Saturday, August 31, 2019

The models For Organizational Diagnosis

Organizations undertake a diagnosis of their operation for purposes of checking the effectiveness and efficiency of their work processes. It is because they owe it to their stakeholders, stockholders and other interest groups to assure that their needs and expectations are met. When an organization is regularly checked and diagnosed, problems can be pinpointed and resolved and/or anticipated and avoided. Diagnosis and evaluation of the operation and management of an organization can pave the way for initiatives and innovations towards change and the betterment of the company.The different types of organizational diagnostic models are: Force Field Analysis: This model is a simple method designed by Kurt Lewin in 1951. It takes into consideration the two major forces affecting an organization: the restraining forces that are borne from the limitations of the company; and, the driving forces that are borne out of the effective and positive characteristics of the organization. In applyin g this diagnostic method, the desired balance in enhancing the driving forces to counter the restraining forces will be achieved.Leavitt’s Model This diagnostic tool model desgined by H. J. Leavitt in 1967 looks into the contributing variables in an organization. These variables are the tasks performed; the structure designed; the technology implemented and the human resources available.What this model checks are the changes in any and each of the variables and how they affect each other. In diagnosing an organization using this will pinpoint effectiveness of change that will benefit all the variables. Likert System Analysis R.Likert designed a diagnosis model in 1967 that addresses the motivation; communication; interaction; decision making; goal setting; control and performance aspects of an organization. These aspects of an organization are reflected in four different management systems such are the exploitative-authoritative type; the benevolent-authoritative type; the co nsultative type; and the participative group type. This model uses the questionnaire tool to assess an across the board opinion among the employees, thus, a true consensus can be derived at and better analyzed as the responses are graphed and plotted to see trends and transitions.Open Systems Theory Organizations are deemed to be a social entity and the open systems theory greatly considers the feedback from its environment and outside factors. This diagnostic model considers inputs; throughputs; outputs and renewed inputs in and out of the organization to achieve the desired dynamics towards efficiency. In diagnosing through the open systems theory, the organization has a wider leverage to really see the finer details of its function in the inside and in the outside that will lead to a more comprehensive identification of more factors towards change.Weisbord’s Six-Box Model This model as designed in 1976 by Weisbord outlines the categories in an organization that must be dia gnosed: its purposes; structures; relationships; leadership; rewards and helpful mechanisms. Everything that work and play around those categories must be identified and congruently be evaluated towards initiated and innovative, appropriate change. This will identify the â€Å"what is† aspect of the categories and then arrive at â€Å"what should be†. In applying this model, an organization can profoundly dissect its functions thru the very pinpointed questions to be asked.The Congruence Model for Organization Analysis This model is a dynamic combination of the principle of the Open Systems Theory; the Leavitt System Analysis and the Weisbord Six-Box Model. Nadler-Tushman developed this analytical method with the assumption that organizations are dynamic entities operating within a wider environment outside of its confines and that there are behaviors among its employees as individual and groups that transpire and interact and transact.This model is remarkable because it zeroes-in into the aspects of the functions in the organization in terms of whether they fit or they do not fit. It is a model that analyzes relevance and congruence in the interaction of the functions. McKinsey 7S Framework Within the framework of an organization as what the McKinsey Consultants identified in 1981 are the â€Å"7-S† that interact: style; staff; systems; strategy; structure; skills; shared values. These variables are illustrated as cells and molecules which makes them interdependent with each other.The framework therefore rationalizes that to achieve efficiency in an organization, all of those variables must be simultaneously, equally efficient. Any change on any of the variable must correlate with a change in the others. The benefit of using this model is that any initiatives towards change will be reflected in each and every variable of the organization and not just on only one. Tichy’s Technical Political Cultural (TPC) Framework This is a model that further analyzes the environment an organization is in, together with its history.It was designed in 1983. In this diagnosis, the cultural, political and technical dynamics of the organization are identified. The merit of this model is that it considers diagnosing to be very specific about every â€Å"strand† of the organization’s political, cultural and technical dynamics that they should be aligned, managed congruently for the organization to be efficient. High-Performance Programming This diagnostic model adopted the Likert System Analysis to work on the four levels in the organization.Level 1 is identified as the reactive level. The responsive level is the 2nd level. The 3rd level is the proactive level and the 4th is the high-performance level. It was in 1984 that Nelson and Burns designed this model to enable organizations to plan the right interventions towards the necessary transformation. Utilizing this model will enable an organization to truly empower e very individual in its employ that will lead to growth and development. Diagnosing Individual and Group BehaviorThis model specifically focuses on the individual behavior of employees in the organization. M. I. Harrison used in1987 the principles of the Open Systems theory in designing this model. This model takes into account the variable transpiring on the organizational level; the variables on the group level and the variables on the individual level. The distinctive premise of this model that is remarkable is that it considers the quality work life of employees. The Burke-Litwin Model of Organizational Performance & ChangeBurke-Litwin developed this diagnostic model in 1990, thus this is more modern method. This diagnosis process covers the 12 theoretical variables; the consideration of the variable effect of the climate and culture of an organization; the distinction between transactional and transformational dynamics of the organization; and, the specification of the nature an d direction of the effect of the variables. This diagnosis model is the most comprehensive method that will truly define an organization. A. T. &T. (merged with BellSouth Corporation)Going two notches higher because of its year 2008 revenue performance at US$124 billion –A. T. &T. ranked No. 8 amongst Fortune top 500 global companies. This is higher by 4. 3% from its 2007 revenue earnings. 2008 Profits is US$12 billion. Based in Dallas, Texas, A. T. &T. merged with BellSouth in the year 2006. At close of the last trading hour of the last trading day for the week, April 24, 2009 positioned A. T. &T. stock at US$. 25. 22 per share. At more than 100 years of corporate existence, A. T. &T.is the world’s largest communications holding company with most advanced, most innovative, most comprehensive telecommunication services from telephones, to internet, to multimedia services, to entertainment solutions meeting individual to multinational business needs of its 77 million cu stomers.Its research and development laboratories are the most advanced facilities in modern day technology. The leadership it has etched in telecommunication is due to the groundbreaking initiatives in innovations and inventions. Its technological advancements have merited seven Nobel Prizes and thousands of patents all over the world.A. T. &T. sustains its corporate governance by solidifying six strategic focus areas: through their commitments to the betterment of communities; through their meritorious investment in people; through their leadership with integrity, ethics and responsibility; through their environmental concerns for sustainable protection; through their efficient networking with people, businesses and customers; and through their consistently innovating technology. A. T. &T. has more than 300,000 employees worldwide. The career and work environment that the company offers its employees is holistic and comprehensive.Employees have a track opportunity to grow. They ar e made to be involved with the company’s advocacies. They receive above industry standard benefits and privileges. They are continually educated and trained. They dwell within the spirit of true teamwork and concern like a family.Due to the comprehensive global operation and services, the Burke-Litwin diagnostic model will dynamically ensure that continuity and sustainability of the excellence position and prestige that A. T. &T. pursues in the industry. The Burke-Litwin model has the tools and mechanics to analyze the very wide external environment of A.T&T.The many executive positions in the company together with its thousands of employees mandate a more astute conduct of interrelationship behavior plus a unifying culture, a conducive work climate and the alignment of skills, job and performance matching.The mission and strategy of the company together with its management practices can be very well checked by this model, together with the structure of the functions and the system of policies. A complex and dynamic A. T&T. will thrive further and better if they check and balance their organization with the Burke-Litwin model.References:Falletta, S.V., Ed.D.,   â€Å"Organizational Diagnostic Models:   A Review & Synthesis†. 2005. http://www.leadersphere.com/img/Orgmodels.pdf. â€Å"Fortune 500 of 2009† Fortune Magazine. CNNMone.com. http://www.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/full_list/. A.T.&T. Corporate Profile http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=5711.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How hunger and malnutrition influence the health and development of communities Essay

Discuss how hunger and malnutrition influence the health and development of communities .Then explain how community participation and national political commitment can help to address the effects of hunger and malnutrition ?. Firstly I will describe health, hunger and malnutrition , then discuss the social , physical and economic effects of hunger and malnutrition and illustrate how hunger and malnutrition are linked. I will explain community participation and show how it links to primary health care and the political commitment and .I will conclude by giving examples of community participation and national political commitment and as well as insight opinion as to how they can address the effect of hunger and malnutrition to improve the lives of those affected. â€Å"Health the state of complete physically ,mentally and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity â€Å" (United Nations 1974:4) health designates process of adaptation ,It designates the abilit y to adapt to changing environments and embraces the future. Hunger is a condition in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients for example carbohydrates ,fats proteins and minerals. Hunger occurs in three forms. 1. Acute –the starving skinned bones at this stage death is a loaming reality 2. Chronic hunger-is characterized by a constant lack of access to food of sufficient quality and quantity as well as lack of good health care and caring practices . 3. Hidden hunger –results from quality diet ,lack of balanced diet food and to lesser extent illness which will reduce appetite affects the body’s ability to use key nutrients. Malnutrition refers to improper consumption of food ,it is most commonly used to refer to under nutrition. Malnutrition mostly affect the poor but it is not just a problem among the poor ,it is about vulnerability not poverty . The social effect of hunger and malnutrition ,is the premature death and disability wreck havoc upon social institutions ,familial ties and civil society .Ma lnourished children endure poorer educational prospects than those who are well-fed ,with the resultant negative impact on their occupational opportunities. Eleven million children die each year before the age of five ,and the death of child can dissolve a marriage especially in African cultures .An estimated 60% of these children are vulnerable because  they are hungry (Regan 80:20 274). Under nutrition’s most damaging effects occur during pregnancy and in the first two years of life because this is when cognitive development is most rapid. The physical effect of hunger and malnutrition is stunded growth of a child .Children who are malnourished have longer and more severe illness that would not kill them if they weren’t malnourished. Malnourishment and undernourishment can affect for their entire lives. A malnourished individual may group with physical or cognitive disabilities and face a life of hardship as a result. Being malnourished or undernourished will make the body of the person physically weak that the person will not be able to do his/her day to day duties and will also lead to poor performance at work and as a result that person will loose the job and the company will have low production as well due to the lose of the staff. The effects of hunger and malnutrition in the economic factor .A malnourished individual may grow up with physical or cognitive disabilities also have a debilitating effects upon a country’s workforce and subsequently it is economic productivity. Medical cost can be long-lasting problem pregnancies often lead to the delivery underweight babies who require medical attention from the moment they are born .Malnutrition increases a child’s susceptibility to malaria , pneumonia, diarrhea or measles lead to a spiral of even further medical expenditure. Malnutrition and hunger are linked in the sense that they both lead to poverty and they are both caused by poverty .Hunger will lead to malnutrition ,malnutrition in pregnant women will lead to giving birth to underweight babies who require medical attention from the moment they are born ,which will cost the family some money and at the same time taking most of the families time of going to work or to do productive activities. Community participation is the process through which people gain control over the social ,political , economic and environmental factors that determine their health. The process of participation starts with an evaluation of the situation by everyone invo lved. During the process the community defines its most important health problems ,it decides or priorities finally the community participates in implementing monitoring and evaluating a health programme ,all these things are possible even when people are poor or illiterate. Community participation links to primary health care in sense that ,the community members are the one who participate in the primary health care. Primary  health care is essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families ,in the community through their full participation and at a cast that community can afford. National political commitment ,health services operate with a particular political structure .The decisions that determine the allocation of resources ,human resource policy and the availability and accessibility of services are primary political.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Border Security and Terrorism Essay

The only way that any country can effectively prevent terrorist attacks is by improving the local security on a domestic scale. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, â€Å"the protection of borders and ports of entry are vital to the success of this campaign (Campbell & Flourney 372)†. The issue here, however, is that by imposing stricter immigration laws and beefing up border security, the rich American legacy of legal immigration becomes threatened. As more and more people and politicians alike cite the pressing need to improve border security, that rich legacy comes to mind. According to Dave Camp, former Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Borders and Infrastructure, â€Å"while there is a need to protect the borders and ports of entry, any new policies regarding this matter do not have to intervene with the avowed American history of legal immigration (1)†. What the policies do suggest is that if there are those who violate the immigration and border laws, they will be dealt with strictly (Campbell & Flourney 377). Plans such as a REAL ID act or the removal of certain asylum laws that have loopholes are certainly plans that deserve a serious consideration. The entry of the attackers of 9/11 was greatly facilitated by the lax immigration standards and other legal loopholes. These allowed the terrorists to secure driver’s licenses and other permits that allowed them to move around the country freely and make the preparations that they needed to do (Campbell & Flourney 377). If the border security measures were not as lax those days, it might have even led to the prevention of 9/11. Campbell & Flourney, in their study on measures against terrorism have cited that, â€Å"A large step in curbing the possibility of terrorist attacks lies in improving border security† (372). Many critics have continually cited that the first step in winning the war against terror is by first preventing the happening of any future attacks. As such, airline security in conjunction with border security must be improved. The American-Mexican Border remains to be the largest concern since it remains as the largest security vulnerability of the United States. The porous domestic border could provide much greater problems than that of illegal immigration. It could lead to the entry of terrorist groups into the United States on a massive scale, leading to the proliferation of a large number of terrorists in the United States and possibly the establishment of a network that would make them extremely difficult to apprehend (Campbell & Flourney 372). Current Success of Border Security As earlier mentioned, the role of border security in the fight against terror is crucial. The current government reorganization program that has been proposed places the Department of Homeland Security, the Customs and Border Protection Program and the Immigration-Customs Enforcement agencies under a single operating body (Carafano 1). This move alone signifies that America is serious in curbing these terrorist attacks and that improving border security is a major factor. The next figure shows the attacks that have been prevented. Since the 9/11 attacks, over 19 terrorist attacks have been thwarted. Much of this success has been attributed to the Border Security measures that have been set in place since then. Almost all of these attacks have been intercepted through the careful monitoring of the activities that have occurred at the border. The passage of not only terrorists but also terrorist weapons is a major concern for the Department of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Protection Program. The porous and vulnerable American-Mexican Border remains the key element in taking the war against terror to the next level. Without the current border security situation at the level that it is in at the present, most of those 19 attempts could not have been prevented (Taylor 3). According to most experts who are studying this matter, â€Å"the key remains to be in keeping the inflow of people and goods into the United States under close scrutiny (Campbell & Flourney 372). † While there has been much success in this, there still remains the question on what further improvements can be made against such a devious and cunning foe. Future of Border Security It has clearly been established at this point that in order to be effective in the war on terror border security needs to be improved. The government must take a firm stand on the policies that will be implemented in the area of border security. While such policies may threaten certain precepts that America is known for such as the legacy of legal immigration, it must be remembered that sacrifices are sometimes necessary to protect the greater interests of the American public (Taylor 12). If it means that legal immigration may be throttled to a certain extent in order to ensure the safety of the American public, it is certain that there are more than a few Americans who would stand by that decision. As it is, more and more funding has gone into the improvement of border security particularly with regard to airline regulations and ports of entry as well as along the American-Mexican border. â€Å"Laws that have funded the increase in the number of fences along the border have been drafted and stricter port of entry rules have been established,† according to studies done on this subject (Taylor 12). The next step lies in ensuring that these measures push through and that they are implemented effectively. It has been said that increasing the security measures that are currently in place will send the wrong message to the terrorists and instead signal to them that they have won and that America has given in (Taylor 12). Ensuring one’s safety, however, should never be considered as a sign of cowardice or defeat. Instead, it should send the message that the United States and its people will not give up and will not give in to the terrorist tactics of these groups. Concrete steps such as improving border security are one of the many ways by which the United States government can show that they are serious and determined to end the war on terror. Conclusion When it comes to the war on terror, every other person seems to be of the opinion that there is one solution that is better than the next one. Everyone seems to think that there is one sure fire way of dealing with the situation. Truth be told, it would be perfect if that were really the case because it would have meant that the war on terror would already be over. The sad reality is that terrorism still continues to be a growing threat against all civilizations in the world today. While theories abound, success stories against the war on terror are far and few. This is not to say that policies to help improve border security are a waste of time but it rather serves to emphasize a very important point. The war on terror cannot be solved by just implementing one policy or one program. The response to problem will never be as quick or as earth shaking as the event that intensified the problem. Efforts to improve border security are just one of the many things that need to be done to combat the terrorists. Be that as it may, it still is one of the more crucial steps to stop terrorism. References: Campbell, Kurt and Flourney, Michelle (2001). To Prevail: An American Strategy for the Campaign Against Terrorism. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The internatonal middle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The internatonal middle east - Essay Example mutually agreed framework of agreements and while retaining the sovereign identity, the entire European region is considered to be one entity for trade and industrial policies. The European model has helped the region in terms of better international law, commercial relations, treaties, institutions, economic interdependence and migration. There’s another potent model which has proved its worth for the development of the region. It is the American model. In fact the US model is the older one amongst the two, but this model doesn’t find much favor with the general people in the Middle East region because of long pending issues like Israel-Palestine conflict, American military intervention in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait etc. European model is relatively a newer model based more on diplomatic approach while advancing the commercial interests of EU nations. Well, the EU model too may not be an ideal one, if we take into account the imperialistic approach adopted by the European nations against other countries, particularly the developing ones. The period prior to the World War-I has witnessed a number of instances, when the hegemony of European countries was responsible for their military and commercial influence in different parts of the region. But it appears equations have changed over the years. With the Cold-war era too gone after the disintegration of USSR into, the United States of America is now only superpower left around and by all accounts has invited wrath of many prominent leaders from the Middle East region. Taking these aspects into account it appears that the US model may not be one of the best suited for the Middle East region. The European model, being a modern one, depicting fewer adversities towards the Arab world appears more acceptable for the region instead. Taking sides on these two types of model is indeed very difficult for the Arab world, particularly because of the cases prevalent around us. On the one hand, the US intervention in Afghanistan

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Health Care Reform Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Health Care Reform - Assignment Example The reform is better for tens of millions of uninsured Americans will get access to an affordable, quality health insurance in the health market. On the other hand, in order to get the money to assist insure tens of millions, new taxes on higher earners are introduced. The taxes affect employer and an individual mandate. Also, from the reform, many uninsured Americans can access free or low cost health insurance by the use of their State’s Health Insurance Marketplace. In contrast, the individual mandate suggests that one must get health coverage and pay a fee or exemption if they can afford (Boucher, 2010). The reform is essential for Medicaid is extended up to 15.9 million people who are 138% below the line of poverty (Haugen, 2008). Conversely, not all States expand Medicaid since Medicaid is expanded by the use of the Federal State Funding. Thus, such regulations leave approximately 5.7 million of the people without any coverage options. The reform is also necessary for CHIP is extended in order to cover about 9 million children. On the other hand, the CHIP uses State Funding and Federal rules in executing their services. In this case, the Obama Health reform cannot drop individuals from the coverage when you are sick or make an honest mistake on your application. The reform does not deny coverage for being sick or being charged expensively (Haugen, 2008). The fact that the reform does not consider the gender is also a point of credit for the Obamacare. For example, a sick individual cannot be charged more for being a woman. In such cases, insurance companies must cover the sick people, thus increasing the cost of an individual’s insurance (Field et al., 1993). In general, Obama reform is important for small businesses are capable of getting tax credits of up to 50% of the employee’s cost of insurance (Forman, 2010). On the other hand, the consent of the employer

What are the Main Criticisms of Realist Literature review

What are the Main Criticisms of Realist - Literature review Example International relations refer to the political, and sometimes economic, relations between states. Realism is an approach to the management of international relations whereby decision-makers adopt a practical rather than a moral view of issues. Essentially, realism proscribes that we see 'the world as it really is rather than how we would like it to be' (Baylis and Smith, 1997:3). Realists have a somewhat Hobbesian view of humankind and states, actors are believed to be self-interested and, in order to maintain the balance of power, often must be forced into compliance by war, which is seen as a necessary byproduct of competition. Although realism is a dominant ideology in many Western countries including the United States, it is been subject to numerous criticisms, as they are the primary focus of this essay it is to these criticisms that we now turn. Implicit within realism is a set of fundamental principles, these principles form the basis of realist ideas, yet, also generate heavy criticism. Realists reject notions of long-term cooperation with or allegiance to competing states (Baylis and Smith, 1997:141-146).   The 'everything but arms' initiative developed in the region ensures that the worlds poorest countries are permitted to export all their goods (other than arms) into Europe free of charge (Stiglitz, 2004:246). If it were as realists suggest, all nations are self-interested utility maximizers then this type of cooperation would be highly unlikely. It would probably make more economic sense for the European Union to export to these poorer nations but to leave their own markets closed to foreign materials or to command a fee for allowing access which would normally be the case. Programs like this one are genuine attempts by the international community to find a viable solution to the problems of the third world, insinuating that not all states act in self-interest and all are capable of cooperation. Further, cooperation and long-term alliances are possible. It also suggests that as constructivists have argued, it is the state itself that defines 'anarchy' and it is by no means a fixed e lement of states, rather a socially constructed ideal that only survives in states that operate under realist auspices (Bayliss and Smith, 1997:141-161).   

Monday, August 26, 2019

Kozyndan as a collaboration of the artwork by two artists Essay

Kozyndan as a collaboration of the artwork by two artists - Essay Example They generally draw Panoramas and insert absurd things, considering them to be the whole western notion and have made this their central theme. Commonly known as mad scientists from Los Angeles who are working on a secret formula for controlled nuclear fusion like to take long and deep breaths and dip their heads in raspberry jelly and lemon curd bowls just for fun. They live indoors and don't paint on the walls. They mainly draw panoramas and bring a distinct Asian flavour in most of their work. Their products are perfect examples of new art and the freshness and newness in their work aggravates the urge to know and understand every stroke of the painting. On being asked to describe their work Kozy said: "We want to make stuff that will make people smile a bit. These pieces so far are not so deep - we have been restraining ourselves, though some of our... frustrations we have with what we see around us peep through from time to time. There is some sort of a theme of conflict between the industrialized world and nature. We prefer animals and the natural world to people any day, yet we are wholly sucked into the modern technological world. This kind of just shows up in our work from time to time - it's not a conscious thing. Typically we just think of something that is funny to us, but then looking back at the completed piece it usually has something to do with man's careless disregard for this hunk of rock we live on." This dynamic duo is having their first LA solo show of the year from May 7th to June 4th. Kozyndan paintings have been able to convey their message quite convincingly. They have also brought to light Kozy's narrow and focused eye on every detail of the aspect of their paintings. Kozy and Dan like to illustrate anything and everything out of the ordinary. They have both majored in Illustration and have specialised in digital artwork. Giant Robot magazine gave kozyndan their first break, setting up their first art show, printing their illustrations, and selling their merchandise at the Giant Robot store. Kozy and Dan offer a wide range of artwork including the illustrations, designs, comics and photography. Their works are available very easily across the globe. There are various museums, websites and shops that provide artwork by Kozyndan. Although, it is still believed that these places can not be compared with the variety of articles offered by the Kozyndan shop in LA. Kozy and Dan are married to each other and share their success together. They work in unison and respect and appreciate each other's works. Kozy does the detailed and the intricate drawings. While she works on the backgrounds Dan figures the roles and other details of the characters involved. Then Kozy redraws the sketches in her own style and adds even her own sketches. It is after this that Dan compiles all the characters into the original background and then they paint the pictures. Both of them are animal and nature freaks. In fact they have

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Research Paper Example Lamb wave based SHM however relies on wave propagation, offers characteristics of efficiency and convenience and this study seeks to investigate its application. The study is significant to structural health monitoring and involved stakeholders to monitoring processes because it seeks to validate a convenient and cheaper monitoring approach towards higher survivability of structures. The study aims at investigating feasibility of application of 3D laser vibrometer in conjunction with Lamb wave technique. This will incorporate literature review, implementation of experimental and specimen design, measurement of scattering waves on used structures, and analysis of results. Numerical approach was used to investigate robustness of the lamb wave model. A validated simulation study was done using ANSYS program to study propagation and scattering of waves and an experiment to investigate propagation and scattering of waves was done on aluminium specimens with the aid of 3D vibrometer. The s imulation and the experiment identified effects of a blind hole on wave propagation and scattering. Validation of the simulation demonstrated point differences in propagation and scattering relative to position of a blind hole. ... Its significance has grown among engineers because of its ability to generate timely and accurate data on health and functionality of structures, properties that allows it to ameliorate maintainability and safety concerns (Staszewski et al. 2004). The monitoring approach detects anomalies, specifies anomalies’ exact location, and evaluates damage extent towards corrective measures, a scope that offers economic, and safety advantages. Other applications of SHM include mitigation of uncertainty, planning for schedule activities, and test of hypothesis. There are three theoretical SHN techniques, visual inspection, traditional non-destructive evaluation methods, and remote monitoring. Visual inspection involves inspection by experienced and trained personnel while traditional non-destructive evaluation applies wave propagation approaches for defect detection. The approaches are however expensive, labour intensive and complicated while remote monitoring is automated and autonomous , only requiring attention on critical conditions (Thomas et al. 2009). Lamb waves for remote monitoring, for instance, only rely on wave propagation but instrumentation and interpretation needs hinder its efficiency (Franco et al. 2008). Lamb-wave based SHM efficient and convenient for detecting metallic structure cracks and delamination and disbanding of composites (Ong and Chiu 2012). Significance The study is significant to structural health monitoring as it proposes a cheap and convenient monitoring strategy that will facilitate regular inspection for damage detection and remedies. This scope extends the study’s significance to stakeholders to monitoring processes because validating the lamb wave based method will ensure the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Case summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Case summary - Essay Example The company also focuses on how their human nutrition centre will help the consumer to understand how important improved nutrition products are for their health. The changed environment of the world now focuses on sustainability, health, nutrition, waste management and economic development. Companies such as Walmart have incorporated these elements in their business and the supply chain focuses on shared value. Nestle has to focus on all these elements in order to keep with the expectations. Sourcing at Nestle focuses on shared value concept. Nestle has always planned ahead of time and has been very innovative and socially responsible when it come to producing and sourcing. Not only has Nestle introduced products that were high in nutrition, it has also introduced products that combats certain health conditions. By working with health companies it has come up with "nutraceuticals" that are health foods suitable for people with health conditions like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease etc. Neslte identified that water is a very valuable resource of the world and it is being wasted by producers. Nestle emphasizes to make producers aware of its value so they use it wisely by improved irrigation systems and other technologies. Nestle identified that they had to contribute back to the society because Nestle is a huge firm and they rely hugely on the ecosystem. Hence if they invest in environment sustainability and social well being, the business is going to benefit. So they adopted CSV. As a food producer, investing in environment and health of people makes business sense because this will in turn give improved quality products at the end. Nestle formed SAI platform which was later joined by a number of companies to produce agricultural products sustainably. Consumer preferences had changed, now consumers were willing to pay more for

Friday, August 23, 2019

The nature of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The nature of Crime - Essay Example However, an understanding of both these theories is important because they help in knowing the nature of crime. The central proposition made by the strain theory is the idea that social structures and individual situations within a society may be the causes of crimes since the strain put on the individual due to them encourages criminal behavior. This theory emerges from the work of Émile Durkheim and has been further developed by many social scientists following in his footsteps (Cullen, & Agnew, 2006). With regard to the strain which causes crime, there are two possible sources i.e. social structures and individual experiences (Miller et. al., 2002). The first one comes from the social structures which define how the needs of an individual are to be satisfied. If the social structures are inadequate, especially with regard to satisfying the needs of the middle class, then more people from the middle class may turn to crime if they see a lack of opportunities and have limited means (Miller et. al., 2002). Therefore, in this respect, the blame for criminal activity or the increased rate of crime comes from a failure of social institutions rather than individual negligence. The second strain can come from the individual since the experience of a person within society can lead him/her to a life of crime (Wikipedia, 2006). For example, if a middle class person sees enough things which lead him to desire more than his/her means then s/he may choose to do things which are illegal to attain those things (Miller et. al., 2002). Of course that person may not actually need those things for their basic survival but the creation of the need can come from their own experiences. Similar to the strain theory, the social disorganization theory also focuses on the relationship between the individual and the social setup. However, the primary focus

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Gregor Mendel Biography Essay Example for Free

Gregor Mendel Biography Essay His first conclusion was his Law of Segregation, which said that dominant and recessive traits are passed down randomly from parents to offspring. He also provided and alternate way of heredity through his Law of Independent Assortment, which established the idea that traits were passed down independently from traits from parent to offspring. Although his work was overlooked for some period of time, his work later became appreciated by biologists and botanists who were also doing work on heredity. Mendel’s work became the basis and formed the foundation of genetics, in the study of heredity. Although all his work was done through experimentation with pea plants, his laws can be applied on all living organisms that exist today. With his work, people have been able to create anything as crops resistant to harsh weathers reducing the risk of famine, and been able to modify certain traits not just in agricultural life to our benefit. In medicine, doctors have been able to practice preventative medicine now that they know that certain people are at risk for certain diseases. There’s a lot more things, just think how much Mendel’s help at understanding heredity has benefited the human race. Gregor Mendel was born Johann Mendel on July 22, 1822, to Anton and Rosine Mendel, on his family’s farm in Austria. He was given the name Gregor later on in life when he joined the St. Thomas Monastery in Brno. Once his brilliance was noticed by his local school teacher, he was sent to a secondary school in Troppau to continue his education. The Mendels were somewhat poor, but they were able to find enough money for his tuition. It was a hard strain on the family, and also a hard experience for the young Gregor Mendel who suffered of depression, but that didn’t keep his from excelling in his studies, and he graduated in 1840 with honors. He wanted to continue his education, and so he enrolled at the Philosophy Institute of Olomouc. After two years, he was recommended by one of his teachers to go to the St. Thomas Monastery, where he was seen to be of worth to become a monk by the head of the monastery. Here was where he adopted the name of Gregor, to follow tradition. Even after joining the monastery at the age of 21, Gregor further pursued his education and went to the University of Vienna to continue his studies in science, at the monastery’s expense. Here he studied physics and mathematics under Christian Doppler, the same man that the Doppler effect wave frequency was named after. After finishing his studies in 1853 he came back to the monastery, and began teaching secondary school for about a decade, which is where he began most of his experiment which he is best known for. Mendel did not begin his work on heredity using pea plants, but rather with mice. It was on mice on who he began his first experiments, due to his interest in the inheritance of the color of mice coats. He kept doing so until the head of the monastery, Abbot Nap, suggested that looking at mice mate wasn’t the best task for a religious Catholic monk, and so he switched to plants. Mendel chose to use pea plants for his experiment because offspring could be quickly produced, and so he didn’t have to wait too long for them to grow. He cross fertilized pea plants that had opposite characteristics, such as tall with short, smooth to wrinkled, and those containing green seeds with those containing yellow seeds. It is here where he reached to his two most famous conclusions: The Law of Segregation, and the Law of Independent Assortment. Even though Mendel himself believed that this only applied to certain species and certain traits, it became the theory that this applies to all existing organisms. When he was older Mendel became having problems with his eye sight, which kept him away from continuing his experiments. He died on January 6, 1884 at the age of 62. His funeral was well attended, but his work still remained very unknown. He too did not seem to promote much of his work, but not until about a decades later this his work become appreciated and his studies began to be called Mendel’s Laws. It is these laws that are the foundational principles in biology today.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Plantation Mistress Essay Example for Free

Plantation Mistress Essay In the book, â€Å"Plantation Mistress† (Clinton, 1984) by author Catherine Clinton, it seems that Clinton desires to express her disapproval for the manner in which women were treated so harshly.   She talks about maids brought to our country during the year 1620 and in Clinton’s writing, it is extremely interesting how she gathered her information for this book from letters that were written so many years ago, and even from diaries, suggesting that women from that ancient time period weren’t treated as equals in the deep South and in this slave era and time in our history, the author relays to her readers that there is evidence that cruelty did take place toward women and practices such as using females as workhorses shouldn’t have been acceptable in any time period. Also, many of these women referred to as mistresses weren’t taken care of properly and didn’t even receive the necessary and basic essentials, such as proper toiletries or food. They were treated like second class citizens and weren’t considered as good as men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We gather a   new appreciation for maids as we read Clinton’s writing and feel regret for those who had to suffer because of neglect and misunderstanding. Clinton teaches us that all humans were created as equals and all women and the slaves from that same time period were regarded less than human.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s interesting to be able to read some of those old letters that were written so many years ago so that we have a greater appreciation for women who lived on these plantations in the deep South.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  REFERENCE PAGE Clinton, Catherine. (1984). Plantation Mistress. Pantheon.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Business

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Business 1. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging Business Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical imaging modality that has emerged in the first half of 1980s and become a preferred tool in detecting a wide range of diseases (Yildirim, et al., 2015)[1]. Since its invention, MRI has undergone a continuous flow of innovations and proven itself as a versatile tool that addresses an increasing number of clinical problems and enables research in a growing spectrum of clinical and technological fields. Over the course of its evolution MRI has proven itself has a well-established diagnostic tool and enabler in particularly neuro-radiological applications, functional and anatomical imaging of the brain, imaging of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system and the spine, and a strong contender in cardiovascular imaging, breast imaging and imaging of the abdomen and pelvic region. As a result of its versatility and non-invasive nature, MRI enjoys an increasing demand (Wilson, et al., 1999; Al-Kwifi McNaughton, 2013) and becomes a strong alternative to less costly modalities such as X-ray and Computed Tomography (Semelka, 2004). Despite all the innovations, and the advantages it offers with respect to other techniques, MRI remains the most expensive medical imaging modality, both in terms of production costs and cost of ownership constitutes a global market that is currently about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5 billion, and is expected to exceed à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 7 billion by 2021 (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). Figure 1 MRI, applications areas and competing technologies.   1.1. The Market Over the past three and a half decades, the MRI business has evolved into a nearly mature market, particularly in terms of number of installations and users, which mainly consist of academic hospitals and research institutes, public and private hospitals and specialized clinics and centres (Oh, et al., 2004; MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). The MRI market is dominated by three vendors, namely Siemens, General Electric (GE) and Philips, which cover about 75% of the market, and followed by smaller firms like Toshiba and Hitachi as well as relatively smaller firms and new entrants such as Fonar, Alltech and United Imaging (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). Geographically, the MRI market is dominated by North America and Europe, which happen to be the birthplaces of the modality (Lauterbur, 1973; Mansfield, 1977), with respective shares of 31% and 29% (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). These, so to speak, old regions are followed by a younger and dynamic region, Asia, which has a share of 25% and observes a demand that is rapidly increasing (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). The remainder of the MRI market is populated by emerging markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, the Pacific and Africa (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). Figure 2 Global MRI market (Adapted from MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). The industry is governed by fast technological change and substantial heterogeneity in terms of technology and implementation among vendors (Krieg, 2004; MarketsAndMarkets, 2015). While products can roughly be categorized into groups representing magnetic field strength expressed in Teslas (e.g. 1.0T, 1.5T, 3.0T) or architecture (e.g. open versus narrow-bore or wide-bore cylindrical) (MarketsAndMarkets, 2015), differentiation among products and vendors is dictated by features, clinical applications and research techniques that come integrated with a MRI system (Krieg, 2004; Al-Kwifi McNaughton, 2013). In recent years, the business has observed a significant development that manifested itself as a clear split in market segmentation, with premium (or high-end) products catering to the upper half of the market and value products (or low-end or low-cost) catering to the lower half (Donoghue, et al., 2012; Global Industry Analysts Inc., 2015). This split, which was initially caused by the demand structure seen in the Asian and emerging markets, also found acceptance and support in Europe and North America, particularly in sectors where cost began to assume a primary role in purchase decisions as well as reimbursement policies (Proval, 2014; Global Industry Analysts Inc., 2015). In older markets such as North America and Europe, and also in Japan, the business seems to have reached a certain level of maturity (AuntMinnie.com, 2013). In these regions, the market shows a declining growth rate, mostly as a result of substantial market saturation and negative environmental influences such as declining reimbursements resulting from more stringent policies implemented by governments and insurance companies (Proval, 2014; Global Industry Analysts Inc., 2015). Another development that challenges the vendors is the increased number of brand switching, which, to some extent, can be related to market saturation (Al-Kwifi McNaughton, 2013). Customers moving from one vendor to another as such is observed to accelerate price erosion and hurt profitability significantly. In developing markets and markets showing a positive growth rate, like the emerging markets and Asian regions such as China and India (AuntMinnie.com, 2013), cost of investment and operation emerges as the primary factor affecting the business (Global Industry Analysts Inc., 2015). Additionally, the business, particularly of the incumbent firms (i.e. the big five) is challenged by governmental policies that directly or indirectly favour local competition, particularly in the low-end segment (Torsekar, 2014; Rizzo, 2016; Business Standard, 2016). Access to a larger portion of these markets is blocked by either complicated bureaucratic procedures (Torsekar, 2014), elevated import taxes (Business Standard, 2016), or by directly backing local manufacturers by means of targeted subsidies or privileged contracts (credible source needed).      Ã‚   1.2. Product Innovation Historically, MRI has been a technology driven industry, and as it is typical for high-tech businesses, product innovation has been critical to market performance and central to sustainability of the business (Krieg, 2004; Paladino, 2006). Different than most high-tech industries, however, MRI has strongly benefitted from a co-creation culture where most innovations have emerged from interactions and partnerships between vendors and key, and mostly academic, users (Figure 3). This culture led to a symbiotic vendor-user relationship that resulted into a rapid pace of product innovation, which, in turn, boosted demand for more advanced and specialized products (Krieg, 2004). Figure 3 A history of co-creation in MRI (Adapted from Philips Healthcare, 2016) However, the rate of ground-breaking and truly differentiating innovations is facing a slowdown (Holloway, 2014). In the last 10 years very few breakthroughs led to a significant or long lasting technological and competitive advantage, or have opened new areas of application and research. In the fields where MRI has proven itself as a mature diagnostic apparatus, such as neurology, MSK and brain imaging, all major vendors products are known to deliver very similar performances and adequate quality as far as general purpose use is concerned. Only in case of very specific needs, a particular vendor is seen to differentiate itself from the others and gain advantage in winning a bid or public tender. This situation, which can be defined as technological equilibrium, and relatively long presence of the modality in old markets, with an average age of about 15 years in North America, is believed to propel brand-switching (Al-Kwifi McNaughton, 2013), and more importantly, to move the accent of product innovation away from revolutionary breakthroughs to more evolutionary changes that particularly improve ease of use, patient comfort and productivity (Global Industry Analysts Inc., 2015).   1.3. Established Marketing Strategies Almost every major MRI vendor is part of a multi-national conglomerate that is active in multiple areas of business. Therefore, the strategies followed by individual companies draw a lot from the business group they belong to, and show differences particularly in cultural background, brand positioning and messaging. Yet, over time the medical device business, and particularly MRI, has developed its own common ground and generally accepted and practiced traditions. The business commercial heart-beat is primarily set by the annual gathering of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), which is held towards the end of the year and known to be the stage for new product launches, and secondarily the annual meeting of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), which takes place in spring time and lays the emphasis more on scientific and technological advancements in the field. While aligning their annual activities with these two events, vendors seem to show little indifference in the marketing strategies they follow, resulting into an equilibrium state very much similar to that seen in product innovation. Even, marketing materials, such product brochures and whitepapers give the impression as if they originate out of same hands, aside from small nuances in messaging, branding and company culture[2]. Inferred from marketing materials and product pricing, target market definition is predominantly based on pricing, which is strongly correlated with hardware characteristics (e.g. field strength, gradient system, receiver architecture etc.) and applicatory capabilities (Figure 4). Figure 4 In practice, however, the market seems to be far from consisting of two segments clearly separated from each other, as such. In his empirical study investigating the effectiveness of marketing strategies in medical markets, Brian Smith (Smith, 2003) identified that the segments are divided into sub-segments based on varying behavioural and preferential characteristics of users. However, the study also established that, despite such variation, the market does not show a continuum of homogeneous and distinct motivator based sub-segments, as seen in most consumer businesses, but rather consists of a discrete segmentation with limited degrees of freedom, which most possibly arises from the rather rigid, dominant and costly hardware characteristics of the modality and the highly regulated nature of the business environment. Of course, the relatively low number of incumbents, and their close collaboration and interaction in determining the industry standards under the directive of the Inte rnational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), also plays also a significant role in the setting and rigidity of the boundaries of the business. Despite the constraints inherent to the nature of the modality and business environment and financial boundaries set by the customers budgetary considerations, vendors seem to seek strategic strength and competitive advantage by recognizing behavioural and preferential differences and formulating value propositions that match the specific needs of the users (Smith, 2003). In MRI, this is mainly done by fine-tuning the product composition, particularly the applicatory capabilities, which, while being very dependent on the underlying hardware platform, are defined by the software capabilities, namely data-acquisition routines (a.k.a. pulse-sequences), image reconstruction algorithms, and post-processing tools. The value-proposition is further augmented with service and support, as well as more intangible offerings and benefits of secondary and tertiary importance, such as membership of strong user network, participation in advanced research activities etc. Such customization approaches , however, are mostly left to the discretion of the local marketing and sales teams, and observed to show strong variation depending not only on the needs of the customers, but also on the specific circumstances of the negotiation and/or bidding process and position with respect to competition. From general and global marketing activities perspective, the business seems to rely on downstream activities, which centralize around new product offerings in terms of new hardware platforms and configurations, and applications consisting of novel pulse-sequences, reconstruction algorithms and post-processing methods and focus mostly on the RSNA, and upstream activities, which involve input gathering from the customer base, particularly from the so called key opinion leaders (a.k.a. key users), research collaborations with a select number of sites as well as general user surveys, feedback from local marketing and sales teams, and competitive analysis of market changes. While downstream marketing and the show to be put on stage during the RSNA help the vendors catch the attention of the market, and, more importantly, the prospective customers, it is mostly the upstream activities, and the subsequent product definition and development process, that paves the way of success, and embodi es the governing dynamics the organization. 1.4. Governing business model While exact implementation may vary from one vendor to another, it is observed that the majority of the major players follow product definition and development processes that are quite similar in the general sense. According to this, input gathered from upstream activities are converted into a user requirement specification, which subsequently is translated into one or more product definitions, and evaluated as a combined or individual business cases, with market and sales projections based on feedback from local marketing and sales teams and competitive analysis. Based on the value offered by each case product proposals are accepted to the annual operations plan (AOP), and are programmed for feasibility studies, if any needed, and product development. Most vendors, divide their annual plan into two parts, first spanning the first half of the year and catering to the installed base in terms of service releases and product updates, and second spanning the second half of the year and f ocusing on the new product introductions intended for the RSNA. 1.5. Changes in the Market Historically, the target audience of medical devices in general, and MRI in particular, has been the medical practitioners (e.g. radiologists, specialists), administrators of medical institutions and clinics and research scientists from various medical and engineering. In the earlier years of the business, the composition of this audience was mostly dominated by researchers and medical professionals with strong understanding of the physics and engineering of MRI, and driven by the desire of exploring new fields of research and application disciplines (van den Brink, et al., 2015). However, as the modality matured, the market evolved into a state where the focus shifted more to utilizing MRI as a robust and reliable diagnostic tool, than just a research platform (Holloway, 2014). Paired with this change, the proportion and influence of the medical professionals, including administrators, started to exceed those of researchers and scientists disciplines (van den Brink, et al., 2015). Over the years, and driven by increase in demand for clinical MR scans, the business also saw the entrance and influence of a new type of user, namely the operator, also known as the technologist or radiographer. In time, in the clinical, as well as in a considerable portion of the research settings, the day-to-day of operation of the systems were seen to be taken over from highly knowledgeable medical professionals, engineers and scientists, by operators whose sole responsibility was to operate the MRs disciplines (van den Brink, et al., 2015). Hence, as a combined result of these changes, the practical knowledge of utilizing MR in a clinical setting increased, together with the demand for clinical MR scans, and number of MR installations, and the average knowledge of MR physics and engineering of the people sitting on the operators chair declined (Yildirim, et al., 2015). This, together with the demand for higher productivity (i.e. higher number of scans per day) and desire for shorter training investments brought new factors into the equation of product formulation, namely, workflow and usability (Holloway, 2014; Duszak, 2012). Aware of the increasing importance of workflow and usability, the vendors have implemented marketing strategies that emphasize the productivity and efficiency of their existing products, in addition to the technical capabilities. At the same time, vendors introduced product changes that focus on higher patient throughput, simplified patient handling, improved usability of the MR console etc. As a consequence of these changes the jargon governing product and marketing materials slowly shifted from a technically savvy language to a softer language expressing customer excellence, efficient workflow, easy scanning. In addition to the changes in market demographics and demand structure, which mostly arose from the internal dynamics of the market, the MR business is also observed to be influenced by external changes, particularly advancements in mobile communications, information technologies (IT), the internet and social media. As mentioned before, the MR business is based on a strong co-creation culture and close interaction between customers and vendors. As an integral part of this culture, there is strong empathy among MR users for the complexity of the technology and challenges vendors face during product development and manufacturing. However, the empathy of MR users may not last very long. In a recent survey conducted among MR users (Yildirim, et al., 2015), it was observed that the MR user becomes less tolerant to lengthy product service update cycles and new product introduction cycles that are measured in months to years. There is a significant lack of empirical studies addressing this change. However, this behavioural change believed to be an extension of the observed impact of technological advancements on consumer behaviour, particularly in e-commerce, online services, IT and telecommunications products. Studies conducted in these businesses have shown that the consumers have become more and mor e accustomed to high responsiveness from companies in acquiring goods and services, as well as prompt feedback in case of inquiries and complaints.   2. Purpose of work 2.1. Problem Statement In light of the changes and trends observed in the market, as well as the level of maturity reached in about 65% of the global market, the number of challenges the MR business is facing, and will likely continue to face in the foreseeable future can be summarized as follows: High costs associated with high-end scanners Increasing demand for low-end scanners Slowdown in ground-breaking innovations Homogenization of technology Brand-switching in mature markets Changing market demographics and declining technical proficiency of users Shifting of demand from novel applications to clinical utilization and efficiency Weakening of co-creating culture and increasing impatience of users On global scale the MR market is far from stagnation. However, challenges above make maintaining market share and gaining new grounds a difficult task. Some of these problems, particularly those related to high costs of innovation, manufacturing and ownership, are not new to the industry. But problems arising from the changes in the market, particularly those related to the maturation of the market, changes in user profile and behaviour and demand structure are new. Strategies based on technological innovations, while being helpful in preserving brand image and presence in high-end segment, will not suffice to address these issues and sustain competitive advantage and profitability. In order to stay afloat, the business, and particularly an incumbent, will need to explore new strategies and solutions to deal with the emerging problems. This work, aims at contributing to such an exploration by addressing the following problem statement: How can the MR business, particularly an incumbent, overcome the challenges arising from market changes, without resorting to costly technological innovations? Obviously, such a statement is very broad and may require a comprehensive solution, also including product innovations, and probably a total overhaul of the business strategy. But in respect to imitations inherent to a dissertation, the scope of the work presented will mostly focus on solutions that will address changes in demand structure and user profile.   2.2. Proposed Solution Reducing manufacturing costs and cost of ownership, improving robustness and usability and introducing products that meet the needs of the low-end segment will require solutions that greatly rely on innovations in product design and manufacturing. However, these issues, and specifically issues related to changes in demand structure, demographic composition, focus of utilization as well as competitive elements involving homogenization and brand-switching can also be addressed by innovations in organizational and operational approach to the business. Today MR vendors seem to focus too much on the future in terms of the next novel technology and new markets or users to be conquered. The business process is almost sole based on this focus. Next to being future oriented the business may also find benefit in focusing on the past, or more accurately, the existing installed base. This idea, encouraged largely by the level of maturity of the market, entails learning from collective experience of users, and on the larger scale, from the collective experience of the whole MRI world, and formulate product improvement, marketing and sales strategies based on this learning. Learning as such can be realized in many ways and, in fact, is not new to the MR business. Vendors, collect information from their customers through regular and structured surveys, or occasional direct contact by marketing and sales teams. Also annual events, like RSNA and ISMRM, form a viable platform for information and feedback gathering. Next to these, firms also collect information and receive feedback from third party sources like Net Promotor Score surveys and market research reports, which also contribute to the business intelligence activities of the companies. In addition to such business and market oriented feedback gathering, vendors also receive feedback from another type of source: customer complaints. A customer complaint, as the name implies, is an expression of dissatisfaction (Landon, 1980), and is a formal and regulated entity in MRI in particular, and medical imaging in general. Customer complaints, may entail actual product defects, that is, unintended behaviour or malfunction of the product or a component thereof, or annoyances that arise from the intended behaviour or design of the product. Regardless the reason, customer complaints are issued using formal tools, and monitored by regulating bodies with strict rules regarding handling and processing (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015). While in general, a low number of customer complaints, is very much desirable, feedback as such is an invaluable opportunity for vendors to learn from their mistakes.   Sources mentioned so far, while all beneficial, have one character in common. They are, in one form another, expressions of explicit feedback, which is known to mostly capture the part that is immediately visible, and therefore is prone to being incomplete or insufficient in uncovering actual user experience and value (Vargo, et al., 2007; MacDonald, et al., 2011). As a complementary source, this work proposes the utilization of implicit feedback, which is tacit in nature and captured in various forms of data generated by the user, or more accurately, the use of MR systems. The data consists of so called machine-data, which are mostly log files that are generated by the MR systems automatically, as well as human-data, such as clinical protocols that are created by users and reflect preferred ways of system use, and scientific output in the form of publications and conference contributions, particularly generated by academic users. Currently there are about 35 to 40 thousand operational MRI systems, with a yearly expansion of 2500-3000 systems. That means that, currently, a major incumbent would have had about 10 thousand operational systems, and over the past 10 years about 7500-8000 in average. Considering has been producing at least one log file per day, the minimum number of log files estimated to have been accumulated would be about 30 million. Assuming that each file is of 100 MB ins size, such a collection will yield 3000TB of data, large enough to fill more than half a million DVDs. Adding, protocols, publications and other sources to this, the data will multiply massively in size reaching the zettabyte scale (Raghupathi Raghupathi, 2014). In information science, datasets of such size and complexity are defined by the term Big Data (Russom, 2011; Singh Singh, 2011; Madden, 2012) whereas the processes and techniques used to structure and analyse such complex data and retrieve meaningful information out of it are brought together under the term Data Analytics (Russom, 2011; Singh Singh, 2011).   Ã‚   The proposed solution relies heavily on Big Data and Data Analytics, or shortly Big Data Analytics. But rather than being an exercise of solely academic nature, the work aims at defining a framework that integrates Big Data Analytics into the operational and organizational structure of an incumbent MR vendor. The work also includes practical examples of how to utilize Big Data Analytics in identification of implicit and hidden user needs, product formulation as well as, and particularly, in marketing and sales and create value for both the company and customers. 3. Big Data Analytics Big Data is a term used for massively large data sets with complex and heterogeneous structure that cannot be handled, i.e. stored and analyzed, using conventional techniques (Russom, 2011; Singh Singh, 2011; Madden, 2012). Data Analytics, on the other hand, is a collection of techniques and procedures that are used to process and analyze massive amounts of data. Brought together under the name Big Data Analytics, the purpose of this toolset is to identify hidden correlations and patterns in data, and convert a seemingly unordered pile of data into meaningful information and insights (Russom, 2011; Singh Singh, 2011). Although the concept of Big Data has emerged no longer than a decade ago, the use of data analytics in business practices is not a new idea. In 1950s businesses were analyzing information captured in electronic spreadsheets manually in order to uncover and understand trends and changes in data (Handfield, 2013). With the advances in of computer technology, the spreadsheets have been evolved into large electronic databases and later into data-warehouses, whereas the labor intensive manual processing practices made room for computer programs capable of running complex algorithms in an automated and efficient manner. In time and with technological advances particularly in computing and communications, the number of events and amount of information worth recording increased dramatically, and with decreasing cost of electronic storage, so did the record keeping. It is even said that, more than 90% of what is described as Big Data, has been created in the past few years (Dragland, 2013), and has the potential to transform business, provided that it is processed and consumed properly (LaValle, et al., 2011). Nevertheless, handling Big Data, and converting it into meaningful and actionable insights is not a trivial task. In their field work, LaValle et al. (2011), identified that there are three levels of capabilities, or stages, in which organizations go through on their Big Data Analytics journey: aspirational, experienced and transformed. Organizations in aspirational stage are described to be furthest of achieving the analytical targets they set, and lacking some of the essential requirements such as expertise and tools. Organizations that are described to be experienced, are those have managed to lay down a basis that enable better ways to collect data, conduct analytics and act upon insights. These organizations, also look to go beyond the immediate benefits of Big Data Analytics, which is typically in cost management, and create value in other domains as well. It is however the transformed organizations that make most of Big Data Analytics. Transformed organizations are those that have passed the stage of acquiring expertise, implementing tools and exploring new uses of Big Data Analytics beyond cost management. Instead, they are deemed to be proficient in data driven resource management and optimization of tools and processes and they use Big Data Analytics to create competitive advantage (LaValle, et al., 2011). 3.1. The Five Vs of Big Data Analytics In order to progress from the aspirational stage towards the transformed stage, a business first needs to develop a solid understanding of Big Data and what makes it big and challenging to deal with. Technically, Big Data is characterized by a set of attributes, which are called the Vs of Big Data: Variety, Velocity and Volume (Laney, 2001). As the name implies, Volume represents the amount of data, whereas Variety represents the heterogeneous composition of data sources and data originating thereof. It is particularly Volume and Variety that make Big Data really big and complex (Laney, 2001; Qureshi Gupta, 2014). Velocity, on the other hand covers the flux of data inflow, as well as the rate of change. Velocity also has implications regarding the speed of processing and analysis of data, and is a source of a different type of challenge that manifests itself in constraints and complexities in operational implementation and execution (Qureshi Gupta, 2014). Beyond the basis laid down by Laney (2001), recent studies in the field have extended the Vs of Big Data further by adding Veracity (Morgan, 2012) and Value (Qureshi Gupta, 2014). Veracity mainly deals with the quality and reliability of data. Expectedly, and particularly considering the high volume and velocity, Big Data is far from being 100% correct and usable. Nonetheless, it has to be valid and of good quality at a certain level to be useful. Without Veracity inte

Christopher Columbus, the Conquerer Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essa

Christopher Columbus, the Conquerer Depending on how you look at it, Christopher Columbus was either a great man of adventure and achievement Or the kind of person that does not see shame in killing and enslaving thousand of Native Americans. Christopher Columbus came to America in hopes of finding new land, new opportunities, and gold. On the view of the Spaniards side he was helping them expand a money thirsty empire. He was helping route and map new uncharted land. He was bringing his ships back so full of gold that they almost sunk. On the view of Native Americans he was looting and plundering their valubles, family members, houses, pictures and basically anything he wanted. He sacrificed many Natives, crushing their whole world for the purpose of expanding his and make himself known. Christopher Columbus was a destroyer. Whether it was a day of huge discovery or a day of dark doom, Christopher Columbus set out from Spain on August 3, 1492 (Microsoft Encarta). With him he had high hopes, great expectations, a dream, a highly moraled crew, and three Spanish caravel ships. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. At that time the crew and Columbus had strong intentions of reaching what they thought was the East Indies (Burdette 26). However, the crews were a week and a half out from Spain. They were sure they were near land. It could have been just a see bird or the weeds growing on the Sargasso Sea. A prime example that the rest of the crew or Columbus himself had not had any exact information such as maps about the sea. Following the trade winds they had followed, they were being lead to N. America With a bold yell Columbus sat perched on the tower of the Santa Maria and hollered, "From the West to the East we will... ...on stake war on great empires such as the Aztecs. Although the natives were very willing to defend their empire, Spain had the upper hand. With canons, swords, and rifles the Spanish soon totally annihilated the people. Killing, burning, hanging or decapitating were of the possibilities (Stannard 237). Spain showed no mercy and ultimately crushed the empire. With enough gold to nearly sink Columbus ships, the ships returned to celebrate. The "fantastic voyage" was nothing short of the expected success. Works Cited Burdette, Silver. Christopher Columbus. Milan: Silver Burdett, 1982. "Chistopher Columbus." Microsoft Encarta. 1995. Levinson, Nancy. Columbus: Voyager to the Unknown. New York: Knopf, 1990. Sperry, Armstrong. Voyages of Columbus. New York: Random House, 1950. Stannard, David E. American Holocaust. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Che Guevara Timeline :: essays research papers

SHORT CHRONICLE OF A REVOLUTIONARY 1928 June 14, Ernesto Guevara was born in the city of Rosario, Argentina. 1932 Guevara's family moved to Alta Gracia, province of Cordoba, Argentina 1948 Ernesto Guevara traveled around the Argentinian provinces. 1951 December; he left for Chile and Peru with his friend Granado. Guevara lived for a short time in the leper colony of Huambo. Then he continued his journey to Bogata and later to Caracas. 1953 Back in Buenos Aires, he finished his studies in medicines. After that, he left for Bolivia with another friend, Ferrer. They planned to go to Venezuela, passing through Peru and staying for some time in Guayaquil, Ecuador. They met others Argentinians and decided to go to Central America. They travelled through Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala. There, Guevara met Hilda Gadea, whom he would marry with later, in Mexico. Guevara got in touch with Peruvian exiles. 1954 June; invasion of Guatemala against Arbenz's goverment. Guevara had to escape to Mexico, where he met Cuban exiles. 1955 July; he met Fidel Castro who told him about his plans to invade Cuba. He joined the group and started his military training. 1956 December 2; disembarked on Cuba's south coast. December 18, the 12 survivors started the first guerrilla in the Sierra Maestra. 1957 June; Che was named commander. By the end of the year, the war in Cuba entered the decisive stage. Guevara was requested to make the journal Cuba Libre in the mountain range. 1958 December 29; Che's column fought its final battle and overtook Santa Clara. December 31, president Fulgencio Batista escaped to Santo Domingo. 1959 January 2; triumphal entrance of Che and Camilo Cienfuegos in La Habana. February; Che is declared Cuban born. On June 2, he married Aleida March. From june till august, Che travelled through Africa, Asia and Yugoslavia. On October 7, Fidel Castro named him head of the Industry Department in the Agrarian Reform's National Institute. On November 26, he is named president of the National Bank. 1960 Che finished his book "Guerra de guerrillas"("Guerrilla warefare"), published under the responsibilty of the Rebel Department's Instruction Deparment. Its first edition is censored all over Latin America. On July 26, during the First Latin America Youth Congress, Che defined the Cuban revolution as a marxist one. In October, he wrote "Nota para el estudio de la revolucion cubana" ("Notes for the studies about Cuba's revolution"), in which he reviewed the revolution's stages. From October 21 to Febrary 1961, he traveled to the socialist countries (in particular, to China, Czechoslovakia and the USSR) as part of a commercial delegation. 1961 On February 23, he was named Minister for Industry and he quit the National Bank's presidency.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Tempest Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the play The Tempest there is a relationship that pits master and slave in a harmony that benefits both parties. Though it may sound strange, these slaves sometimes have a goal or expectation that they hope to have fulfilled. Although rarely realized by its by its participants, the Master--Slave, Slave--Master relationship is a balance of expectation and fear by the slaves to the master; and a perceived since of power by that of the master over the slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The relationship between the slave and master is one of expectation and perceived fear. Expectation in a sense that a slave with a perceived future expectation will tend to work harder and more diligently for their master then a slave that does not have these expectations for hope of reaching their ultimate goal. For instance Ariel is more willing to do Prospero’s bidding for he believes that are some future date he will be set free, and will not longer have to serve as a slave to prospero. For instance in this passage we are confronted with this expectation of freedom: Prospero: †¦What is’t thou canst demand Ariel: My Liberty Prospero: Before the time be out? No more Ariel: I prithee, remember I have done thee worthy service, told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served without grudge or grumbling. Thou did promise to bate me a full year (Act I, Scene II, 245-249) Showing that the slave, Ariel, is willing to do what ever is asked of him in the hope that in due time he will be set free, and to serve no one any longer. However, this expectation is one sided; since, the expectation of freedom I dependent on how prospero perceives the tasks that have been completed and those that are to be done. Thus, Ariel may never be set free if prospero never feels satisfied. On the other hand, if there is no expectation by a slave of future rewards then the future expectation of rewards is removed and the slave feels only oppression from the master, nothing more. For Caliban is a prime example. Caliban is not expecting to be set free or have his land restored to him. So Caliban has an extreme hatred for his master, Prospero, which all he can do is curse the man that made him this way, and hope for his demise. â€Å"All the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him by inchmeal a disease†¦His spirits hear me, a nd yet I needs must curse†(Act... ...ith humane care, and lodged their in mine own cell, till thou did’st seek to violate the honour of my child†(Act I, Scene II, 343-348). Prospero believed that Caliban had this coming to him, and should he had been a vengeful man could have killed him. From these examples we see that Prospero perceives his power over all since he had spared them from horrible existences and given then a taste of the civilized world. Lastly, Prospero believed so deeply that since he was the first noble to set foot on the island that it was his right to claim it as his own. For before him this isle was nothing till he brought his language, education, and culture to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For there is a delicate balance between the master—slave relationship, and the slave—master relationship. Neither can exist without the other. The master laying claim to all that he can survey, and bringing order to those around him as Prospero did for his ailing people. The slave fearing for life, or an expectation that one-day he shall be free to do as he pleases. For this delicate balance cannot be maintained without the two groups co-existing in a state where one need the other for ultimate survival.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Literary Analysis of Bartleby the Scrivener Essay

Bartleby the Scrivener could be described as a story about getting rid of its title character, about the narrator’s attempt to get rid of Bartleby, and Bartleby’s tenacious capacity to be always there. It is the story of an unnamed lawyer and his employee, Bartleby, a copyist of law documents. Confronted not only with Bartleby’s refusal to do work (first to â€Å"read† copies against the original, then to copy altogether), but also with the contagious nature of the particular words of his refusal (Bartleby’s peculiar â€Å"I would prefer not to†), the narrator concludes that, before Bartleby â€Å"turns the tongues† any further of those with whom he comes into contact, he â€Å"must get rid of† Bartleby. At the same time Bartleby feels â€Å"mobbed in his privacy† (27) when the other office workers crowd him behind his screen, they in turn are invaded by his idiosyncrasy – his private idiom â€Å"prefer. † Bartleby’s presence breaks down the clear distinctions between public and private, professional and domestic, between â€Å"privacy† and â€Å"the mob. † By pinpointing Bartleby as the â€Å"cause† of infectious language (language â€Å"turned† bad), the narrator wants to stop the course of a process (the â€Å"turning of tongues†) already in progress. But getting rid of Bartleby is as tricky as getting rid of a chronic condition; the narrator emphasizes a phrase which appears textually in italics: â€Å"he was always there† (20). Bartleby is, as the narrator calls him, a â€Å"nuisance† (40), an â€Å"intolerable incubus. † As a character in the story with a body, he moves very little, but the few words he speaks break out at unexpected moments in the office. Every attempt the narrator makes to control the passive Bartleby and his infectious language fails hilariously (Schehr 97). The narrator experiences a curious tension between the impossible imperative (on the level of the story) to get rid of the subject, and the impossibility (on the level of the narration) to write his complete biography (Bartleby’s â€Å"history†). Thus, Bartleby is also a fable about writing history or biography. In attempting to write what he thinks of as Bartleby’s biography, the narrator merely misnames his writing project, or he emphasizes it from the wrong point of view. In search of Bartleby’s origins, the narrator does not simply narrate (as he thinks) the history of Bartleby the Scrivener; he relates rather the story of his own anxiety vis-a-vis Bartleby. In particular, he relates his anxiety over the scrivener’s silence – and modes of breaking that silence; for we could say that, rather than speaking very little or in particular ways, Bartleby has particular ways of occasionally breaking silence. It is this violence in speech, this unexpected eruption, which the narrator fears. The narrator, whose acquaintances describe him as an â€Å"eminently safe man,† who likes nothing better than the â€Å"cool tranquility of a snug retreat† (4), is thrown decidedly off kilter when faced with what he terms Bartleby’s â€Å"passive resistance† (17). Bartleby’s weapon is his total indifference to truth, whereas the narrator seeks a second opinion on truth from the other office mates. Bartleby could be seen as the one solid block around which the narrator writes his own story about truth rather than the truth about the Bartleby story. Bartleby’s passive resistance actually generates the story — confronted with it, the narrator creates theories (his doctrine of assumptions, for instance), carries on debates with himself, and seeks the counsel of others — all with the opaque Bartleby as the core. In reconstructing Bartleby’s story, the narrator follows an implicit logic which he never directly states. It is the logic of cause and effect. (He is not deliberately hiding this logic, but because he takes its validity for granted, he never comments on it critically. ) Believing in the possibility of finding a specific, locatable, and nameable cause to Bartleby’s condition (as he is able to do with the other office workers, Nippers and Turkey, whose moods vary according to their diets and the time of day), the narrator thinks that by eradicating the cause of the problem, he can alter the effects, the effects of Bartleby’s speaking condition in the office space. McCall follows the same logic as the narrator in seeking causes of Bartleby’s behavior. He mentions remark that when the narrator asks Bartleby to run an errand for him at the post office, â€Å"that is probably the last place, if the rumor is correct, that Bartleby would ever want to go. † (McCall 129). The narrator never considers that his line of reasoning might be faulty — that Bartleby’s condition may not be linked to a specific, locatable, nameable cause. We as readers may be placed in the same position as the narrator in that we never know either the origin of Bartleby’s condition; we witness primarily its effects, or symptoms, in the story. These symptoms reside not only in Bartleby as individual character, but in the very way the narrator tells the story about that character. Rather than speaking about the cause of Bartleby’s condition, one could more aptly speak about the ways in which its effects are spread to other characters within the text. When the narrator impatiently summons Bartleby to join and help the others in the scenario of group reading, Bartleby responds, â€Å"I would prefer not to† (14). Hearing this response the narrator turns â€Å"into a pillar of salt† (14). (Faced with Bartleby’s responses and sheer presence, the narrator oftentimes evokes images of his losing, then waking to, consciousness. ) When he recovers his senses, he tries to reason with Bartleby, who in the meantime has retreated behind his screen. The narrator says: â€Å"These are your own copies we are about to examine. It is labor saving to you, because one examination will answer for your four papers. It is common usage. Every copyist is bound to help examine his copy. Is it not so? Will you not speak? Answer! † (15) The narrator is exasperated when Bartleby does not respond immediately to the logic behind his work ethic. â€Å"These are your own copies we are about to examine. It is labor saving to you. † Examining or reading copy is a money saving activity, from which every member of the office profits (four documents for the price of one reading! ). â€Å"Every copyist is bound to help examine his copy. † To the contract the lawyer emphatically demands from his employee, a bond based on an exchange of reading, Bartleby replies three times, gently, â€Å"in a flutelike tone,† â€Å"I (would) prefer not to† (15). By refusing to read copy, Bartleby refuses to consent to the economy of the office. It is perhaps only to another type of reading, one not based on a system of exchange and profit, which Bartleby consents. Although the narrator says he has never seen Bartleby reading — â€Å"not even a newspaper† (24) — he does often notice him staring outside the window of the office onto a brick wall. Staring at the dead brick wall (in what the narrator calls Bartleby’s â€Å"dead-wall reveries†) may be Bartleby’s only form of reading, taking the place of the economy-based reading demanded of him in the process of verifying copies. About halfway through the story, the lawyer/narrator visits his office on a Sunday morning and, discovering a blanket, soap and towel, a few crumbs of ginger nuts and a morsel of cheese, deduces that the scrivener never leaves the office. Realizing the full impact of Bartleby’s condition, he states, What I saw that morning persuaded me that the scrivener was the victim of innate and incurable disorder. (25) The narrator clearly locates the disorder in Bartleby. Seeing himself in the role of diagnostician and healer, he himself is faced with the â€Å"hopelessness of remedying excessive and organic ill† (24). The narrator’s concern about an individual medical cure should more aptly be a concern about an obsessively private rhetorical debate or a dangerously idiomatic group contagion (Perry 409). Despite his assumption that Bartleby is incurable, or perhaps precisely because he can effect no cure, the narrator beleaguers himself throughout the story with questions or commands to do something about Bartleby (McCall 9). If the private man’s disorder can be passed on to another (one) person, what happens when the condition is let loose out of close quarantine into the public space of the office? Bartleby walks a precarious tightrope between comedy and tragedy (Inge 25). The tragic dimension often resides in the narrator’s turning inward on himself (a sort of tragic compression), then putting himself on trial, an interior moment of accusation which eventually results in the collapse of the narrative in a single sigh or exclamation (â€Å"Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity! † 46). The comic effects are often related to the authoritarian attempt (and failure) to contain the spread of idiom as contagion (Perry 412). If Bartleby has been a figure for tragedy in the lone meditation of the narrator, he becomes a figure for comedy in his contact with his office mates Nippers and Turkey. The more the narrator tries to regulate the contact between the three, the more hilarious — and significantly out of control — is Bartleby’s influence. The effort to contain or control tends actually to promote the epidemic proportions of the narrative. It is the narrator himself who uses a vocabulary of contagion in relation to Bartleby. He says he has had â€Å"more than ordinary contact† (3) with other scriveners he has known. Bartleby exceeds this already extraordinary contact – he has been touched by â€Å"handling† dead letters (Schehr 99). Some critics reproduce the narrator’s language of contagion in talking about Bartleby. McCall, in his study on The Silence of Bartleby, describes â€Å"our† response, the collective readers’ response, to reading the tale: As we go through the story, we watch with a certain delight how Bartleby is â€Å"catching. † We root for the spread of the bug. (145) In a somewhat less delighted vein, Borges says, â€Å"Bartleby’s frank nihilism contaminates his companions and even the stolid man who tells Bartleby’s story. † (Borges 8) In the office scenes where the employees and boss come inevitably together, the â€Å"bug† word is Bartleby’s â€Å"prefer. † Nippers uses it mockingly against the narrator as a transitive action verb when he overhears Bartleby’s words of refusal to the narrator’s plea â€Å"to be a little reasonable. † Bartleby echoes, â€Å"At present I would prefer not to be a little reasonable† (26). If Nippers is suffering from his own peculiar and chronic condition of indigestion, he takes on the symptoms of Bartleby’s condition when he exclaims to the narrator, Prefer not, eh?†¦ – I’d prefer him, if I were you sir, I’d prefer him; I’d give him preferences, the stubborn mule! What is it, sir, pray, that he prefers not to do now? (26) Whereas later in the story the narrator totally loses his critical skill to â€Å"catch† himself in his speech, in this exchange he is still able to articulate the effect Bartleby’s â€Å"word† is having on him. He notes anxiously, Somehow, of late, I had got into the way of involuntarily using the word ‘prefer’ upon all sorts of not exactly suitable occasions. (27) It is this qualifier â€Å"not exactly† which is of particular interest. Bartleby’s use of words is â€Å"not exactly† wrong. â€Å"Prefer† is so insidious because it is only slightly askew, dislocated, idiosyncratic. As McCall accurately notes about the power of Bartleby’s â€Å"I prefer not to,† â€Å"one must hear, in the little silence that follows it, how the line delivers two contradictory meanings, obstinacy and politeness. â€Å"(152) The line calls just enough attention to itself so as to attract others to its â€Å"profoundly mixed message† (â€Å"its perfect yes and no†) in an imitative way (McCall 152). â€Å"Prefer† is as inobtrusive, as contagious, and as revolutionary as a sneeze. The narrator lets it out of his mouth involuntarily. When Turkey enters the scene and uses the bug word without realizing it (without Nippers’ italicized parody or the narrator’s critical comments), the narrator says to him, in a â€Å"slightly excited† tone, â€Å"So you have got the word, too† (27). In this pivotal sentence, the verb â€Å"get† implies â€Å"to receive† (as in â€Å"to receive a word or message†), but more strikingly for our discussion here, it implies the verb â€Å"to catch† – one â€Å"catches† the word as one would â€Å"catch† a cold. The narrator attempts to monitor the contagion by naming the bug and pointing it out to the others. But the word mocks everyone’s will to control it â€Å"prefer† pops up six times in the next half a page — four times unconsciously in the speech of one of the employees, and twice consciously (modified by â€Å"word†) in the narration of the lawyer. Bartleby could be described as a story of the intimacy – or anxiety – a lawyer feels for the law-copyist he employs. The narrator arranges a screen in the corner of his office behind which Bartleby may work. Pleased with the arrangement of placing Bartleby behind the screen in near proximity to his own desk, the narrator states, â€Å"Thus, in a manner, privacy and society were conjoined† (12). The narrator idealizes the possibility of a perfect harmony between privacy and community in the work environment, but it is precisely the conflict between these two spatial â€Å"conditions† which generates the story, defining not only Bartleby’s â€Å"idiocy,† but the narrator’s as well. The narrator most characteristically encounters Bartleby â€Å"emerging from his retreat† (13) or â€Å"retiring into his hermitage† (26). The screen isolates Bartleby from the view of the narrator, but not from his voice. Works Cited Borges, Jorge Luis. â€Å"Prologue to Herman Melville’s ‘Bartleby† in Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, â€Å"Benito Cereno,† â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† and Other Tales, ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987 Inge, Thomas M. , ed. Bartleby the Inscrutable. Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1979. McCall, Dan. The Silence of Bartleby. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1989. Melville, Herman. â€Å"Billy Budd† and Other Stories. New York: Penguin Books, 1986. Perry, Dennis R. â€Å"‘Ah, Humanity’: Compulsion Neuroses in Melville’s Bartleby. † Studies in Short Fiction 23. 4 (fall 1987): 407-415. Schehr, Lawrence R. â€Å"Dead Letters: Theories of Writing in Bartleby the Scrivener† Enclitic vii. l (spring 1983): 96-103.