Management seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Management seminar - Essay Example The author says, "Some companies are making significant progress in stripping away stumbling blocks to gender diversity," (Issue 9, Women in Corporate Levels pg. 133). Among the diversity strategies, there is effective communication in the business case effectively within the whole organization beginning with the top administration. In this case, managers have the responsibility of availing broadcasts to their employees. This means that employees of both genders will be able to follow up on their proceedings and programs thereby enhancing diversity at the workplace. In the process of cultivating female leaders, the organizations should have the core objective of helping women to realize success. Using Safeway as an example, it realized that 70% of their customers were women. On realizing this, they had to broaden the diversity of their personnel so as to bring reflection of their client base. Male leaders have always been on the Frontline of every job opportunities, including grocery. The company realized that it could help women reach their success by employing them in these departments. In the process of developing future leaders, through the Retail Leadership Development (RLD) programs, women should be given chances. When this initiative came in, it particularly targeted women so as to increase the number of women who attend training. In this program, there were efforts to encourage women to advance towards managerial positions. It also ensured all the employees had equal opportunities for coaching, development, and advancing. There was also the establishment of womens development networks. This was primarily established for those women who were interested in advancing into management. This development network provides learning and networking opportunities for women across different sectors. They can share ideas, views as well as ideologies, getting

How evil is presented throughout the play Essay Example for Free

How evil is presented throughout the play Essay Show how Shakespeares sense of theatre supports the presentation of evil in Macbeth. Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford upon Avon, he was an English poet and playwright. He wrote 38 plays 154 sonnets. He began his successful career in London as an actor and a writer, and later became known as what many say to be the greatest writer in the English language. One of his most successful plays is Macbeth it was written at the time king James I was on the throne at the time that the Gunpowder Plot that took place in 1605, and plotted against king James I and tried to blow up the houses of parliament. This is quite significant to the play as it links to people plotting against the king, as Macbeth does. In the end Guy Fawks is burnt, and at the end of the play Macbeth is also murdered. Shakespeare received patronage from the current monarchy if they were pleased with the play he had produced, so he made it appeal to the king or Queen he was writing it for. He did this when he wrote Macbeth, as he Put witches in the play and also based the play around witches and portrayed them as personifying evil this would have appealed to King James I as he wrote a book about witches called Demonology in this book he confirmed his conspiracy about witches being evil supernatural beings that made bad things happen. Shakespeare set the play in the 12th century when it was the17th century so that he could twist the facts of what happened to get across what he wanted to say, about the plot of the witches. Shakespeare tried to make things relevant in the play to King James I. He did this at the start of the play where he used Thunder and Lightening, before the three witches came on this would have appealed to King James I as he expressed very strongly that witches conjured up storms in the book he wrote. Another thing that portrayed evil at the start of the play is that the chant that the witches do ;Fair is foul and foul is fair, this shows that evil is about good being bad and bad being good. This links to Macbeth because when he first talks, he says so fair and foul a day I have not seen. He is echoing the words of the witches, and this alerts the audience and makes them think he is connected to them or of the same nature (also evil). Also when the witches say when the hurlyburlys done, when the battles lost and won it makes you curious to think that they may know what is to happen in the future. It also gives you the feeling that the witches are peculiar and supernatural if they can make predictions with such certainty. Shakespeare is also trying to show the power the witches have to make evil happen, that their presence or their words can effect people make them think evil and then become evil, as Macbeth does throughout the play. Macbeth as a victim of supernatural conspiracy as its the witches who put the essence of treason in his mind.This is shown when Banquo asks Macbeth Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear. This shows Macbeth is not innately good because seeing the evil of the witches made him fear and a noble man was not to let evil get to him, like Banquo didnt. This also shows he is susceptible to evil. He also started to have evil thoughts that even started to scare himself he says I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs. Macbeth knows it is a sin against God to Murder or even hurt the Lords anointed King. At the start of the play he was honourable and favoured greatly by Duncan who gave him the titles Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis for winning the battle and defeating the king of Norway, but Macbeth above all was a man of action and wanted to know how he could make the prediction of the witches come true and so he didnt let his evil thoughts get in the way .He says in act 1 scene 4 Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires, he wants the stars to stay dark so that he can hide his murderous thoughts. Also dark is associated with bad and evil and light with good and noble. He doesnt want a starry night so that he can hide his evil thoughts in the darkness away from the light. Macbeth had lots of imagination but he lacked a strong will, when lady Macbeth allures him into Duncans murder he went along with the plans although deep down he knew it was morally the wrong thing to do., on the other hand lady Macbeth had a strong will persuading and brainwashing Macbeth, but has no imagination, she is the one who persuades him to commit the ghastly deed but is the one who goes mad. Another aspect of Macbeths imagination is when he sees daggers and apparitions before he goes to kill Duncan. Macbeth even Hallucinates when he sees the ghost of Banquo. When Macbeth goes to see the witches they make him feel invincible, they tell him no man of woman born can touch him hearing this he goes and kills all of MacDuffs family (his innocent wife and children) that is because he has descended to evil, he has reached the depths of evil and because evil never triumphs the audience knows he is going be caught, this is when he finds out that the witches tricked him but he does die a noble death because he is brave. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as an evil person in the play but also the source of all the evil from Macbeth. She personifies evil to Macbeth making him do wrong and she guides him into all that he does. This play is written to relate to the biblical story of Adam and Eve where God allows them to eat the fruit from all the trees except the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. A serpent persuades Eve to eat from that tree; she does so but also persuades Adam to eat from it. This relates to the story of Macbeth because Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to do evil. This is another thing that would have appealed to king James I as he was a religious man who strongly believed in what the bible said. When lady Macbeth reads the letter he has been sent by Macbeth she gets excited and starts having fantastical thoughts, yet she thinks her husband is too kind to do such a thing when she says It is too full o th milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. She knows she will have to persuade him and she knows just how she will do this that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue. She is saying she will use her language of persuasion and guide him into the evil to do what she wants him to do. She is the one who induces him and leads him to do it, at first he is reluctant but then she wins him over by saying that he should do it for the love of her, she also challenges his masculinity by doing this so in the end after arguing a won battle because lady Macbeth isnt backing down, Macbeth finally goes to murder Duncan. Later she entices him by saying that the blame of the murder could be put on the kings guards, so their crime wont be discovered. Throughout the play Macbeth goes from noble and good with people referring to him as noble Macbeth and valiant cousin to evil led by the witches. Macbeth was a victim of an evil plot with the witches tricking him and leading him to evil and sin, but the blame can not be put entirely on the witches because although they lead him he was the one who choose to kill Duncan witch was the start of all the bad things that came from it. Macbeth comes to die a noble death, because of his bravery and of this and then the rightful order has been restored and the rightful king is on the throne. This makes stronger the belief that people have that the king is the lords anointed and nobody can do anything about it. The play justifies the position of James I as he is a noble and righteous king . Shakespeare ended the play this was to show that no good comes from witches and from evil and it is a lot better to be noble as you will get a better outcome, Banquo was noble and his son became the king in the end.

Concepts in Disaster Management

Concepts in Disaster Management CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Broader Views on Disaster Management 2.1.1 Definition of Disaster Disaster has been defined in some different ways. Indeed, there is no precise definition for a disaster (Eshghi Larson, 2008). In complete form, Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) defines disasters as â€Å"A situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to the national or international level for external assistance, or is recognized as such by a multilateral agency or by at least two sources, such as national, regional or international assistance groups and the media† (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 2004). Below et al. (2007) propose â€Å"an accumulation of widespread losses over multiple economic sectors, associated with a natural hazard event, that overwhelms the ability of the affected population to cope† as a definition of a disaster. International Federation on Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) defines a disaster as â€Å"a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the communitys or societys ability to c ope using its own resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (IFRC, 2008). van Wassenhove (2006) proposes â€Å"a disruption that physically affects a system as a whole and threatens its priorities and goals† as a definition of disaster, while Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources†, which is similar with Reliefwebs (2008) definition. Emergency Management Australia (EMA, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption to community life which threatens or causes death or injury in that community and/or damage to property which is beyond the day-today capacity of the prescribed statutory authorities and which requires special mobilization and organization of resources other than those normally available to those authorities†, while emergency is defined as à ¢â‚¬ËœAn event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response. (EMA, 2008). 2.1.2 Disaster Types With a wide variability of disaster definition, it is understandable to have different initial classifications for disasters (Eshghi Larson, 2008; Shaluf 2007a, b). Canadian Disaster Database (2008) categorises disasters into five different types as summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Disaster types (Source: Canadian Disaster Database, 2008) Disaster types Encompasses Biological Epidemic, infestation Geological Earthquake, landslide, tsunami Meteorological and hydrological Cold wave, drought, flood, hail/ thunderstorm, heat wave, hurricane/ typhoon, snow avalanche, storm surges, storm-freezing rain, storm-unspecified/ other, storm-winter, tornado, wildfire Conflict Terrorism, civil unrest Technological Accident-industrial, accident-other, accident-transport, fire, hazardous chemicals van Wassenhove (2006) proposes a metrics (see Table 2) to understand disasters. Table 2. Categorization of disasters based on van Wassenhove (2006) Natural Man-made Sudden-onset Earthquake, hurricane, tornado Terrorist attack, coup detat, chemical leak Slow-onset Famine, drought, poverty Political crisis, refugee crisis In general, Shaluf (2007a, b) categorises disasters into three types: Natural disasters, which are catastrophic events resulting from natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Man made disasters, which are those catastrophic events that result from human decisions. Hybrid disasters are those disasters that result from both human error and natural forces. In further detail, Shaluf (2007b) breaks down each type of disasters and gives examples and characteristics, as can be seen in Table 3. Table 3. Disaster types, taken from Shaluf (2007b) Disaster type Characteristics Sub-disaster Name of disasters Natural A natural disaster is a natural phenomenon; A natural disaster is an unplanned and socially disruptive event with a sudden and severe disruptive effect; A natural disaster is single event over which no human has control; The impact of natural disaster is localized to a geographical region and specific time period; The consequences of a natural disaster are felt at the place and time of its occurrence; The disaster can be a high-impact disaster (e.g. a flood) that has a greater direct effect on the community over a longer period; Rapid onset disasters include earthquakes, flash floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, slow onset disasters, droughts, floods, and epidemics Natural phenomena beneath the earths surface Earthquakes Tsunamis Volcanic eruptions Topographical phenomena Landslides Avalanches Meteorological/ hydrological phenomena Windstorms (Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes) Tornadoes Hailstorms and snowstorms Sea surges Floods Droughts Heat waves/ could waves Biological phenomena Infestations (locust swarms, mealy bug) Epidemics (cholera, dengue, ebola, malaria, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis) Man-made Characteristics of socio-technical disasters: A socio-technical disaster is a man-made event; A socio-technical disaster occurs in an organisation due to the interaction between internal factors and external factors; It arises suddenly: when the disaster occurs it does so as a shock; A socio-technical disaster is a complex system of interdependence; The impact of a socio-technical disaster sometimes transcends geographical boundaries and can even have trans-generational effects (e.g. Three Mile Island, Bhopal, Chernobyl); Socio-technical disasters do not always have their worst consequences at the point of occurrence; the worst effects can occur long after the event; Socio-technical disasters are characterized by a low probability/ high consequences event; Sudden-impact disasters (e.g. air/road/rail accident) are usually of short duration and have a limited direct effect on the local community; Socio-technical disasters arise not because of a single factor but of accumulated unnoticed events; Disaster involves management procedures which must be maintained, and management problems must be coped with under the conditions of a major technical emergency involving threats of injury and loss of life; Rapid onset disasters include fires, technological disasters, industrial accidents, and transportation accidents; An inquiry report is required Socio-technical Technological disasters Fire Explotions (munitions explosions, chemical explosions, nuclear explosions, mine explosions) Leakage Toxic release Pollutions (pollution, acid rain, chemical pollution, atmospheric pollution) Structural collapse of physical assets Transportation disasters Air disasters Land disasters Sea disasters Stadia or other public places failures Fire Structural collapse Crowd stampede Production failure Computer system breakdown Distribution of defective products Warfare National Civil war between armed groups in the same country Civil strikes Civil disorder Bomb threats/ terrorist attack Inter-national Conventional war War between two armies from different countries Sieges Blockades Non-conventional war Nuclear Chemical Biological Hybrid The characteristics of a hybrid disaster can be the characteristics of both man-made and natural disasters Natural and man-made events Floods ravage community built on known floodplain Location of residential premises, factories, etc., at the foot of an active volcano, or in an avalanche area Landslides Slightly different from those, EM-DAT (2008a) classifies disasters into three groups: Natural disasters Technological disasters Complex emergencies Regarding its scope in terms of sufferer number and/ or geographic areas affected, Gad-el-Hak (2008) distinguishes disasters into five categories as can be seen in Table 4. Table 4. Disaster scope in terms of number of victims and/ or geographic area affected (Source: Gad-el-Hak, 2008) Scope Category No. of sufferers Geographic areas affected Scope I Small disaster Or Scope II Medium disaster 10-100 persons or 1-10 km2 Scope III Large disaster 100-1,000 persons Or 10-100 km2 Scope IV Enormous disaster 1,000-104 persons Or 100-1,000 km2 Scope V Gargantuan disaster > 104 persons Or > 1,000 km2 While the definition of natural disasters and technological disasters are principally the same as those proposed by Shaluf (2007a, b), complex emergencies need a further exploration. Alballa-Bertrand (see Alballa-Bertrand, 2000) proposes the following definition for a complex humanitarian emergency or, in short, complex emergency: ‘A purposeful and unlikely neutral response, intended mostly to counteract the worse effects of the massive human destitution that derive from an overt political phenomenon, which takes the form of a violent, entrenched and long-lasting factionalist conflict or imposition with ultimate institutional aims. On the other hand, ReliefWeb (2008) defines a complex emergency as â€Å"A multifaceted humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires a multi-sectoral, international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing UN country program. Such emergencies have, in particular, a devastating effect on children and women, and call for a complex range of responses.† While Complex Emergency Database (CE-DAT) (2008) defines complex emergency as all crises characterized by extreme vulnerability that display the following features: There exist the unwillingness or incapability of the government to give effective response, leading call for external assistance; Political oppression or armed conflict; Displacement; Increased mortality. 2.1.3 The Increasing Trend of Disaster Occurrences Lichterman (1999) predicts that the frequency of disasters and their effects seem to be increasing. By reviewing various related published sources from 1900-2005, Eshghi and Larson (2008) confirm Lichtermans prediction. A disaster leads to a severe trouble of society, including extensive human misery and physical loss or damage (Davis Lambert, 2002). Both natural and man-made disasters are likely to raise another five-fold over the next fifty years (from the year 2005) due to environmental degradation, rapid urbanization and the spread of HIV/AIDS in less developed world (Thomas Kopczak, 2005). More than 250 million people in the world are affected by disasters every year (IFRC, 2008). In the sense of natural disasters which are then divided into biological, geophysical, climatological, hydrological, and meteorological disasters -, CRED (see Scheuren et al., 2008) reports that there were 414 natural disaster occurrences (excluding biological disasters) in year 2007 which killed 16 847 persons, affected more than 211 million others and caused over 74.9 US$ billion in economic damages. Until year 2004, over 90 percent of natural disasters occurred in developing countries (United Nations ISDR, 2004). By including biological disasters and regrouping natural disasters into three different categories, as follows: Hydro-meteorological disasters: comprising floods and wave surges, storms, droughts and related disasters (extreme temperatures and forest/scrub fires), and landslides avalanches; Geophysical disasters: earthquakes tsunamis and volcanic eruptions fall into this category; Biological disasters: consisting of epidemics and insect infestations; International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) (2008) provides data which shows that there is an increasing trend on the occurrences of natural disasters from 1900 to 2005, as can be seen in Table 5. Table 5. Distribution of natural disasters: by origin (1900-2005, by decades*) *) 2000-2005, six year period The increasing trends of the occurrences of natural disasters between 1900-June 2008 is also documented in EM-DAT (2008b). Regarding the victims, there were 3,470,162,961 people affected by natural disasters for the period of 1991-2005 with a total of 960,502 deaths. Most of the victims (98.1% of people affected and 92.1% of people killed) were located in developing countries and least-developed countries (IFRC, 2008). 2.1.4 Disaster Management Disaster management also known as emergency management (Reliefweb, 2008) is defined as comprehensive approach and activities to reduce the adverse impacts of disasters (Reliefweb, 2008), while disaster operations could be considered as the set of activities that are performed before, during, and after a disaster which are aimed at preventing loss of human life, reducing its impact on the economy, and returning to a normal situation (Altay Green III, 2006). Using the terminology of disaster relief operations (DRO) as substitute to disaster operations, Pujawan et al. (2009) state that DRO consists of a variety of activities such as assessing demands, acquiring commodities, finding out priorities as well as receiving, classifying, storing, tracing and tracking deliveries. Regarding its phases, disaster management could be divided into four phases (Altay Green III, 2006): disaster mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery. 2.1.5 The Importance of Logistics in Disaster Management Logistics could be defined as follows (see Sheu, 2007a: 655): â€Å"Logistics is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customers[] requirements at the lowest total cost.† Its system operation consists of network design, information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging (see Wu Huang, 2007: 429). There are several Operational Research (OR) techniques utilised in logistics context, including the use of transportation model to determine the location of warehouses and the use of assignment/ allocation model to locate production facilities (Slats et al., 1995: 12), to name a few. In particular, humanitarian logistics could be defined as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and control ­ling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from point of origin to point of consump ­tion for the purpose of meeting the end beneficiarys requirements† (Thomas Mizushima, January 2005). Similarly, Thomas and Kopczak (2005) define it as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people†. Whereas Sheu (2007a) proposes ‘‘a process of planning, managing and controlling the efficient flows of relief, information, and services from the points of origin to the points of destination to meet the urgent needs of the affected people under emergency conditions as a definition of emergency logistics. Moreover, disaster relief is usually put aside for sudden upheavals such as natural disasters (earthquakes, avalanches, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcano eruptions, etc.) and very few man-made disasters such as terrorist acts or nuclear disasters (Kovà ¡cs Spens, 2007). Relief itself could be understood as â€Å"assistance and/or intervention during or after disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs. It can be of emergency or protracted duration† (Reliefweb, 2008). It has been already generally well-known that logistics play a vital role in emergency management. Sheu (2007a) declares that, due to the possibility of disasters occurrences anytime around the world with huge effects, emergency logistics management had appeared as a worldwide-noticeable subject matter. People which are affected by disasters and are uprooted from their rights for food, housing, livelihood and other means of supporting themselves need the delivery of food, medicine, tents, sanitation equipment, tools and other necessities (Whybark, 2007). The science of logistics and supply chain management is becoming more vital for humanitarians (van Wassenhove, 2006), and â€Å"the subject of disaster management is an absolutely fascinating one that is growing in importance† (van Wassenhove, 2003: 19). Oloruntoba (2005) states that, regarding the Indian Ocean tsunami context, the scale of damage and subsequent response lead to problems of coordination, transportation and dis tribution among responding groups. In other affected areas of the Indian Ocean tsunami, Thomas (summer/fall 2006) reports that, at the 60-day point, regardless of the enormous relief efforts, only 60% of the families reported receiving well-timed and sufficient aid. It is therefore acceptable to conclude that good logistics planning plays an important role to the success of an emergency program (Davis Lambert, 2002: 109). Humanitarian logistics is essential to disaster relief for some reasons (Thomas Kopczak, 2005): It is crucial to the effectiveness and speed of response for main humanitarian programs, such as health, food, shelter, water, and sanitation; It can be one of the most expensive elements of a relief effort as it includes procurement and transportation; Since the logistics department handles tracking of commodities through the supply chain, it is often the repository of data that can be analyzed to offer post-event knowledge. In his paper, McEntire (1999) states that the disaster studies must discover ways to improve the provision of relief after certain catastrophe hits. This statement is in line with Perrys (2007) finding which accentuates the availability of logistician cadres as a key element of disaster response, as part of needs assessment and for procuring, transporting, and distributing the relief provisions. Regarding the relief of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the humanitarian organizations providing those relieves acknowledged that relief can and needs to be faster and more efficient (Thomas, 2005). Together with hurricane â€Å"Katrina† disaster, the Indian Ocean tsunami lead to the gap of â€Å"the inability to connect the aid provided with the aid received† (Thomas, 2005) in spite of the unprecedented giving during those two misfortunes. It is also pointed out by Tolentino Jr. (2007) that the Indian Ocean tsunami has provided the will to radically improve disaster management and pl anning, an issue Trims (2004: 224) research agrees with, in a broader disaster relief context. Furthermore, the development of new technology for track/trace and disaster relief supply chains is proposed as one of ways to improve the delivery of humanitarian relief (Baluch, 2007). In the context of the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in worldwide emergencies (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, war), Beamon and Kotleba (2006) point out that the capability of an NGOs supply chain and logistics operations directly influences the success of a relief effort. Whereas Pujawan et al. (2009) propose information visibility, coordination, accountability, and professionalism as successful requirements of logistics for DRO. 2.2 Some Previous Works in Logistics Management The following paragraphs will give a short overview on several aspects in logistics management, especially those which are perceived as having relevance with the current research. They include distribution network design problem, location-allocation problem (LAP), vehicle routing problem (VRP), and location-routing problem (LRP), respectively. 2.2.1 Distribution Network Design Problem Citing Chopra (2003), distribution can be seen as â€Å"the steps taken to move and store a product from the supplier stage to a customer stage in the supply chain†. While distribution networks can be defined as â€Å"networks that carry the flow of some commodity or entity, using a routing rule that is intended to be effective and even optimal† (Whittle, 2007), and distribution network itself could be viewed as similar with the terminology producer network (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). Distribution network design problem tackles the issues of optimizing the flows of commodities through an existing distribution network as well as improving the performance of the existing network by selecting the most appropriate setting of the facilities in the network aimed at satisfying the companys goal at one hand and minimising the overall costs at the other hand (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). It involves facility location, transportation and inventory decisions (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). In other words, the aim of distribution network design problem is on deciding the best way of moving goods or products from resource/ supply points to destination/ demand points which is performed by determining the structure of the network, in a such a way that the customer demands are satisfied and the total distribution costs are minimized (Ambrosino et al., 2009: 442). In Amiris (2006: 567-568) paper, distribution network design is stated as involving the simultaneous decis ions on the best settings of both plants and warehouses and on the best strategy in the sense of product distribution from the plants to the warehouses and from the warehouses to the customers, respectively. Meanwhile, the term â€Å"distribution system design† refers to â€Å"the strategic design of the logistics infrastructure and logistics strategy to deliver products from one or more sources to the customers† (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-1) and similar to Ambrosino et al.s (2009) statement on distribution network design problem focuses on five phases of interconnected decisions, as follows (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-2): Establishing the appropriate quantity of distribution centers (DCs); Setting up the location of each DC; Allocating customers to each DC; Allocating appropriate commodities to each DC; and Determining the throughput and storage capacity of each DC. Various models and approaches that have been built for designing distribution system or distribution network, to name a few, are (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-8-13-15; Lapierre et al., 2004): K-median model, location-allocation model, warehouse location model, Geoffrion and Graves distribution system design model, models that focus on mathematical description of cost functions on each route in order to incorporate returns to scale, models of which concentration are in shipments on hub-to-hub routes regarding discounts, and models that aim at solving the freight transportation problem precisely. 2.2.2 Location-Allocation Problem (LAP) As previously stated in Goetschalckx (2008), LAP could be seen as part of distribution network design problems. Given the place of a set of customers with different demands, LAP is concerned with the selection of supply centres positions dedicated for serving the customers as well as the decision of the allocation of the customers to supply centres, with both of them are aimed at optimizing a given criterion (Hsieh Tien, 2004: 1017). It is also assumed that there is no interaction among supply centres. The criterion could be single such as transportation costs (see, for example, Goetschalckx, 2008; Zhou Liu, 2003; Manzini Gebennini, 2008) or it may comprises several aspects (see, for example, Mitropoulos et al., 2006). The following paragraphs provide some previous researches on LAP. The un-capacitated-type LAP with rectilinear distances could be found in Hsieh and Tien (2004). In this paper, the authors propose a heuristic method which is based on Kohonen self-organising feature maps (SOFMs). Sometimes distribution networks are built in hierarchies, where high-level distribution channels are constructed in straight lines from which low-level channels stem. Furthermore, destinations are allocated to branching facilities in high-level channels through low-level channels. Due to cost considerations, the number and locations of branching facilities as well as the allocation of the destinations to the aforementioned branching facilities need to be determined correctly. Eben-Chaime et al.s (2002) paper addresses this type of problem by formulating appropriate mathematical optimisation models and subsequently proposing heuristic solution methods. Capacitated LAP with stochastic demands is addressed by Zhou and Liu (2003). More specifically, they propose three types of stochastic programming models: (1) expected value model (EVM), (2) chance-constrained programming (CCP), and (3) dependent-chance programming (DCP). To solve these models efficiently, the authors develop a hybrid intelligent algorithm within which three type stochastic simulations are used. The proposed algorithm integrates the network simplex algorithm, stochastic simulation and genetic algorithm. In more recent paper, Zhou and Liu (2007) address the LAP with fuzzy demands by developing three types of fuzzy programming models fuzzy expected cost minimisation model, fuzzy -cost minimisation model, and credibility maximisation model with respect to different decision criterion. To solve these models, the authors apply a hybrid intelligent algorithm developed previously (see Zhou and Liu, 2003). Nonetheless, instead of using stochastic simulations, they are developing and employing fuzzy simulations. Similar with the abovementioned paper, Wen and Imamura (2008) also address LAP with fuzzy demands. For this type of problem, they build a fuzzy -cost model under the Hurwicz criterion. The problem is subsequently solved using the same algorithm as in Zhou and Liu (2007). The establishment of mixed integer programming optimisation models for multi-period, multi-stage LAPs could be found in Manzini and Gebennini (2008). In their paper, the authors develop optimisation models each for the following classes of multi-period, multi-stage LAPs: (1) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (2) multi-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (3) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage open/ closed LAPs, and single-commodity, multi-period, three-stage LAPs. The application of various search methods to a generalised class of LAPs known as multi-facility location problem with generalised objects (MFLPO) is presented by Bischoff and Dà ¤chert (2009). The end of the paper gives comparison of the involved search methods for various sizes of test problem. Research on LAP in health service context could be found in Harper et al. (2005) and Mitropoulos et al. (2006). The former addresses the need to plan health services which takes geographical aspects into consideration. The problem is formulated as a stochastic LAP. The latter paper, on the other hand, develops a bi-objective model to solve the LAP arise in determining the location of hospitals and health centres and the allocation of the patients to those facilities. 2.2.3 Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) In its most basic form (e.g. Bulbul et al., 2008; Laporte, 2007), VRP is concerned with the optimal delivery or collection routes for a limited number of identical vehicles with limited capacities from a central depot/ warehouse to a set of geographically scattered customers. It assumes that the vehicles are at the central depot/ warehouse initially. It also requires the existence of the routes that connect the central depot/ warehouse to customers and customers to customers as well. In this type of VRP, a route must start and finish at the depot and a customer is visited by exactly one vehicle. The total demand of customers served by one vehicle could not exceed the vehicles capacity, and the ultimate goal is to minimise the total routing costs. Since its introduction by Dantzig and Ramser in 1959 (Bulbul et al., 2008), it has given rise to a rich body of works (Laporte, 2007). In 2008, searching the words vehicle routing problem by using Google scholar search results more than 21,700 entries (Golden et al. (eds), 2008). Laportes (1992) paper provides various exact methods and heuristics developed to solve the VRP. Several meta-heuristics intended to solve the classical VRP could be traced from his more recent paper (2007), while Toth and Vigos (2002) paper presents various existing exact algorithms for the solution of classical VRP. The comparison of descent heuristics, simulated annealing, and tabu search in solving VRP is addressed by Van Breedam (2001). Jozefowiez et al. (2008), on the other hand, give a survey on works that have been carried out on multi-objective VRP. A range of VRP variants can be seen in Crainic and Laporte (eds., 1998), Bulbul et al. (2008), and Golden et al. (eds., 2008). Other variants also exist: VRP with stochastic demands and VRP with backhaul. Different classification of VRP could be found in Pisinger and Ropkes (2007) paper. The following sub-sections mention examples of works on some of them, while new directions in modelling and algorithms for various types of LRP could be found in Part II of Golden et al.s (eds., 2008) edited book. 2.2.3.1 VRP with Time Windows In this type of VRP, customer i may only be visited within a time window [ai, bi] (see, e.g., Kontoravdis Bard, 1995; Badeau et al., 1997; Bouthillier Crainic, 2005; Fà ¼genschuh, 2006; Hsu et al., 2007; Kim, et al., 2006; Dondo Cerdà ¡, 2007; Kallehauge et al., 2007). 2.2.3.2 VRP with Pickup and Delivery When the vehicles need to deliver commodities to customers and collect items for example, defective products from them as well, then this is called a VRP with pickup and deliveries. Research papers by Nagy Salhi (2005), Wassan et al. (2008), Wassan et al. (2008), Gribkovskaia et al. (2008), Hoff et al. (2009), and Ai Kachitvichyanukul (2009) are several examples on it. 2.2.3.3 VRP with Backhaul In this type of VRP, the customers are separated into two mutually exclusive subsets so that the first subset of customers receives commodities whereas the second one sends back the products. Additionally, the second subset of customers are only served after the first one. The first subset is called line-haul customers and the second one is named backhaul customers. The f

Death of a Salesman :: essays research papers

Death of a Salesman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The American dream is, in part, responsible for a great deal of crime and violence because people feel that the country owes them not only a living but a good living.† Said David Abrahansen. This is true and appropriate in the case of Willy Loman, and his son Biff Loman. Both are eager to obtain their American dream, even though both have completely different views of what that dream should be. The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller shows the typical lives of typical Americans in the 1940’s. Miller’s choice of a salesman to be the main character in this play was not a coincidence, since it represents the typical middle-class working American, some of which have no technical skills what so ever. Miller’s play gives us insides on the daily lives of many Americans, this through the eyes of Willy and Biff Loman, he also shows what kind of personalities, what dreams they have, and their different points of view of what the Ameri can dream means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willy Loman is a sixty-one years old who has been taken off salary, put on straight commission and eventually fired from the Wagner Company because he is no longer effective. In the story he is portrait as a tragic figure that’s largely to blame for his own downfall. He puts his wife Linda into the position where she is totally dependent on him. Because Willy has an incorrigible inability to tell the truth, even to himself, and an unreasonable mode of thinking, he justifies his death by saying that his sacrifice will save his sons, particularly Biff; he believes that the insurance money they collect will be a tangible remembrance of him. Willy’s dream was to become like Dave Singleman, who was a very popular salesman, liked by his clients and, able to do business by just making a phone call. Because he was so well liked, when Singleman died, customers from all over his region came to his funeral. Willy dared to believe that his funeral would be similar to Singleman's. Throughout his life, Willy believed that if one were attractive and well liked, everything would be perfect. The doors would automatically open for such a man, and he was sure to be successful. Willy’s American dream was to become rich and famous through his sales, a dream that consumed his life, making him live in an imaginary world where he would often talk to himself.

Dealing with Dog Waste

DEALING WITH DOG WASTE Identification and Definition a problem Context: A 2009 research report by Zero2IPO claims that the number of pets in China has grown 500% from 1999 to 2007. There are now estimated 200 million-plus pets in China and this number is expected to grow to 500 million by 2015 China, the world's most populous nation, has about 150 million pet dogs, about one for every nine people. An average Chinese city has about 100,000 dogs and gains about 10,000 per year, while large cities can have twice as many. Beijing had more than 500,000 pet dogs in 2004. Registered dogs in Beijing increased 16% this year, reaching 530,000 dogs. But the actual number of dogs in Beijing is actually much higher. The Social and Environmental Impacts of Uncollected Dog Waste Dog waste in urban areas is a largely ignored issue that is nevertheless the source of serious social and environmental problems. Dog waste presents a problem at two stages of waste management: collection and disposal. Picking up: the Collection of Dog Waste Uncollected dog waste can negatively affect park aesthetics as well as public health and safety. It can also damage turf and other vegetation. In natural parks or along the edge of water bodies, accumulating dog waste can adversely impact sensitive habitat areas. On a broader level, uncollected dog waste is an environmental issue. Nonhuman waste can be a significant source of bacterial contamination in urban watersheds. While livestock is the major source of this problem in rural areas, dogs (along with dense populations of wild birds such as seagulls or Canada geese) are typically the source of contamination in urban areas. Pathogens found in animal waste that is â€Å"zoonotic†Ã¢â‚¬â€œcapable of being transmitted to humans from animals–are the major cause of concern. If ingested, some of these pathogens (including Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Salmonella among others) may result in serious illness or even death. Roundworm and hookworm infections are the zoonotic diseases most commonly associated with dog waste, although only waste from infected dogs carry these parasites. A comparison of three resident surveys about cleaning up after dogs. StudySurvey Results Beijing(1999)†¢ 62% always cleaned up after the dog, 23% sometimes, 15% never †¢ Disposal method: trash can (66%), toilet (12%), other 22% Shanghai(2004)†¢ 51% of dog owners do not walk dogs †¢ 69% claimed that they cleaned up after the dog †¢ 31% do not pick up †¢ Disposal methods: trash can 54%, toilet 20%, compost pile 4% †¢ 4% train pet to poop in own yard †¢ 85% agreed that pet wastes contribute to water quality problems Wuhan(2009)†¢ 44% of dog owners do not walk dogs †¢ Dog walkers who clean up most/all of the time 59% †¢ Dog walkers who never or rarely cleanup 41% Of those who never or rarely clean up, 44% would not cleanup even with fine, complaints, or improved sanitary collection or disposal methods †¢ 63% agreed that pet wastes contribute to water quality problems Table 1 Among those residents surveyed, the most common reasons for dog owner’s behavior in terms of dealing with their dog’s waste are p rovided below: Reasons for not picking it upReasons for picking up †¢ because it eventually goes away †¢ embarrassed †¢ too much work †¢ not prepared †¢ no reason †¢ small dog, small waste †¢ use as fertilizer †¢ sanitary reasons †¢ Cleaner will clean No awareness†¢ it's the law †¢ environmental reasons †¢ hygiene/health reasons †¢ Personal courtesy †¢ it should be done †¢ keep the park clean Table 2 Symptoms: Why many pedestrian do not want to go to park especially elders and children? Dogs leave excretion at random in the grass or in the path. The unbearable smelly odor drives people away. They are afraid of being bite by the dog. Many people get sick after a close contact with dog. No one wants to use the amenity or recreation facilities in the park due to the dirty leaved by dogs. Why the crap always can be seen in the park? Many people walk their dog in the public area, and they don’t collect the pet’s manure. Why doesn’t the owner collect the excretion? Refer to the table2. Problem: People lack awareness and tools to collect the drops. Traditional Dog Waste Disposal Get a good pooper scooper. I hate to point out the obvious, but really, just pick it up. Problem solved. Swing by your local hardware store or any pet store and pick up a poop scooper that works for you. There are several varieties with varying lengths and scoop apparatus. If you can find someone to help you, all the better. Get the lucky individual to follow you around with a bucket while you scoop and deposit dog poo into the bucket. It’s advisable to try to avoid hitting your helper’s fingers. Dig a hole for depositing poop in. This is another simple and effective idea. If in your yard you have an area far away from most activity or just a good place to designate as a poop graveyard, grab a shovel and get to work. Only you know how much dog poop you have to dispose of, so use your judgment when deciding how big of a hole to dig. Just make sure to dig the hole at least a foot deep. If you have the energy, go for two feet. You will also need to be certain of where wires and cables have been buried. That would not be a very dignified death. Invest in some dog poop bags. Whether you walk your dog for exercise or just plain don’t have a good place for your dog to drop a dooker, keep a few poop bags in your pocket for quick dog poop cleanup. I know it’s not the most appetizing prospect, but it’s really not that bad. Using poop bags is easy and fairly sanitary. Put your hand in the dog poop bag, grab the dog poop with the bag, turn the bag inside out with your other hand, and tie it up. Hire a pet waste removal service. If dog waste removal ain’t your style or you simply can’t find enough hours in the day to take care of the dog’s business, there are people out there who’ll be happy to take your dog poop as long as it’s accompanied by a little cash. They’re pretty easy to find, too. Grab a phonebook or hit the interwebs. Most folks who subscribe to this service set it up so someone comes out weekly or biweekly. If for some reason this service isn’t available in your area, just hire a neighbor kid. Dog training 101. Strategic poop locations are key. If you have the time and the inclination, start training your dog to choose the same region of the yard for pooping every time. While training books are readily available and supply much more detail, the Cliff’s Notes version is simply persistence and positive reinforcement. Once the training is complete, you will never regret it. Having the poop in a concentrated area will significantly cut down the time it takes for poop patrol. Contaminations: Fecal coliforms. Fecal coliforms, such as E. coli, are abundantly present in dog poop. These microorganisms can make the water that we rely on for fishing, swimming, and drinking unsafe. Effects of E. coli can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and headaches. Roundworms. Roundworm eggs can be found in dog feces and can be easily transferred to other hosts through ingestion. This is especially dangerous if you have a dog that eats poop. Unfortunately, this is a pretty common behavior. Humans are at risk, too; children in particular. Not because kids generally make a habit of eating poo, but they do frequently put their hands in their mouths regardless of what they’ve been doing. Giardia. Another parasite sometimes found in dog feces that can be transferred to animals and humans through ingestion is giardia. Giardia is generally the culprit for Montezuma’s revenge and causes diarrhea, cramping, and abdominal pain. Most commonly it is contracted through the drinking of water that has been tainted by feces. Salmonella. Salmonella can also be found in and spread by dog feces. It can be transferred from dog to dog or even from dog to human. Avoid feeding your dog any uncooked meats or eggs. Statistics: The law enacted in other cities and the effectiveness of the law. The Law New York City’s Dog Poop Scoop Law How much do you know about New York City’s dog poop scoop law? According to Section 161. 03 of the New York City Health Code, your there are a lot of places where your dog can’t poop: a) A person who owns, possesses or controls a dog, cat or other animal shall not permit the animal to commit a nuisance on a sidewalk of any public place, on a floor, wall, stairway or roof of any public or private premises used in common by the public, or on a fence, wall or stairway of a building abutting on a public place. Who can issue you a ticket if your dog poops and you don’t scoop? Authorized employees of New York City’s Departments of Health, Sanitation, or Parks and Recreation. England, Scotland and Wales The Litter (Animal Droppings) Order 1991 of the Environmental Protection Act (1990) places a duty on local authorities to keep the following areas clear of dog faeces; †¢Any public walk or pleasure ground †¢Any land laid out as a garden or used for the purpose of recreation †¢Any part of the seashore which is frequently used by large numbers of people, and managed by the person having direct control of it as a tourist resort or recreational facility †¢Any esplanade or promenade Any land not forming part of the highway or, in Scotland, a public road, which is open to the air, which the public are permitted to use on foot only, and which provides access to retail premises †¢A trunk road picnic area †¢A picnic site. Northern Ireland The Litter (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 section 6 gives local authorities the duty to keep i ts relevant land or any relevant road for which it is responsible, clear of litter and refuse (including dog faeces). Prosecution of Dog owners who fail to clear up In England and Wales The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, allows authorities to designate any land in their area as poop scoop areas without any requirement to provide signs or dog waste bins The land must be publicly accessible and open to the air, however the following areas are not included: †¢Carriageways with a speed limit of more than 40 mph †¢Land used for agriculture or woodlands †¢Land which is predominantly marshland, moor or heath †¢Rural common land The penalty for not clearing up dog fouling can be up to ? 1,000 if taken to court, but there is also provision for a fixed penalty scheme with a fine of ? 0 in England. In England the main legislation relating to dog fouling is dealt with under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part IV). Exceptions to the offence are: †¢The person in charge of the dog has a reasonable excuse for not clearing up (being unaware of the fouling or not having the means to clean up is not an excuse) †¢The owner or occupier of the land has consented to the faeces being left †¢The person puts the faeces in a bin on the land †¢The person in charge of the dog has a registered visual impairment In Northern Ireland Under the Litter (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, it is an offence for the owner of a dog to not to clear up after their dog if it has left faeces on publicly accessible land. The penalty is up to ? 500. The fixed penalty rate is ? 10. In Scotland The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 section 48 makes it an offence to allow a dog to foul a footpath, local authority grass verge, a local authority pedestrian precinct and any local authority maintained recreation or sports ground. The fine is up to ? 500. What can I do about a dog fouling offence? To report an offence contact your local authority to find out what the dog control procedures are in your area, and make note of the following details: †¢Name and address of the person in charge of the dog †¢A description of the dog †¢Details of the date, time and location of the offence. If the fouling takes place at regular times it may be possible for dog wardens to witness the fouling. In most cases the wardens will warn the offender before taking legal action, which is usually enough to deter further offences. Dog Warden Scheme This is one of the most effective ways of tackling the dog fouling problem. The dog warden has 3 important roles in the community: †¢Enforcement – enforcing the legislation relating to dog fouling, dogs in general and local bye-laws †¢Educational – to promote responsible attitudes to dog ownership, to develop an understanding of the role of the dog warden and how the public can be supportive †¢Practical – handling and securing stray dogs, dealing with problems relating to noisy and nuisance dogs. Effectiveness of the law binding: Low effectiveness not because of being lazy but because it just a bizarre practice to pick up the dog shit. So only 10% of the citizens would pick up the dog poop in daily life, besides recruiting and keeping dog warden is a very huge investment, the way to collect evidences is also a difficult aspect due to the large area to supervise and lots of cameras need to install to spot the crime. There is one opinion cited below will back up the statement that so few people will obey the law Embarrassment No matter what the size or breed of dog, there has always been one inevitable constant—poop. Oh yeah, lots of it, folks. Brown poop, green poop, runny poop, and even some very pretty poop thanks to those dogs who liked to chew things up and swallow the little bits. Because our family was never real big on walking the dogs, our front yard had a tendency to become a minefield of smelly brown bombs. And guess whose job it was to go around and clean it all up? I can’t take all the credit as I had brothers who were thrown into the party, as well, but I think you get the picture. Of all the chores that we had, going on â€Å"poop patrol† was the one our dad derived the most pleasure out of making us do. The guy just loved to stand above us on the deck, laugh maniacally, and point out all the little piles that we had missed. Our poop scoop technology wasn’t very advanced. One of us (the lucky one) would carry a spade shovel around the yard while the other (not so lucky) followed with a five-gallon pail lined with a garbage bag. What we all carried was a big steaming pile of embarrassment about the chore at hand. A close eye was kept on the street for friends who might by passing by. If one was spotted, we immediately dropped what we were doing so we could pretend to be doing anything other than picking up dog crap. These are the memories that haunt me. Although the law has little effective but the law is inevitable in arising human’s awareness. Once the behavior become a social norm It has reached a point where it's socially unacceptable to leave your dog's poop on the sidewalk or in someone else's beautiful front garden for some innocent wanderer to accidentally step in and track all over their car or house. It keeps areas with frequent city traffic looking tidy and clean. It's just something that is done. Description of our product: Magic rod ? Magic rod ? Magic rod I is the portable one. Description: The length of the rod is about half meter when the stick is pulled out to the most. There is a button at the upper end of the rod, the scoop will open when press the button and then the waste will be picked up and sealed in the disposable bag. After that the owner need to takes out the bag and throw it to the trash bin. Magic rod ? is the multi-functional one Description: This is for rent; the multi-functions not only comprise the main function of picking poop but also can be used as a walking stick, chair for the aging group which prefer to walk dog, exercise in the morning. The big round plate which has two hole inside is a handle but it can transform to a chair when press down. And the stick is collapsible, push in the stick to a certain height in order to adapt to your comfort. After picking up the excrement you can lean the magic rod to a certain angle and drag it to anywhere, there is a wheel in each of the leg which enables the host to drag like dragging a travel suitcase. Our marketing Methods: http://www. getridofthings. com/get-rid-of-dog-poop. htm

Structure Example

Structure Example Structure – Coursework Example Police structure Comparison s 5th March, Police Structure Comparison Local accountability strategy group of association of police authorities in the past have agreed to review international models and structures of police accountability and their impact such as; public confidence, workforce stability and long-term planning. Therefore, by comparing and understanding the modern police structure and organization; four concepts are essential; chain of command, span of control, division of labor and unity of command.Chain of command- ensures that every individual is on supervision by an immediate boss and it can only be overlooked during emergency or urgency is necessary. In Ireland, the command of chain in the police department; inspectors are senior to sergeants and junior to superintendents (A new beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland, 1999). Inspectors may be either detectives or in uniform. This differs in the U.S.A because the term inspector can have different meanings depending o n the enforcement agency. That is in the federal agencies (FBI), an inspector is a special agent whose main duty is inspecting local field offices and resident agencies to make ensure they operate efficiently (FBI, 2015).Organizational structure in Ireland police department, garda rank structure in descending order is as follows; commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and the superintendant. Inspector, sergeant and garda. And there is the garda commissioner’s management team which comprises of deputy commissioner in charge of operations, strategy and change management, chief administrative officer, 12 assistant commissioners, executive director of finance and services, executive director of ICT and communications and the chief medical officer. The garda commissioner’s management team is an overcite policing service that look into the Ireland police performance and accountability (A new beginning : Policing in Northern Ireland, 1999).On the other hand , the FBI is headed by the director who is the chief of staff in the federal. He/ She is assisted by the deputy director who is the special agent in charge. Under the office of the deputy director we have the office of public affairs, congressional affair, general counsel, professional responsibility and integrity and compliance. The associate deputy director who is under the deputy director supervises the following departments within the FBI; executive director for human resource branch and IT branch. While the executive assistant director for intelligence is directly answerable to the deputy director (FBI, 2015).There is a bigger margin between the organizational structures of the two security agencies namely FBI and the Ireland police department. In extensive FBI is one of the security agencies in U.S.A and therefore, security structure in the U.S.A is inclusive and well defined and the chain of command clearly defined in contrast to the Ireland police department which needs more structural and organizational model to be well defined and improved in the same areas. The only disadvantage of the FBI model is that it is a bit complex it can affect decision making during emergency. ReferencesFBI,. (2015). Homepage. Retrieved 5 March 2015, from fbi.gov/A new beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland. (1999). Retrieved 5 March 2015, from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/police/patten/patten99.pdf