Thirty of the Worlds Busiest Airports

This is a list of the thirty busiest airports for passenger traffic, based on finalized 2008 data from the Airports Council International. A more recent list of the busiest airports in the world is also available here on my site. Since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States has been the worlds busiest passenger airport. Numbers represent the number of passengers enplaned and deplaned with passengers in transit counted only once. 1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - 90,039,280 2. OHare International Airport (Chicago) - 69,353,654 3. Heathrow Airport (London) - 67,056,228 4. Haneda Airport (Tokyo) - 65,810,672 5. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport - 60,851,998 6. Los Angeles International Airport - 59,542,151 7. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - 57,069,331 8. Beijing Capital International Airport - 55,662,256* 9. Frankfurt Airport - 53,467,450 10. Denver International Airport - 51,435,575 11. Madrid Barajas Airport - 50,823,105 12. Hong Kong International Airport - 47,898,000 13. John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City) - 47,790,485 14. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol - 47,429,741 15. McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas) - 44,074,707 16. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston) - 41,698,832 17. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport - 39,890,896 18. Bangkok International Airport - 38,604,009 19. Singapore Changi Airport - 37,694,824 20. Dubai International Airport - 37,441,440 (New to the list) 21. San Francisco International Airport - 37,405,467 22. Orlando International Airport - 35,622,252 23. Newark Liberty International Airport (New Jersey) - 35,299,719 24. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport - 35,144,841 25. Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (Rome) - 35,132,879 (New to the list) 26. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (North Carolina) - 34,732,584 (New to the list) 27. Munich Airport - 34,530,593 28. London Gatwick Airport - 34,214,474 29. Miami International Airport - 34,063,531 30. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport - 34,032,710 * Beijing Capital International Airport saw a seven million passenger increase from 2006 to 2008, likely due to the 2008 Summer Games held in Beijing. Airports that previously made the top thirty ranking list for busiest airports but are not on this years ranking of the busiest airports include: Narita International Airport (Tokyo), and Philadelphia International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport (Canada).

China And The Implementation Of Pinyin - 1646 Words

Over Population in China and the implementation of Pinyin In response to massive over population in China, the Chinese over has taken drastic measures to reduce the nation’s population. The first step that was implemented was the one-child policy also known as; pinyin. Pinyin is the one child limitation on the majority of families that live in the People’s Republic of China. It is enacted under the official family planing policy. It limits the number of children marries urban couples to have to one. The exceptions only apply to those who are: ethic minorities, rural families who depend on children for farming and, parents without any siblings themselves. The Chinese government has given an official statement saying that roughly to 35 to 40 percent of the Chinese population falls under the one child rule. The higher ups in the government bureaucracy who mostly live in Macau and some parts of Hong Kong are not affected by this policy as well. The policy was brought up by the government in 1978 but, was officially enacted to first-born children in 1979. Like today, China was dealing with many social, economic, and environmental problems. Pinyin was a response to â€Å"alleviate† these problems. Chinese authorities claimed that pinyin has prevented around 250 to 300 million births from the time of its implementation in 1979 to the year 2010(SOURE CITATION). There is still controversy within and outside of china for use of this policy. Because of the manner that policy was carriedShow MoreRelatedProblems Faced by Google in China1977 Words   |  8 Pages MS-113 Topic of assignment: problem faced by Google in china Subject Teacher’s name: Mrs. Meenakshi singh Abstract US based Google the leading Internet search engine company in the world started providing its services in China in 2000. Though Google soon became the leading search engine in the Chinese market, it started losing its market share in couple of years. In China, the Internet content was heavily censored by the government and users searching onRead MoreLanguage Reformation in China1945 Words   |  8 PagesChina has a long history of language reformation, where the Chinese language becomes one of the most successful and radical amendments for the whole nation to adopt several changes along the way. In this essay, a discussion of major components in the language reform, specifically the Mandarin language, in China will be explored with the social, culture, and political issues that have influence the changes. A history and pattern of language used in China- starting from the days of language in theRead MoreChinese Food Culture5877 Words   |  24 Pages(the very existence of a large market for a given food item means that its production permits what economists call an economy of scale). Chinese Cooking will live on in New York City, in London, in Paris and in Sydney, even should the people of China - perhaps inspired by the scaled- down versions of Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, etc. - ever discard it in favor of an amalgamation of various foreign cooking traditions. What makes Chinese cooking

Benefits and drawbacks SAP in an Enterprise Free Essays

Introduction As world economy is increasing step by step, a lot of enterprises are looking for a system to help enterprise integrate resource, enhance efficiency of operation of enterprise and reduce cost. Although there are some relative systems in the market, Enterprise resource planning system(ERP) as one of the most popular system has been used in most enterprises. In addition, there is a report come from Klaus etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Benefits and drawbacks SAP in an Enterprise or any similar topic only for you Order Now in 2000, it showed that ERP could effectively integrate enterprise resource and improve competition of enterprise. It aims to analyses enterprise information in each department and present some rational recommendations to management (Klaus H. etc., 2000). Meanwhile, it is known to all that ERP is a kind of software of management. There are many different software belong to ERP in the market, such as SAP, Oracle and so on. Therefore, in this report, combining SWOT method, one of business strategies, and SAP to analyses this case study. At the same time, a significance of SAP will be proved in an enterprise. Definition of ERP and SAP Background of Siemens Power Corporation Siemens Power Corporation is a globally operating manufacturer of both fossil fuel and nuclear power generation systems. It mainly provides both Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and related services. In the market, it had many customers at the beginning. However, after few years, some customers hope manufacturer can offer safer and cheaper energy sources. Meanwhile, in the same market, some competitors sized market. It caused that Siemens Power Corporation lost advantages in the competition and reduce some customers. Using SWOT to analyses Siemens Power Corporation A SOWT analysis is adopted to estimate the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project (Hay Castilla, unknown). It can be separated into internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats). Thus, in this report, SWOT will be adopted to evaluate problems in order to carry out relative measures to solve them. Internal factors Strengths: Siemens can offer fossil fuel to each country in the whole world. Siemens has enough finance to support enterprise operation. Siemens has great reputation in the world. At the beginning of operating enterprise, Siemens had a number of customers. Weakness: Inside of enterprise, because of AMAPS system did not fulfill the requirement of business modules. It still had many overhaul of legacy system. Management had to drop it. In the other word, Siemens implements old system, such as AMAPS system and PERMAC system. It did not have a formal and efficiency system. Otherwise, during operating old system, most of data collection had been done by telephone. External factors Opportunities: During US started to close many fossil fuel manufactures, Siemens can be saved. It means Siemens’ products are safe and approbated. It can occupy more market share. Threats: Although Siemens can offer both Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), its competitors trend to more specialize in one type reactors of them. Under this case, competitors probably shrink market share step by step with Siemens. Following a clear SWOT analyses, it obliviously displayed that it is necessary to bring in a new enterprise resource planning system to help Siemens improve their competition in order to expand its advantages of competition in the market. Advantages and disadvantages of implementing SAP In the ERP market, there are many vendors can be selected, special SAP and Oracle. They are all famous ERP systems. However, after Siemens management compared SAP with Oracle or another ERP system, management believed that SAP could provide the best â€Å"client/server† architecture. At the same time, SAP also reduced interface problems. SAP has high integration of business module Despite SAP owned business modules over eighty and was saw a little complex, SAP is most smart and comprehensive integrated modules of business configuration. In the case study, it still mentioned that SAP software modules are designed according to â€Å"best business/industry†. SAP could be configured easily than before so that SAP could reflect whole enterprise structure more detail, even reflect precise pricing discount. There was a report from Hejazi etc. in 2003. They also point out that SAP could more effectively integrate various resources during they pay more attention on working SAP (Hejazi etc., 2003). In addition, in 2002, Mandal and Gunasekaran all argued that the organization of SAP owned whole view of the process. This structure could help enterprise effectively manage enterprise-wide project. Therefore, it is confirmed that SAP could help enterprise improve efficiency of integrating resource. SAP can reduce maintain cost For an enterprise, cost is a big issue. Most enterprises try to look for a method to decrease cost in order to gain higher profit. Thus, in a condition of ensuring qualified product, enterprise brings in a new system which it can reduce cost can greatly enhance competition. SAP as a kind of software for demanding, it promised that SAP system can decrease cost by all kinds of effective methods, such as reengineered business processes, maintain cost and so on. This viewpoint also is proved by Gattiker and Goodhue in 2000. In their report, they clearly believed that ERP system could cut down maintaining cost. At the same time, ERP also could enhance ability to deploy new functionally (Gattiker F. Goodhue L., 2000). There is a conclusion in the paragraph, SAP could decreased enterprise maintain cost so that it can become a part of helping enterprise improve competition. Drawback It is hard to configured SAP It is known to all that SAP is one of the most popular software in the world. To implement SAP in enterprise, enterprise could gain huge benefits from SAP application software. However, it still cannot avoid some disadvantage in SAP system. One of the hardest drawbacks is how to set configuration during implementing SAP. SAP only accepted own interface. It means that enterprise have to change old business interface into new â€Å"SAP-way† interface in order to operate SAP system. in the case study, it can be seen that even if enterprise have some professional recommendations from consultant, it is still hard to configure the SAP. An article from Gattiker and Goodhue in 2000, they also presented that it is difficult to configure SAP. Once SAP configuration unreasonable, to run SAP easily lost accuracy of tracking data. Therefore, it is clear to recognize that SAP weakness is configuration. Recommendations for configuring SAP To implement SAP on relational database such as Informix, Oracle, SAP database. Because few current SAP systems create own database base on Oracle. Enterprise can seek a professional consultant or experienced staff to configure SAP. the reason is that they can give some recommendations to deal with problem during configuring SAP. At the beginning of configuring SAP, all business modules are defined by software as soon as possible. In this case, it is useful to reduce some mistake such as matching the name of variety of business modules. Conclusion In a conclusion, SAP as a kind of ERP system, when an enterprise implements SAP, they will suffer from some uncertain troubles such as hard to configure system. However, some problem will be solved by relevant solutions. At the same time, it definitely gets a conclusion that SAP has more benefits than disadvantages. Otherwise, in the report, it also presented that enterprise bring in SAP system can help management fully use variety of resources. Through rationally integrate resource and cost reduction to help enterprise enhance competition in the market. Reference 1. Klaus H., Rosemann M. and Gable G..G..(2000). what is ERP?. Accessed 05/04/2011 http://eprints.qut.edu.au/40347/1/c40347.pdf 2. Hay G.J. and Castilla G.(unknown). OBJECT-BASED IMAGE ANALYSIS:The Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project. Accessed 05/04/2011 http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVI/4-C42/Papers/01_Opening%20Session/OBIA2006_Hay_Castilla.pdf 3. Hejazi S.S., Halpin L.A. and Biggs D.W. (2003). USING SAP ERP TECHNOLOGY TO INTEGRATE THE UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS CURRICULUM. Accessed 06/04/2011 http://sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/.%5Cvol30%5C30an.pdf 4. Gattiker F.T. Goodhue L.D. (2000). Understanding the Plant Level Costs and Benefits of ERP: Will the Ugly Duckling Always Turn Into a Swan?. Accessed 06/04/2011 http://www.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10.1109/HICSS.2000.926907 5. Mandal P. and Gunasekaran A. (April, 2002). Issues in implementing ERP: A case study. European Journal of Operational Research. 146,(2)274-2 How to cite Benefits and drawbacks SAP in an Enterprise, Essay examples

Importance of The Design Thinking in the Business of An Organization

Question: Discuss about the Importance of The Design Thinking. Answer: Script This presentation describes the importance of the design thinking in the business of an organization. It outlines the various stages of design thinking. With the application of the design thinking an organization can gain competitive advantage. New innovative ideas can be applied and the employees of the organization are included for sharing their views and ideas for improvement of the current business process. The state of mind of the employees are required to be considered for the application of design thinking. In the steps the business strategy is developed and outlining the requirement of the project. The requirement of the consumers are analyzed and the ideas are formulated. The application of the brainstorming helps to get a creative solution. The resigning opportunity is evaluated for the creation of the prototype. First of all we should have an idea of the definition of design thinking. Design thinking generally involves the creative strategies that can be utilized for the designing procedures. Then we should acquire knowledge about the steps of design thinking. Steps of Design Thinking are: Empathy Define Ideate Prototype and Test Empathy: The empathy is about the audience who would be able to learn from what the user is providing. Define: The definition is basically focusing on the questions that would be based on the insights from the stage of empathy. Ideate: Ideated is the thinking and brainstorming process that would help in generating a solution for the assigned idea. Test: Testing is a process that would help in testing the procedures that are depending on the ideas. Prototype: The prototype is the demo implementation and representation of the idea in that is to be implemented. Next is the benefits of the design thinking: It focuses on the end users. It Leverages collective thinking. It Employs Empathy. It provides repetitive testing procedure. It Creates value while providing solutions.

Pythagorus Of Samos Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians, Ascetics

Pythagorus Of Samos Pythagoras of Samos Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. Pythagoras's father was Mnesarchus ([12] and [13]), while his mother was Pythais [8] and she was a native of Samos. Mnesarchus was a merchant who came from Tyre, and there is a story ([12] and [13]) that he brought corn to Samos at a time of famine and was granted citizenship of Samos as a mark of gratitude. As a child Pythagoras spent his early years in Samos but travelled widely with his father. There are accounts of Mnesarchus returning to Tyre with Pythagoras and that he was taught there by the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. It seems that he also visited Italy with his father. Little is known of Pythagoras's childhood. All accounts of his physical appearance are likely to be fictitious except the description of a striking birthmark which Pythagoras had on his thigh. It is probable that he had two brothers although some sources say that he had three. Certainly he was well educated, learning to play the lyre, learning poetry and to recite Homer. There were, among his teachers, three philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras while he was a young man. One of the most important was Pherekydes who many describe as the teacher of Pythagoras. The other two philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras, and to introduce him to mathematical ideas, were Thales and his pupil Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. In [8] it is said that Pythagoras visited Thales in Miletus when he was between 18 and 20 years old. By this time Thales was an old man and, although he created a strong impression on Pythagoras, he probably did not teach him a great deal. However he did contribute to Pythagoras's interest in mathematics and astronomy, and advised him to travel to Egypt to learn more of these subjects. Thales's pupil, Anaximander, lectured on Miletus and Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander certainly was interested in geometry and cosmology and many of his ideas would influence Pythagoras's own views. In about 535 BC Pythagoras went to Egypt. This happened a few years after the tyrant Polycrates seized control of the city of Samos. There is some evidence to suggest that Pythagoras and Polycrates were friendly at first and it is claimed [5] that Pythagoras went to Egypt with a letter of introduction written by Polycrates. In fact Polycrates had an alliance with Egypt and there were therefore strong links between Samos and Egypt at this time. The accounts of Pythagoras's time in Egypt suggest that he visited many of the temples and took part in many discussions with the priests. According to Porphyry ([12] and [13]) Pythagoras was refused admission to all the temples except the one at Diospolis where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. It is not difficult to relate many of Pythagoras's beliefs, ones he would later impose on the society that he set up in Italy, to the customs that he came across in Egypt. For example the secrecy

Bill Gates essays

Bill Gates essays William (Bill) H. Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, shortly after 9:00 p.m., in Seattle, Washington. He lived in Seattle with his two sisters and father, William H. Gates II who was a Seattle attorney, and the late Mary Gates who was a schoolteacher. She was also the chairwoman of the United Way International and a University of Washington regent. While his father was a prominent lawyer, his great-grandfather was a mayor, state legislator, and president of a national bank. As a young boy, Bill attended a public elementary school before attending the private Lakeside School in Northern Seattle. It was there where Bill fell in love with computers, and at the age of 13 he began his career in programming computers and personal computer software. The reason why Bill was later transferred to Lakeside was because he was born into a family with a history of business, politics, and community service, so it was no surprise that Bill inherited all those qualities which made it easier for him to quickly surpass all of his peers in all subjects, including science and math. So it was there at Lakeside that Bill was able to concentrate on computers, which benefited him greatly down the road. Back in the 1960s, computers were too large and costly for Lakeside prep to purchase its own, so instead they raised the money through a fundraiser and bought computer time on a mega computer owned by General Electric. It was there that Bill and his good friend, Paul Allen, and a few other Lakeside students became addicted to this computer. All day and night they would write programs, read computer literature, and do anything else that was computer related. While they spent all this time working with this computer, problems started to arise with the faculty at Lakeside. They skipped classes, either turned in their homework late or not at all, and they also used up all of the schools computer time in just a short amount of t...

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart Case Study

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart - Case Study Example Elaboration Likelihood Model identified message relevance as one of these factors. According to this model, when message relevance is high, individuals will actively process and evaluate the information in the advertisement when forming or changing attitudes. (Barrie, 2005) When message relevance is low, individuals will not actively process the information in the advertisement, but will instead rely on peripheral message cues to form or change attitudes. Brand Identity is that element of customer perception and awareness which has its focus in the results of a certain kind of projection through the brand equity building measures. This calls for an integrative model which will combine the basic elements of the brand identity and brand equity concepts so as to create a platform for the effective discussion of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. (Jorge et al, 2005) This has been of special relevance for the Walmart company as far as its foray into target market and product variation is c oncerned. Walmart depends to a great extent on the contribution and quality of its human capital. The human capital may be defined as that element of the organisation's operational sphere that is a living, breathing part of the activities that put the innate resources and factors of production into application. This application results in profits arising out of the activities of the human capital and the efficiency with which this resource carries out its tasks. This in turn, has a bearing on the achievement of the organisation's goals. (Jorge et al, 2005) Business Partner The first role of the human resource in today's organisation is that of a business partner. This has come to the fore with the emergence of various service oriented companies that provide intensive marketing services along with the products that are being produced. This is a formal level of institutionalised operations where the organisation profits greatly. This is done by pushing the product in quarters where the effects of regular marketing and promotion cannot reach. It is also an elevated level of salesman ship where the sales agents are offered a share in the business that they make. The advantage of this is that the business partners take a personal interest in the development of a clientele. (Green, 2002. P 111) Further, this serves the two fold purpose of sales and promotion. While there might not be

American labor system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American labor system - Essay Example Thus, laborers are actually the real workers and builders who are at the back of every successful industry and organization. The origin of this occupation can be dated back to the dawn of civilization when man had to subordinate high class individuals to win food and security. Today a laborer expects much more than this: salary, shelter, security, respect, acknwoledgement, comfortability and assurance. Though these ideals are appreciated by all, they are found quite rare even in the developed and civilized countries as America (Kirkegaard, 2007). Struggling against its prior notority of ‘slave labor’ and ‘child labor’, this state has still a long way to go to get an ideal life for laborers and workers. Hundreds of unions and movements raising voices for the rights, demands and needs of the common laborers are emerging and actively working in United States of America, but still the condition of laborers is not much healthier (Hill, 1985). The most voiced comp lain against American labor system is the offering of lower wages and lesser facilities in return of much harder work and long working hours. These poor souls receive no sympathy from the side of employers and administrators, and they are treated rather like animals (Fletcher & Gapasin, 2008). They receive poor pay back for their tiring efforts and have to pay fine in the form of deduction from the expected salary for any mistake. They are deprived of basic rights related to humanly respect, empathy and acknowledgement, and their coordinators even regard them no more than mere machines who are not supposed to cater any emotions and feelings at all and whose function is just to run and produce. The working conditions are even not much better for the workers and laborers. Unhygenic environment, stinking smells of the materials and chemicals, over-crowded working places, deafening noises of the machineries, poorly lit working halls as well as long hours of duty are causing much distres s and frustrations among this community ("Inter-american labor system," 1975). Their problems are not catered and their complaints are not paid heed to. The economic crisis and the ever rising inflation throughout the world have also affected this community a lot and many of the workers are persuaded to opt for double shifts and part-time jobs, as a result of which their physical and mental healths are at stake. To fight against all these problems and to bridge the gap between the lower workers and the higher communities, American Labour Movement was started and laborer unions were formed (Dubofsky & Van Tine, 1987). This concept got its strength in the late nineteenth century, probably in 1866, and today it has got a much organized form. The workers of a factory select a representative among themselves by mutual consent who is considered to be responsible for conveying the messages and demands between the workers and the employers (Sheldon, 1947). The world politics has not spared it and today laborer union is regarded as a possible and most alarming threat against an industry. Other than holding strikes and causing troubles for the administrators, these representative groups are charged of demanding unfairly. According to the assisstant manager of a local firm, â€Å"Sometimes the union leaders cross the legal lines and demand for more than their rights. Obviously, the company cannot encourage such attitude that often erects hurdles for progress†. On the other hand, the union representatives claim that these

Many authors and commentators argue that income inequality is among Essay

Many authors and commentators argue that income inequality is among the most pressing current problems of our era. The received - Essay Example Income inequality has become the preferred measure in determining the quality of life in a country. At some point, per capita income was considered a preferable way, but further studies have indicated that this is not as clear in determining poverty levels. For instance, two countries may have a comparable per capita level, but the incidence of poverty in these countries may differ significantly. For this reason, income inequality is considered more precise in indicating the incidence of poverty which is a pointer to the quality of life in a country. To measure and compare income inequality among countries, economists use Lorenz curves and Gini indexes. However, leading institutions and organizations such as the World Bank and the OECD have shown a preference towards Gini indexes, which is considered more convenient when comparing inequality among many countries (Ghanei, 2013 [class notes]). One of the constant enquiries in the subject of income inequality is whether a less equal dis tribution of income is good for a country. In this regard, most studies advance different views about the best patterns of distribution they are split as to whether the Gini coefficient should be around 25 percent as in Sweden or around 40 percent as is the case in the United States. The most quoted arguments are detailed below (OECD 2012). The first argument cites that an excessively equal income distribution can be bad for economic efficiency. An example of this would be in a socialist country, where deliberately low inequality characterized by the absence of private profits and salaries and wages are harmonized depriving the citizens the incentives required for their active participation in economic activities. It is considered that socialist equalization of salaries and wages translates to poor discipline and lack of initiative among workers. Other effects include reduced quality and restricted variety of goods and services, marginal technical growth which eventually slows econo mic growth and compounds poverty. The alternate argument indicates that excessive inequality adversely affects people’s quality of life translating to widespread poverty, therefore, affecting progress in health and education. This leads to other social problems such as crime. Other effects of high income inequality include a threat on a country’s political stability and increases in business risks. A consideration of these effects explains why some international experts look at decreasing income inequality as the most effective way of accelerating economic and human development. Shigehiro, Kesebir and Diener highlight the development of this social problem in United States for the past four decades (2011). The scholars note that the growing income inequality is the most profound social change in the period considered. Using the Gini coefficient they indicate that, during the 1960s and 1970s, United States had a much lower coefficient than that of France and were at the same level with a host of other European nations (Oishi, Kesebir & Diener, 2011.p.1095). In contrast, by 2008, the Gini coefficient was much higher for United States as compared to most European nations and Canada (Oishi, Kesebir & Diener, 2011.p.1095). This trend is best indicated by a Gini coefficient graph covering the past six decades. This graph makes it so clear that income inequality in the United States has been on the rise over the past seven decades. A look at the European countries also

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget The over-spending and under-spending of a budget is the positive or negative variance between what was actually spent and what was budgeted. Overspending Budgets overruns are the underestimation of costs and time or by the nonconformity of budget managers with the spending maximum defined in the budget, when projected. There are several explanations for overspending. Sometimes, it is simply bad forecasting on part of the budget manager. There was incomplete information or poor forecasting methods that led to an underestimation and/or unreal optimism of costs, expenses and revenues. Often there is change in scope of the project and costs associated with scope change are neither captured nor covered in the risk mitigation or contingency plan. Funds are allocated to the cost centers for spending, it is controlled. Overspent fund accumulate in arrears. Overruns could also be a result of off-budget spending which not considered part of the budget and is not included in budget totals. Off budget spending is often for political reasons. For example, after a request from President Reagan, Congress placed strategic petroleum reserve spending off-budget in 1982. Instead of using other means to control the deficit raising revenues or cutting spending placing this program off-budget gave the appearance of a smaller deficit, even though the government still needed to finance this spending. Source: Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Historical Tables and Mid-session Review, FY2006. Sometimes the expenditure processes are complicated and difficult. To circumvent this process exceptional procedures are development to speed to the process to release the funds. These exceptional procedures are tolerated by the treasury for politically sensitive expenditures. The procedures are frequently abused and should be discouraged. These procedures are used my officials to order supplies without making a formal request and much later the year un-forecasted invoices appear. Sometime fund are unavailable to make this invoices which leads to generation of arrears for the following year. The compounding of exceptional procedures also has long-term implications, incentivizing spending agencies to go outside the budget system to avoid control altogether. Such procedures are associated with or result in corruption. Often past experiences can lead to overspending. If a department head under spent the previous year and the budget for the following year was lost. The department is highly likely to spend the entire amount for the fear of losing funds for the next year. The way in which performance is reported can have a significant effect on the camaraderie and coordination between departments. If participation of the managers implementing the budget was absent, then managers can blame this for the file to abide by the budget. In addition impact of inflation and a sense of entitlement towards certain funds are also factors to be considered in budget planning. Overruns can be caused by such deficiencies in budget preparation. Under spending Many governments do not spend their full annual budget. The reasons for this under spending can be various and can result in many outcomes. Lack of timely spending or under spending can affect the citizens not receiving essential government services. Certain areas have more economic impacts such as jobs created through the timely initiation of new infrastructure project. Under spending can often obstruct resources from other departments/managers which/who are spending their budget more productively, preventing them to reach their complete potential of success in delivery of the intended service. Under spending in particular year frequently leads to rollovers and modifications in the subsequent years. These modifications are irregular and are cumbersome to be forecasted leaving the department ill-equipped to spend these rollovers. Factors that result in under spending include insufficiencies in budget preparation and project/program planning, unrealistic projections of revenues, poor governance and off-budget spending. Virement is another factor that fuels under spending: It is the transfer of funds from one budget head to another. To achieve efficiency or prevent the need for a supplementary estimate as an under spending from one head may be transferred to another head which has overspending. One problem with unrestricted virement is that managers would inevitably spend al their budget allocation for fear of a budget reduction in the subsequent year. Example: Within the ministry of education budgets are transferred from primary education to higher education it can result in the delay of programs starting in the K-12 grades. Example: The latest un-audited expenditure reports from the National Treasury indicate that R3.48 billion of the national government budget went unspent in 2000/01 financial year- about R1.7billion on both the recurrent and the capital side of the budget. The under spend in provincial government was far greater at R5.5 billion. The latest available data indicate that this picture has not changed significantly in 2001/02. Although the government is moving in the right direction, most initiatives to address under spending appear rather general and details have yet to emerge on how the Treasury will specifically tackle the problem. In the meantime, under-spending seems set to remain with us. Source: Government under spending remains a problem February 2002 By Marritt Claassens and Paul Whelan, Budget Information Service, Idasa, http://www.idasa.org.za/bis/ Different kinds of variances A variance is the difference between a budgeted, planned or standard amount and the actual amount. Variances can be divided according to their nature of the underlying amounts and is determined by the needs of users of the variance information. These include : Variable cost variances Direct material variance Price variance: is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost for the actual quantity of material used or purchased. Usage Variance: is the difference between the standard quantity of materials that should have been used for the number of units actually produced, and the actual quantity of materials used, valued at the standard cost per unit of material. Direct labour variance Rate Variance is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost paid for the actual number of hours. Efficiency variance is the difference between the standard labour hour that should have been worked for the actual number of units produced and the actual number of hours worked when the labour hours are valued at the standard rate. Overhead variances Fixed overhead variances: identifies what proportion of the total fixed overhead variance is due to actual fixed overhead being different from the budgeted fixed overhead. Variable overhead variance measures the change between actual expenditure and the allowed overhead for actual labour hours. Income variance is the difference between actual income and budget income. It is used to measure the performance of a income function, and/or analyze business results to better understand market conditions. Actual income can differ from budgeted income either due to the variance in volume sold or the variance in the price point of the budgeted price point. Best Practices The following are some key good practice for prevention and minimization of the variances: Broad goals should be established to guide government decision making. Budgeting methods are developed to achieve these goals. An appropriate budget is developed to achieve the goals and the performance criterion is determined at the beginning. Close interaction between the financial information system and the budgeting systems is essential. There should be a control on collective spending and any deficit, a overarching prioritization of strategies with regards to expenditures and better use of the budgeted resources. The approved budget should be entered into the financial information system. In addition to a full commitment system, memorandum notes should be included the system that capture records of commitment but does not amend the financial records. Timely comparative financial statements on a regular basis. These statements should include original and revised budget, capture variances and explain major variances. The audited and reliable statements are based in solid accounting standards with regular external reporting. Budget Monitoring: Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes are performed to observe that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary. The key benefit is that the actuals are observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the budget. During the course of the year, instance may arise where the income or expenditure is very large that may require and supplementary estimate. The better the level of control and intelligence available the earlier this situations can be detected and more swiftly and appropriate an action can be taken to minimize the variance. However if is determined there has to be a change then the financial information systems can be updated as soon as possible. If a department become aware that it will overspend at any time during the year it must notify the Treasury department immediately. It is possible that a supplement estimate is provided if deemed appropriate. Transparency is key publish the State accounting policies, establish system of internal controls, and keep doors open for public and parliamentary scrutiny. Flexible budgeting is a performance evaluation tool. It is not be prepared before the end of the fiscal period. A flexible budget adjusts the initial budget for the actual level of output. The flexible budget answers the question: If the department had known at the beginning of the period what would the output volume (units delivered or sold) would be, what the budget would have looked like? If the department actually delivered X units, then treasury should compare actual delivery costs for X units to what it should have spent to make X units, not to what the department should have spent to deliver X-1000 units or X+1000 units etc. The flexible budget provides a better opportunity for planning and controlling than does a static (initial) budget.

Exxon and Mobil Essay -- essays research papers

Exxon and Mobil Exxon and Mobil were two big competitors in the oil industry. In the 20th century, Exxon and Mobil operated with relatively low-price, and in low-margin environments. The market in the United States and Europe have grown and matured, allowing them both to grow with great success. The competitiveness has tightened worldwide in the crude oil business. Both companies have continued to advance new technologies, introducing new marketing innovations. They have extend there reach into high-growth markets. The two companies became more efficient, reduced costs, and increased shareholder’s value by there merge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the merge Exxon Mobil Corporation has grown to be a national giant and major player in the US economy. Their stock in the past six years has nearly doubled from $37.50 and the beginning of the merge. Their business is one that is on the leading edge of technology from there sky-scraper sized drilling platforms to there catalysts that help to produce thousands of consumer products. They produce high performing fuels and lubricants with zero emissions. Their downstream activities are refining and supply of petroleum products. Also Exxon Mobil’s chemical is a global marketer of ole fins, aromatics, fluids, synthetic rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene packing films, plasticizers. Over the years, the Exxon Mobil Corporation have repeatedly earned the ranking of a top-rated Fortune 500 company by flawl...

Five Phases of the Project Lifecycle Essay

Abstract The project lifecycle describes the tasks that must be completed to produce a product or service (NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003). The Project Lifecycle has been divided into five phases. The first phase of the Project Lifecycle is the Define Phase in which the project concept is evaluated, selected and defined as the solution to a specific need or set of needs. In the second Plan phase, the concept is developed into a practical plan for implementation. The Launch phase of project lifecycle constitutes the third phase. This is a phase in which management activities are carried out to establish clear terms of reference and a clear management structure. The Manage phase of project lifecycle is the penultimate phase in which the implementation plan is executed. The final phase is termed the Close phase in which the project is completed and documented. The deliverables are then handed over to the care and control of the owner. The Five Phases Each phase of the project lifecycle is associated with a number of activities. The number of activities in a project depends on the class of the project and also on the judgment of the project manager. The different activities associated with each phase of the project lifecycle are described below: Define Phase The Define or Initiation Phase is the first phase in the Project Life Cycle and essentially involves starting up the project. A project is initiated by defining its purpose and scope, the justification for initiating it and the solution to be implemented. (MPMM, 2007) Project Request Approval: Approval of the project request formalizes and institutionalizes the project. This activity ensures that only projects that deserve the kind of investment that is envisaged are selected for implementation and executed. It helps in managing the workload of individual departments. In the ideal situation, anyone can make a project request on a prescribed project request form signed by the operating unit head. The project approver evaluates the report on the basis of pre-specified criteria. The output of this activity is in the form of either an approved or a denied project. If the project is approved, a project manager is assigned. Project Overview Statement: The Project Overview Statement (POS) provides the essence of the project. It is a short document that establishes the purpose of the project and its relevance to the organization in terms of the business value that it will provide. The Project Overview Statement identifies the problem which the project addresses and determines the goals and objectives of the project. The effort that would be required in completing the project is estimated, and the assumptions, risks and obstacles are identified. The primary objective of the POS is top impress the importance of the project upon the senior management and to secure its support for the project. Once the management is convinced, the project manager gains the authority to use organizational resources for the project. During the course of the project lifecycle, the POS becomes the point of reference for the project. Business Case: This activity helps to build a case for the project by justifying it as a business need. All the costs and benefits of the project are weighed before taking the decision to investment in the project. Dependencies, fund requirements and risks are identified. A cost-benefit analysis is undertaken. Project Governance: In this activity the roles and the activities of the different team members and stakeholders are identified and fixed. The decision making hierarchy and structure of the project are defined. Escalation procedures are also drawn up. Management Approval for next phase: This activity concentrates on acquiring the approval of the management to move to the next planning phase of the project. Each phase of the project lifecycle constitutes of a transition activity to move into the next phase. In this activity, the senior management analyzes status report and feedbacks from customers. The senior management together with the project manager then takes a decision whether the project should move into the next phase or not. This activity ensures that projects that are found unworthy or not feasible are rejected early in the lifecycle. Plan Phase The focal point of this phase is developing the project scope into a stable project plan, which will be later used to guide the project through the project life cycle and fulfill the business requirements (Hinds IT Management). Start-off meeting: This is the kick-off meeting in which the project manager sets guidelines for project execution, reviews the Project Overview Statement and lays down the expectations from the project team. Timelines, approach, assumptions and constraints are discussed in this meeting. There is a conscious effort to dispel any doubts that team members may harbor. The minutes of this meeting is documented. Project Approach: The objective of this activity is to define a solution for the project and to identify the method to deliver the solution. An implementation approach to meet the project goals is developed. Policies and standards are laid down. This activity also validates the planning activities required. Various methods in which the project objectives can be achieved are evaluated and the best adopted. Components from other projects that can be applied in the project under consideration are identified. A rationale is provided for the adoption of the particular project approach. The project approach is documented. Quality Strategy: The quality strategy to be adopted for the project is determined. The project manager and his team decide which Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities will be carried out during the course of the project lifecycle. A list of Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities is developed. Work Breakdown Structure: The project is broken down and decomposed into smaller components of activity units, sub tasks and work packages. This enables the manager to estimate the duration of the project more objectively, determine the resources that would be required and also work out a schedule for project execution. It provides the management with enhanced control. A work break down structure evolves out of this activity. This activity is an element of the work plan. Time and Cost Estimate: The time and cost for each task is estimated depending upon the resources available and capability. The time and cost estimate that is drawn up becomes an input for the work plan. Schedule Development: This activity documents the various tasks that need to be executed during the course of the project lifecycle and then assigns responsibilities and establishes timelines for the tasks. Dependencies between various tasks are highlighted. Resources are assigned to the tasks, quality reviews and testing are planned. This activity ensures that the project is completed on time and that the business aspect of the overview statement is addressed. Once the overall schedule is available, the project manager is responsible for monitoring the progress closely. The deliverable of this activity is the work plan. Risk Management Strategy Plan: This activity develops a complete plan for handling risks pertaining to the project. It defines how risks will be identified, who will do so and at what frequency risks will be identified. It adopts a risk monitoring toll, sets the risk escalation matrix and defines how to handle issues with high risk probability. The roles and responsibilities for the risk management process are accorded. Communications Management Plan: This plan is developed to ensure flow of required information to all team members. Access methodologies are worked out, information is categorized according to target groups and overall communication systems defined. Issue Management Plan: An issue management process is defined in this activity. The objective of the activity is to ensure that issues are identified, evaluated and assigned for resolution. An issue log is documented and tracked. Quality Assurance Plan: This plan is implemented to validate that the major activities and processes are completed with an acceptable level of quality. Acceptance criteria for deliverables, quality assurance activities, in-process control plans, and quality-related responsibilities are defined. Frequency of project plan reviews, frequency of receiving and sending status reports, and frequency of checking for process improvements are determined. Resource Plan: This plan is developed to determine the resources that will be required during the various phases of the Project Lifecycle. It also takes into consideration the need training programs or other value-addition processes. The type and amount of resources needed are determined. The estimated output, availability, and cost of the resources are determined. Procurement Plan: This plan draws up the procurement strategy. The scope and type of products and services that are to be procured are outlined. Procurement responsibilities are fixed and assigned. Vendor evaluation criteria and approval procedures are set. Operational Transfer Plan: This activity ensures the smooth activation of the project. Installation processes and related roles and responsibilities are identified. Pre-requisites for smooth rollout of processes are tracked and planned for. Stephenson et. al. (2000) in the Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board puts high importance on this activity. Referring to NASA operations it states that â€Å"close attention should be paid from project outset to the plan for transition between development and operations. Adequate systems engineering staffing, particularly a mission systems engineer, should be in place to provide a bridge during the transition between development and operations, and also to support risk management trade studies.† Integrated Project Plan: This activity enables proper co-ordination of the project. Roles and responsibilities are identified. Reviews are planned; all aspects of the project are examined to ensure that all relevant factors are taken into consideration. Team Assignment: Team assignment is done to ensure that individuals with appropriate skills are assigned to the relevant group and area of work. The Project Manager balances resource availability with the Work Plan. Work packages are defined and assigned and any questions and conflicts regarding work packages are resolved. Management Approval for next Phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Planning takes a lot of patience. A traditional mistake is to leap before one is ready. When there is pressure to deliver, the temptation is to ‘get the ball rolling’ (Jenkins, 2006). Launch Phase Initial Meeting: The project manager informs the team members of the ground rules of the project, the working style, the communication plan and the escalation process for conflict resolution. The minutes of the meeting is documented for reference. Initial Risk Identification: Risks are identified and categorized during the course of this activity. For each risk identified, the risk event is assessed in terms of likelihood of occurrence and its effect on project objectives if it were to occur. The objective is to ensure that the entire team is involved in the identification of risks for the project. This ensures that all perspectives are taken into account while planning for risks. Team Readiness: This activity consists of preparing each member of the team to handle the roles and responsibilities that has been assigned to the person. Training programs, workshops and seminars are organized for skill and knowledge updating. Key goals are identified for each team member. Within the team, each role is accountable for the activities necessary to achieve its own quality goal (Microsoft, 2002). Manage Phase The project plan is executed in the Manage Phase. The primary purpose of project management during this phase is to monitor, evaluate and communicate project progress and to define and implement corrective measures if progress does not meet the expectations defined in the Project Plan (Heinsights, 2003). This phase comprises the following activities: Performance Tracking and Reporting: The overall objective is to track the progress of the project and to ensure that the project is progressing at a satisfactory rate. Cost, time, scope and quality are tracked along with actual accomplishments and results. All persons associated with the project are provided access to the progress records. Team meetings are held to exchange information. The status of the project is reported to the relevant stakeholders. Weekly status reports and tracked project schedules are the outcomes of this activity. Schedule Control: The objective of this activity is to ensure that tasks are executed as per the Work Plan so that the deadline for the project can be met. If there is any possibility of delays, the relevant stakeholders are informed.   The project manager tracks the various tasks in a project by exchanging task status information with team members and then incorporating the latest status information into the project Work Plan. If the any task, schedule or resource information changes, the Project Manager communicates the revised Work Plan to the project team. The outcome of this activity is the tracked work plan. Change Control: However meticulous the planning may have been, all projects need to accommodate changes. The objective of this activity is to ensure that all changes to scope are documented and authorized by the relevant stakeholders.   Any change to the scope is communicated to the project manager. Change requests are put up to the project manager who approves or denies the request in consultation with the management. Cost Control: This activity ensures that the project cost adheres as closely as possible to the budgeted cost. Since costs are agreed upon at the beginning by the sponsors, the project manager has to monitor the costs and report any deviation of project cost from the budget cost to the sponsor or customer. A status report documents project costs in the various phases of the project. Quality Assurance and Control: This process comprises project reviews, product reviews, code reviews, testing, and any other process that the Project Manager might think necessary. Defects are identified, and categorized. Root causes are analyzed. This activity is carried out with the objective of ensuring that the project team meets the project requirements in terms of all requisite quality criteria. Monitoring and Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project (Wikipedia, 2008). Procurement Management: The objective is to ensure adherence to the procurement plan and procedures so that the selection procedure is fair and the quality of supplies and services are acceptable. Risk Management: Risk management follows the Risk Management Plan that was adopted in the Plan Phase. The management monitors all risks with a risk exposure over the threshold limit. Risk mitigation strategies are planned and contingency plans are developed. The Risk Matrix is revisited at an appropriate frequency. Information Distribution: This activity ensures that all parties concerned have easy access to relevant information in accordance with the information sharing plan. All relevant information needs to be communicated to the appropriate parties at the right time and in the appropriate format. Time Tracking and Management: This activity is concerned with the logging of all time spent on the project. Time spent is tracked at a project level, and analyzed at an organizational level. The output is in the form of time sheets and variance reports. Management Approval for next phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Close Phase This consists of bringing the project to an orderly end: formalizing and communicating the acceptance or conclusion of a project, handing over to the ongoing accountable area, completing an Activity Completion Report and, for major projects, holding a post implementation review (QUT, 2008) Transition to Production: The Operational Transfer Plan is carried out after the required checks are done. This activity ensures that all planned testing is carried out, all customer requirements are met and that the product is fully operational. Customer acceptance of the product is ensured before commencing production. Wrap-up Meeting: This final meeting is again called by the project manager to take stock of everything that has happened in the course of the project. Lessons Learned: Lessons learned during the project are documented and incorporated in the knowledge base for future use. The ‘lessons learned’ document is developed and deposited in the knowledge base. Administrative Closure: The Project Manager ensures that the project is approved and accepted by the relevant stakeholders. All documentation and records are reviewed, organized and archived. Backups are taken. Resources are released and the project is closed. This activity marks the final closure of the project. References -01 Heinsights, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, Development Standard. Hinds IT Management, Project Management Life Cycl, Lilla Nyby; Valmerdalen, Sweden. Jenkins, N., 2006, A Project Management Primer, Creative Commons, California, USA. Microsoft Solutions Framework, 2002, White Paper, MSF Project Management Discipline. MPMM, 2007, Project Management Life Cycle, [Online] Available http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php [March 1, 2008] NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, [Online] Available. http://www.oft.state.ny.us/pmmp/guidebook2/Origination.pdf [March 1, 2008]    QUT, 2008, Project Phases, [Online] Available. http://www.its.qut.edu.au/pp/framework/pmfphases/   [March 1, 2008] Stephenson, A., G., Mulville, D., R., Bauer, F., H., Dukeman, G., A., Norvig, P., LaPiana, L., S., Rutledge, P., J., Folta, D., Sackheim, R., 2000, Report on Project Management in NASA, Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board Wikipedia, 2008, Project Management, [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management   [March 1, 2008]   

Understanding Japanese Writing in Spirited Away

Understanding Japanese Writing in Spirited Away Hayao Miyazakis critically acclaimed movie Spirited Away (Ã¥ Æ'㠁 ¨Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹Ã£  ®Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã©Å¡  Ã£ â€") won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. It tells the story of 10-year-old Chihiro, who is accidentally thrown into another dimension, a spirit world. While working at a bathhouse catering to spirits and gods, she tries to rescue her parents from a spell that transformed them into pigs. It is the highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history, surpassing Titanic. When it was shown on TV in January 2013, it had the highest audience rating ever for a movie. 46.2% of households in Japan tuned in. Reading subtitles would distract viewers from the amazing visuals, and the English dubbed version features a voice cast and translators who did their jobs with sensitivity. Although the overall atmosphere of the film endures, Spirited Away is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, so something gets lost in translation for viewers who miss out on the sounds of Japanese in the original Japanese dialogue. Understanding the Japanese language a little better can help you better appreciate certain aspects of the film. Understanding the Japanese Title The Japanese title is Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi. Sen (Ã¥ Æ') and Chihiro (Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹) are the names. To (㠁 ¨) is a particle which connects nouns. It translates into and. Kami (ç ¥Å¾) means god or spirit, and kakushi (éš  Ã£ â€") is the noun form of the verb kakusu (to hide). Kamikakushi (ç ¥Å¾Ã©Å¡  Ã£ â€") means hidden by spirits, hence the English wordplay of Spirited Away. How Does Chihiro Become Sen? When Chihiro is forced into slave labor at the bathhouse which Yubaba rules, she writes down her name, Ogino Chihiro (è  »Ã©â€¡Å½Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹) in the contract. (In Japanese the family name comes first.) Yubaba steals three characters from her name. The one character left (the third one) becomes her new name. The reading of this kanji character is sen (Ã¥ Æ') as well as chi. Translating Significant Japanese Characters The character written on the curtain at the front gate of the bathhouse is the hiragana yu. It means bath. The kanji character for yu is also seen on the chimney of the bathhouse. The bathhouse is called Aburaya (æ ² ¹Ã¥ ±â€¹). (Abura means oil, and ya is the suffix used for a store.) The kanji sign Aburaya is seen above the gate of the bathhouse. The flag on the bathhouse also has the kanji character for abura (æ ² ¹). The Theme Song, Itsumo Nandodemo Here are the lyrics of the theme song â€Å"Itsumo Nandodemo (㠁„㠁 ¤Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¤ ½â€¢Ã¥ º ¦Ã£  §Ã£â€šâ€š) for the movie. â€Å"Itsumo† means â€Å"always,† amd â€Å"nandodemo† means â€Å"any numbers of times.† å‘ ¼Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹ èÆ' ¸Ã£  ®Ã£  ©Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€¹Ã¥ ¥ ¥Ã£  §yondeiru mune no dokoka oku de 㠁„㠁 ¤Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¥ ¿Æ'è º Ã£â€šâ€¹ Ã¥ ¤ ¢Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ Å¸Ã£ â€žitsumo kokoro odoru yume o mitai 㠁‹ã  ªÃ£ â€"㠁 ¿Ã£  ¯ æ• °Ã£ Ë†Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ªÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€˜Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ©kanashimi wa kazoekirenai keredo 㠁 Ã£  ®Ã¥ â€˜Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£  Ã£  £Ã£  ¨ 㠁‚㠁 ªÃ£ Å¸Ã£  «Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã£ Ë†Ã£â€šâ€¹sono mukou de kitto anata ni aeru ç ¹ °Ã£â€šÅ Ã¨ ¿â€Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šâ€žÃ£  ¾Ã£  ¡Ã£  ® 㠁 Ã£  ®Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ³ 㠁 ²Ã£  ¨Ã£  ¯kurikaesu ayamachi no sonotabi hito wa 㠁Ÿã   Ã© â€™Ã£ â€žÃ§ © ºÃ£  ® é â€™Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€™Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã£â€šâ€¹tada aoi sora no aosa o shiru æžÅ"㠁 ¦Ã£ â€"㠁 ªÃ£   é â€œÃ£  ¯Ã§ ¶Å¡Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¦Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ Ë†Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€˜Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ©hateshinaku michi wa tsuzuite mieru kedo 㠁“㠁 ®Ã¤ ¸ ¡Ã¦â€°â€¹Ã£  ¯ 光をæŠ ±Ã£ â€˜Ã£â€šâ€¹kono ryoute wa hikari o dakeru 㠁•ã‚ˆã  ªÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£  ®Ã£  ¨Ã£  Ã£  ® é â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£  ªÃ¨Æ' ¸sayonara no toki no shizukana mune ã‚ ¼Ã£Æ' ­Ã£  «Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£   Ã£ Å' è€ ³Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£ â„¢Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€¹zero ni naru karada ga mimi o sumaseru 生㠁 Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã¤ ¸ Ã¦â‚¬ Ã¨ ­ ° æ ­ »Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã¤ ¸ Ã¦â‚¬ Ã¨ ­ °ikiteiru fushigi shindeiku fushigi èŠ ±Ã£â€šâ€šÃ© ¢ ¨Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¨ ¡â€"ã‚‚ 㠁 ¿Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ªÃ£ Å Ã£  ªÃ£ Ëœhana mo kaze mo arashi mo minna onaji

History of WD-40

History of WD-40 If youve ever used WD-40 to oil up something squeaky in your home, you may have wondered, just what does WD-40 stand for? Well, according to the company that makes WD-40, WD-40 literally stands forWater Displacement 40th   attempt. Thats the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who helped develop WD-40 back in 1953. Norman  Larsen  was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion, a task which is done by displacing water. Norms persistence paid off when he perfected the formula for WD-40 on his 40th try. Rocket Chemical Company WD-40 was invented by the three founders of the Rocket Chemical Company of San Diego, California. The team of inventors was working on a line of industrial rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. Today, it  is manufactured by the San Diego, California-based WD-40 Company. WD-40 was first used to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion. When it was discovered to have many household uses, Larsen repackaged WD-40 into aerosol cans for consumer use and the product was sold to the general public in 1958. In 1969, the Rocket Chemical Company was renamed after its only product WD-40. Interesting Uses for WD-40 Two of the craziest purposes for WD-40 include a bus driver in Asia who used WD-40 to remove a python snake which had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus and police officers who used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent. Ingredients WD-40s main ingredients as supplied in aerosol cans, according to the U.S.  Material Safety Data Sheet  information, are: 50% aliphatic hydrocarbons. The manufacturers website claims this ratio in the current formulation cannot accurately be described as  Stoddard solvent, a similar mixture of hydrocarbons.25%  petroleum  base oil. Presumably, mineral oil  or light lubricating oil.12–18% low  vapor pressure  aliphatic hydrocarbon. Reduces the liquids viscosity so that it can be used in aerosols. The hydrocarbon evaporates during application.2–3% carbon dioxide. A propellant which is now used instead of the original  liquefied petroleum gas  to reduce WD-40s flammability.10% inert ingredients.​ The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile viscous oil which remains on the surface to which it is applied, giving lubrication and protection from moisture.​ The oil is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to make a low viscosity fluid which can be aerosolized to penetrate crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving behind the oil. A propellant (originally a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon, now carbon dioxide) creates pressure in the can to force the liquid through the cans nozzle before evaporating. Its properties make it useful in both domestic and commercial settings. Typical uses for WD-40 include removing dirt and removing stubborn screws and bolts. It can also be used to loosen stuck zippers and displace moisture. Due to its lightness (i.e. low viscosity), WD-40 is not always the preferred oil for certain tasks. Applications that require higher viscosity oils may use  motor oils. Those requiring a mid-range oil could use  honing oil.

Current and Projected Situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina Essay

Current and Projected Situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina - Essay Example The armed conflict in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 is rather long and arduous to explain, but an attempt will be made here. Basically, Serbians were funding their own armed forces, which the Croats were doing as well. Bosnian government forces were also involved. The three opposing sides switched loyalties several times during the course of the war. Since friction had been brewing for a long time in the area, there was much unrest over whether this conflict could be considered a civil war or not. Research suggests that there were at least 100,000 people who were killed. Not only this, but there were almost 2 million people who were displaced as a cause of this war. The casualties that were recorded by percentages included Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims, at roughly 65%. Serbs constituted about a fourth of those killed, while Croats only represented about 10% of those killed. Obviously, the Muslims were those who were most affected. Systematic rape was common, which happened to several thousand people, a third of whom were women and children. According to intelligence figures, an almost overwhelming majority of the war crimes committed in this conflict were done by Serbian people. Genocide was committed both by the Serbs and the Croats, while Bosniaks were charged with the lesser crime of breaking rules in the Geneva Convention. The war in Bosnia started as a result of the disintegration of the Republic of Yugoslavia. Slobodan MiloÃ… ¡ević, who was elected President of Serbia in 1989, was originally born in Yugoslavia. He is widely thought to have incited violence through the proffering of Serbian nationalism. However, at the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), it was often debated as to what crimes he should have been prosecuted for, as it was argued by some writers and reporters that he hadn't really had as significant a role in the war as some people argued. Some people argued that Miloevi was a butcher, that he incited the wars that were in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and the disputed territory of Kosovo. Others yet claim that Miloevi did not do anything more wrong than some of the other people at fault for similar crimes in the Bosnian War. This is what is going to be analyzed forthwith, is what the roles of each ethnic group in the conflict were. Obviously, they probably would change several times during the course of the war. It is also obvious that this war was filled with genocide. Although Noam Chomsky wrote a scathing report about people who are "worthy victims" and

The Expert Witness Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Expert Witness Controversy - Essay Example One of the initial problems with expert testimony is that it is used by both the prosecution and the defense. The two experts must necessarily be at opposition in an effort to help their side's case and one of them must be wrong. This is further complicated by the vast number of "Expert Testimony Services" that have cropped up in recent years as lawyers and investigators pursue an expert-for-hire strategy. Some of these firms have been criticized for advertising that they will be paid only if they win the case. This is contrary to science and removes the neutrality of the scientific method. This attitude extends itself into the prosecution as government and police labs exaggerate claims or suppress evidence. In the case of Bromgard vs. Montana, Jimmy Ray Bromgard was convicted of raping an 8 year old girl based on a forensics expert who testified that the hair found at the scene had only a 1 in 10000 chance of not being Bromgard's. This expert testimony was fraudulent as there were n o means to statistically match hairs through microscopic inspection. Another problem with expert testimony enters the courtroom by way of new technology that may be unproven and unreliable. Termed "junk science", it is sometimes used by the defense to instill reasonable doubt, and more often by the prosecution to sway a jury in their favor. The 1993 case of Daubert vs. Merrill Dow Pharmaceutical set strict guidelines that lower courts must use to determine the admissibility of scientific evidence. It mandated that expert testimony be proven valid, reliable, peer reviewed, and generally accepted by the scientific community (Junk science, 2005). However, as new technology arises, it finds its way into court cases and is only upheld or overturned after years of appeal. When first introduced, fingerprint enhancement was labeled by defense attorneys as "...junk science, unreliable, and easily manipulated" (DeMarzo, 2003). Though the appeals process eventually upheld this technique, it runs the risk of alienating a jury and may result in a guilty verdict be ing overturned on appeal. The American Medical Association has been proactive in protecting the credibility of its profession by setting standards for medical testimony. In 1998 they adopted a policy that states, "... expert witness testimony is the practice of medicine subject to peer review" (Reardon, 1998). Medical malpractice suits and the questionable ethics of a Doctor receiving a contingency fee upon winning the case should arouse a sense of trouble in all involved. Expert testimony as it pertains to psychiatry is equally as troublesome as was seen in the case of John Hinkly. More recently, the case of Andrea Yates was overturned and ordered a new trial because of inaccurate testimony given by a leading forensic psychiatrist for the prosecution (Hausman, 2005). Further complicating the case was the controversial "Postpartum

Big data technology optimizes and stores the user generated data in Essay

Big data technology optimizes and stores the user generated data in exabytes using the distributed backup mechanism which significantly increases the performance and storage space in the software industry - Essay Example In recognition of the magnitude of the problems involved in the management of big data, many companies are investing considerable amounts of money in researching better methods of big data management. These companies seek reliable ways of organizing, storing and managing their machine, user and application data, which is rapidly growing in size to exabytes and petabytes. The volumes of big data are considerably large, such that many organizations find it difficult to process, store and access the data they need using the traditional databases and systems of storage (BVT, n.d.). Further complexity comes about in the now common scenario, where companies dispatch teams to different places around the world, yet the nature of their work requires them to collaborate on the same data since they are involved in the same project. This highlights the need for data solutions that allow these companies to change, add, check in content and modify them without creating problems for other employees within the organization (Kumar, 2012). Conventional systems of storage typically require revision of the systems or tech refreshes every three years (sometimes four) so that the company can keep up with new requirements and growth. This, in many instances, requires expensive and disruptive data migrations, replacement of void storage capacity and regular upgrades of software licenses (Leavitt, 2013). This paper looks into how companies use big data technology to store data generated by users in exabytes by making use of the distributed backup method. The distributed backup method of storage provides companies with the opportunity to store more data in a scalable way across storage node networks. It is imperative to note that the main purpose of backing up data is so that an organization can have at least a copy of what may the company may consider as important. In the event that there is a failure in the storage systems within an organization,

Financial aid Essay Example for Free

Financial aid Essay REGISTRATION ?THERE IS A COMPULSORY FIRST YEAR SEMINAR THAT ALL FIRST YEAR STUDENTS MUST ATTEND PRIOR to the date of registration. The first year seminar dates will be communicated to you during November 2014. Failing to attend the first year seminar may lead to your space being allocated to another applicant. ?YOUR DATE OF REGISTRATION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO YOU DURING NOVEMBER 2014. YOU need to register before or on the specified registration date. If you miss this specific registration date, your study space can no longer be guaranteed as we may then  allocate the space to another applicant. Registration dates can also be found on the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za from December 2014 onwards. NATIONAL BENCHMARK TESTS You are required to complete the National Benchmark Test. For more information please go to http://nbt. ac. za or contact the NBT Call Centre at 021 650 3523. FEES Information on tuition and other fees due for 2015 will be available during November 2014. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. BURSARIES Academic merit bursaries are awarded on the grounds of exceptional grade 12 results. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. NSFAS (NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME) The closing date for the NSFAS loan applications is 1 October 2014 and all enquiries in this regard can be made to [emailprotected] ac. za RESIDENCE Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the residences. If you applied for admission to a residence, you will receive a separate letter in this regard. AGREEMENT AND INDEMNITY  ?YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE, SIGN AND SUBMIT A FORMAL AGREEMENT (INCLUDING AN exemption and indemnity) with the University when you register. ?IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST SIGN THE REQUIRED FORM. ?YOU WILL BE REGISTERED ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE Student Charter rules and the Academic Regulations of the University of Johannesburg and of the faculty. ? YOU UNDERTAKE TO PAY THE PRESCRIBED FEES AND ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE BOUND BY THE provisions of the formal agreement. Sincerely, Student Enrolment Centre 011 559 4555.

Information Management and Systems

Information Management and Systems It is defined as the discipline that covers several applications including people,procedures and technologies.these a ppliocations aree collectively reffered to as information systems. Information Systems Management (ISM) are distinct from the normal information systems in the sense that they are capable of analyzing other information sytems that are apllied in operational activities of an organization.It is a planned system of perfoming collection,storingand dissemination of data in the form of the required information for carrying out necessary management functions. In the academic world the term is used to refer to,a group of information management methods twined to the automation of human decision making.Such systems include;Expert Systems,excecutive information Systems and Decicion Support Systems. ISM includes the application of Information Technology in support of major functions and activities in an organization or institution.ISM supports processes of:Storage,collection,manipulation,utilization and distribution of information resources of an organization.Manual processes are also included in an information system.This term is used as a synonym for information that are computer-based. Information systems will often deal with dockets such as use,development and management of an organizations information technology infrastructure. It includes systems that are not intended for decision making Currently the focus of companies has shifted from product oriented to information oriented.this means that there is more competition in process and innovation,by market operators, rather than product.There is much emphasis on the production process and services that accompanies the process of production. One of the most valued asset of a company is its information. This calls for a very strong information infrastructure.Therefore the study of information systems is keen on why and how technology can be put into excellent use in service to information flow within an organization. A great majority of information systems are developed for people. This peole employ the same in various areas including functional areas such as;human resource,marketing,finance,accounting etc.ISM professionals require a strong mixture of both technical and business knowledge for them to develop an information system that meets the needs of an organization. They must understand organizations objectives,its structures,operations and financial implications that are relative to these factors.Good understanding of these factors will give the ISM professionals a good base for effective communication with users before designing systems that will support their needs.It is also a good attribute of an ISM manager or professional to be updated with the evolving information technologies.They should posses a strong foundation of technical skills so as to select appropriate technologies and implementation of computer based information system. OVERVIEW In the current workplace,it is definite that technology works both effectively and reliably. ISM professionals have a key role in implementing technology within organizations. Infomation Systems Managers plan,network,and direct research and facilitate all computer related duties of firms.They are functional in determining both business and technical goals during consultation with the top management.They make detailed plans in accomplishing these goals.They give directions to other computer related workers e.g computer programmers, system analysts etc.They also aid in planning and coordinating activities like installation and upgrading of hardware and software,developing computer networks,implementation of internet and intranet sites and systems designing.They are involved with upkeep,security and mantainance of networks.They have a role in analyzing the computer and information needs of the organizations they work with from a strategic and operational persp[ective.Hence determining the longrange personnel and equipment requirements.Their duties also include assigning and reviewing their surbodinates work.They are also supposed to ensure that their organiza tions do not lag behind competitors. INFORMATION NEEDS End users of a system have different information needs depending on what he/she is trying to find,why she/he is trying to find and when she/he is trying to find the information.An example is the design of a staff directory,where there is an assumption that most users will be able to perfoam known item searching.Thet the user knows exactly what he is looking for,e.g Kerrys phone number.He has necessary terms to articulate the need,e.g he knows Kerrys second name is Brown and thats what he will search under.And finally he knows that that staff directory exists and that its the right place to look. Identification of information needs is important in designing an information system and to the provision of relative information services.For effective identification of information needs one has to identify the different methods for gathering information on various factors influencing those needs.A selection depending on the needs of the user is necessary.A step by step procedure is necessary in identifying information needs of most users.a careful analysis is to be made to distinguish the actual needs from the data gathered. The information needs identifierwill be able to discover, as a bye product, several ideas, tools, methods and techniques of satisfying the users in meeting their needs.At present,insufficient self sufficiency constitutes information needs. These information needs represent vacuums in the current knowledge of the enduser. Besides the expressed or articulated needs, there exists unexpressed needs which the user is aware of but will not like to express. The other category of need is the dormant need which the user is not aware of. But the information services provider might be able to bring to light these needs . A need is specific.It is generally time bound,either immediate or deferred.Information provided for a need will be used.Information provided may also be used or may not be used. Information needs depend on: Area of interest Hierarchical position of individuals work activity need to take a decision Availability of facilities. Need to seek new ideas Motivation factors for information needs Need to establish priority for recovery etc Information needs are also affected by a variety of factors including: The consequences of information Range of information sources available Background,professional,motivational orientation Uses of which information will be used. The social, political, economic, legal and regulatory systems surrounding the user Information needs identification is also somewhat a complex process. Some of the factors rendering it complex include: Original documents needed by researchers Individual preferences and behavioural aspects add a further dimension. Same information is perceived differently by users Information is put to different uses Need is satisfied by having access to the identified information in a particular package and form, and at a suitable time The flow of information and channels of communication are complex and add to the complexity The main steps in the process of identifying information needs is shown below: Studying the subject(s) of interest to the organization and or User(s Studying the organisation and its environs Studying the immediate environment of the User(s) Studying the User(s) Performing a formal interview Identifying and recording of the information needs Analysing and refining the identified information needs. Preparation for identifying information needs A very undefined situation is faced maybe only by the information professionals. They are unable to prescribe the required information to their clientele in the way the other professionals like physicians prescribe.Such prescriptions have a final say and authority, and which are embraced by the clients.Prescription is authoritative mainly because the clients of physicians and other professionals are seeking advice in a field which they themselves are ignorant of. But the clients of information professionals are more often specialists in the areas they seek information and professional advice. The main reason why there are difficulties experienced by the information professionals in distinguishing the wishes or the desires from the actual needs of the users . Therefore the information professional has to prepare himself/ herself in such a way as to create confidence in the users about his/ her professional capabilities. It will also be important if the investigation of information nee ds is to be successful, it is above all good to bear in mind that the person chosen to be the information needs identifier will need to be acceptable at all levels of users and have credibility. most guidelines in the form of a step by step procedure to identify information needs is presented incorporating the steps to be taken by the information system adentifier to equip himself/ herself for this investigative work. Study of subjects An information needs identifier must study the subjects of interest to the organization,users, and identify the central, peripheral and supporting areas.The result of such a study would produce a handbook on the subject to guide further work of identifying the information needs. This handbook is not a technical manual for technical personnel but a handy tool for the information professional. Such a handbook would present a birds eye view of the subject giving the following : Definitions of the subject concerned, collected from different authoritative sources bringing out the similarities and differences; scope of the subject giving definitions and scope of divisions and subdivisions; scope of the subjects that are tool subjects applicable to the subject concerned for its development; and scope of the subject in terms of the areas/subjects where the subject concerned is applied for their development. The different types of classification of the subject concerned including special subject classifications, taxonomic classifications, general document classifications, and vocabulary control tools such as thesaurus. The historical development of the subject giving the landmarks (significant contributions) under the broad divisions and subdivisions; the trend of research in the subject concerned as revealed in review documents marking out the broad areas in which current researches are in progress; and the trend of education and training in the subject concerne d. The important sources of information such as documentary sources , institutional sources and human sources; and the information transfer process among the users of information on the subject. After carrying out such a study of subject the Information Needs Identifier becomes confident enough to continue the work of identifying the information needs as he is exposed to the technical terminology and structure of the subject. Study the organization and its environment This is the second step in studying the organisation and its environment and preparing a profile for the organisation. Here, it is helpful for the information need identifier to know the type of the organisation for example, whether it is a corporate office, business or industrial enterprise and also differentiate whether it is public sector or private sector government or non government organisation, profit making or not for profit organisation, so as to identify the different types and styles of management and decision making processes which have a bearing on the information needs. As for this purpose, the information need identifier has to study the overall objectives, functions and the factors that affect the functions of the organisation concerned. Hence the organizations chart, the functions/ activities chart, annual reports, project reports, internal reports and other publications of the organisation would have to be studied. It will be of benefit to the information need ident ifier to attend special training courses/ orientation programmes usually organised for the benefit of new employees/ entrants/ management trainees by the organisation. The training courses are usually in the form of a series of lectures by senior personnel in the organisation spread over a period of three to six months. It would cover all subjects relating to the work of the organisation the basic scientific and technical background and detailed aspects of the engineering and technology of production. Further the participants would be taken to the different divisions of the organisation for observation and practical knowledge of the different items of work. Further, the environment in which the organisation works and its impact would have to be analysed. An information need identifier may have to study the super ordinate organisation, its objectives, functions etc., forming the environment and the factors that may affect the particular organisation concerned. Incase of a national organisation, then the countrys political, social, economical and technological environment having a bearing on the organisation as well as government regulatory environment would have to be taken note of. Study of the users specific environment At this point, it may be necessary to define in an ordely manner, the category of users whose information needs are to be identified. The Information need identifier must get himself well acquainted with the department of the individual user before conducting any actual interview with the user for the identification of his/her information needs. Most of the aspects to be covered in this study are: History of the concerned department, its objectives and functions. Organisational structure. Details of products and/ or processes of manufacture and/ or research. Details of plant, machinery, equipment, testing and other facilities. Scope of each discernible activity of the department. Information flow in the functioning of the department. Present sources of information and the channels and media used in the departments. Types of information services being used in the departments. Specific subjects on which information is being sought including type of information and kind of presentation required. Recent significant events and problems solved and the way they are solved including specific information used in solving the problems. Any other items of interest such as on going projects, training programmes etc., in the unit. Some of the sources that are to be studied for this purpose include the monthly/ quarterly/ annual reports by and on the department/ unit and its functions, minutes of meetings on and by the department/ unit, progress reports, project reports, all investigation/ review reports, performance reports, correspondence, proposals by and on the department, records of equipment, machinery and other facilities etc. It may be necessary for the INI to spend sufficient time in the users department to understand and acquaint himself with the working of the department, its organisational set up, the various activities etc., and thereby understand the situation in which the user is operating. This understanding will help the INI to easily correlate the users information needs in relation to his environment/ situation and enable the INI to grasp what the user is intending to communicate during any future interview with the user. Study of the user Users often tend to classify their wants/ interests into fragmented shopping lists, whereas their true needs may only be identified from a greater understanding of the user as a person . Therefore,emphasis should be placed on the basic needs of the individual as person . As such, it is essential that information need identifier should attempt to perceive the users problems as holistically as possible. If this is acceptable, then the expression of the information need ceases to be scientifically impersonal objective entity and becomes an expression which cannot be fully communicated apart from the user. Therefore, the next step, after the study of the users environment, is to study each of the individual users. Users are individuals. Nevertheless, in designing information systems, it is useful to classify groups of users. In relation to a specific existing or planned information facility, at least four different types of users can be distinguished .. Potential user; the one who needs information which might be provided by specific services of the information facility. Expected user; the one who is known to have the intent of using certain information services (subscriber to a specific information service such as an abstracting service). Actual User; the one who has actually used an information service regardless of whether any advantage was derived from it or not. Beneficiary; the one who derives measurable advantage from information services. Turning a potential user into an actual user and into a beneficiary should of course be the aim of planners, designers and operators of information systems. Users may be further classified into the following broad functional groups : Top Management which is responsible for policy making, strategic/ long range planning regarding mergers, acquisitions, capitals, new product lines. Scientists responsible for research, innovation, technical know how generation etc. Middle Management responsible for solving problems and making decisions required to fulfill the goals and implement policies set up by the top management. Supervisors responsible for ensuring that the products and services are produced on time, within the cost and quality level set. Operating Personnel / Technicians responsible for routine operations. Moreover, in an organisation setting, a user may play different specific work roles in performing his duties and in carrying out his functions and responsibilities. Some of the specific roles managers play, for instance include : Team Leader Liaison Monitor/ Controller Disseminator Spokesman Trouble shooter Resource allocator Resource Seeker Negotiator Decision Maker. Some of the communication activities of a manager and the percentage of events for each of the activities are given below: Receiving information, facts 27.8 % Receiving request for information, facts 8.0 % Receiving request for action 5.1 % Receiving request for approval 1.1 % Receiving opinion 0.7 % Receiving request for opinion 0.4 % Receiving applications for positions 0.4 % Receiving invitation 0.4 % Giving information, facts 12.1 % Giving opinions 0.7 % Giving instructions 0.7 % Seeking information, facts 9.2 % Requesting action 3.3 % Seeking opinion 0.4 % Checking and signing documents 6.6 % Circulating and moving documents 2.6 % Making notes and writing 1.5 % Interviewing 1.1 % Discussing interviewees 0.7 % Introducing speaker 0.4 % Participating in decision making 0.4 % Delaying response 0.4 % General discussion, meetings 12.8 % Complex events 1.8 % Others 1.5 % Further an individual may form a node in the following three directions of information flow in the organisation: Communicating down the line which is basically of five types : Giving job instructions and specific task directives. Job rationale information that is designed to produce understanding of the task and its relation to other organisational tasks. Information about organizational procedures and practices. Feedback to the subordinate about their performance. Indoctrination of goals information of an ideological character to inculcate a sense of mission. Communicating upward which may be reduced to what people say: about themselves, their performance and their problems; about others and their problems; about organisational policies and practices; and about what needs to be done and how. Horizontally communicating with colleagues in the same hierarchical level. A user, in his professional capacity, is in continuous interaction with: his culture that sets values and policies, and other influences and attitude. formal organisations such as his employing organization. invisible colleges, gate keepers as a type of reference group sufficiently distinguished by its membership criteria and communication patterns to warrant separate identification. the political system that can promote or inhibit activity and information flow. the legal and economic systems that impose legal and financial restraints on access to information. his work team, a sub system of the organisation that is distinguished because of interpersonal characteristics. himself, that is his cognitive system, motivations, attitudes etc formal information systems such as libraries and information centres. membership groups like professional societies that control information channels reference group made up of individuals having similar specialisation or interests but who are not necessarily in the same membership groups. Users who find themselves in such complex situations may have to be studied using a combination of various direct and indirect methods. Direct methods of user study are: Personal informal contacts with the user. Observing the user while at discussion with his colleagues; Survey using questionnaire Dialogue with the user while rendering information services to him/her Observing the user at his work spot (office, laboratory, factory, group meeting etc.) Interviewing the user, his supervisors, his subordinates, his personal secretary/assistant or his colleagues of co ordinate status. Observing the user while using information sources and services. Observing the user while giving a lecture/demonstration etc. Indirect methods include: Study of diary record of activities/ functions/ events maintained by the user. Study of citations received by the users publications Study of citations/ references given in the users publications Study of papers, books etc., published by the user Study of job description of the user Analysis of users response/ feedback to information services Analysis of reference queries received from the user Study of documents used by the user Analysis of the patents, designs etc., held by the user Scanning correspondence and reports prepared and received by the user Advantages of direct observation are that the information need identifier comes in direct and personal contact with the user in a dialogue, interview or discussion and that it provides an opportunity for observing the users in their normal environment. Therefore direct observation provides information on the personality and behaviour pattern of the user in different action situations. A disadvantage of the direct observation is that it so much depends on the observers own capability and adequacy in carrying out such observational studies. Inadequacies may come up in professional attainments, ability in communicating, maturity, tact and knowledge of and skill in carrying out an observational studies. It is also necessary to note that the inferences drawn from the observations may have incidence of subjective element of the observer. The analysis and inferences from indirect studies are based on the work done by the users which is based on serious thought on their part and is not merely some kind of off hand ad hoc statements.Therefore the records of users is adequate in providence of a more reliable indication of his/her subject interests, level of understanding, orientation, up to date in the subject and the skill to express ideas in writing for communication with peers. These studies also provide adequate time for analysis.The data collected is about a situation at a point in time and in a particular context which is to be extrapolated to a dynamic changing situation.Users are a living, developing beings, working in a system which itself is subjected to constant change.Few methods of study of users are discussed below: Preliminary survey of users. To begin with it is very useful to start with a survey of users.key attributes of a user may be grouped as follows: Subject interest Normal field of specialisation Specific topics of interest within the field of specialisation Subjects closely related to the above Academic background and orientation Educational background Professional background Background of research, developmental activity, management activity etc. Psychological attributes, particularly Temperament Reception and communication of ideas Attitudes towards professional team mates, colleagues, etc., in the organisation Ability to express ideas precisely Attitude to using and acquiring ability to use the tools and techniques of information services Specifically the information need identifier would need information about the user relating to the following : Foreign language competence. Types of reports both internal and external received and sent by the user Types of reports both internal and external which the user is not receiving but would like to receive Functions, activities, tasks (job description) and responsibilities (specific work roles) in the organisation; Authors and Corporate Bodies, whose works are of interest Education, training and special expertise. Membership in professional bodies Channels of communication between the user and other departments/ personnel of the organisation Outside organisations with which the user has academic or professional contacts Membership in committees, task groups Periodicals and other information services received through membership Subject and associated interests specific subjects, allied subjects Annual Reviews and other Series publications in which interested. Periodicals often containing articles of interest which are to be specifically notified Kinds of information media preferred by the user; Time most convenient to the user to receive information services Position of the user in the organization. Types of information notices/ services preferred by the user Approximate time available to the user in a day or week for reading Also information about the user may be obtained by a study of his/ her resume.Information need identifier should also carryout surveys using questionnaires for collecting such preliminary information about the users. He should fill up the questionnaire himself after following the steps of studying the subject, the organization, the specific department and the resume of the user. This would show some gaps in the resume and would help concentrate on information not available from it. A shortcoming with the questionnaire method is the low return rate. Study of Work Diary Maintained by the User Users may maintain a diary about their work for their own use. It records; important activities like filing of license applications, critical events and incidents comments on how improvement could be achieved in the organization discussions/ meetings with experts and / or with colleagues, for specific problems and their solution the consultants/ consultancy organisations preferred method of solution or probable reasons for non solution route of search for specific information, kinds of documents/ sources/ services/ channels/ media consulted and used and their usefulness procedures, techniques s/he has used and/ or has planned to use details of projects s/he is engaged in working details observations cases of problems faced results arrived at Some organisations it is mandatory that such a diary or record is maintained by each member of staff above a certain level as a part of the project routine, in a general prescribed form. Users to be studied should be asked to maintain a diary of all important events, cases of problems faced, method of solution, the specific information sources/ services/ channels/ media used and their usefulness. Also, they may be asked to record each and every event in the order of occurrence. Such a diary record, properly designed and carefully maintained can be a source of useful information on the specific topics of interest to the user.The methods and techniques s/he has used or planned to use in his work; the kinds of documents, information sources and services s/he uses extensively; the extent of time he normally spends in reading books, articles, reports etc., in discussion with colleagues, experts; and the kind of personal information services s/he prefers. Occassionally it may give some inf ormation on the persons in the organisation and outside it, with whom he usually associates himself with. Survey of information sources used The next step is to make a study of the different sources of information/ information services being used by the users. This aim of this study is to bring out the relevance of different types of sources/ services, the frequency of use, the availability/ accessibility of the s