Saturday, August 31, 2019

Why Search Engines and Databases Produce Different Types of Results

Living in the Information Age (SOS-110-OL) Writing Assignment 2 The difference between what evaluative and assessment information is provided by an Internet search using Google. com and a search using EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier Database is extremely different. I started my searches by open two different internet windows, Google on one and EBSCO on another. My Google search and EBSCO search was â€Å"articles on privacy and security on the internet†. The top result from Google was ftc. gov. This page had a list of three different microsites, two did not have any articles and the other one did. The article I found was on Malware. When I evaluate this article from the techniques from the Berkeley site, it does not rate well. It has no author and it does not cite any sources. The one plus it does have is that it is from a . gov site. Even though it does not rate well I do trust this site. The reason why I trust the site is because in the fifth step of the evaluation process, listen to your gut reaction. Think about why the page was created, the intentions of its author. My gut reaction tells me the information is coming from a government cite so I trust it. The purpose of this article was to inform and educate, there were no other intentions other than to inform and educate. My top result from EBSCO was an article from Communications of the ACM called Privacy and Security as Simple as Possible, But Not More So. The authors of this article are very creditable and qualified on the topic. This article was published to inform, give facts and some opinion. The article’s sources are document with footnotes throughout. Overall, this is a credible and useful source of information. It as creditable authors and all of the information was backed up with creditable sources. Like I said earlier the difference between what evaluative and assessment information is provided by an Internet search using Google. com and a search using EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier Database is extremely different. Search engines locate web pages that contain the keywords that the users entered. They also can find articles but it can be difficult to narrow down results. Like the search I just completed â€Å"articles on privacy and security on the internet† the search engines finds web pages not articles, so most of the information that came back from the search did not really pertain to what I was looking for. The database search on the other hand searched for actual articles that pertained to the subject that I was looking for, it is more organized and easier to access. Database much like the internet have massive amounts of data in which they can pull information but databases mainly will pull their articles from newspapers, magazines, journals and electronic reference sources so it is a more creditable source. Internet search engines and database searches can both provide good sources of information when doing searches. I found that the database search was more organize and had more information that pertained to my subject.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Engine powered by liquid hydrogen

Wide Range of Flammability:In comparing with all other fuels, Hydrogen has a really broad scope of flammability. Hence, Hydrogen can be combusted in an internal burning engine over a broad scope of fuel-air mixtures. One of the important advantages of this is that Hydrogen fuel can run a really thin mixture. A thin mixture is one in which the sum of fuel is less than the theoretical, stoichiometric or chemically ideal sum needed for burning with a given sum of air. This is why it is reasonably easy to acquire an engine to get down on H. In general, fuel economic system is greater and the burning reaction is more complete when a vehicle is run on a thin mixture. Besides, the concluding burning temperature is lower hence cut downing the sum of pollutants, such as N oxides, emitted in the fumes. However, there is a bound to how thin the engine can be run, as thin operation can significantly cut down the power end product due to a decrease in the volumetric heating value of the air/fuel mixtureLow Ignition Energy:Ignition energy is the energy needed to light a fuel. Hydrogen has really low ignition energy. The sum of energy needed to light H is about one order of magnitude less than that required for gasolene. The feature of low Ignition energy enables hydrogen engines to light thin mixtures and besides ensures prompt ignition. Unfortunately, the low ignition energy besides carries the hazard that hot gases and hot musca volitanss on the cylinder can function as beginnings of ignition and hence making jobs such as premature ignition and flashback. Preventing the above mentioned jobs is one of the jobs associated with runing an engine on H. The broad flammability scope of H agencies that about any mixture can be ignited by a hot topographic point.Small Quenching Distance:Hydrogen has a little extinction distance, even smaller than that of gasolene. Hence, it ‘s more hard to slake a H fire than a gasolene fire. The inclination for blowback additions as a consequence of smaller extinction distance, since the fire from a hydrogen-air mixture more readily passes a about closed consumption valve, than a hydrocarbon-air fire.High Auto-Ignition Temperature:Hydrogen has a comparatively high auto-ignition temperature. This characteristic is of import because the hydrogen-air mixture has to be compressed and the refore plays an of import function in finding the compaction ratio that an engine can utilize, since the temperature rise during compaction is related to the compaction ratio. The temperature should non transcend the auto-ignition temperature, as this would do a premature ignition. Hence, the absolute concluding temperature controls the compaction ratio. The high car ignition temperature of H allows larger compaction ratios to be used in a H engine than in a hydrocarbon engine. On the other manus, H is hard to light in a compaction ignition or Diesel constellation, because the temperatures needed for those types of ignition are comparatively high.High Flame SpeedHydrogen has high fire velocity at stoichiometric ratios. Under these conditions, the H fire velocity is about an order of magnitude higher ( faster ) than that of gasolene. This means that H engines can more closely approach the thermodynamically ideal engine rhythm. At leaner mixtures, nevertheless, the fire speed decreases significantly.High DiffusivityHydrogen has really high diffusivity. This ability to scatter in air is well greater than gasolene and is advantageous for two chief grounds. Fir st, it facilitates the formation of a unvarying mixture of fuel and air. Second, if a H leak develops, the H disperses quickly. Therefore, insecure conditions can either be avoided or minimized.Low DensityHydrogen has really low denseness. This consequences in two jobs when used in an internal burning engine. First, a really big volume is necessary to hive away adequate H to give a vehicle an equal drive scope. Second, the energy denseness of a hydrogen-air mixture, and therefore the power end product, is reduced.Fuel Delivery SystemsHydrogen fuel bringing system can be broken down into three chief types:Cardinal injection ( or â€Å"carburetted† )Port injectionDirect injectionCentral and port fuel bringing systems injection forms the fuel-air mixture during the intake shot. In the instance of cardinal injection or a carburetor, the injection is at the recess of the air intake manifold. In the instance of port injection, it is injected at the recess port. Direct cylinder inje ction is more technologically sophisticated and involves organizing the fuel-air mixture inside the burning cylinder after the air consumption valve has closed.Cardinal Injection or Carburetted Systems:The simplest method of presenting fuel to a H engine is by manner of a carburetor or cardinal injection system. This system has advantages for a H engine. First, cardinal injection does non necessitate the H supply force per unit area to be every bit high as for other methods. Second, cardinal injection or carburetors are used on gasolene engines, doing it easy to change over a standard gasolene engine to hydrogen or a gasoline/hydrogen engine. The disadvantage of cardinal injection is that it is more susceptible to irregular burning due to pre-ignition and back fire. The greater sum of hydrogen/air mixture within the consumption manifold compounds the effects of pre-ignition.Port Injection SystemsThe port injection fuel bringing system injects fuel straight into the consumption manifold at each consumption port, instead than pulling fuel in at a cardinal point. Typically, the H is injected into the manifold after the beginning of the consumption shot. At this point conditions are much less terrible and the chance for premature ignition is reduced. In port injection, the air is injected individually at the beginning of the consumption shot to thin the hot residuary gases and cool any hot musca volitanss. Since less gas ( H or air ) is in the manifold at any one clip, any pre-ignition is less terrible. The recess supply force per unit area for port injection tends to be higher than for carburetted or cardinal injection syste ms, but less than for direct injection systems. The changeless volume injection ( CVI ) system uses a mechanical cam-operated device to clip the injection of the H to each cylinder. The CVI block is shown on the far right of the exposure with four fuel lines go outing on left side of the block ( one fuel line for each cylinder ) . The electronic fuel injection ( EFI ) system meters the H to each cylinder. This system uses single electronic fuel injectors ( solenoid valves ) for each cylinder and pumped to a common fuel rail located down the Centre of the consumption manifold. Whereas the CVI system uses changeless injection timing and variable fuel rail force per unit area, the EFI system uses variable injection timing and changeless fuel rail force per unit area.Direct Injection SystemsMore sophisticated H engines use direct injection into the burning cylinder during the compaction shot. In direct injection, the consumption valve is closed when the fuel is injected, wholly avoiding premature ignition during the intake shot. Consequently the engine can non backlash into the consumption manifold. The power end product of a direct injected H engine is 20 % more than for a gasolene engine and 42 % more than a H engine utilizing a carburetor. While direct injection solves the job of pre-ignition in the consumption manifold, it does non needfully forestall pre ignition within the burning chamber. In add-on, due to the reduced commixture clip of the air and fuel in a direct injection engine, the air/fuel mixture can be non-homogenous. Surveies have suggested this can take to higher NOx emanations than the non-direct injection systems. Direct injection systems require a higher fuel rail force per unit area than the other.Thermal DilutionPre-ignition conditions can be curbed utilizing thermic dilution techniques such as fumes gas recirculation ( EGR ) or H2O injection. As the name implies, an EGR system re-circulates a part of the fumes gases back into the consumption manifold. The debut of exhaust gases helps to cut down the temperature of hot musca volitanss, cut downing the possibility of pre-ignition. Additionally, re-circulating fumes gases cut down the peak burning temperature, which reduces NOx emanations. Typically a 25 to 30 % recirculation of fumes gas is effectual in extinguishing blo wback. On the other manus, the power end product of the engine is reduced when utilizing EGR. The presence of exhaust gases reduces the sum of fuel mixture that can be drawn into the burning chamber. Another technique for thermally thining the fuel mixture is the injection of H2O. Injecting H2O into the H watercourse prior to blending with air has produced better consequences than shooting it into the hydrogen-air mixture within the consumption manifold. A possible job with this type of system is that H2O can acquire assorted with the oil, so care must be taken to guarantee that seals do non leak.Engine DesignThe most effectual agencies of commanding pre-ignition and knock is to re-design the engine for H usage, specifically the burning chamber and the chilling system. A discoid burning chamber ( with a level Piston and chamber ceiling ) can be used to cut down turbulency within the chamber. The disc form helps bring forth low radial and digressive speed constituents and does non magnify recess whirl during compaction. Since unburned hydrocarbons are non a concern in H engines, a big bore-to-stroke ratio can be used with this engine. To suit the wider scope of fire velocities tha t occur over a greater scope of equality ratios, two flicker stoppers are needed. The chilling system must be designed to supply unvarying flow to all locations that need chilling. Extra steps to diminish the chance of pre ignition are the usage of two little exhaust valves as opposed to a individual big one, and the development of an effectual scavenging system, that is, a agency of displacing exhaust gas from the burning chamber with fresh air.Ignition SystemsDue to hydrogen ‘s low ignition energy bound, lighting H is easy and gasoline ignition systems can be used. At really thin air/fuel ratios ( 130:1 to 180:1 ) the fire speed is reduced well and the usage of a double flicker stopper system is preferred. Ignition systems that use a waste flicker system should non be used for H engines. These systems energize the flicker each clip the Piston is at top dead Centre whether or non the Piston is on the compaction stroke or on its exhaust shot. For gasolene engines, waste flicke r systems work good and are less expensive than other systems. For H engines, the waste flickers are a beginning of pre-ignition. Spark stopper for a H engine should hold a cold evaluation and have non-platinum tips. A cold-rated stopper is one that transfers heat from the stopper tip to the cylinder caput quicker than a hot-rated flicker stopper. This means the opportunities of the flicker stopper tip lighting the air/fuel charge is reduced. Hot rated spark stoppers are designed to keep a certain sum of heat so that C sedimentations do non roll up. Since H does non incorporate C, hot-rated flicker stoppers do non function a utile map. Platinum-tip flicker stopper should besides be avoided since Pt is a accelerator, doing H to oxidise with air.Crankcase Ventilation:Crankcase airing is even more of import for H engines than for gasolene engines. As with gasolene engines, un-burnt fuel can ooze by the Piston rings and enter the crankcase. Since H has a lower energy ignition bound than gasolene, any un-burnt H come ining the crankcase has a greater opportunity of lighting. Hydrogen should be prevented from roll uping through airing. Ignition within the crankcase can be merely a startling noise or consequence in engine fire. When H ignites within the crankcase, a sudden force per unit area rise occurs. To alleviate this force per unit area, a force per unit area alleviation valve must be installed on the valve screen. Exhaust gases can besides ooze by the Piston rings into the crankcase. Since H fumes is H2O vapor, H2O can distill in the crankcase when proper airing is non provided. The commixture of H2O into the crankcase oil reduces its lubrication ability, ensuing in a higher grade of engine wear.Emissions:The burning of H with O green goodss H2O as its lone merchandise: 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O The burning of H with air nevertheless can besides bring forth oxides of N ( NOx ) : H2 + O2 + N2 = H2O + N2 + NOx The oxides of N are created due to the high temperatures generated within the burning chamber during burning. This high temperature causes some of the N in the air to unite with the O in the air. The sum of NOx formed depends on:The air/fuel ratioThe engine compaction ratioThe engine velocityThe ignition timingWhether thermic dilution is utilisedIn add-on to oxides of N, hints of C monoxide and C dioxide can be present in the fumes gas, due to ooze oil combustion in the burning chamber. Depending on the status of the engine ( combustion of oil ) and the operating scheme used ( a rich versus thin air/fuel ratio ) , a H engine can bring forth from about zero emanations ( every bit low as a few ppm ) to high NOx and important C monoxide emanations. Power End product: The theoretical maximal power end product from a H engine depends on the air/fuel ratio and fuel injection method used. As mentioned in above, the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio for H is 34:1. At this air/fuel ratio, H will displace 29 % of the burning chamber go forthing merely 71 % for the air. As a consequence, the energy content of this mixture will be less than it would be if the fuel were gasolene ( since gasolene is a liquid, it merely occupies a really little volume of the burning chamber, and therefore allows more air to enter ) . Since both the carburetted and larboard injection methods mix the fuel and air prior to it come ining the burning chamber, these systems limit the maximal theoretical power gettable to about 85 % of that of gasolene engines. For direct injection systems, which mix the fuel with the air after the consumption valve has closed ( and therefore the burning chamber has 100 % air ) , the maximal end product of the engine can be about 15 % higher than that for gasolene engines. Therefore, depending on how the fuel is metered, the maximal end product for a H engine can be either 15 % higher or 15 % less than that of gasolene if a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio is used. However, at a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, the burning temperature is really high and as a consequence it will organize a big sum of N oxides ( NOx ) , which is a criteria pollutant. Since one of the grounds for utilizing H is low exhaust emanations, H engines are non usually designed to run at a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. Typically hydrogen engines are designed to utilize approximately twice every bit much air as theoretically required for complete burning. At this air/fuel ratio, the formation of NOx is reduced to near nothing. Unfortunately, this besides reduces the power end product to about half that of a likewise sized gasolene engine. To do up for the power loss, H engines are normally larger than gasolene engines, and/or are equipped with turbochargers or superchargers.Hydrogen Gas Mixtures:Hydrogen can be used well in internal burning engines as an linear to a hydrocarbon fuel. Hydrogen is most normally assorted with high force per unit area natural gas for this intent since both gases can be stored in the same armored combat vehicle. If H is blended with other fuels, it normally has to be stored individually and assorted in the gaseous province instantly before ignition. In general, it is impractical to utilize H in concurrence with other fuels that besides require bulky storage systems, such as propane. Gaseous H can non be stored in the same vas as a liquid fuel. Hydrogen ‘s low denseness will do it to stay on top of the liquid and non blend. Furthermore, liquid fuels are stored at comparatively low force per unit areas so that really small H could be added to the vas. Liquid H can non be stored in the same vas as other fuels. Hydrogen ‘s low boiling point will stop dead other fuels ensuing in fuel â€Å"ice† . Hydrogen can be used in concurrence with compact liquid fuels such as gasolene, intoxicant or Diesel provided each are stored individually. In these applications, the fuel armored combat vehicles can be formed to suit into fresh infinites on the vehicle. Existing vehicles of this type tend to run utilizing one fuel or the other but non both at the same clip. One advantage of this scheme is that the vehicle can go on to run if H is unavailable. Hydrogen can non be used straight in a Diesel ( or â€Å"compression ignition† ) engine since H ‘s car ignition temperature is excessively high ( this is besides true of natural gas ) . Therefore, diesel engines must be outfitted with spark stoppers or utilize a little sum of Diesel fuel to light the gas ( known as pilot ignition ) . Although pilot ignition techniques have been developed for usage with natural gas, no 1 is presently making this with H. One commercially available gas mixture known as Hythane contains 20 % H and 80 % natural gas. At this ratio, no alterations are required to a natural gas engine, and surveies have shown that emanations are reduced by more than 20 % . Mixtures of more than 20 % H with natural gas can cut down emanations further but some engine alterations are required. Thin operation of any internal burning engine is advantageous in footings of oxides of nitrogen emanations and fuel economic system. For hydrocarbon engines, thin operation besides leads to take down emanations of C monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. As more O is available than required to burn the fuel, the extra O oxidizes more C monoxide into C dioxide, a less harmful emanation. The extra O besides helps to finish the burning, diminishing the sum of unburned hydrocarbons. As with H, the drawback of thin operation with hydrocarbon fuels is a decreased power end product. Thin operation of hydrocarbon engines has extra drawbacks. Thin mixtures are difficult to light, despite the mixture being above the LFL of the fuel. This consequence in dud, which increases unburned hydrocarbon emanations, reduces public presentation and wastes fuel. Another disadvantage is the decreased transition efficiency of 3-way catalytic convertors, ensuing in more harmful emanations. To some extent, blending H with other hydrocarbon fuels reduces all of these drawbacks. Hydrogen ‘s low ignition energy bound and high firing velocity makes the hydrogen/hydrocarbon mixture easier to light, cut downing dud and thereby bettering emanations, public presentation and fuel economic system. Sing power end product, H augments the mixture ‘s energy denseness at thin mixtures by increasing the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio, and thereby improves torsion at wide-open throttle conditions.Current Status:A few car makers have been making some work in the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles ( Ford has late announced that they have developed a â€Å"production ready† hydrogen-powered vehicle utilizing an ICE and BMW has completed a universe circuit exposing a twelve or so hydrogen-powered 750i vehicles ) . However, it is non likely that any hydrogen-powered vehicles will be available to the populace until there is an equal re-fuelling substructure and trained tech nicians to mend and keep these vehicles. Like current gasoline-powered vehicles, the design of each H powered vehicle will most likely vary from maker to maker and theoretical account to pattern. One theoretical account may be simple in design and operation, for illustration, a thin combustion fuel metering scheme utilizing no emanation control systems such as EGR, catalytic convertor, evaporate fuel case shot, etc. Another theoretical account may be really sophisticated in design and operation, for illustration, utilizing an EGR fuel metering scheme with a catalytic convertor, multiple flicker stoppers, etc. Until such clip that a H substructure exists, hydrogen/natural gas fuel blends provide a logical passage to to the full hydrogen-powered vehicles. These vehicles can run on either fuel, depending on handiness

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Dialect Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dialect - Research Paper Example The history of Bangladesh is a case that proves the validity of this point. The various dialects that are part of the same language are given different statuses according to the political power that are possessed by the different groups that speak it. Apart from sociolinguistics that all these are a part of, there is also the aspect of a dialect that makes it phonetically and syntactically different from other dialects of the same language that puts linguists in a quandary as to whether to classify a dialect as a dialect or as a language in its own right. There are various dialects that are used in today’s language. English itself has various varieties that we may classify as dialects since they have a lot in common with the standard forms of English, which may be considered to be the American and British varieties. As a result of colonialism, a large number of dialects of English have sprung up in former colonies of England (Mesthrie). They began in some countries as pidgins that were used for purposes of trade and commerce. As the power and prestige that were associated with the language of the coloniser increased among the colonized, the significance of English began to rise. Even after the liberation of these former colonies, the legacy of the coloniser remained in the form of the language of English. This, even today, remains a symbol of one’s class belonging in these countries, where they are associated with colonial attitudes that have refused to fade away. These countries have however, also introduced their own flavors to the English that they have received. Thus, today, there is an Indian English, an Australian English and a lot of other varieties of English that are considered to be official dialects by linguists. With the evolution of the forms of colonialism that are employed by the political powers of the world, the politics of language also underwent changes. Neocolonial attitudes that were fostered by the superiority of the United S tates of America in the political arena ensure that the American dialect is considered to be the superior form of English. This dialect is popularized by American sitcoms and other shows on radio that make it more popular especially among the youth who ape the words and syntax that are used in the media. The dominant dialect leads to what linguists refer to as the death of the indigenous dialects of an area (Crystal). This is usually caused by dialects that are used for official purpose such as for administration. This dialect then turns into the one that the people of a region desire to acquire for the purpose of moving up the social ladder through the acquisition of employment in the government and the private sector. The situation is equally, if not more complicated for those nations that are multilingual. Such nations have to deal with dialects that demand the status of a separate language. This may seem like a tokenistic gesture; however, it leads to a lot of complications such as the demand for a separate state within or in some cases even outside the nation. A separation from the state may result in the diminishing of the status of the state while a separation which is effected while staying with the nation shall lead to administrative difficulties and also sets a precedent for other communities that compromises on the strength of the nation. In a multicultural and multiracial society, a dialect becomes the symbol of a community’

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Global Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Business Plan - Essay Example The political, legal and regulatory risks highlighted that the region has a stable and development oriented political scene, which is supported by the legal system in Canada. Moreover the regulations in the region are similar to the ones in US, making the low and favorable for investment. The exchange rate risks are low for the country is low as well as the currency of the country is quite stable. The competitive risks in the region however are high as there exists fierce competition amongst the local and the international business. The government has taken steps to lower this risk for investors. The distribution and supply chain risks highlighted that the middleman in the oil production sector who is responsible for transporting and dealing with manufacturers and distributor faces high level of risks. The physical and environmental risks are also high in Canada due to its extreme climate and the rocky terrain of the land which makes extraction and digging difficult and time consuming. Additionally the social risks in the region are also present which relate to the conflicts attitudes of the French speaking and the English speaking Canadians. The SWOT analysis of the Oilpec Inc Company was also performed which identified that the strengths of the Oilpec Inc pertained to its knowledge and experience in the field of distribution, marketing, exploration, storage and refining of oil. The weaknesses of the company pertained to the stigma that is related with the oil companies in the minds of the people and the rising prices of oil which creates hardships for people in the worked. The opportunities that are available to the company pertain to the fact that the company can keep its operations costs low and offer consumers in the market with oil at lower prices. The threats that are faced by the company however include the high level of competition in the industry. Rationale for Selecting the Country The rationale for selecting Canada as a prospective region for operations for the Oilpec Inc Company was based on the strategic and risk analysis of the region. This analysis provided that the economy of the region is a fast growing one which is supported by the incrementing Canadian dollar and the increased economic activity. Moreover in Canada there is no currency restrictions placed on the repatriation of funds. Thus, in some cases, the repatriation may have tax consequences. In Canada, exchange rates are stable, so a foreign company will avoid these risks The policies of the region specific to immigration have allowed the country to have access to skilled people resources. Additionally while the crude oil sector in the region has a competitive industry, this allows new companies to enter in the market as by lowering barriers to entry. Additionally the legal environment is favorable for international companies, as Canada is a US oriented country with strong cultural and economic relations with the USA partners. This enables businesses form the United States to establish them selves in Canada with relative ease. Marketing Mix and Marketing Plan The target markets for the products to be manufactured by Oilpec Inc include all oil consumers in the international market. There exists intense competition in the industry for exploration, manufacture and distribution of crude oil in Canada and this requires a unique marketing strategy for the product by Oilpec Inc. The company

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Transferable skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transferable skills - Essay Example DuBrin, Ireland, and Williams (1989) indicated that effective organizational leaders are generally consistent in the way they try to influence the behaviour of group members, with this consistent pattern of behaviour being the leadership style of a given manager. Shangon is the Executive Director of a non profit organization. She started it with a dream of giving a new dimension to development communications by empowering and orienting language journalists towards development issues. She aspired to create a niche for development communication in the print media. This organization was started by her in support with her husband in 1998. There was only a group of 4 people initially which later expanded to 12 people and with greater number of projects and assignments. After five years, her husband died of heart attack and she had to manage the organization only by herself. The organization deals with four major areas which were Training, Documentation, Issue Based Journalism and Theatre for social cause. The NGO incorporate communication and empowerment as the work strategy. The work in the organization involved great deal of creativity and decision making of course in various areas. It involved a lot of supervision from her side. She had to keep her eye on the status of every single project. She always encourages participation an... For decisions minor to major she involves every single person and tries to take input from each person and makes the entire decision making process participative. Shangon takes collaborative, responsive and interactive actions with participants concerning the work and the work environment. (Nelson & Quick, 2006). Every time a new proposal is approached to the funding agencies, she keeps the communication open for the employees and facilitates discussion with them and involves them in setting goals. Also after the discussion, she seeks input regarding determination of policy and procedures. Her interactions are always focused, when any employee face problem in doing a particular task, she provides suggestions and alternatives for the completion of tasks. Every Saturday morning, she would come to office carrying stuffs like crackers, cookies and some nutritious snacks to share with the employees. This gesture always boosts staff morale and helped build a strong bond between her and the employees. Shangon always motivates employees to work to their competencies and to work as a team. She also exhibits effective listening skills and mediates conflict for group gain provides frequent positive feedback, rewards good work and uses punishment only as a last resort. Actually, she knows best, what style works for her staff. The dream of a well flourished organization has been successfully fulfilled by her because she has been able to put her thoughts into action and has managed it really well through her Leadership skills which she acquired through her own experience. According to me, she is a good leader and she developed a style conducive to her work

Monday, August 26, 2019

EVALUATING MINIMUM WAGE AS A LEGAL PRICE Research Paper - 1

EVALUATING MINIMUM WAGE AS A LEGAL PRICE - Research Paper Example This could sometimes result to negative economic impacts. This paper discusses the issue of evaluating minimum wage as a legal price. In the paper, we present the arguments behind this issue as well as some of its assessments. Increase in unemployment is a factor of minimum wage as a legal price. The rate of increase in unemployment depends with whether the minimum wage set is for skilled laborers or unskilled laborers. According to OECD (2011), job opportunities in the labor market for young people and unskilled workers are reduced by increase in minimum wages. However, the impact is different for the case of skilled workers. Evaluating minimum wages as a legal price could enhance understanding of its affect in both the case of skilled labor and the case of unskilled labor. This assists in making the right decisions on when to increase the wage and how to increase it. Increasing minimum wages could hinder economic development. By resulting to increase in the rate of unemployment, high minimum wage would lower economic development since unemployed people will be having little or no contributions to the economy. However, according to Mankiw (2011), advocates of minimum wage show that it results to increase in the earnings of poor workers. This could lower poverty levels in a country thus resulting to an economic development. Therefore, evaluating minimum wage as a legal price is necessary to determine the positive effects of increasing it as well as its negative effects. A raise in minimum wage as a legal price result to an improved standard of living. Increase in minimum wage increase the amount earned by a worker for doing the same job. However, this can only happen with low-earning jobs since the employee lives within the maximum he can earn. For highly paying job, it can have little or no effect. Moreover, Folsom & Boulware (2009) shows that increasing minimum wage cannot improve the standards of living since the people working at minimum wage are not the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Utopian Societies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Utopian Societies - Research Paper Example It is a fact that many people from all over the world were staying in America without facing much discrimination before the 9/11 incident. But after 9/11, some people are facing stiff challenges in America, especially the Muslim population. In other words, circumstances preventing the formation of an ideal society everywhere. The concept of Utopian society has come from Plato’s republic. It is a conceptual society which is free from aggression, war, hate, and crime and work for the establishing peace, law and order in every aspect of social life. The major objective of Utopian society is to work for the human betterment. Moreover utopian society ensures equality and stress free life of all human beings in every aspect of human life. The major drawback of utopian society was their handling of outsiders. While they were keeping all the ethical standards within the society, they were not so in treating the outsiders. This paper briefly analyses the major concepts of utopian society in order to find an answer to the question whether this concept is good or evil in the contemporary world. Serra (2010) has mentioned that the Utopian society would be free of ignorant bully types, perverts, dishonest slugs who have no conscience, those with greed, hostilities, and the list goes on. No one sees color or nationality. No bad racial feelings, just good people enjoying each other’s company (Serra). In a utopian society, people enjoys freedom, liberty and equality in all the respects. In other words, the equality in all sense, prevent the chances of any problems in a utopian society. Laws and governments have no role at all in a utopian society. People live at their will in such a society. Utopian society helps a person to lead a free life in its all sense. The words, Crime and punishments are not in the dictionary of a utopian society. In a utopian society, the government holds only the secondary position. Society has the upper hand compared

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Should violent video games be banned or regulated Essay

Should violent video games be banned or regulated - Essay Example This paper tends to discuss that violent video games should be banned since they create a negative impact upon the minds of the players, especially when they are at the tender age of adolescence (thesis). Nearly every teenager knows the names of some of the most violent video games like Mortal Combat, Resident Evil, Marvel vs. Capcom, Doom, Manhunt, Dead Rising, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, and the list continues. All of these games require the player to kill, shoot, slash, and stab their enemy using bombs, swords, and chainsaw. They have to kill the police officers to get to the target, hit the pedestrians, split the opponent using chainsaws, and what not. Preteens and teens want to play these games more than non-violent ones, and then, they apply it in their real lives because they are not capable of differentiating the gaming world from the real world. Last decade has shown an increase in violence rate among children in the United States, and studies show that children are incr easingly being treated for anger management thanks to the growing use of video games. Children tend to have less-developed ability of decision-making or critical thinking, and so, they cannot realize what is wrong with what they are viewing. Thus, their minds learn or absorb every act they see. The reason is that violent video games succeed in getting the person involved in the character he is playing, so much so that he starts playing that character in the real life. For example, females are normally portrayed as weaker and powerless characters in video games. When children watch this, they apply it real life because they would have learnt to disrespect women. This is only an example. There are thousands of different facets of violence and aggression that the players learn from violent video games. The tragedy is that the effect doubles in strength when the player is at the tender age of adolescence. Previous generations used to play doctors, police, thieves, chefs, and the oomph g enerated by the flight of the imagination would get used up in playing the game physically. But with video games, that energy comes out in the form of frustration, aggression, and violence. Smith, Lachlan and Tamborini suggest that mature games are more violent that those rated for general audience, and feature child perpetrators with frequent gun violence. When a child watches such violent acts and plays the character using his hands and mind, the energy generated by the flight of the imagination keeps the physical responses from getting expressed. So, when this energy gets its chance, it gets expressed in the real life. This is why children who watch violent video games are violent in their nature too. For example, parents do not know why their child, who plays Resident Evil on his PlayStation 3, is becoming violent day by day; beats his younger siblings; remains isolated most of the time; and, has complaints coming from his school that he bullies his class fellows. A check on his routine activities will show that the credit goes to video games if he plays some. All of these negative impacts make one claim that violent video games should be banned. Researchers like Bartholow and Anderson have found that teenagers who play violent video games have higher heart rate, get emotionally aroused easily, and are more aggressive verbally and physically than those who play non-violent games. Thus, the nature of video games played has an adverse

Friday, August 23, 2019

The comparison of numeracy learning and development Essay

The comparison of numeracy learning and development - Essay Example The paper tells that there is a widespread interest in improving mathematics achievements in schools across the world. Apart from economic benefits of mathematics, such as preparing young men and women for the numeracy requirements of the modern workplaces, and improving the skill levels of the personnel, there are social benefits tied to bettering access for many young people to training opportunities and post school education and laying firm foundations to skills for womb-to-tomb learning. The interest in heightening levels of achievement has resulted in a focus on recognizing the range of factors that determine achievement as well as interpreting how these factors operate to enhance or limit the achievement of varied groups of students. In this case study project, the researcher will consider two students, namely Christopher and John. Christopher has a British background, and he is a gifted learner. He understands the background meaning and culture of a variety of questions. Chris topher is a fast learner, and he always finds a hard time with curriculum demands as well as teachers because they comfortably cater for students with normal learning abilities. John is a Vietnamese who is in England for his studies. He has been in England for five one year and he has a problem with understanding English language, especially in speaking. John does not understand the cultural context of a variety of mathematical questions, and he is in need of constant assistance with understanding key English words. ... ied at the age of 20 years, and his academic studies stopped for about five years, after which he enrolled into a higher learning institution to study Software Security Course. He sired his first child eight years after marriage and, later, after two years, he sired another child. The second child had some mental disability, which called for more care. He took most of his time taking care of his disabled daughter, but he continued with his studies on the part time basis. Christopher decided to enrol on the numeracy level 1 in order to better his numeracy skills because he encountered many calculations including daily purchases. He passed well in level one examination and proceeded to numeracy level two. According to the results of his initial diagnostic test, he had a ‘spiky’ profile. He excellently understood some topics, and at the same time, it was difficult for him to understand other topics regarding numeracy. However, he committed himself to understand the difficul t areas, which resulted to a substantial improvement and success in his level 1 examinations. Now, when he proceeded to numeracy level 2, all topics became equally manageable. It was easier for Christopher to understand every topic because he had gone through the English Education System. His accent and approach enabled him to do well in numeracy because he could ask the lecturer for clarification every time he experienced a problem. When I started to teach in Christopher’s class, Christopher experienced some problems regarding my teaching methods as well as my accent. This was because my approaches were significantly different from the approached that the previous teachers employed in teaching. Therefore, he failed to understand some key concepts concerning numeracy. I did not hesitate to set him

Why we left our factories in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why we left our factories in China - Essay Example Businesses are compelled by competition to sell products at the lowest price possible at the highest quality doable. Such, businesses are always on the lookout for ways on how to cut cost and improve quality on the inputs of production. This effort to cut cost often points producers and businesses to outsource to China because of the cheap labour and material cost. In the article by Sheridan Prasso entitled â€Å"Why we left our factories in China†, Prasso pointed the numbers why manufacturers go to China. In 2005, Sleek Audio was quoted a price of $20 of $19 or $20 for one particular component that the Chinese were offering to make for $2 (2011). That is a whooping $17 to $18 price difference with each component. If Audio Sleek will purchase by the thousands, the price difference will just be very hard to ignore. 2. Economy of scale In the article of Prasso, businesses are now beginning to leave factories in China with the emerging movement called reshoring where business are beginning to bring their operations close to home. One of the major reasons cited for reshoring is that it is very difficult to deal with China; other is the presence of language barrier and delay in response time if there are any issues. Mark even lamented that when they are in China, great care are being extended to satisfy them where parts are made perfectly when they are around. The trouble is, when they give the go signal to make 10,000 to 20,000 pieces, problems begin to occur. The initial cost in going to China may be cheap that a business may be able to have cost savings by going to China. But it really is not that much because of the hidden costs, the delays, shipping cost and the cost associated with the learning curve. In effect, what has been initially saved was also defrayed by other incidental costs in going to China. This explains why many firms are moving back to the US or reshoring. The quotation cost in the US may have lowered from $20 to $19 to $8 because of the recent crisis. US workers are now more eager to work too because of the scarcity of the jobs. Still, there is a price difference between the new quotation of $8 and the old price of $19 to $20. But companies in the US can compensate for the price difference through economy of scale. Meaning, it can recover the lost profit of the price difference of the item by making more of the same. This is very probable because the initial experience of Sleek Audio when they decided to get back their operation in the US which won them the 2011 Best of Innovation award from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Association. It manifest that components that were made in the US were of excellent quality and that would encourage other businesses to reshore their operations back in the US. The effect on this to component maker would be an increase in volume and although they lowered their quotation to become competitive in terms of pricing, the foregone profit for the discounting the price can be recoup throu gh volume. In economics, the amount of increment in terms of cost is not always constant with each volume added. This is especially true with manufacturing plants. To illustrate, let us use the above example. Let us say that the cost for making the component is $5 for 1,000 units which would cost the component maker $5,000 to manufacture a 1,000 unit of a particular part. If a certain client/s would order have an accumulated order for example of 100,000 units, it does not mean that each unit would still cost $5 to the component maker that would amount to $500,000. With that quantity, the cost may be brought down to $4 per unit or $3 to the component maker saving them $1 or $2 with each component which could cover the foregone profit of its former price of $8. This is because some cost

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Rigid journey Essay Example for Free

Rigid journey Essay It was a â€Å"rigid journey† that started with two voices and that ended with one. One is the voice of meaningless modernity. Disjointed and syncopated, this voice hopes to fit in with the norm, tirelessly finding meaning through misconstrued words. The other is the voice of an ailing past as it struggles to keep up with the present. It is the words of fable and myth, lost in the humdrum of everyday life. Coming in contact through an unexpected dialogue, these two voices collide but, further on, reveal their similarities in order to address the issues of their looming futures. Jonathan Safran Foer’s critically-successful debut novel Everything is Illuminated relishes in these two voices, speaking to its readers in dual tones as a metaphor of the different perspectives that arise from a problem of identity that epitomizes this generation: a generation fraught by issues brought about by concerns of industry, capitalism, and materialism. Part memoir, part travelogue, this novel primarily chronicles the travels of Jonathan Foer, a young Jewish-American writer of the same name as the author, who attempts to research his grandfather’s life in Ukraine and discover the woman who had saved him from apparent execution in the hands of Nazi soldiers. To make his trip remotely easier, he employs the help of Heritage Tours, a tour company that specializes in aiding Jewish-Americans retrace their roots in the Old Country. His guide and translator for this trip is Alex Perchov, a Ukrainian of the same age who is utterly enraptured by the American culture that reaching the State’s worshipped shores and becoming an accountant is all he has ever dreamed about. Along with the ride are Alex’s Grandfather, their supposedly blind driver, and his â€Å"seeing-eye bitch† Sammy Davis Junior, Junior. But, Foer, the author, also incorporates a second and third narrative amidst this backdrop of identity-searching. One, told in Jonathan’s voice, tells the story of his Grandfather’s shtetl or town, TrachimBrod, its fabled rise and evident fall during World War II. We can initially perceive the novel as a seeming coming-of-age story that finds its core in the retelling of the happenings of the Holocaust and its evident impact on its Jewish survivors and their kin. But, it also echoes of the capitalist ideologies that define our era and how it has come to mold our youth, as seen through the depiction of Jonathan and Alex. With this in mind, this paper aims to create an understanding of the hegemony within the text through the use of Marxist literary criticism. An Overview of Marxism and the Communist Manifesto At the heart of Marxism lies the struggle between classes, a definitive clash of ideologies brought about by the fight over the right of power. It is primarily a critique of the current Industrial Age society, wherein an apparent discrepancy between the growing bourgeois class and the working class began to be noticeable. Promulgated by Karl Marx in the early nineteenth century, Marxism finds its roots in the analysis of the source of power, the base of power, within a society and how this social class determines the course of production within a society (Marx and Engels 1848). Heralded as the core ideology of Communism, it is a politically-driven social theory that deems to see that the proletariat be considered a class, that the reigning bourgeois be overthrown, and that political power should be reverted to the proletariat (Marx, Engels, and Jones 15). Applied to literature, Marxism becomes a critique of the social structures and the point of authority found in the text, as concocted by the writer’s own perceptions of the history of class within the novel. The Communist â€Å"bible†, Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, co-written by Frederick Engels, calls the proletariat to arms in what they see as a social revolution unlike any other. They deem that Capitalist rulings of the working class as exploitative, seeing these people merely as dispensable commodity to yield production. They deem the bourgeoisie as state of â€Å"the abolition of individuality and freedom (22). † They narrate series of possible events to the dissolution of the bourgeoisie that would mean the rise of the proletariat and the erasure of any other remnants of the feudalist system (Marx and Engels 17). Over-all, it is deemed that the only answer to a social revolution is the forcible overthrow of the present reigning base of power, the denouncement of past social conditions, and the creation of a strong network of representative that would protect the individual rights of working men and women. A Dichotomy of Roles What makes Foer’s novel a definite stand-out in the literary scene is its experimentation with form and its boundless potentials. For his novel, he follows three narratives as told by the two primary characters of the text, Jonathan and Alex. Placed in the context of Marxism, there is an evident inner struggle between the two characters that is representative of their own social statuses and how they manage to deal with the issues specific to it. According to Marx’s groundbreaking treatise, â€Å"society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat (Marx and Engels 9). † Although, most may deem this social division as outdated, it still reveals much about our current social structure that expected. In our globalized view, such structure can now be attributed to cultures dominating over each other, cultures that manipulate the flow of international relations given the power they retain through their economic superiority—a system that Marx had initially suspected. As with today’s society, American culture (though flailing amidst the rise of new economic powers) remains the power base and controls much of the world’s economic activity, and hence, becomes the source of all human institutions and ideologies, or what Marx calls, the superstructure. With this power behind them, the base is able to influence the direction that society is driven to, characterizing each element as they see fit. Evident in the novel is undisputed hegemony of American culture as presented through the character of Alex. Ensnared by the allure of money and progress, Alex is the quintessential American â€Å"wanna be†. He is driven to create an image of himself that is allegedly reminiscent of this culture: a womanizer, an excessive spender, a big talker. Evidence of this fascination with American culture can also be read in page 69 wherein Alex speaks with Jonathan over dinner and bombards him with questions about American life: â€Å"Are there good accounting schools? Are there Negro accountants? How much is the coffee there (Foer 69)? † All the answers elicit an excitement for this prevailing culture, all the more pushing Alex to value it more than he does his own. In a letter to Jonathan written purportedly after the his visit to Ukraine, he mentions that he is saving up to go to the States, and that in order to save money (despite his Father’s belief that he isn’t so), he stays at the beach and just thinks. He thinks that Jonathan is so lucky (52). These ideas of American culture, the American Dream, are in fact disseminated through the film medium as presented in the text when Alex says: â€Å"I dig American movies (2). † It is, in essence, a diluted imagery of what American culture is like as shown through the limited capacity of film. Gone are seemingly politically correct ideologies and from the vantage point of Alex’s restricted viewpoint of American culture we see the flaws of a race and gender divided structure. It is also necessary to note the importance of the Alex’s use of language in the text. His language is a mix of profundity and slang in an attempt to sound as American as possible, but failing miserably to communicate what he actually means in the process. His misconstrued language echoes the attempt of the working class to attain a level of equality with the bourgeois (American culture), but unsuccessfully doing so because the line that separates the two arenas can never be crossed. Alex’s character, in this sense, epitomizes the proletariat desire to obtain an amount of power (how miniscule) it might be from the dominating bourgeois by inculcating themselves within a culture created by the elite. When he took on the role of translate for Jonathan, Alex believed it to be an â€Å"unordinary (Foer 2)† experience. By taking on this Americanized persona, Alex believes he is setting himself apart from a family of three Alex’s, from his own culture. He yearns to â€Å"depart† from his class and seek a brighter one in another. But, I believe, that this is the tragedy of Alex. He deems to create for himself a new personality, an individuality, but through the acceptance of another ideological structure that might even be stronger and far more dangerous than the one he opts to leave behind. This is, as what Marx says, is a sense of false consciousness (Eagleton 103). â€Å"People are conditioned by the material world to accept certain ideas and beliefs as objective fact. They misunderstand their position and the meaning of their position. (Progreba 2). † On the other hand, we see Jonathan who departs from the States and its culture to find his roots in Ukraine. Armed with the picture of his grandfather and the picture of the woman who rescued him, he embarks on a journey to understand his muddled identity. Whereas, Alex looks at the American culture as one that would finally define him, Jonathan temporarily denounces it and searches for it in his history. This is evident in his chronicle of the history of his grandfather’s little village. But, similar to Alex, he finds fascination in a culture other than his own and looks up to it as a medium to understand his own identity. By narrating the events that led to the destruction of the village, from its establishment and his grandfather, Safran’s, rescue from the Nazis, Jonathan communicates with his past and forms a dialogue with it. For both young men, this search for identity traces itself to their yearning to reclaim their place in a society that alienates them. According to Marxist theory, the capitalist society alienates people in three different levels: first, the worker is alienated from what he produces; second, the worker is alienated from himself; and third, the worker is alienated from society. â€Å"The work of the proletarians has lost all their individual character, and consequently all charm for the workman. He becomes an appendage of the machine, and it is only the most simple, most monotonous, and most easily acquired knack that is required of him (Marx and Engels 14). † Jonathan, who has taken a leave of absence from university, finds himself at a loss regarding his future goals in life, some of which are imposed on him by the requirements of his social circle: fame and fortune. By following these, he would have to let go of his roots, of his own identity, and deliver products as what society needs of him. Hence, he finds his travel to Ukraine an opportunity for soul-searching, a method to deliver himself from the constraints of social responsibilities and discover his own potential as a person. When Alex questions Jonathan about his yearnings to be a writer, Jonathan answers him half-heartedly, as if questioning even his own decision to take on this career (Foer 69). But, by the middle of the novel, as implied in one of Alex’s letters to Jonathan, he had gone on back to university to pursue this career, perhaps already with an inkling of his own identity discovered during his visit in Ukraine. Alex, on the other hand, seeks deliverance in American culture. He detests his Father who bullies him and his â€Å"miniature† brother, Little Igor. He yearns to separate himself from this abusive authority and find solace in a culture that is â€Å"free† and â€Å"progressive†. We can view his Father and their travel company in the Marxist context as the Capitalist. Their company, Heritage Tours, having been a family business for three generations ties Alex intensely to the family that he hopes to leave behind. As his mother had said, she is extremely proud that her son had decided to taking the responsibility of acting as a guide for the â€Å"Jewish boy† instead of wallowing around doing nothing and wasting money (Foer 2). Marxist theory also expands on the notion of a â€Å"counter-hegemonic† culture that should be developed in order to retaliate against the prevailing social norms as promulgated by the ruling class. Essentially, the novel revolves around this, as with any text that centers on a search for identity and individuality. Alex and Jonathan both are at war with their societies which is why they seek to find it another, whether in more direct forms (like Jonathan’s) or discreetly (like Alex’s). There remains, in the story of these two individuals, a definite struggle to fight against hegemony and the norm. Conclusion The third narrative, as we have mentioned, are letters from Alex to Jonathan, still written in the same manner as he had spoken to us in his usual narrative. These letters, from mere discussion of their positions in life finally show the kind of relationship these two young men are able to foster. They are the acceptance of their brotherhood amidst the flurry of modern life, amidst the demands of their social classes and their inherent responsibilities. But, most importantly, as the novel proves, it serves as an insight into a quiet counter-revolution that prevails today. Works Cited: Eagleton, Terry. Criticism and Ideology: A Study in Marxist Literary Theory. William Clowes Ltd. : Suffolk, Great Britain. 2006 Foer, Jonathan Safran. Everything is Illuminated. Houghton Mifflin Books: New York, New York. 2002 Jones, Gareth Stedman. â€Å"Introduction. † The Communist Manifesto. Penguin Books Ltd. : USA, 1967 Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels. â€Å"The Communist Manifesto. † Socialist Labor Party of America. 2006. Retrieved from http://www. marxism. net/pdf/marx/comm_man. pdf

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Cross-cultural leadership: An analysis

Cross-cultural leadership: An analysis Introduction I have lived, travelled and worked extensively overseas since 2003 in particular London, UK and Dubai, UAE this has sparked my interest in furthering my understanding of cross-cultural leadership issues. I have experienced working in different organisations, cultural, customs, races, work ethic, languages, morals, ethics, beliefs, class / caste systems, education, etc. this is more evident in Dubai, UAE then it was in London, UK. In this Leadership Research Project I will explore â€Å"how cross-cultural issues might influence leadership approaches†, I will be looking at it from a Western Leadership Approach and Eastern Leadership Approach, which I will define later. There are a lot of issues and factors that effect leadership approaches, styles, and effectiveness some of which are organisational culture, national culture which we will be exploring. Yousef (1998) has highlighted that leaders and followers personal attributes such as national cultural, experience, education, age, tenure with present organisation and organisational factors such as ownership have a significant relationship with leadership effectiveness. I will be looking at Western Leadership Approaches i.e. Anglo Saxon â€Å"Australian and British† verus Eastern i.e. Arabic and Indian† and drawing on some of my experiences in the Middle East while working as a Construction Project Manager in Dubai, UAE from 2007 to 2009. Please note that the terms / descriptions â€Å"Australian, Indian, Arabic etc†¦ Leaders and Managers are more Democratic, Authoritarian, Autocratic, Laissez-faire etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These are generalisations and I acknowledge that there are Leaders, Managers and Followers that fall outside of these generalisations, as in Leadership there is no one size that fits all approach, what works in one culture does not necessarily work in another. From personal experience adopting an Australian, British, American i.e. Western Leadership Approach, Style, Characteristics, Traits etc. to the context of the Middle East i.e. Dubai, UAE working in an Arabic Cultural and leading and managing predominately Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sir Lankan, Chinese etc. work force does not necessarily work due to a cultural differences i.e. organisational and national, so you have to have a Situational / Contingency Leadership Approach Style to be effective in cross-cultural. Yousef (1998) suggest that leaders should adopt a leadership style that accommodates the followers personal attributes as well as organisational factors in order to achieve organisational goals and objectives effectively, this backs up my argument above. The two organisations that I worked in we polar opposites in terms on organisational cultural the first one Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC was one of the largest and well established construction and engineering companies in the UAE operating across diverse fields. The other Cliff Creek Building Contractors LLC was a relatively small company The first organisation was highly Authoritarian, Bureaucratic, over-centralised, authority and power is unequally distributed at the top and this is typical of most firms in the Middle East from my experiences. The second organisation was Brief Overview of the Industry â€Å"Insert Here† Body Definitions There is no set definition of leadership and cultural, it has been defined in many ways by many people for the purposes of this Leadership Research Project we will use the following definition Leadership Definition The GLOBE Project defines leadership as â€Å"the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organisation of which they are members† (Page 15 Culture, Leadership and Organisations The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies) Cultural Definition The GLOBE Project defines culture as â€Å"shared motives, values, beliefs, identities, and interpretations of meanings of significant events that result from common experiences of members collectives that are transmitted across generations† (Page 15 Culture, Leadership and Organisations The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies) Culture includes the organisation, country where you live or have lived in, social class, generation, gender, regional, ethnic, religious, linguistics, customs, race, work ethic, morals, ethics, beliefs, values, class / caste systems etc. Western Leadership Style Ideas Definition I have limited my Leadership Style Ideas to the UK and Australian, as this is where I have worked during my career and have experience in managing people, resources etc. in terms of Eastern Leadership Style Ideas Definition I have limited my Leadership Style Ideas to Indian as this is was the majority of the workforce in Dubai, UAE that I managed and lead i.e. Leader / Follower relationship. Literature Review A review of the Literature reveals that there has been much written on the topics of Leadership and Culture but there is not enough interaction of the topics and a lot of the literature is from a Western Perspective, more needs to be written from the prospective of the Arab and Indian and also the industry. I have found from the Literature Review that there are many Leadership Theories i.e. Transformational, Transactional, Situational, Contingency, Leadership Member Exchange â€Å"LMX†, Ethical, Authentic, Visionary, Cross-cultural, Military View â€Å"Heroic† Leadership, Strategic, Charismatic, Spiritual, Less-ego, Liberating, Theory â€Å"X, Y, Z†, Traits, etc. and that different researches call them different things and there is a lot of overlap between them. There are of course other leadership theories that I have not listed above due to the limited space available. The leadership styles, traits, characteristics and approaches that I have outlined below are a broad generalisation of leadership in terms of Australian / British i.e. Western Leadership and Arab / Indian i.e. Eastern Leadership. The seminal work in the field of cross-cultural leadership was by Greet Hofsteed 1980 which has been widely cited, he study 100,000.00 employees of IBM from 49 countries and cultures over a 6 year period from 1967 to 1973 and identified four leadership dimensions to compare leadership differences and similarities, these dimension are: Individualism / Collectivism (Refer Item 5 6 below); Hierarchy, Status and Power Distance; (Refer Item 8 below); Uncertainty Avoidance (Refer Item 9 below); and Masculinity (Refer Item 2 below). The study was of one organisation IBM and one industry, and as such these dimension are generalisations of organisational and national cultural. This work has formed the bases for other researches, to replicate, extend and refute this, one such works was the GLOBE Study. The Globe Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness Research Program House 2004, from hear on will be referred to as the â€Å"Globe Study† for the rest of Leadership Research Project. The GLOBE Study examined 62 cultures across 3 industries (Financial Services, Food Processing and Telecommunications), how culture related to societal, organisational and leadership effectiveness. It studied 17,300.00 managers in 951 organisations and tested 27 hypotheses over a 5 year from 1992 to 1997. The Globe Study examined leadership from the followers point of view and used Hofsteed 1980 original four dimensions albeit renamed and added five new cultural dimensions listed below: Future Orientation; Gender Egalitarianism (Refer Item above 4); Assertiveness; Humane Orientation; In-Group Collectivism (Refer Item above 1); Institutional Collectivism (Refer Item above 1); Performance Orientation; Power Concentration vs. Decentralisation (Refer Item above 2); and Uncertainty Avoidance (Refer Item above 3). Refer to Appendix A for Definitions of item 1 to 9 above. The Global Study identified six major global leadership behaviours: Autonomous; Charismatic / Value-Based; Humane Oriented; Participative; Self-Protective; and Team Oriented. Refer to Appendix A for Definitions of item 1 to 6 above. They also identified 22 attributes that are universally accepted across the 62 cultures for effective Leadership: Trustworthy; Just; Honest; Foresight; Plans ahead; Encouraging; Positive; Dynamic; Motive arousers; Confidence Builder; Motivational; Dependable; Intelligent; Decisive; Effective bargainor; Win-win problems solver; Administrative Skilled; Communicative; Informed; Coordinator Team Builder; and Excellence oriented. They also identified 8 attributes that are universally not accepted across the 62 cultures for effective Leadership: Loner; Asocial; Non-cooperative; Irritable; Non-explicit; Egocentric; Ruthless; and Dictatorial. Jacob 2005 suggests that there are short comings of global sweep studies as cultural and management are dynamic and constantly evolving where these studies are a static snapshot of a country orientation. She then goes on to say cross-cultural managers should be able to gauge what types of leadership behaviour works in a particular culture and develop skills which enable them to assume the required leadership behaviour, this reinforces my argument above regarding Situational Leadership. She cites Fiedler who suggests that leadership style used should match the situational requirements. I think that the cultural dimensions and typologies that are outlined in this paper and that were identified by Hofseed (1980), Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars (2000), House et al (2004) and others have there place, and are a good indicator for organisations and individual leaders who are proposing or are already actively operating in a different culture and country to there own e.g. Australian / Middle East / Indian. As this will give them an indicative guide to what attributes are universal across cultures, are considered good and bad and specific to a particular culture and what followers expect from there leader. I will identify below the individual attributes of the Western Easter Leaders as identified by Hofsteed 1980 and the Globe Study 2004. Western Leadership Approaches Australian and England â€Å"Anglo† Generally According to House et al 2007 1 P297 Generally Leaders from Anglo Countries i.e. Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa (White Sample) and the USA are highly performance orientated, mildly assertiveness, future orientation, gender egalitarianism, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance but low on in-group collectivism. Leaders from these countries generally support a charismatic / Value Based Leadership Approach, Style, Traits, Characteristics very strongly compared to other countries. It also quiet strongly supported Team Oriented Leadership and elements of participated leadership which enacted in humane oriented manner. Self-Protective Behaviours were viewed negatively a â€Å"Person Oriented† Leadership is endorsed by all Anglo countries where results are expected to be delivered and achieved by the leader by operating in a team. Australian The Australian management and leadership style I was born and breed in Australia which has influenced my leadership style, approach, characteristics, traits etc. This was developed through cultural influences both organisational and societal i.e. values, beliefs, morals, ethics, customs, rituals, artefacts, language, social class, generation, gender,†¦ which are learned and engrained in you from an early age. The generalisation of Australian Leadership style, approach, characteristics, traits etc. are Generally in Australia our culture and leadership is an enigma which is full or contradiction and change this has been developed over our relatively short history from European Settlement in1788 by the British to present day, which has included the following: Pre- and Early Settlement; Government and Politics; Economy; Australia as a Multicultural, Tolerant and Pluralist Society; Relationship with Other Countries. Values Egalitarianism â€Å"Mateship† and â€Å"A Fair Go† Inspirational not Charismatic Individual Rewards Performance Oriented â€Å"One of the Boys† Distrust of Politics and Politicians National Identity with the Heroism of the Anzacs Australia Continued Refer to table 9.1 P. 305 British The British management and leadership style General Specific Refer to Australia for details Eastern Leadership Approaches Arabic We had to extrapolate the GLOBE Study data for the Middle East to Dubai, UAE as only Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait, Morocco were researched the Globe Study. I will have to extrapolate the Middle East Data to Dubai, UAE as only Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait, Morocco were researched the Globe Study. I acknowledge that there are differences between countries and industries. General Specific Refer to Australia for details Indian, Pakistani, etc. General Specific Refer to Australia for details Indian is a spiritual culture Ethics and Social Responsibility With regards to ethics and social responsibility within the context of Dubai, UAE and the construction industry / construction companies I worked with this issue does not exist it has been my experience. Practical Implications Conclusions and Recommendations So as a Western Leader and Manager, who is managing Indians for example you should exhibit the following behaviours in the followers eyes if you do not already posses them. Culture and Leadership are inextricably linked. There is a need for further research in the area of cre Due to the globalisation of business and the mix of cultures References / Bibliography I have used APA or Harvard citation in this Leadership Research Project. Books 1. Sinclair, A. (2007). Leadership for the disillusioned Moving beyond myths and heroes to leading that liberates. Allen Unwin: ISBN: 978-1-7417-5100-0. 2. Jackson, B. Parry, K. (2008). A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Leadership. Sage: ISBN: 978-1-4129-2848-5 3. Jagdeep S. Chhokar, Felix C. Brodbeck, Robert J. House (2007). Culture and Leadership Across the World The GLOBE Book of In-Depth Studies of 25 Cultures. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: ISBN 0-8058-5997-7 Journals 1. Dawish A. Yousef College of Business Economics, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates Correlates of perceived leadership style in a culturally mixed environment Leadership Organisation Development Journal 19,5 (1998) 275 284 MCB University Press (ISSN 0143-7739); 2. Nina Jacob Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Post Bus, The Netherlands Cross-cultural investigations: emerging concepts Journal of Organisational Change Management Vol. 18 No. 5, 2005 pp. 514 528 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0953-4814. Appendices Appendix A Definitions GLOBE Study 2004 Future Orientation; Is the degree to which individuals in organisations or societies engage in future-oriented behaviours such as planning, investing in the future, and delaying individual or collective gratification. Gender Egalitarianism; Is the extent to which an organisations or societies minimises gender role differences while promoting gender equity and the equality of genders. Assertiveness; Is the degree to which individuals in organisations or societies are assertive, confrontational, and aggressive in social relationships Humane Orientation; Is the degree to which individuals in organisations or societies encourage and reward individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring, kind to others, and exhibiting and promoting altruistic ideals. In-Group Collectivism (Collectivism II); Reflects the degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organisations, families, circle of close friends, or other such small groups. Institutional Collectivism (Collectivism I); Reflects the degree to which organisational and societal institutional practises encourage and reward collective distribution of resources and collective action. Performance Orientation; Refers to the extent to which high level members of organisations or societies encourage and reward group members for performance improvement and excellence. Power Distance Is the degree to which members of an organisation and society encourage and reward unequal distribution of power with greater power at higher levels. Uncertainty Avoidance. Is the extent to which members of an organisation or society strive to avoid uncertainty by relying on established social norms, rituals, and bureaucratic practices to decrease the probability of unpredictable future events that could adversely affect the operation of an organisation or society, and also remedy the potential adverse effects of such unpredictable future events. Ch. 1 Introduction Culture Page 3 and 4 Jagdeep S. Chhokar, Felix C. Brodbeck, Robert J. House (2007). Culture and Leadership Across the World The GLOBE Book of In-Depth Studies of 25 Cultures. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: ISBN 0-8058-5997-7 Mr. Matthew C. Smith (S2748489) Draft Leadership Project Assignment 13 of 15 Rev. 1 12/02/2010 1:47pm 5158 Master of Business Administration (MBA) South Bank Leadership Characteristics Australian England Arabic Indian Universal Differences General Attributes Specific Attributes Game Metaphor Mateship Work Ethic Caution Adversarial One of Us Tall Poppy Underdog Pragmatic Mr. Matthew C. Smith (S2748489) Draft Leadership Project Assignment 13 of 15 Rev. 1 12/02/2010 1:47pm 5158 Master of Business Administration (MBA) South Bank Brainstorming / Ideas to be used or not â€Å"Leadership inexorably intertwinded with Culture† P.2 Cultural Methology and Global Leadership Edited by Eric H. Kessler and Diana J. Wong-Mingji† â€Å"Leadership is something that is co-produced within a specific context† and â€Å"Leadership is co-produced by leaders and followers† Ch. 4 Cultural Perspectives on Leadership Page 61 A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Leadership Brad Jackson and Ken Parry. â€Å"Leadership is essentially a cultural activity it is suffused with values, beliefs, language, rituals and artefacts† Page 63 Culture Leadership A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Leadership Brad Jackson and Ken Parry. â€Å"Culture Shock† I want to mention this. â€Å"Cultural Intelligence† Change management / leadership style and ideas to suit cultural context i.e. Situational Leadership. Sarros Santora leadership is embedded in social and cultural beliefs and values, and cannot be fully understood apart from the context in which it exists.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Development Of Metro Rail Tourism Essay

Development Of Metro Rail Tourism Essay The functioning of Mumbai depends mainly on the transportation system for the movement of people and goods in, out and around Mumbai. It is evident from the past that introduction of railways in Mumbai has resulted in the economic growth of the city. The current public transportation depends largely on the trains and buses. As per the data by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport, 2003 and Indian Railways, 2002, Mumbai is the only exceptional city in India which has most extensive rail network carrying more than 5 million passengers a day- 58% of total public transport passengers as compared to 42% by buses (cited in Pucher Korattyswroopam, 2004). Even after a decade, the population of Mumbai is heavily dependent on the railways as their primary mode of transportation. The citys suburban railway was built to accommodate 1700 people, but today carries more than 3 times its actual capacity. Moreover, it is said that a fleet of around 200 railways make more than 2000 trips across the city which is still proving to be insufficient day by day. The suburban trains handle a commuter population of 6 million every day, which is equivalent to the size of Sydney city. The trains also run at a very good frequency providing the right kind of option for travel (Nallathiga, 2008 p. 38). Buses too are being exploited and the roads are not capable enough to hold the burden of ever growing population. The roads, railways and the buses are getting more and more congested due to urbanisation. Moreover, there is no scope to extend this city as it is geographically surrounded by water. So the only options which remain are either to shift the traffic under the ground, over the ground or on the water. Owing to this situation, it becomes essential to investigate the transport system and come up with solutions capable enough to handle the burden in the future. It would not only strengthen the backbone of this financial capital of a rapidly growing country but will also release a l ot of pressure on the current transport facilities. Over the years, there have been many suggestions and recommendations which have been given for the development of Mumbai. Many of these projects are successfully completed or are either under construction. This research will primarily focus on the upcoming Metro Rail project which is being considered as a subordinate to the overcrowded suburban railways. The study will revolve around the difficulties faced by the project managers in implementing their decisions on such a huge scale and the strategies they need to overcome these problems. At this current stage the construction of the Metros first line which is 11.7 km stretch is under construction and is considered to be almost ready for the testing. The original deadline for the project was August 2012, but due to delays in getting right of work (ROW) permits from the government and other clearances for the project, the project will eventually see operations by the end of this year (Kumar, 2012 [online]). This can be treated as the f irst failure of the project and its management as it will be not be able to deliver the Metro Rail facility as per the committed schedule. At this point of time, a comparison of the project reports of Delhi and Kolkata Metro projects can prove handy in avoiding mistakes committed in past. Critical analysis of these reports can help in foreseeing the approaching management issues and take necessary steps. Metro rail is a huge project (as seen in figure 1.1) with many expectations to fulfil. Efficient and scheduled performance will not only benefit the economy but will also provide relief to the people of Mumbai, Government and the over stressed suburban railway. The findings from the project reports of the Metro Rail in Delhi and Kolkata can help in recognizing the threats that might affect the development of the Metro Rail in Mumbai. It will also find out the main weaknesses due to which certain plans in those projects had difficulties in successful implementation. Similarly, it wil l also benefit to understand the strengths of this project as well as the opportunities it has or will have in the future to capitalise and develop the project in a way that will pass on maximum benefits to its consumers and stakeholders. Developing a sustainable and robust transport system will contribute a big deal by laying a strong foundation to the progress of this city. The success of this research is necessary as this may further instigate a movement for a better and an efficient model of transportation system in urban cities and bring out the importance of project management in government projects across the country. mumbai-map.gif Fig 1.1 Existing Suburban Rail Map with upcoming Metro Rail routes [Source: www.urbanrail.net] Theoretical Underpinnings: The pursuit for conducting this research began after watching a couple of documentaries on the city of Mumbai. The first one was a National Geographic production known as Megacities which looked into various aspects of working models of huge cities around the world. Mumbai was the city in one of its episodes. The transportation system portrayed in it fascinated me. This was followed by a bit of research and then I came across a documentary on Bombay Railways presented by the BBC. Being born and brought up in this city, I have experienced the crowd in the trains and other public transportation. But after watching the documentaries, it inspired me to conduct a research in this area to understand the way in which projects are planned and managed at such a high level where the pressure of performance and urgency to deliver is enormous. My next point of reference was a report published by McKinsey and Company in the year 2003 which laid a plan for rehabilitation of the city of Mumbai. The se few intelligence sources form a background to my research. The focus then shifted to one of the recommendations given out in the McKinsey report being constructed in Mumbai which is the Metro Rail. This forms the main topic and the research will be conducted to overview the project management difficulties and complexities faced while carrying out such a big project in the huge city of Mumbai. Mentioned below are the theoretical academic sources that form a part of obtaining knowledge for the chosen topic. Project Management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling (2009): To commence every research, one needs a solid foundation of understanding the subject area. For project management the above mentioned book stands to be a guide. After the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), the official project management guide by Project Management Institute, this is referred as a textbook for the certificate examination. The book is in its 10th edition written by Harold Kerzner, with more than 2500 citations. This book explains projects in various stages and gives a systematic approach towards its management. This book suits a beginner level of understanding of Project Management giving an easy understanding of basic principles. It accepts and inculcates changes taking place in the current business scenario and moreover explains them by giving case studies. The main purpose of using this book is its thorough explanation on organisational structure which would prove beneficial to understand the complex organisational structure of the public sector organis ation in India. It also includes chapters on Time and stress management, risk management and quality management which can prove beneficial for the comparison of the ongoing metro projects and its various dimensions. Successful Project Management (2005): This research deals more with the success and failure of projects. For Government projects, many like the metro rail that is being analysed in this research, it is important to maintain the balance between demands of the public, project that has been undertaken and the final product that is being offered. Successful Project Management is a book written by Trevor L Young. It starts by defining success and what it means to various people measuring it. It even takes the reader through the technical terminologies of project management and leads its way through to the steps of managing projects successfully. This book has no more than 30 citations but will be very useful for this research because the Metro Rail project needs to be measured for its success. Success means a very big deal for the projects like Metro as it is being constructed to improve the present infrastructure of a city. Moreover it even uses public funds for its construction; therefore the expectations of return from the stakeholders will be higher than any other private projects. Mass Urban Transportation in India (2008): This journal article helps in shifting focus from the project management literature to understanding the issues in mass urban transportation system, especially in Mumbai. The article is written by Ramakrishna Nallathiga who explains the growth and urbanization of Indian cities and its relation with the development of three modes of transportation i.e. rail, road and water. It tests three different cities for its development in mass transportation systems and gives out recommendations for its growth. The author takes Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad as samples, defines the background of each of these citys transportation systems and tries to prove the importance of developing a robust transport system. Though the paper is not very well written, it can prove beneficial for this research as a source for a lot of valuable data compiled by the author, which would save a lot of valuable time and resources. Evaluation of Public Transport Systems: Case Study of Delhi Metro (2005): As the research gains more depth and focus, the next step will be going through the case studies. Since Mumbai Metro project is yet to be functional it might be difficult to gather all the required data. Also comparing similar Metro Rail projects already constructed in other cities of India can help in getting an idea of the issues faced by the management and examine the factors which can affect Metro Rails success when it starts in Mumbai. This journal article helps creating a literature base of the case studies. There are similarities in the objectives of this journal article and to what this research is trying to find out. The authors Mukti Advani and Geetam Tiwari try to test the success of introducing Metro Rails in three different cities in India. This will assist me in developing a critical vision to inspect the intelligence data and the documents collected from the respective organisations. This document has covered Metro Rail projects in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, two of wh ich shall form to be a part of this research too. Hence, linking this journal article with the Mass Urban Transportation in India article will help in gathering a lot of data and can create a platform to develop arguments once all the documents and intelligence that will be gathered. The academic sources mentioned above can set off this research with a strong base of knowledge and provide direction to further research and analysis of the secondary data and intelligence sources. These four sources are connected to each other in order of which they have provided guidance and focus for the topic of this research. The topic chosen will no doubt have many complexities, which will be systematically dealt with the proper use of research methodology. Research Methodology: This research proposes to look into the complex issues of the transportation system of one of the worlds biggest cities. It focuses mainly upon the upcoming project of Metro Rail in Mumbai and the factors affecting its construction and the problems that might affect its functioning in the future. Gathering secondary data and intelligence would prove insufficient because of the nature of this research. Collecting firsthand information and primary data particularly focussing on this research can actually help in understanding the difficulties faced by the local authorities in implementation of the plans. Hence, most of this research will be conducted in Mumbai where I will as a researcher involve myself as a part of it. Having interest in photography as well, I plan to even take some pictures for the research by myself. The research is related to social science shaping into the path of interpretive paradigm. This approach proves to be beneficial to the research because of various reasons. Interpretivists attempt to minimize the distance between the researcher and what is researched (Collis Hussey, 2009). This helps in accessing and analysing the information and is a part of the researcher himself. However as the participants are human beings, the reality is subjective and multiple depending on their view points. On the other hand it also provides a benefit to the researcher to keep an open mind and think in different directions as per the data collected. It also links to the methodological approach being used to conduct a research. Interpretivism uses an array of methodologies to help the researcher build up on a strong research. This research will be primarily based upon the intelligence such as documents provided by the local transport authorities, newspaper articles, etc. supported by the evidence in academic journals, research papers and books. Document research will be the methodology applied in analyzing Public documents. Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions have setup an initiative known as Right to Information Act, 2005 giving power to the citizens to avail the information published by the State and Central Government Legislation. This would prove beneficial to gain access to the documents related to the project. Mumbai Metro Rail project is the joint venture of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) which is a public body, funded by the Reliance Infrastructure, a public limited company. Familiarizing oneself with these kinds of research materials can be an extremely time consuming activity, mainly because of the vastness and det ail of documents associated with official events and enquiries (Bryman Bell, 2011 p.550). It stands to be the main drawback as it might prove costly in conducting research with limited time. This will need a lot of time management which no doubt is challenging but if followed properly, will turn out to be the main feature of this entire research. The other drawback of document research is the validity and credibility of the data being used. The question of credibility raises the issue of whether or not the documentary source is biased (Bryman Bell, 2011 p.550). At this point of time, intelligence sources like newspapers, websites and magazines will help in confirming the validity and the credibility which might help in getting a clear view of actual scenario. Critical analysis of the public documents will be a priority in conducting this research. The public documents provide a lot of information both qualitative and statistical which would help a great deal in understanding the si tuations in which strategic decisions are made. Kolkata was the first city in India to adopt the Metro rail system. Delhi is also equipped with this system in the recent past. Therefore a case study analysis will also form a part of this research in which the project management of the Metro Rail systems in Kolkata and Delhi will be tested to provide data that will help in suggesting recommendations to the Mumbai metro rail project and build up a strong base of literature for the research. Studying cases of Kolkata and Delhi will also help in understanding the change in the strategic decisions taken over the period of time while undertaking the construction of these projects. This data will be collected from the secondary sources like journal articles or periodicals written by the government authorities to review their decisions taken on a particular project or by the management researchers conducting independent research. This approach will slightly direct the research towards quantitative research methodology. But this method wil l help in acquiring a lot of useful quantitative as well as qualitative data within a very short period of time and within the available resources. Secondary analysis is the analysis of data by researchers who will probably not have been involved in the collection of those data, for purposes that in all likelihood were not envisaged by those responsible for data collection (Bryman Bell, 2011). There are various advantages for using this method of data collection. The most important one is that the data collected will be reliable and of high quality as it will go through rigorous examination and scrutiny being conducted by the organisation itself to analyse their performance. At the same time there will be some drawbacks of using this methodology too. Complexity and lack of familiarity with the data will need some attention while using this research technique (Bryman Bell, 2011). Analysing and filtering the data as per the need of this research will be important to ensure the quali ty of work. This particular research is being carried out for a taught masters dissertation which puts a restriction on the time limit. Taking this research to a further level it would have been interesting to interview people who have worked for this project and also to interview commuters to ask their experience by travelling in Metro. That would have helped in understanding the effort and planning applied by the project managers and also the true success of this project. Time Plan: The main research is planned to be undertaken after the proposal is marked and accepted. As it is planned to be in Mumbai, I will fly back there on the 30th of May 2012. I shall be returning home after almost 10 months, so I wish to take a break and go on vacation with my family for 15 days. From 15th of June 2012, I shall start with the data collection process of my research. I have divided the whole data collection process in two different stages. The first stage will be going to the offices of MMRDA and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and collecting as much data in the form of public documents relevant to the research. The process is quite lengthy and time consuming and shall require a lot of formalities too. Therefore, I have allotted around a months time for the same. I also wish to take some photographs of the site where this project is being constructed. In the meanwhile I will start with the stage two of the data collection process i.e. collecting literature on the Project Management and Managing Transport related projects. After having sufficient literature for the topic and gathering data, I plan to start with analysing the data. From 20th of July, I shall start with the analysis of the data with the help of intelligence sources like websites and newspapers. Simultaneously, I shall even start preparing the drafts of the dissertation. Co-ordinating with my tutor, I shall send my first draft by the first week of August. Once I start writing the dissertation I plan to send drafts to my tutor every 10 days for 3 or 4 times. I have set a deadline of completing the dissertation by the first week of September i.e. before the 9th so that it allows me ample time to get it proof read from my friends who work in organisations as managers themselves and also from professionals/ managers in the Mumbai Metro project if at all they are willing to help me with it. After it is finalized and approved the final copy will be printed and bound before submitting it on t he 25th of September 2012. I even plan to take up a job after going back home, which I look as a potential threat in my research process. But completing my graduation stands as a priority and as much as possible I shall stick to the plan that I have chalked for the entire process. Ethical Consideration: By conducting this research, I accept the responsibility of doing it professionally. I assure that the research shall be within the framing of Basic Research Principles. I also assure to do this research with honesty without abusing or exploiting the trust and knowledge of the respondents. I shall not make any false or misleading statements regarding my own information or my institution of research. There would be no harm, physically or mentally to any of the participant or to those of whom the information is being used. Its findings are unlikely to cause any damage to others who are not involved in it and the participation of the respondents shall thoroughly be voluntary. I ensure that the research shall be designed, carried out, reported and documented accurately, transparently and objectively. I take the responsibility of producing this research in limits and framework designed for research practice. The research will not use any kind of controversial interviews or questionnaires which could breach the personal space or integrity of the participant. The case studies and articles used to gather secondary data and samples will not be misrepresented in anyways and will be purely used to give out positive effects towards the research and society. This research will not violate any community standards by any means. (Source: www.esomar.org [online]).