Fairy tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fairy tales - Essay Example Children find such tales so interesting because some of the fairy tales touch on their every day experience. Parents should expose their children to some of the fairy tales when they turn five. Children will concentrate more in listening to fairy tales when relaxing, especially when they are about to retire to bed. Fairy tales are not just associated with children. They are very much important to teens. They are important to teens because they build on their emotional resilience. Parents should show their responsibility in taking care of the family by showing the teens about the reality of life. This will make them know and appreciate that problems do not come to people because they are bad, but rather problems are faced by people in order to make them stronger and to be able to survive in any environment no matter how complicated it is. There are a lot of lessons we can learn from fairy tales. Some of them range from the society’s perception of the role of a girl child to chi ld trafficking. In most societies, including China’s, boys have been traditionally valued than girls. You find boys given the best kind of education, given opportunity in places of work and at the same time given an opportunity to marry any girl he wishes, sometimes with the help of the parents. This is not only common in China but also other nations though the situation is now changing. This paper therefore aims at drawing illustrations based on the issues that affect children and some of the ways in which parents and relatives have contributed to such problems. Most of the illustrations will however be drawn from children fairy tales like Disneyland for clarifications. Girls lack freedom of choice. This is because they are always viewed as weaker sex. In as much as many people could hold similar opinion about girls, I tend to wonder the kind of criterion such people have always used to measure weaknesses of girls. Perhaps one of the reasons for holding such belief is the fa ct that boys tend to be a little bit brave as compared to girls. Boys’ brevity can be seen in the way they handle situations, friends and enemies, animals, scary movies and tales. Some girls, on the other hand, are more afraid of touching animals and certain insects; they also fear scary movies like horrors. However much people feel that girls are naturally born weaker sex and that they are always cowards, this again should not be true with all girls; certain girls are braver just like there are certain boys who are cowards. The ability to be brave or cowardice depends on certain factors, some of them being entirely dependent on genes. Generalizing that all girls are cowards or all boys should be brave is a fact that does not hold water. Besides, should it be the reason why most societies do not have respect for girl child? If it is so then it is regrettable because creation is an occurrence which is beyond human understanding. Certain tales teach about the power of confidenc e. A good example is (Cinderella) the girl who falls in love with a prince and despite her poor background, breaks all odds to marry the handsome prince. This is done against the wishes of many including the step sister. The view that girls are inferior is something that even women appreciate. They are not given a chance to choose what they feel is best for them. In Cinderella, Cinderella’s step sister falls in love with a mere baker, a love triangle that later leads to marriage. Cinderella’

Customer Loyalty in a Business To Business Context Essay Example for Free

Customer Loyalty in a Business To Business Context Essay Customer loyalty is considered to be a powerful tool for most organizations in ensuring that they gain a competitive advantage in their respective industries ( Lam, Shankar, Erramilli, Bvsan, 2004, p. 294). Customer loyalty is necessary for ensuring that organizations remain profitable while also achieving growth through reaching out to new market grounds. The importance of customer loyalty in the world of economics has developed gradually as an area of study especially business to business (B2B) environments. This is due to the need to study and identify factors that ensure customer loyalty is maintained and even increased, according to Haghkhah et al. , (2013, p. 156). Haghkhah, et al., (2013, p. 156) further noted that increased competition for customers in the market signifies that business ought to react even faster and more specific to the demands and wants of clients in order to win their loyalty. For this reason, marketers in most organizations tend to focus on customer retention techniques and also to lay an emphasis on increasing their loyalty levels. In order to achieve this, B2B has offered vast opportunities to ensure that most organizations achieve their objectives of customer retention and loyalty. Thus, the latter shows the importance of understanding customer retention and loyalty as an important area of the research study. Customer loyalty is viewed as a behavior of repetitive buying and further developed moving forward with factors such as antecedents, consequences, and factors. This has led the researcher to gain an interest in conducting further research on customer retention and loyalty, therefore, this research paper will be on the various ways and techniques that organizations can implement in order to increase customer loyalty in a B2B context Customer loyalty According to Haghkhah, et al., (2013, p. 157) a high rate of loyalty in a B2B environment is a competitive advantage to the seller due to the clients willingness to pay a higher price for goods and sensitive since they start becoming less price sensitive as a result of trust that has been gained. This means that the income generated is likely to increase and remain stable to move forward Customer loyalty is viewed as a strategy that aims at ensuring customers gain behaviour of repetitive purchasing from the same company. Customer loyalty in a B2B environment achieves a mutual reward that benefits both the customer and the organization. It is usually considered as ways of gaining competitive advantage by an organization over its competitors. Various companies have applied the strategy of maintaining customer loyalty since it is considered cheaper in regard trying to gain new customers in order to increase their revenue base. ÄÅ'ater.T ÄÅ'ater.B (2010, p. 1322) view customer loyalty based on activities such as contract renewal, making recommendations to clients and increasing patronage in a business to business environments. They further note that these factors will likely influence the level of loyalty to clients of an organization. In other research, customer loyalty in a B2B environment is based on the experiences of the client, the future expectations that a client may have about the organization and the frequency at which a customer buys goods and services from the organization( haghkhah, Abdul Hamid, Ebrahimpour, Roghanian, Gheysari, 2013, p. 158). Further, (ÄÅ'ater ÄÅ'ater, 2010) notes that in order to influence the loyalty of clients in a B2B context, and then the organization has to understand the behaviour of the client and the attitude of the client. Literature review 2.1 Limitations and Gap in Literature The field of customer loyalty is one that has much information, but very little attention has been given to business-to-business scenarios. Most previous research has mainly focused on the customer’s point of view (Mascareigne, 2009). This could be because most view customer retentions as a behavioral factor. (Ranaweera Prabhu, 2003) In any economy, businesses have to transact to perform their daily operations. Some businesses, such as audit firms, exist to serve other businesses. Extensive research on this area could aid other businesses to learn the dynamics of customer loyalty amongst themselves. A major limitation that was also experienced in the research was the over generalization of the research based on a B2B context. Since different businesses have different operations and strategies, some aspects may works for a certain sector that may not necessarily work for another. For example, concepts that may be used to increase customer loyalty in the banking sector, may not work in the manufacturing sector. According to Buttle (2008, p. 267) commitment is defined as the relationship that exist between the two firms and is likely to be terminated at a reasonable future date. In a B2B environment, the commitment shared by the two firms is usually on a mutual agreement. Doma (2013, p. 72) notes that commitment between two firms is usually bonded by trust among the two firms. The level of trust that is usually shared by the two or more firms that conduct business affects their commitment framework. The more a firm is committed to another increases the level of loyalty shared by the two firms. Moorman Rust (1999, p. 183) in their research notes that commitment is usually the level of effort that is put by firms in ensuring a valuable relationship enjoyed by the two firms is maintained in the long term. The relationship usually has economic benefits for the two firms in their bid to ensure they remain profitable in their operations. For this reason, there exists a belief among organizations that the relationship has economic benefits; thus efforts are put in maintaining it. However, according to Hennig-Thurau (2004, p. 463) states that many scholars tend to argue that there is no major difference between loyalty and commitment. That school of thought has been dismissed by Morgan Hunt (1999, p. 24) who argued there is a difference between loyalty and commitment. They, however, noted that the two are related, with a commitment being an antecedent of loyalty. This means that commitment is a factor in B2B environment that will increase the level of loyalty. This also meant th at the existence of commitment had a strong positive impact on the level of commitment. Shabbir et al. (2007, p. 280) in their research demonstrated that commitment is an antecedent of loyalty. They argued that commitment in the B2B environment, it played a central role in ensuring that loyalty is always maintained and even increased to higher levels. Sharma, et al. (2006, p. 77) in their study note that commitment is the situation whereby there is a desire to make a relationship stronger with another person or even group due to familiarity or even friendship has that has been developed over time due to the personal interaction that has occurred between the two over a period of time(Eakuru Mat, 2008, p. 125). Therefore, commitment should be as a result of identifying the values that are shared commonly between two organizations. It is crucial to note that the customer will retain a relationship with another party due to the positive effect they have with the supplier. At times, a client may be forced to continue staying in a relationship with another party due to lack of valuable options that may be available to them (Fullerton, 2005, p. 1388). However, most relationships are maintained with a commitment as a result of the benefits that both parties will benefit from (Brandi, 2001, p. 67). When commitment is the guiding principle of B2B environment, and one organization performs poorly in comparison to the incumbent organization, then due to the level of commitment shared the partners are unlikely to switch to other options (Stephan , 2002, p. 20). This makes a commitment an underlying factor that will help in influencing the level of loyalty in a B2B environment (Stephan , 2002, p. 33). Akin (2012) gives an example, in comparing the loyal between customers with low loyalty and customers with high loyalty and explains that customers with high loyalty will be not be swayed by discounted prices from other suppliers. Therfore, the higher the level of commitment that will be shared between organizations an increase in loyalty levels between the organizations will be experienced. If the level of commitment is increased through activities such as contract renewal and making of recommendations to the other organization, it will in turn increase the level of loyalty enjoyed by the two firms. Therefore, if organizations want to increase the rate of exit by their clients, then they have to build a relationship that will be founded on a commitment. Commitment will in turn increase the level of loyalty in a B2B environment. This will ensure that the future of the organization is maintained as it will continue making profit. In a study conducted by CITATION Gus05 l 1033 (Gustavsson Lundgren, 2005) they give an example whereby airline companies use their frequent flyer programs as a means to enhance repeated purchase through provision of economic incentives to ensure that they increase and also maintain loyal among their clients. 2.2 Theories and Methodologies A common principle that has emerged from the total quality management (TQM) movement is that the decisive path, to retaining customers, is to satisfy their needs (Colby, 2013). The theory holds that if by identifying what customers expect and by meeting these requirements and expectations, these customers are less likely to opt for the services given by a competitor. Past research conducted by Colby (2013) has shown a positive relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. In other words, if a client is satisfied with the services offered by a business, the client is bound to be loyal to the business. Other studies have also identified a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty (Van Es, 2012). However, a certain level of satisfaction does not always guarantee the desired loyalty. In a certain survey, Colby suggested four indicators of customer loyalty and this include; demographics, past behavior, perception of gain or loss of switching to a different brand and attitudes towards openness to new brands. Studying these four indicators can give a better understanding of customer loyalty. For instance, if a business expects to save on costs by transacting with another business, then they are most likely to be loyal to that particular partnership. The attitudinal approach takes a view of purchase behavior and tends to explain in terms of values, beliefs and attitudes. Deterministic theory entails the logical relationship between variables and researchers in this field are responsible for identifying which variables affect customer loyalty. It appears to be acceptable to most cognitive researchers that attitude comes before behavior in a scenario that involves repurchasing a product and is very important because attitude comes before a choice. The behavioral approach holds that internal processes cannot be measured and, therefore, have no place in research (Bennet Bove, 2002). Understanding customer loyalty in a B2B scenario is a long term relationship regardless of the importance of the transactions. Both methods may differ in views but can be both used to understand the concept. Although customer loyalty research has evolved over the years, most of this research uses a logical empiricist paradigm(Paavola, 2006). Information about customer loyalty has been derived mainly from cognitive psychology, with theories about attitude forming most of the work. Current theoretical framework could, therefore, bring a new perspective into the loyalty research. Paavola (2006) uses the social constructionism paradigm to examine the notion of customer loyalty critically. The study gives a detailed description of customer loyalty that is based on the social reality of customers. The results imply that different types of loyalty should be taken into considerations when making managerial implementations. Categorization can also be very beneficial when it comes to future loyalty research. Most theories, which are associated with loyalty studies, deal with issues such as loyalty programs, customer satisfaction, customer value, service quality and social bonds (Jacobsen, Olsson, Sjovall, 2004). A model constructed by Jacobsen, Olsson and Sjovall (2004) shows that social bonds have the most significant effect on customer loyalty with companies in the banking sector. The study shows that the most important factors, in maintaining customer loyalty in the banking sector, were social bonds and personnel. This is because, banking services are very similar and to survive in such as market, strong competitive personnel are required to make the right connections. The same study revealed that monetary benefits are not a significant factor in that area of business. According to Kuusik (2007), the factors, trustworthiness, satisfaction, importance of relationship and image are important factors that play a role in the different levels of customer loyalty. Traditionally, most research has focussed on either the influence of individual factors on loyalty or the nature of different levels of loyalty. It is important to not only view loyalty through behavioural criteria, but also attitudinal criteria as well. Behavioural clients could be divided into; forced to be loyal, functionally loyal and loyal due to inertia (Kuusik, 2007). For instance, in a B2B context, when a certain company is a monopoly, getting supplies from them is the only logical answer, and this forces a company to be loyal by force. Businesses can be loyal by inertia due to the importance of a certain process. If the process is of low importance, then there is practically no need to get another partner. This can happen in situations where the transaction is routine such as trash- pickup. Functionality loyalty is gained from when organizations have to partner with other organizations because they have an objective reason to be. Research has shown that inertia is a situation opposite to loyalty CITATION Aki12 l 4105 (Akin, 2012). For example, a business may select another business since they require minimal effort to reach them. Dahlgren (2005) used multivariate data analysis techniques to build a link between dimensions of brand loyalty and to capture the different levels of customer loyalty. The result showed several differences in the loyalty dimensions. In a similar study, Kuusik (2007) uses a LOGIT regression model to determine the significant factors that affect customer loyalty. The model comprises of various factors that affect customer loyalty. The study reveals that image, satisfaction, importance of relationship and trustworthiness are the most significant factors in loyalty research. According to East et al. (2005) the definition of loyalty is useful if they can be used to predict phenomena such as search, retention, and recommendation. The authors establish that combination measures of customer loyalty often act as poor indicators of consumer loyalty as compared to other singular indicators such as recommendations. Apart from viewing these combinations to be of limited value, the research also establishes that there is no form of loyalty that always predicts different loyalty outcomes and a general concept of loyalty should be abandoned (East, Gendall, Hammond, Lomax, 2005). For instance, instead of using indicators such as loyalty programs and money rewards, researchers should either look for retention of customers and any recommendation given by them. 2.3 Identifying relationships between ideas and practice to increase loyalty in a B2B context Various ideas have been drafted in order to increase customer loyalty in a B2B context. For example, from the above review, it is noted that identification of the companys prospects and acting on them will help in increasing the loyalty. However a company can deliver on all the needs of their clients, but the delivery of their services will influence the level of loyalty moving forward. If when delivering all the needs of their client, and they produce a poor delivery service, then this will likely lead to a decrease in loyalty level. For example according to Akin (2012) factors that help increasing the loyalty of customers is high-level service quality delivered by firms that will lead to a high level of customer satisfaction. In another scenario, companies tend to try and find ways in which they can influence the frequency at which their clients access their websites for information. However, research indicates that half of the customers get information from their website. The lack of companies to invest and provide websites that are easy to access and provide the necessary information to their clients will lead to a decline in the level of loyalty. For this reason, there is a clear distinction between the ideas developed to increase loyalty and the practices a company will adopt. Conclusion From this literature review, it can be shown that various researches have tried to establish the existence of a positive relationship between loyalty and aspects such as service quality and customer satisfaction. Some studies have employed the use of correlation analysis to investigate this relationship. Correlation research allows a researcher to determine whether a relationship between variables exists, it allows one to define the extent of the relationship between the variables (Gall, Gall, Bord, 2005). Qualitative and quantitative research methods both have their benefits and drawbacks. For instance, when the correlation between two variables has been established, it still does not tell the researcher what should be done, but rather what can be done. Qualitative methods, as used by Paavola (2006), can also bring out knowledge that is not familiar with other researchers. The results can also be influenced by the researcher’s personal biases. However, some of these studies tend to cover wide areas that may take long periods of research. The benefits of customer retention have been recognized by many researchers (Feihua, 2011). In the business to business scenario, certain aspects of retaining a customer bring out themselves than conducting business with the ordinary customers. For instance, paying attention to the ordinary, like attending meetings on time is not a necessary, but a crucial habit to consider. In a B2B relationship, the parties are more defined, and this is based on the assumption that both parties are seeking common benefits in the relationship (Oy, 2010). In a normal business to customer relationship, the dissolution of the relationship ends up in the consumer leaving the services of the provider. In the B2B setup, the end of the relationship is thought in terms of a process while in switching is thought as just as a change in the relationship. In customer loyalty research, perhaps it would be of vital importance to consider the industry in which the research is being conducted on. In industries wher e the businesses provide similar services, social bonds could be the prevalent factor that promotes consumer loyalty between businesses. In other industries, where the services offered are different, probably loyalty programs and monetary rewards could be the way to win customer loyalty. References Akin, E. (2012). Literature Review and Discussion on Customer Loyalty and Consciousness. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 158-170. Brandi, J. (2001). Building Customer Loyalty: The 21 Essential Elements in Action. Texas: The Walk The Talk Company. Buttle, F. (2008). Customer Relationship Management (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. Doma, S. A. (2013). Relationship Quality as Predictor of B2B Customer Loyalty. SYSTEMICS, CYBERNETICS AND INFORMATICS, 111(1), 72-78. Gustavsson, S., Lundgren, E. (2005). Customer Loyalty. Lulea University of Technology. Haghkhah, A., Abdul Hamid, A. B., Ebrahimpour, A., Roghanian, P., Gheysari, H. (2013). Commitment and Customer Loyalty in Business-To-Business Context. European Journal of Business and Management, 15(19), 156-164. Lam, S. Y., Shankar, V., Erramilli, M. K., B. M. (2004). Customer Value, Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Switching Costs: An Illustration From a Business-to-Business Service Context. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 32(293), 294-311. Bennet, R., Bove, L. (2002). Identifying the Key Issues for Measuring Loyalty. QUT Digital Repository, 1-29. ÄÅ'ater, T., ÄÅ'ater, B. (2010). Product and relationship quality influence on customer commitment and loyalty in B2B manufacturing relationships. Industrial marketing management, 39(8), 1321-1333.Colby, C. (2013, December 9). A New Paradigm for Understanding Customer Retention. Retrieved from Rockbridge: http://rockresearch.com/a-new-paradigm-for-understanding-customer-retention/ Eakuru, N., Mat, N. (2008). The application of structural equation modeling (SEM) in determining the antecedents of customer loyalty in banks in South Thailand. The Business Review, Cambridge, 10(2), 129-139. East, R., Gendall, P., Hammond, K., Lomax, W. (2005). Consumer Loyalty: Singular, Additive or Interactive? Australian arketing Joural, 10-17.Feihua, Q. (2011). Customer Retention in E-commerce business. Haaha-Helia University press, 1-56. Fullerton, G. (2005). How commitment both enables and undermines marketing relationships. European Journal of marketing, 39(11), 1372-1388.Gall, J., Gall, M., Bord, W. (2005). Applying educational research: A practical guide (1st ed.). Boston: Pearzon. Hennig-Thurau, T. (2004). Customer orientation of service employees: Its impact on customer satisfaction, commitment, and retention. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15(5), 460-478. Jacobsen, D., Olsson, M., Sjovall, A. (2004). The Creation of Customer Loyalty. Kristianstad University, 1-71. Kuusik, A. (2007). AFFECTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY: DO DIFFERENT FACTORS HAVE VARIOUS INFLUENCES IN DIFFERENT LOYALTY LEVELS? Tartu University Press, 1-29. Mascareigne, J. (2009). Customer Retention. Lulea University Press, 1-88. Moorman, C., Rust, R. T. (1999). The role of marketing. The Journal of Marketing, 180-197, 63.Morgan, R. M., Hunt, S. D. (1999). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. The Journal of marketing, 20-38.Oy, O. (2010). IMPROVING CUSTOMER LOYALTY THROUGH A REGULAR CUSTOMER PROGRAM. TAMPEREEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU University Publications, 1-45. Paalova, H. (2006). Categories of Loyalty. Toward Meaning-based Theory of Customer Loyalty. European Advances in Consumer Research, 420-428. Ranaweera, C., Prabhu, J. (2003). The influence of satisfaction, trust and switching barriers on customer retention in a continuous purchasing setting. international journal of service industry management, 374-395. Shabbir, H., Palihawadana, D., Thwaites, D. (2007). Determining the antecedents and consequences of donor †perceived relationship quality—A dimensional qualitative research approach. Psychology Marketing, 24(3), 271-293. Sharma, N., Young, L., Wilkinson, I. (2006). The commitment mix: Dimensions of commitment in international trading relationships in India. Journal of International Marketing, 64-91. Stephan, B. (2002). Customer Loyalty Programs and Clubs (2nd ed.). London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Van Es, R. (2012). The Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty, and its Influence on Business Model Design. Universiteit Twente, 1-85. Source document

Activity Cycle Diagram And The Condition Specification Computer Science Essay

Activity Cycle Diagram And The Condition Specification Computer Science Essay Many descriptive and symbolic techniques for representation of the simulation of a model are present in literature. Some of these techniques are better with one model while not better with the representation of the other one. Two most important techniques for representation of model simulation are known as Activity Cycle Diagram and the Condition specification. The activity cycle diagram (ACD) has been used an ideal technique to represent a model. The technique is based on Tochers idea of stochastic gearwheels (quoted in Paul et al 1993. The ACD represents the activities of a model with its entities by composing their life cycles. The entity could be a passive state as Queue or an active state as activity. The Queue and activity are represented in ACD with specific symbols. Part A Specification of the model domain A part enters a cell where it is first loaded onto machine 1. After this operation the part is either loaded immediately on to machine 2, or if that machine is busy, it is moved to a buffer area. After the operation on machine 2, the part leaves the system. All movements are carried out by a robot. The entities in the system and their possible states. A part Enters into cell Loaded into machine Move to buffer if machine is busy Leaves the machine after operation by machine 2 Machine 1 One in number First in activity No waiting for part to enter in machine 1 Machine 2 One in number Second or Third in activity No waiting or waiting for part to enter in machine 2 A Robot Moves a part from position zero to machine 1 Moves a part from machine 1 to machine 2 or to buffer zone if machine 2 is busy Moves a part from buffer zone to machine 2 when machine 2 is ready. A buffer area Stores a part when machine 2 is busy Dont store a part if machine 2 is ready Move a part from buffer area to machine 2 when machine 2 is ready Classes of Entities Permanent entities stay in system ; Machine 1 Machine 2, Robot Temporary entities that move through the system à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Part, Buffer zone 1.2 The Activity Cycle Diagram for each of the entities. Part Part Leave Machine 2 Machine 2 Machine 1 Enter into Machine 1 If machine 2 is busy Buffer zone When Machine 2 is ready Figure 1 The Part Part Machine 2 Machine 1 Accepts part Move part to machine 2 If machine 2 is ready Move part to buffer zone if machine 2 is busy Buffer zone Figure 2 Machine 1 Buffer zone Machine 2 Machine 1 Accepts a part from machine 1 Send Part out of When Machine 2 is ready machine 2 Part Final Position If machine 2 is busy Accepts a part from buffer When Machine 2 become ready Figure 3 Machine 2 Machine 2 Part Position zero Machine 1 Moves part Moves part from machine 1 Moves part out of machine 2 From position to machine 2 Part Final Position Zero to machine 1 If machine 2 is busy Moves part from machine 1 to buffer zone When Machine 2 is ready Moves part from buffer zone to machine 2 Buffer zone Figure 4 A Robot Machine 1 Machine 2 Receives part from machine 1 to buffer zone If machine 2 is busy Send part to machine 2 when Machine 2 is ready Buffer zone Figure 5 A buffer area 1.3 The combined Activity Cycle diagram for the whole system and necessary conventions. Robot 1 Robot 2 Part At final position A Part At Position Zero Machine 2 Machine 1 Robot moves a part from Robot moves a part from machine 1 Robot moves a part out from machine 2 Position zero to machine 1 to machine 2 if machine 2 is ready at final position Robot moves a part from machine 1 Robot moves a part from buffer zone To buffer zone if machine 2 is busy to machine 2 when machine 2 become available Buffer zone Figure 6 Part B The elements of the Activity Cycle Diagram that introduce the parts in the cell. Robots are the elements of ACD that introduce parts into machines. It is assumed that there are two Robots. Robot 1 introduce part into machine one and then it has two choices. It moves part from machine 1 to machine 2 if machine 2 is ready to uptake the part. In case the machine 2 is busy, the Robot 1 moves part from machine 1 to buffer zone which is a waiting area. The Robot two is assumed to work with machine 2. It moves part from buffer area into machine 2 when machine 2 becomes available. After processing in machine 2, the Robot 2 moves part from machine 2 to its final position. It should be noted that some assumptions have been made for the responsibilities of two elements (Robots) provided exact tasks have been provided. Four bullet points of the key aspects of proposed diagram. The conditions on which the particular activities in your diagram will be executed. Each activity in ACD is bound with some condition or conditions. For example, in the activity of moving part from machine 1 to machine 2, the attached condition is availability of the machine 2. The Robot 1 will move part from machine 1 to machine 2 provided machines 2 is available to uptake the part. If the condition changes and machine 2 is busy, then Robot 1 will move part to buffer zone. The other significant activity of ACD is related to moving part from buffer zone to machine 2. It is assumed to be done by Robot 2. The Robot 2 has two choices or it will be dealing with two conditions. In condition one when machine 2 is busy, The Robot 2 will not move part from buffer area to machine 2. In condition 2 when machine 2 has become available, then the Robot 2 will move part from buffer zone to machine 2. In the third significant activity, the Robot 2 will move part from machine 2 to its final stage conditional that machine 2 has finished its job on the part. In short, each activity in an ACD is related to one or more conditions. The main attributes of your entities The ACD represents the activities of a model with its entities by composing their life cycles (Abdul et al 1994). The entity could be a passive state as Queue or an active state as activity (Sawhney et al 1995). The Queue and activity are represented in ACD with specific symbols (Shi et al 1997). In the current example, there are also two entities. One is the actual activity or the active state like moving Part from machine one to machine 2 and other entity is the passive entity like buffer zone which can be said as the queue. Similarly we can look at the total entities in ACD. In current example, entities are machine 1, machine 2, Part, buffer area, robot. The physical realization of the queues in the system The physical activity diagram presents an obvious picture to observe the queues in the system (Zeigler 1987). The physical realisation of the queues in the current example comes from the buffer zone which is used as a queue in the example. The part has to wait in buffer area when machine 2 is not free. Therefore the buffer are presents a realisation of the physical queue. The outcome parameters to be studied by the model built upon activity cycle diagram. Each model is designed to study certain parameters in the model (Halpin 1977). The simulation even not used primarily for the optimization of parameters is helpful in optimizing the model in joint effort with design analysis and mathematical evaluation. In the current study, the potential parameters which can be a focus of the study may be studying of queues at buffer zone level, Rate of feed at machine 1, rate of part flow from machine 1 to machine 2 and the removal rate of part from machine 2. All these parameters are of quite significance. For example any significant delay at queue (at buffer zone), decrease at the feed rate at machine 1 or delay at removal rate of part at machine 2 can disrupt the Cell function or decrease its efficiency. The kind of simulation experiments that would be performed with the model. In the real world experimentation can be expensive and in manufacturing and production system, many resources may be used in experimentation (McCahill et al 1993). The alternative to expensive experimentation is simulation methods and other analytical methods (Nance et al 1988). Especially computer model simulations may be economical and provide a chance of actual system observation without incurring unacceptable and expensive options (Murata 1989). On the other hand, physical models may not provide a real picture especially where a layout of resources requires examination such as productivity flow (Vanegas et al 1993). In complex and multistage problems, it may become complex to conduct real and physical experimentation (Paulson 1978). Some actions and activities are not even possible in real world such as a process like flow line optimisation where blocking of a system is required but practically very hard to follow (Paulson et al 1987). However, simulation is not an optimisation p rocedure and must be supported with other procedures like design analysis and optimisation. Therefore we can use experiments like optimisation, design analysis, computerisation simulation, manual simulation, and mathematical model analysis. In current example, objective of model will be kept in mind. First of all small models will be built for each entity. Model will be built in phases and each phase will be checked if it is working properly. The model will be made in phases as it is shown in individual ACD examples. The final ACD will be built once the individual ACD for each entity are checked. Each ACD if planned on computer model or manually will be debugged and corrected. Conclusion ACD are actually the significant evaluation of the flow chart design but with additional features of being used in production and manufacturing field by simulation process. Software is used in designing, analysis and simulation process. Each ACD has entities, attributes attached with entities and conditions associated with each activity. ACD is developed by designing individual ACD for each activity separately and then analysis them for correction. The whole model ACD is developed by merging individual ACD. The current assignment has provided a chance to understand the process of ACD development and analysis by working from individual ACD to the ACD of whole model. References Abdul Riaz, S., Shi, j. 1994. Automated construction simulation optimization. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE. 120(2), 374-385. Halpin, D.W.1977. Cyclone. A method for modeling job site processes. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE. 103(3), 489-499 McCahill, D.F., L.E.Bernold.1993. Resource oriented modeling and simulation in Construction. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE.119 (3), 590-606. Murata, T.1989. Petri nets. Properties, Analysis and implications. Proceeding of IEEE. 77(4).541-580. Nance, r.e, Overstreet .C.M. 1988. Diagnostic assistance using digraph representations of discrete event simulation model specifications. Transactions of the society for computer simulation. 4(1).33-57. Paulson, B.C.1978. Interactive graphics for simulating construction operations. J. Construction. Div. ASCE. 104(1), 69-76. Paulson, B.C., Chan, W.T., Koo, C.C.1987. Construction Operations simulation by microcomputer. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE.113 (2), 302-314. Sawhney, A., S.M. AbouRiaz.1995. Simulation based planning method for construction project. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE. 121(3). 297-303. Shi, J., S.AbouRizk.1997. Resource based modeling for construction simulation. J Construction Eng and Management. Vanegas, J.A., E.B.Bravo., D.W.Halpin.1993. Simulation Technologies for planning heavy construction processes. J Construction Eng and Management. ASCE.119 (2).336-354. Zeigler .B.P. 1987. Hierarchical modular discrete event modeling in an object oriented environment. Simulation. 49(5).219-230.

The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality Essay -- Papers Psychology

The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality The psychodynamic model of abnormality is useful to an extent. However it has many weaknesses. The psychodynamic model of abnormality was initiated by Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was very interested in hysteria. This is the manifestation of physical causes. He became convinced that unconscious mental causes were responsible not just abnormality but also normality. Freud developed Psychoanalysis. This is a set of techniques for treating the unconscious causes of mental disorders and built up a psychoanalytic theory of how human personality and abnormality develop from childhood. His psychoanalytic approach had a great impact on psychology and psychiatry and was developed by other psychodynamic theorists. Psychoanalysis had a very fixed set of assumptions. One of these is the unconscious processes where many important influences on behaviour come from a part of the mind we have no awareness of called the unconscious. Another assumption is psychodynamic conflict. Different parts of the mind are in constant struggle with each other and the consequences of this are important in understanding behaviour. Freud also believed that behaviour is motivated by sexual and aggressive drives. The drives create psychic energy that builds up and create tension and anxiety if it cannot be released. Another assumption is development where personality is shaped by relationships, experiences and conflict, particularly during childhood. Freud’s psychoanalysis is probably the most important psychodynamic theory. His ideas developed a... ...century. It has had a significant effect on a wide range of disciplines such as anthropology, women’s studies and theology. Also, the sharp distinction between abnormality and normality of the biological model is ignored. Doing this, it has created more sympathy for people with psychological disorders. Psychoanalysis is more humane with its focus on talking as opposed to drugs, shock therapy or brain surgery. It also has the power to enhance our understanding of ourselves and from the number of people who testify how it has helped them in their own lives. In conclusion, the psychodynamic model is useful as it is still being used today by professional psychiatrists and works with many people. However, there are a lot of weaknesses to outweigh the positives, which means that the model can be seriously questioned.

Industrial Economic Research Paper

Qustion1 Identify and explain the market structure in which the company is operating Pos Malaysia Market structure * Monopoly firm Introduction (Pos Malaysia) Pos Malaysia Berhad is Malaysia’s premier physical communications provider. Pos Malaysia also has a widespread network of 701 post offices all over the country, in addition to its network of mini post offices, mobile post offices, postal agents and stamp agents, making it one of the most extensive retail networks in Malaysia.Pos Malaysia’s Strategic Business Units that aim to provide quality, reliable, timely and innovative solutions to its customers, are made up of PosMel (mail and postal services), PosLaju (courier and express mail services), and PosNiaga (retail business services). Pos Malaysia also acts as a counter collection and payment agency for a range of financial transactions, such as bill payments, remittance, insurance and unit trusts. Pos Malaysia consists of 3 Main Core Business Units: Pos Mel ,Pos Laju and Pos Niaga. Poslaju or EMS service caters to all segments of the business community and the general public.There are 37 Poslaju Centres nationwide offer all types of courier services. Besides Mail and Express servicer. Poslaju or EMS service caters to all segments of the business community and the general public. Type of courier services Inbound Logistics * Customs Clearance, Import permit documentation, Transportation, Warehousing, Distribution channel/break bulk, Proof of delivery, Track and trace. Outbound Logistics * Customs clearance ,Export documentation ,Transportations ,Warehousing ,Distribution channel/break bulk ,Proof of delivery ,Track and trace Monopoly market structure (Pos Malaysia)Government protection Pos Malaysia Berhad is a Malaysian postal service company that was privatized in 1992 from a government department into a business corporation. Government also protects and helps pos Malaysia if that firm has shortage cost and losses. was attributed to the pos Malaysia is the first company established to provide these services and the company has long operated, known by society and high cost in the provision of post Malaysia. Society loyalty The society in Malaysia has known about brand of pos Malaysia and the society also has familiar to uses pos Malaysia as services of mail.The public will be more confident in such a service as Pos Malaysia is an agency under the ministry and the government is indirectly involved in ensuring the security of the items kept here. Maximize profit A monopoly market exists when there is huge number of buyers but small or very limited number of sellers in the market. Monopoly is the only supplier of a product for which there is no close substitute. In monopoly market, the firm has get a maximize profit, if the manager has have good skill and knowledge to manages that company.For example, pos Malaysia have a good manages, and that means this company can get a height profit. In monopoly market, pos Malaysia can set its own price and the prices chosen affects the quantity it sells. Pos Malaysia is the only licensed mail services provider in Malaysia and is the leader in the Malaysia Courier Services. Pos Malaysia posted a net profit of RM 61 million for the nine months ended September 2004 – an increase of more than 40 per cent from the corresponding period in the previous year.It is projected to earn a net profit of close to RM100 million this year based on existing postal rates. Power of set prices In monopoly market, pos Malaysia can put the price of the service with a high rate to the profit of the community to obtain greater. This can be carried out in the market as pos Malaysia is the only domestic postal mail offered in Malaysia Advantages in monopoly Stability of prices * In a monopoly market the prices are most of the times stable. This happens because there is only one firm involved in the market that sets the prices if and when it feels like.In other types of market struc tures prices are not stable and tend to be elastic as a result of the competition that exists but this isn’t the case in a monopoly market as there is little or no competition at all. Source of revenue for the government * The government gets revenue in form of taxation from monopoly firms. Massive profits * Due to the absence of competitors which leads to high number of sales monopoly firms tend to receive super profits from their operations.The massive profits realized may be used in such things as launching other products, carrying out research and development among many other things that may be beneficial to the firm. Question 2 Comment if there are barriers to entry Definition Barriers to entry are designed to block potential entrants from entering a market profitably. They seek to protect the monopoly power of existing (incumbent) firms in an industry and therefore maintain supernormal (monopoly) profits in the long run.Barriers to entry have the effect of making a mark et less contestable. Defined an entry barrier as â€Å"A cost of producing (at some or every rate of output) which must be borne by a firm which seeks to enter an industry but is not borne by firms already in the industry. Barriers to entry in( pos Malaysia). In pos Malaysia, there are barriers to entry. Among them are: Advertising and marketing * Developing consumer loyalty by establishing branded products can make successful entry into the market by new firms much more expensive. Cost Advantages Lower Costs; through experience of Being in the market for missing time, allows the existing postal company Malaysia’s to cut price and win price wars if another firm enter the market. Absolute cost advantages * Allows an incumbent firm to earn excess profits without feat of new firm entering the market. for example in the market, pos Malaysia price of the service is able to offer a cheaper service player medals RM7 per unit, but other companies likes DHL and FedEx only able to off er prices as low as RM 12 mail service. so its pos Malaysia cans set PRICES at rm10.Which is are more chipper, than the more customer use pos Malaysia services and also get a highest profit. Government Restrictions * Government is the source of barriers to entry that are created by patents and copyrights. But these are not the only barriers to entry enabled by government. Government is, after all, the entity that establishes the rules of the game. Governments frequently erect barriers to entry by legally limiting the number of participants in a market. Legal restrictions for public utilities are usually designed to make the most effective use of natural monopoly markets that can create serious inefficiency problems.Other legal restrictions, such as licenses or charters, are generally intended to pursue other goals, but create barriers to entry nonetheless. For example, pos mel only provided by pos Malaysia. Although there are big rivals like FedEx and DHL outside, but pos Malaysia o ffer cheaper prices. First mover advantages * The first firm to enter incurs lower marketing costs because it faces no rivals. Later firm face higher marketing costs because they must compete against the first firm. If the presence of the incumbent raises the marketing costs of the second firm to enter, then the first firm has permanent advantages and can maintain high prices

Funny Fathers Day Quotes to Make Dad Smile

Funny Father's Day Quotes to Make Dad Smile We celebrate Fathers Day to honor our fathers. Laughter is an excellent gift. Get your father to laugh with one of these chuckle-worthy funny Fathers Day quotes: Bob Monkhouse My father only hit me once - but he used a Volvo. Robert Orben Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. Ann Richards I have always had the feeling I could do anything, and my dad told me I could. I was in college before I found out he might be wrong. Jay Leno A lot of controversy over this possible invasion of Iraq. In fact, Nelson Mandela was so upset, he called Bushs dad. How embarrassing, when world leaders start calling your father. Barbara Kingsolver It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didnt. Jimmy Piersall Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then, fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitchers mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again. Bertrand Russell The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one, particularly if he plays golf. Brad Pitt Man, if I can get a burp out of that little thing I feel such a sense of accomplishment. Ernest Hemingway To be a successful father theres one absolute rule: when you have a kid, dont look at it for the first two years. Gabriel Garcia Marquez A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father. Tim Russert The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. Mark Twain When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Bill Hicks I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, My dad can beat up your dad. Id say, Yeah? When? Jack Handy Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. Alice Roosevelt Longworth My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding, and the baby at every christening. Donald Trump I love producing children. Its fun! I dont like taking care of children, but I love producing children. Jerry Seinfeld There is no such thing as fun for the whole family. Patrick Dempsey Heres the cycle: They wake up, they cry, they go to the breast, they eat, they poo or pee, you change a diaper, and they go back to sleep. Its much harder for my wife than for me because shes pumping or nursing. Lionel Richie Forget about surviving 40 years in the music business. Just surviving 27 years of Nicole Richie has been a struggle-and-a-half, I want to tell you. I stand here as a survivor, I want you to know, for all the parents out there. Chris Martin Men should always change diapers. Its a very rewarding experience. Its mentally cleansing. Its like washing dishes, but imagine if the dishes were your kids, so you really love the dishes. Bill Cosby My father confused me. From the ages of one to seven, I thought my name was Jesus Christ!