How slaves were affected Essay

When the African Americans were introduced to slavery, they didn’t accept what was happening to them and how they were being treated, but as time passed working for their masters, not only physical, but mental abuse took its toll and soon they began to believe the way they were living was normal and alright. Punishment played a giant role in slave life. It showed the consequences of not doing what was asked or disobeying their master thus instilling fear in every single slave the owner possessed. Charity Anderson recalls, â€Å"But honey chile, all white folks warn ‘t good to dere slaves, cause I’se seen poe niggas almos’ to’e up by dogs, and whipped unmercifully, when dey did’nt do lack de white folks say.† Mary Reynolds remembers, â€Å"I seed them put the men and women in the stock with they hands screwed down through holes in the board and they feets tied together and they naked behinds to the world. Solomon the [sic] overseer beat them with a big whip and massa look on. The niggers better not stop in the fields when they hear them yellin’. They cut the flesh most to the bones and some they was when they taken them out of stock and put them on the beds, they never got up again.† These two accounts show just what these poor slaves had to deal with. They were constantly watched, and felt that if they just as much as gave a superior a wrong look, they would be beaten, or even worse, killed. Of course slaves saw this as inhuman but had no choice to obey as their masters said. There is much evidence that shows how quick they learned to do as they were told and after a period of time, many slaves accepted the idea of being just that†¦a slave. This transformation started with the servants becoming fearful. Surviving was a game of smarts, hard work, and willpower. In order to live, slaves would allow their masters to beat and punish them without questioning so as not to risk a painful and senseless death. Snitching on other slaves who planned to escape was a good way to show their masters how loyal they were. Many slaves went as far as calling their masters â€Å"nice† and sometimes even boasting about their masters to other servants on different plantations. These small acts helped many stay alive but living oppressed lives affecting their minds and emotions forced themselves to cope with their sadness. Singing was common among slaves to express themselves and their hardships. Frederick Douglass recollects, â€Å"They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish.† The servants shared their feelings with each other through these hymns and so it made them strong enough to have the willpower to keep living by obeying and doing as they were told. Dogs lived a better life than many slaves, â€Å"We had very bad eatin’. Bread, meat, water. And they fed it to us in a trough, jes’ like the hogs. And ah went in may [sic] shirt till I was 16, nevah had no clothes. And the flo’ in ouah cabin was dirt, and at night we’d jes’ take a blanket and lay down on the flo’. The dog was supe’ior to us; they would take him in the house.† -Richard Toler. The serfs accepted that they lived worse than dogs and at this point, it becomes evident that slaves began accepting the life of slavery. They knew escaping was a bad idea because they would have no shelter, food, or clothes. If they were caught, they would be in the worst kind of trouble so they were forced to keep living the oppressed life. Being beaten and abused had them physically and mentally feeling that they were a lower race. Being intimidated all of the time had a harmful affect and they started to see slavery as acceptable. Their owners didn’t allow them to read or write so living with a roof over their head made them feel privileged. Mr. William McNeill says, â€Å"The escaped slaves were always trailed down by hounds; they never got away, there were always some good slaves to tell on others. I was glad when the slaves gained their freedom, even though we had a large number and lost plenty of money. They made many people rich and got nothing but punishment as a reward. They tell that some of the masters were good but I never did see a good one.† This man is one that didn’t buy into slavery and kept his mind from being brainwashed like many other slaves. He knew deep down that slavery was wrong and kept the truth in his reality. Even after the slaves were â€Å"freed,† life for them wasn’t as great as they hoped it would be and they soon realized that being freed was near as bad as being slaves. Being freed toyed with their minds; just like they became slaves and felt out of place in the beginning, they were put into another  tough position to have to readjust once again. â€Å"An’ after, soon after when we found out that we was free, why then we was, uh, bound out to different people. An’all such people as that. An’ we would run away, an’ wouldn’ stay with them. Why then we’d jus’ go an’ stay anywhere we could. Lay out a night in underwear. We had no home, you know. We was jus’ turned out like a lot of cattle. You know how they turn cattle out in a pasture? Well after freedom, you know, colored people didn’ have nothing. Colored people didn’have no beds when they was slaves. We always slep’ on the floor, pallet here, and a pallet there. Jus’ like, uh, lot of, uh, wild people, we didn’, we didn’ know nothing. Didn’ allow you to look at no book. An’ there was some free-born colored people, why they had a little education, but there was very few of them, where we was. An’ they all had uh, what you call, I might call it now, uh, jail centers, was jus’ the same as we was in jail.† -Fountain Hughes. This man described how, after being freed, he and his family lived the life that nomads lived. They traveled around aimlessly, trying to find any place they could possibly stay. He described themselves like cattle which was an understatement because cattle could at least count on being fed. They could eat the grass of the land but the newly freed slaves would be lucky if they could find a piece of fruit. The freed slaves had no money, no beds like Fountain said, no education, basically they had nothing to call their own. Living free was as if they were living in jail Hughes thought, and many others agreed. â€Å"An’ my father was dead, an’ my mother was living, but she had three, four other little children, an’ she had to put them all to work for to help take care of the others. So we had what you call, worse than dogs has got it now. Dogs has got it now better than we had it when we come along.† -Richard Toler. Families were torn apart when all members had to work in order for the family to be able to buy the essential necessities they needed to live. Toler said dogs have better lives now than the lives of black families after being freed which shows just how much of a mess the south was in. Many white people did not accept this idea of freeing the slaves so this had many colored people feeling insecure and out of place. Some white people would go out of their way to try and hurt the colored people like the KKK did.  Frederick Douglass talks about the idea of trust in â€Å"Getting Help from Others† He said he met an Irishman who felt it was a pity for Douglass to be a slave. He then told Douglass to run away to the north where he would find friends there to help him. â€Å"I pretended not to be interested in what they said and treated them as if I did not understand them; for I feared they might be treacherous. White men have been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the reward, catch them and return them to their masters.† Douglass had this distrust when he was a slave but these feelings were carried on even after people like Douglass were freed. They felt they could not trust anyone but their own people. This idea is seen in the Tar Baby story as well. The main purpose of this tale was to show black people that they shouldn’t go out of their way to talk to others. It was better to keep their mouths shut and thoughts to themselves because opening up to white folks could only get them into trouble. Since the colored people did not fit in, they kept to themselves which didn’t seem like true freedom. Douglass also said in â€Å"Thoughts of Escape† that he and the slaves â€Å"rather bear those ills we had, than fly to others, that we knew not of.† Once he and every other slave was freed, this is essentially what happened. They had to move and re-adapt to new ‘ills’ and complications which challenged them as slavery had challenged them once before. The whole time being slaves, black people finally started believing that slavery was what they were meant to do and it was alright for them to be treated at a lower level. Setting them free in an unaccepting world with no help or direction forced them once again, to cope with new problems and start a new theory about what it was they were really supposed to be doing or could be doing if it wasn’t working and slaving for the white man.

African American Male Stereotype Essay

Question: Discuss the origins and meaning of any one stereotype of black men (The Brute, Sambo, Uncle Tom, the Coon, the Thug, the Gladiator). Include in your answer, the impact this image has had on either the treatment or identity development of black men. In United States lots of races are stereotyped against but African Americans are one of the most frequent racial groups stereotyped against. One of the most common and damaging stereotype against African American is that all black males are brutes. The brute stereotype portrays black men as dangerous criminals. This is a problem we have been facing in America for over a century and there are no signs that this issue is getting better. The media still keeps on portraying this false image that all black males are violent dangerous criminals and nowadays there are even video games that are about black males going around killing and robbing people. This stereotype has a major impact on how black men view themselves and more importantly how the rest of society views and treat them. To get a better understanding of why United States views black males as brutes we would have to look at its origin. At first blacks were not seen as brutes, during slavery African Americans was viewed as docile and virtuously harmless. It was not until the Radical Reconstructive period when slavery was abolished that black were seen as brutes. White’s southerners argued that without slavery blacks would revert to â€Å"criminal savagery†. Writer Thomas Nelson said that the â€Å"good old darkies† have been replace with blacks born after slavery who he described as dishonest, disrespectful and drunks. Nelson also published Red Rock a novel about Moses a black man who tries to rape white women he is then executed for his â€Å"terrible crime†. At this anti-black propaganda was flooding the streets in local newspaper, books, scientific journals all labeling blacks as brutes. There were even movies made called The Birth of Nation that depicts African Americans â€Å"rapist beast†. This is the how the stereotype that blacks are brutes originated. Due to this stereotype that labeled African Americans as brutes they were severely mistreated. According to the o Tuskegee Institute data 3,437 blacks were lynched in United States from 1882 to 1951 90 percent of them took place in the south. Lynching involves amputation, burning, shooting and hanging done by a white mob. Southerners knew lynching was evil but believed that black brutes were more evil. Many whites argued that lynching was necessary in preserving the purity of the white race. However 25.3 percent  of black that was charged with rape was not guilty. An example would be when 14 year old Emmett Till was visiting his relatives in Mississippi was beaten and tortured to death because he supposedly called a white women â€Å"baby†. Although things are not as bad as the use to be African Americans are still being treated different because of the false stereotype that say all black males are violent criminals. In the article The War on Drugs through The Wire the autho r states that the war on drugs was not about drugs but about who was using them. Independent studies show that both blacks and whites use and sell drugs at similar rates, it’s the response that’s different about 37 percent of African Americans who dropped out of high school was incarcerated in 2008. This shows the disparity in our criminal justice system they even call this mass incarceration of African Americans the new Jim Crow law, this is a consequence of the â€Å"war on drugs†. Not only does this negative stereotype cause the mistreatment for blacks it affects the way black male view themselves. Due to the stereotype that all black males are dangerous criminals it has led African American in a vicious never ending cycle one black male gets locked up and that another child growing up without proper guidance so he himself might follow the same footsteps as his father and end up in prison. This stereotype also causes others who are not black to fear African Americans. In Byron Hurt documentary Gail Dines said the scariest thing to a white person is an African American. An example would be when that unidentified man said when he was walking to his mother car a white lady grabbed her purse went to the opposite sidewalk just so she could grab a quarter for the meter. However there are some black males who are embracing this brute stereotype and benefiting. Mike Tyson is a prime example he has a reputation for being the world’s most ruthless man and he even bit the ear off an opponent. Tyson is quoted saying â€Å"I am an animal. I am a convicted rapist, a hell-raiser, a loving father, a semi-good husband.† Also I believe the whole hip-hop industry embraces this stereotype most of all rap songs talk about drugs, violence and sex reinforcing the negative sterotype that all blacks are brutes. Bibliography Pilgrims, D. (2000). The brute caricature Balboni, J. The war on drugs through the wire looking glass. (pp. 189-203). Durham, Carolina Academic Press Hurt, B. (Producer) (2002). The black man in america [DVD].

Greatest Place on Earth Essay

I believe the Greatest Place on Earth is Greenville Tennessee. The time that me and my family spend there are magical. I call Greenville Tennessee the Greatest Place on Earth because of the times and the memories that has been spent and made there. The country roads are so peaceful and clean, the air is fresh and the people are super nice. There are so many things there to do and most of the things that we have found are free. There is the beautiful waterfall that is so peaceful to take the kids to play while you sit by and read a book and drift away into what I call the fantasy world. The kids will play for hours in the falls a beautiful place where my family and I love to take pictures and capture the moments of our lives. Where the waterfall has crystal clear water and the sounds from it is so peaceful and relaxing my family always chose to go to the waterfall for those very reasons. There is also a place where there is small sandy beach better known as the kids own mini personal beach where they enjoy the hot summer days of swimming, building sand castles, and playing beach volleyball with the rest of the family. The family sits back and lets the children enjoy the sun and sand while they relax in the sun with a book or listen to music as memories are made once again. The children all feel special because the small sandy beach is what they like to call their very own. Then there is what we all call outlook landing it’s an intense hike up a mountain side in the woods that will leave to tired and sweating, but well worth the hike. Once getting to the top all the stress that the world throws your way leaves and the sight is the most beautiful thing that my eyes have ever saw. The mountain is such a beautiful sight being able to see for miles and miles around, with the big rocks to set on and look out over the mountain you are able to see the three surrounding states. Packing drinking supplies and food to cook while on the mountain we set under the shelter and enjoy the view as the sun is about to set . Every season is different the fall the leaves are starting to turn beautiful shades or orange, yellow, and red the climate is starting to change as the days are getting cooler. When in the summer months the sun is bright, the birds chirp, the sound of traffic is never heard, the cars and trucks on the tiny road ways look like ants. Spring time the flowers are blooming, leaves are growing back, animals are starting to come alive, the weather is starting to warm and view is amazing while all the beautiful things are growing. Outlook Mountain is one of the places where my family and I enjoy spending time while visiting the greatest place on earth. While staying in Greenville Tennessee my family and I also spend time at a private family owned fishing lake. When spending a day at the lake the whole family gets together and sits back to fish and talks about the memories make at the lake. Nothing is better than making a fire and letting the kids chose their own sticks to make their roasted hotdogs and marshmallows for their homemade smores. The children are having the best day catching fish and taking pictures so that they are able to show how well they did on their fishing trip that day. With a fun filled day the children have dirty hands and faces to prove their great time at the lake. As the day slowly starts to end the family starts to pack up all the fishing gear to rest up for another fun filled day in the morning. Greenville Tennessee is the Greatest Place on Earth because there are so many things that we as a family love to do. When our family takes a trip to the Greatest Place on Earth we never know what the next day will have in store for us. Maybe it’s taking a trip to Dollywood, Cherokee, a day of shopping the waterfall, outlook mountain, or the fishing lake my family and I always knows that when heading to Greenville Every trip that my family and I make to Tennessee is always filled with fun and memories are always make. As our trip is near the end, we look forward to the next time that we get to visit Greenville Tennessee for more family fun. That is why Greenville Tennessee is the Greatest Place on Earth.

The Economics of American Farm Unrest, 1865-1900 Article - 2

The Economics of American Farm Unrest, 1865-1900 - Article Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that as for the farmers’ complaint of high-interest rates, these were logical as creditors faced a lot of risks involved in providing loans to farmers and, thus, had to be compensated via higher interest rates. However, they were right in that there was a monopolistic attitude of railroads and grain elevators whereby the real railroad rates showed an increasing trend. The real cause of the unrest, Stewart states, was the dissatisfaction of the frontier farmers due to the rising risks and uncertainties involved in US agriculture after the Civil War. Semi-arid areas of the United States were now involved in agriculture and there the farmers experienced droughts. Accustomed to plain agriculture, now the farmers faced a lot of hardship in these areas. Moreover, farm foreclosures and fluctuating crop prices agitated the frontier farmers a lot. Stewart also relates how the farm unrest caused institutional change by causi ng the federal government to engage itself in regulating the private economic sector. In the end, Stewart relays the reason for the success of the farmers with regard to cooperation in the unrest, citing membership incentives and peer pressure as the reasons thereof. James I. Stewart has earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the Northwestern University, Illinois. He has also held the post of Assistant Professor at Reed College, Oregon. Keeping this in mind, it is expected that Stewart has written this article for academic purposes. Stewart has done much research for this article and, as is documented by the references, has obtained a lot of his information from published academic works of historians and economists.

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words Coursework

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words - Coursework Example My success formula is simply doing exhaustive research, privately going through the learning materials repeatedly, and later endorsing the read information through discussions. I comprehensively researched and answered all questions in the online library and career service quiz correctly. The discussion skills I perfected enabled me to work effectively on the workshop group blog. Additionally, the discussions equipped me with all-round information applicable in the evaluation process in a workshop group wiki. To complete the portfolio, I worked essentially by discussing with people, and deliberating many internet materials, journals, books and some materials that had been done by other students relating to the topic. Difficulties were imminent because I had not been involved in any research of such magnitude during my previous education, which was mostly based on question and answer. Time was a challenge because extensive researching needs relatively longer duration. To overcome the challenges, I sort help from a number of people who guided me on how to gather information perfectly. In the same way, I used various applications to create work schedules and manage time. In overall, this was a very educative experience. It offered an opportunity for practically experiencing working under different scenarios. I developed a number of skills and knowledge in the process. For instance, now I am a better timekeeper and a good portfolio manager. Above all, I established a critical mind, which will be of great assistance to me throughout my life and professional

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Leadership - Essay Example Categorizing the culture of company, it can be stated that the culture of the company is Low Performance Culture. High Performance Culture is the one where shared beliefs, attitudes, actions and goals persist whereas Low Performance Culture is opposite of it. The Mission Statement of GameStop Corporation states that the company is less inclined towards High Performance Culture whereas the Vision Statement of the company states its values for its employees, shareholders etc. Out of all these four types of organizational culture, the culture of GameStop is a mix of Create and Compete. The company always focuses on brining something new as the nature of the industry is innovative and competition is very tough. Therefore, in order to keep pace with its competitors, it has to â€Å"Compete† by bringing something new through utilizing â€Å"Create† culture. "Our GameStop, EB Games and Electronics Boutique retail locations set us apart in the industry. Everything that we offer our customers-from our expansive selection of new products, to our knowledgeable associates and our value-added pre-owned products-is geared to deliver customer satisfaction. We complement our store network with GameStop.com and EBgames.com, and publish Game Informer, one of the industrys largest circulation video game magazines." The culture of GameStop supports its Mission Statement but doesn’t support its Vision Statement. In Mission Statement, the company has stated about how customer oriented it is, which is certainly true however in Vision Statement, it has stated about commitment and providing value to its employee and shareholders which is not the case in actual. The company is highly customer oriented and employees are directed to perform as per the requirements and preferences of customers. The culture of the company can be improved only when if it aligns its Vision Statement along with its corporate culture.

Coca-Cola India Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coca-Cola India - Case Study Example The company's re-entry into the Indian market was through a strategic alliance with Parle Exports which was owned by Ramesh Chauhan (ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR)). Parle Exports entered the soft drinks market in late 1970s and this was the time when the government pressures forced Coca-Cola to exit the Indian market. Through the strategic alliance, Coca-Cola India gained the ownership of 5 popular brands of Parle Exports namely Thums Up, Limca, Maaza, Citra and Gold Spot with a market share of around 60%, and a well established network of 56 bottlers. All these five brands were the leading and most popular soft drink brands which were initially owned by Parle and later take over by CCI. Coca-Cola India wanted to tap the vast rural market of India. The company did so by creating a tag line which almost every common man of India is well versed with - "Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola." As part of this initiative to tap rural India, in the year 2002, Coca-Cola India launched a new advertising campaign featuring leading Bollywood star Aamir Khan with the above mentioned tag line. The advertisement was targeted at rural and semi-urban consumers. According the sources from inside the company, the idea was to position Coca-Cola as a generic brand for cool drinks and at the same time also to support CCI's rural marketing initiatives. The company seriously started focusing on the rural market in the early 2000s with an aim to increase sales volumes. This decision was nothing to get surprised about if the huge untapped rural Indian market was looked at. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the real market in India is in the rural areas and if any company can tap it in the right way, there is a tremendous potential (Carratu). "The company's strategy to tap the rural market was based on three A's - Availability, Affordability and Acceptability. The first 'A' - Availability emphasized on the availability of the product to the customer; the second 'A' - Affordability focused on the pricing of the product, and third 'A' - Acceptability focused on convincing the customer to buy the product (Research) (ICFAI Center for Management Research)." After entering the rural market in India, CCI focused on strengthening its distribution network there. The company realized that the centralized distribution system used by the company in the urban areas would not be suitable for rural areas. In the centralized distribution system, the product was transported directly from the bottling plants to retailers, but the company realized that this kind of distribution system would not be effective in rural markets as the transportation of stocks directly from bottling plants to retail stores would be very costly due to the long distances that need to be covered. The other alternative that the company looked at was a hub and spoke distribution system. "Under this kind of system, stock used to get transported from the bottling plants to hubs and then from hubs, the stock was transported to spokes which were situated in small towns. These spokes in turn fed the retailers catering to the demand in rural areas. Apart from changing the distribut ion model, the company also

College questionnaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

College questionnaire - Essay Example This is an indication that his hardworking and that he has a great quest for space exploration studies. The prize was not only reward to rewarding to him, but also to me and his mother. Camping in Greenland during the GNE is a good accomplishment since my son gathered more knowledge and developed some deeper understanding of aerospace exploration. This has also made the boy curious about other forms of aircraft and improvement of the jet modeling skills in him has been noted. One of the characteristics admirable about our son is the persistence he has about innovation. He has been keen in trying to always invent something new that others have not, and he is serious when going through texts and drawings about innovation.in addition, he has an insatiable desire to experiment and test every model he makes and inn all these experiences, we never cease to give him support. Are there any specific considerations you feel strongly about as your child compiles a college list (e.g. geographic location, size, setting, athletic or artistic opportunities, religious affiliation, financial aid)? I feel that it is important that the university to offer aerospace and space exploration studies so this helps him in developing a deeper level of this field. This is because I perceive that nurturing him in this area would shape his future career. Additionally, there is a high probability of increasing artistic abilities as well as the boy getting a financial scholarship. The University of North Dakota located in the United States and specifically at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and the University of Southern California located in Los Angeles, California. This is because these universities offer courses in aerospace sciences and engineering respectively. Traveling and adventure are some of our hobbies and when doing this, we get an opportunity to explore different environments and diverse cultures. Our

Human Bioscience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Bioscience - Essay Example Something that is endemic is typically restricted or peculiar to a locality or region†. The opposite of this word will be Epidemic which means sudden severe outbreak of any disease. (2) So, as per the terminology clarification, that particular sentence can be described with more clarity – â€Å"There is a high morbidity (Illness) associated with Tripudiovirus and while it is endemic (Present in low frequency)in the tropics there is almost no Seroprevalence ( Frequency in the population) in the mainland Australian population. â€Å" The structure of Bacteria looks like this. The cell consists of the cell walls and nucleosids The reason that makes bacteria vulnerable to antibiotics is the Cell wall itself. The antibiotics like amoxicillin or other stains of antibiotics directly interacts with the cell wall, breaks the same and the spreading is inhibited. It is the common practice of all the antibiotics but the same thing can not be applied against viruses. III. The Bacteria at first penetrate inside the cell. Then they produce more number of bacteria that rapture the cell wall. Thus the infection been spread fro cell to tissue and so on, causing a general state of morbidity. III. Offers much different way of cell destruction. Look wise virus is much smaller then the bacteria and it attack the healthy cell. The cell engulfs the virus and the virus start producing own set of instructions and would throw the normal cell function out of gear. As a result, the healthy cell start producing the viral protein in lieu of normal protein and thus the cell was flooded with viral substances. Some virus even can copy the genetic code triggering further damage. The structure of viruses is different all together. As per one statement, the activity of virus is perhaps best discussed goes like that-â€Å"Viruses are different from all other forms of life in that they generally do not have any "internal machinery" of their own. A bacterial cell is able to carry out its

International Environmental Management and Sustainability Assignment

International Environmental Management and Sustainability - Assignment Example It actually refers to the idea of being aware of one’s responsibilities towards one’s own surrounding environment so that, with the combination of individual efforts, the overall atmosphere of the planet may be improved greatly. There could never be a better platform for the start of such efforts other than a university which holds the interests of the majority of an area’s people. Anglia Ruskin University is one such educational institute that is actively participating and cooperating in the greening of the earth’s atmosphere. ... to be limited to its own energy resources so that to minimize waste and carbon emission for which it will also initiate â€Å"progressive waste management procedures† supported by recycling methods and less-fuel-consumption measures e.g., walk rather than car-driving for short distances (ARU, 2011). 3. For this purpose, awareness is to be raised through campaigns and posters among the staff and students; and such practices are to be monitored regularly through setting of ecological targets and evaluation of reports. The inclusion of such activities in curriculum is highly recommended. 4. One important step to be taken in this regard is to maintain cost-effective methods to ensure wildlife and biodiversity, and to avoid huge expenses in the name of futile luxuries (ARU, 2008). Green Impact Award This award is an initiative of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges that is abbreviated as ‘eauc’. It invites the zealous individuals from each unive rsity department to participate in a number of practical activities which are recorded in a workbook i.e., â€Å"†¦a workbook with practical, easy to implement and no or low cost actions to complete† (eauc, 2011). Each of the workbooks is specially designed for the particular university that participates. Initially the participants are asked to complete 20 Bronze activities while Silver, Gold and Bonus are optional. Once completing a Bronze, the participating team can move to Silver also. After the completion of these workbooks, volunteers are sent to each department to verify the tasks done, and in the end, a celebration is held to â€Å"†¦promote the achievements of those departments taking part through an awards ceremony† (eauc, 2011). Thus, Green Impact Award is a bottom-up project that aims to support

Gender stereotypes are still pervasive in our culture Essay Example for Free

Gender stereotypes are still pervasive in our culture Essay TOPIC AND RATIONALE Gender stereotyping is a topic we find all around us and without exception in early years settings. There is a set of notions about how girls/women and boys/men are expected to behave in society, therefore is very difficult not to transmit those ideas in Early Education. Often we find children which already have implemented a gender role and behave based on our assigned sex. I have chosen this subject because I am aware, as I have to deal with that every single day, of how gender stereotype affects people. I believe the best way to fight this issue is through education and promoting gender equality in early childhood settings. At my placement I have already seen several situations where girls dress in pink as they consider is their favorite color, draw and wish to be princesses and would like to be ballerinas when they grow up. Boys spend all the playground time playing football or using their imaginary gangs, dressing in dark colors or not allowing girls playing in the building construction area claiming that is not a game for them. Being personally affected and observing this conduct in young children at the childhood practice setting and in the nursery where I work, was my motivation to write about this interesting topic, which in some situations touch children subtlety, and in others can trigger a negative impact affecting in many ways their being. AIM AND OBJECTIVES My target is to find out if gender equality is promoted in early years settings. RELEVANT THEORIES AND APPROACHES to children’s learning and development and links with knowledge acquired through the HNC HOW TOPIC LINKS TO CHILDREN’S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, RIGHTS, AND INTERESTS Gender Equality is at the core of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which outlines in a few articles the relevance of the equality rights for all children independently of their gender. The Article 2 is directly related to the topic chosen and promotes non-discrimination. The Article 12 and 13 determinates the respect for the views of the child and their freedom of expression. Both of them encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings freely. Those right are important in the subject because their voices can be taken seriously if they feel affected by gender discrimination. The Articles 28 and 29 talk about rights and goals of education. Those articles promote education with the respect of the human rights including themselves, addressing gender discrimination and supporting equality among girls and boys. Finally, we have to have into consideration Article 4 which states that governments have to create systems and laws to promote and protect children rights, enabling all the above rights possible. Here a summary of the articles mentioned are shown: †¢ Article 2 – â€Å"The Convention applies to every child without discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status, whatever they think or say, whatever their family background.† †¢ Article 12 – â€Å"Every child has the right to express their views, feelings, and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life.† †¢ Article 13 – â€Å"Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions and to access all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law.† †¢ Article 28 –â€Å"Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this.† †¢ Article 29 – â€Å"Education must develop every child’s personality, talents, and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.† †¢ Article 4 – â€Å"Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can enjoy their rights by creating systems and passing laws that promote and protect children’s rights.†

D1 Pest Analaysis of Tesco Essay Example for Free

D1 Pest Analaysis of Tesco Essay Social There have been many changes over last 40 years .Customer possess mobile and car, Tesco has responded to this change by developing extra stores with larger parks. Customers want one stop shopping. Tesco has responded to this by making sure that their stock has nearly got everything a customer might need. Over last 40 years travellers have been abroad to try and taste different foods. Tesco has responded to this change by increasing the range of foreign food such as Mexican, Chinese and Indian etc. Because of the large ethnic populations that have moved to the UK, this encouraged Tesco to increase the range of foreign. When microwaves were launched and people have started buying them. Tesco has responded to this change by introducing frozen foods. Political Customers are wishing to eat to healthier, Tesco has responded to this by making sure the products are healthy and by putting labels on the product. Customers want to shop more conveniently, Tesco has responded to by offering convenient time including 24 hour shopping and six hours on Sunday. Many customers do not want food that has been grown using chemicals, they want to natural food. Tesco has responded to this change by introducing organic food ranges. Tesco is restricted by law from growing too big.to overcome this they have begun to offer more services. Recession has been biggest political factor as a lot of countries suffer unemployment; Tesco has responded to this change by offering more employment as this will reduce the amount of people who are unemployed. Economical Customers want to shop in a pleasant and clean environment, Tesco has responded to this change by making their shops light and attractive. The government wants everyone to be environmentally aware, Tesco has responded by increasing the amount of recyclable packing that they use for their products. Tesco is also reducing the number of free plastic bags they give away. They have built small local stores called Tesco express to respond to customers’ needs to shop more conveniently. Tesco has responded to local needs by helping community projects. They have also responded to the large amount of people who are unemployed offering them employment this allows people to work around family commitment. Tesco’s prices may reflect inflation rates, an increase in inflation will Technology Customers have been using the internet as a source of information, Tesco has capitalised this by offering online shopping at www.tesco.com. mean and increase in prices and a decrease in inflation will mean prices reduce. Tesco is also providing through the use of online delivery services. Customers are paying with debit cards than with cash, Tesco has responded to this change by introducing self-service check outs. This change is much quicker and easier for the customers.

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry BACKGROUND: Microwave remote sensing at wavelengths ranging from 1 cm to 1 m has gained a lot of importance over the past decade for a wide range of scientific applications with the availability of active radar imaging systems. Its potential in spatial applications has been scientifically established in various sectors like forestry, agriculture, land use and land cover, geology and hydrology. A variety of applications have been carried out world over using microwave data like discrimination of crop types, crop condition monitoring, soil moisture retrieval, delineation of forest openings, estimation of forest above ground biomass, forest mapping; forest structure and fire scar mapping, geological mapping, monitoring wetlands and snow cover, sea ice identification, coastal windfield measurement, wave slope measurement, ship detection, shoreline detection, substrate mapping, slick detection and general vegetation mapping (Kasischke et al., 1997). There is an emerging interest on microwave remote sensing, as microwave sensors can image a surface with very fine resolution of a few meters to coarse resolution of a few kilometers. They provide imagery to a given resolution independently of altitude, limited only by the transmitter power available. Fundamental parameters like polarization and look angle can be varied to optimize the system for a specific application. SAR imaging is independent of solar illumination as the system provides its own source of illumination. It can operate independently of weather conditions if sufficiently long wavelengths are chosen. It operates in a band of electromagnetic spectrum different from the bands used by visible and infrared (IR) imageries. Microwave applications in Forestry Applications of microwave remote sensing in forestry have also been reported during the recent past. Recent reviews on the application of radar in forestry show that SAR systems have a good capability in discriminating various types of (tropical) forest cover using multi-temporal and multi-frequency SAR data (Vander Sanden, 1997; Varekamp, 2001; Quinones, 2002; Sgrenzaroli, 2004). These studies showed that the biomass dependence of radar backscatter varies as a function of radar wavelength, polarization and incidence angle. Also recent studies have demonstrated that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to estimate above-ground standing biomass. To date, these studies have relied on extensive ground-truth measurements to construct relationships between biomass and SAR backscatter (Steininger, 1996; Rignot et al., 1997). Many studies demonstrated the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing to retrieve biophysical characteristics from forest targets (Richards, 1990). Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995), earlier studies derived useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the above-ground biomass (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et el., 1992; Imhoff; 1995). These relationships may provide a method of monitoring forest ecosystems which play such a vital role in carbon storage and NPP. Microwave remote sensing has the advantage of all weather capability coverage overcoming the persistent problem of cloud cover in satellite images like in optical data. Optical remote sensing is being used very successfully in various applications related to earth resources studies and monitoring of the environment. However, optical remote sensing is not suitable for all atmospheric conditions. It cannot penetrate through clouds and haze. In many areas of the world, the frequent cloud conditions often restrain the acquisition of high-quality remotely sensed data by optical sensors. Thus, radar data has become the only feasible way of acquiring remotely sensed data within a given time framework because the radar systems can collect Earth feature data irrespective of weather or light conditions. Due to this unique feature of radar data compared with optical sensor data, the radar data have been used extensively in many fields, including forest-cover identification and mapping, discrimi nation of forest compartments and forest types, estimation of forest stand parameters and monitoring of forests. In areas where vegetation cover is dense, it visually covers the underlying formation and it is very difficult to detect structural limiting the use of optical sensors. Radar however, is sensitive enough to topographic variation that it is able to discern the structural expression reflected in the tree top canopy, and therefore the structure may be clearly defined on the radar imagery. Based on this background, the current thesis work has been carried out to explore the potential of microwave data in addressing core areas of tropical forestry viz., vegetation classification, above ground biomass estimation etc., and to provide the users/researchers a meaningful data base of SAR applications in tropical forestry, specifically over the India region. Research questions: Which SAR wavelength/frequency band is appropriate for vegetation classification in tropical forests? To what extent above ground biomass can be measured in tropical forests? Which frequency band and polarization are suitable for above ground biomass estimation? Is there any enhancement in vegetation classification with polarimetric / interferometric data than stand alone amplitude data? Research hypothesis: Based on the previous studies and earlier mentioned research questions, we understand that the backscatter increases with the increase in above ground biomass and depends on wavelength bands, polarizations used and on the study area, topographic variations and species composition. So, the present study attempts to derive the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and classification of major land cover classes. This study would facilitate scope for future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. OBJECTIVES: Based on this background, the present study aims at the following objectives: Vegetation type classification using polarimetric and interferometric SAR data. Forest above-ground biomass estimation using multi-frequency SAR data and ground inventoried data. Vegetation classification is necessary to understand the diversity of species in a given area which gives above ground biomass with measured parameters. Hence, vegetation classification enhances the estimation of the above ground biomass. Forest biomass is a key parameter in understanding the carbon cycle and determining rates of carbon storage, both of which are large uncertainties for forest ecosystems. Accurate knowledge of biophysical parameters of the ecosystems is essential to develop an understanding of the ecosystem and their interactions, to provide input models of ecosystem and global processes, to test these models and to monitor changes in ecosystem dynamics and processes over time. Thus, it is a useful measure for assessing changes in forest structure, comparing structural and functional attributes of forest ecosystems across a wide range of environmental conditions. Knowing the spatial distribution of forest biomass is important as the knowledge of biomass is required for calculating the sources and sinks of carbon that result from converting a forest to cleared land and vice versa, to know the spatial distribution of biomass which enables measurement of change through time. Field sampling is the most followed conventional method for vegetation type classification. The identification of different species in field yields good results in the estimation of the above ground biomass. It is very time consuming, expensive and very complicated. With the use of multiple sensors, varied data collection and interpretation techniques, remote sensing is a versatile tool that can provide data about the surface of the earth to suit any need (Reene et al, 2001). Remote sensing approach for vegetation classification is cost effective and also time effective. Though the identification of the tree species is possible only from the aerial imagery, major forest types can be identified from the airborne and the spaceborne remote sensing data. Visual image interpretation provides a feasible means of vegetation classification in forests. The image characteristics of shape, size, pattern, shadow, tone and texture are used by interpreters in tree species identification. Phenological correlations are useful in tree species identification. Changes in the appearance of trees in different seasons of the year some times enable discrimination of species that are indistinguishable on single dates. The use of multi-temporal remote sensing data enabl es the mapping of the different forest types. SAR has shown its potential for classifying and monitoring geophysical parameters both locally and globally. Excellent works were carried out on the classification using several approaches such as polarimetric data decomposition (Lee et al., 1998), knowledge based approaches considering the theoretical backscatter modeling and experimental observations ( Ramson and Sun , 1994) ; Backscatter model-related inversion approaches ( Kurvonen et al., 1999), neural networks and data fusion approaches ( Chen et al., 1996). Dong et al. (2001) have shown that the classification accuracy of 95% for the vegetation classes could be achieved through the segmentation and classification of the SAR data using Gaussian Markov Random Field Model (GMRF). Many methods have been employed for classification of polarimetric SAR data, based on the maximum likelihood (ML) (Lee et al. 1994), artificial neural network (NN) (Chen et al. 1996, Ito and Omatu, 1998), support vector machines (SVMs) (Fukuda et al. 2002), fuzzy method (Chen et al. 2003, Du and Lee 1996), or other approaches (Kong et al. 1988, Lee and Hoppel 1992, van Zyl and Burnette 1992, Cloude and Pottier 1997, Lee et al. 1999, Alberqa 2004) Among these methods, the ML classifier (Lee et al. 1994) can be employed for obtaining accurate classification results, but it is based on the assumption of the complex Wishart distribution of the covariance matrix. Assessing the total aboveground biomass of forests (biomass density when expressed as dry weight per unit area at a particular time) is a useful way of quantifying the amount of resource available for all traditional uses. It either gives the quantity of total biomass directly or the quantity by each component (e.g., leaves, branches, and bole) because their biomass tends to vary systematically with the total biomass. However, biomass of each component varies with total biomass by forest type, such as natural or planted forests and closed or open forests. For example, leaves contribute about 3-5% and merchantable bole is about 60% of the total aboveground biomass of closed forests. Many researchers have developed various methods based on field inventory and remote sensing approaches for the estimation of above ground biomass (Kira and Ogawa, 1971). Traditionally, field-measured approach is considered as the most accurate source for above-ground biomass estimation. It has been converted to volume, or biomass, using allometric equations that are based on standard field measurements (tree height and diameter at breast height). Different approaches, based on field measurement (Brown et al. 1989, Brown and Iverson 1992, Schroeder et al.. 1997, Houghton et al., 2001, Brown, 2002); remote sensing (Tiwari 1994, Roy and Ravan 1996, Tomppo et al., 2002, Foody et al., 2003, Santos et al., 2003, Zheng et al., 2004, Lu, 2005); and GIS (Brown and Gaston 1995) have been applied for AGB estimation. Traditional techniques based on field measurement are the most accurate ways for collecting biomass data. A sufficient number of field measurements is a prerequisite for developing AGB estimation models and for evaluating the AGB estimation results. However, these approaches are often time consuming, labour intensive, and difficult to implement, especially in remote areas and are generally limited to 10-year intervals. Also, they cannot provide the spatial distribution of biomass in large areas. For the above reasons, the perspectives of using remote sensing techniques to estimate forest biomass have gained interest. Remote sensing data available at different scales, from local to global, and from various sources, optical to microwave are expected to provide information that could be related indirectly, and in different manners, to biomass information. The possibility that aboveground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods (Hese et al., 2005). The advantages of remotely sensed data, such as in repetivity of data collection, synoptic view, digital format that allows fast processing of large quantities of data, and the high correlations between spectral bands and vegetation parameters, make it the primary source for large area AGB estimation, especially in areas of difficult access. Therefore, remote sensing-based AGB estimation has increasingly attracted scientific interest. In general, AGB can be estimated using remotely sensed data with different approaches, such as multiple regression analysis, K nearest-neighbour, and neural network (Roy and Ravan 1996, Nelson et al. 2000a, Steininger 2000, Foody et al. 2003, Zheng et al. 2004), and indirectly estimated from canopy parameters, such as crown diameter, which are first derived from remotely sensed data using multiple regression analysis or different canopy reflectance models (Wu and Strahler 1994, Woodcock et al. 1997, Phua and Saito 2003, Popescu et al. 2003). Spectral signatures or vegetation indices are often used for AGB estimation in optical remote sensing. Many vegetation indices have been developed and applied to biophysical parameter studies (Anderson and Hanson 1992, Anderson et al. 1993, Eastwood et al. 1997, Lu et al. 2004, Mutanga and Skidmore 2004). Vegetation indices have been recommended to remove variability caused by canopy geometry, soil background, sun view angles, and atmospheric conditions when measuring biophysical properties (Elvidge and Chen 1995, Blackburn and Steele 1999). Radar remote sensing has potential to provide information on above ground biomass. The information content of SAR data in terms of the retrieval of biomass parameters will be assessed based on an understanding of the underlying scattering mechanisms, which in turn are derived from observations and modeling results. For this purpose, an analysis of data acquired by multiple frequency, incidence and polarisation systems and by interferometric systems is carried out. It has been proved that the sensitivity to biomass parameters differ strongly at different frequencies, polarisations and incidence angles. In general, long wavelength SAR backscatter (P and L band) is more sensitive to forest biomass than shorter wavelength C-band backscatter and the relationships saturate at certain biomass levels ( Imhoff 1995b). The strength of the relationships and the saturation levels are dependent on the type of forest being analysed (Ferrazoli et al. 1997). The saturation levels for the estimation of above ground biomass depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. C-band can measure forestry biomass up to app. 50 tons/ha, L-band can measure up to 100 tons/ha and P-band can measure up to 200 tons/ha (Floyd et al., 1998). The combination of multiple channels and polarizations provides greater advantage for estimating total biomass (Harry Stern, 1998). RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY: The present study is the part of Radar Imaging satellite Joint Experiment Programme (RISAT-JEP) for forestry applications undertaken by Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), as a pilot campaign with specific objectives of above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The specific objectives of the present study are above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data; ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) carrying Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence were used to characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and to classify the major land cover classes using spaceborne C-band ENVISAT-ASAR data and L-band ALOS- PALSAR data. Polarimetric signatures, polarimetric decompositions, multi-sensor fusion techniques etc. were used for the classification of different vegetation types in the Rajpipla study area using the airborne DLR-ESAR data. The study has its uniqueness and gains importance in the application potential of SAR interferometry over tropical regions like India, both in terms of an alternate/substitute to optical data sets due to persisting cloud cover and to the lack of availability of any earlier scientific work over the study region. This study is useful for the applications of to be launched Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) in 2010. The study has amply demonstrated the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. The study would facilitate future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. LITERATURE SURVEY: During the last decade, many potential applications of SAR in different frequency bands have been studied for forestry applications using data acquired by both airborne and space-borne systems. Various techniques like Polarimetry, Interferometry and Polarimetric-Interferometry enhanced the use of SAR data in forestry applications. The backscatter from vegetation is used to infer information about amplitude data for forest cover mapping and estimation of above ground biomass in regenerating forests. Use of SAR polarimetric data delineated vegetation classes within the forest and also enhanced the capability in estimating the above ground biomass. The use of repeat pass interferometric data enables to calculate the forest stand height and also used for the land cover classification. The emerging Pol-InSAR technique is used to derive the three dimensional forest structures. Forest cover maps were prepared for the boreal, temperate and tropical forests using SAR data. Forest was separated from non-forest regions using multi-temporal C-band ERS SAR data on the test sites of United Kingdom, Poland and Finland (Quegan et al., 2000). The study applied a threshold value to separate forest from other classes. Tropical rainforest of Borneo was mapped from SIR-B data of different incidence angles (Ford and Casey, 1988). Different vegetation covers along with wetlands and clear-cut areas were distinguished. Forest cover mapping was done with JERS-1 SAR data on the coastal regions of Gabon (Simard et al., 2000). The study used decision tree method utilizing both radar amplitude and texture information. Forest cover map was prepared for Southern Chittagong using JERS-1 SAR data (Rahman and Sumantyo, 2007) and the study separated forest, degraded forest, shrubs, coastal plantations, agriculture, shrimp-farms, urban and water. Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995a), many studies have demonstrated useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the areal density of above-ground biomass within particular types of forest (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Imhof et al; 1995b). Many airborne and spaceborne SAR systems have been used to carry out a large amount of experiments for investigating the forest ecosystems. The airborne systems, such as the NASA/JPL AIRSAR, DLR-ESAR, etc., operating at P, L and C band, has been flown over many forest sites (Zebker et al., 1991; Le Toan et al, 1992; Beaudoin et al., 1994; Rignot et al.; 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ranson et al., 1996). The experiments of the Canadian CV-580, as well as the European airborne system, mainly operating at C and X band also have been carried out in North America and Europe (Drieman et al., 1989; Hoekman, 1990). Spaceborne SAR is being used from regional to global monitoring in a periodic basis. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, ENVISAT-ASAR, RADARSAT etc., were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignotet al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters such as diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree mean height including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Earlier studies has shown the potential of radar data in estimating AGB (Hussin et al. 1991, Ranson and Sun 1994, Dobson et al. 1995, Rignot et al. 1995, Saatchi and Moghaddam 1995, Foody et al. 1997, Harrell et al. 1997, Ranson et al. 1997, Luckman et al. 1997, 1998, Pairman et al. 1999, Imhoff et al. 2000, Kuplich et al. 2000, Castel et al. 2002, Sun et al. 2002, Santos et al. 2003, Treuhaft et al. 2004). Kasischke et al. (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. Lucas et al. (2004) and Kasischke et al. (2004) reviewed SAR data for AGB estimation in tropical forests and temperate and boreal forests, respectively. Different wavelength radar data have their own characteristics in relating to forest stand parameters. Backscatter in P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB (Leckie 1998). In particular, SAR L-band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sad er 1987, Luckman et al. 1997, Kurvonen et al. 1999, Sun et al. 2002). However, low or negligible correlations were found between SAR C-Band backscatter and AGB (Le Toan et al. 1992). Beaudoin et al. (1994) found that the HH return was related to both trunk and crown biomass, and the VV and HV returns were linked to crown biomass. Harrell et al. (1997) evaluated four techniques for AGB estimation in pine stands using SIR C- and L-Band multi-polarization radar data and found that the L-Band HH polarization data were the critical elements in AGB estimation. Kuplich et al. (2000) used L-band JERS-1/SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Sun et al. (2002) found that multi-polarization L-Band SAR data were useful for AGB estimation of forest stands in mountainous areas. Castel et al. (2002) identified the significant relationships between the backscatter coefficient of JERS- 1/SAR data and the stand biomass of a pine plantation. The study observed the improvement in AGB estimation results for young stands, compared to estimation for old stands. Santos et al. (2002) used JERS-1 SAR data to analyse the relationships between backscatter signals and biomass of forest and savanna formations. This study concluded that forest structural-physiognomic characteristics and the radars volume scattering, double bounce scattering are two important factors affecting these relationships. The saturation levels of backscattering co-efficient with respect to AGB depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different Bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. Luckman et al. (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels of forest biomass up to a certain threshold, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. Austin et al. (2003) indicated that forest biomass estimation using radar data may be feasible when landscape characteristics are taken into account. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992, Israelsson et al. 1994, Kasischke et al. 1994, Dobson et al. 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al. 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al, 1999; Fransson et al, 1999; Hyyppa et al, 1997; Israelsson et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al, 1999; Pulliainen et al, 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al, 2000; Schmullius et al, 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al, 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al, 1998). Le Toan et al., (1992) used multi-polarisation L- and P-band airborne radar data, and found that the dynamic range of the radar backscatter corresponded highly with forest growth stages and is maximum at P-band HV polarization. The analysis of P-band data indicated a good correlation between the radar backscatter intensity and the main forest parameters including trunk biomass, height, age, diameter at breast height (dbh), and basal area. Dobson et al., (1992) showed an increasing range of backscatter with changing biomass from C to P-band, as well as higher biomass levels at which backscatter relationships to biomass saturate. Hoekman, (1990) found poor relationships between X- and C-band backscatter and volume and other stand parameters. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS, ENVISAT-ASAR and recently ALOS-PALSAR etc. were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignot et al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Kasischke et al., (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. It is being reported in literature that the radar backscatter in the P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB. In particular, SAR L-Band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sader, 1987; Luckman et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al., 1999; Sun et al., 2002). Kuplich et al., (2000) used JERS-SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Luckman et al., (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels L-Band backscatter shows no sensitivity to increased biomass density after a certain threshold, such as 100 tons ha-1, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992; Israelsson et al., 1994; Kasischke et al., 1994, Dobson et al., 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al., 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al., 1999; Israelsson et al., 1997; Pulliainen et al., 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al., 2000; Schmullius et al., 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al., 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al., 1998). The dependency of backscatter on above ground biomass was observed and related to the penetration of the radiation into the canopy and interaction with the trunk, where most of the volume, therefore, biomass of the vegetation is concentrated (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Dobson et al. 1992). HV polarization in longer wavelengths (L or P band) is the most sensitive to above ground biomass (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Ranson et al. 1997a) because it originates mainly from canopy volume scattering (Wang et al. 1995), trunk scattering (Le Toan et al. 1992) and is less affected by the ground surface (Ranson and Sun 1994). As forest backscatter in different wavelengths and polarizations originate from separate layers of a canopy, the use of multiple channels or multi-step approaches (e.g., Dobson et al. 1995) could be used to estimate total above-ground biomass (Kasischke et al. 1997). Sun and Ranson (1994) estimated biomass in mixed conifer temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha. Band ratios (HH/HV and VV/VH) were also used for the above ground biomass estimation. However, Dobson et al. (1995) considered these band ratios too simplistic (as the corresponding backscatter will be much higher for the few tall trees than for the many short ones), although effective in estimating biomass at higher ranges. In spite of this, a combination of bands and polarizations in a multi-step approach made possible the mapping of biomass in a mixed temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha (Dobson et al. 1995). Establishing a strong link between backscatter and forest variables is an important part of the successful estimation of forest biomass from backscatter. Models are often used to explain the relationship between forest variables, scattering mechanisms and SAR configuration parameters (Richards 1990, Kasischke and Christensen 1990). Another approach is the use of statistical analysis, where forest variables are related to SAR backscatter by regression models (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Rauste et al. 1994). The combination of the two approaches, in most cases to assess the results of the predicted biomass or backscatter via regression (Ranson and Sun 1994, Ferrazzoli et al. 1997, Franson and Israelson 1999). Statistical procedures such as stepwise regression analysis were also used to determine the best set of bands and polarizations to discriminate biomass levels (Ranson et al. 1997a). The three-band (C, L, and P) polarimetric AIRSAR sensor has been used in many forest biomass studies (e.g., Green, 1998; Kasischke et al., 1991, 1995; Moghaddam et al., 1994; Ranson Sun, 1997). The strongest correlation between SAR backscatter and forest biomass has been reported in P-band and the weakest in C-band (e.g., Beaudoin et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Israelsson et al., 1992; Rauste et al., 1992;

An Analysis of Neil Young’s Pono Music Player Essay -- Pono Music Play

Introduction The researcher’s objective in this paper is to address the issue of the compromise that has been occurring throughout the years, wherein music producers are forced to present material to their audience in simplified, compressed forms. In particular, the researcher would like to dissect Neil Young’s most current innovation – the Pono music player, and analyze whether or not its attempts at aiding this audiophiliac dilemma poses potential success. The researcher also aims to look at whether or not the general public presents a need for this type of product, seeing as there are numerous portable music players already accessible on the market. Over the course of several decades, the engineer’s mind has proven adamant in its attempts at producing and delivering high-fidelity music to the general public. Canadian musician, Neil Young identifies with this statement as he reveals his latest addition to the gallery of high-resolution music players – the Pono music player. With numerous products containing a similar concept available in the market, Young and the investors of this project are faced with the question of whether or not there is a need for another device of this nature, and whether or not the general public recognizes the same musical dilemma of having to listen compromised-quality audio. â€Å"Pono† takes its name from the Hawaiian term for â€Å"righteous† or â€Å"goodness.† In a speech Canadian singer/song-writer, Neil Young gave during the 2014 South By Southwest Festival in Texas, he explains that Pono is potentially a great way to serve music to an artist’s audience in the best quality possible: the quality in which producer wishes for it to be heard. The body of literature on management of technology and inno... ... Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. . Baldwin, Y. C. The Architecture of Platforms: A Unified View. In Platforms, Markets and Innovation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Limited, 2009. Print. Den Uijl, Simon, Henk J. de Vries, and Deniz Bayramoglu. "The rise of MP3 as the market standard: how compressed audio files became the dominant music format." International Journal of IT Standards and Standardization Research 11.1 (2013): 1+. J Josephson, I. "NPD Music Year in Review. J." (2005): In Proceedings of the NARM. n. pag. 04 Apr. 2005. Web. Langlois, R.N., and P.L. Robertson. "Networks and Innovation in a Modular System: Lessons from the Microcomputer and Stereo Component Industries." Research Policy, 21, 297-313. Doi:10.1016/00487333(92)90030-8., 1992. Web.

The Gender Politics of Work Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper :: Yellow Wallpaper essays

The Gender Politics of Work Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The literature of the nineteenth century cataloged the social, economical and political changes during its period. Through it many new concerns and ideologies were proposed and made their journeys through intellectual spheres that have endured and kept their relevance in our own period today. The literature, sometimes quite overtly, introduced the issues arising with the changes in society specifically due to the industrial revolution. In this mixture of new ideas was the question of women's labor and functions among this rapidly changing society. American authors as well as Victorian authors, like George Gissing and Mabel Wotton, explored these issues somewhat explicitly during this period. In America, Louisa May Alcott and Charlotte Perkins Gilman expressed these issues in short stories with strong implications of the dangers of unfulfilled or unsatisfying labor available to women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  With the emergence of an industrial working class that arrived from the farms and countryside new theories and ideologies about the political economy began to appear. Karl Marx, a political philosopher during this time, introduced the idea of "alienation of labor". His theory proposed that labor has the ability to create a loss of reality in the laborer because the laborer himself becomes a commodity or object due to the nature of work. In terms of the roles of women it can be argued that the effect is even greater due to the limited choices of work available. This theme is expressed in literature through the writings of Gilman and Alcott.   Ã‚  Ã‚  In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's, The Yellow Wallpaper we are introduced to characters that can be argued to be representational of society in the 19th century. The narrator, wife to a seemingly prominent doctor, gives us a vision into the alienation and loss of reality due to her lack of labor. I also contend however that this alienation can also be attributed to her infantilization by her husband, which she willingly accepts. "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage" (1). The narrator here realizes her place among the order of society and even notes that it is to be expected. She is aware of her understanding that things between she and her husband are not equal not only because he is a doctor but because he is a man, and her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  The narrator is forbidden from work and confined to rest and leisure in the text because she is supposedly stricken with, "†¦temporary nervous depression - a slight hysterical tendency," that is diagnosed by both her husband and her brother, who is also a doctor (1).

The Birmingham Bombings: Views of Martin Luther King and Jessie Jackso

The Birmingham Bombings: Views of Martin Luther King and Jessie Jackson The bombings and marches in Birmingham Alabama were major concerns for all civil rights leaders. During the 50’s and 60’s, civil rights leaders fought against injustice in different ways. Some civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Jessie Jackson fought against injustice with a pen. In 1963 Martin Luther King wrote a letter titled, â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail†, and Jessie Jackson wrote, â€Å"Jets of Water Blast Civil Rights Demonstrators, Birmingham, 1963.† Martin Luther King and Jessie Jackson are two civil rights leaders of different generations, but with similar views concerning the Birmingham bombings. There is a noticeable age difference between Jackson and King, which results in two different perspectives. In Jessie Jackson’s article he wrote about past experiences, because his article was written years after the Birmingham events. Jackson was just a college student at the time of the Birmingham bombings. He only had himself to worry about, but he chose to make the nation...

Native American Oppression in North America Essay

While many different cultures were and are oppressed around the world, many people tend to forget about the genocide of the Native Americans on the land we call home. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus first sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, he came into contact with the indigenous people of the New World. After returning to Hispaniola, he quickly implemented policies of slavery and mass extermination of the Taino population in the Caribbean. This became the first major impact on Native Americans and eventually led to further oppression of American Indians. The implication of the population as savages helped in the displacement and genocide of the indigenous peoples. The Native Americans faced a lot of discrimination in North America during colonization, consisting of different forms of propaganda causing short-term and long-term effects in the present day. In 1492, a Spanish expedition headed by Christopher Columbus sailed for India to sell, buy, and trade rich spices and other goods, inadvertently discovering what is today North America. European conquest, large-scale exploration and colonization soon followed. This first occurred along the Caribbean coasts on the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Cuba, and later extended into the interiors of both North and South America. Eventually, the entire Western Hemisphere came under the control of European governments, leading to profound changes to its landscape, population, and plant and animal life. From the 16th through the 19th centuries, the population of Indians declined from epidemic diseases brought from Europe, genocide and warfare at the hands of European explorers and colonists, displacement from their lands, internal warfare, enslavements, and a high rate of intermarriage. Epidemics of smallpox, typhus, influenza, diphtheria, and measles swept ahead of initial European contact, killing between 10 million and 20 million people, up to 95% of the indigenous population of the Americas. European expansion also caused many Native American tribes to lose their homes as they were forced by the government to live in certain areas called Indian Reservations. They were often poor and on the verge of starvation on these reservations. Many American Indians had to choose to assimilate to the culture of the colonists in order to live. The phrase â€Å"Kill the Indian, Save the Man† coincides with the assimilation. There were many tools to help with the assimilation of the natives such as boarding schools for Native American children, missionaries to introduce Christianity, and the strategic killing of their main food source, the bison. The Dawes Act was introduced in 1887 to get Native Americans to live like white Americans. Reservations were broken up into â€Å"allotments† that were given out to individual families and the families were supposed to farm and build homes on their allotment in order to support themselves. The plan failed due to the fact that some of the land was unsuitable for farming & ranching and some Natives refused to adopt a different way of life. Propaganda was a very powerful tool when it came to the oppression of American Indians. The term propaganda is derived from the Latin propagare, to propagate, to reproduce, to spread, with the meaning, to transmit, to spread from person to person. One form of early propaganda against Native Americans is the painting American Progress by John Gast in 1872. The painting depicts the iconographic image of Columbia, the American angel floating above the land, leading her pioneers westward. The angel image, intended as a personification of the United States, floats ethereally over the plains, stringing telegraph wire with one hand as she travels, and holding a schoolbook under her other arm. Ahead of her in the West is a great darkness populated by wild animals: bears, wolves, buffalo and Indian people. All are considered wild and savage, and fleeing away from her light. In her bright-light wake, as the figure progresses across the land, come farms, villages and homesteads and in the back are cities and railroads. The light of â€Å"civilization† dispels the darkness of â€Å"ignorance and barbarity†. American Indian people are portrayed along with the wild animals as the darkness, all of which have to be removed before Columbia can bring the prosperity promised to the United States. United States covert agencies working with the mainstream media often used â€Å"grey and black propaganda† to distort or fabricate information concerning the groups they had targeted. Grey propaganda efforts often centered upon contentions that the Indians’ main goal was to dispossess non-Indians of the home-owner, small farmer, or rancher type living within various treaty areas. For black propaganda there have been a number of highly publicized allegations of violence which, once disproven, were allowed to die without further fanfare. There were many short-term and long-term effects due to the oppression of American Indians. Many Native Americans were depicted as marauding, murdering, hellish savages who scalped women and children. They were seen as thieves, drunkards, and beggars, unwilling to work but willing to accept government handouts. The American Indian was often used as the antagonist in old country western films and portrayed in a negative, barbaric manner. Today a majority of the Native American population still resides on reservations. Despite helping shape America in their own way, the oppression of the American Indians is often overlooked in comparison to that of Jews during World War II and African Americans in the U. S.from slavery to the present-day Overall, the Native Americans overcame many things from when Columbus first came across them in the Caribbean in 1492. In the face of European exploration and colonization, genocide, epidemic diseases, and displacement among other things, American Indians managed to stay strong and hold on too as much of their culture as possible, working hard to dispel the false stereotype created by propaganda so long ago. While the discrimination of the past still affects them to this day, first nation peoples play a strong part in the development of this country.

Nestle

Assignment 2 Nestle Dr. Mary Tranquillo HRM 560 Managing Organizational Change October 28, 2010 Organization changes that Nestle has undergone 1. Discuss the organization changes that Nestle has undergone. Nestle is the largest and most successful consumer packaged goods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey Switzerland. Nestle successfully introduced many new products into many different parts of the food and beverage industry. The Nestle Company was established in 1867 by Henri Nestle.In the beginning, Nestle Company specialized in selling infant milk; which provided alternative for mothers who could not breast feed their infant. The value of the product was soon recognized, as it saved many children’s life. Today, Nestle is the world's largest and most diversified food company, with nearly 500 factories around the world, producing healthy, enjoyable food products for every stage of life. Nestle underwent many organizational changes. In 1905 Nestle Company merged with the Anglo Swiss Milk Company by the Page Brothers.The merger provided the company with a wide range of product line. According to Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, â€Å"Nestle changed its approach to global expansion and began purchasing global subsidiaries in foreign markets. † During the World War I Nestle purchased several factories in the United States to keep up with the increasing demand for condensed milk and dairy products via government contracts. When fresh milk became available again after the war, Nestle financial status suffered which caused a tremendous amount of debt.The price of ingredients was increasing, the economy slowed down and exchange rates deteriorated because of the war. During World War II many â€Å"executive offices offshore were transferred to the United States. These moves into the offshore markets were part of Nestle’s commitment to changing the company in order to increase efficiency and productivity† ( Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 2, pg. 109). After the war ended, consumer started switching to the type of favorite milk they liked with reference. Nestle was able to respond quickly to the change of demand; thus giving them a very high advantage to stay competitive in the market. In 1920, the company decided to enter the chocolate market as their second most important production. Nestle also did am unrelated diversification through their shareholding in L’Oreal in 1974. Later, Nestle made a second diversification which was outside of the food industry, the purchase of a pharmaceutical and ophthalmic company known as Alcon Laboratories Inc.As the years progress Nestle continue to its diversified strategic in acquiring many acquisitions: 1985 Carnation, 1988 Buitoni-Perugina, 1988 Rowntree, 1990 Cereal Partners Worldwide, 1991 Beverage Partners Worldwide (formerly CCNR), 1992 Perrier, 1998 San Pellegrino and Spillers Pet foods, and in 2000 the acquisition of Power Bar (http://hubpages. com/hub/nestle). Whether changes were first-order and/or second-order changes 2. Identify whether the changes were first-order and/or second-order changes and the rationale for your decision. It went through second-order change.Second- order, discontinuous change is â€Å"transformational, radical, and fundamentally alters the organization at its core. Second- order change entails not developing but transforming the nature of the organization† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nestle sold its products through sales agents to countries outside of its home market. †¢Its launch into the American market was initiated when the First World War increased demand for dairy products. Nestle took this opportunity to establish its presence in the United States by acquiring several existing factories. In 1974 Nestle diversified for the first time out-side the food industry in order to promote growth. †¢I t became a major shareholder in the cosmetic giant L’Oreal. †¢Nestle later made a second foray outside the food industry with the purchase of Alcon Laboratories Inc. ,† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). My rationale: Nestle transformed the nature of its organization Nestle fine tuned its organization and transferred its executive offices from Switzerland to the United States which allowed an improved and enhanced organizational stability. 3.Discuss whether or not the changes made were with an incremental approach as emphasized by Brabeck-Letmathe. Brabeck-Letmathe stated â€Å"why should we manufacture dramatic change? Just for changes sake? To follow some sort of fad with-out logical thinking behind it? We are very skeptical of any kind of fad† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 7, pg. 109). He initiated a complete overhaul of the executive board, replacing it with 10 new executives. He claims that change is incremental; however he is making a radical change. Three examples of lessons from the front line 4.Identify three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case and how these issues may be overcome. Three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case are: †¢There is a dramatic pace of change in Nestle. This to be slowed down. †¢There is a high risk in its investments; the firm has to hedge its risks †¢There is a wrong policy in technology. Care needs to be taken in assuming that types of organizational changes can be neatly categorized as small, adaptive, and incremental compared to those that are large and transformational.Mental frameworks, individual perspectives, the extent to which a change is directly relevant to a person and his or her activities, and the degree to which he or she accepts the need for change. References Bikashkumarsha. (2010). Nestle's brand management strategies. Retrieved from http ://hubpages. com/hub/nestle. Palmer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill. Nestle 10-11 Your firm organized its foreign operations in an international division. With foreign markets growing fast, the firm considers changing its organizational structure. What options does it have? What are the pros and cons of each option? Figure 1 Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between each elements of organizational architecture. Hill et. al (2012) identifies these elements one by one. Organization structure means three points.First, the formal division of the organization into subunits, such as product divisions, national operations and functions; second, the location of decision making responsibilities within that structure; third, the establishment of integrating mechanism to coordinate the activities of subunits including cross functional team and pan regional committees. Control system is the method to measure the performance of subunits and to judge the managers when running those subunits. Incentives are used to reward appropriate managerial behavior. It is close co nnected with the performance.Processes refers to the manner in which decisions are made and work is performed within the organization. Organizational culture refers to the norms and value systems that the employees of an organization share. People here means both the employees of the organization and the strategy used to recruit, compensate and retain those individual and type of people with skills, values and orientations. Organizational structure The organizational structure has three dimensions: vertical differentiation, horizontal differentiation and the integrating mechanisms.Each dimension will be explained below. Vertical differentiation The vertical differentiation indicated the location of decision making responsibilities within a structure. The vertical differentiation has two types of arguments: centralization and decentralization. There are four main arguments for centralization. First, centralization can facilitate coordination. An example might be a company have severa l different components manufactured in different countries which need coordinated. It can be achieved by centralizing production scheduling by managers.Second, centralization can help ensure that decisions are consistent with organizational objectives. Third, concentrating power and authority in one individual or a management team can assist the top level managers to bring about needed major organizational changes. Fourth, centralization can avoid the duplication of activities by several subunits with similar activities, which can improve the efficiency. There are also five arguments for decentralization. First, the top level manager may get overburdened, which may result poor decisions. Decentralization can solve this problem.Second, researches show that people are willing to give more to their jobs when they have a greater degree of individual freedom and control. Third, more rapid response to environmental change with greater flexibility is provided by decentralization. Fourth, d ecentralization can result in better decisions. This is because in a decentralization structure, the decisions can be made by person with better understanding and more information than managers. Fifth, decentralization can increase control by establish relatively autonomous, self-contained subunits within an organization.The responsibility of subunit managers are closely connected with the subunit performance. Therefore, centralize some core decisions and decentralize some operating decisions may be worth trying. Horizontal differentiation The horizontal differentiation is concerned with how the firm decides to divide itself into subunits. The decision is usually based on the firm’s function, type of business and geographical area. Domestic According to Hill et. al (2012), many firms begin with no formal structure and are run by a small group of people.When the firms grow, the organization is split into functions reflecting the firm’s value creation activities because the demand of management is great. It type of structure is functional structure. Top managers coordinate and control functions, such as purchasing, manufacturing, marketing and finance. Centralized decision is usual in this structure. A typical example of functional structure is the British airways, as show in figure 2. Figure 2 With the development of the firm product line, further differentiation may be necessary. A product divisional structure can be used to solve the problem caused by coordination and control.In a product divisional structure, each division is responsible for a distinct product line, as show in figure 3 Figure 3 Each division is set up as a self-contained, largely autonomous entity with its own function. The responsibility for operating decisions is usually decentralized to product divisions. The top manager is responsible for the overall strategic development of the firm and for financial control of the various divisions. International The above two structure i s based on domestic firms. When the firms expand internationally, they often group all their international activities into an international division.Both functional and product divisions structure at home may be replicate to the global. Regardless of a firm’s domestic structure, its international division tends to be organized on geography. Figure 4 is an example for a international division. Figure 4 In the figure, the products can be manufactured by divisions A, B and C, and then export to country1 and 2. However, the production line A, B and C may also build in country 1 and 2. For firm with a functional structure at home, the firm might replicate this structure in every countries it does business.Similar case might happen for the firms with divisional structure. Although this kind of structure is quite popular, it may raise several problems. It may create conflict and coordination problems between domestic and foreign operations. First, the top manager of this structure m ay not give as much voice in the organization as the top manager in domestic. Second, lack of coordination between domestic operations and foreign operations may cause isolation. In order to solve these problems, a worldwide product divisional structure and a worldwide area structure is raised and adopted by many firms.Figure 5 illustrates these two alternative paths of development. Figure 5 The worldwide product divisional structure is often adopted by firms which are reasonably diversified and has domestic structures based on product divisions. Figure 6 is a typical worldwide product divisional structure. This structure helps to realize the location and experience curve economies. It also facilitates the transfer of core competencies. The main problem of this structure is the limitation of voice it gives to area country managers as it makes them subservient to product division managers. Figure 6The worldwide area structure is suitable for firms with a low degree of diversification and a domestic structure based on functional structure. This structure divided the world into geographic areas and each area’s operations authority and strategic decisions are decentralized (figure 7). This structure facilitates local responsiveness. However, this structure can result in a fragmentation of the organization which makes it difficult to transfer core competencies and skills between areas. This structure is consistent with a localization strategy, but may also make it difficult to realize gains under a global standardization.Figure 7 Hill et. al (2012) indicates that a worldwide area structure is more appropriate for firm focus on localization strategy while a worldwide product divisional structure is more appropriate for firm focus on global standardization or international strategies. An attempted is made by some firms to use a matrix structure to cope with the conflicting demands of transnational strategy. The responsibility for operation decisions for a prod uct should be shared by the product division and various area of the firm. The global matrix structure allows for differentiation along two dimensions: the product division and geographic area.In a classic matrix structure, product divisions and geographical areas have equal status for operating decisions. In the reality, the global matrix structure may not work as well as the theory predicts. It may appeals as clumsy and bureaucratic. The decision making can be slow and the inflexible organization may not respond quickly to market change or to innovate. The dual-hierarchy structure can also lead to conflict between the areas and the product divisions. To make the matters worse is that it is difficult to ascertain the responsibility in this structure. Integrating mechanismFor an international or a transnational firm, there is greater need for coordination rather than a firm which pursuing a localization strategy. However, the different orientation or opinion of subunits will raise d ifferent goals, which may become the impediments to coordination. In order to overcome this problem, both formal and informal integrating mechanisms can be used to achieve coordination. As show in figure 8, the formal mechanisms integrate subunits use methods from direct contact and liaison roles to teams and a matrix structure. The complexity of the formal integrating mechanisms is positive correlated with the need of coordination.The problem of this solution is that the matrix structure tends to be bureaucratic, inflexible and characterized by conflict. Therefore, flexibility and supporting by the informal integrating mechanisms is necessary. Figure 8 The informal integrating mechanism can be defined as knowledge networks which are supported by the organization culture. Cross-unit cooperation and teamwork are the important content for the culture. The advantage of the network is that it is used as a nonbureaucratic conduit for knowledge flows with in a multinational enterprise.An example to for the structure of the network is shown in figure 9, the manager A, B and E, F are connected indirectly through manager C, D. If one problem is raised by manager A, the manager F or E can know this situation indirectly and provide solution. In order to operate the network successfully, all the managers must share a strong commitment to the same goals and adhere to a common set of norms and values that override differing subunit orientations, which means strong organizational culture is necessary for teamwork and cooperation. Figure 9 Nestle Assignment 2 Nestle Dr. Mary Tranquillo HRM 560 Managing Organizational Change October 28, 2010 Organization changes that Nestle has undergone 1. Discuss the organization changes that Nestle has undergone. Nestle is the largest and most successful consumer packaged goods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey Switzerland. Nestle successfully introduced many new products into many different parts of the food and beverage industry. The Nestle Company was established in 1867 by Henri Nestle.In the beginning, Nestle Company specialized in selling infant milk; which provided alternative for mothers who could not breast feed their infant. The value of the product was soon recognized, as it saved many children’s life. Today, Nestle is the world's largest and most diversified food company, with nearly 500 factories around the world, producing healthy, enjoyable food products for every stage of life. Nestle underwent many organizational changes. In 1905 Nestle Company merged with the Anglo Swiss Milk Company by the Page Brothers.The merger provided the company with a wide range of product line. According to Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, â€Å"Nestle changed its approach to global expansion and began purchasing global subsidiaries in foreign markets. † During the World War I Nestle purchased several factories in the United States to keep up with the increasing demand for condensed milk and dairy products via government contracts. When fresh milk became available again after the war, Nestle financial status suffered which caused a tremendous amount of debt.The price of ingredients was increasing, the economy slowed down and exchange rates deteriorated because of the war. During World War II many â€Å"executive offices offshore were transferred to the United States. These moves into the offshore markets were part of Nestle’s commitment to changing the company in order to increase efficiency and productivity† ( Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 2, pg. 109). After the war ended, consumer started switching to the type of favorite milk they liked with reference. Nestle was able to respond quickly to the change of demand; thus giving them a very high advantage to stay competitive in the market. In 1920, the company decided to enter the chocolate market as their second most important production. Nestle also did am unrelated diversification through their shareholding in L’Oreal in 1974. Later, Nestle made a second diversification which was outside of the food industry, the purchase of a pharmaceutical and ophthalmic company known as Alcon Laboratories Inc.As the years progress Nestle continue to its diversified strategic in acquiring many acquisitions: 1985 Carnation, 1988 Buitoni-Perugina, 1988 Rowntree, 1990 Cereal Partners Worldwide, 1991 Beverage Partners Worldwide (formerly CCNR), 1992 Perrier, 1998 San Pellegrino and Spillers Pet foods, and in 2000 the acquisition of Power Bar (http://hubpages. com/hub/nestle). Whether changes were first-order and/or second-order changes 2. Identify whether the changes were first-order and/or second-order changes and the rationale for your decision. It went through second-order change.Second- order, discontinuous change is â€Å"transformational, radical, and fundamentally alters the organization at its core. Second- order change entails not developing but transforming the nature of the organization† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nestle sold its products through sales agents to countries outside of its home market. †¢Its launch into the American market was initiated when the First World War increased demand for dairy products. Nestle took this opportunity to establish its presence in the United States by acquiring several existing factories. In 1974 Nestle diversified for the first time out-side the food industry in order to promote growth. †¢I t became a major shareholder in the cosmetic giant L’Oreal. †¢Nestle later made a second foray outside the food industry with the purchase of Alcon Laboratories Inc. ,† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). My rationale: Nestle transformed the nature of its organization Nestle fine tuned its organization and transferred its executive offices from Switzerland to the United States which allowed an improved and enhanced organizational stability. 3.Discuss whether or not the changes made were with an incremental approach as emphasized by Brabeck-Letmathe. Brabeck-Letmathe stated â€Å"why should we manufacture dramatic change? Just for changes sake? To follow some sort of fad with-out logical thinking behind it? We are very skeptical of any kind of fad† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 7, pg. 109). He initiated a complete overhaul of the executive board, replacing it with 10 new executives. He claims that change is incremental; however he is making a radical change. Three examples of lessons from the front line 4.Identify three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case and how these issues may be overcome. Three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case are: †¢There is a dramatic pace of change in Nestle. This to be slowed down. †¢There is a high risk in its investments; the firm has to hedge its risks †¢There is a wrong policy in technology. Care needs to be taken in assuming that types of organizational changes can be neatly categorized as small, adaptive, and incremental compared to those that are large and transformational.Mental frameworks, individual perspectives, the extent to which a change is directly relevant to a person and his or her activities, and the degree to which he or she accepts the need for change. References Bikashkumarsha. (2010). Nestle's brand management strategies. Retrieved from http ://hubpages. com/hub/nestle. Palmer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.