Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decisions - Essay Example This also takes into consideration the fact that decision-making is impossible to be the same in every organisation of a country, in spite of similar culture. But on the whole, it would be more or less identical and definitely, it would be totally different from organisations of another culture. Various cultures have different ways of approaching a problem and solving it. It could a participatory method or the time-honoured authoritative approach, or the decision-making might involve a group, or the topmost manager could take the total responsibility of it on his shoulders. Country related cultural factors like high or low masculinity, weak and strong uncertainty avoidance, and different ways of assessing the problem can all affect the process of decision making. Even if the outcome could be poles apart, the steps of decision making are more or less the same: identifying the problem, criteria, and allocation of weights to criteria and the final decision. If problems are framed to two people, it would definitely result in at least slightly different solutions and it is not surprising that two countries with diverse backgrounds, race and culture should have organisations that would take unidentical decisions in solving a management problem3. Defining the problem itself could be from absolutely dissimilar angles. From the decision-making point of view, a wrong diagnosis of the problem could definitely lead into wrong decision-making. Sometimes managers act without complete knowledge of the problem in haste4. Identifying the relevant criteria is the next step of decision-making. Judging the weight of the criteria, so that the decision could be taken accordingly is another step. Before making a decision, it is absolutely necessary to look at the alternatives and apply them to the criteria and assess and decide on the best-suited alternative under the circumstances. If alternatives are not considered, there is always a mischance of leavin g aside a better option. Rating each alternative against each criterion is the best way of taking a decision. Only after that, a decision could be arrived at and before the final decision, its credibility, far reaching affect and its suitability should be assessed. US AND JAPAN These two countries are absolutely different from one another in race, culture and outlook. Japanese had enormous success in industrial and technological field and since then they are pitted against United States in decision making. There is a crucial point that US has a top-down decision making process, where decisions come down from the top level and the rest are expected to follow it verbatim. But Japanese still believe in conventional society, and here the decisions are made at the operating level, 'a sort of bottom-up process' and such decisions are supported and approved by the organisation at all levels. There had been speculations in both countries about the success of the other's economy and researches have gone into the decision-maki

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Strategy - Essay Example The organization had limited focus on the vision and mission statement and hence was not as effective. Regardless, below are some of the key points discussed by Kaplan and Norton that relate to the excellence of any given organization. Primarily, the main goal of a balanced scorecard is setting the organizational mission and vision statements. These vision and mission statements not only state the various aspects required in the organization but also guide the employees and the entire workforce towards a united goal. As such, the paper argues that the importance of the vision statement is to ensure that a given organization is performing at its best at all given times. A good vision is vital for the success of any given organization. Our organization had a great vision statement but a few employees within the organization only knew the statement. Finally, another key feature discussed in detail by the article is translating the vision. Assessing the progress made by the organization towards the attainment of the set vision is crucial to monitor progress. Consensus between management and the subordinates is crucial for the utmost success of the organization. This was a key feature of the balanced scorecard that was missing from my former organization. The vision was not a key focus of the organization, and the management mostly focused on short-term goals, which rather affected its efficiency greatly. Such additions to the organization structure are crucial for the success any organization in attaining its main

Green biotechnology, government policies, taxes, barriers and all that Essay

Green biotechnology, government policies, taxes, barriers and all that include government policies for green biotech. deadline 2 - Essay Example Regulation of Green Biotech The potential for human health risks and environmental damage has necessitated the need for the government to monitor and regulate the release of genetically modified (GM) organism in the environment and commercialization of GM food products. The Brazil government uses the precautionary principle in the regulation of biotechnology products. This is with respect to the environmental safety and consumer health. The precautionary principle is used when there is a threat of severe damage to human health or the environment. Innovation in agriculture biotechnology depends on the strength of intellectual property rights. The World Intellectual Property Organization manages and protects international intellectual property and ensures countries commitment to fight biotech piracy. Governments have established transparent judicial mechanism to enable firms to complain about intellectual property violation, and provide resources to the enforcement of property rights ( Gaisford and William 61-69). In U.S, the efficacy and the safety of an agricultural product should be demonstrated to regulatory agencies before it is commercialized. The agencies also conduct a risk assessment to ensure safety of GMOs in laboratories or green house (Joyia 20-21) Barriers to green biotechnology The lack of appropriate technology is a great obstacle in the attempt to apply biotechnology to benefit the developing countries. This is brought about by technologies being developed in advanced nations and take time to diffuse to developing countries. Another problem is the issue of intellectual property rights. Companies in advanced nations own most of the patents for green biotech. These companies have to be adequately compensated in order to allow access to their invention. Other obstacles to green biotech include the lack of marketing mechanism, poverty and disparities between nations, local and regional politics, biosafety issues, limited infrastructure for exploiting biotechnology, and the biotech debate waged in potential donor countries (Acquaah 460). Ways in which Green biotech can be best traded? Most developing countries can adopt transgenic crops to increase food production in the market and bring in more money to the farmer. Green biotechnology may not be the ultimate solution to hunger and malnutrition, but it can bring about increased, environmental friendly, sustainable and economically profitable agricultural growth. Most developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, have high hopes of producing high yields of transgenic crops to reduce threats of food security. Food insecurity is brought about by drought, insect pest infestation, viral and fungal diseases that result into severe crop loss. The potentiality of agricultural biotechnology in Sub-Saharan countries lies in producing hard crops to withstand the various natural risks. The sub- Saharan biodiversity resource provides possibilities for developing new genetic traits. These traits can be used in transgenic crops through regulatory processes and well- funded innovative research to create environmentally friendly and new varieties that are harder than existing varieties. Cases of scientific success in developing countries show that green biotech can change the local economy and reduce food security concerns. The famous example of technology beneficial impact on agricultural production is the green revolution. In Kenya, scientists have developed

The Prairie Dog Essay Example for Free

The Prairie Dog Essay Cynomys ludovicianus, known more commonly as the prairie dog, has more traditionally been viewed as the pariah of the prairie. However within the last year, attention has been drawn to these furry little rodents. They are extremely unpopular- so much so that for decades the Federal Government has tried desperately to eliminate them. What the government doesnt know is that these creatures are vital to the survival and thriving of several species, and are in fact an asset to our world. Prairie dogs are rodents, closely related to their predator, the black-footed ferret. They live in complicated underground systems, or communities sometimes called dog towns. These dog towns are scattered across the prairie from Canada to Mexico. They graze, run rampant, and dart from one opening to another in continuous action. This action attracts several other plains animals including bison, burrowing owls, golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, antelope, coyotes, and others. The prairie dog is the center of the Great Plains animal community. There are only a handful of sites in the entire West where the species is not under eradication. It is speculated that the species has declined 98 percent across its habitat. In national parks, prairie dogs colonies are fragmented, isolated, and downright tiny. Today only seven parks hold prairie dog populations. Four places- Bens Old Fort National Historic Site, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, and Fort Laramie National Historic Site- active dog towns are no more than 20 acres. The other three- Badlands, Wind Cave, and Theodore Roosevelt National park- are larger. But the biggest, the Badlands, is barely 4,200 acres. The total area occupied by prairie dogs isnt more than 6,000 acres. At the turn of the century, one Texas prairie dog town measured 100 by 250 miles almost the size of Maine. About 400 million animals lived there. In the 1920s, it was estimated that the population of North American prairie dogs exceeded 500 billion. As much as twenty percent of the plains may have held these animals. Of all major biomes in North America, the plains have suffered the most, and dog towns have been destroyed for plowing. Systematic poisoning has grown into a fatal threat to the prairie dogs, as well as gopher hunting, dollar-a-dog contests, and red mist destruction. Some rural towns hold contests for cash prizes for the individual who shoots the most dogs in one day, hence dollar-a-dog. In addition to the target practice is a new killer- sylvatic plague. It is spread by fleas, gradually diffused across the West, and to make matters worse, the little critters have little or no immunity. Once the disease enters a colony, the entire town is usually lost. There are no reserve colonies to repopulate towns that are lost due to hunting, plague, poisoning, or natural events. To tell the truth, the prairie dog ecosystems are as at much risk as the old-growth forests and salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. The Biodiversity Legal Foundation in Colorado filed a petition in October of 1994 to list the prairie dog as a Category 2 under the Endangered Species Act. This states that federal agencies must be alerted that a species may be in jeopardy unless changes occur. Prairie dogs are considered by scientists to be a keystone species, which means that they are what a recorded 170 other wildlife species depend on. For example, they are the prime source of food for the black-footed ferret and the swift fox. Their abandoned colonies are later inhabited by anything form burrowing owls to rattlesnakes. Without the prairie dog, many dependent species will not survive. Their ecosystems support higher numbers of small mammals , more terrestrial predators, and higher densities, and greater diversity of bird species than grasslands without these rodents. Whats the greatest irony in the decline of the prairie dog is that it cannot be justified. Even the livestock industrys claims that prairie dogs compete with their cattle for forage appear vacuous. Studies have shown that prairie dogs actually improve forage quality for livestock. One study in South Dakota documented that livestock grazing near dog towns suffered neither weight loss nor a reduction in weight gain. And, prairie dogs thrive where trampling and grazing by livestock reduce grass height. Parks are very frightened at the idea of human visitors contracting plagues from prairie dogs. They often conduct spot treatments with poisoned oats, gas, and more. This destruction is hypocritical of the National Parks philosophy to protect native species. Poisoning of the rodents continued in the Badlands up until 1993, one year before the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets. On public and private lands, the poison of choice is zinc phosphate. Oats and other grains are laced with the chemical and then sprinkled around the colony. The death is slow and painful, taking up to twelve hours, and causing them to go into convulsions and seizures. The most disgusting method, however, is a backpackable flamethrower. Combustible gas is thrown into the burrows, is ignited, and burns the rodents alive. A change in attitude towards prairie dogs is gaining momentum. Several policy changes are in line, including a colony monitoring system to help us learn more about the natural habitat and behavior of the furry mammals. In pre-settlement days, Great Plains ecosystems were characterized by a dynamic shifting puzzle of intense disturbance created by heavy bison grazing, wildfire, prairie dog colonization, expansion, and decline. Today, few places exist where all three major disturbance factorsbison, wildfire, and prairie dogs- occur on any acreage. Such rigid boundaries that the colonies are in may not provide room for expansion. As the human population dwindles in the rural plains, room for a buffalo-prairie dog commons is highly plausible. We spent 100 years what has taken thousands of years to evolve. Now we should be asking what role they play in prairie ecosystems and providing them the space and respect they need to evolve to their potential.

Analysis of Graph Theory

Analysis of Graph Theory In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs: mathematical structures used to model pair wise relations between objects from a certain collection. A graph is a very simple structure consisting of a set of vertices and a family of lines (possibly oriented), called edges (undirected) or arcs (directed), each of them linking some pair of vertices. An undirected graph may for example model conflicts between objects or persons. A directed graph (or digraph) may typically represent a communication network, or some domination relation between individuals, etc. The famous problem of the bridges of Kà ¶nigsberg, solved by Euler, is viewed as the first formal result in graph theory. This theory has developed during the second half of the 19th century (with Hamilton, Heawood, Kempe, Kirchhoff, Petersen, Tait), and has boomed since the 1930s (with Kà ¶nig, Hall, Kuratowski, Whitney, Erdà ¶s, Tutte, Edmonds, Berge, Lovà ¡sz, Seymour, and many other people). It is clearly related to Algebra, Topology, and other topics from Combinatorics. It applies to and gets motivating new problems from Computer Science, Operations Research, Game Theory, Decision Theory. â€Å"Because of its inherent simplicity, graph theory has a very wide range of applications in engineering, in physical, social, and biological sciences, in linguistics, and in numerous other areas. A graph can be used to represent almost any physical situation involving discrete objects and relationship among them† (Narsingh Deo). The term â€Å"graph† in mathematics has different meanings. There is a graph for the function and relation. Graphs, especially tree graphs and directed graphs appear in the computer and information sciences. Flowcharts for example are directed graphs. A flowchart is a visual representation of an algorithm. It is frequently used in the planning, development and structuring of an algorithm for solving a complex problem. The flowchart is regarded as an essential part of the documentation of any computer translation of the original algorithm (Seymour Lipschutz). There are two commonly used tools to help to document program logic (the algorithm). These are flowcharts and Pseudocode. Generally, flowcharts work well for small problems but Pseudocode is used for larger problems. Flowcharts are used in the design phase of software creation. It specifies the logical flow of a program. The semantics of a flowchart are totally concerned just with control flow-what happens first, and then what happens next, and so on. A flowchart is drawn using a small set of symbols with well-defined meanings. An elongated oval denotes the beginning of the program, where the execution commences. Passage of flow from the beginning, and at later stages, is denoted by edges with directional arrows. A box in the shape of a parallelogram denotes either an input (such as a READ), or an output (such as a PRINT). A rectangle denotes a computational step, such as addition, and a diamond-shaped box denotes a decision step. A diamond usually has one arrow leading in, and two or more leading out, denoting different ways the control can proceed from that point. A diamond is used in cases of decision statements like, If A is more than 7, proceed to multiply B and C; else, divide C and D. Example of flowchart which reads 2 numbers A and B, and prints them in decreasing order after assigning the larger number to BIG and smaller number to SMALL. â€Å"Essential computer mathematics† Seymour Lipschutz, 1987, page 101 A flowchart is a visual representation of sequence of operations performed to get the solution of the problem. They are usually drawn in early stages of programming project. They help with better communication between the programmers and their business customers. The flowcharts are very helpful with understanding complicated problems and programming logic, especially for people who do not work with (or understand) programming and coding. We can say that flowcharts are necessary for better documentation of complex programs. They also work as a guide during the system analysis and program development phase. If we have good flowchart for the programme the maintenance becomes easier, as the programmer can be more efficient in debugging process, as he can clearly see which parts he has to focus on. Flowcharts are also used in industrial and process engineering and management. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) created by the Three Amigos of software engineering borrows some of its basic ideas from the flowchart paradigm, although it is much more sophisticated. Visual Paradigm for UML is a professional tool that supports complete software lifecycle object-oriented analysis, object-oriented design, construction, testing and deployment. The UML modelling software helps to build quality applications faster and better. You can draw all types of class diagrams, reverse or generate code. It allows turning models into Java codes and Java codes into models. Graph theory is also helpful when building databases. Directed graphs (or digraphs) are a special case of graphs that constitute a powerful and convenient way of representing relationships between entities. In a digraph, entities are represented as nodes and relationships as directed lines or arrows that connect the nodes. The orientation of the arrows follows the flow of information in the digraph  ­. Digraphs offer a number of advantages to information visualization, with the most important of them being: comprehensibility the information that a digraph contains can be easily and accurately understood by humans and expressiveness- digraph topology bears non-trivial information. Case of graphical representation of logic rules, digraphs seem to be extremely appropriate. They can offer explanation of derived conclusions, since the series of inference steps in the graph can be easily detected and retraced. Also, by going backwards from the conclusion to the triggering conditions, on e can validate the truth of the inference result, gaining a means of proof visualization and validation. One of the examples can be found in the book â€Å"Automated Data Processing and Computations by David I. Donatoy. It is an example of geographic names database. An algorithm specifies how to quickly identify names that approximately match any specific name when searching the mentioned database. The algorithm identifies matching names by applying an artificial measure of name simplicity. A digraph index enables computer name searches that are carried out within this technique to be fast enough for Web application. The use of digraph index enables name search application to restrict comparisons to a small subset of the database name, speeding up processing. A digraph index lists in digraph sequence all digraphs found in the database of geo ­graphic names. The entry for a particular digraph consists of a set of pointers to all names in the geographic-names database that includes at least one occurrence of that digraph. Once the search-for name has itself been broken down into a list of its unique constituent digraphs, the digraph index can then be used to produce a candidate list containing only those names from the database that include at least one of the digraphs found in the search-for name. In most cases, several names in the candidate list will be referenced more than once (by different digraphs). After sorting the list of can ­didate names (thus, bringing together all occurrences of each particular candidate name), the number of occurrences of each candidate name can be counted. The number of occurrences of a candidate name will be the same as the number of unique digraphs a candidate name has in common with the search-for nam e. This number can be regarded as a first-approximation measure of a names similarity to the search-for name, with larger numbers corresponding to stronger similarity. Computer scientists have developed a great deal of theory about graphs and operations on them. One reason for this is because graphs can be used to represent many problems in computer science that are otherwise abstract. Finding a way to represent the solution to a problem as a graph can present new approaches to solving the problem or even lead directly to a solution derived from graph theory. This sort of technique is often used when discussing algorithmic efficiency and when trying to prove that a certain algorithm is NP-Complete; because many problems involving graphs, such as finding the shortest path to traverse all nodes (the Travelling Salesman Problem), are NP-Complete, if you can find a way to represent a problem as a graph and show that it is analogous to one of the other NP-Complete problems, then you can show the problem you are trying to solve is also NP-Complete, which gives you a hint that the solution will take a great deal of time. Another reason for using graphs is that many problems computers are used to solve involve representing relationships between objects, places, or concepts. Because graphs can be either directed or undirected, they are a flexible method of showing connections. For instance, you can describe who knows who in a room as a collection of nodes, each representing a person, and directed edges, each representing that one person knows another. Because graphs are so often used and because they allow the representation of many problems in computer science, they are a convenient means of expressing problems with which many people are comfortable. This familiarity simplifies the process of creating mental models of problems, which ultimately leads to better problem solving. Because computer science is a young discipline, it played essential role in development of graph theory. Mathematics plays essential role in computer science, as its language defines the generic structures and proves properties of those structures. Computer systems can be very complex and it is very difficult to have a clear picture of all details and keep the overview of the whole system. Computer science has put lots of effort to develop mathematically based frameworks to model computer systems. References: Gibbons, Alan (1985), Algorithmic graph theory, Cambridge University Press http://www-leibniz.imag.fr/GRAPH/english/overview.html http://www.bookrags.com/research/flowchart-wcs/ Brent Daviduck† Introduction to Programming in C++: Algorithms,  Flowcharts and Pseudocode† Narsingh Deo â€Å"Graph theory with applications to engineering and computer science†2004 An augmented directed graph base for application development Dan C. Clarke , 1982 Knoxville, Tennessee David I. Donato â€Å"Fast, Inclusive Searches for Geographic Names Using Digraphs† Chapter 1 of Book 7, Automated Data Processing and Computations, Section A, Algorithms, page 2-3 Quentin Charatan Aaron Kans â€Å"Java in two semesters†, The McGraw Hill, 2006, page 4-7 Seymour Lipschutz â€Å"Essential computer mathematics†, McGraw Hill 1987, page 95-107

Jungle Book :: essays research papers

Part 1: Identifying 1.) Protagonists- In a story or movie the Protagonist(s) is/are the main character(s). In the story A separate Peace the protagonist is Phineas(Finny). 2.) Antagonists- In a story or movie the Antagonist(s) is/are the character or force in conflict with a main character, or Protagonist(s). In the story A Separate Peace the Antagonist is Gene. 3.) Setting- In a story or movie the Setting is the time & place of the action. In the story A Separate Peace the setting is at the Devon School. 4.) Mood- In a story or movie the Mood is the feeling created n the passage. In the story A Separate Peace the mood is sad because jealousy ruined Gene & Finny’s friendship. 5.) Conflicts- In a story or movie the Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. There are two types of Conflicts: Internal & External. An Internal Conflict involves a character in conflict with himself or herself. In the story A Separate Peace the Internal Conflict is Gene vs. himself. In an external conflict, the main character struggles against an outside force. In the story A Separate Peace the External Conflict Gene vs. Finny. 6.) Suspense- In a story or movie the Suspense is the feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about the outcome of events. In the story A Separate Peace the Suspense is when Gene shakes the tree limb & Finny falls & shatters the bone in his leg. Part 2: Elements of plot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.) Exposition- In a story or movie the exposition is the background information, which sets the scene for the conflict. In the story A Separate Peace the exposition is the following: At the beginning of the story Gene has been out of school for fifteen years & has decided to come back & visit. While visiting he saw the tree that Finny & he had jumped from into the Devon so many years a go, which brought back a lot of memories. He then remembers the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. That was the club that Finny came up with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be in the club you had to jump off a high tree limb & into the Devon. Since Finny was a daredevil, he decided to go first. Gene was an intellectual & was afraid to jump, but he jumped anyway. They were then late for supper, which had been noted by Mr. Prud’homme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next morning Mr.

A Day Without a Phone

Over this past weekend, when given the challenge to shut off my phone for 24 hours, I didn’t believe I could make it. My phone is probably involved in almost every activity I do throughout the day. Weather its taking notes down for my classes or tweeting my latest pointless thought. It guides me when its dark, tells me when its going to rain, and even notifies me when I get poked on Facebook. I can honestly admit to being one of those people who are completely dependent on their phones.Knowing this about myself I had to factor in three important variables; what day, what am I going to do, & of course how will I notify people of my whereabouts! Being the weekend and all, its kind of hard not being on the phone making plans for the night. How will I go about organizing a little get together with the close friends? So I thought to myself, Friday and Saturday are too important to be out of the loop. I finally made my decision that Sunday is perfect! I mean, who cares about Sunday? It’s a day of relaxation so I thought it would be perfect! Now I had to plan, what am I going to do. Earlier this weekend a friend of mine who was actually visiting from Florida had called me wanting to meet and catch up. Right before turning my phone off late Saturday I gave him a call explaining the situation, he laughed and told me to come pick him up from his aunts at 12 AM and to just simply get out of my car, walk to the front door, and knock. (Obviously texting a simple â€Å"here. † Would have been simpler).Besides that I thought I would just wing it and see where the day takes me. Now I just had one last issue, I got to hide it! Knowing myself pretty well, I knew it was a bad idea to have the phone around me, if I planned to actually commit to this. I decided to simply leave it in my mother’s possession for safekeeping. With these three issues resolved I’m now ready to, â€Å"slide to power off†. So Sunday begins. I woke up at around 11AM (kind of late due to the fact I couldn’t set the alarm on my phone).I got out of bed rushed out to the kitchen and looked at the oven for the time! I quickly proceeded to shower and get ready. At 12AM I arrived at my friends aunts house to pick him up, knocked on the door and he came right out (no big deal after all). We then went to lunch and spent a few hours talking and playing some call of duty on my Xbox. Without noticing, it was almost 6 at night! Wow! I was impressed. By this time I probably would have had to plug my phone in for the second charge of the day!Now it was time to go to the gym, I usually use my phone to play music but I had to bust out my little mp3 from back in the day. At the gym I’m rarely on the phone so this hour and a half went by swiftly has well. When I returned home I showered and started preparations to begin on my homework. It being 8PM now I thought the worse was over! So I read my 20 pages of Feed and did some of my history assignment and probably finished at around 9:30PM. At this point of the day I didn’t even remember I didn’t have my phone glued to my side.I realize now that having all those cool features and apps on my phone only makes me waist my time and procrastinate on the important things I should be doing. The last few hours till midnight I simply watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead to pass the time. It really wasn’t much of a challenge after all; it was actually very relieving not being involved in any social media and texting throughout the day. Perhaps I will make this an event for every Sunday!