Cross-Border Strategic Alliances and Foreign Market Entry Essay

Introduction It is indisputable that as the world gets globalized, virtually all companies are compelled to expand their market to the international or foreign nations. Expansion into the foreign countries is perceived to be associated with many positive impacts. However, it has been shown that some entry modes are detrimental to the performance of the company or the firm. This implies that before any firm decides to expand, it has to weigh different international entry modes and determine the best mode to use.   This paper discusses one of the modern entry modes, called cross-border strategic alliance. The paper will achieve this by reviewing one of the detailed article cross-border strategic alliances. Analysis The article entitled â€Å"Cross-Border Strategic Alliances and Foreign Market Entry† by Larry Qiu analyzes how firms are motivated to form cross-border strategic alliances when entering into new markets. The goal of the article trying to answer the question as to why most firms are forming cross-border strategic alliances and also identifying the economic factors that facilitate the formation of such alliances. Utilizing a two-country, multi-firm and three-stage economic model, the author reveals astonishing findings on the manner in which companies enter into international market (Qiu, 2006). The article reveals that the company can enter into an international market in different ways. Some of the ways include export and foreign direct investments. Cross-border mergers and acquisition, according to the article is the modern way in which a country can penetrate other countries. There are other traditional forms such as export and green-field foreign direct investment (FDI). The article analyzes based on the thesis statement that multinationals are shifting from the traditional forms such as FDI to modern forms such as cross-border mergers and acquisitions and cross-border strategic alliances. The factors that are considered to influence the choice of the entry mode include such aspects as variable costs such as trade and transport costs and fixed costs. The author argues that a company may set up just one plant in its own country and uses it to serve both the domestic and foreign markets. According to the article, search firm will be entering into foreign and international countries through export. Alternatively the same firm may opt to set up two plants, one plant in the domestic country and the other in the foreign country. In such a case, the firm will be entering into foreign country through foreign direct investment. The invention of cross-border strategic alliances, according to the article, has compelled most countries to switch from export to FDI. This is because the cross-border strategic alliance is associated with numerous benefits compared with the export strategies (Qiu, 2006). For example it creates different synergies in the domestic and foreign markets. In addition, it promotes production alliances, which help each of the allied firms to reduce production costs both in their domestic plants as well as their foreign plants. As far as distribution costs is concerned, the article argues that the cross-border marketing, which is a product of the cross-border strategic alliance, reduces the allied firms’ distribution costs in their foreign market (Qiu, 2006). Conclusion The foregoing analysis has shown why cross-border strategic alliance is becoming the most preferred mode of entry as far as international trade is concerned. Compared to other entry mode methods, cross-border strategic alliances create different synergies in the domestic and foreign markets (Qiu, 2006). Some of the synergies include production cost synergies and distribution costs synergies. These synergies helps the company reduce the production and distribution costs and hence get profits. References Qiu, L. D. (2006). Cross-Border Strategic   Alliances and Foreign Market Entry. Hong Kong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University of Science and Technology. Retrieved from:   Ã‚   http://www.etsg.org/ETSG2006/papers/Qiu.pdf   

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 23

The â€Å"Pat† Box By 11:00 p.m. my mother has not returned home, and I start to worry because every night at 10:45 p.m. I'm supposed to take pills that help me sleep. It isn't like Mom to foul up my medication schedule. I knock on my parents' bedroom door. When no one answers, I push the door open. My father is sleeping with the small bedroom television on. The blue glow makes his skin look alien – he sort of looks like a big fish in a lit aquarium, only without gills, scales, and fins. I walk over to my dad and shake his shoulder lightly. â€Å"Dad?† I shake him a little harder. â€Å"Dad?† â€Å"Whaddya want?† he says without opening his eyes. He is lying on his side, and the left side of his mouth is smashed into the pillow. â€Å"Mom's not home yet. I'm worried.† He doesn't say anything. â€Å"Where is she?† Still, he does not say anything. â€Å"I'm worried about Mom. Do you think we should call the police?† I wait for a reply, but only hear my father snoring softly. After turning off the television, I leave my parents' bedroom and go downstairs to the kitchen. I tell myself if Dad isn't worried, I shouldn't be either. But I know it isn't like Mom to leave me alone without telling me where she will be, especially without talking to me about my medications. I open the kitchen cabinet and take out the eight bottles of pills that all have my name printed on the labels. So many long, depressing drug names are on the labels as well, but I only know the pills by their colors, so I open all the lids and look for what I need. Two white-and-reds for sleeping, and also a green one with a yellow stripe, but I do not know what the green one with a yellow stripe does. Maybe antianxiety? I take all three pills because I want to sleep, and also, I know that is what Mom would want me to do. Maybe Mom is testing me. Since my father talked down to her earlier today, I really want to please Mom even more than on regular days, although I am not sure why. I lie in bed wondering where Mom could be. I want to call her cell phone, but I don't know the number. Maybe she had a car accident? Maybe she had a stroke or a heart attack? But then I think a police officer or a hospital doctor would have called us by now if any of those things had happened, because she would certainly have her credit cards and license on her. Maybe she got lost while driving? But then she would have used her cell phone to call home and would have told us she was running late. Maybe she got sick of Dad and me and ran away? I think about this and realize that excluding the times when she teases me about Tiffany being â€Å"my friend,† I haven't seen my mother laugh or smile in a very long time – in fact, if I really think about it, I often see Mom crying or looking like she is about to cry. Maybe she got sick of keeping track of my pills? Maybe I forgot to flush one morning and Mom found some of my pills in the toilet and is now mad at me for hiding pi lls under my tongue? Maybe I have failed to appreciate Mom just like I failed to appreciate Nikki, and now God is taking Mom away from me too? Maybe Mom is never coming home again and – Just as I start to feel seriously anxious, as if I might need to bang the heel of my hand against my forehead, I hear a car pull into the driveway. When I look out the window, I see Mom's red sedan. I run down the stairs. I'm out the door before she even reaches the back porch. â€Å"Mom?† I say. â€Å"Is-jus-me,† she says through the shadows in the driveway. â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"Out.† When she enters into the white circle cast from the outside light, she looks like she might fall backward, so I run down the steps and give her a hand, bracing her shoulders with my arm. Her head is sort of wobbly, but she manages to look me in the eyes; she squints and says, â€Å"Nikki-sa-fool t'ave let you getta-way.† Her mentioning Nikki makes me feel even more anxious, especially what she said about my getting away, because I have not gotten away and would be more than willing to go back to Nikki now or whenever, and it was me who was the fool, never appreciating Nikki for what she was – all of which Mother knows so well. But I can smell the alcohol on her breath; I hear her slurring her words, and I realize it's probably just the alcohol talking nonsense. Mom does not usually drink, but tonight she is obviously drunk, and this also makes me worry. I help her into the house and sit her down on the couch in the family room. Within minutes she's passed out cold. It would be a bad idea to put my drunk mother in bed with my sulking father, so I put an arm under her shoulders and another arm under her knees, lift her up, and carry her to my bedroom. Mom is small and light, so it is not hard for me to carry her up the stairs. I get her into my bed, take off her shoes, throw the comforter over her body, and then go to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Back upstairs, I find a bottle of Tylenol and tap out two white pills. I pick my mother's head up, get her into a seated position, shake her lightly until she opens her eyes, and tell her to take the pills along with the glass of water. At first she says, â€Å"Jus lemme sleep,† but I know from college days just how much this pre-bed water and headache medicine can reduce the morning hangover. Finally my mother takes the pills, drinks half a glass of water, and is back asleep in no time at all. I watch her rest for a few minutes, and I think she still looks pretty, that I really do love my mom. I wonder where she went to drink – with whom she drank and what she drank – but really I am only happy that she is home safe. I try not to think about her downing drinks at some depressing bar, with middle-aged men all around. I try not to think about Mom bad-mouthing my father to one of her girlfriends and then driving home drunk. But it's all I can think about: how my mother is being driven to drink – how I'm driving my mother to drink, and my father isn't helping much either. After grabbing my framed picture of Nikki, I climb the stairs to the attic, set Nikki up next to my pillow, and get into my sleeping bag. I leave the lights on so I can fall asleep looking at Nikki's freckled nose, which is exactly what I do. When I open my eyes, Kenny G is standing over me, his legs bridging my body, a foot on either side of my chest; the sexy synthesizer chords are softly lighting the darkness. The last time Mr. G visited my parents' attic flashes through my head – my father kicking and punching me, my father threatening to send me back to the bad place – so I close my eyes, hum a single note, and silently count to ten, blanking my mind. But Kenny G is undaunted. The soprano sax enters Mr. G's lips once more and â€Å"Songbird† takes flight. I keep my eyes closed, hum a single note, and silently count to ten, blanking my mind, but he continues to blow his horn. The little white scar above my right eyebrow starts to burn and itch as the melody flutters toward climax. Desperately, I want to pound the heel of my hand against my forehead, but instead I keep my eyes closed, hum a single note, and silently count to ten, blanking my mind. Just when Kenny G's smooth jazz seems unconquerable – Seven, eight, nine, ten. Suddenly silence. When I open my eyes, I see Nikki's still face, her freckled nose – I kiss the glass, feeling so relieved that Kenny G has stopped playing. I exit my sleeping bag, look all around the attic – moving a few dusty boxes and other items, searching behind hanging rows of out-of-season clothes – and Mr. G is gone. â€Å"I've defeated him,† I whisper. â€Å"He didn't make me punch my forehead, and – â€Å" I see a box marked â€Å"Pat† and begin to experience that bad feeling I sometimes get just before something unpleasant is about to happen. It feels as though I have to go to the bathroom very badly, even though I know I don't. The box is at the far end of the attic. It was hidden under a braided rug I moved when I was searching for Kenny G. I have to navigate my way back through the mess I made during my search, but soon I reach the box. I flip open the flaps at the top, and my Collingswood High School soccer jacket is on top. I take it out of the box and hold the dusty thing up. The jacket looks so small. I'd rip the yellow leather sleeves off if I tried it on now, I think, and then set the relic down on another nearby box. When I next look into the â€Å"Pat† box, I am shocked and scared into rearranging the attic so it looks exactly how it was before I began searching for Mr. G. When the attic is restored, I lie in my sleeping bag, feeling as if I am in a dream. Several times during the night I get up, move the braided rug, and look in the â€Å"Pat† box again, just to make sure I had not hallucinated before. Every time, the contents condemn Mom and make me feel betrayed.

Down: Personal Life and Time Essay

In college it is easy to stray away from the main purpose, which is having a higher education. College years are supposed to include fun but not too much fun. There are many ideals to consider when trying achieving success in school. They way students manage their time and consume energy has an effect on the outcome of their success. Relaxation also plays a significant role in the turn out of school. The way I schedule my time will benefit me in the long run. I must set a schedule that gives me my daily routine and the time it has to be done. Even recording the time it takes to do it will help. Giving myself free time will allow me to still maintain my grades. For example, if an emergency were to occur, I would have time to fix the issues and still return to my studies. Another contribution is having ways to conserve energy. Sleeping for the right amount of time always seems to help me stay refreshed and rejuvenated. Sleeping allow you to be more alert in class and make better grades in class. The right foods will nourish my body and allow healthy benefits as sleep. I also try to find time to exercise at the YMCA for at least an hour. If I do not go to the YMCA I try to walk in my down time. Exercising will put the body in shape and keep my blood pumping, which is always healthy for the heart. Exercising moves the muscles so that I do not become weak overtime. If I do not use them I will lose them. The people that students surround themselves with will either help them or deteriorate their outcome in school. Throughout life they will encounter those who are there for a reason. It is their job to determine what that reason is. If they put themselves with people who only do bad things and have no set goals, you are bound to be like them. Of course no good would become of that. If they only hang around those who do good deeds and set an example of what an ideal student is, then you are likely to do so as they do. Students must find ways to relax and have a stress free college life. The other ideas that I mentioned earlier could assist with this like time management and energy level. How can someone have a stress free life? Well, in my opinion, I do not believe it is all the way possible to absolutely no stress whatsoever but there are ways to reduce it. These ways include staying out of drama. I try to make friends and always understand others point of view. By doing this, it lowers the chances of disagreements and fosters a better campus life. If grades and classes are what are stressing me out, then I enhance my study habits or find creative ways to know the material I am struggling with. If students have great ways to improve their chances in college then they will always help a little more than before. It will let them have the opportunity to say not only did they graduate but they did it with the least amount of struggle possible. College life may be simplified having a time plan in which things should be done, reserving energy and making sure one is stress free. These tactics will make a student a better person who has general success.

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Accounts Payable Specialist - Research Paper Example It is essential that an accounts payable specialists are able to match the invoices of the vendors with the payments that must be made.   Accounts payable specialist must meet several requirements. He must have at least more than two years work experience in accounts payable. Preferably, he must have taken accounting courses in college and must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. A great plus for an accounts payable specialist is if he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). It is important that he is familiar with accounting software to assist him with the performance of his job. His job becomes easier if he uses accounting software. Accounts payable specialist must be an expert mathematician and must be attentive to details (Amico, n.d.). His skills should include being analytical, organized, good at problem-solving and must be motivated. A â€Å"thorough knowledge of applicable accounts payable/general ledger systems and procedures, financial chart of accounts and corporate procedures† are necessary to make an effective accounts payable specialist (Accounting Jobs Today.com, 2012). He must be knowl edgeable of the federal and state accounting regulations and must ensure that the company follows these regulations. He must have excellent written and oral communication skills.

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Distinguishing Management and Leadership Competencies Term Paper

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Project Management Methodology - Essay Example There are nearly four to five process groups in the project management methodologies. The process group comprises initiation, planning and design, execution, monitoring and controlling and closing (Haughey, 2012). The main objective of the report is to describe the project, which is â€Å"Privatisation of QinetiQ† by focusing upon the characteristics of the project that impact the choice of project management approach. The project will also discuss the use of numerous planning tools as well as techniques such as work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, critical path method as well as PERT approach to scheduling that has been used for this project. The report will proceed by identifying various risks that have been associated with the project and will discuss the utilisation of risk management methodology. The report will conclude by reflecting on what has been researched for this assignment and any implication with regard to bringing in changes for current or future practice as a project manager. QinetiQ is a defence technology business. It has been acknowledged that the privatisation of QinetiQ took place in two phases i.e. sale of 33.8 percent business to the Caryle Group and sale of 3.7 percent of the business to the management as well as employees. The total of 37.5 % of the business was sold in the year 2003. The main motto behind the privatisation was to assist in creating a business ahead of flotation on the London Stock Exchange that happened in the year 2006. The privatisation activity had assisted in gaining approximately  £576 million. It has further been found that Ministry of Defence has a holding of 19 percent in the business valued at  £235 million in the year 2007 (National Audit Office, 2008). QinetiQ possesses a significant role in conducting research and in suggesting the Department on the creation and the procurement of equipment. It also has a role

Macbeth What are the roles of the witches Essay Example for Free

Macbeth What are the roles of the witches Essay Banquo himself appears at the end of the line with a mirror, thus implying an infinite number of descendants. Stupefied, Macbeth cannot believe his eyes and is angered to realize that despite all of his work, he wears a fruitless crown. The witches disappear and Lennox enters the haunt. He informs Macbeth that Macduff has run off to England. Macbeth decides that he must act out all of his thoughts and impulses. He determines to kill Macduffs wife and children as his first step of revenge. Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. These lines are two of the most famous in all of Shakespeares works. Interestingly, the chants of the Weird Sisters are not written in Shakespeares primary meter, iambic pentameter, but in a rapid meter called trochaic tetrameter. Most of Shakespeares enchanted verse is written in trochaic tetrameter. As the chanting went on with the sisters more gruesome things got thrown into the cauldron. The ingredients start fairly small and gradually get bigger and harder to find. It starts off with the witches throwing poisoned entrails in and ends up with them throwing a gut of a starving shark or a dragon scale. The witches know something evil is on its way to knock at there door. The second witch say: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes, Open locks, whoever knocks And guess who it is Macbeth. The witches made this evil potion because they knew that something evil was on its way. Its like they were expecting Macbeth to come and they seem quite excited about it as well. When the consequences of the murders of Duncan and Banquo are too much for him to handle, his primal instinct is to go back to the witches. They are now his only hope. It is an admission that he cannot control things any longer and from this point on in the play we just know he is going to die. He returns to the witches because they are his last straw. They are now his only hope. He has been hit by what the consequences could be for murdering Duncan and Banquo. He has gone back to seek advice and help from the witches. He doesnt know what to do next with his life. His life has been destroyed by evil and ambition combined. Macbeth again tries to control the witches he is commanding them to answer his questions: How now you secret, black and midnight hags! What ist you do? Tell me, thou unknown power He is trying to control them he tries to question them and overpower them. In the end the witches disappear because they dont like being commanded by anyone. Macbeth must be scared and confused in which the way the witches talk to him he asks them question and they give confusing and mysterious answers like: A deed without a name The three apparitions in Macbeth show: The first is an armed head, summoned to warn Macbeth that Macduff is coming back to Scotland to ruin him. The second apparition is a bloody child and it tells Macbeth that no man born of a woman can do him harm. This gives Macbeth great confidence: Then live Macduff: what need I fear of thee? . The third apparition is that of a child wearing a crown and holding a tree. It declares: Macbeth shall never vanquishd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. Macbeth is secure that the third apparitions prophecy will never be, for who can impress the forest? or bid the tree unfix his earth-bound roots? Macbeth is misled by these apparitions he gets cocky and things no harm will come to him because he thinks that no one woman can live and that the Forrest cant move the only one that he is scared about is the third one where he is told that Banquos kids will be kings. There was no need to kill Mcduffs family Macbeth just got cocky. Macbeth thought he owned the world when he got told no woman born could harm him. At the beginning of the play Macbeth got compared to a brave and noble man, but at the end he is described as a butcher because he just killed living things for no purpose. He done it out of pure evil it werent even his family that he killed he killed his castle and everybody in it even his animals. In conclusion to this I think that by using the roles of the witches give off a nightmarish and evilness into the play. The witches were horrible characters. They just destroyed Macbeths life. I dont think that Macbeth was in charge of his own life. I think that Macbeths destiny lay in the hands of the witches from the beginning of the play to the end of the play. So overall I think the witches did give off an evil sense. Paul Carew 10B English Mr Lynn Page 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

The Topic Of Applied Management Project Education Essay

The Topic Of Applied Management Project Education Essay Reflection is the key that opens the door to understanding ourselves in relation to core ethical values (Beland, 2003, p.15). Indeed, reflective thinking is very important since it helps us to critically evaluate our own behaviour and behaviour of others. Being able to critically think and reflect on our work enables us to gain self-knowledge, to demonstrate our understanding of learning progress and take on the perspective of others. However, reflective thinking is most important in identifying the ways of problem-solving. By stepping back and reflecting on our experiences, we are able to think how to solve the problems, choose apropriate strategies and consider consequences of actions. The process of writing the Applied Management Project (AMP) has also incorporated various components to prompt my reflective thinking. It provided me with an opportunity to gain further insights from my own work through deeper reflection on my research and writing experiences. Thus, the following paper is structured to produce the critical evaluation of my own learning. It is a recollection of my own experiences during the process which I was engaged in producing AMP towards the completion of MSc. This major piece of individual work was structured to address appropriate strategies for corporate managers that would guide them on how to sell to the developing countries while at the same time reducing poverty rate. For this purpose, I was required to conduct, analyse and present.. by employing sound research methods to generate a 12,000 word research project report. Thus, the following report looks back on my thoughts and feelings, including mistakes and achievements. It also identifies successful aspects of the experience that might be usefully applied in the future and points out the lessons I should adopt in the long run. By the end of this report, I hope to be able to improve my future performance as an individual or as a member of the group. Recollection of Experiences Since the aim of AMP was structured to explore how multinational companies can become involved in the pursuit of poverty reduction while selling to the poor, it was necessarry to obtain a strong understanding about the issue at hand. For this purpose, an in depth review of the literature was undertaken to present a thorough analysis of the key elements involved in serving the poor. As such, the following section of the report recalls the development and key stages in search for the in-depth literature. Development of Literature Review One of the most important and crucial things that proceeded writing a report was to precisely define the problem I wished to address. Thus, I started off by establishing a mission statement that guided me throughout the whole process. Having a purpose for my literature review helped me narrow the scope of what I needed to look out for when I was researching. Once the problem was defined, my literature review involved two stages: the research process and writing process. 2.1.1.Research Process: I started my research process by brainstorming ideas for my subject at hand. I determined the questions I was attempting to answer and scanned the articles which helped me refine the topic. Using keywords from abstracts and descriptors, I performed a broad and general survey to orient myself to the field, to find out the main theories, the key scholars, and their principal publications. This pointed me to the key studies I should read. Thus, a more detailed, selective list of books, journals and articles was narrowed down as most relevant. Secondary Research Only secondary research was employed in the AMP which involved processing data from previous studies and findings in order to come to conclusion. The secondary research was undertaken through to focus on a deeper and more insightful level of investigation of certain areas, such as BOP proposition, buyer behaviour, marketing strategies and others. It was important to conduct secondary data as it played a substantial role in the exploratory phase of the research when the task at hand is to provide recommendations for improvement. The assembly and analysis of secondary data almost invariably improved my understanding of the topic problem. Note Taking Note taking was essential with a long assignment of this nature.  In order to concentrate on and understanding the information I was reading, summarising the ideas and arguments were necessarry. Thus, I used a sytem of grouping notes in categories such as theories, findings, opposing views and other aspects of the topic. This approach allowed me to focus on the points relevant to my purpose. A track of notes of all the references I wanted to use, including a detailed bibliography, was also kept. Such well-organised notes made the writing process much more efficient. It made it easier to analyse and evaluate the information and to synthesize it to find patterns, connections and trends. Note taking was essential to provide me with the necessary evidence to inform and develop the argument. Thus, I tried to manage my notes from the start of my research to the editing of the final version of the project. Evaluation of Literature Review The sources used in my report were carefully chosen based on their relevancy. Indeed, it was very important to focus on the relevancy of the relevant material used otherwise this could decrease the credibility of the paper. As such, evaluation of literature was essential thus, authors credentials, expertise, date of publication, reputation of the publisher and other evaluating material points were taken into consideration. The literature review spanned the body of journals, abstracts, books, websites and references from articles across the works of business approach towards poverty alleviation. Peer-reviewed journals served as the main adequate sopport material for my report. These articles reviewed by experts in the field provided me with more in-depth studies and explorations. The availability of journals online helped me greatly with my report, as they were easily searchable.  Ã‚  However, it was quite difficult to select the most reliable ones as a great deal of irrelevant and incorrect material can be found online. Thus, the advice from library staff was taken on how to access relevant material in a variety of formats.  They advised me to avoid using particular websites where the information provided was not based on the reliable and veracious sources.  I also tried to avoid newspapers, magazines and non-peer reviewed journals. 2.1.2. Writing Process Writing process included couple of stages. Brainstorming was the first stage to get me started. Using notes I noted down the ideas, wrote sub-topics I wanted to include in my report. I then wrote down these ideas without concern for conventions. Drafting was the preliminary stage of my written work where I did not think about word-count, grammar or spelling; some of the sentences did not even fit too well. At this stage I also organized the layers of subheadings. I selected notes to each section, arranged them according to themes, types of literature, main findings, contrasting perspectives. Using subheads to guide the organization made it easier to write and to follow. Revision was another important step in the process of writing where I reviewed, altered and amended the information from the draft. At the editing stage I removed sections, rewrote paragraphs and added in information. When adding, I tried to take into account what the reader would want to hear and presented only points directly relevant to the reviews focus. In many cases, I needed to rearrange my sections for the report to flow better. Finally, I produced the final report. Throughout the whole report I tried to use clear topic sentences and transitions to help the reader follow ideas. I also used summary sentences in each section that underscores the significance of what I had synthesized. Finally, I summarized main points for the topic, by pointing out existing gaps and directions for future research and practice. Time Management In order to boost my performance and to deliver the report on time, management of my time was of a great importance. Thus, a number of activities needed to be set. These included strategies such as planning, allocating, setting goals, analysis of my time spent, organising and prioritizing. I started off by making a list of everything I wanted to do regarding report writing. Such list included things like background reading, additional research, samples of other dissertations and other key elements that helped me to enhance my report sufficiency. I reviewed the list and prioritised the work that needed to be done first. Using a calendar, I then tried to ensure that   my research effort is aligned with the way in which my dissertation would be structured. To do this, I drew a typical weeks timetable on a large sheet of paper, on which I  wrote down my activities and other regular commitments such as part-time work and regular social events. When drawing timetable, I took into accou nt of the time and place I was best to get on with my work. I also mapped out a timetable of sub-tasks and assignment deadlines. Personal Feelings and Learning from Experience The Applied Management Project has demonstrated my abilities to use the knowledge and skills that I learned during the course. I was contsantly required to combine knowledge and increase my understanding in a variety of ways. In particular, in search for literature allowed me to gain appreciation for the practical applications of knowledge. By stepping outside my classroom, I was able to learn about the theories, tools, resources, and ethical issues that scholars and professionals encounter on a daily basis. In addition, I learned how to formulate questions, design plans to find answers, collect and analyze data, produce creative solutions, and share my findings with others. Most importantly, it made me an informed consumer, so that now I will be able to evaluate the information presented and make informed decisions about business approach towards poverty reduction. Nevertheless, since there was an abundance of literature available, it was hard to select which information to use. I felt confused and was not sure which direction to take. I felt demotivated and was not interested in continuing with the report. Fortunately, I received a great support from group members. They gave me a friendly advise on the issue at hand which clarified my doubts and confusion. I also felt quite anxious at times working effectively in time constrained situation like this. For such a major undertaking, it was essential that I manage my time well throghout the whole process of writing. Thus, organizing my activities in a sequence that best utilized my time was critical. With the help of previously mentioned calendar, I managed to meet the deadline. I also tried to make sure that I got a reasonable number of study sessions in each week however at times, it was quite dificult to study accordingly to my plan. Unexpected social events made it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However, I tried to use every trick ro persuade myself to stay committed to my plan. Group Dynamics and Learning from Experience Not only did the Applied Mangement Project enabled my adaptation of appropriate methods for the unique focus of this project and enhanced my individual creativity, but it also gave me an advantage of working in a diverse group. Throughout the year of the Masters course I experienced many benefits the multi-cultural group can bring, thus, I was extremely happy to work as part of a group this time. Our group started off using what we learned of core values and creating the main goal to help guide us through the project. We established a set of values and mission statement during our first meeting. This helped us to remain motivated and stay on task. Group discussions involed everyones active participation which was a very effective learning method for all of us. All of us shared experiences and feedback, pooled ideas, generated insights, and developed an arena for analysis of experiences. This approach allowed for the utilization of the different skills, knowledge and experiences that team members had. As such, a great diversity of ideas were developed and I found the energy of the group participation made me feel even more energetic about contributing to a team. Thus, I tried to share all the relevant information I found about the project. My input was well aknowledged by others and I felt appreciated. In fact, each of us kept updated each other about the changes thruoghout th e whole process, which led to a greater understanding of the topic about poverty reduction. Since we were working together for a week only, we did not encounter any big arguments or problems. Some debates however occured whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. We worked all together to clearly defined the problem, tried to thoroughly explore and understand what is expected from us. Some of us collected additional information and analyzed it to understand what to do further. Such group dynamics helped in clarifying doubts, confusions and misconceptions. In particular, this task gave us an opportunity to connect with the staff at the University of Bedfordshire. They were very helpful in directing us what we should include in our reports. It was amazing the amount of friendship was created in our team. Many times team members went extreme lengths to help each other. Everyone knew they can rely on each others support and encouragement. Such mutual trust facilitated through open, honest and collaborative environment.All in all, working together was extremely important to the success of my indivdual work. I received so much advice, support, new ideas that helped to enhance my report and improve effectiveness. Lessons for Future The skills and knowledge gained during the Applied Management Project can be usefully applied on my future projects. Research skills à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦along with group work will make me achieve my future goals. Nevertheless, I have not sufficiently learned how to manage my time. Thus, develop good study habits and time management skills without procratinating would be my next step to improving my performance. During this assignment I learned that I need to make more careful and effective use of my time than ever before. I was responsible for planning and organising my work and therefore responsible for managing my own time. And even though it offered me a good opportunity for developing this skill as well as providing a new challenge, I found myself distracted from it many times. Therefore, in future I will try to concentrate on the important elements of my tasks and stop working frantically with no accomplishments. I believe that finishing my essential tasks as they arise can prevent a tremendous loss of time and help me to stop procrastinating. Next time, I would also start preparing as soon as I receive the task. When I give myself enough time to plan effectively, I will save time and avoid stress. Therefore, proper scheduling, planning, deciding on objectives, looking at the components of the task and sorting out the different skills will be key elements of report writing. Finally, even though I achieved a successful outcome, but to improve my achievement for future, I perhaps would need a supervisor or mentor to help encourage and advice me. Conclusion The Applied Management Project gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and constantly stimulated the environment where I was able to use my understanding in different areas. During its process I went through many thoughts and feelings which this reflective report was aimed to explore. It looked back at my experiences of mistakes as well as successful aspects that migh be usefully applied in the future. Indeed, reflecting on and learning from this experience, including my mistakes, will help me to avoid repeated mistakes and, at the same time, identify successful aspects of an experience and principles which might usefully be applied to other situations. Reflection has provided the opportunity to make sense of and learn from any experience and handle similar situations appropriately another time. For instance, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It gave me the chance to explore thoughts and feelings, work through difficult or painful experiences, develop self awareness and fresh insights. Indeed, reflection on my own experience help you to make links between theory and practice, integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge and develop your understanding. I believe that It  prepared me for the world beyond university by honing my independent thinking and creativity, time-management and budget skills, and confidence in my academic and career goals. This knowledge is fundamental to my future, which I attempt to continually develop and reflect.

Emergence of management accounting

Emergence of management accounting Introduction Management Accounting deals with providing information for internal users, mainly the managers. Since they are the section of people who directs and controls the operations of the firm, the information that Management Accounting provides is very useful. Some of the basic management activities are: Planning: Considering various alternatives and choosing the best among them. Control: Ensure that the chosen plan is being followed and whether there are in line with the objectives of the firm. Directing and Motivating: Activities need to be monitored and employees need to be motivated and encouraged to ensure smooth and effective functioning of the organization (Seal, W et al., 2006). Emergence of Management Accounting The concept of Management Accounting evolved during the Industrial revolution of the 19th century. During that period, most of the companies were controlled and owned by a few managers. Elaborate financial reports were not demanded as there were no external shareholders. The 20th century saw a lot of changes in the economy; companies were required to submit detailed financial reports in order to satisfy the capital markets, taxation purposes and creditors (Seal, W et al., 2006). Earlier, production technology was simple, with products passing through a series of distinct phases of production. So, it was easier to identify the associated material and labor costs, thus direct labor was used as the basis for assigning indirect costs to products (Ashton, D et al., 1995). Role of Modern Management Accounting Organizations are under pressure to not only make decisions on a day to day basis but also to chalk out a plan that will help them to survive and grow in the ever changing market place, considering the fact that they will be faced with uncertain circumstances. The main role of modern management accounting is to provide the various levels of management with information that is relevant to make sound decisions and to add value to the company. It is slightly different from traditional accounting because they provide managers with essential information in time to set targets, minimize the cost, develop standards, monitor performances and compute variances, thereby improving the quality of the products with reduced wastage. Apart from these, Management accounting aids in improving the flexibility and innovative capacity of the organization, thus making continuous changes to improve its financial and non financial performance to stay on track with the rapidly changing economy (Atkinson, An thony A et al., 1997) (Prit, 2009). Shaping an organization Management Accounting can help shape an organization in the following ways: Provides accurate and timely information to help cut costs, measure and improve the productivity. Information on product costs helps in the introduction of new products in the market, pricing decisions and, if required, abandonment of obsolete products. For large and decentralized organizations, it is essential to motivate employees using appropriate incentives and benefits. This decision is based on the results provided by the management accounting system. Acts as a communication tool which the upper management uses to communicate with the middle and lower management and vice versa. Information about the organizational goals and strategy is passed on to the operational divisions and feedback is communicated back to the upper management (Kaplan, Robert S., 1987). Binds the operational and strategic goals together in order to ensure that the performances of the operational divisions are aligned with the organizational goals (Ashton, D et al., 1995). Management Accounting shaped by organization An organization can also have an impact on this accounting system in the following ways: In order to successfully grow in the rapidly advancing market, customer satisfaction has become the prime focus. This affects the kind of information required by the organization and demands sophisticated form of management accounting system. Since organizations are divided into sub units, the interdependence among them would be very high. As a result the dynamics of the information needed has changed. Due to increased coordination among organizations, the gap between suppliers and employees are getting narrow. This has led to changes in the way that organizations collect and use management accounting information (Atkinson, Anthony A et al., 1997). A major computer revolution has brought about a significant reduction in the information collection and processing costs and has eased the work of accountants (Kaplan, Robert S., 1987). Management Accounting a Global phenomenon The challenge faced by companies today is; the alignment of local business processes with the global objectives and strategies. Since the organizations are widely dispersed and decentralized, integration of the sub units and its operations has become vital in order to compete in the global market. This requires management of various organizational relationships, internal, external, vertical, hierarchical, horizontal and lateral ties. In the growing global economy, management accounting is required to: Manage the flow of vertical and lateral information within organizations. Integrate and coordinate activities of units located in various locations (Scapens, R et al., 2007) (Ashton, D et al., 1995). Reduction in tariffs, ease in worldwide transportation and removal of other trade barriers has increased competition as more and more companies are entering the market, thus, the need for management accounting is increasing too. For example: Since business is expanding widely, outsourcing has become a great deal and countries like India and China are leading the way in this area and have a competitive edge over other firms (Seal, W et al., 2006). Impact of globalization Management accounting is shaped by various changes in the global environment, such as: Rapidly changing business climate has increased the research opportunities in the area of management accounting. Many of the countries in the world are re-structuring themselves. Countries like Taiwan, India and parts of Eastern Europe are slowly moving into large scale privatization. This has the altered the global competition scene. Shaping global organization Management Accounting plays a major role in shaping the global: Aids in stabilizing transfer of currency and the transfer of goods and knowledge between companies located in different countries. Manages the fluctuations in currency by the purchase of financial instruments like futures and options. Enables coordination and integration among the various activities of a globally dispersed organization. Helps to monitor and evaluate the performance of its subsidiaries (Ashton, D et al., 1995). Helps in building stronger political relationships between the firm and the government of the country where it has its operations. These ties can have positive impact in the form of tax breaks, subsidies etc. 3 Recent developments in Management Accounting Techniques a) Balanced Score card This technique consists of an integrated set of performance measures that are derived from and also helps the companys strategy. It develops a strategy for the company to further it objectives successfully (Seal, W et al., 2006). The characteristics of this technique: Helps the management to clearly state the vision and strategy in a tangible form. Helps in communicating the objectives and strategy to the employees and encourages them to set individual goals and align them to the organizational objectives. Develops measures to evaluate the performance. Four perspectives of a Balanced score card: Financial- concerned with profitability. Customer- concerned with customer satisfaction, retention of previous customers and acquiring new ones. Internal Business process- concerned with the internal processes that will help in attracting and retaining customers. Learning and growth- concerned with the long term growth and development of the organization. The balanced score card is used in both the manufacturing and service sectors. An example of a company in a service sector that uses this technique is the National Insurance Company. It is the property division of one of the major US insurance companies. In the year 1993 they launched the score card technique with revenue of $4 billion dollars. Unfortunately this never worked for the company and ended up making huge losses, until a management team was brought in to make repairs. They moved the company from a generalist strategy to a specialized one, thus, helping National Insurance to regain the profitable position in the economy. The balanced score card technique has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: Helps in providing periodic and systematic feedback. Helps in quantifying the vision and objectives of the organization. Helps to set individual goals and aligns them with the organizational objectives, thus, uplifting the morale of the workforce. It focuses on both, financial and non financial factors (Kaplan, R.S Norton, D. P,1996) (â€Å"Balanced Scorecard for Corus Group PLC†). Disadvantages Balanced score card is all about developing a strategy and if the management devises an ill-defined and unclear one, it will lead to a futile and confusing score card. Sometimes looked upon as a purely top down approach, where the strategy is created at the top and imposed upon the employees (â€Å"Balanced Scorecard: Panacea or poisoned chalice?†). The implementation of this technique can be time consuming and difficult and may not include the interests of the shareholders, suppliers and employees (â€Å"Balanced Scorecard for Corus Group PLC†) (Kaplan, R.S Norton, D. P, 1996). b) Just in time This management technique was first developed in Japan by Taiichi Ohno in the 1970s. Toyota Motors Corporation was the first one to adopt Just in Time technique as part of its production system. In this technique raw materials go into production as soon as they are received, the manufactured parts are completed just in time to go into the assembling process and they are shipped to the customers as soon as they are completed. The main features are, materials would be purchased only for the day to day requirement and there would be no goods in process at the end of the day as they are all delivered to the customers immediately (Seal, W et al., 2006). The Just in Time technique is most commonly used by the manufacturing and merchandising sectors. An example of a manufacturing firm using this technique: In the year 1992, the sales of one of the leading car manufacturers, Porsche declined to less than 15,000 and had a loss of about $133 million. The timely appointment of two Japanese experts identified the problem as wasteful inventory in the shelves. A quality control program was introduced to reduce the number of defective parts. Ever since, their earnings have jumped to about $55 million and huge sales of about 34,000. It would be appropriate to mention about a service sector using the Just in Time technique. McDonalds adopted this technique to compete with their competitor Burger King and Wendys. They had to carefully study the system and spend approximately $25,000 in each of its outlets. This was implemented to ensure that the customers would be served with the freshest food within 90 seconds of ordering and also to cut stock costs, which would ultimately lead to staff savings (Garrison and Noreen, 2003). The benefits and disadvantages of Just in Time technique are: Advantages: Reduction in warehousing and ordering cost. Can make use of the extra floor space which would otherwise be occupied by inventory, thus, avoiding any planned expansion that could result in extra expense (Kaplan, Robert S., 1987). Throughput time is reduced; as a result, the companies can give quicker responses to customers. The rates of defective units are reduced, therefore, less wastage and cost effective production. Disadvantages: If any parts are found defective, the whole production process would be held up. Companies are fully dependant on their suppliers, since they have to be able to provide defect free goods. Implementation can be slightly difficult as the workers required to operate under this system needs to be multi skilled and flexible (Garrison and Noreen, 2003). c) Activity Based Costing Towards the end of 1980, Activity Based Costing became a popular form of costing among the organizations. This provides managers with cost information to make strategic decisions. Under this system, overhead cost pools are allocated to the products and other costing objects using a measure of activity. The indirect costs are also allocated to different cost pools, based on the activity. The costs are all attached to each product on the basis of the cost drivers associated (Garrison and Noreen, 2003) (Ashton, D et al., 1995). A large number of organizations have adopted Activity Based Costing. One example of a company in the service sector, in a developing nation, that is successfully using this technique is Tata Consultancy Services; one of Indias largest consulting organization. They used this method to identify issues in their software business. With the help of Activity Based Costing, Tata Consultancy was able to find out that the quality assurance, testing and correction costs were having a negative impact on their profitability. This costing technique provided the required cost information to help the managers set appropriate priorities and monitor the detection costs (Garrison and Noreen, 2003). Activity Based Costing has its own advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: Simple to operate and can be easily understood. Focus is mainly on what causes the costs to increase. Absorption rates are closely linked to causes of overheads. Disadvantages: Implementation and maintenance is expensive. The changes may not be accepted easily by the employees, they may resist. Managers sometimes insist on including sustenance costs and idle capacity costs, this may result in overstated costs. Activity Based costing reports does not conform to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. This may require the companies to have two cost systems which can be an expensive affair (Garrison and Noreen, 2003). Bibliography Seal, W., Garrison, Ray H. Noreen, Eric W., 2006. Management Accounting. 2nd ed. Berkshire: McGraw Hill Education, 1:2-12, 17: 763-765, 19: 840-844. Garrison, Ray H. Noreen, Eric W., 2003. Management Accounting. 10th ed. New York: McGraw Hill/ Irwin, 1:13-17, 8:316-320, 338-339, 10:445-454. Ashton, D., Hopper T. Scapens, Robert W., 1995. Issues in Management Accounting. 2nd ed. England: Pearson Education Limited, 1:3-5, 3:46-47, 6:115-116, 14:300. Hopper T., Scapens, Robert W. Northcott, D., 2007, Issues in Management Accounting. [e-book] England: Pearson Education Limited, 4:65-69. Available at: Google e-books http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=k3La7WnBBGICprintsec=frontcoverdq=issues+in+management+accountingcd=1#v=onepageq=f=false. [Accessed 16 January 2010]. Johnson, H. T. Kaplan, R. S., 1987, Relevance lost: The Rise and Fall of Management Accounting. [e-book] USA: Harvard Business School Press, 1:4-6, 9:215. Available at: Google e-books http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=yUgXuMBxAx4Coi=fndpg=PR11dq=Importance+of+Modern+Management+Accounting+Practices+in+Modern+Business+Organizationsots=eSpMcqbPoDsig=uHxwYxFfTyR-Sw5iT-dB6v1Y45U#v=onepageq=f=false. [Accessed 16 January 2010]. Atkinson, A. A et al., 1997. New Directions in Management Accounting Research. Journal of Management Accounting Research, [pdf] 9 Available at: http://miha.ef.uni-lj.si/_dokumenti3plus2/196128/Atkinsonetal.-1997-NewdirectionsinMAresearch.pdf. [Accessed 17 January 2010]. Kaplan, R. S. Norton, D. P., 1996. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. [e-book] USA: Harvard Business school Press. Available at: Google e-books http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=mRHC5kHXczECoi=fndpg=PR7dq=balanced+scorecard+in+manufacturing+industryots=wv4Ut7B5Lasig=ryw-8YdLQig50o9bzJAnPXPUQto#v=onepageq=balanced%20scorecard%20in%20manufacturing%20industryf=false. [Accessed 16 January 2010]. Bizcovering, 2009. Importance of Modern Management Accounting Practices in Modern Business organizations. [online]. Available at: http://bizcovering.com/management/importance-of-modern-management-accounting-practices-in-modern-business-organizations/. [Accessed 16 January 2010]. â€Å"Balanced Scorecard for Corus Group PLC†. [online]. 123HelpMe.com. Available at: http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=149201. [Accessed 17 January 2010]. Davies, R. W. (Dr.), 2009. Balanced Scorecard: Panacea or Poisoned Chalice? [online]. Available at: http://www.drrobertdavies.com/balancedscorecardsuccess.php. [Accessed 16 January 2010].

Architecture of the 1920s :: Architecture

ARCHITECTURE IN THE TWENTIES For the United States the Twenties was a time to flourish and enjoy the common wealth, but unlike everything else, architecture was in a creative slump. many artists were having difficulty in depicting a "style" for the new era. Many new technological advances were occuring through the steel industry and the discovery of glass. The architects of this period wanted to incorporate those advances in their designs, thus bringing forth an experimental period. With architects from different backgrounds and cultures working to produce a masterpiece the International Style was created. The International Style was the most common and wide-spread type of architecture found in the twenties. This style dominated architecture until about 1950. Buildings of this time were characterized as having "...geometric shapes, white walls , and a flat roof with a garden," ("Architecture ". World Book CD-ROM). They were constructed of reinforced concrete (concrete with embedded metal rods to add strength). Typical buildings had large windows, which created a light, airy feeling and the exterior had little or no ornamentation. ("Architecture". World Book CD-ROM). Architects were able to acheive the light airy feeling found in the buildings because of the new inventions of industrial materials and the technical advances. The 1920's brought forth many new technological advances. Builders could now use steel, iron, and glass. Alloys, or blended metals, were discovered and produced, and the elevator was invented. These new materials had great and long lasting influences on modern architecture and are still used today. Architects were able to use steel beams to reinforce concrete, allowing them to build taller structures, known as skyscrappers. Elevators were installed to replace stairs. A gradual modernization of technical systems took place. Plumbing and heating/cooling systems were improved and the use of electricity became more popular. ("Architecture". Grolier CD-ROM). For the architects of the 1920's "climate could be disregarded, for mechanical heating and cooling devices make a building independent of its region...". (Hamlin, 633) Because of these new advances architects were able to experiment with options they were never given before. Despite the difficulties and dry periods the archtects experienced in the twenties, a new style was born.

Transformation of Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Transformation of Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of Shakesphere's, Macbeth, the character, Macbeth is basically an everyday normal type of soldier fighting and killing for his king.   His title at this point is the Thane of Glamis.   Upon having a great day on the battlefield, including killing MacDonwald, Macbeth has no clue as to what is in store for him. When Macbeth and his friend Banquo meet the witches for the first time, they are completely shocked.   While talking with the witches Macbeth and Banquo are told that Macbeth will be named the Thane of Cawdor, and then later king.   They also told Banquo that his children will be kings, but that Banquo would not.   After hearing this Macbeth begins to become ashamed with himself to think that he actually thought about killing the king in order to the throne from Duncan.   At this point he is somewhat confused and maybe more curious than anything.   His thought was not to do anything drastic to become king.   He basically says, whatever happens, happens.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Macbeth arrives home to his wife, Lady Macbeth, she begins to play mind games with him.   She does this by trying to convince him to murder Duncan. She tells him things like â€Å"If you were a real man you'd do it†.   This upsets Macbeth, and he begins to think that he is actually going to do it, and eventually carries it out. What he doesn't realize is that he will later regret his actions, and wish that he could turn back time.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As soon as Macbeth has killed Duncan, he seems to start to lose his mind. He just doesn't know what to do with himself.   In fact, he cannot finish smearing the blood on the chamberlains, lady Macbeth had to.   As time goes by Macbeth begins to think that to keep his name clear he must kill all the people that may pose a threat to him.   Even if it means killing his best friend, Banquo.   Macbeth did this by hiring people to kill him.   They succeeded in killing Banquo but his son Fleance escaped. Although this wasn't the end of Macbeth's killing, for instance he killed one man's(Macduff's) family, which basically didn't make any sense.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After a couple more run ins with the witches, Macbeth completely loses all his ability to think straight and starts killing people just to prevent anyone from finding that he killed Duncan.   Not only has Macbeth lost his mind, so has lady Macbeth.   She is always caught walking in her sleep talking about Duncan's death, and she eventually commits suicide.

Cbse Chemistry Notes for 11 and 12

Supplementary Textual Material in Chemistry for Class XI & Class XII 1 Acknowledgements CBSE ADVISORS Shri Vineet Joshi, I. A. S. , Chairman, CBSE Shri Shashi Bhushan, Director (Acad. ), CBSE CONVENOR & EDITOR Prof. A. K. Bakhshi Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi. DEVELOPMENT TEAM Prof. A. K. Bakhshi Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi. Dr. Anju Srivastava Hindu College, University of Delhi. Dr. Vimal Rarh S. G. T. B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi. Dr. Geetika Bhalla Hindu College, University of Delhi. Ms. Anupama Sharma Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. MEMBER COORDINATOR Dr.Srijata Das, Education Officer, CBSE 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Class XI Unit 5 : States of Matter 5. 7. 1 Kinetic Energy and Molecular Speeds 5. 7. 2 Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of molecular speeds Unit 6 : Thermodynamics 6. 6. 1. Second Law of Thermodynamics 6. 8. Third Law of Thermodynamics Unit 7 : Equilibrium 7. 12. 1 pH of Buffer Solutions Class XII Unit 16 : Chemistry in Everyd ay Life 16. 4. 2. 1 Antioxidants 3 Unit 5: States of Matter 5. 7. 1 KINETIC ENERGY AND MOLECULAR SPEEDS As you have studied in the previous section the molecules of a gas are always in motion and are colliding with each other and with the walls of the container.Due to these collisions the speeds and the kinetic energies of the individual molecules keep on changing. However at a given temperature, the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules remains constant. If at a given temperature, n1 molecules have speed v1, n2 molecules have speed v2, n3 molecules have speed v3, and so on. Then, the total kinetic energy (EK) of the gas at this temperature is given by where m is the mass of the molecule. The corresponding average kinetic energy ( If the following term Then the average kinetic energy is given by where c is given by 4 ) of the gas will beThis ‘c’ is known as root-mean-square speed. As the name implies, to calculate c, first take the squares of the individual speeds , then their mean and finally the square root of the mean. It can be shown that c is related to temperature by The average kinetic energy depends only on absolute temperature and is related to absolute temperature by the expression where k = Boltzmann constant = 1. 38 x 10-23 J K-1 In the case of gases, one also talks of two other speeds, namely, average speed and most-probable speed. The average speed ( ) at a given temperature is the arithmetic mean of the speeds of different molecules of the gas. . e, where n1 molecules have speed v1, n2 molecules have speed v2, n3 molecules have speed v3, and so on. The relationship between average speed and temperature T is given by The most probable speed ( ) of a gas at a given temperature is the speed possessed by the maximum number of molecules at that temperature. Unlike average speed and root mean square speed, the most probable speed cannot be expressed in terms of the individual molecular speeds. The most probable speed ( ) is related t o absolute temperature (T) by the expression 5 Relationship between different types of molecular speedsThe three types of molecular speeds, namely, most probable speed ( ), average speed ( ) and root mean square speed (c) of a gas at a given temperature are related to each other as follows: For a particular gas, at a particular temperature, It follows from the above relationships that Example: Calculate the root mean square, average and most probable speeds of oxygen molecules at 27 oC. Solution: Given data: Molar mass of oxygen, M = 32 g mol-1 = 0. 032 kg mol-1 Temperature, t = 27 oC T = (27 + 273) K = 300 K 6 Expressions to be used: Root mean square speed, Average speed, Most probable speed, Actual calculationsRoot mean square speed, Average speed, Most probable speed, 5. 7. 2 MAXWELL-BOLTZMANN DISTRIBUTION OF MOLECULAR SPEEDS The speeds of the individual molecules of a gas do not remain constant. They keep on changing due to inter molecular collisions and due to collisions with t he walls of the container. However, at a given temperature, the distribution of molecular speeds remains constant. This distribution of molecular speeds is given by Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law. 7 For a given gas, at a given temperature, the distribution curve of molecular speeds is shown in Figure 5. 7. 1 Figure 5. 7. 1.Maxwell Boltzmann distribution curve You can see from the distribution curve that it is the plot of molecular speed vs the fraction of molecules. The important features of this distribution curve are: (i) The fraction of molecules having too low or too high speeds is very small. (ii) There is a certain speed for which the fraction of molecules is maximum. This speed is known as most probable speed. (iii) The most probable speed of a gas, is the speed possessed by the maximum number of molecules of the gas at a given temperature and it corresponds to the peak of the curve. Since the most probable speed ( xpression ) is related to absolute temperature T by the I t means that at the same temperature, lighter gases shall move faster than heavier gases as is evident from the distribution curves of chlorine and nitrogen gases in Figure 5. 7. 2. 8 Figure 5. 7. 2. Maxwell Boltzmann distribution curves for chlorine and nitrogen gases at 300K Effect of temperature In Figure 5. 7. 3. are given the Maxwell Boltzmann distribution curves of a gas at three different temperatures T1, T2 and T3 such that T1>T2>T3. Figure 5. 7. 3. Maxwell Boltzmann distribution curves for a gas at three different temperatures 9It can be seen from these distribution curves that as the temperature increases 1. The entire curve shifts towards right. 2. The most probable speed increases. 3. The fraction of molecules having most probable speed decreases. 4. The curve becomes broader in the middle range indicating that more molecules have speeds near to the most probable speed. 5. The fraction of molecules having higher speeds increases. 6. The fraction of molecules having lower speed decreases. It may be noted that the total area under each of the curves remains the same as the sum of fractions of molecules remains unaltered on changing the temperature. 0 EXERCISE 1. Calculate (i) root mean square speed (ii) average speed and (iii) most probable speed of CO2 molecules at 700 K . 2. A sample of a gas contains 15 molecules with a speed of 3 m s-1, 25 molecules with a speed of 5 m s-1 and 30 molecules with a speed of 8 m s-1. Calculate root mean square speed of these molecules. 3. Calculate the temperature at which the average speed of oxygen equals that of hydrogen at 20 K. 4. Calculate the temperatures at which the root mean square speed, average speed and the most probable speed of oxygen gas are all equal to 1500 m s-1. Answers 1. i. 629. 92, m s-1 ii. 80. 50 m s-1 iii. 514. 33 m s-1 2. 6. 187 m s-1 3. 320 K 4. T for root mean square speed= 2886 K, T for the average speed = 3399 K, T for most probable speed = 4330 K 11 12 Unit 6 : Thermodynamics 6. 6. 1 SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS You have already studied in the previous sections that the first law of thermodynamics deals only with the law of conservation of energy and it gives no information about the criteria for feasibility of a given physical or chemical process. This law is always obeyed whether a given process occurs on its own or is made to occur with the help of an external agency.In any case the first law is valid in both the forward and reverse direction of the process. You have also learnt about the concept of entropy which is a measure of the randomness or the disorder in a system. This concept helps in explaining the spontaneity of the irreversible processes. For an irreversible process, the entropy of the system and surroundings taken together i. e. of the universe increases, while for a process at equilibrium it remains constant. This conclusion is of great importance as it helps us to predict whether a given process can take place spontaneously or not.Since a ll processes in nature occur spontaneously i. e. irreversibly, it follows that the entropy of the universe is increasing continuously. This important statement i. e. â€Å"in any spontaneous process, the entropy of the universe (system and surroundings) always increases† is also known as the second law of thermodynamics. ?SUniverse = ? Ssystem + ? Ssurroundings Specifically it means that If ? SUniverse > 0, the reaction is spontaneous If ? SUniverse < 0, the reaction is non-spontaneous If ? SUniverse = 0, the reaction is at equilibriumSince chemists are generally more interested in the system (reaction mixture) than the surroundings, it is therefore more convenient to restate the second law in terms of the thermodynamic properties of the system, without regard to the surroundings. As already described in the previous section, this is possible through the Gibbs free energy G which for a system is defined as G = H – TS. In terms of this thermodynamic property, the second law of thermodynamics can be restated as in any spontaneous process at 13 constant temperature and pressure, the free energy of the system (? Gsystem) always decreases.According to this definition If ? Gsystem < 0, the reaction is spontaneous If ? Gsystem > 0, the reaction is non-spontaneous If ?Gsystem = 0, the reaction is at equilibrium 6. 8. THIRD LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS The third law of thermodynamics is concerned with determination of entropy. It states that a substance which is perfectly crystalline at absolute zero of temperature has an entropy of zero. In a perfect crystal at absolute zero of temperature, each constituent of the crystal (atom, molecule or ion) is at the proper crystal lattice site and it therefore has the lowest energy.This means that this particular state is of perfect order, i. e, has zero disorder and hence zero entropy. Using zero value of entropy at absolute zero for a perfectly crystalline substance as the reference point (initial state), on e can calculate absolute value of entropy of the substance in any state (solid, liquid or gas) at any temperature by calculating ? S for the process/es in going from the initial state to the state of the substance for which entropy is to be calculated. However there are certain substances which possess certain entropy even at absolute zero.This entropy is known as residual entropy. The origin of residual entropy can be explained on the basis of the disorder which remains at absolute zero in certain crystals composed of AB types of molecules where A and B are similar atoms (as in CO). In such substances, there is a very little energy difference between â€Å"†¦AB AB AB†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å".. †¦AB BA BA AB†¦.. † and other arrangements so that the molecules adopt the orientations AB and BA at random in the solid. This gives rise to some disorder, also known as frozen disorder, and consequently residual entropy.For example in case of CO, the measured residual entropy is 5 J K-1 mol-1 which is close to the value expected for a random structure Figure 1 (B) of the form â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦CO CO OC CO CO OC OC†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . 14 Figure 1. Alternative molecular arrangements for CO (A) Perfect crystal (B) Actual crystal EXERCISE 1. State Second Law of Thermodynamics. 2. Write the conditions in terms of ? H and ? S when a reaction would be always spontaneous. 3. When ? H > 0 and ? S < 0, a reaction is never spontaneous. Explain. 4. Comment on the spontaneity of a reaction at constant temperature and pressure in the following cases i) ? H < 0 and ? S > 0 (ii) ? H > 0 and ? S < 0 (iii) ? H < 0 and ? S < 0 (iv) ? H > 0 and ? S > 0 5. State third law of thermodynamics. 6. Explain the term residual entropy. 15 Unit 7: Equilibrium 7. 12. 1 pH OF BUFFER SOLUTIONS : HENDERSON – HASSELBALCH EQUATION As you have already learnt in the previous section a buffer solution is a solution which resists change in its pH on t he addition of small amount of acid or a base. Most of the important buffer solutions generally consist of mixtures of weak acids and their salts or weak bases and their salts.These buffer solutions are known as acidic buffers and basic buffers respectively. If the pH of the buffer solution is less than 7, it is called an acidic buffer and if the pH of the buffer solution is greater than 7 it is called a basic buffer. Examples of some acidic and basic buffers are as given below Acidic buffer Basic buffer 1) Acetic acid and sodium acetate 1) Ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride 2) Formic acid and sodium formate 2) Ammonium hydroxide and ammonium nitrate pH of an acidic buffer A very common example of an acidic buffer is a mixture of acetic acid and sodium acetate.Acetic acid, being a weak acid, is very slightly dissociated, while sodium acetate being a salt is completely dissociated. The mixture thus contains acetic acid molecules as well acetate ions and sodium ions. At equilibr ium: CH3COOH(aq) H+ (aq) + CH3COO-(aq) Taking the negative logarithm on both the sides, we get 16 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(7. 39) In general, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(7. 40) It may be noted that the concentration of the acetate ions is taken to be almost equal to the concentration of the salt because the acetate ions coming from fully dissociated salt (here sodium acetate) suppress the ionization of the weak acid (acetic acid). This equation (7. 0) is called Henderson- Hasselbalch equation. According to this equation, the pH of an acidic buffer consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its salt depends on the pKa of the acid, and the concentrations of the salt and acid in the mixture. If concentration of the salt is equal to that of the acid, then Buffer action of Acidic buffer The buffer action of an acidic buffer consisting of a mixture of acetic acid and sodium acetate can be explained in the following way. If we add small amount of HCl to the buffer solution it will ionise to give H+ ions. These combine with CH3COO- ions to form weakly ionized acetic acid.CH3COO-(aq) + H+(aq) ? CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l) Since H+ ions get neutralised by CH3COO- ions, there will be no change in pH. On the other hand, if we add a few drops of NaOH to the buffer solution, it provides OH- ions which are neutralized by the acetic acid present in the mixture. 17 OH-(aq) + CH3COOH(aq) ? CH3COO-(aq) + H2O(l) Therefore the pH of the solution remains unchanged. pH of a Basic Buffer A very common example of a basic buffer is a mixture of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride. Ammonium hydroxide being a weak base is very slightly dissociated, while ammonium chloride being a salt is completely dissociated.The mixture thus contains ammonium hydroxide molecules as well as ammonium ions and chloride ions. At equilibrium, NH4OH(aq) NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) Taking the negative logarithm on both the sides, we get †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(7. 41) In general, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(7. 42) 18 It may be noted that the concentration of the ammonium ions is taken to be almost equal to the concentration of the salt because ammonium ions coming from the fully dissociated salt (here ammonium chloride) suppress the ionization of the weak base ammonium hydroxide. This equation (7. 42) is called Henderson- Hasselblach equation. Further, pH can be calculated easily from pOH using Hence,It may be noted that pKa + pKb = 14 Buffer action of basic buffer The buffer action of a basic buffer consisting of a mixture of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride can be explained in the following way. If a few drops of HCl are added to the buffer solution, it will ionise to give H+ ion which will combine with OH- ions to form H2O. H+(aq) + OH- (aq) ? H2O(l) Therefore, the addition of HCl will not change the pH. On the other hand, when a few drops of NaOH solution are added to the buffer solution, it would give OH- ions. These OH- ions combine with NH4+ ions present in the solution to form NH4OH, which is only slightly ionised.OH-(aq) + NH4+ (aq) ? NH4OH(aq) Hence, the addition of a base also will not change the pH. 19 EXERCISE 1. A certain buffer is made by mixing sodium formate and formic acid in water. With the help of equations explain how this buffer neutralizes addition of a small amount of an acid or a base. 2. A basic buffer is made by mixing ammonium hydroxide and ammonium nitrate in water. Explain how this buffer resists change in its pH on addition of a small amount of an acid or a base. 3. What would be the pH of a solution obtained by mixing 10 g of acetic acid and 15 g of sodium acetate and making the volume equal to 1 L.Dissociation constant of acetic acid at 25oC is 1. 75 x 10-5. 4. A buffer solution contains 0. 40 mol of ammonium hydroxide and 0. 50 mol of ammonium chloride to make a buffer solution of 1 L. Calculate the pH of the resulting buffer s olution. Dissociation constant of ammonium hydroxide at 25oC is 1. 81 x 10-5. Answers 3. pH = 4. 80 4. 9. 161 20 Class XII Unit 16: Chemistry in Everyday Life 16. 4. 2. 1. ANTIOXIDANTS Antioxidants are one of the important and necessary food additives. These compounds retard the action of oxygen on food thus reducing its speed of decomposition by oxidation. Hence they help in the preservation of food.These act as sacrificial materials, i. e. these are more reactive towards oxygen than are the materials they are protecting. They also reduce the rate of involvement of free radicals in the aging process. Examples: The two most familiar antioxidants used are butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) (Figure 1). These phenolic compounds are added to preserve fats in packaged food. Oxygen reacts preferentially with BHA or BHT rather than oxidizing fats or oils, thereby protecting them from spoilage. The addition of BHA to butter increases its storage life from mo nths to years.Sometimes, BHT and BHA are added in combination with citric or ascorbic acids to produce a more active synergetic effect. Figure 1: Butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) Sulphur dioxide and sulphites ( such as sodium sulphite, sodium bisulphite and sodium metabisulphite) are useful antioxidants for wine and beers, sugars syrups and cut, peeled or dried fruits and vegetables. They prevent or reduce their discoloration. 21 EXERCISE 1. Name one antioxidant commonly used to increase the storage life of butter. 2. Name one antioxidant used in wine and beers. 22a

Sacrificial Action

In Bhagavad Gita 4. 31, Krishna said to Arjuna, â€Å"Those who eat the nectar of immortality left over from a sacrificial action, they go to the eternal Brahman† (Phillips 80). This passage is taken from the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna, a divine being, and Arjuna, the third of the five brothers fighting for their land. With Arjuna having a dilemma of fighting his own kinsmen, Krishna explained to him why the right thing to do is to fight (Phillips 80). In chapter three of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explained to Arjuna the meaning of the sacrificial action. It is said to be voluntary doing something or ‘sacrificing’ without thinking of the benefits you will earn after the work, will lead to the supreme good. This is called the yoga of action. Attaining this supreme good exempts you from the law of karma (action and reaction) and thus leads to nirvana (Phillips 81). In chapter four, Krishna pointed out how and why he took the form of a mortal being. According to him, he assumed a mortal personification in order to become a model for those people who would want to attain the supreme good. He also states that he had already turned to a mortal being to be able to tell other people the things the he is now sharing with Arjuna (Phillips 81). The Bhagavad Gita 4. 31 passage is the fourth chapter’s main point. In this passage, Krishna told Arjuna how to be like him or to go to eternal Brahman. The ‘nectar’ he mentioned pertains to the example that he or a doer of sacrificial action makes. And the meaning of ‘eating the nectar’ entails following the examples of doing a sacrificial action, in order to attain supreme good or to be like Krishna (Phillips 82).

Global Warming: Confronting the Realities of Climate Change Essay

Sea level rise is accelerating. The number oflarge wildfires is growing. Dangerous heat waves are becoming more common. Extreme storm events are increasing in many areas. More severe droughts are occurring in others. These are just some of the consequences of global warming, which are already having significant and harmful effects on our health, our environment, and our communities. Unless we take immediate action to address global warming, these consequences will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly, and increasingly affect the entire planet – including you, your community, and your family. GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING NOW. The planet’s temperature is rising. The trend is clear and unmistakable. Every one of the past 37 years has been warmer than the 20th century average. The 12 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998. 2012 was the hottest year ever recorded for the contiguous United States. Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Most of that increase has occurred over just the past three decades. WE ARE THE CAUSE. We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily drives up the planet’s temperature. Where does all this carbon come from? The fossil fuels we burn for energy – coal, natural gas, and oil – plus the loss of forests due to deforestation, especially in the tropics. THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IS CLEAR. Within the scientific community, there is no debate: An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that global warming is happening and that human activity is the primary cause. This broad consensus – and the extensive scientific evidence that supports it – is often downplayed or distorted by a small but vocal minority of special interests that have a vested interest in delaying action on climate change. WE HAVE A CHOICE. We can act now to reduce our carbon emissions, slow the pace of global warming, and pass on a safer, healthier world to our children. Or we can choose to do nothing, continue pumping massive amounts of carbon into an already overloaded atmosphere, and suffer the increasingly costly consequences. At UCS, we believe the choice is clear: WE MUST TAKE STEPS NOW TO REDUCE OUR GLOBAL WARMING EMISSIONS. TOGETHER WE CAN TACKLE GLOBAL WARMING. We have the practical solutions and technologies at hand to substantially reduce our emissions, create a clean energy economy, and establish the United States as a global leader in innovation.