Blanche Dubois As Tragic Heroine Essay

How far does Blanche Dubois measure up to the status of tragic heroine? Looking at the definition of hero, we see that in mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favoured by the gods. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war. A person noted for special achievement in a particular field. The principal character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. Blanche Dubois can be seen as a tragic heroine within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ on a number of occasions. In the opening scene of the play, Blanche is introduced as someone who seems to be very sensitive and in some ways innocent, we see this when Williams writes: ‘She is daintily dressed in a white suit†¦looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party.’ Both her sensitivity and appearance are an obvious contrast to not only Stanley, but his apartment also, where Blanche ironically chooses to stay. Within Streetcar, Blanche’s life is evidence of how a single, tragic event can, in effect, end someone’s life. In Blanche’s case, this tragic event is her fall into complete incapability to cope with real life situations and failure to remove herself from the fantasy world she has created for herself. This can be seen as one of Blanche’s main tragic flaws, that is the error of a tragic hero that in time leads to the hero’s defeat, such as Macbeth’s success to the throne, yet his actions that brought him there eventually causes his death. In an effort to escape the misery of her life in Laurel, Blanche drinks heavily and has meaningless affairs. She needs alcohol to stop the polka music which symbolises Allan’s death, from repeating in her head and to avoid the truth of her life. She gives herself to various strangers in an attempt to lose herself. She seduces young boys in memory of Allan. But her empty heart finds no peace, and her bad reputation ends her teaching career. Blanche cannot stand a vulgar remark, a loud noise, or a harsh light. With Allan’s departure, the light seems to have gone out of her life. As a result, she prefers darkness and dim candlelight, the perfect setting for her make-believe world that has no pain or memories. It also hides the reality of her departed youth and advancing age, which is yet another flaw that she has, her obsession about not getting old because then no man will want her. Blanche’s dim perception with real life feelings and situations can first be seen when she discusses her past husband. She believed that her marriage to Allan was genuine, however refused to acknowledge his sensitive and effeminate qualities, perhaps in fear of the consequences. This is evident as we see here: ‘There was something different about the boy, a nervousness, a softness and tenderness which wasn’t like a man’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ At the age of sixteen, she fell in love with, worshipped, and eloped with a sensitive boy. She believed that life with Allan was sheer bliss, however her faith is shattered when she discovers he is a bi-sexual degenerate, her discovery of this lead Allan to take his own life. Blanche is seen to hold herself responsible for his untimely death due to the way she spoke to him after discovering his secret. She is full of enough remorse that the thought of Allan alone is enough to make Blanche vomit, as can be seen in Scene 1 when Stanley asks her about her past marriage: ‘The boy – the boy died. [She sinks back down.] I’m afraid I’m – going to be sick!’ Blanch is in no way perfect, the audience is made to feel sorry for her at times, and to hate her at other times, but despite the fact that another of her main flaws is her ability to deal with situations like an adult, the tragic event leading Blanche to her fantasy world and on occasion depression, is the death of Allan. This sets off Blanche’s downfall into what could be diagnosed as insanity, as it is the loneliness and and the fact that she feels her life doesn’t have a purpose without a man, she experiences after Allan’s death that forces her to seek attention in the wrong way and from the wrong company. Such as the flamingo hotel, which is a good example of her dealing with a bad situation badly.

Contingent Reward System

Contingent reward is a reward that should be given to staff members when they earn them, that is the principle of contingent rewards. (â€Å"Motivating others through,† 2011) This is a great way to get the desired effect when working with a staff that might not be motivated to get a task or assignment done. A trend in the United States is toward a larger portion of employees’ compensation to be provided in the form of â€Å"variable pay† such as bonuses and equity-based compensation. (â€Å"Motivating others through,† 2011)Being the manager at the fast food restaurant and having a difficult time motivating your employees to clean the facility every three hours will be an easy task, when you find the best way to motivate them. What I have come up with is a three part contingent reward program. The three steps are; Assign tasks to each employee †¢We will provide a handout to each team employee listing there areas they are responsible through out the mon th. †¢This allows them to plan for the tasks and assignment they will need to complete. †¢Each employee will get assignments based on there level of experience.As they move up in the company more tasks can be assigned. Manager/Head Manager checks daily on tasks †¢This is important part of the contingent reward system. †¢Every three hours the manager needs to verify that the task is done and make a note of it on a board where all the tasks for the month are represented. Reward †¢The reward is broken down per paycheck. Each completed task represents a certain percentage of additional money. †¢This will also be viewed quarterly for yet another possible percentage increase †¢So as the employees do there assigned task they are rewarded for that. If they do not do the task they will not receive the increase †¢It will also show they are not getting there tasks done on the big board oThis will service as a motivation as the team can see who is perform ing and who is not This is the concept that has been developed to help the employees to see the benefit of having a clean facility. With a clean facility and friendly staff there is a strong chance that the amount of customers will increase which in turn will affect profit. Reference Motivating others through goals and rewards. (2011, April 4). Retrieved from http://www. wright. edu/~scott. williams/LeaderLetter/motivating. htm

Analysis of the Film Blade Runner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Analysis of the Film Blade Runner - Essay Example For all intents and purposes, Deckard the hero is presented to the audience as a typical macho hero, he is a retired policeman a hardy and trained fighter not only capable of protecting himself but others. He has problems like anyone else but he cuts the figure of independence and freedom, a man who is a master of his universe, so to speak. However, despite his macho and fearless image quickly erodes when he is strong-armed and subtly manipulated by Bryant to go back to Blade running a job he has no intention of doing. Bryant exercises power over Deckard in the same way the Panopticon does to the prisoners, keeping him in permanent visibility by denying him a chance to retire so that he can sustain automatic power functioning. (Foucault 156). From this, one can surmise that he in spite of his physical power and intelligence he is enslaved by the fear he drives him to seek out the replicants although he would rather not be involved. His is however not the only fear, every other charac ter and even the intended ground on which the movie was founded is based on fear. Human beings create the replicates so they can carry out tasks that are impossible for them such as mining in other planets, however, since they recognized that the replicants were potentially more powerful, they made them such that their lifespan could not extend past four years. Essentially humans had created a system that forced the replicants to live in perpetual fear and dread knowing that whatever they did they could not live to enjoy it for more than the four years allocated to them. This fear drove Roy to go hunting his â€Å"father â€Å"and creator Tyrell, in a desperate attempt to discover the secret of life, this quest is a parallel of human attempts to discover the secret of immortality since they live in perpetual fear of death’s inevitability. The blade runners who are tasked with the duty of â€Å"retiring† them was in an attempt by the authorities to consolidate their p ower and ensure there is order in society by eliminating and elements that could potentially challenge power in the future.

Managing a Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing a Brand - Essay Example Brand management is the process that takes control of everything that a brand does and says, managing the way in which it is perceived by others (CIM, 2003). This requires understanding what the brand stands for and how to position it as a brand is a combination of a product’s /service public image (Tregert & Westerlund, 2003). According to Aaker (2004) managing a brand requires the engagement of its people, values and priorities, an innovative strategy, commitment to quality, concern for customers, adaptation to localization strategy, creating good company vibes, and most importantly the size and scope of the firm. Today employees are the critical link between the company and the customer. Brand management integrates the totally different perspectives on two different words – the company and the customer (CIM, 2003). Employees have to deliver the promise of the brand every moment. McDonald's strives to uphold the values of its brand and it is the employees that communicate the brand image effectively (Oakner, 2005). Hence it is important that company’s culture and operations should be aligned with the brand value to provide a competitive advantage. When employees understand the company’s vision and business strategy, when they are taken into confidence and when internal communication is effective, brand equity is assured. This requires internal brand alignment where customer satisfaction is assured. Powerful brands are characterized by strong and enthusiastic leaders who have a passionate belief in a few values. Leaders have to live these values and not just talk about them and when they do so, the employees are more likely to be committed to delivering them (CIM, 2003). Having a focus on brand management gives rise to a corporate persona with a deeply felt set of values which enabl es the brad to have a clear attitude. Brand building requires prioritizing what is important. Most organizations concentrate on brand building only when they are prospering but do not bother about it when the sales and profits are threatened.

Case Study Ethical Practice Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Study Ethical Practice Paper - Essay Example Social therapists and medical practitioners often face the predicament of having to make critical decisions in their experiential practice. Critical scenarios that pit the practitioner's decision making procedures and systems with other factors extrinsic to the logic of the medical and psychological therapy practice often culminate in ethical dilemmas. This paper presents a case study of one such case featuring an ethical dilemma setting characterised by the dissonance between my socio-cultural values and the subject's predicament. The exploration of the ethical dilemma will take the form of a case study. A case study is naturally a qualitative study. A phenomenological study is "the type of research that examines the human experience (Beauchamp, T, & Childress, J, 1983, pp 43). The emphasis is on "experience and interpretation" (Neil T. Anderson 1998). Parton N (1998) continues "In the conduct of a phenomenological study, the focus would be on the essence or structure of an experience (phenomenon)". As such the case study model is perceived to be an ideal study model to meet the core objectives of this paper which entail illuminating the dynamics of an ethical dilemma scenario in a social therapy professional practice setting. The anticipated scenario culminating in dilemma i... The crux of the scenario stems from the fact that I'm strongly against abortion and the client is very dependent on me as her close associate. What characterizes the ethical dilemma is that I need to spell out my values on abortion to her yet for objectivity reasons I must refer her to some one who can take a neutral stand on the issue and yet she views me as her anchor in the predicament that she is facing. Systems Theory Application The featured scenario has entailed the application of the Systems Social Therapy Theory by a practitioner dealing with substance abuse related case. The core tenet and perspective of the Systems Approach; in close relation to the subject of depression related social therapy dwells on that the problem has to be placed within the broader precincts of the factors (social, political, economic, etc) that characterise the environment of the affected individual. The practical application of the model employs among other aspects the thrust of bolstering the subject's morale and self-concepts and recommending perceived solutions and remedies for the client. The external factors surrounding the subject/client are identified and used to map a framework that constitutes the source of the individual's problems culminating in substance abuse. This perspective argues for the interventions that will focus on reducing the environmental and extrinsic stresses and pressures that push people to making certain decisions that may not suffice for the curtailing of ensuing problems and for the objective of coping with external forces. The systems approach strives for the contextualization of the subject's problems within the broader precincts of

Birthing Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birthing Environments - Essay Example The design of the birth environment has remained a great concern in the society right from the olden days when maternity hospitals were scarce and unpopular for many societies in the world. The essence of this paper is to evaluate the social and cultural aspects associated with childbirth as a normal life event and to which these aspects are integrated while designing the physical birth environment. Childbirth as an ordinary life event has a great significance in all societies of the world because it provides the society with the capacity to propagate its generations into the future. Even long before the invention of medicine, earlier generations regarded childbirth as a sensitive and attention-demanding process that required proper preparation right from the pregnancy period up to the moment of child delivery. In fact, the modern design of physical child birth environment has borrowed a lot of its features from the traditional practices. Emphasis of nursing care during childbirth to day can be perceived as an improved version of mid-wifely that was common in the past and is still persistent today in some cultures. Although medical practice has refined the childbirth process, there is still much that remains unsatisfying among many women who still feel the need for improvement of the design of the birth environment. Even with the introduction of maternity facilities in the medical sector, women are still yet to be contented with the birth environment provided in these hospital facilities (Squire, 2009). The social and cultural aspects of childbirth define the ideal environment that birthing should take place. While the older generations experienced home birth, currently a great number of women populations receives medical pregnancy care and deliver on the maternal environment. For instance, Australia recorded 0.2% home births among all women who delivered in 2004, while the rest delivered maternity care units in the country (Foureur, Leap, & Homer, 2013). Whethe r childbirth occurs at home or in the hospital, the serenity and the conduciveness of the environment during this process will determine the comfort that the woman receives while delivering. For instance, the privacy and freedom of the woman during the process are paramount and in some extent determines the ease of delivery. The environment, to some extent, determines the nature of the birth process, whether natural or caesarean. In this view, the physical environment where a woman delivers affects the ease of the process, comfort and care that are available for a woman to deliver successfully. The cultural perspective of child birth is historical and varies from society one society to another, but it is indisputable that each society accords great significance to the process. For instance, in the Hawaiian society, the birthing stones provided a physical environment for birth among Wahianas. In this society, childbirth was a process that started right from the time a woman became pr egnant and ended when the baby was delivered. The cultural significance that this society attached to the entire process emanates from equal importance that is accorded to the child that is delivered in the process. The Wahianas believed that Kukaniloko was a birth environment who those children who had a spiritual tie

Professionalism in Nursing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Professionalism in Nursing - Coursework Example From this report it is clear that  clothing and conduct for students and practicing nurses were dictated strongly by dress codes and strict disciplinary protocols developed by hospital administrators in charge of nurses. Here, personality traits may have had negligible chance to emerge from the starch white uniforms and pulled back hair donned in a white cap. On the other hand, times have changed and most nursing students today are thrilled with the independence and career opportunities that have evolved for them at numerous levels, as well as those in advanced practice nursing. As the professional nursing arena expands and new roles develop, the professional nurse is expected to demonstrate respect for the faculty by continuing to don the traditional dress.  This study declares that  there should be awareness to nurses that appearance makes a lasting impression on patients, contemporaries, and the general public. Although dress and appearance alone cannot guarantee success in a nursing job, they can at the same time assure letdown.  This is because patients do have their own expectations of a professional, including their personal preferences and generational influences. Since health care is a form of business, successful professionals must therefore attract a steady, growing patient population in order to survive. The professional nurse should therefore demonstrate respect for patients by developing relationships with them and projecting a positive public image that will help build a deep founded practice.... But these have become loosely adhered to. As a result, one finds nurses simply abandoning their traditional trade mark white uniform and substituting it with scrub suits and colorful jackets. Since nursing is becoming a professional practice, I will demonstrate respect to my peers by becoming more aware of how my appearance, behavior, and communication can influence the first impressions of others about me. I will therefore try to follow the dress code and the behavior expected of me as a professional nurse to the letter. Faculty In the past, clothing and conduct for students and practicing nurses were dictated strongly by dress codes and strict disciplinary protocols developed by hospital administrators in charge of nurses (Jacob, 1999). Here, personality traits may have had negligible chance to emerge from the starch white uniforms and pulled back hair donned in a white cap. On the other hand, times have changed and most nursing students today are thrilled with the independence and career opportunities that have evolved for them at numerous levels, as well as those in advanced practice nursing. As the professional nursing arena expands and new roles develop, the professional nurse is expected to demonstrate respect for the faculty by continuing to don the traditional dress. This is essentially because the professional dress and appearance continue to be very important facets of the nursing image especially within the faculty (Jacob, 1999). Patients As it has already been established, there should be awareness to nurses that appearance makes a lasting impression on patients, contemporaries, and the general public. Although dress and appearance alone cannot guarantee success in a nursing job, they can at the same time assure letdown

Independent Study Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Independent Study Project - Essay Example The project has been undertaken with due seriousness, but it has been limited due to certain unavoidable factors. Time constraint is an important factor that has limited the projects research work. However sufficient time has been devoted to research of various journal and articles to make the project extensive, more articles and reports could have been incorporated. Time being a limiting factor has limited the research. Also the research is totally based on secondary research carried out by others, so it does not provide any quantitative or qualitative data. The focus of the study revolves around the three investigating questions that have been selected for the study. The first question throws light into the fact that why companies resort to rebranding and what are the implications of rebranding. While discussing this issue it had been find out that many believed that rebranding was due to specific reasons that the company wanted to improve on, for example in order to modernise a existing brand or to differentiate it from its competitors. He believed that the rebranding is not the effect of one particular reason but can be a combination of a few reason. Rebranding also takes place at the time of mergers and acquisition. As studied in the case study of Glaxo Smith Kline, it had been seen that rebranding is necessary for the companies that merge or acquire other companies. This is because of the fact that when a new company is formed the message should be communicated to its customers.

Sns Recruiting - Legal and Compliance Issues Essay Example for Free

Sns Recruiting Legal and Compliance Issues Essay 1. Introduction The use of social media in the hiring process has important legal ramifications that employers need to be aware of. While the content and postings by job applicants on social network sites is in the public domain, considerable legal problems exist for employers over the use of the obtained information if it infringes upon legally protected areas of privacy. This section discusses compliance issues primarily in the United States and also in Japan. Recently, there has been a lot of publicity over some employers requesting Facebook password and login information from job applicants. While this practice caught the media’s attention, the reality is employers have been using social media to investigate job applicants for years. According to a survey conducted in 2011 by Reppler, a social media monitoring service in the US, 91% of the recruiters and hiring managers stated they have used social networking sites to screen prospective employees. And, 69% of these recruiters and hiring managers revealed that they have denied employment to job applicants due to something they found on an applicant’s social networking site. Employers therefore need to be very cautious when using information that is obtained from social media when making hiring decisions. In litigation happy US, this can be a veritable minefield. Though the technology has outpaced the law, employers should be sure that the information they receive does not lead them to liability under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), or under various state and federal employment discrimination laws. 2. Pre-employment Background Check What is FCRA? FCRA governs pre-screening obtained from outside agencies. This law sets out various requirements and rules for pre-employment background reports, called Consumer Reports. Under the FCRA, employers must provide to job applicants (and employees) a disclosure that consumers report/background check will be performed and the employer should obtain the individual’s authorization to proceed with the check. Checks include medical, criminal and credit histories etc. FCRA states, among other things, that the most accurate up-to-date information must be used when screening and evaluating an applicant for employment. Companies who conduct their own in-house background checks does not fall under FCRA, but also face risks in crossing legal and ethical boundaries. Both will be discussed below. Importantly, the  FCRA requirements do not apply to employers who perform their own background checks. Thus, for example, if the employer’s own human resources personnel, or if the hiring manager, performs social media research on a job applicant, the FCRA does not apply to those actions. This searching is facilitated by the availability of smart phone applications for this type of research. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces the FCRA, has already warned a few of the companies providing these smart phone applications, but the FTC has not yet determined that an employer’s use of these smart phone applications is subject to the FCRA. Consequently, employers should be sure to understand the requirements and procedures of the FCRA, and are recommended to consult with an employment attorney. Employers should also be sure to monitor the â€Å"apps† they are using to learn whether the FTC has decided about a certain smart phone application. As the law evolves so must an employer’s behavior. 3. Privacy and Anti-Discrimination Laws The topic of privacy is much more volatile. First let’s discuss from the job applicant perspective. Some argue that the applicant has surrendered the right to privacy by putting this information out there on a public forum and that they should be mindful of what they post. Some describe as akin to putting out your garbage out on the street. You have given up reasonable expectation of privacy and anyone is free to go through it. Most people would find that quite intrusive; especially if someone were to come across personal photos, and other effects, even worse, factor their findings into an employment decision. Others say that an applicant has a reasonable expectation of privacy and personal information should not be viewed or considered. Whatever your position on the matter, consider the purpose for making such a query. Is it in search of information that can’t be found during a high-quality interview and testing process? Is it job-related or just a quick open-ended sea rch to discover if the applicant meets one particular person’s standard of decency? Employers must therefore pay very close attention to privacy and anti-discrimination laws. For years, employers have been counseled not to invade employee privacy and not to base any employment decisions on ‘protected characteristics’. By reviewing social networking profiles and information, employers are learning about job applicants’ religious beliefs, marital status, family relationships, race,  ethnicity, medical conditions, and other information that cannot be used to make an employment-based decision — protected characteristic information that is considered â€Å"taboo.† As a result, employers must take care when performing such research. Ultimately, should a discrimination claim arise, the employer will have the burden of proof to demonstrate that the decision to reject a job applicant was based on a legitimate non-discriminatory reason. Once an employer reviews a candidate’s online profile, a court will assume you are aware of that person’s â€Å"protected characteristics† that are often part of their online postings. But what if a candidate’s profile suggests that he or she may not be appropriate for the position or even shows a lack of candor about their background or abilities? Here are a few such scenarios: * A female candidate has numerous postings on her Facebook account about her ‘dog’ of an ex-husband who constantly skips his time with their children, causing her to miss work at her current job. * An applicant has applied for a job that requires heavy lifting and a lot of walking but whose online profiles reveals that he uses a cane. * Or postings of pictures of a job applicant getting drunk and acting stupid, or comments that reveal ignorance or bigotry. Wise counsel advises treat it the same way you would if you had gained the knowledge via the interview or in a resume. Similarly, certain applicants may allege discrimination if the employer subjects them to additional scrutiny because they have an â€Å"Internet presence† or holds them to a higher standard while viewing and considering the information as opposed to those applicants who do not have social networking profiles. One practical method or work around being suggested is to only allow someone who is not involved in the hiring of the specific position to be the person who conducts the social media background check. Then, when the social media background check is completed, that person can summarize the job-related information that may be helpful in considering the applicant. They don’t have to make no mention of the â€Å"protected† information (race, religion, medical condition, etc.) that would otherwise get the employer into trouble. This way, the hiring manager, or ultimate decision-maker, receives only the job-related information, and can demonstrate that the information unknown to him or her had nothing to do with the decision to hire another candidate. Furthermore, before the job opening is even posted, employers should be clear about what they are really  looking for in a social media background check, and whether it is necessary for the particular position. For example, the importance and extent of a social media background may depend on the position the company needs to fill (for example, a CFO position versus a seasonal stockroom employee). Certainly, employers should doing enough pre-hiring due diligence to avoid potential claims of negligent hiring, but they must balance those concerns with finding out information that exposes them to liability for discrimination. 4. Evolving Legislation Landscape As reported earlier in this section, some employers are reported to be going further than just simple web surfing to research job candidates. Some have started to ask job applicants to provide the company with their Facebook username and password, and/or to require applicants to login to their Facebook accounts during an in-person interview. This situation has prompted legislative movements in the US this year. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) requested the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine if these employer requests violate the federal Stored Communications Act (SCA) or the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). They also asked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to determine whether employers who request login/password information are violating anti-discrimination statutes. State legislators, including those in California, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey, have also jumped on the bandwagon and have introduced legislation that aims to prohibit this practice. For example, in California, on March 27, 2012 Senator Leland Yee, (D-SF), introduced the â€Å"Social Media Privacy Act† (SB 1349) to the legislature. Senator Yee’s proposal would add new sections to the California Labor Code and Education Code prohibiting private and public colleges, universities, and employers from â€Å"requiring, or formally requesting in writing, a student or an employee, or a prospective student or employee, to disclose the user name or account password for a personal social media account, or to otherwise provide the institution or employer with access to any content of that account.† While this piece of legislation is considered simple, and will need to be refined, the law is attempting to catch up. In general, employers should think twice, and  consult an employment attorney, before establishing a practice of requiring employees and applicants to turn over login information. And, though the law is evolving in this specific area, employers should understand that such a practice might have many â€Å"non-legal† ramifications, like, the company losing talented employees and/or potential employees who refuse to give access to social media login credentials. Furthermore, such policies may lead to lower employee morale and distrust. 5. Japan As in the US, there are similar risks for employers and recruiters crossing ethical and legal boundaries when using personal information as part of the hiring process. Stringent local privacy data laws have been enacted in Japan (Act on the Protection of Personal Information April 1 2005) but as in the US, a gap between technology between new and evolving realities of the internet and the existing law. So companies do face a risk here although it is recognized that resort to litigation is less here than in the US, and that recruitment using SNS is not being as embraced by companies here in Japan. Under the PPI Act companies or business operators having acquired personal information are required to promptly notify the person of the purpose of utilization. But as in the US the legal situation regarding social medial is also a legal grey area and will remain so specific legislation is enacted. The tricky balancing act between a right to personal privacy and a right to conduct an investigation or recruiting; helping the selection of a fitting candidate, and protect against negligent hiring claims. There are some guidelines and limits to what a recruiting company may do, but companies would be well advised to consult with local attorneys and to consider developing their own social media policy 6. Final Comment on Compliance There are several moving parts to the whole Internet, social media, recruiting, screening dynamic; many of which have yet to be defined. Social media related law is evolving. So the debate rages on†¦but without a doubt, the use of the Internet and social networking sites related to employment and hiring decisions will be finding its way into courts more and more in the not too distant future.

The Shavian Theatre of Ideas (Modern Drama) Essay Example for Free

The Shavian Theatre of Ideas (Modern Drama) Essay The predominating influence in determining Shaw to turn to the drama was the example of Ibsen and equally prominent was his love of debating, in which he had shown how irresistible it was for him to counter his arguments himself if no one else would. These influential strains compelled him to choose the kind of play in which the characters undertake this dual task of proposer and opposer. In 1892, he made it into Widower’s Houses, and thereafter, for nearly sixty years with unflagging energy he made drama peculiarly his own province. It was not till after Saint Joan that he became the revered elder playwright, a highly respectable figure whom, however, the dramatic critics did not cease to condemn as sharply as before. By then, the old world having been transformed by the war, a new generation had grown up to accept him. Supreme though he had been in his own publicizing of ideas, the parallel preaching of H.G Wells and others had further helped to make his Socialism and his general attitude to ideas and society part of the mind of the age. But socialists as well as others could still be amazed as the old man, with the energy and the unpredictable originality of his genius, produced such plays as The Apple Cart, Too True to be Good, Geneva and In Good King Charles’s Golden Days. In this long period of dramatic writing, Shaw displayed the range of his genius in a great variety of plays. It is hard, however, to discern any clear â€Å"periods† or trends in his development. At most, there is on the whole a change of theme from the particular to the general, from the contemporary scene to the future and of attitude from the satiric and destructive to the philosophic and constructive, from the materialistic to the mystic. If there is any real division to be made in Shaw’s dramatic development it is the First War that marks it. Unable to produce any new work in those four years, when he resumed with Heartbreak House, he was on the whole as a dramatist more philosophic than before, and more concerned with the future. In his own account, Shaw refers to Man and Superman as marking the emergence of what he himself aimed to be as a dramatist, one of â€Å"the artist-prophets† in the succession of men like Goethe and Ibsen. In his summary of his first years as a playwright, he remarks that in the early nineties, he found the existing state of English Theatre ‘intolerable’. The fashionable theatre prescribed one serious subject: clandestine adultery: the dullest of all subjects for a serious author. The exuberant high spirits which characterized his plays before 1914, often bringing into his comedy a lively element of farce, did not appear so much afterwards. Instead, something of grandeur and poetry found expression in famous passages of Saint Joan and Back to Methuselah, though hiss comic vision still played freely and variously, fully exemplifying the Shavian wit and humour. Heartbreak House was the first play that had been written with such deep underlying seriousness. He called it ‘a fantasia on English themes in the Russian manner’, by which he alluded to his being partly inspired by Chekhov, and symbolically through its characters it presents a world which has lost its direction, a world of futilities and insincerities struggling to find reality, a world which to one of the characters appears ‘this cruel,damnable world’. In his 1923 cycle, Shaw felt himself to be co-operating with the Life Force, for through his drama he was declaring that, if only mankind had the will to control its evolution, it could in time achieve perfection, and his ‘metabiological pentateuch’ therefore become part of this purposive process. When he had thus fulfilled his great wish to express his fundamental religious faith as a Creative Evolutionist, Shaw returned in Saint Joan to a drama of his normal scope and manner. Its heroine, portrayed as a sane and shrewd country girl of extraordinary strength of min and hardihood of body†¦a thorough daughter of the soil in her peasantlike matter-of-factness and doggedness†, she was however, in her creator’s mind an instrument like himself of the Life force. In The Apple Cart, he turned again to the future and to the dismay of those who had regarded him as an advanced advocate of democracy showed that the highest ability could be found as well in a king as in a peasant.His brilliance was undiminished and to the end his extraordinary vitality of mind animated all he wrote. Shaw’s ideas can never cease to form an important part of his dramatic legacy, any more than we can appreciate Shakespeare without reference to the view of life which lies behind his work. Nevertheless, it is as dramatist upon the stage that Shaw demands primary consideration. In his own day, Shaw’s command over audiences which by no means consisted only of those who shared his ideas was an obvious fact. His wit was always subservient to the total working of the genius of the comic playwright. His dramatic instinct, indeed, was altogether transcendent and so willfully fashioned its own play that the audience almost forgot in its delight the seriousness of the lesson it had been offered. Those who saw Man and Superman at a performance in which in the Third Act of Juan in Hell was omitted were quite justified in not realizing how much lay behind the farcical comedy of John Tanner trying to flee from the pursuing Ann. Hence, the Prefaces which not only took advantage of the success of a play to make a more comprehensive and detailed attack but which had often to make the public fully conscious of matters which the inspired comic Muse had transmuted into laughter. Shaw once spoke of the lightness of heart without which nothing can succeed in the theatre, and in his own paradoxical union of the prophet and the jester lies the assurance of his dramatic survival. Shaw’s plays give the impression of his creative powers working in a spontaneous unity. His success lies partly in the command of stagecraft which instinctively he knows how to turn stage situation to profit. His characterization, however, sometimes lacks the power of fully convincing us, because it does not always arise from such immediate creative insight as does the general idea of the play, but is to some extend dependent on that idea for the nature and variety of its figures. Of outstanding individual characters many surely have the individuality which lives in its own right, a Bluntschli or a Father Keagan, or a Shotover or Saint Joan. Women, above all, he read and presented with a cunning unromantic realism which suggests, like the novelist Richardson, he understood women even better than men: to Saint Joan may be added among his many acutely and vividly realised women Raina, Cleopatra, Candida, Ann Whitefield, Major Barbara Jennifer Dubedat, and Eliza Doolittle, to name only a few. In two directions his characterization possessed special power- in evoking our sympathetic interest in unattractive people like Mrs. Warren and Louis Dubedat, and in creating beings of broad comedy of a Dickensian vitality like Candida’s father, Straker and Alfred Doolittle. Other gifts affecting characterization included his ability to allow for the existence in a character of the intuitive, that ‘sort of sixth sense’ which when it is possessed, gives an extra dimension to personality, and his understanding of good simple souls, as pre-eminenetly in the Saint. â€Å"Effectiveness of Assertion is the Alpha and omega of style. He who has nothing to assert has no style and can have none; he who has something to assert will go as far I n power of style as its momentousness and his conviction will caryr him. Disprove his assertion after it is made, yet his style remains.† With his union of assertion and provocation, his style is never dull. There is the further animation given by the dramatic clash of dialogue which shares the general effect of spontaneity.

Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain

Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain Upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain Introduction The design teams project aim: To propose a program and new engine design to upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain The following report discusses weaknesses of the current LR Defender along with a subsequent review of advanced engine technologies. Finally the design targets for the new proposed engine are defined with all necessary parameters calculated and justified. The design team have also considered the cost, manufacturability and marketing affects of the new engine as well as the performance requirements. Benchmarking The current LR Defender engine will be critically analysed in-relation to the vehicles main competitors in the market place. This will allow the weaknesses of the current engine model to be determined and thus rectified for the new specification engine. The engine throughout the following section will be critically analysed in the following main areas; Acceleration speed performance Engine power effectiveness (MEP and power density) Emissions of harmful gases and particulates Fuel economy The potential customer perception of vehicles engine and other performance criterion (including value for money). The following competitor vehicles were researched and compared to the current LR Defender to establish baseline requirements for the new spec engine; Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (regarded as the main competitor) Mercedes-Benz G-Class G550 Nissan Patrol GR Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0 D For a table of the above vehicles full specifications, benchmarked with the existing LR Defender, refer to Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1. Analysis Discussion By reviewing the benchmarking table, Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1, it becomes apparent that the current LR Defender is slower than its competitors by taking 14.7 seconds to reach 0 62 mph compared with the Jeep Wranglers time of 11.7 seconds. Although the LR Defender is not expected to have a very fast acceleration time, as it is an off-utility vehicle, potential customers may be discouraged by the Defenders slow acceleration characteristics compared to the Jeep and its other competitors. The fastest acceleration time is achieved by the Mercedes-Benz G550 which can go 0 62 mph in an impressive 6.1 seconds with its supercharged 5L V8 petrol engine. The cost of the Mercedes-Benz G550 however is 50,250 (compared to 27,610 for the Defender) and has twice the engine capacity of the Defender, so is expected to be far more powerful with its petrol engine compared to the 2.4L turbocharged diesel Defender engine. The design teams proposal is that the current LR Defender engine should at least match or beat its rival the Jeep Wrangler in areas such as acceleration time from 0-62 mph as the Defender is more expensive than the Jeep and approximately 230kg lighter. Another issue is that the Defenders top speed is the lowest out of all its competitors. This low top speed has also attracted criticism from motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) who stated that the biggest drawback of the LR Defender is its weak engine and thus corresponding slow acceleration and top speed. The new LR Defender engine must eliminate these same criticisms to become more competitive in the market place and thus more appealing to potential customers. Vehicle Power per cylinder (kW/cylinder) Power Density Ratio (kW/L) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 22.50 37.48 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 32.50 46.81 Mercedes Benz G550 5.5L V8 petrol 47.75 70.23 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 29.50 39.96 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 30.75 41.25 Fig.1.0 compares the effectiveness of the engines that were benchmarked in detail. It shows that the Defenders current engine has the lowest power density in terms of engine capacity. This is a big weakness as it shows that the when not taking into account the Defenders relatively small engine capacity, its engine is vastly underpowered. The Mercedes Benz G550 as expected displays the best power density as it is a gasoline engine. The Defenders regarded closest rival in terms of target market and image, the Jeep Wrangler, also shows a much greater power density ratio. Or group propose to increase the engines the power density to be comparable with the Jeep Wrangler with at least a ratio of above 43kW/L. Vehicle Torque (Nm) MEP (Mpa) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 360 1.885 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 400 1.815 Mercedes Benz G-Class G550 5.5L V8 petrol 391 0.903 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 380 1.619 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 410 1.729 A weakness of the current Defender however is highlighted test drive of the vehicle by motor journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) for the Times Newspaper. He stated that the vehicle simply did not have enough torque to pull a horse trailer behind it at a reasonable speed. This can be backed up by the data seen in Fig.1.1 above which shows that the current Defender engine produces the least amount of torque out of all its competitors. This weakness is heavily compounded by the fact that the vehicle is marketed as an off-road vehicle and thus needs high torque requirements to be-able to navigate through steep and loose terrain effectively. As a consequence customers may be off put by the fact that the current Defender has less torque than its competitors and thus this issue will have to be addressed when upgrading the existing engine. The new engine must be made more environmentally friendly than the current engine as January 2013 will see the current Euro 5 emissions targets replaced by the Euro 6 legislation and thus stricter emissions targets. The Defender is third best out the five competitors the vehicle was benchmarked against in regards to CO2 emissions, which is an indicator for overall total emission performance. The current Defender comes second best to the Jeep Wrangler in regards to fuel economy, by achieving a combined fuel economy of 28.3 mpg. However the other diesel engine competitors, the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are less fuel efficient than the Defender. When purchasing an off-road vehicle such as the Defender, fuel economy may not be the most important factor but it has become more important to potential customers over the last decade. The same could be said for the greater importance of emissions performance that potential customers may look for. The new Defender engine is likely to be more powerful and thus a better fuel economy target (comparable to 32.8mpg of the Jeep Wrangler) may be out of reach. However through reviewing and selecting technologies, the fuel economy performance could be improved slightly or at least kept the same. From analysing the Defender, by using the data displayed in Fig.4.7 (Appendix.1), it can be seen that the vehicle is neither the best nor worst performing vehicle in regards to fuel economy, but averagely in relationship to competitors. The balance of the current Defenders inline four engine configuration, according to Nunney (2006), has perfect primary balance because when one pair of pistons are moving up, the other pair are moving down at the same time. Inline four engines however do not have perfect secondary dynamic balance. This is because piston acceleration varies depending on its vertical position within the cylinder head in relation to the crankshaft that it is connected to. This leads to one pair of pistons moving faster than the other, which creates a secondary imbalance and results in the engine vibrating vertically. Nunney (2006) also explains that at low power configurations the secondary imbalance (vibration) is not too severe but can get considerably worse with increasing size and powerful engines. This may explain why the current inline 4 Defender engine has a lower displacement than its competitors, to reduce secondary imbalance vibration in order to appeal to potential customers and save costs on designing a crankshaft to damp heavy engine vibration. The following strengths are also exhibited by the current engine; Highest MEP value out of the competitors benchmarked against Best strength to weight ratio (could be due to basic interior making vehicle lighter) Potential customers may overlook the apparent power and torque shortfalls as the highly regarded Land Rover brand may persuade people to buy the vehicle anyway. Summary of existing Defender engine (compared to competitors); Weaknesses Strengths Slowest acceleration from 0 62 Mph Best Mean Effective Pressure of 1.885Mpa, better than competitor vehicles Lowest top speed of only 82 mph Highest Power to weight ratio (kW/kg) More expensive than Jeep Wrangler by >4000 even with poorer speed performance. Fuel economy is not the worst Lowest Power per cylinder produced (kW/cyl) Emission of CO2 is not the worst Secondary imbalance of straight inline four engine configuration (rivals also have this weakness) Long history of Defender may appeal to potential customers, thus engine shortcomings may be overlooked Lowest torque produced out of competitors Not the best in either fuel consumption or emissions, even with smallest capacity engine Lowest Power Density Ratio (kW/L) Current Vehicle Performance Trends Fig 1.3 shows the performance trends for Jaguar engines up to 2010. While exact performance targets cannot be extrapolated from the graph, The design group can see that the new Defender engine needs to have an increase in specific engine power. However with the increase in power, increased emissions and fuel consumption will occur. This in conjunction with Fig 1.4 below from Richardson (2010) shows how CO2 emissions have decreased despite the trend of engine power also increasing. While the trends from Figs 1.3 and 1.4 show that performance trends increase and emissions trends decrease, the group is concluding that potential customers for a LR Defender will be less likely concerned about the vehicles emissions or fuel economy compared to non-SUV vehicles customers. Thus increasing the torque (and power) of the current engine to match its competitors is prioritised. It is conceded that any improvement in fuel economy and emissions departments will be limited, but in the interests of Land Rovers image, any improvement on these characteristics will be beneficial. Advanced Engine Technology Supercharging Turbo-charging Technology Superchargers (mechanical drive driven) This is a device comprising of an air compressor to force more air into the engine. Forcing a greater amount of air (under positive pressure) into the engine provides more oxygen for the combustion process than without a supercharger. As a result more fuel can be thus provided for stoichiometric combustion reaction to occur and allowing more work per a cycle to be done. This thus increases the power output of the engine. The advantage of supercharging according to Daniels (2001) is that it multiplies the engines BMEP and torque by the amount the air compressor increases the atmospheric pressure into the engine. Supercharged engines also experience better throttle response than naturally aspirated engines. The disadvantage of using a supercharger is that it is generally less thermally efficient than the more common used turbocharger (which uses energy from otherwise wasted exhaust gas). Another drawback highlighted by Harris (2002) is that supercharging (particularly mechanical-supercharging techniques) puts extra strain on the engine and its components as they are required to withstand extra strains provided by the supercharging boost. This requires the engine to be made stronger, thus thicker, heavier and more expensive. Daniels (2001) also explains how the noise generated by a superchargers mechanical drive components can contribute to extra passenger discomfort. Turbochargers These devices consist of a turbine and a compressor and are a type of supercharger. The difference is that instead of mechanically driving a compressor to force more air into the engine, turbochargers uses the engines own exhaust gases (which would have been otherwise wasted). It does this by converting the kinetic energy from exhaust gases into rotational energy to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to the compressor on the same shaft, thus this powers the compressor to draw in atmospheric air and pump it pressurised into the engine. The advantages of a turbocharger are same as for a supercharger as previously described of increasing engine BMEP. This is appropriate for the LR Defender which will need the extra power if being used off-road or in mountainous steep roads, which is the market the vehicle is targeted to. Turbochargers are also more thermally efficient than superchargers due to use of the otherwise wasted exhaust gas. This thus decreases exhaust emissions and fumes expelled into the atmosphere. Daniels (2001) also explains that for mainly diesel engines variable geometry turbochargers can maintain an appropriate exhaust gas speed though the turbo turbine when the engine is at low load. Disadvantages include the need for a cooler to cool exhaust gas before it enters the turbine therefore adding weight and bulk to the engine. During operation turbochargers also experience a turbo lag when the throttle is applied. As previously explained the LR Defenders competitors (particularly its main rival the Jeep Wrangler) have more powerful engines than the current Defender 2.4litre 4 cylinder engine. If upgrading the engine by increasing its cylinder capacity, more air (particularly oxygen) will need to be supplied to the cylinders for combustion. Thus the use of twin-turbochargers may be required to force more air into the cylinders to make the combustion process stoichiometric. Also the advantage of using two smaller turbochargers (twin-turbo), instead of a larger single turbocharger, is that turbo-lag is reduced. Usually a small turbocharger provides boost at low engine speeds and the second kicks in and supplies boost at higher engine speeds. There are two widely known types of twin-turbochargers called Parallel and Sequential types. When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of mechanically-driven superchargers and turbochargers it was decided to use turbochargers as they are more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient to run. The current engine for the LR Defender uses a variable geometry turbocharger and it is likely the new spec engine will also be turbocharged by the same type of unit. Variable Valve Timing Systems Camless Valve Systems Autoweek Magazine (2005) states that camless valve systems were tested in 2005 by Valeo on two Peugeot 407s successfully under extreme weather conditions and intensive testing. The valves were controlled by individual actuators and powered through solenoids to open and close valves. The advantages of camless systems, explained by Daniels (2001), include the following; Valve timing can be altered to as desired In theory some cylinders could be shut off (at low load) to allow others to run more efficiently Valve timing and lift can be matched to the needs of the engine with an estimated saving of up to 20% on fuel saving. The mechanical design of the engine can be simplified as the usage of a camshaft and other associated valve gear become redundant. The advantages however are currently overshadowed by the power needs of the camless system and the associated complexity and reliability issues if the vehicle has electrical problems. Peter Brown who is vice president of powertrain engineering and design for Ricardo stated in Autoweek Magazine (2005) It comes down to complexity and cost which sums up why camless systems are still not (although many think they eventually will be) utilised in passenger vehicle engines. For The new LR Defender engine camless systems will not be used for the disadvantages described above. Variable Valve Timing Technology Mechadyne International (2006) states that that the use of variable valve train systems can substantially reduce both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The amount by which the variable valve train systems reduce fuel consumption and emissions is going to be approximated to 10%. This is because, as the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states, BMWs VALVETRONIC system reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by over 12%. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the following types of variable valve timing technology are available; Camshaft phase adjustment Camshaft-lobe control Fully variable valve timing with camshaft Fully variable valve timing without camshaft Camshaft Phase Adjustment This type of variable valve timing adjusts the phase that the cams are in contact with the levers that open and close the valves. To change the phase of the camshaft small adjustments are made, by electrically controlled actuators, to the camshaft as a function of engine speed. Typically the camshaft can only be controlled to move to two pre-calculated extreme positions. Advantages include greater power, torque and efficiency being experienced for a wider range of engine speeds. Disadvantages to other valve timing methods include the limited range in which the valves timings can actually be altered. Fully Variable Valve Timing with Camshaft These types of systems can vary both valve lift and timing. The lobes on the camshaft have a curved profile which in conjunction with the camshaft being able to move freely laterally, this enables the valve lift and timing to also be varied independent to each other, which is an obvious advantage to the previously limited valve control systems mentioned above. Fully Variable Valve Timing without Camshaft These types of systems are very different, to the previously mentioned, as it replaces the use of a camshaft with either the following types of control methods solenoid (electromagnetic) or electro-hydraulic actuators. The biggest advantage of these systems are that operate independently from the crankshaft and thus this allows the valves to be opened at any time period of the engines cycle. This, as stated by the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007), offers the greatest degree of freedom for valve timing and thus the greatest potential for reducing fuel consumption. Also deactivation of certain cylinders can be achieved thus allowing the active cylinders to work more efficiently at lower engine speeds. Disadvantages are however that superchargers cannot be installed (without very expensive and complicated design), and while space is saved from not using a camshaft, electrical components can be bulky and hazardous. Also the cost of fully variable valve timing systems means it is unlikely they will be incorporated into The new engine design. Camshaft-Lobe Control In these types of systems it becomes possible for a valves timing to be controlled by three separate camshaft lobes depending on the engine speed. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the one lobes profile is tailored so that valve timing and lift is optimised for the lower to mid engine speed range. Another lobes profile is optimised for higher engine speeds by maximising valve lift and opening times. Systems such as Hondas VTEC and Toyotas WTI use camshaft-lobe control method. Camshaft-lobe shifting types of variable valve timing also share similar advantages and disadvantages to the camshaft phase adjustment method. This type of variable timing (camshaft-lobe control) will be used for the new engine design. This is because it doesnt cost as much (or weigh as much) as the other variable valve timing systems while still being hugely advantageous in terms of performance, fuel economy and emissions control gain. Fuel Injection Systems Common Rail Fuel Injection These fuel systems consist of a common rail tubing system maintained at constant high pressure via a pump. Injectors for each cylinder in the engine are in turn connected to the common rail tubing. The injectors have solenoid valves which are electronically controlled via an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to open and close at the desired timings as explained in detail by DENSO (2005). An advantage of common rail fuel injection is that control of fuel injection (according to Daniels, 2001) is at the injector itself and not at the pump which is the case with other fuel injection systems. Higher pressures can also be achieved thus more fuel can be injected into the cylinder in a shorter amount of time with better fuel atomisation, as described by DENSO (2005), leading to high combustion efficiency and a reduction in emissions. This is important as new emissions targets will have to be met in 2014 with the Euro 6 legislation when the vehicle will be on the market. The main disadvantage of this type of injection technology according to Daniels (2001) is that the injectors are expensive to manufacture and inherently complicated in design. Piezoelectric Injectors (For Common Rail Systems) Instead of using solenoid valves which are more frequently used in common rail fuel injection system, piezoelectric injectors can be used in higher performance engines. These injectors work by using piezoelectric crystals that expand when supplied with an electrical charge and thus opening and closing fuel injection valves. The following attributes of piezoelectric type injectors are common; Greater compact dimensions than solenoid valve injectors. More accurate control over injection timing and fuel volume. Piezoelectric injectors can be used with Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) to minimise diesel engine vibration at low engine speeds. This is achieved by injecting a small quantity of fuel before the main injection quantity. Piezoelectric injectors can also operate faster with more frequency than solenoid valves (approximately five times faster), which allows greater control over fuel consumption and emissions. The Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states that the use of piezo-injectors for common rail fuel systems can reduce emissions by up to 20%. Emissions Reduction Technologies Stanton (2009) from roadtransport.com explains how the European Parliament (EP) and European Commission (EC) have agreed new targets for comply with Euro-6 emission legislation. The new Euro-6 targets will have to be met by vehicle manufacturers and thus the new spec LR Defender by 1st January 2013. This is before the new LR Defender model will reach Job 1 (mid to late 2013). It is therefore important that new and existing technologies are reviewed in Emissions control to meet these targets. In recent years the environmental performance of vehicles influences potential customers more than ever in their buying decision. It is therefore important we maintain Jaguars highly regarded brand image and compete with competitors by meeting the existing (Euro-5) and future Euro-6 emissions targets. Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) This is a device which is responsible for removing small particulate particles and soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. A DPF is not 100% but is normally found to be over 50% efficient most of the time. A good feature of a DPF is that its function according to torquecars.com (2008) is independent to a catalytic converter thus ensuring a fault in the DPF will not affect overall emissions critically. The advantages of particulate filters are much publicised including removing dangerous small particles from an engines emissions. The two types of DPF, active and passive, have their own advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantages of DPF, explained by torquecars.com (2008), are highlighted below; The filters can get very hot causing a possible fire safety hazard. To remove a DPF very technical changes have to be made to the affected ECUs to change the sensitivity of sensors in the vehicles engine and exhaust. A DPF can decrease engine performance by at most 10% Bhp. Other Technologies Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) Diesel engines are known to display harsh chugging and vibration at low engine speed, which can now be minimised through technology called Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC). An APC system, described by Delphi (2008) consists of an accelerometer (microphone) attached to the engine block which listens to the nature of the combustion which may have caused vibrations occur throughout the engine block. An engine management system then minimises the unwanted vibrations and noise by optimising the amount of fuel pilot injected for combustion, in a closed loop system, until acceptable noise and vibration levels are reached. ECU Remapping According to mobilechiptune.com (2007), when we remap an engine ECU we are fine tuning the program that deals with engine performance. Remapping or upgrading an ECU could therefore potentially increase the available engine power and torque. Mobilechiptune.com (2007) also states that remapping a diesel turbo engine ECU will produce 30 50% BHP on exact the specification, where diesel engines give the most impressive power and torque gains available. A remap of the ECU will definitely be required be a twin-turbo (or other technologies) are added to the new engine, however the ECU itself is only likely to achieve small gains in efficiency, fuel economy and emissions. Summary of Chosen Technologies Fig1.5 below shows the selected technologies the group is proposing for inclusion into the new Defenders engine. Fig1.5 also shows estimates of the expected improvement over engine performance, emissions and fuel economy. Also see Section.3 for justification to estimates below. Feature Selected Technology Twin-Turbo (reused exhaust gas Variable Valve train Diesel Particulate Filter Piezo Injectors* Improved ECU Mapping APC Performance, BHP + 20% + 10% 10% + 5% + 2.5% + 2.5% Emissions, CO2 g/km + 5% 10% ~ 0% 10% 2.5% 2.5% Fuel Economy, mpg 10% + 10% ~ 0% +10% + 2.5% + 2.5% *Piezo injectors as opposed to solenoid controlled injectors in a common rail fuel injection system. 3. Selection of Engine Arrangements Modified engine parameters: Total engine capacity 3000 cc. Capacity per each cylinder 500 cc. Number of cylinders 6 Type of engine Diesel engine The target is to improve engine performance (mainly torque) by increasing the number of cylinders from 4 to 6. Although there is a reduction of capacity per cylinder, a net increase in total engine capacity of 600 cc will not only compensate it, but also increases total horsepower produced. Kayne (2009) states that 6 cylinder engines are more suited to towing, off-road, hilly and mountainous areas while experiencing greater throttle response. Bore size is thus reduced from 89.9 mm to 82 mm while retaining the same stroke length. Bore/stroke ratio is 1.15, which is within the range of 1-1.3 for diesel engine. The weight of the current engine is estimated as being 180kg taken from a BMW 2.5L inline 4 diesel engine (plus weight added for turbo) from data compiled by Williams (2006), which is a similar spec to the current Defenders 2.4L turbo inline 4. The new engine is estimated as being 25% larger thus heavier by the same margin, and an additional 50kg for the additional technologies a dded. The new engine weight is thus taken as approximately 300kg. 4. Determination of Design Targets This section of the report provides estimations for the new engines power, torque, fuel economy and emissions characteristics. Below Fig1.7 Shows modifications to the Defenders current engine will affect the new engines power performance. Performance Estimation Feature Estimated affect on engines Performance BHP (%) affect from current Defenders 121 BHP engine Increasing engine capacity by 600cc + 25 % + 30 BHP Upgrading current Turbocharger to a Twin-turbo charger + 20 % + 24 BHP Installing a Variable valve train system Camshaft Lobe Control + 10 % + 12 BHP Decreasing the bore from 89.9mm to 82mm 10 % 12 BHP Adding a Diesel Particulate Filter 10 % 12 BHP Piezo-electric injectors (instead of solenoid valves) in common-rail system + 5% + 6 BHP Miscellaneous; -Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) -Improved ECU Mapping -Improved intake air flow + 5 % + 6 BHP Total affect in BHP = + 50 % 60 BHP Increase Given the maximum power for previous engine is 121 bhp. Therefore, the new engines maximum power is: Power = (121 + 30 + 24 + 12 12 12 + 6 + 6)bhp = 181 bhp = 135kW Torque and Power at 3 operating conditions: T = 368.5 Nm @ max power (3500rpm) T = 400.0 Nm @ max torque (2000rpm) T = 120.0 Nm @ idle (1000rpm) The Torque at various engine speeds were calculated via using the following equation: Engine power: Pe=2*? *N* T Figure 1.8 shows the estimated power and torque curves for the vehicle. Justification of Targets Estimations While the decision has been taken to increase the engines capacity, increasing the engines power to increase the vehicles acceleration and torque characteristics, the fuel economy and emissions of the engine also has to improve. This is due to more stringent legislation and targets, as well as the expectations from potential customers who expect the engine to improve in every department. It may be said that that increasing the engines capacity from 2.4L to 3L means that the targets of decreasing the fuel consumption and emissions will be difficult. The group would argue however that the current Defenders engine is underpowered compared to its competitors and was consequently the recipient of bad reviews from motor journalists (such as Jeremy Clarkson, 2006). The Defenders potential customer market also may not require huge improvements in fuel consumption and emissions. This is because the Defender is going to be utilised for and marketed as an off-field vehicle with specialist applications such as towing and rough terrain excursions. These categories of vehicles are expected by customers to have poorer fuel economy and emissions than other smaller vehicle types. These customer expectations will therefore be beneficial when designing the engine as while emissions and fuel economy is targeted to at least stay the same, the issue of increasing the Defenders torque can be prioritised. The increase in engine capacity naturally means the emissions and fuel consumption will increase. To overcome this advanced engine technology will be utilised in order to decrease the emissions and fuel consumption. Estimations will be made regarding how much saving (in terms of percentage) the addit

Circuits :: electronics circuit board

Circuits, what is up with that? First you need to understand how all the parts of a circuit relate. The main thing that a circuit has is conductance and that all the parts are conductors. Conductors are materials in which electric charges move freely. If the material isn't a conductor, it is either a insulator or a semiconductor. Conductors are mainly metalic substances such as copper, aluminum, and gold. Conductors allow a charge to build up and move "freely" through the conductor. When dealing with circuits and the moving of electrons, free movement at the moment is the best movement. I will get to reasons to but a damper on the movement of electrons later. Now, if a conductor allows a charge to build up and move freely, then it should be easy to understand that an insulator is just the opposite, it might build up a charge but that charge isn't going anywhere. Semiconductors is the crossbreed of the other two types. Semiconductors are usually a conducting material that has been "do ped" or has been added to from a insulating material. This makes it so the charges don't want to move as freely but they can still move. Now, just like lightning, charges have a tendency to try to make their way to the earth if they can. This is why if you have a conducting material and connect it to the earth with a wire or something, it is said to be grounded. Grounding is a good thing to do with circuits because if there is too much charge going through a circuit, you don't want it to stay in the circuit and fry everything, grounding a circuit is generally safe. To finish off the idea of the very basic circuit, we know that it allows a charge to build up and move through it, now we need to know that the circuit must be complete. The ending picture of the circuit must make a complete loop so that those charges that like to move have somewhere to allways go. What happens if you hook a wire from one end of a battery to nothing else.....NOTHING. The circuit is not completed therefore the charges can't move off the end of the wire and continue to go. Voltage, Current, and Resistance When working with circuits, the three basic elements to anaylizing the circuit are voltage, current, and resistance. These three readings help you find out all the information you need on how the cicuit will work and they are all related to eachother through Ohm's law which states that Voltage is equal to current times resistance.

Written Music Essay -- Music History

Written Music For a very long time music was not written down. It was sung or played from memory. As it was passed on from person to person, many changes crept into the tunes. A way of writing music down was needed so that it would be sung or played exactly as it had been composed. The name for written music that man developed is notation. The system of musical notation generally used today is the result of centuries of development- from about the end of the ninth century to the early 1700’s. This development began in the cathedrals in monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church. Since many of the Church’s services were sung, they were sung from memory. Towards the end of the ninth century dots and dashes and squiggles were written over the words in the church books. These signs, called neumes, showed the direction in which the melody should go. But they were still very vague. About 900 A.D. the music was made a little easier to read. The neumes were written at certain distances above or below the horizontal red line, representing the note F, to show how high or low...

Brock

This gets the reader or viewer engaged, being left make predictions. This sense Is achieved with techniques employed by the author or director of a text. Such is the case in Into Thin Air written by Jon Krause and in The Hunger Games directed by Gary Ross Jon Krause constructs the text Into Thin Air to establish a sense of inevitability that a disaster will occur on Mat. Everest. He achieves this with the use of foreshadowing.An example from the text Is when Squeaker's teammates are spending time taking hoots and he says, â€Å"nobody suspected that by the end of the day, every minute would matter†. This informs us that something bad is going to happen in the near future where time is valuable. This importance of time suggests their lives will be put at risk and survival will become a main focus. Foreshadowing leaves the reader to make predictions while giving them the sense that something will definitely happen, be Inevitable. The application of statistics and descriptive lan guage In Into Thin Alarm contributes to the sense of inevitability that a disaster will occur.He informs us of the deaths on Everest â€Å"Everest killed more than 130 people since the British first visited the mountain in 1921† and the dangerous terrain â€Å"towering more than 12,000 feet†¦ Looms as a three-sided pyramid of gleaming ice and dark, striated rock† Texts can be constructed to establish a sense of inevitability of something happening. This gets the reader or viewer engaged, being left make predictions. This sense Is achieved with techniques employed by the author or director of a text. Such Is the case In IntoThin Air written by Jon Krause and in The Hunger Games directed by Gary Ross be inevitable. With techniques employed by the author or director of a text. Such is the case in Into An example from the text is when Squeaker's teammates are spending time taking The application of statistics and descriptive language in Into Thin Air contributes to th e reader or viewer engaged, being left make predictions. This sense is achieved looms as a three-sided pyramid of gleaming ice and dark, striated rock† sense is achieved with techniques employed by the author or director of a text. Such

Introduction to Economics Essay

The variation in the price of the houses from various cities can be attributed to many different economic factors that could affect the price of the commodity or merchandise. There are sometimes other indirect factors that affect the price of a commodity or merchandise, like the rising of the price of crude oil. Crude oil serves as an input for most of the industries in our economy, and thus, if the price of the crude oil increases, commodities that use crude oil as a part of the production costs would also have to increase so as not to affect their revenue. Well of course in this paper; we are going to give more attention on the reason behind the differences in the prices of houses on every city as well as finding the root of the problem. Based from realtors. com, I observed that houses with the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms differ in terms of prices (realtor. com, 2007). As I analyze the given data on the site, I come up with the following possible answer to the problem. The reason behind the differences in the prices of houses from city to city is based on the type of living that the city has. The higher the standard of living would mean that the citizens there are more capable of buying expensive houses or appliances. Whereas, those cities that has lower standard of living denotes that the person living in those place has a lower â€Å"willingness to pay† than with the higher standard of living. Because of this, the firms in the city with lower standard of living would be forced to set their prices reasonable to maintain their market share. Another reason would be, those cities with lower standard of living has only a simple design for their houses as compared to those people living in the â€Å"rich† city and because of this, only those â€Å"rich† cities can afford to buy such beautiful house. With this, raw material in making the house become expensive to match the kind of living the citizen has. 2] The Effects of Supply and Demand If we are going to graph demand and supply, we could see that the demand is downward sloping and supply is upward sloping. Refer to appendix page, at first when there are no distortion in the economy happens, the supply and demand for houses are in the equilibrium [the intersection of Po and Qo. Now suppose that the demand for houses increased due to higher incomes of the citizen, then, the demand curve will shift to the right while maintaining the original supply curve. With this, we now arrived at a higher price level (Zilberman, 2002). It is logically for the house producers to increase their prices because people demand more of houses and they can afford to buy houses even if you raise your charge. Now let’s go back to the equilibrium position, as for the effect of supply on prices, suppose that the firms can now produce more houses because they become more competitive and efficient, with this, the supply curve will shift to the right while maintaining the original demand curve. As we can see in the graph, the prices now decreased due to the inverse relationship of demand to supply (Zilberman, 2002). According to the law of supply, if the supply of a certain commodity increased, its demand would go to fall. This is the reason why demand is downward sloping while supply is upward sloping (investopedia. com, 2007). Well, it is rational for the producers to lower down their prices to attract more customers to purchase their surplus in the production since they produce more than the needed number in the market. In short, the effect of demand to prices would be positive and negative for supply; this is based on the producer’s point of view most of the relationships here would be reversed if we would use the point of view of the consumers. REFERENCES investopedia.com. (2007). Economics Basics: Demand and Supply [Electronic Version]. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://www. investopedia. com/university/economics/economics3. asp. realtor. com. (2007). Home Plan HPG-1855 Details [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://www. homeplans. com/exec/action/plans/browsemode/details/filter/PlnID. 24346/hspos/hsnet/page/1/planid/24346/section/homeplans. Zilberman, D. (2002). Market Policies and Incentives [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://images. google. com. ph/imgres? imgurl=http://are. berkeley. edu/courses/PMB10/fall2005/Lecture19files/Lectur17. gif&imgrefurl=http://are. berkeley. edu/courses/PMB10/fall2005/Lecture-19. htm&h=487&w=576&sz=6&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=5Ht0lrADVcB2LM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=134&

Impacts of Keystone XL Pipeline on Environment

Impacts of Keystone XL Pipeline on EnvironmentIntroductionThe proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline Project ( KXL ) would slit through the heartland of the United States, from the U.S. Canadian outskirt shut to Morgan, Montana, to Steele City, Nebraska. KXL would consist of approximately 876 stat mis of new, 36 inch distance across grapevine, aboard twenty new pump Stationss. To power these pump Stationss, KXL would bespeak about 2,400 kVs and approximately 378 stat mis of new power lines. In enlargement, a 110 wide development right-of-way is required along the proposed grapevine way. A few fragments will compel â€Å" interim workspace scopes † for exceeding development schemes, for illustration, wetland intersections and even directional drilling wholly, an expected 1,206 subdivisions of land of land perturbation. Further, KXL would necessitate 1,226 subdivisions of land for channel stockpiling finishs, railway turnouts, and builder paces, and more than 500 subdivisions of land for development bivouacing countries. ( SPOT, 2015 ) One of the universe ‘s wealthiest woodlands extends crosswise over northern Alberta, doing the Canadian district place to a unbounded exhibit of relocating winged animate beings, assorted wild life, and the First Nations persons who one time flourished with the venue ‘s common copiousness. In any instance in late decennaries, mining organisations have torn up the country and dirtied its Waterss in a journey to concentrate pitch littorals, which yield an overpowering unprocessed crude oil caught in a mixture of sand and Earth. The fuel is grimy ; the extraction and refinement process is significantly dirtier. It ‘s so vitality escalated, truth be told, that tar littorals oil is barely conservative to convey to market. That is the ground the concern is so pressing to build Keystone XL. The proposed $ 7 billion pitch littorals oil grapevine would run 2,000 stat mis over the American heartland, traversing the state ‘s biggest fresh water aquifer to accomplish the Texas Gulf Coast. There, refineries would manage an awaited 830,000 barrels of grimy unsmooth every twenty-four hours, a big part of them headed for abroad markets, with immaterial consequence on U.S. verve liberty or gas costs. BARACK OBAMA used his veto power for merely three measures in his clip in the Oval Office: non precisely any president in late history. His veto of a measure O.K.ing the Keystone Pipeline yesterday proposes that figure will be lifting rapidly. With Republicans now in control of both houses, Mr Obama will be confronted with significantly more picks like this. The legislative issues is basic: the Republicans need to pin down the president into disregarding nevertheless many celebrated ideas ( or if nil else thoughts that Republicans like ) as could be allowed.Economic ViabilityAngels tout the project as a national employments Godhead. The truth is, Keystone XL would probably butcher a larger figure of businesss than it would include. Agring the State Department, it would do 1,950 development businesss for a long clip. Once finish? Thirty-five new immutable American businesss, as indicated by grapevine maker TransCanada. At the same clip wo n't polish tar littorals oil aid fuel the Unit ed States and decrease gas costs? Reconsider. Tar sands diggers need Keystone XL in visible radiation of the fact that it will assist them transport oil abroad to a planetary concern, where their point will convey more hard currency and include one million millions of dollars in annual benefits. That is a losing agreement for everybody – aside from Large Oil. ( Council, 2015 )Impacts on EnvironmentIn the Biological Assessment, the Department recognizes that KXL ‘s effects on recorded species incorporate expanded human coaction ; environment discontinuity, alteration, and bad luck ; decreased reproducing accomplishment because of disturbance and quiver ; and the devising of obstructors to motion. The most prompt effects would come about because of land exasperation connected with development exercisings. Constructing these 875 stat mis of new grapevine would compel a 110 wide development right-of manner through critical natural life home ground. Further, vehicular action along the grapevine class would increase. In sum, KXL will trouble oneself about 16,300 subdivisions of land. ( Council, 2015 ) Surveies demonstrate that pitch littorals grapevines are more powerless against interruptions than those conveying conventional rough in position of the oil ‘s destructive nature and the chemicals of import to do it gone through the funnels. Regardless of the concern ‘ great well-being instances, we to boot know from late spills and resulting authorities scrutinies that its interruption find models are non really impressive and its spill ordinance and clean-up modus operandis missing. ( D.K. , 2015 ) A grapevine spill would sabotage the country and H2O supply of precisely 110,000 farms and spreads in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska that created more than $ 40 billion value of nutriment in 2012. In those three provinces entirely, the grapevine would traverse 1,073 watercourses, lakes, and watercourses, integrating the Yellowstone River in Montana and the Platte River in Nebraska, alongside a immense figure of subdivisions of land of wetlands. It would likewise run inside a stat mi of more than 3,000 Wellss that give imbibing and lacrimation system H2O in those provinces. ( SPOT, 2014 ) Due to its salty creative activity, excavation and refinement pitch sands oil petitions a mammoth step of verve – significantly more than ordinary rough. Cornerstone XL would increase tar sands creative activity, compeling much more verve and doing more outstanding C taint: the similitude Americans driving an impossible 60 billion extra stat mis systematically. NASA research worker James Hansen gauges that the staying pitch littorals shops contain double the step of C taint discharged by the whole world-wide oil industry – in all of world ‘s history. â€Å" In the event that Canada returns and we do n't make anything, † Hansen wrote in a New York Times publication, â€Å" it will be amusement over for the ambiance. † ( SPOT, 2014 ) There are contentions that the grapevine will be a biological calamity to boot exaggerate things. Unquestionably, the extraction of Canadian oil from pitch littorals in Alberta includes echt natural adulteration, and constructing the grapevine will in fact aid to back up this by conveying down the disbursals of transporting such mussy oil. Be that as it may the oil is by and large efficaciously being removed, and rather a spot of it is being taken to market via train. More too bad, trains, non at all similar grapevines, have an disposition sometimes to bust up and split into fires. In 2013, more oil was spilled from rail cars in the United States than in the past four decennaries joined. Without whatever other activity to maintain the abuse of Canadian oil, a grapevine might at any rate better guarantee the extricated oil and the country through which it is transported. ( Publications, 2015 ) At this minute when ambiance activity is more sincere than any other clip in recent memory, piecing this grapevine would be a venture into a past instead than a motion into a clean verve hereafter. Cornerstone XL would talk to a long draw responsibility to the development of hazardous pitch littorals oil when we have to be seting resources into sheltered, renewable wellheads of verve. ( Digest, 2015 ) The whooping Crane is one of America ‘s most noteworthy and jeopardized species ; merely around 214 stayed in the natural state in 2005. The thin, ephemeral winged animal dwells merely in North America and voyages 2,400 stat mis from Texas to focal Canada every twelvemonth. The electrical overseas telegrams for KXL would slit specifically through the whooping Crane ‘s staying 170-mile broad motion passageway, and in Nebraska, about the whole grapevine class will be built inside this passageway. The issue with the project is that it has turned into a political unfavorable judgment. Although it’s non comparable to more built-in issues, for illustration, migration alteration, or making battling the Islamic State, this one is reasonably unsophisticated and the separating lines are clear. Republicans can accordingly use it to carry the president for his collected inability to do employments, without raging anyone or demoing up the clefts in their degage alliance.Plants CitedCouncil, National Resources Defence.Keystone Grapevine. 2015. Article. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nrdc.org/energy/keystone-pipeline/ & gt ; . D.K, The Economist.Keystone xl and president veto. 25 Februaury 2015. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/02/keystone-xl-and-presidents-veto & gt ; . Digest, Congressional. â€Å" Environmental Analysis of the Keystone XL Project Potential for Oil Spills From the. †Congressional Digest( 2015 ) . Publications, ACS.Environmental Science and Technology. 2015. pdf. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //pubs.acs.org/doi/ipdf/10.1021/es303238z & gt ; . SPOT, Burd L. & A ; RESTO. â€Å" The Keystone XL Pipeline: Improper Reliance on Weak. †Journal Of Environmental Law And( 2014 ) . Document.

Amber Inn & Suites, Inc

Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. is a 250 property hotel chain with locations in 10 western and Rocky Mountain States. As a special assistant to the corporation the goal is to prepare a comprehensive analysis with the possibility of establishing a solid base for future growth. (Kerin and Peterson, 2010). This case study will provide a summary and analysis of Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. options and an examination into the company’s strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. Problem Modification Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. problems to be addressed are how to emphasize on the corporate travelers and vacationing family stays. The American Hotel and Lodging Association have reported one half of all guests are business travelers and the other half are for leisure or family vacations. In comparison, Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. basically offers the same amenities as other hotel chains in the midscale to economy range. (Kerin and Peterson, 2010). However, they are not able to compete with higher level hotel chains due to limited-services which inhibit their growth potential. Case Analysis Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. has projected growth in the annual lodging revenue of 7.4% for the current fiscal year. However, it is still slightly below the overall hotel industry average of 7.6%, but higher than the average limited-service growth rate of 5.8%. However, Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. is also projected to reflect its’ third year net loss while the hotel industry as a whole and the limited-service operations reported profitable operations over the past three years following improved economic conditions. (Kerin and Peterson, 2010). During the past fiscal year, Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. has closed two underperforming Amber Inn locations and opened one Amber Inn & Suites property. In the past few years, Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. has closed 12 underperforming Amber Inn properties, and opened two Amber Inn properties and three Amber Inn & Suites properties. Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. is projected to reflect lower revenue in the current fiscal year due to â€Å"Free-Night Stay† promotions. The loss of revenue for each location utilizing this promotion will have an effect on overall performance of the chain. The Direct Cost per room is projected to be $28.75 which has remained steady for the past three years. However, variable costs directly associated with the operation of the hotel properties, such as direct labor, utilities, and hotel/room supplies (including breakfast food and beverage service) are subject to change. (Kerin and Peterson, 2010). Corporate expenses are subject to the going market rates for Sales, general, and administrative. These costs can include: 1. IT Services 2. Legal 3. Finance expenses (interest rates) 4. Accounting (especially if utilizing outside sources such as an accountant) 5. Human resources (outside sources are more costly) 6. Sales (outside sources are more costly) 7. Marketing (outside sources are more costly) Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. hired two additional National Sales Representatives this past year for a total of 10 representatives. Marketing cost rose due to added marketing and media advertising. A large scale study was performed to identify Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. guests. Both of these additions increased the expenditures for the current fiscal year with results and benefits to be determined in the future. Identifying the Root Problem Components Executives have expressed concern over the occupancy level at each of the locations. Asking questions as follows: 1. Are we utilizing the very best promotions or are there better promotions we can offer 2. Are we asking questions about what consumers want 3. What determines which hotel they choose to stay at 4. Why are we comparing Amber Inn as an economy hotel when we offer better services 5. Are we meeting our guests expectations 6. Are we providing the best services available 7. Are our rooms up to the companies standards at all locations These are all questions we should be asking ourselves and finding answers. We can improve our performance as a leader in hotel management for all locations and we will meet guest’s expectations. Evaluation of Alternatives As a Special Assistant for Amber Inn & Suites, Inc., recommendations would include widen the target market to include more amenities for business travelers and the leisure/family vacations. There is no reason to trade off the leisure/family vacation business vs. business travelers. You can look at ways of establishing sections in the hotel to accommodate both. Such as north, south, east, and west wings to separate the families from the business guests. A business guest may not want a room full of children above, under, next door, or across the hall from them. The noise level is a problem for a business traveler preparing for meetings. This causes complaints. Simple solutions separate them at check-in. Identify who your guests are and what their needs are going to be while visiting your location. Advertising this consideration will be a big plus for any business traveler or singles who do not want to listen to a crying baby. Displaying emphasis on what a guests needs are will separate you and establish the brand. Brand awareness is a major emphasis in the upcoming year. A meeting needs to be arranged with the CEO, Joseph James, and all other executives to present a plan of action. If you do not make brand awareness your mission how does Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. plan to take control of their destiny? All executives need to have the same goals to make Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. the best it can be. Special attention should be given to a set growth plan for advertising and promotions. Since the ‘Free-Night† is costing Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. money come up with a better incentive to entice guests to stay at your chain instead of any other. Promote Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. is such a way your guests seek you out. My recommendation is to identify your target market of past business travelers and leisure/vacation guests send emails offering special rates/discounts for multiple night stays. Let them know about the new way of assigning rooms based on needs of the guests. Add this information to Amber Inn & Suites, Inc. website for future potential guests. Making this change to website information will become word of mouth advertising. This is the best advertisement you can have and it is free! Growth potential in all areas outlined creates the opportunities to be more successful! Recommendations The following are recommendations: 1. Place more emphasis on the leisure/vacation travelers and business travelers 2. Set up sections of the hotel for lodging based on guests needs separating business travelers and single/older guest needing quieter environments vs. family guests with children 3. Establish the rooming needs for guests during the reservation or check-in process 4. Establish Express check-out service onsite 5. Establish/emphasize brand awareness through emails (former guest) and website information 6. Set up check-in/check-out service via website guests will just need to stop briefly at the counter to receive/drop off rooms keys 7. Broaden advertisement/promotions offering discounts/special rates for returning guests 8. Improve efficiencies at locations guest needs being primary focus Conclusion The emphasis in the upcoming year will be meeting guest needs in all areas. With special focus on establishing a new way to assigning rooms for guests, listening to guests about what they want and need, and lowering or eliminating guest complaints. Setting our Amber Inn brand apart from other hotels in the industry, creating the perfect environment for all guests, and raising our expectations compared to economy level hotels. Promote the Amber Suites brand to be very comparable to any other hotel chain in the midscale range even though we do not offer onsite restaurants and conference facilities. Eliminate the â€Å"Free-Night† promotion and design a new promotion to create customer loyalty and establish brand choice. All of these upgrade changes can be accomplished with our guests in mind. Now let’s work together to rebuild a new future!