Bae Assignment

BAE Business Case Study Submitted by: Susan Pacheco April 17, 2013 Table of Contents Part 1: Executive Summary3 Part 2: Main Issue4 Part 3: Systemic Issues4 Leadership & Project Management issues4 Political Pressure to Fast-Track Project5 Design Issues5 Communication Breakdowns6 City Involvement (Delays)6 BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)6 Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis7 Qualitative Analysis:7 Project Management7 People (Unqualified):8 Build-Design8 Economic & Political Considerations8 Success with United Airlines9 Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options:9 Alternative A9Alternative B11 Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation11 Recommendation:11 Recommendations Implementation Plan:12 Part 7: Monitor and Control:13 Part 8: Conclusion:13 Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes13 Part 1: Executive Summary In order to address the immediate issue of the letter received by the City Mayor holding us responsible for the delay of the new baggage system by charging BAE a penalty of $12k/day backdated to October 29, 1993 and also requesting a charge back for the $50M tug-and-cart baggage backup system, immediate action and priority needs to be given to address this accusation.A prompt analysis of our project plan and missed milestones with reasons and factual data is critical in defending our position. We need to prove where certain milestones outside our control were missed and the domino effect it created and where dependencies to our commitments were broken and by whom. There were many points at which we voiced our concerns on the project delays and access issues that further hindered our ability to perform but no one took responsibility or acknowledged the delay.In addition, the Build-Design approach has in itself created many hurdles and time delays outside our control as well as created unfavourable working conditions that were unsustainable for our teams. Our current situation is a mere symptom of a lack of a proper project management s tructure and qualified personnel at DIA. Also lack of sponsorship by the city Mayor has created silos and a negative effect on the project flow. The build-design approach is one of the biggest issues but with proper management it can be overcome.Based on BAE’s experience and successful past projects, we can confidently recommend a new structure that has worked in past projects. Given that history I feel we need to propose a drastic change to DIA’s Project Management team and propose a new structure which includes a new Project Manager to oversee the entire project team, appointment of additional team members (see Appendix 1) and new hires with the right skill sets. See Appendix 2 to see RACI Matrix proposal.The proposal is to continue with the new airport wide baggage system implementation only under the condition that DIA restructure their project management team and obtains sponsorship from the City Mayor and Aviation Director. A team approach must be understood by a ll parties involved as there are too many moving parts and it is impossible to expect BAE to independently manage all moving parts for what is out of our control especially with a Build-Design plan.This new platform will allow BAE and DIA’s members to educate, make timely critical decisions, identify risks and critical milestones and hold members accountable for their respective roles. Assuming our proposal is accepted, the overall expected timing from initial contact to identifying risks under the new team structure is 9 weeks. With this plan, a backup system would not be required, thereby avoiding this $50M additional cost. The seriousness of this accusation would put BAE at permanent financial risk if not bankruptcy.Promptness and priority in handling this situation is critical. Beyond the financial impact, there is also the reputation BAE has always enjoyed as being a leader in the marketplace worldwide can also have a negative effect on current and future projects with o ther institutions. Part 2: Main Issue City of Denver issued a penalty request of $12k/day backdated to original start-up completion date of October 29, 1993 including a $50 M charge back for a tug-and-cart baggage backup system. This main issue is a result of the systemic issues which are listed below. Part 3: Systemic IssuesLeadership & Project Management issues Shared leadership between city of Denver & Consultant team created many inefficiencies, duplicate work and lack of real ownership. Additionally no organizational structure change at DIA was ever made to accommodate this new baggage system project. Further complicating the matter was the communication channels and roles between city, PMT and consultants were not defined or controlled. All were working in silos. Engineers are inefficiently creating piles of change documentation that are not really managed or communicated.Waste of time just to cover their tracks. There is NO real qualified Project Manager to oversee the entire project and bridge the gap between DIA and their top Carriers United & Continental, City Council and BAE. We have been expected to manage the project with everyone working in their silos with no real support or team goal or management as a whole. In order to keep things moving along, we need a DIA counterpart to produce engineering alternatives and make quick decisions on cost, alternatives, scheduling etc.Currently there are too many chefs in the kitchen with no real one person in charge. They had to balance project administration political and social responsibilities. The Working Area 4 Managers that was assigned to us have no experience in airport construction, baggage system technologies or new technologies, their main experience is in construction project control management. As such they don’t know how to properly support our requests and needs to keep the project going forward.In addition to this since there is no project manager in charge and lack of proper structure we have to liaise with and to obtain feedback from each Concourse Senior manager and Main terminal manager. It is apparent that they each operate independently making any agreement difficult as we need to transcend the decisions and get agreement across all four managers. It is apparent that they each are making independant decisions and trying to tie them all together is very difficult. This creates further bottlenecks for us.Lack of a designated project manager to oversee and manage inputs/outputs from the City, DIA and BAE created a painful process, hurt relationships and lack of accountability and control. Head of DIA project resigned and death of Chief Airport Engineer Walter Slinger (Oct. 1992), a strong proponent of the baggage system and closely involved in negotiations with us had a significant impact on the project. He was a decisive, empowered decision maker who knew how to address problems and get them resolved promptly. His successor Gail Edmond was not successful in ca rrying ut the same duties as she was much less experienced and lacked the autonomy, experience and guts to make much needed quick decisions. Her hands were tied with red tape and took much longer to make any decisions. Overall we had a poor relationship with the management team who had no prior baggage handling competence or experience. The project was mainly treated as a major public works project resulting in a lack of support when we needed it for any of our complaints on timing, access etc†¦ Political Pressure to Fast-Track ProjectThere were many factors that influenced and pressured this project to a fast-track pace which had some resulting serious consequences both in delays and cost. This pushed the project into a Build-Design project which had created some major delays and cost increases. Some of the other influencing factors are as follows: * DBO Date of Beneficial Occupancy payback date of January 1, 1994 * Project Management Team pressured to push project ahead at al l cost due to long periods of assessment, negotiation and final approvals. Political pressure from Mayor to force project through a fast-track for their own political stature gain and public optics Design Issues The decision to install a new large scale airport-wide baggage system came after the building design was already determined and we were faced with fully defined project specs which underplayed the importance and significance of some important requirements of a baggage system (space, electrical power needs, building structure requirements, ventilation and air conditioning to dissipate) These issues created further bottlenecks and delays in our implementation.Further delays and changes resulted from DIA’s lack of consulting with and conducting a needs assessment with their two top carriers United & Continental which accounted for more than 70% of passenger traffic prior to project start. Their needs were never incorporated into the initial design and program, as a resul t further changes were requested to design and software just 6 months prior to the needed opening date. We had to deal with this even though the mechanical and software designs were supposed to be frozen. Communication BreakdownsWe communicated to United we would need 1 more year to get system up and running but no one listened nor was the message passed along to DIA or the City. We also at many points tried to engage DIA about the delays, access issues and construction bottlenecks that was causing direct delays in our work and we were not given precedent or access when needed. Infact the attitude was that these construction workers were not reporting to BAE to have to listen. City Involvement (Delays) Law restrictions forcing 30% of minority-owned firms and 6% women.This law forced us to forgo our original proposal of using our own qualified employees in lieu of external outside contractors which estimated an increased cost of approximately 60%. Some of our expertise was lost due t o this fact in addition to causing further delays to our project. In Sept. 1993 we went into maintenance negotiations which lead to a 2 day strike of 300 millwrights that was joined by 200 electricians over a $8/hr delta pay dispute. We lost the maintenance contract as well as a 2 day delay. BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)The conditions and milestones we placed upon accepting the job was not respected by the city or adhered to, nor was there any provisions made to address issues along the way. ( i. e. freeze dates for mechanical design, software design, power requirements and the like, all around access, timely completion of certain areas, provision of permanent power, computer rooms†¦ these were all set as milestones in our project plan. The city had agreed to these conditions with unrestricted access with priority for BAE equipment yet we didn’t even have reasonable access.For example: * Electricians had to leave work where concrete grinders were creati ng clouds of dust, * Fumes from chemical sealants forced others to flea * Trucks blocking and restricting * Design Freeze dates not adhered to: Airlines requested changes to system designing even though mechanical/software designs were frozen. (6 months prior to opening airport, still moving equipment around, changing controls and software design! * Energy issues – City unable to supply â€Å"clean† electricity to the baggage system. Motors and circuitry used in system extremely sensitive to power surges and fluctuations.Filters were purchased to correct the problem and a City Worker cancelled a contract without realising that the filters were part of it. Filters arrived several months later in March 1994. 1. Construction already begun on terminal and concourses with substantial changes needed on construction to accommodate expanded system. We wrote a letter to city (Jan, 29, 1995) to request prompt action advising of inability to complete project under these condition s with no response or support. Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis Qualitative Analysis:BAE is a highly qualified with a revered reputation, experienced in projects across the US, Europe and Australia in the development, design, manufacture and install and support of every project it undertook from start to finish. We established a strong position in the US accounting for about 90% of U. S. baggage sorting equipment sales. Since 1972 – 1994 we had successfully designed, manufactured and installed nearly 70 automated baggage handling systems worth almost $50M at major airports in the US, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Newark and Pittsburgh.We also consulted in the installation of a $550M terminal for the New Seoul Metropolitan Airport in South Korea. Given our successful history and past accomplishments, it is without a doubt that our management capabilities and expertise in handling various types of projects, with various types of people a nd countries, proves our commitment, capabilities and expertise in handling complex variables and situations for every project we undertake. Knowing the strategic importance and complexity of this particular project, we had agreed to take on the project only upon acceptance of certain conditions which was accepted by the City.Many of these conditions were not honored throughout the process causing unnecessary delays, additional costs, strained relationships both with the City and DIA management and hurt our reputation Project Management Lack of communication, ownership and project management both at DIA & the City of Denver was the source of this pivotal problem. Since the contract was awarded by the City, they were responsible to enforce the compliance of the agreed upon conditions and communicate and enforce these conditions to DIA and their employees.In turn DIA did not have a specific Project manager to oversee the entire project as a whole and to act as a liaison between us, th e City and their Carriers. Instead we were forced to deal with their respective â€Å"Area† managers one on one which was counterproductive, time consuming and ineffective. We also had to deal with direct changes from the Carriers themselves which further haulted our project. We were setup for failure given the lack of direction and control at DIA’s side and the City’s dogmatic approach to making decisions.For a project of this magnitude, there was no consideration made to employ either Key Managers or Project Manager to oversee, manage and liaise between the three concourse areas. This created some major gaps and no one was there to keep the pulse on the project itself. This was not implemented thus creating a gap in communication, a silo-type attitude amongst decision makers creating no support-system for the major role we played in this implementation. It was apparent that roles between the City, PMT at DIA and Consultants were not defined or controlled.Every one was working in silos. People (Unqualified): In addition to the management issues, our Assigned Area 4 Managers, lacked the experience in airport construction and baggage system technologies, therefore could not understand the importance and properly support our needs nonetheless handle our requests in a prompt manor. In order to keep things moving along, we needed a DIA counterpart who would be able to produce engineering alternatives and have the autonomy to make decisions. The death of DIA’s Chief Airport Engineer, Walter Slinger created significant impact to our operations as he was decisive and addressed problems promptly. This was an important critical role required for the success of this project. His successor, Gail Edmond lacked the experience, know-how, decision making capabilities and autonomy that further haulted the process. Build-Design The Political pressure to fast-track this project lead to a Build-Design approach to this airport construction which caused many unknown risks and design issues that we had to deal with upon commencement.We were unaware of the construction scope and details to be able to fully understand the scope of the project before undertaking. This also lead to a reactive vs. proactive planning. This posed many unknown risks, changes and modifications to our plans along the way. The instability of this process created many points of change, delays and cost additions and we did our best to manage what was in our control. The point is that many of these delays were NOT within our control, nor did we have any support from the city to enforce DIA’s construction project to meet our agreed upon milestones to meet our own obligations.Economic & Political Considerations The economy in mid 1980’s was plummeting with a 37% job loss average across Stapeltons Employment Industries. The Pena administration aggressively promoted the airport relocation, marketing the new airport as a technologically advanced, state-o f-the – art structure to draw businesses, import federal capital and fund the creation of new jobs with bonded debts to overcome the short-term decline in the economy. It was to become a grand project that would be the main showcase for the Public Works Department.The relationship between BAE and the City was strained primarily because their focus was on airport project speed and bond re-payment and not on the project itself. They were motivated by their own public perception in the political realm. Their â€Å"hands-off† approach was detrimental in the success of this project and served more as a crutch and hinderance. When it came to asking for support it felt like they were working against us and not with us. Their strength was not in project management but they had the power to make key decisions which influenced and affected our overall success.The added pressure of paying the DBO by Jan 1, 1994 forced quick management decisions, early construction without a full scope analysis and risk mitigation not just with BAE but also with DIA. Forced the Build-Design approach which inherently greatly affected our ability to succeed given the lack of adherence to the agreed conditions. Success with United Airlines Once the contract was signed with United exclusively things went smoothly. The successful implementation of the baggage system with United highlighted what was lacking in dealing with DIA and City directly.The success highlighted and confirmed our ability to manage the project with a partner who understood the technical and project management needs. Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options: Alternative A Continue with the contract for installing the baggage handling system conditional upon the following restructuring & requirements: Hiring of new qualified members at DIA. 1. DIA to hire a dedicated qualified Project Manager for the baggage handling system overall project with prior project management experience.One whom understands the key tasks, key players has a strong construction and technological background with project management skills to document, track, address and facilitate the communications between all DIA parties and that of BAE and City Administration. A clear definition of this person’s role, decision-making authority and sponsorship by Senior Management is critical. 2. DIA to hire a new Chief Airport Engineer with strong decision making and leadership skills with the autonomy to make decisions and propose Gail Edmond work under him/her as Chief Associate Engineer. . The new Project Manager’s goal is to gather all appropriate key stakeholders as proposed in Appendix 1 to conduct 3 main initial sessions with all key stakeholders (*see Appendix 1) to: I. Conduct a full risk assessment whereby identifying all risks, prioritise them, have an action plan to mitigate some of them, formulate contingency plans and assign responsible persons to manage the risks. II. Establish a Project Objective Statemen t, and Create a new project master plan, III.Team member establishment: Establish who key players are, their strengths, weaknesses, outlining roles and create a RACI matrix *See Appendix 2 for DIA, BAE, and City for roles and responsibilities for all planning and execution tasks of the project 4. City to hire or appoint a qualified Liaison with construction, engineering and or technical background experience who is solely assigned to this project with no other conflicting priorities with the autonomy to make decisions.This person’s role is to ensure that legislation doesn’t interfere or adversely cause timing risks to the project plan and expedite issues/roadblocks when they arise between DIA, BAE and the city. This proposal is supported by the fact that our design has proven it will work given the proper management setup framework as demonstrated by our successful implemention of the new baggage handling system with United Airlines. The current lack of the â€Å"righ t† project team members will be addressed by this new proposed structure. With the right sponsorship and roject management setup, this will encourage all to be on the same page and working towards the same goal. The added benefit of this is that timelines will be clear and visible and will hold those truly responsible for delays in their respective areas and help them and all team members understand the domino affect and impact it can have on the entire project as a whole. This will discourage the current work â€Å"silo† mentality and will promote an integrated meeting of the minds where risks and opportunities for improvement can be quickly identified, communicated and cascaded to the right people.This will also ensure that the right decision makers are present to make judgement calls on plan changes as they come along and not further hold up the process. This should put the plan back on target and give us a working plan going forward where all key players are informe d, consulted and responsible for outcomes. The cost of setting up this new structure is by far a more economical way to get the task done without the added financial burden of creating a new â€Å"backup† system. Pros: * Renewed Focus on project with key roles and responsibilities outlined set’s clear goals, accountability and ownership. Address risks and enable the team to mitigate them * Clear direction and leadership by all stakeholders and their inputs * Expedite critical milestones and ensure we are on the path * Maintain reputation * No further $ investment for backup system Cons: * New hires required Alternative B Cancel the contract with Denver. Discontinue involvement in any further development unless directly contracted by Carriers. Pros: * Focus on core business Cons * Damaged reputation for BAE * Litigation costs * $12k / day penalty Law suit risk – Pay back of $50M Baggage system backup plan Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation Recommendation: Based on my analysis the strategic impact of cancelling the project at this point would further create a bad reputation for BAE, especially considering the current damage already made to BAE by the unsolicited test plan executed by the mayor and the bad press that has already caused. The decision to continue with the project conditional upon a new team structure is a reasonable request given our past successful history and project management expertise.I feel that we have a strong argument for our position backed up by facts that are undeniable and can thus prove our innocence and lack of responsibility for the delay. This will prove to be a sensitive topic as it appears that it is easier to blame us for the delays. With a mutual understanding about the current situation, I believe it will be easier to convince the Mayor and Aviation director the value the new structure would bring and that a new backup system is not the answer and would cause unnecessary further financial burden, h urt relationships and bad press which no one wants.The success of BAE in installing United’s baggage system will be highlighted as an example of the right team structure and how we can achieve the same if we are united in the goal and agree to this plan. Recommendations Implementation Plan: Some of the short term elements of the recommendations are already completed or in progress such as building our case / position with regards to reasons for the delays. The following outlines the steps required to make this happen. Task| Responsible| Timing| Build case.Engage with Project Manager BAE to identify original plan & milestones and detailed reasons for incomplete tasks. Prepare PPT presentation with key dataWrite back to City Mayor, acknowledging letter and request for a formal meeting to present response with a set date. | BAE Project MgrBAE AdminGene DiFonso| 3 days2 days1 day| Invite to meet with DIA Director of Aviation to present challenges/issues faced throughout the proje ct and the delay outcome. Explain the current position we are in with regards to the city’s demands with the objective to gain support for the new proposed structure. Gene DiFonso| 1 day fixed| Invite DIA Director of Aviation & City Mayor to formal meeting to present project delay reasons/issues & recommendation for continuation of project with recommended structure| Gene DiFonso| 1 day (fixed)| Prepare & Present the proposed structure and Project Team Method Matrix and explain it’s criticality and past effectiveness in other successful projects and why this is necessary even if a backup baggage system is implemented | Gene DiFonso| 3 days| Assume DIA’s buy – in and that it takes DIA 1 month to hire Project Manager and restructure the Project Management Team| Director of Aviation| 30 days| Work with new Project Management Team to identify construction risks that interfere with our design/implementation plans & come up with alternate solutions. | Gene DiFo nso & PMT| 1 week| Develop new Strategy with new key Milestones | Gene DiFonso, | 2 weeks| Obtain Buy-In & Committment from key stakeholders| City Mayor, Director of Aviation| 1 day (fixed| | Total| 9 weeks| 1st Meeting with new Project Team Members| | | | | | Any critical changes to the original plans will be reported promptly to DIA Project Manager and voiced in Team Meetings. Any critical plan changes will equire Sponsor sign offs (acknowledgment and approval of change to plan for reasons outside BAE’s control) before BAE continues with implementation. Part 7: Monitor and Control: * Weekly internal meetings with BAE’s project management team will be conducted to keep pulse on project timelines and areas of risk. * Attend weekly Project Meeting Team meetings to identify risks, action items, schedule changes and react to them. * Submit bi-weekly reports on status to key sponsors & stakeholders. * Hold monthly review meetings with Sponsors Part 8: Conclusion: In conclu sion, the current difficulties we are experiencing with DIA and City Administration has served as a costly example of lack of poor management structure for a project of this magnitude.Our past successes can speak for itself in approaching DIA and City Mayor for their support to the new proposal based on our experience. If this new approach is accepted, this will save BAE millions of dollars in lawsuits and cost of new baggage system as charged by the City Mayor. The optics of getting back on track, having a strong management team and continuing with the original plan will serve in favour of all, the Mayor, our shareholders, as well as redeem our own reputation as leaders in the market. We will then be positioned without a tarnished brand and enjoy further growth opportunities. Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes Appendix 1 – New Project Management Team Structure Appendix 2 – RACI Matrix example (for initial phase) of new structure

Atomic Structure

The Rutherford Model of the Atom 1. In 1911 Rutherford proposed the nuclear model of atomic structure. He suggested that an atom consists of a central nucleus (where most of the mass of the atom is concentrated) having a positive charge, surrounded by moving electrons carrying negative charge. Geiger and Marsden carried out an experiment to verify his proposal. The Geiger/Marsden a Particle Scattering Experiment 1. The apparatus is illustrated in the diagram below. | 2. The apparatus was in an evacuated container. The detector was a ZnS screen observed through a low power microscope. Each time an alpha particle hit the screen, a small flash of light was produced. 3. The detector was mounted on a support such that it could be rotated to measure the angular deflection of the alpha particles as they passed through a very thin sheet of gold. They measured the numbers of particles deflected through various angles. 4. It was found that most of ? particles pass through the gold undeflected; only a relatively small number are deflected (scattered). 5. Their results were considered to confirm Rutherford’s model and allowed them to estimate the size of the nucleus (greater than 10-14m) and the size of the atom (greater than10-10m), thus producing the slightly surprising conclusion the most of the space occupied by an atom is empty space! Closest Approach of an Alpha Particle to a Nucleus 1. For a given speed of alpha particle, the closest approach to a nucleus, rmin, will occur when the initial direction of motion of the particle is along the line joining the centers of particle and nucleus. 2. In this case, at the point of closest approach, the speed of the particle is zero. 3. As the particle approaches the nucleus, kinetic energy is being converted to electrical potential energy. K. E. lost = E. P. E. gained| 4. Electrical potential at a distance r from a point charge Q is given by | 5. For a nucleus of atomic number Z, the charge is Ze, where e is the magnitude of the charge on one proton (the same as the magnitude of the charge on an electron). 6. The magnitude of the charge on an alpha particle is 2e 7. Therefore, the energy, w, possessed by an alpha particle placed at distance, rmin, from a charge Ze is given by | 8. So, we have | which gives | Millikan’s Experiment to Measure the Charge on one Electron 1. The diagram below is a very simplified representation of Millikan’s apparatus. | 2. Small drops of oil were allowed to fall into a region between two metal plates, (the top plate had a hole in it). 3. Some of the drops became charged by friction. Further ionization was caused by a beam of x rays. 4. Millikan measured the terminal speed of a drop as it fell through the air, with V = 0. From this he could calculate the radius of the drop (and hence it’s mass). He then applied a voltage, V, to the plates and measured the new terminal speed of the same drop. 5. The change in the terminal speed of the drop was used to calculate the magnitude of the charge on the drop. 6. When many measurements had been done, all the charges were found to be integral multiples of a basic unit of charge, assumed to be the charge on one electron. 7. The value, e, is approximately -1. 6? 10-19 C. 8. A simplified version of Millikan’s experiment can be done by finding the voltage needed to just hold an oil drop stationary between the two plates. 9. Consider a drop having a charge q and mass m. | 10. If the drop is stationary, then the two forces acting on it have equal magnitudes. where E is the field strength. 11. Now, , where d is the distance between the plates, Therefore The Electron Volt (eV) 1. The electron Volt is a unit of work (or energy) much smaller than the Joule. 2. If 1electron moves through a potential difference of 1V then 1eV of work is done. Relation between the Joule and the electron Volt 1. Potential difference is work done per unit charge so, . 1 J is the work done when 1C moves through a p. d. of 1V. 2. The charge on one electron is -1. 6? 10-19 C. 3. Therefore 1eV is the work done when 1 ·6? 10-19C moves through a p. d. of 1V. This means that . 4. To convert energy in J to energy in eV, Experiment to measure the Charge to Mass Ratio of Electrons 1. The method proposed here is similar to that used by J. J. Thomson in 1897. Electrons in an evacuated tube (a â€Å"cathode ray tube†) are sent towards a region of space where there are electric and magnetic fields at 90 ° to each other. If the field strengths have a particular ratio then charged particles can pass through them undeflected. | | | 2. In the following analysis | | | V = voltage accelerating the electrons and producing the electric field between the plates| | v = speed of the electrons| | m = mass of one electron and e = charge on one electron| | E = electric field strength (E = where d = distance between plates)| | B = magnetic flux density| 3. If the electrons pass undeflected (magnitude of electric force equal to magnitude of magnetic force), then it can easily be shown that | 4. To find the speed of the electrons, remember that during acceleration the electrons are losing electric P. E. and gaining K. E. | | E. P. E. lost = K. E. gained| eV = 5. Therefore, | | | 6. Combining equations 1 and 2 to eliminate v gives, | | | | 7. Thus, using his experimental apparatus, Thomson was able to determine the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron. Today, the accepted value of is C kg-1. Atomic Structure The Rutherford Model of the Atom 1. In 1911 Rutherford proposed the nuclear model of atomic structure. He suggested that an atom consists of a central nucleus (where most of the mass of the atom is concentrated) having a positive charge, surrounded by moving electrons carrying negative charge. Geiger and Marsden carried out an experiment to verify his proposal. The Geiger/Marsden a Particle Scattering Experiment 1. The apparatus is illustrated in the diagram below. | 2. The apparatus was in an evacuated container. The detector was a ZnS screen observed through a low power microscope. Each time an alpha particle hit the screen, a small flash of light was produced. 3. The detector was mounted on a support such that it could be rotated to measure the angular deflection of the alpha particles as they passed through a very thin sheet of gold. They measured the numbers of particles deflected through various angles. 4. It was found that most of ? particles pass through the gold undeflected; only a relatively small number are deflected (scattered). 5. Their results were considered to confirm Rutherford’s model and allowed them to estimate the size of the nucleus (greater than 10-14m) and the size of the atom (greater than10-10m), thus producing the slightly surprising conclusion the most of the space occupied by an atom is empty space! Closest Approach of an Alpha Particle to a Nucleus 1. For a given speed of alpha particle, the closest approach to a nucleus, rmin, will occur when the initial direction of motion of the particle is along the line joining the centers of particle and nucleus. 2. In this case, at the point of closest approach, the speed of the particle is zero. 3. As the particle approaches the nucleus, kinetic energy is being converted to electrical potential energy. K. E. lost = E. P. E. gained| 4. Electrical potential at a distance r from a point charge Q is given by | 5. For a nucleus of atomic number Z, the charge is Ze, where e is the magnitude of the charge on one proton (the same as the magnitude of the charge on an electron). 6. The magnitude of the charge on an alpha particle is 2e 7. Therefore, the energy, w, possessed by an alpha particle placed at distance, rmin, from a charge Ze is given by | 8. So, we have | which gives | Millikan’s Experiment to Measure the Charge on one Electron 1. The diagram below is a very simplified representation of Millikan’s apparatus. | 2. Small drops of oil were allowed to fall into a region between two metal plates, (the top plate had a hole in it). 3. Some of the drops became charged by friction. Further ionization was caused by a beam of x rays. 4. Millikan measured the terminal speed of a drop as it fell through the air, with V = 0. From this he could calculate the radius of the drop (and hence it’s mass). He then applied a voltage, V, to the plates and measured the new terminal speed of the same drop. 5. The change in the terminal speed of the drop was used to calculate the magnitude of the charge on the drop. 6. When many measurements had been done, all the charges were found to be integral multiples of a basic unit of charge, assumed to be the charge on one electron. 7. The value, e, is approximately -1. 6? 10-19 C. 8. A simplified version of Millikan’s experiment can be done by finding the voltage needed to just hold an oil drop stationary between the two plates. 9. Consider a drop having a charge q and mass m. | 10. If the drop is stationary, then the two forces acting on it have equal magnitudes. where E is the field strength. 11. Now, , where d is the distance between the plates, Therefore The Electron Volt (eV) 1. The electron Volt is a unit of work (or energy) much smaller than the Joule. 2. If 1electron moves through a potential difference of 1V then 1eV of work is done. Relation between the Joule and the electron Volt 1. Potential difference is work done per unit charge so, . 1 J is the work done when 1C moves through a p. d. of 1V. 2. The charge on one electron is -1. 6? 10-19 C. 3. Therefore 1eV is the work done when 1 ·6? 10-19C moves through a p. d. of 1V. This means that . 4. To convert energy in J to energy in eV, Experiment to measure the Charge to Mass Ratio of Electrons 1. The method proposed here is similar to that used by J. J. Thomson in 1897. Electrons in an evacuated tube (a â€Å"cathode ray tube†) are sent towards a region of space where there are electric and magnetic fields at 90 ° to each other. If the field strengths have a particular ratio then charged particles can pass through them undeflected. | | | 2. In the following analysis | | | V = voltage accelerating the electrons and producing the electric field between the plates| | v = speed of the electrons| | m = mass of one electron and e = charge on one electron| | E = electric field strength (E = where d = distance between plates)| | B = magnetic flux density| 3. If the electrons pass undeflected (magnitude of electric force equal to magnitude of magnetic force), then it can easily be shown that | 4. To find the speed of the electrons, remember that during acceleration the electrons are losing electric P. E. and gaining K. E. | | E. P. E. lost = K. E. gained| eV = 5. Therefore, | | | 6. Combining equations 1 and 2 to eliminate v gives, | | | | 7. Thus, using his experimental apparatus, Thomson was able to determine the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron. Today, the accepted value of is C kg-1.

Bullying and Individual Person

Argumentative Essay on Bullying Bullying is a constant problem in schools today. It starts off with annoying comments, but esculates up to more severe matters. A lot of us have seen it happen, and a lot of us know how it feels. No one likes being bullied. People look at it as ignorant kids,but bullies are truly criminals,stealing other human-beings self-esteem and at times people end their lives. First of all, bullying is a crime, because of the serious effects and impact it can have on a individual person.And once a person has been robbed of their self-esteem they can suffer from mental and physical problems, drop out of school and mabey even comiit suicide. Many people today can still recall them humiliating days at the hands of their class bully, mainly because bullies usually don’t operate alone. They usually sycophantic the person which means(making their victims attempt to win them over or be a personal flunky so they would stop bullying them.Bullies are everywhere in sm all communities, big communities,parks,mall,streets,but most of all bullies are found at school. Bullies gain control over other kids by physical attacks, punching,kicking and choking for instance. Another form of control is emotional attacks like insults,name calling,spreading rumors and threats. Social attacks are a form of bullying that singlr out kids in of groups of others. The horrible events can start for many reasons including jelousy,gender bias or rasicm;it isn’t right.They terrorize and and harass their victims, ripping apart their self-esteem and attacking their insecurities until the unthinkable happen; violence or even tragic. People often think that bullies don’t see the effects of their actions, or that they don’t understand what they are doing to others. The thing is, bullies don’t understand what they are doing. Whether the bullies are kids are adults, they know its wrong. Bullying someone is abuse. What are we to do, send half of Americ ans to jail?Half of American kids wont end up in jail because they have other alternatives. For instance, bullies could be required to do community service,thearopy, or be shown a prison to show them what they future could be. In addition, parents, schools, and kids need to work together. The problems wont resolve on their own. We need to look at the facts of each situation and take the right hand to solve the problems right. We need to stand up to bullies and not them rip us out our self-esteem.Bullies must face some kind of consequence for all the tortur they did. What I would do is take them to Louisiana state prison and let them see what a real bully life is like. When I interviewed a student who got bullied a few times, he said he really didn’t care what happen to the bully, he just wished he wasn’t born. That’s the type of ways some bully victims feel, which is bad. So we got to stop this. I think one good trip to Louisiana state prison would be rally good for each bully we catch. It would show them what a real bully is.

Clinical Research Article for Publication in Journal - 1

Clinical Research for Publication in Journal - Article Example Based on the findings, the study discusses and creates a connection between compliance, schizophrenia and the existing effects on male recovery process. Furthermore, the research seeks to establish routing causes of non-compliance in the attempt to create the connection. In the field of medicine, compliance also known as capacitance, adherence, or Concordance is the degree and willingness to which a patient suitably follows medical prescriptions from health professionals. Ordinarily, it refers to drug compliance, but the vast medical field can also attribute it to other situations such as medical equipment use, self-directed training, self care or psychological sessions (Fadem, 2014, p. 106). Notably, compliance is a tricky situation affected by both the patient and the health-care giver. Arguably, a positive physician-patient rapport is the most imperative factor in re-shaping compliance; nonetheless the soaring cost of prescription medication also contributes a major role (McEvoy, 2006, p. 16). In many circumstances, compliance gets confused with concordance; however, the latter remains the course by which a healthcare provider and patient make decisions together regarding a treatment process. Chief barriers to conformity include poor health liter acy, ethnicity, age difference, the complexity of contemporary medication regimens, course completion, and lack of conception to treatment benefits. Concurrently, cases of non-discussed percussions, poor communication and high cost of prescription medicine greatly affect compliance. Undeniably, efforts to positively transform compliance aims at simplifying prescription packaging, initiating effective medication reminders, improving patient instruction, and reducing the number of simultaneous medications. Globally, non-compliance is a foremost impediment to the successful delivery of

Social network marketing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social network marketing - Literature review Example Thus, in this customer-oriented financial system, companies are trying to discover additional money-making methods to promote their business services and products-line, access existing clients, and make new users/clients across the business boundaries (Phillips et al., 2010). In addition, social networking websites facilitate users to communicate with people who exchange or distribute similar ideas or information. Although these websites were originally produced to assist social associations, dealers are recognizing the prospect of these sites to offer the mechanisms to encourage valuable services and products of business. In this scenario, a very popular social networking website in the U.S. is Facebook, which comprises more than 500 million worldwide users. Additionally, the social networking websites similar to Facebook, Flickr and MySpace have turned into a well-liked method to distribute and publicize web based material. Their huge fame has directed to viral marketing methodolog ies that try to offer useful content, services, effective products and thoughts through these social networking websites.

Two Strategy Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Strategy Questions - Assignment Example In the measurement stage, the products output were measured according to the set out expected performance. Analyze phase considered the merits and demerits of the products. Orkut was a social media platform which did well in some countries, but not as compared to Facebook. Google translate enabled users to search for information in different languages, though the languages were insufficient. Google earth pictures were vague and one could not see the directions in case of difficulty. Gmail application was a computer web based operation and due to technology changes, users suggested a mobile version. Lastly, Picasa enabled users to store and edit their photos online. The improve stage saw major shake ups in Google internal operations. The social network Orkut was scrapped due to low numbers. Google translate was added forty more different translation languages. Sky, ocean, Google map and navigation were also included on Google earth to improve the quality and features from the satellite. Mobile Gmail was introduced for all wap enabled phones. For mass Google presence on the internet and entertainment industry, it purchased the reowned video streaming company, you tube. Google controls its operations through the use of feedback from its users to avoid their dissatisfaction. Feedback is collected by Google employees who work in teams for efficiency. The changes in internal operations are effective as Google has managed to stay at the top after continuous improvements. Changes from way back have yielded extreme profits over the years in Google, and therefore, improvements in internal operations are vital. Corporate culture is the accepted norms, values and systems that define an organization and undertaken to meet its objectives. Corporate culture helps strategy execution in a number of ways. First, it fosters innovation. If an

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Education - Essay Example In contrast to such medicinal procedures Eastern medicine in some cases support the use of acupuncture and may even reduce stress. Effects of acupuncture would not be explained through traditional medical models and patients have experienced stress reduction by using acupuncture. The physiological effects of acupuncture can also be theoretically supported with evidence and in this essay I would argue which model of philosophy best fits in with our own belief systems and how this claim could be justified or established. The focus here is thus on differentiating and yet finding common grounds between constructivist and positivist philosophies. The similarities and differences of these two systems of thought could be highlighted not only with regard to stress but several other examples could be used to show exactly where these two systems vary and how they would differ. Positivism relies on strict scientific method and empirical understanding of events. Advocated by Comte, Popper and by scientists, positivism was considered as the most important approach to philosophy of science that could bring about scientific progress with natural or material approaches defined or understood empirically (Mill, 1993). Positivism is generally considered as the scientific method as science is based on certain statements which are empirically testable and verifiable (Morris, 2006). The logical structure and coherence of these statements would make a phenomenon scientifically explicable and only then this would be accepted as explaining the events of the world. Positivism being the best scientific explanation is also closely related to reductionism which shows how one type of entity would be reducible to another. The basis of positivism would relate to quantitative and objective measurement of the events or phenomena studied. Scientific information is thus informatio n that can be quantified and objectively studied. Apart from

A policy dictating mandatory marriage classes before couples get Essay - 1

A policy dictating mandatory marriage classes before couples get married should be introduced - Essay Example This method is expressive and therefore I found it most appropriate for my work. It gives me room to express the project using figures, diagrams, tables, different colouration and symbols. The mode of presentation has a big room for creativity which allows the presentation of the work to be lively, attractive and entertaining. Some of the pictorials added to the presentations are very expressive and helps the reader to understand well the explanation made in the presentation. This mode also makes the work appear smart and memorable to the audience. Because of this attractiveness, the audience is more likely to be attentive to the presentation when it is made. My project is directed especially to policy makers at all levels. This is because this is a presentation which is building up support for an enactment of a policy therefore I need to convince the policy makers that this is a good policy for the society. There are other bodies which may care about this policy and thus about this presentation. The church is one of such bodies. In most churches divorce is discouraged and therefore church leaders may find this policy worth adopting in their policies. It is important for the government to formulate a new policy, one which will require couples to take mandatory marriage classes before they officially get married. This move will minimize the ever-rising cases of divorce and all the negativity and pain that are associated with it. In this presentation, the need and urgency for the institution of this policy is shown. This is done by showing that the causes of divorce can be handled if proper counseling is carried out. It is noted, with a lot of concern, that in first five years of marriage many couples opt for divorce. This is especially the trend for those who marry when they are young. A number of misconceptions about marriage are associated with this trend. Different states are making

Service Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Management Paper - Essay Example The aspect of services marketing involves greater challenge considering the intangible nature of the offering. Efficient service management includes not only handling the regular aspects of the product mix but to also effectively manage the aspects of People, Process and Physical Evidence that are the most critical aspects of service marketing (Jack, 2005, p.177). In order to remain sustainable and profitable in the market it is very essential to create a distinction in these aspects in order to emerge as a formidable player in the market. Business organizations are spending huge amounts of monetary as well as human resources to analyse the gaps in the service delivery and consequently formulate a service mix that seeks to create a favourable distinctive image of the brand in the minds of the target market audience (Ellwood, 2002, p.44-45). The present study would analyse the crucial service marketing aspects of process, people and resource allocation in case of Virgin Trains so as t o have a batter and practical understanding of the importance of these aspects in ensuring profitability and long term sustainability in a service oriented organization in the turbulent and competitive business environment. Service Process Process is a very important part of the service delivery mechanism for any business organization. It signifies the actual manner and the entire back end operations that are in place right from a sales call to the final closure of a deal. Virgin Trains is one of the most popular rail companies in UK offering customers with a service of train travel from one destination to another across UK. The company in association and collaboration with players like Alstom and Bombardier provides excellent rail travel options to link various places across UK in a fast and convenient manner. Led by the legendary Richard Branson, the UK based group draws its competitive edge owning to its excellent service delivery mechanism that offers customers with a volley of services with high quality in the delivery (Virgin Rail Group, n.d.). The service delivery process at Alstom is highly innovative and backed by superior technology that gives fast, reliable and convenient support to the consumers. Innovations in technological aspects include presence of a bi directional mechanism for signalling that enables trains to move in either direction using a single tract without chances of collision. In addition to this the service process also involves use of a Public Performance Measure that is a tool that helps keep control over the timings of the train. This tool helps keep an efficiency level on the arrival time and delay of the trains ensuring that customers arrive at their destination on time. Other technological aspects include presence of a block based joint that helps generate additional safety in the running of trains. The company in 2008 also introduced the Virgin High frequency communication device system that helps in improving the communicatio ns part of the company with regards to transfer of information in a fast and accurate method. The company also has created ease for customers by having an online portal that helps customers to book their tickets from the web directly. Customers have flexible and multiple payment options that help

Secret Master Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Essay

Secret Master Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite - Essay Example That this knowledge is to be used in the service of all with whom the vows are contracted, needs to be stated. The expectation is not only that Secret 'Woe betide anyone who is striving for a rank and is not worthy of it.' Bearing in mind the secrets, oaths and responsibilities they incur, this warns the candidate that he had better be certain that he possesses the integrity and strength of character to live of up the role of Secret Master. The 'woe betide' may possibly be extended to the penalties, symbolic or otherwise. An individual may aspire to this level as a natural progression, and the Masonic ethos is to assist him in reaching his greatest potential. The final analysis of this warning is 'Do not try to be what you are not, nor to have ideas above your station.' The person considering himself worthy of this position must be of strong character, know his own mind, believe in his abilities and will meet the demands asked of him in the 4th Degree. Pike points out that if the individual has any other goals than to seek the truth and to serve others, then this is the time to stand back. The Threat is an opportunity to take stoc k. In the wider sense, outside the Lodge, a person of such ... rank and is not worthy of it.' Bearing in mind the secrets, oaths and responsibilities they incur, this warns the candidate that he had better be certain that he possesses the integrity and strength of character to live of up the role of Secret Master. The 'woe betide' may possibly be extended to the penalties, symbolic or otherwise. An individual may aspire to this level as a natural progression, and the Masonic ethos is to assist him in reaching his greatest potential. The final analysis of this warning is 'Do not try to be what you are not, nor to have ideas above your station.' The person considering himself worthy of this position must be of strong character, know his own mind, believe in his abilities and will meet the demands asked of him in the 4th Degree. Pike points out that if the individual has any other goals than to seek the truth and to serve others, then this is the time to stand back. The Threat is an opportunity to take stock. In the wider sense, outside the Lodge, a person of such character and ability can only be an asset to society. Vows of duty, fidelity and integrity are part of many ceremonies, (nuptials, Holy Orders and so forth)and when put into action, are positive attributes for any man or woman. To wish to use them to serve God, Nature and Mankind as a whole, is a noble and admirable desire, bringing benefits to he who lives by them and to those he serves. The threat links directly to the integrity demanded in the vows, for a Secret Master. The second Threat, 'Woe betide anyone who makes commitments not being able to cope 3. with' is connected closely to the duty inherent as a responsibility at this level. This duty is not just to Masonic brethren, but to all mankind, God, Nature and the Universe. To help

Recording, Analysing and using HR information Essay Example for Free

Recording, Analysing and using HR information Essay It is extremely important for all organisations to record and store data for a number of reasons, one significant reason being to satisfy legal requirements. Government agencies such as HMRC, Department of Work Pensions and the Health Safety Executive to name but a few, can demand information from organisations at any time. Pay, tax and employee data needs to be accurately recorded and monitored by HR, in order to ensure employees are being treated fairly and organisations are compliant. Relevant legislation would include the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 with regard to pay, working hours are restricted under the Working Time regulations and safe working practices and conditions are outlined under the Health Safety at work Act 1974. Failure to comply with this legislation can lead to errors, accidents, increased absence, breakdown of the psychological contract, poor employee engagement, poor retention rates, a bad corporate reputation and can result in serious financial consequences such as fines, legal action or closure of business in extreme cases. Another reason that organisations collect HR data is for monitoring levels of employee sickness and absence. According to the CIPD’s 2013 Annual Survey Report on Absence Management, organisations reported employees absent between 6 and 8. 7 days each per annum at an average annual cost to the business of ? 595 per employee due to a lack of resource and productivity. As can be seen, hours lost due to sickness and absence can cost organisations a huge amount of time and money every year and attendance data collected can be used for Occupational Health investigations or capability reviews with the employee, especially should multiple instances of absence occur or a pattern emerges. Attendance data can also help to spot patterns and trends which can pinpoint other less obvious causes for absence. Poor line management, workplace bullying, poor motivation, a training need or a welfare issue can often be the cause of recurrent, short term absence and once highlighted, HR can intervene to offer practical support, advice and guidance to both employees and line managers in order to rectify these issues before they escalate further. Organisations store data collected in two ways. Before the technology boom in the late nineties, manual files (that are written or printed) were widely used but are now less popular, specially in large organisations that are heavily reliant upon technology. The benefits of manual files are that they are cheap to compile with little or no training required to extract information from them. However the downside being they take a large amount of space to store, they have little or no security and if they are destroyed or damaged, the information is permanently lost. Electronic storage on computer hard drives, shared drives, memory sticks, internet, intranet, dvd and so on is now the preferred method due to the many benefits. It is easier to input and update information on a computer, the information can be quickly distributed to a vast amount of recipients via email, can be easily manipulated and formatted for reporting purposes in various applications, doesn’t take up any physical office space and can be secured and protected via encryption programmes or passwords. Of course, data can be highly sensitive, confidential and valuable and therefore it is crucial organisations are responsible and compliant when collecting, storing and using this information. There are many pieces of legislation that relate to this such as Limitation Act 1980, The Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 Part 11, Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and the UK Borders Act 2007. Two pieces of legislation in particular which are relevant to the everyday uses of HR data within organisations are the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). The DPA states that the processing of automated and manual data must comply with seven principles; the data must be used fairly and lawfully, used for limited, specifically stated purposes, used in a way that is relevant and not excessive, must be accurate and up to date, kept no longer than necessary, handled according to data protection rights, kept safe secure and must not be transferred outside the UK without adequate protection. There are guidelines produced by the Information Commissioner detailing the best practice for handling data and maintaining compliance in four areas; Recruitment Selection, Employment records, Monitoring at work and Information about workers health. Subject to certain exceptions (as detailed in Schedule 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998) employees have the right to access their records and also employers must seek the permission of he individual concerned before releasing any information to a 3rd party. Under the DPA, employers must keep certain data for specific statutory periods of time and once this has expired destruction of data must take place securely and effectively. The FOIA 2000 relates only to information gathered, stored and used in the Public sector (NHS, Government departments, Local Authorities, Police forces etc) and information held in the private sector on behalf of public organisations. It aims to improve accountability and provide transparency within organisations that spend public money. This gives the public the right to access all information including emails, documents, letters and notes, without any relation to themselves and without needing to provide a reason. The request can be denied only if it contravenes the Data Protection Act, harms national security or is not in the ‘public interest’ but even then a refusal has to be valid, reasonable, explained and an edited version released.

Cultural Views on Health Essay Example for Free

Cultural Views on Health Essay Health beliefs and cultural practices are an essential part of todays multicultural society. It is beneficial for medical providers to be aware of the perspectives of different cultures. Minorities suffer from receiving proper health care because of lack of Jobs, no insurance, and their cultural beliefs. A persons cultural background can affect medical treatment and health care needs he or she may receive. People from different cultures have different beliefs on health care. The two different cultures I chose to discuss are Hispanic American and African American cultural views. I will be discussing the cultural views between Hispanic Americans and African Americans and their views on health care. The majority of Hispanic Americans are Catholics. Religious beliefs and spirituality play important roles in health care of Hispanic cultures in the United States. Mexican American believes health is a gift from God and their health problems are a result of Gods will. Some Mexican Americans may not have resources for health care and use traditional healings to treat their illness. Hispanics respect their elders and the men within their culture. According to Transcultural Nursing (1997-2008), Hispanics are accustomed to the professionalism of social workers, so they rely on their family and close friends for support or help. Curanderos and Santeros are two common healing practices among the Hispanic culture. Curanderos are naturalist healers who use herbs and plant to heal illnesses. Santeros use the power of the saints to heal and counsel. The majority of African Americans are Christians. Many African Americans view religious as an essential part of life. African Americans view God as the source of ood health and a source of serious illness. Many African Americans rely on religion, family, and social connections for support because of the unfairness they have encountered in the past. Many African Americans think they receive poor health care because of their ethnic background or their race. African Americans may not see a medical provider until this or her medical condition severe because of economic factors. Many cultures do not believe that organic approach is very helpful. Organic approach may seem impersonal to people who have a traditionally different method of care. Minorities, such as African American and Mexican American, have been dissatisfied with the overall health care services because of the unfair treatment they receive as individuals. The organic approach uses scientific knowledge of germs and diseases to find out the health of a patient by using physical testing, conducting studies and experiments, and keeping detailed patient records. From an organic perspective, a patients cultural beliefs and social practices are not the primary issues of health care. Harmony perspective sees illness as an incident that occurs for different reasons

Jan Van Eyck Art History English Literature Essay

Jan Van Eyck Art History English Literature Essay Jan Van Eyck was born somewhere around 1390 in the village of Maaseyck, near Maastricht (Belgium). His early life is somewhat of a mystery. Between 1422 and 1424 he was employed as a painter by John of Bavaria, Count of Holland. One year later he entered the service of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgandy. There he became court artist and equerry. Van Eyck was held in high esteem by the Duke and was not only Godfather to the Dukes son, but was also paid a salary by him instead of working on commission (which was typical for artists of this time period). He worked for the Duke for 16 years (his lifetime) and also for wealthy Italians resident in the Netherlands, such as Giovanni Arnolfini. Jan Van Eyck was a Flemish Realist active in Bruges, who was considered by some as the first master of oil painting. His use of oil paints in his detailed panel paintings resulted in him being known as the father of oil painting. He was credited with originating a style of painting characterized by minutely realistic depictions of surface effects and natural light. He accomplished this by using an oil medium, which allowed the building up of paint in translucent layers, or glazes. By creating these layers he was able to capture objects in the minutest detail. This also gave him the ability to preserve his colors. Due to Van Eycks social position with Philip the Good as a diplomat (negotiating marriage for the Duke); he was able to travel extensively. He had a great visual memory and eye for detail. Van Eyck was unique in his ability to accurately record historical style. No painter has ever been more preoccupied with artifacts and with the exact way something looks. In his paintings, he extends detailed information about things far past ordinary detail. Instead of doing as artists before him and suggesting areas and ideas, Van Eyck has left us with too much detail. No detail is left unexplored. He painted the world as if everything in it were both knowable and perfectly known. Van Eycks artwork is also charged with symbolism. This attitude toward nature was one that Van Eyck seems to have regarded each created thing as a symbol of the workings of Gods mind, and the universe as an immense structure of metaphors (artchive.com). He has so many things packed into each painting that it is hard to find all of the symbols and we are often left to speculate what things might mean. Take for instance in The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, there are two rabbits holding up a pillar in the center of the painting, close to the book of hours. We are only left to speculate the meaning of this. Is it purely as a piece of conversation, or has the artist placed them there to symbolize true love overcoming carnal desire? Also in the same piece, two mockingbirds are shown in the garden just beyond the pillar. Are these put there to symbolize death, as the peacocks symbolize eternal life, or are they placed in the garden for balance and interest only? Although we are left to specul ate about some symbols, others are pulled from classic symbols of the past that are commonly used as representations by many artists, such as the lilies in the garden being used to symbolize The Virgin Marys purity, or the cross being held in the baby Jesus hand. I think the thing that makes this artist stand out the most to me is the interest he creates by combining the very heavy use of symbols, with the miniature detail. He carries his symbolism even into the deep background of his paintings. This gives the effect of excitement whenever finding one of Jan Van Eycks pieces of art. We as viewers of the scene before us, become detectives. We hungrily look for things that maybe we have overlooked. This not only brings us into the painting, but fosters thinking and debate! Every expression by the figures and even every creation itself seem to carry two meaningsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦its own and a symbolic one. Jan Van Eyck made both religious and secular images. His most well known religious work is The Ghent Altarpiece. This painting was originally started by his brother Hubert. Jan completed the work in 1432, six years after his brothers death. It is unclear how many of the twenty four panels Van Eyck finished or changed after his brother passed away. One of his most studied secular images is The Arnolfini Portrait made in 1434. Both of these paintings were oil on panel. Some of his other most popular paintings are: Portrait of a Man in a Turban (1433), The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (1435), Portrait of Margareta van Eyck (1439), and Madonna in the Church (c. 1425). Of the some twenty six main works documented, all seem to be either oil on panel or oil on canvas. Several of Jan Van Eycks works were signed and dated, which allowed historians to correctly identify other works of his that were either left unsigned or had signed frames which were removed at some point in time. On a few of his works he has signed ALS ICH KAN (As I can or As best I can). In the Arnolfini Portrait he even signed on the wall in the picture itself Jan Van Eyck was here. He painstakingly made his paintings the most interesting I have seen. His eye was at one and the same time a microscope and a telescope Erwin Panofsky. The Betrothal of the Arnolfini Considered perhaps Jan Van Eycks greatest triumph in the painting of portraits is The Betrothal of the Arnolfini or The Arnolfini Portrait (1434). This portrait is an oil on wood (32  ¼ x 23  ½), and is one of his most famous portraits. This painting represents an Italian merchant, Giovanni Arnolfini, who had come to the Netherlands on business, with is bride Jeanne de Chenany. This was a new and revolutionary way of painting portraits in its portrayal of a piece of the real world. The meticulous way the entire room was painted in every detail from carpet, slippers, drapery, chandelier and pet. It is as if we have stepped into their home. It is speculated that this picture represents the moment of the couples betrothal. The young woman is clothed in a vibrant green gown lined with fur and blue undergarment. The weight of the garment is apparent in the deep folds it creates. Her head covering is white with delicate laced edging. Even a gold necklace and brown leather belt are show n. She tilts her head forward, eyes slightly down showing modesty. Her dainty build shown in her hands contrast the heavy material of her robe. She is shown just after placing her hand lightly in her husbands. Her left hand holds up the folds of her dress, possibly symbolizing fertility or her wish for children. Her husband is shown in a large black hat, black collared shirt and  ¾ lengths brown, fur lined coat. His left hand rests under her right and his right hand is raised as in an oath. In the foreground a pair of traditional wooden shoes are shown on the floor. The wood planking and detailed rug are shown on the floor as well. There is a dog shown in between the couple on the foreground floor, possibly a family pet or to symbolize loyalty. Behind them on the floor were another pair of shoes (possibly the wifes) at the base of the seat. The couples shoes being removed could represent custom or the reference to being on holy ground. Going up the scene from the shoes, the seat i s shown in detail with squared wooden posts, ornate caps and fluffed pillow. The mirror at center and focal point of the painting shows the backs of the betrothed and also two more people (possibly Van Eyck and a witness or father). The ten small circles surrounding the mirror each contain a tiny scene from the passion of Christ. This technique is called miniaturist. To the left of the mirror hangs rosary beads, and to the right a hard bristled broom. Above the mirror is an inscription reading Johannes de Eyck fuit hic 1434, or Jan Van Eyck was here 1434. Above the mirror hangs an ornately decorated chandelier with a single candle placed in it (the candle is lit even though it is daytime). A window to the left of Arnolfini is open, and the light from the room comes in from this point. Fruit lays on a wooden table top and windowsill, possibly symbolizing the couples wealth or the temptation of Adam and Eve. The red draped bed to the right behind the young woman leads to the belief th at the picture was of the couples bridal chamber. The painting seems to be recording an event of the betrothal between the Arnolfini couple. The figures look serious and somber. Both faces of the figures are without expression. The line quality is beautifully precise. Every detail is shown. The brushwork is tight. All of the details, large and small, help to draw us further into the painting. The focal point of the painting is the mirror between the couple in the painting. Jewel toned colors are used in this painting. The husband is painted in browns and blacks, the wife in cool colors, and the bed and seat are done in warm colors of rust. The painting is very appealing to me because it is so detailed and because there are so many items that are interesting to look at. The viewer becomes the witness and we could imagine that if we looked to our side we might see Van Eyck standing with us. The function of this work might be as a recording of events or merely as a gift for the couple shown here. I think the technique is more a reflection of the artists personal style than a reflection of the subject shown. The elements in the painting are expertly painted and arranged in beautiful detail, accurately portraying the meaning of the painting. He also puts many things in the painting that would make our minds engage and think about the artwork in depth. The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin Jan Van Eycks painting of The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (1435) is 66 x 62 cm oil on panel. The painting was originally made of the Saint Sebastian chapel in the church of Notre-Dame-du-Chantel, Autun. The central figures shown in the painting are Nicolas Rolin (1376/1380-1462), the Virgin Mary, and Christ as an infant. Nicolas Rolin was chancellor to Philip the Good. He commissioned this painting to decorate the chapel, and as the donor, he was painted very realistically. Van Eyck paints the chancellor kneeling before the Virgin and Child. The chancellor is shown on the left side of the loggia, dressed in gold brocade and furs (like a prince) betraying his desire to be viewed as a high ranking court dignitary. His patron saint is not shown beside him, as is custom. Just as oddly out of custom is his representation of being at the same height as the Virgin Mary. He is wearing a black silk belt decorated with gold studs. Infrared reflectography shows that Van Eyck had originally painted the Chancellor with a large purse on his side (representing his substantial wealth) which was probably covered up at the request of the Chancellor. On the cushion of the prayer stool beside the Chancellor is a book of hours, with a red fabric slip cover beneath it. The book seems to be open to the beginning of the liturgy for the service of Matins as suggested by the large letter D on the page. The painting suggests that the Chancellor is preparing to recite this prayer from his book. The portrait of the Chancellor is highly realistic and has been compared with Rogier van der Weydens portrait of the Chancellor on his altarpiece of the Last Judgment at Baume (it is very similar). His nose is strong and prominent, his chin is wide, and his hair is cut into a neat cap style. His eyes are set in concentration, but not looking directly at either the Christ child or Virgin. Across from him the Virgin Mary sits in  ¾ pose upon a brocade cushion, placed on a marble seat inlaid with designs. Her large red robe is edged with jewels, pearls, and braiding. The cloaks edging also has an inscription in gold taken from the Christian liturgy of Matins. The prayer focuses on the magnificence of creation. This theme is carried out by the background scenery and the globe in the infant Jesus hand (symbolizing that he is the creator of all things). She is looking at the cross on top of the globe, as a precursor to her sons crucifixion. An angel holds a highly detailed crown over the virgins head, as a reference to her coronation in the heavenly city of Jerusalem. The angels rainbow colored wings represent the pact set between God and his creation. The naked infant Christ sits on a small piece of linen, a reference to his funeral shroud. The infant holds an ornate gold cross mounted atop a crystal globe. The globe symbolizes Christs earthly power and the cross symbol izes his spiritual dominion. The crystal is said to symbolize Marys virginity. The infant is raising his right hand toward the Chancellor in a gesture of blessing. The infant is not gazing at the Chancellor directly, and infrared reflectography shows that the infants hand was originally painted pointing downward. The architecture of the two large figures are in symmetrical composition that opposes the divine world with that of the human world. The three arches in the background of the loggia represent the Holy Trinity. The arched pillars to each side of the loggia lead to colonnades. Most of the pillars are capped with decorative motifs. However, directly above the Chancellor we see carvings illustrating the Book of Genesis in several scenes (mans original sins and their consequences). This crown of stone above the Chancellors head directly counterbalances the crown above Marys head. Flowers in the garden beyond the pillars are all symbols representing the Virgin Mary (lilies, peony, wild rose, irises, and daisies). The peacock symbolizes immortality or the pride of Nicolas Rolin. The two small figures in the center might very well be Van Eyck and his assistant. The landscape on the left behind the Chancellor represents the earthly world and on the right behind Mary, the heavenly world. The river of life flows between both land masses and a bridge connects them together. The tiny cross on the bridge might represent the crucifixion of Christ to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. I am in awe of Jan Van Eycks attention to detail and creativity. He cleverly uses the lines on the floor tiles and winding river in the distance to establish depth. Also the use of atmospheric perspective and lighting adds to the realism of this painting. I believe the focal point of the painting is the two small figures in the center of the painting (much as in the Arnolfini Portrait) and might in fact be Jan Van Eyck and his apprentice. The portrait is again done in rich jewel tones with crisp line work and incredible detail, as is Van Eycks style. This painting is full of religious symbolism everywhere we look. However, Van Eyck seems to be portraying Nicolas Rolin as a wealthy and conceited man who sought to be on the same level as the Virgin herself. The rich gold brocade of his clothing, the money purse that has since been painted over, and the Chancellor being the same height as the Virgin all give evidence to this theory. I think it was rather daring of Van Eyck to paint the patron of the picture in a not so nice light. This painting is similar to many other works Van Eyck has created in the detail he used (The Virgin with Canon van der Paele, Virgin and Child with Saints and Donor). Most of his work can be easily interpreted, as most of the symbolism is uniform. I would buy this type of artwork because I find the detail and symbolism very appealing.

Renaissance Values Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s society most people who are asked to name a great artist of all time reply with names such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelengelo. These people created their genius masterpieces during a time of growth and change in Europe known as the Renaissance. I think that the Renaissance came about when it did for many reasons such as changes in the church, new money, trading, education, and humanism. Some of these same changes in our society have made it possible for us to have the new innovations in art we have today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, during the time of the Renaissance the Catholic Church was making great changes and the Reformation was right around the corner. Before this time people devoted much of their time and lives to trying to live by the church so they could have salvation. I think that was once the people became freer to live their lives they found new interest in things like art and education. On the other hand, I don’t think that they lost total devotion to the church because they took many voyages to new lands in order to try and convert others. These voyages led to another change in their society, money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems to me that before this time the aristocracy were the only ones who played a part in the making of art. I imagine that this was because the lower class had to use their money for things to survive with. This all began to change in the Renaissance because of things like trading. The people of these coun...

Enemy at the Gates :: essays research papers

Enemy at the Gates Cast: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, Ed Harris, Ron Perlman, Gabriel Thomson Written by: Jean-Jacques Annaud and Alain Godard Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud Running Time: 131 minutes Synopsis: Enemy at the Gates was inspired by a true story and set against the siege of Stalingrad during World War II. This is the tale of a young Russian sharpshooter, Vassili, who becomes a legend by shooting numerous high-ranking German officials. When his friend, Danilov, a soviet political officer, realizes the propaganda value in Vassili's skill as a sniper and makes him the hero of his propaganda campaign and the hero of Russia with the help of Khrushchev, who was sent by Stalin to oversee the Russian effort. Stalin ordered that the city not fall†¦whatever the cost. It was a battle that the Russians had to win. To not overcome would have meant the complete collapse of Russia and its ultimate takeover by the German forces after Russia had already lost numerous battles to the Germans. So thousands of poorly trained and ill-equipped (many actually unarmed) Soviet troops were poured into battle, motivated by Russian security forces who followed with orders to kill anyone who might try to flee or retreat. Russia was in need for a hero. The Germans outnumbered in men and weapons compared to Russia. Everyday numerous Russians were being killed, either by Germans bullets or Russian. Vassili gave the Soviet troops the courage and bravery to fight despite the overwhelming odds. The friendship between Danilov and Vassili is threatened when Danilov become jealous of the man he created and he too falls in love with an attractive, and intelligent female soldier, Tania. As the battle for the city continues, Vassili faces his ultimate challenge when the Nazi command dispatches its the best marksman of the German army, Major Konig, to hunt down and kill the man who has become the hope of all Russia. Though out the movie they remain in a cat and mouse chase both showing extreme patience and skill and setting traps for each other. While Sasha, a young Russian boy, passes between the Russian and German camps passing information to Major Koenig by bribes and using Sasha as bait and then passes information to the Russians. From this Sasha gets hung by Major Koenig, upsetting Vassili and Tania because Sasha was so close to them. When Tania and Vassili go to tell his mother what has happened Tania is was hit with shrapnel.

Visual Codes and Conventions in the Painting: George Robinson Welcomes

Visual texts can be seen to be an attempt by their creators to represent particular ideologies to their viewers. It is the viewer's attitudes and values however, that determine the contemporary meaning of the image. The painting George Robinson welcomes Natives to Wybalenna, is a Colonial document portraying the Christianizing of indigenous people on Flinders Island. Visual codes and conventions employed in the image, such as positioning and framing depict the entwined values of white, patriarchal and Christian ideologies of the 19th Century. However, change in how society identifies itself, also changes the dominant ideology in its culture. Subsequently, the historical context of Post-Colonial attitudes and values in contemporary society, evoke a contemporary meaning in Robinson's painting, one of racial and religious prejudice. The convention of positioning is vital in constructing the Colonial ideology of Robinson?s image. It has the potential to provide the viewer with visual associations, which translate to language in the form of binary oppositions. For instance, the most c...

Balance Sheet and Income Statement

Individual Assignment: Balance Sheet and Income Statement Commentary Publicly traded companies are entities that are allow for the offering of its registered securities. This allows them to become traded over a one stock exchange or over the counter market. This process allows for companies to gauge how much the company is truly worth compared to other companies in the same field or overall. This gives some inherent advantages over some of the privately traded ones such as being able to reach debt markets and the selling of future equity.However, this also takes away from the overall control from the majority of its owners and company founders. There are many different types of companies that fall under this category. They range from anywhere between trucking to retail and anything in between. These companies are traded constantly with their stocks going up and down based on how people feel about the company. The four areas that are focused in this paper are manufacturing, trucking, retail (grocery), and mortgages. AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI) is a manufacturing company that develops ways to package different things.The company prides itself on the plastic is creates and uses for this process. This company is very similar to that of Riordan Manufacturing. Both companies have develop their own plastic materials that are used for different things. According to the Balance Sheet, The shareholders’ equity dipped in 2011 and rose drastically in 2012. This is most likely do to the increase of assets and liabilities. In the Income Statement, the overall gross profit increased from 2011 to 2012 by over 50,000. The net income also almost doubled from 2011 to 2012. Though the trade value of this company’s stock has dropped to . 1 under the profit line, the company has continued to show growth from year to year. AMERCO (UHAL) is a company that specializes in trucking/transporting items across any distance. It gives most of its power to the individuals who hire the company giving them the power to control when and where they are shipping their materials. Overall the company is looking at a profit. It is currently at 1. 67 and rising. The company’s Income statement shows that the company is slowly but steadily continuing its growth. It gained about 100,000 gross profit last year and does not show signs of slowing down.The overall net income came to about 21,000 in one year. The balance sheet also shows that the total assets and liabilities have grown and that it has increased the overall equity of the company for the shareholders. Arden Group Inc. is a holding company that operates seventeen full-service supermarkets in Southern California. The company itself carries both perishable and grocery products. The company is currently lost about 2. 20 today. According the Balance Statement, the assets of the company from 2011 to 2012 dropped by nearly half the amount, the biggest cause seems to be the short term investments.The short term investments in 2011 where 30, 413 and in 2012 it is 1,759. That is nearly 80% in one year. It seems that people have strayed away from this company when it comes to short term investments. This caused the equity of the company to be cut in half. In the Income statement, on the other hand, shows a steady growth of profit. The company is making money even without the short term investments. Nationalstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. is the nation’s leading mortgage service. It offers its supplies directly to the consumers. According to the Balance Sheet, the company has grown leaps and bounds.In 2011, the company was looking at little under 2 million total assets, but in 2012 that number grew to over 7 million. The company is growing drastically and based on the previous 2 years does not seem to be slowing down. The liability and the equity has grown in conjunction with the assets. The Income Statement shows also an impressive increase in net income. The company is growing and making a lot of money with it. The 2011 net income was 20,887. This number ballooned to 205,287 total net income. In conclusion, these four companies are publicly traded and are very successful in their own way.Nationstar has grown the greatest and seems to be able to continue to grow in the mortgage field. Arden and AEP are both growing company possibly going through growing pains and will be able to come out stronger. Finally, AMERCO is a strong company based in the right field and will continue to grow. References AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=AEPI+Balance+Sheet&annual AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=AEPI+Income+Statement&annual AMERCO (UHAL). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? =UHAL+Balance+Sheet&annual AMERCO (UHAL). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=UHAL+Income+Statement&annual Arden Group Inc. (ARDNA). (2013). Retrieved from http ://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=ARDNA+Balance+Sheet&annual Arden Group Inc. (ARDNA). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=ARDNA+Income+Statement&annual Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=NSM+Balance+Sheet&annual Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=NSM+Income+Statement&annual Balance Sheet and Income Statement Individual Assignment: Balance Sheet and Income Statement Commentary Publicly traded companies are entities that are allow for the offering of its registered securities. This allows them to become traded over a one stock exchange or over the counter market. This process allows for companies to gauge how much the company is truly worth compared to other companies in the same field or overall. This gives some inherent advantages over some of the privately traded ones such as being able to reach debt markets and the selling of future equity.However, this also takes away from the overall control from the majority of its owners and company founders. There are many different types of companies that fall under this category. They range from anywhere between trucking to retail and anything in between. These companies are traded constantly with their stocks going up and down based on how people feel about the company. The four areas that are focused in this paper are manufacturing, trucking, retail (grocery), and mortgages. AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI) is a manufacturing company that develops ways to package different things.The company prides itself on the plastic is creates and uses for this process. This company is very similar to that of Riordan Manufacturing. Both companies have develop their own plastic materials that are used for different things. According to the Balance Sheet, The shareholders’ equity dipped in 2011 and rose drastically in 2012. This is most likely do to the increase of assets and liabilities. In the Income Statement, the overall gross profit increased from 2011 to 2012 by over 50,000. The net income also almost doubled from 2011 to 2012. Though the trade value of this company’s stock has dropped to . 1 under the profit line, the company has continued to show growth from year to year. AMERCO (UHAL) is a company that specializes in trucking/transporting items across any distance. It gives most of its power to the individuals who hire the company giving them the power to control when and where they are shipping their materials. Overall the company is looking at a profit. It is currently at 1. 67 and rising. The company’s Income statement shows that the company is slowly but steadily continuing its growth. It gained about 100,000 gross profit last year and does not show signs of slowing down.The overall net income came to about 21,000 in one year. The balance sheet also shows that the total assets and liabilities have grown and that it has increased the overall equity of the company for the shareholders. Arden Group Inc. is a holding company that operates seventeen full-service supermarkets in Southern California. The company itself carries both perishable and grocery products. The company is currently lost about 2. 20 today. According the Balance Statement, the assets of the company from 2011 to 2012 dropped by nearly half the amount, the biggest cause seems to be the short term investments.The short term investments in 2011 where 30, 413 and in 2012 it is 1,759. That is nearly 80% in one year. It seems that people have strayed away from this company when it comes to short term investments. This caused the equity of the company to be cut in half. In the Income statement, on the other hand, shows a steady growth of profit. The company is making money even without the short term investments. Nationalstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. is the nation’s leading mortgage service. It offers its supplies directly to the consumers. According to the Balance Sheet, the company has grown leaps and bounds.In 2011, the company was looking at little under 2 million total assets, but in 2012 that number grew to over 7 million. The company is growing drastically and based on the previous 2 years does not seem to be slowing down. The liability and the equity has grown in conjunction with the assets. The Income Statement shows also an impressive increase in net income. The company is growing and making a lot of money with it. The 2011 net income was 20,887. This number ballooned to 205,287 total net income. In conclusion, these four companies are publicly traded and are very successful in their own way.Nationstar has grown the greatest and seems to be able to continue to grow in the mortgage field. Arden and AEP are both growing company possibly going through growing pains and will be able to come out stronger. Finally, AMERCO is a strong company based in the right field and will continue to grow. References AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=AEPI+Balance+Sheet&annual AEP Industries Inc. (AEPI). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=AEPI+Income+Statement&annual AMERCO (UHAL). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? =UHAL+Balance+Sheet&annual AMERCO (UHAL). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=UHAL+Income+Statement&annual Arden Group Inc. (ARDNA). (2013). Retrieved from http ://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=ARDNA+Balance+Sheet&annual Arden Group Inc. (ARDNA). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=ARDNA+Income+Statement&annual Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=NSM+Balance+Sheet&annual Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM). (2013). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=NSM+Income+Statement&annual

Apple iPhones – Not “Made in America”

What is meant by the globalization of human capital? Is this inevitable as firms increase their global operations? The globalization of human capital refers to the fact that employees are now spread out across the world by their employers. This including, the companies, employed, unemployed, stockholders, consumers, contractors, supply chain, firms and economies. Companies branch out because labor costs are cheaper and productivity is faster.It is inevitable if firms increase their global operations because every country has something different to offer, something new, and without the current innovation being promoted to the market, the company will start to lose its edge on competition. How does this case illustrate the threats and opportunities facing global companies in developing their strategies? Cost and Human Capital is the most important consideration for Global Companies. When President Obama’s inquired about Apple brining the job back to US, it was practically not po ssible for Apple.The break down in the case study was that it cost a total of $179 to produce an IPhone and it retailed at $500 leaving a profit of $321. This would mean more profit for the global company. For Global company price and profit is the most important consideration to stay competitive. They can use the cheap labor in other countries to be price competitive This gave the perception that Apple did not care about its country. It also gives the perception of greed which a global company can face. 3. Comment on the Apple executive's assertion that the company's only obligation is making the best product possible.â€Å"We don't have an obligation to solve America's problems. † All though it is a harsh comment but I think it makes sense. Apple is a Global company with its offices around the world. It is in business to make money. It is not possible for Apple to solve America’s problem. Apple is just trying to be the best company out there in order to be on top wit h innovation and success. It is not Apple’s responsibility to solve America’s problems with employment; their responsibility is to form the best product. 4. Who are the stakeholders in this situation and what, if any, obligations do they have?There are two stakeholders in this situation and they are: the companies Apple and Foxconn as well as the Chinese government. Apple has obligations to their employees both domestic and global. They need to be mindful that a corporation is only as good as its products as well as, its image. They need to be mindful that since its headquarters are in the United States, it should do all that it can to maintain a positive image. It is also important to make sure that the products they sell are quality products while keeping the price as low as possible. Foxconn has a stake in its people and the products they export.The unfair and inhumane working conditions forced the government to step in. Foxconn also needs to be mindful of the issue s presented previously for Apple (the difference they are headquartered in China). The fact that labor violations were taking place, China’s government had an obligations to its people. They need to protect their citizens from hazardous work conditions and hold Foxconn accountable for their actions. 5. How much extra are you prepared to pay for an IPhone if assembled in the United States? Personally I feel that the IPhone is already over price as is. The fact that they make $321 of profit off each phone is ridiculous.If the phone is fully assembled in the United State I do not feel the price of the phone should increase at all. There are many products that are specifically made in America that cost the same amount as their global counterparts. Clothes are an example, all things being equal, a t-shirt made overseas cost relatively the same as a t-shirt made in the US. Why should an IPhone be any different? I feel that although the profit from each phone would be decreased, the y would sell the same amount of phones if not more. 6. How much extra are you prepared to pay for an IPhone assembled in China but under better labor conditions or pay?What kind of trade-off would you make? This also deals with the question previously asked. I have not changed my stance on IPhone; however, if they were to charge more to have it assembled in China, why couldn’t or wouldn’t they just produce it in America. It would not make sense if they had to increase cost to better working conditions in another country. I believe it would be cheaper to bring some of the laborers here to the US and open a plant here. 7. To what extent do you think the negative media coverage has affected Apple’s recent decision to ask the FLA to do an assessment and the subsequent decision by Foxconn to raise some salaries?What do you think will happen now? I believe that the negative media coverage has inspired Apple to be more cautious about their corporate image. Subsequently , it affected their way of thinking so that they had to ask for an FLA assessment. They could ill-afford to continue to be seen in a negative light and heartless. They already stated that â€Å"They don’t have an obligation to solve America’s problems, only to make the best product possible†, after the unfair working conditions and labor violations were discovered it only added to the idea that the company was greedy and didn’t care about their employees.Foxconn took pride in being one of the country’s most effective and efficient manufacturers. It could not allow the perception that they were running a â€Å"sweat shop† in which their employees were working 60 hours a week for little pay. The employee suicides did not help company’s image. They had to raise some salaries in order to save face in the public eye. Also, both companies had to show that although mistakes happened, once they were discovered they were fixed quickly. I belie ve now that the story is out they will have many follow up inspections to insure that both companies never come under scrutiny again.