed, when, as Wordsworth writes, revolutionaries now, become oppressors in their turn, / Frenchmen had changed a war of self-defense / For one of conquest, losing sight of all / Which they had struggled for. A year after Wordsworth began to write The Prelude, notes Simon Bainbridge: Coleridge [wrote] to his friend and fellow poet Wordsworth identifying the Revolution as the theme for the era’s definitive poem, writing . . . that I wish you would write a poem, in blank verse, addressed to those who, in consequence of the complete failure of the French Revolution, have thrown up all hopes of the amelioration of mankind. . . . It would do great good. It was, Bainbridge further notes, Coleridge’s urgings that informed Wordsworth’s examination of the Revolution’s impact in The Prelude and The Excursion . . . but poems on the events in France had begun to appear very quickly. The early period of the Revolution appeared to the English poets as the realization of a poetic ideal. When reflecting in The Prelude on his visit to France in 1790, Wordsworth famously writes that the period was a time when Europe was rejoiced, / France standing on top of golden hours, / An d human nature seeming born again. It was in such millennial terms, writes Bainbridge, that many poets responded to events in the early years of the decade, understanding these events through biblical [eyes] . . . as the second coming of Christ, bringing about the end to the old world and the creation of a new one. Referencing M. H. Abrams influential essay, English Romanticism: The Spirit of the Age (1984), Bainbridge acknowledges that the increasingly violent disasters overtaking the revolutionary movement caused poets such as Coleridge, Southey, and Wordsworth to recast the notion of revolution, not as a political project to be enacted in reality, but as a personally transformative endeavor undertaken within the individual imagination . For the English poets writing at the turn of the century, Abrams states, hope is shifted from the history of mankind to the mind of a single individual, from militant external action to an imaginative act. Wordsworth actually lived in France during some of the most stirring scene of the new order .he became a convinced revolutionist and was eager to join the Girondists. (Sampson, 1975, p.476) William Wordsworth’s attitudes to the French Revolution underwent significant changes during his two visits to France. His differing views of the Revolution were motivated by the fact that that he visited revolutionary France in slightly different periods. Wordsworth visited France for the first time in 1790. At that time France celebrated the first anniversary of the fall of Bastille. During his first visit Wordsworth did not experience any significant political event of the period. On the other hand, during his second visit in 1791-92, the situation in France was quite different. Politics in France became quite complicated as several political fractions were fighting for power and influence. Revolutionary France was also in danger of invasion of Austrians and Prussians. Wordsworth was also still present in France during the first revolutionary massacres when the Jacobin Terror began. During the first visit to France in 1790, Wordsworth’s views of the Revolution were m ostly optimistic. Wordsworth’s predominantly optimistic views of the Revolution were motivated by several factors. The basic motivation for visiting France was not to examine or observe political processes of the period. Wordsworth intended to experience the sublimity of the Alps. Wordsworth was then rather accidental observer of the situation in France and he did not examine political processes of the country very deeply. Wordsworth and his companion Robert Jones visited France in 1790, one year after the beginning of the Revolution, when the prospects for a successful issue of the Revolution were very bright. Wordsworth also visited mostly small towns and rural areas. He was not a witness to turbulent political meetings of the period, he did not experience revolutionary atmosphere in bigger towns. Wordsworth entered France at the first anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution. At that time the whole France celebrated the glorious beginning of the Revolution. Wordsworth was impressed by these festivities and the overall optimistic atmosphere. He praised the brotherly spirit of the French united during these festivities. As the basic motivation for the visit of France was to see the Alps, Wordsworth did not focus on the description of political situation and he mostly describes the scenery. Wordsworth also visited Switzerland, where he praised liberty of the people and the republican regime. During his visit to Switzerland he describes the country as a model to follow. In fact he projects his enthusiastic hopes about the Revolution in France into the Alpine republic. Wordsworth uses the political status of Switzerland to envisage his hopes for rebirth of the human race signaled by the French revolution. In Wordsworth’s description of Switzerland the description of the scenery often mingles with his revolutionary ideals. Wordsworth projects the freshness and purity of the Alpine landscape with freshness of revolutionary ideals. Wordsworth creates with his descriptions in The Prelude almost â€Å"pastoral†impression, when he associates the pure, untamed landscape with pure revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity that cannot be â€Å"tamed†as well. During his first visit, Wordsworth saw France â€Å"standing on the top of golden hours†, as a symbol of a new era for mankind. It cannot be said that Wordsworth examined the situation in France very deeply. In the descriptions in The Prelude Wordsworth focused on the newly achieved liberty and equality of the French. He contrasts the new situation with that of the old regime which he associates with oppression and inequality. He does not focus very much on contemporary political situation in France. In his descriptions he predominantly focuses on revolutionary festivities and brotherhood of the people. He is charmed by the basis ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. It can be said that Wordsworth does not see the Rev olution as a political phenomenon, or he does not interpret it politically. On the contrary, he interprets it in a more abstract and idealistic way. The Revolution is a phenomenon when human nature, bound by inequality and oppression, is born again. He praises freedom and equality, but he does not speak about their practical use. Unlike during his second visit, he does not mention practical aspects of the Revolution. He does not speak about people’s participation on power ,he does not really have clear political vision of the Revolution. He is optimistic about the future of revolutionary France, on the other hand he speaks about the future on abstract level, his liberty and equality are not really political, but rather idealistic ,abstract concepts. He observes liberty and equality via the lens of revolutionary festivities. He does not speak about liberty in practice, in real life or in politics. Wordsworth in his descriptions focuses on liberty and equality as abstract concepts that unite the whole nation. During the second visit to France in 1791-1792, Wordsworth’s attitudes to the Revolution become more complicat ed, on the other hand it cannot be said that he became really disillusioned with the Revolution. One his motivations for the visit was to become more fluent in French, on the other hand he was also attracted by the spirit of the Revolution which he had experienced during his first visit. During the second visit to France Wordsworth had more opportunities to examine the situation in France more deeply. He observes that his new â€Å"urban†experience is different from the â€Å"rural†one of his first visit. He observes the situation in Paris and he finds out that the political scene in France is fragmented into numerous rival parties. As he experiences every-day life of the French and not revolutionary festivities of his first visit, he reveals that huge numbers of the French are not loyal to the Revolution at all. One can observe certain confusion in his views of the Revolution. On the one hand he remains loyal to the ideals of the Revolution, on the other hand he observes that political situation in France is no longer really optimistic or enthusiastic and the Revolution is not only liberty and equality as abstract concepts, but it is predominantly real political struggle. During the second visit to France he fell in love with a young French lady A nnette Vallon. She gave birth to their child in 1792. Wordsworth had not chance to see his daughter or Annette since 1792 to 1802 because of the war between Britain and France. Wordsworth visited France briefly in 1802 when the war between the two countries was interrupted. It can be said that Wordsworth’s concern about his daughter in turbulent revolutionary France during the war in many respects affected his views of France and revolution. Wordsworth, being separated from his daughter, was concerned about her fate what made him belief in bright prospects of the Revolution. Wordsworth believed in an optimistic future of France and the Revolution and this belief or hope conditioned his enthusiastic support to the principles of the Revolution. In the years 1791-1792 Wordsworth also experienced his first disillusionment with the Revolution. Wordsworth mentions French soldiers’ unwillingness to fight and their anti-revolutionary, non-patriotic thinking. During the second visit to France Wordsworth also experiences that the situation in France might be even dangerous. Wordsworth fears possible invasion of Austrians to France, he is not sure that p atriots and supporters of the Revolution will be that numerous to oppose the invading forces. He is afraid of the fact that anti-revolutionary powers might join invading armies what would cause a terrible bloodshed. At this moment Wordsworth raises the question whether the revolutionary powers will not be overthrown. Wordsworth’s deep belief in the Revolution receives a serious blows and he observes that support to the Revolution is not as strong as he thought. Another important moment when Wordsworth experiences disillusionment with the Revolution, is the time of so called September Massacres, when furious mob killed numerous people in French towns. Wordsworth is frightened by these occasions and he realizes that Revolution is not only a â€Å"fight†for liberty and equality, but a real life-or-death struggle. It can be postulated that Wordsworth’s complicated attitudes to the Revolution during his second visit were conditioned by growing radicalization and violence in France. On the other hand it cannot be said that these episodes made Wordsworth hesita te about revolutionary ideas. Wordsworth left France in 1792 as an enthusiastic supporter of revolutionary ideas although he knew that the actual political situation in France was not ideal. He observed that influence and power was being usurped by the radical political groups, such as radical left-wing party Jacobin Party and left-wing politician Maximilien Robespierre. Wordsworth believed that this usurpation of power and influence was in conflict with original revolutionary ideals. It can be said that during the second visit to France Wordsworth’s attitudes to the Revolution become more complex. Wordsworth do not focus on abstract notions of liberty and equality, on the other hand, it can be said that Wordsworth’s revolutionary thinking has now a clearly defined vision. He met a French soldier, Captain Michel Beaupuy who deeply influenced Wordsworth in his thinking. Under Beaupuy’s guidance Wordsworth realized that Revolution was not only a fight for abstract ideals, but also real political and social program. Wordsworth now encounters the idea of peoples’ participation on power, he believes that people should have to right to create their own laws. On the other hand, Wordsworth is not blind to facts, he observes that huge masses of people are blind to the great ideals of the Revolution and he knows that â€Å"some men are set apart for rule and honour by their virtues and knowledge†(Harper 163). In Wordsworth thinking appears a strong aspect of democracy as he stresses the fact that individuals who lead the country should be chosen for their virtues and knowledge and not for their noble origin. In Wordsworth’s thinking also appears a strong social aspect. He finds out that revolutionary ideas can be only empty abstract concepts when majority of people live in starvation and poverty. Revolution and its outcomes have clearly defined shape in Wordsworth’s thinking. In Wordsworth’s view, the Revolution is a great chance to improve peoples’ lives. Sampson, George. The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature,(London:Cambidge University Press, 1975).
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans
Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans Abstract To encourage cleanliness drive by using technology to promote proper use and maintenance of trash cans by providing location specific details using a GPS and feedback about garbage disposal facilities and a step forward for Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. All around the globe, the world is taking a note of Indias economic growth. However, we must acknowledge, if there is any aspect in which India or Indians have not moved forward or moved very sluggishly, is in the field of environmental cleanliness and taking care of the surroundings. If we look around, trash and litter is everywhere. Nobody seems to care about the waste, and how we discard it. If anything, we add to the garbage that is already abundant in the open and is everywhere. Littering a plastic cup on the road-side, after we done using it, is the norm. No one realize anything wrong with it. Throwing our waste on the street, and right outside our own house is a part of the daily routines. Unhygienic conditions are one of the major root cause of diseases / illness. Any disease or illness has financial impact both in terms of expenditure and potential revenue earning. Swachh Bharat Mission, which is our ultimate aim, will have positive impact on Indias health care sector As per estimates, inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the countrys GDP in 2006. Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related, with diarrhea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts. Evidence suggests that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world subregions. Moreover, India is a land of cultural heritage and rich history. Tourism generate approximately 6.6% of Indias GDP and 39.5 Million Indians are directly employed in this sector. Tourism can generate employment for up to 5% of Indias population i.e. 62.5 Million people. It has potential to generate 23 Million additional job opportunities or 2.3 Cr people will get job. I have taken 5% employment fig which is very conservative after studying tourism model of countries which focus on tourism. The biggest limitation for India to promote tourism is cleanliness. Foreign tourists are very particular about hygiene and cleanliness. Besides employment, Tourism will help bring foreign money to India which will boost Indias GDP. A clean India will help in generating employment through Tourism and boost Indias GDP. We can make all the progress, we can make all the economic strides alongside the rich nations, but we can only go so far if we are surrounded by the smelly dirt piles and garbage. Financial and economic breakthroughs are good. However, along the way, what we really need is a change in our mentality to care for our environment, to care for our own surroundings. And, we need to realize this at personal level, sooner than later. This project uses Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Provider-based location services of a device to determine the current position of the user so that the user can mark a place on the map as not clean. This will be forwarded to the authorities and so that the particular marker can be removed from the map after the area has been cleaned. Another part of this project is that a user can check the location of the closest dustbins on map from his position in case he/she has something to throw away. This feature promotes cleanliness and puts a break on littering. A. Literature Survey Following are the existing systems which are similar to the specifications of our project : Smart bins developed by polish engineers: The trash is put into the bin and Bin-e identifies, categorizes, sorts and stores the trash. Moreover, when its filled, it informs the companies, which are responsible for waste collection. Bin-e recognizes what we really disposed of and it does a pre-treatment, e.g. it crushes the plastic, so it is able to use the entire space of the container. In addition, Bin-e constantly learns new parameters of the waste, which we throw away. Because of the knowledge accumulated in the cloud, it can recognize the type of waste and properly categorize it. SINGAPORE Smart bins that act as Wi-Fi hot spots and which send alerts for them to be cleared when they are almost full. These intelligent bins have sensors that detect how full they are and can later send e-mail or text message alerts to the cell phones of cleaners. The bins also have a compactor that can crunch rubbish so that the capacity of the smart bins can be eight times more than that of a normal bin. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. Swachh Bharat App: An app provided by the government of India to facilitate the cleanliness by giving an opportunity to the citizens for filing of complain about the waste dumps. The person using the app can take the picture of an area which is not clean and upload it on the app. The picture will be tagged with its geo location and the time of upload. The authorities can decide and tag the picture based on the severity of the conditions in the area and take the required actions. CITIZEN GAGE: Citizengage is a Bangalore based start-up which is working on waste management. Their main clientele are restaurants and commercial space. There are two apps one for the customer and one for the workers. The user registers and sets the location on the app. The agent will come to the users location, attach a sticker on the door. The agent will come daily and collect the waste. The waste is separated on the location and the agent app has option to fill a form which takes data about the kind of waste and the weight of it. This process is repeated daily for houses and restaurants. iClean India: It is an app developed by a Delhi based start up for social cause. It has three pages concerned with marking and posting pictures of dirty localities, another page for checking which photo belongs to which area and another page which is concerned with inviting people or your friends to clean the area and we can put the clean pictures of the area on the app. B. Drawback of current System No such localized system exists. Littering is a huge problem all over India. Not only it damages Indias reputation in front of tourists but also houses breeding place for many disease-causing germs and bacteria. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. None of these provides a one stop solution aimed at a clean India. C. Proposed System Application takes the help of Global Positioning System or Provider based location service in correctly detecting the current location of the user so that he/she can mark the area unclean and submit his/her complaint. After the successful submission of the complaint, same is being forwarded to authorities. Authorities can remove the marker after clearing the area. Another feature of the application is to locate the nearest trashcans if user wants to dispose any waste. In this way littering can be controlled to some extend and this also encourages every citizen to contribute little towards better India. Fig (1) Swim-lane diagram of the proposed system The swim lane diagram shows the two lanes of the proposed system which are the user and the administrator. The user is responsible for marking of unclean areas on the map. The proposed system also helps the user to find nearby bins to dispose something which the user wants and thus restricting the problem of littering in the country. The user may also fill up a feedback form about the complaint registered and also may file grievance complaint if the complaint has not been serviced properly and within the particular boundary of time. The second lane in the swim-lane diagram is the administrator who is responsible for servicing of complaints as well as addition of new bin coordinates to the database of available bins. The advantages of the proposed system are: It provides the users with a system where people can point on map and submit complaint about garbage dumps in public places. The complaint will be forwarded to the concerned authorities so that the place can be cleaned up and the marker will be removed from map after the place becomes clean. Login ID and a verification method will be in place to suppress false complaints. The problem of littering will be addressed by providing bins and people can find the location of the closest garbage bin on the map with one touch on their smart phones. Maps will guide them to the nearest bin. 1: As it can be seen in Fig (2) that when the application is opened first the application directs the user to the location settings page of the device so to intimate the user to turn of the GPS of the device for better location detection as GPS provided location is more accurate compared to network provided location. The first activity of the application, shown in Fig (3) contains two image buttons and one button for feedback. The first image button captioned as Tap to Mark redirects the user to the complaint submission location information gatherer activity. The next image button captioned as Tap for garbage bins redirects the user to the location page which will automatically detect the location of the user and shows the nearby bins located nearer to him/her. The third button redirects the user from the application to the browser where the user needs to fill up his/her unique id and the contact number registered with the id in order to fill up the feedback form. Fig (2) Enable location services settings on device Fig (3) Launch activity of the application 2. When the user clicks the button captioned as Tap to mark, shown in Fig (3), the user will be redirected to this current activity which will load a Google Map to begin with. The user needs to click the location enabled button on the top right corner of the activity which will in turn get his/her current location coordinated from the GPS reading via the Location Listener interface. After the current location coordinates of the user is captured the user needs to enter the nearest available landmark which will be used to refine the location coordinates available even though the coordinates captured are almost accurate. After the location of the user gets captured followed by entering the landmark the user is expected to click the button named PIN, shown in Fig (4) which will redirect the user to the next activity in which the user needs to enter the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. Fig (4) Getting the location coordinates of the user 3. Once the users location gets captured followed by the user entering the nearest landmark available, shown in Fig (4), the user will be redirected to the current activity[Fig (5)]. In this activity the user is required to fill up the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. The details which the user needs to fill are the users name followed by the users contact information such as the contact number and the e-mail of the user. The contact number will be required to suppress false complaints as the user will receive a verification code which will be used to verify the user of the complaint. On entering the necessary details followed by the contact number and the verification code the complaint will get submitted and a unique complaint id will get generated. Fig (5) Activity for user to enter his/her contact info 4. Once the user clicks on the button captioned as Tap for garbage bins, shown in Fig(3) the user will be redirected to this to this activity[Fig (6)] which will load a Google Map in which the user needs to click the location enabled button on the right top corner of the activity. The code which implements the location listener interface will get the current location coordinates of the user by reading the GPS of the users device. When the user clicks the button named as FIND, the application will look into an online database and find the nearest bin coordinates from the database and show them on the map using a modified marker which will show a bin in place of a default Google map marker. The user can click on a dustbin marker according to his/her route and use the Googles inbuilt navigation features to find the nearest route to the dustbin. The user can also toggle between different views such as Map view, satellite view etc. Fig (6) Getting locations of the nearest bins 5. When the user clicks on the submit feedback button on the first activity [Fig (3)] of the application this activity will be shown. The activity will prompt the browser on the users device to load a hardcoded link which will contain the feedback form. The feedback form will contain fields such as contact number, complaint ID, a few relevant questions with options which the user is required to fill the correct responses for. The unique complaint id and contact number pair is used as a verification procedure so that not anyone can fill up random feedback forms and only the unique user who filed the complaint is allowed to fill the feedback. After answering all the questions using the options provided the user can also add comment or suggestions with a predefined character limit. The feedback submitted by the user will be used to increase the quality of the services offered. Fig (7) Snapshot of the feedback form 6. This is the administrator side application which is meant to be used by the system administrator. The application when opened first will prompt the location services settings similar to the one shown in Fig (2) on the phone so that the user turns on the GPS assistance on the device. This will help in getting a better location accuracy when compared to network provided services. The first activity of the application contains two image buttons as show in Fig(8). The first image button is captioned as Tap to find complaints which will take the administrator to the next activity which will load the complaints registered nearer to the location of the device of the administrator. The administrators device needs to be near the registered location of the complaint in a predefined range in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. The second image button is captioned as Tap to add new bins which will take the administrator to the activity which will add coordinates of new bins to a database. Fig (8) Launch activity for administrator application 7. On clicking the image button captioned as Tap to find complaints, shown in Fig (8), the administrator will be redirected to this activity[Fig (9)]. The activity will load a Google map activity which will contain a location enabled button on the top right corner and on tapping this button the code running in the background will get the location coordinates of the user. On clicking the find button the code running on the background thread will connect to the database which stores the registered complaints and retrieve the complaints near to the administrators device. The administrator needs to service the complaint and then tap on the complaint to see the complaint id which the administrator needs to use in order to clear the marker of the complaint from the map. The administrators device needs to be within a predefined range from the complaint in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. Fig (9) Showing the registered complaints 8. When the administrator clicks the second image button on the launch activity of the application, shown in Fig(8) captioned as Tap to add new bins the administrator will be redirected to this current activity. When the administrator adds a new garbage bin, he/she needs to use this current activity in order to add a new garbage bin on the map. This activity consists of two text fields where the administrator needs to enter the coordinates of the newly added bin and press submit button in order for the background thread running within the application to add the entered coordinates in the database [Fig (10)]. When the user accesses the user side application to check for nearest bin the newly added bin to the database will also be reflected in the results. Fig (10) Adding new bins to database [1] http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/solar-powered-smart-bins-that-act-as-wi-fi-hotspots-launched-at-orchard-road?utm_campaign=Echoboxutm_medium=Socialutm_source=Facebookxtor=CS1-10#link_time=1479202704 [2] http://www.iotleague.com/smart-bin-from-poland-will-revolutionize-waste-segregation-recycling/ [3]www.isprs.org/208_XXXVI-part6/
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