Operation & Production Management Exam Essay

What is operation management? What is the role of the Operation Manager? Set of activities that create value in the form of goods and services by transforming inputs into outputs. The role of an operation manager is to design and manage the daily operations and activities in a way that the productivity of the employees raises. It is also their responsibility to ensure that the physical and the human resources of the organization are achieved. He also ensures that the organization produces quality and goods and services are produced on time to meet the client’s time or deadline. 1. What are the 10 critical decisions an operations manager can make? Design of goods and services Quality Management Process Design Capacity Design Location Strategy Layout Design Supply-Chain Management Inventory Management Intermediate and Shot-term scheduling Maintanance 2. What is the difference between a product and a service? Products are tangible and services are intangible services are normally produced and consumed at the same time services are often unique services have inconsistent product definition 3. What is a system? Draw a process? A system can be broadly defined as an integrated set of elements that accomplish a defined objective. It is a dynamic and complex whole, interacting as a structured functional unit. 4. What is productivity? Why is it important for an operations manager to calculate productivity? Productivity is the performance measure relating outputs to inputs: Measurement of units produced, labor hours per unit, number of workers. The cost of labor, the cost of material, machine hours, etc. It is important for an operation manager to calculate productivity to determine the outputs for time period and to determine the cost of inputs to get determine the productivity rate by dividing the number of outputs by input to ultimately make most of the inputs and maximize output. 5. Create a life cycle for a Product? I have found 2 answers in relevance to this question I will provide them both please mark the relevant. 1- Concept phase: concept design ATV All Terrain Vehicle 2- Definition phase: system specification and planning Dual purpose Sport/Utility ATV with an engine of 750cc 3- Design and development phase: detailed design, prototyping and development testing Modern style exterior with lightweight and strong material covering body parts. 4- Creation and production phase: manufacturing, tooling, testing and accepting Building the atv with quality control and testing for any defaults or malfunctions regarding safety. 5- Operation: Implementing, operation & Maintenance. Introduction Phase: The introduction phase is when the public first sees or hears about a product. The product appears in stores for the first time, and people start seeing print and television ads High resolution TV Growth Phase: The growth phase is when sales and profits for the new product start rising. A company will usually keep product prices about the same during the growth stage to maximize earnings. Product quality is also maintained. Millions of sales around the world Maturity Stage: Success inevitably leads to increased competition. Other companies eventually will start introducing similar products, especially if the initial product is highly successful. Consequently, the demand for the product and its competitors will peak at some point. Many brands start making hdmi tvs Decline Stage: Demand for the product will eventually wane as newer technologies are introduced. Hence, companies can either maintain the product, sell it at heavily reduced prices or discontinue the product. New Smart 3d/tv that include hdmi gets introduced and declines hdmi tvs 6. What is quality? What is the role of quality in an organism operation? Quality has various definitions depending on the point of view it is judged from, it is mostly the customer that has the most say about if the product or service has a excellent, good or bad quality. A producer’s aim is to design for excellence but it is easier said than done. In general quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. The features and characteristics include; durability and endurance, design by appearance, value for price, performance etc. Quality plays a role in an organism operation, only some companies and corporations give it more importance. Successful operation organisms set up a quality management from beginning to end that include the organizational processes such as quality control to ensure meeting standards and processes that determine quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities. 7. Explain the impact of culture on international operations A challenge of doing operations internationally is to adapt effectively to different cultures. Such adaptation requires an understanding of cultural diversity, perception and values. Culture can have positive impact on expansion or negative impact on international operations if ends don’t meet their respective expectations.

King Kong: Doomed Love between Beauty and the Beast

In 1933, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack gave birth to one of the world’s most famous movie icons, King Kong. All across the globe, this story is known as the beast that falls in love with beauty, and ultimately meets his fate at the foundation of the empire state building. Adrift in the depression era Ann Darrow, an actress, finds her calling with a film crew leaving to discover the mysterious uncharted Skull Island. Not knowing what they will encounter, they set forth in their expeditions; the crew discovers a land of creatures only heard of in fairy tales, while Ann discovers her affections for the beast that captured her and her heart. King Kong’s been rewritten numerous times over the decades, and none has been comparable until the 2005 universal picture production of the film, directed by Peter Jackson. There has been some controversy surrounding the new version of this American timepiece. Some say it is better than the classic, while others will not stray from the original. Peter Jackson tried to stay as close to the traditional theme as possible, but we cannot fight the fact that our culture has changed drastically in the last seventy-eight years. Therefore asking the question, â€Å"What side are you on, classic or modern? † First, we cannot tell the classic tale of forbidden love without our heroine. In both films, Ann Darrow is played by a charming actress whose alluring beauty bewitches the beast into docility. However, in the original King Kong our heroine (Fay Wray) plays the prototypical role of the damsel in distress, which in the early 1930’s was a common part for the female protagonist. The main objective for women were to play the subservient role, making the male seem superior, until the rise of the feminist movement women seldom played the lead role in films. The feminist movement and empirical science arose together in 1848, and upon their awakening there came a curious notion, are women essentially that different from men? As neutrality was beginning to surface, the feminist movement began to center their attentions on capsizing legal equality, this being the first wave of the feminist movement. The second wave hit in the 1960’s, promoting equal rights and abolishing gender favoritism in economic, political, legal, and social structures. With all this said, women began to take initiative, no longer needing to be rescued, similar to Watts’s rendition of Ann Darrow in the 2005 edition. Ann (Naomi Watts) is compassionate and impertinent; even though she is terrified of Kong, she stays collect, assessing the situation she takes matters into her own hands, instead of waiting to be liberated. Films and media are an extremely strong force in our society, and now that women are given the opportunity to play dominant roles in movies, these selected ladies might start to revolutionize people's ideas about women in films. Even though it may take more then just women being lead characters, it is a big jump from them being portrayed as the characters they were just years ago The pretrial of our beautiful young actress is not the only significant difference in contrast to the films, also the relationship between beauty and the beast has changed. In the vein of the most commanding tropical cyclone, Kong comes ripping through the forest obliterating all obstacles in his path, assaulting his way to the sacrificial alter where his offering awaits him. When Kong reaches his benevolence, he is immediately taken back. Mystified, by this strange creature with blonde hair and pale completion, completely different from the indigenous dark skin girls he is use too. Through the eager beat of the 1933 production, the spirited actress (Fey Wray) spends most of her time screaming her guts out while in the company of her savage companion never becoming at ease with him, she makes no attempt at emotional interaction. Kong is portrayed as an unintelligent beast, protecting Darrow like a dog would his bone, unlike the 2005 Kong. This version of the oversize anthropoid has more of a connection with Ann. She senses his intelligence, reaching out to him, and risking his rebuttal, she shows Kong she is unafraid. Ann’s compassion towards Kong tied their bond so tight that Kong will stop at nothing to keep her in his grasp. Even down to his last moments on top of the Empire State building, they are so connected that Ann trusts him full heartedly. Sitting in the tranquility of her protector’s clutch, her eyes reflecting the tenderness she feels for him; Kong seems to know his era of dynasty is ending. He wants to have these last minutes to breathe in the only source of pleasure he has known in a lifetime of loneliness, for this brief moment, he is at peace. Peter Jackson’s rendition of the relationship between Ann and Kong signifies the one human being who set aside the outer shell of this ample creature and looked inside his soul finding a friend that would freely give his life to keep her safe. This is a lesson we as a nation could take into practice when dealing with others in our current state of destitution. The 1930’s was a unique period, with our country in the state of The Great Depression, Cooper and Schoedsack had their hands full. They had to create something compelling enough that people would spend their needed money on a movie ticket. Cooper and Schoedsack did just that, they fashioned Kong precisely for the 1930’s audience giving them their sense of wonder back. Bring their story to life they constructed various scenes never captured on film before, when the dinosaur’s head breaks through the lake and starts to devour the crew, the audience was blow away. The technology was extraordinary, the claymation creatures were shockingly realistic, and the dinosaurs’ wobbly movement, posture, and behavior exemplified the scientific inquiry of the time. Through the creativity of stop motion photography and various filming advancements, the monsters animator was able to take an 18-inch puppet and transform it into Kong, the eighth wonder of the world. Jackson recreates King Kong using the advancements of today’s technology; utilizing his skill with CGI graphics, he is able to bring Kong to life. The complexity of the effects is spectacular; from the dinosaur stampede to Kong’s battle with the T-Rex, the digital artwork is breathtaking. There is no doubt Jackson did his homework in recreating the tragic tale of Kong and with the use of modern technical innovations he won the hearts of many Kong fans. Jackson’s obvious love for the original King Kong is apparent in his remake of the film; he did a magnificent job in the retelling of the story and appealing to today’s audience. The debate between the superior version of King Kong will forever continue, but we also need to take into consideration the era in which both films were created. The original was timeless, culturally set for its 1933 audience, when American culture was at its turning point. The era of silent movies were ending, at the same time The Great Depression was starting, bringing change in the production of films. Films began to reach out to the audience sending the message that everything will be all right. While the modern version changes to appeal to today’s audience, with all the progression in technology it is getting harder and harder to get the wow feeling needed to accomplish the same affect the 1933 Kong inspired. Even with all of today's glorious special effects, it remains inculcate to the story of Darrow and Kong. However, the special effects are essential in the painting of the story, showing the magnitude of the doomed love between beauty and beast. There are many beautiful qualities about each film, and instead of choosing a side, take pleasure in what both have to offer to our culture.

Charlie Hedbo

The two men killed twelve people, which inch duded the editor Stephan Char bonnier, seven other employees, and wounded eleven others. This was France's deadliest terrorist in at least two decades. More than 700,000 people took to the streets across France in tribute to the p people killed by Salamis extremists.The slogan in French â€Å"Jew sues Charlie† (â€Å"l am Charlie†) was widely used following the January 7 attack on the magazine, as people showed their support. Almost 40,000 people were seen holding up signs that read, â€Å"I am Charlie† with a large banner in the front of the e rally saying, â€Å"We are all Charlie†. Charlie Hoped will release its first issue since the attack Wednesday ay, January 13, but only a few hundred copies of the first printing are set to reach the United States ova err the next few days.This issue was created by the surviving employees using equipment and workspace e provided by other companies. It is set to print near ly one million copies, which is much greater t an its normal 60,000 copies. If necessary, there is an option in place to print two more million copies Editorship Gerard Board told reports: â€Å"We are happy to have done it and ha app to have been able to do it, to have achieved it.It was tough. The front page†¦ Was com placated to put together, because it had to express something new, it had to say something relating to the event that we had to deal with. † The front cover of the issue is said to be a Islamic male holding up a sign that reads their slogan, â€Å"Jew Sues Charlie†. The magazine's lawyer, Richard Malta, said yesterday (January 1 3):

Development Economics and Planning PowerPoint Presentation

Development Economics and Planning - PowerPoint Presentation Example Infrastructure is very vital for any economy, and a key difference that exists between the developed economy and a less developed one is only the quality of infrastructure. Most of the infrastructural developments involve a lot of capital where a lot of money is spent to put the infrastructure in place (Hanak & Reed, 2009). Planning for any infrastructure projects ensures that there exists a common understanding between the providers of the services, the developers, the council and the communities depending on the needs for the local infrastructure, when and how they will be provided. Even though planning for infrastructure has for a long period of time been a major consideration, its significance and the importance to demonstrate deliverability has in recent years gained eminence (Great Britain, 2008). Linked to the development tenders, infrastructure planning process helps in ensuring that the population of Worth has the proper access to services and facilities they require. A new planning charge system was introduced in the year 2010 referred to us community infrastructure levy as one of the development processes that enables the local authorities especially in England and Wales to collect funds form the developers who undertakes the new building tasks in the area. The amount of money collected is used in funding a number of infrastructures that are required as a result of development (Glaeser, 2012). The community infrastructure charging authorities who have the authority to impose charges on the levy in England include the unitary authorities, metropolitan districts, mayor of London among other bodies (Levy, 2011). All this listed bodies prepare development plans for their specific areas, informed by the evaluation of the infrastructural requirements that calls for the levy collection. On the importance of this tariff based development process, the government decided to

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart Movie Review

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart - Movie Review Example A gripping story set in 1929 about a family of three. The father leaves home for New York to work there along with his friends as members of a band. The band becomes popular at that area, and pay becomes even better. Way back home, the ten-year old son and his mother alternates time among playing piano, strolling around the vicinity, and cooking food. The situation forces the son to look for his father bringing only with him a song that his father taught him years ago.The film's narration played as a flashback starting out promisingly in what is supposed to be an abandoned area in New York, where the son is shown to be cuddling his father while humming a tune. The father was looking aimlessly at nowhere in his tattered suits, while the son looked simple in his pants and jacket. The transition to the next scene was poignant and dramatic because the succeeding scene was beautifully juxtaposed with the previous scene. In the second scene, the father was seen cuddling his son while singi ng the song "While My Baby Lulls in a Hammock." The mother entered the scene, and then all at once, the audience was introduced to all the principal characters of the film. But just when you are expecting things to get even better, as the film tried to give the audience an idea of the setting and the zeitgeist of the story, the film slowed down and devoted too much time to the protagonists' uneventful music sessions. There, the film accommodated half of the total number of songs-there were ten-that were supposed to be played in the entire film. While the film's first half tried your patience, it picked up speed as the focus shifted to where it should be: New York and the specter of the Great Depression. There were two significant events between the period of 1925 and 1935 that were woven into or depicted in the film: 1) The movie's moral crackdown in 1934-Due to the newly-enforced rigorous production code courtesy of Will Hays, the film's dialogues, song lyrics, and the presentation of the visuals were seemingly sanitized. Rumor has it that several lines-including "Mother, do you think is it acceptable for Father if I were to fall in love with someone, but not marry her"-were intentionally omitted during the post-production to suit the taste of the members of the so-called Legion of Decency. As a result of this, the film in its entirety was devoid of any shocking but commercially appealing dialogue and situations. Instead, unnecessary optimism pervaded all throughout in its less than 90-minute run. Such existential optimism was manifested in script like "Do not worry son. Your father will soon find his way to us." 2) The ushering of the Great Depression in 1929-discussions among bankers visiting the club where the father plays centered on the issue of Wall Street's fall. Although, the site of Wall Street was never included in any of the scenes, the actors really talked about blue chips like Standard Oil and Westinghouse, and the plummeting values of the shares of White Sewing Machine with ease that one could have an impression that bankers who were forced to resign from financial institutions were acquired as actors. Commentaries One critic said that there was a visible effort on the part of the filmmakers to show that this film had set the bar high in terms of visuals, sounds, and historical accuracy. Although the visuals, through camerawork, hardly moved to prevent the scratches made by camera from being recorded, the actors' faces registered clearly and properly projected to create an impression of a depressing scenario. The sounds consisted of a few songs of longing and melancholia and crisp and concise audible (and inaudible) dialogue. The claim to historical accurac

Quantative problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quantative problem solving - Essay Example On the other hand, Carol recommends the Exer-Trim program of the XYZ Fitness Club which offers a daily pass and use of gym and other health facilities worth $2.56 inclusive of supplements at a fixed annual cost of $307. As a challenge to herself, Tanya has to decide on the option that would enable her to lose weight and save money on the first 60 days prior to their out-of-the-country vacation. A. Analyze the cost of each option algebraically – Each cost equation may be written in the slope-intercept form y = mx + b, Assuming that the value of the daily set meal under the U-Light program is not subject to change, then Tanya would have to pay a constant rate of $5.13 if she chooses to diet without workout and agree to cover the $145-annual fee. Hence, the cost of enrolment for the U-Light package may be set, depending on the number of days (t) signed up for, as: C(t) = 5.13*t + 145 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $5.13 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) assumes the fixe d cost of $145 (on a yearly basis)). Considering the Exer-Trim program, nevertheless, Tanya has the alternative of visiting the XYZ club for an extensive workout that can make her thoroughly fit even in the absence of restricting diet on food. She just needs to pay a uniform daily rate of $2.56 that comes with fixed settlement of $307 for supplementary items such that, depending also on the number of days (t) enrolled for, it would cost her: C(t) = 2.56*t + 307 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $2.56 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) is given by the fixed cost of $307 (on a yearly basis)) C(t) stands for ‘cost in dollars’ whereas ‘t’ represents the number of days (diet and exercise) and to find solution where the values of C(t) and t are the same for both schemes, equate 5.13*t + 145 = 2.56*t + 307 which becomes 2.57*t = 162 (on combining like terms) ---? t ? 63.035 days (upon division of each side by 2.57) Then, substituting this value of ‘tâ €™ into one of the original equations: C(63.035) = 5.13*(63.035) + 145 ---? C(63.035) ? $468.37 This means that the solution is approximately at: B. Depict the real-world problem on a single graph – Sketch of the Graph: Total Workout or Diet Meal Cost (per package) C(t) t-days (diet or exercise) C. Discuss a decision-making process that is based on both mathematical reasoning and non-financial, or situational, considerations. After solving the system of equations and sketching each linear graph on the xy-plane, Tanya can now decide according to the following outcomes: At t > 63.035 days, it would cost Tanya too much to go on a south beach diet with U-Light program whereas at t < 63.035 days, it is rather expensive to go after extensive workout with Exer-Trim program. Since Tanya’s priority is to save money for the first 60 days of her weight loss scheme, she must then opt for the U-Light program and go on south beach diet that merely includes one pass to the gym. T he graph shows that she can save more for the Bali-getaway if she agrees to pay $5.13 a day for a south beach diet meal with fixed annual service charge of $145. In that case, she would

Supply Chain Would Cease to Exist without Information Systems Research Paper

Supply Chain Would Cease to Exist without Information Systems Technologies - Research Paper Example Both association and suppliers have to practice information technology since it guarantees the integration of supply chain on condition that the associates truthfully share it and if not, their supply chain would definitely come to an end. Even as it broadens the level of knowledge it makes sure the accuracy in outlay management as well. What is more, it is a feature to evaluate the top suppliers' value and then leverage potential right through the absolute supply chain (Bharadwaj, 2000, p. 182). DHL is the wide-reaching seller of the global package and document express and logistics trade, focusing on offering modern and custom-made solutions from a single source. They analyze information technology as a practical tool. DHL runs the intercontinental air express shipping business in providing high-tech technology that presents customers smooth access to delivery and trailing information. Their spending in IT enables them to carry on exploiting the latest technologies to rationalize the shipping method and give services that let customers be further competitive. DHL exploits X.25 plus Frame Relay technology in their speedy TCP/IP exchange network (DHLNET), facilitating clients to monitor the status of deliveries, research shipping programs and rating details from anyplace in the world. Moreover, it presents helpful information on map-reading, delivery moments and system ability which allows shipments to move with ease around the world. Different innovative equipment used by DHL is Electronic Data Interchange. Deployment of EDI enhances rate and efficiency in carrying, invoicing and statistics management and permit customers to interact via symbolic electronic messages openly with DHL.

Playing Wii Games to Playing Real Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Playing Wii Games to Playing Real Games - Essay Example The paper explains the importance and role of the games in our life. Sports like hockey, soccer, rugby and boxing require a lot of physical stress and stamina. These sports are considered healthy as well as tough. They help humans in maintaining a healthy body. The efforts required for these activities fulfill the criteria of exercise needed to keep a healthy body. These exercises increase one’s heart rate, glucose breakdown, and stamina. The movements, power and strategy involved in these activities put one’s mind and muscles to work which in turn shapes the body in to an ideal body. Wii gaming system was released in 2006 by Nintendo. â€Å"Wii is actually an exergame. That is, it’s a video game that requires players to use actual physical movements to manipulate the action. Employing a wireless handheld controller with acceleration sensors and an infrared camera built into the console, the Wii senses players’ Motions and translates them into on-screen movement. For instance, in Wii Tennis you swing the controller like a racket; for Wii Golf, the controller is your club†. ... These sports are considered healthy as well as tough. They help humans in maintaining a healthy body. The efforts required for these activities fulfill the criteria of exercise needed to keep a healthy body. These exercises increase one’s heart rate, glucose breakdown, and stamina. The movements, power and strategy involved in these activities put one’s mind and muscles to work which in turn shapes the body in to an ideal body. Wii gaming system was released in 2006 by Nintendo. â€Å"Wii is actually an exergame. That is, it’s a video game that requires players to use actual physical movements to manipulate the action. Employing a wireless handheld controller (about the size of a TV remote, ironically) with acceleration sensors and an infrared camera built into the console, the Wii senses players’ Motions and translates them into on-screen movement. For instance, in Wii Tennis you swing the controller like a racket; for Wii Golf, the controller is your cl ub† (Anders). Wii has released almost all the popular real world sports games such as boxing, tennis, golf and baseball so its range of games encompass many of the real sports. As mentioned earlier in order to play these games, one needs to mimic the exact movements in front of the screen as used in playing real sports. The player’s actions in real time resemble very closely to actions performed in playing real sports. Playing Wii games helps burn calories just like in playing real sports. Moreover, players even perspire while playing Wii games. â€Å"In fact, in addition to burning the most calories, boxing was the only Wii game tested that would be considered intense enough to maintain or improve cardiorespiratory endurance as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)† (Anders). The

Demonstrate understanding of the events, circumstances, causes, and Essay

Demonstrate understanding of the events, circumstances, causes, and effects of the significant events of U.S. History Since 1877 - Essay Example One of the events that shaped America history is the 15th amendment that prohibited discrimination or denying the right to vote by American on the excuse of race or colour. This event happened after the whites had passed a legislation that disallowed people of black origin not to vote in elections. Black human rights activists, who put pressure on the government to amend the legislation opposed this move. As a follow up to the 15th amendment, a 19th one was made on the constitution that allowed women to vote in national and local elections. These amendments were made under the congressional reconstruction, which saw the southern states divided into military districts. Under this period, Andrew Johnson was impeached for violating the tenure of office act by removing Staton but the main reason was his defiance for reconstruction of the congress; 18th amendment was also enacted in 1930’s , and it banned production and sale of alcohol in United States of America. Although this ame ndment received huge support from the masses, there were not enough police officers to enact it, and therefore the leaker takers found a way to brew their own beer. With time, the authorities found out that prohibition of production and sale of alcohol contributed a lot to law breaking, this led to the abolishment of the regulation. During the period from 1877 to 1913, United States grew in terms of industrialization to become the leading industrial nation with well-organised railroads, labour and industries. The income of non-farm workers grew by about 75 per cent by 1900 and grew further by 33 per cent by 1918. The first industrial revolution that occurred in America saw production move from artisan to factories, while the second revolution saw the expansion of the factories to in terms of size, coordination and organisation to industry level, which was facilitated by advancements in technology and improvements in transport networks1. New technologies in iron and steel manufacturi ng such as Bessemer process and open-hearth furnace combined with other new technologies in other areas led to increase in productivity. In order to finance these large-scale businesses corporations, mergers, joint ventures of competing firms which created monopolies were a common practice. This period of industrialisation also led to emergence of powerful industrialists such as john Rockefeller, Jay Gould and Andrew Carnegie among other industrialists. The period after 1877 is also referred to as the Gilead age, which was enjoyed by a large number of American elites after the recovery from the 1873 panic, which threatened the industrial revolution in the country. This period was characterised by a massive transfer of wealth, which led to changes in the social organisation in the society as it created a class of super-rich individuals, who controlled the industry and whose networks of business, family and friends ruled the Anglo-Saxon white protestants2. Some reformers started to ar gue that the Gilead age had created corrupt and powerful parties and encouraged voters to participate in the elections. This was evident in voter enthusiasm in elections of 1882 where almost all persons allowed to vote participated in the elections where the main issues were modernization, money, corruption and railroads. Immigration of people from other areas of the world characterised this period up to 1918. It is estimated that about 27.4 million people moved to United States of America in this period with 89 per

Assignment About Google Essay Example for Free

Assignment About Google Essay The question requires the student to evaluate how successful Nintendo Wii has been in meeting the needs of today’s gaming through new product development. The answer here is dependent on the student’s ability to analyse and evaluate the case study. The students are expected to make reference to retail marketing mix in their answer. Students’ answer should include the following or other equivalent answers: Considerations when developing new product strategy: i. Ongoing Corporate Planning ii. Ongoing Market Planning iii. Ongoing Technology Management iv. Opportunity Analysis/Serendipity . Market Penetration vi. Market Development vii. Product Development viii. Diversification Application of Pearson’s Uncertainty Map: i. Exploratory Research ii. Development Engineering iii. Applications Engineering iv. Combining Market Opportunities Question 2 Based on the case study, how can Nintendo Wii better manage innovation as a competitive tool in the field of developmental gaming? Answer: The question requires the student to identify organization characteristics and further recommend organization changes to facilitate innovation process within Nintendo Wii. The answer here is dependent on the student’s ability to analyse and give reason for choosing any relevant issues. The organization characteristics that facilitate the innovation process, students’ answer should include the following or other equivalent answers: i. Growth orientation ii. Vigilance and external links iii. Commitment to technology and Ramp;D intensity iv. Acceptance of risks v. Cross function cooperation and coordination within the organization structure vi. Receptivity to change vii. Space for creativity viii. Strategy towards innovation ix. Diverse range of skills Question 1 | Percentage| | Background of the case should be clearly discussed. | 15%| 2| Feasible application should be discussed in depth| 15%| 3| Identify the multi-dimensional concept of float glass technology. | 10%| 4| Use of proper language, grammar, referencing, and acknowledgement of external sources| 10%| | | | | Total| 50%| | | | Question 2 | | 1| Explain the dilemma, recognize the difficulties of managing uncertainty. | 20%| 2| Answers should be justified and must be logical and critical. | 20%| 3| Use of proper language, grammar, referencing, and acknowledgement of external sources| 10%| | Total| 50%| Marking Scheme

US Academic Integrity Problems in University

US Academic Integrity Problems in University The summary of An Economic Analysis of Academic Dishonesty and Its Deterrence in Higher Education This document mainly discusses the issues of academic integrity. It makes a detailed analysis on the academic integrity problems now in American universities that are summarized. Why so many students choose to cheat? What kind of students are enrolled in academic dishonesty? (almost all). The relationship between market supply and academic dishonesty. Suggestions and measures relevant institutions take on this problem. The problem of academic dishonesty criticism can be seen everywhere in this document. More and more academic cheating makes the whole education system have a big hole. Low achievers destroyed the whole academic system balance. Author urge students not to do academic cheating. Prevention of academic dishonesty and severe the punitive measures have been implemented. Although the article mentioned several times completely ruled out is not possible with academic integrity, hope that all students and faculties for fairness and justice, to resist this phenomenon. This document is made up with six parts. They are followed by introduction, state of the union on academic dishonesty, microeconomic arguments on academic honesty/ dishonesty, what the students say: a look at survey results, proposals and resolutions, and conclusions. In the first part, the author introduces the good academic achievement have a tremendous influence to students. Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn(2008, P183) argue that the underlying contract in higher education is that students, in exchange for demonstration of individual skills and predetermined levels of under- standing, are evaluated objectively by faculty and rewarded by the reflection of a grade-level performance on their permanent records. in addition to providing a system that can reflect mastery or training in particular subject matters, grading and student evaluation mechanisms, with their rewards and punishments, prepare students for the workplace and its market forces: good performance is rewarded and poor performance and dishonesty are punished. are punished.It is not only for his/ her individual abilitys evidence, but also is a kind of schools student evaluation mechanisms and societys acceptance. More important, which is also the theme of this document-Aca demic Honesty. The education can provide training and assigning evaluations in exchange for course assignment, work, and requirements- -students enter labor markets burnishing their college degrees as a signal to potential employers. ( Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn, 2008, P184) Academic integrity is not reflected in the academic achievements of the students, but also reflects his influence on society as a whole. The ability to work with academic degrees and diplomas does not allow people to recognize academic achievement, which is a violation of the rights and interests of honest and trustworthy students. In the second part, it describes the crowd statistics of the phenomenon of academic dishonesty and the attitude of people to academic integrity. A survey by pennsylvania state university, rutgers university, and washington state university reveals that fifty-six percent of masters of business administration (MBA) students admit that they took notes into exams surreptitiously, stole work from others, and engaged in other forms of cheating. (available at the center for academic integrity, located at clemson university,P187)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..surveyed 5,331 students at thirty-two graduate schools in the united states and canada between 2002 and 2004. the study concluded that forty-seven percent of nonbusiness students admitted to some form of serious academic dishonesty during the previous school year.( Francesca Di Meglio,2006, P187) These two examples shows the serious of academic integrity. Nearly half of the students in higher education also have academic dishonesty. This is an amazin g and terrible phenomenon. In the high school students are cheating so, so in a relatively low level of school, this phenomenon will be more serious. In the latter, this document also mentioned, almost all the students will the academic dishonesty naturally or unconsciously. This is the consensus of every academic dishonesty students, better grades for their work to better help. People do not pay attention to the moral problems and punishment, because the punishment does not deter them. There is a more strange and serious problem, Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn(2008, P190) point that Some MBA students were outraged at the editorial, and they too denied that there was a significant problem with cheating. It also reflects the problems of the education system, but fortunately most people are in favor of the severe suppression and punishment of academic integrity. The third part use microeconomic arguments specific analysis of the reasons for the existence of the phenomenon of academic cheating, as well as the relationship between the current marketplace. Hayek points to knowledge as a commodity that must flow as freely as possible if the marketplace is to maximize societys welfare. (Friedrich A. Hayek, 1945, P191) In simple terms, academic cheating is now in direct proportion to the extent to which it is accepted by society. The author uses the supply curve to describe the phenomenon. Initially, demand may be quite inelastic for many students. they have been told repeatedly that cheating is wrong, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..but eventually a price will be reached where demand becomes quite elastic due, for example, to negligible enforcement or the realization that almost everyone is now cheating.( Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn,2008, P199) faculty view the academic dishonesty problem in terms of the demand and supply of academic honesty. .( Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn,2008, P200) On one side, because more and more low level students have achieved good results with academic dishonesty, many good students have hesitated to join in the behavior. On the other side, the neglect of this phenomenon by the faculty makes academic dishonesty increasingly rampant. From the market perspective, the academic integritys survey will cost amount of money and energy. So only to college diploma to measure a students academic level makes dishonest problems have become increasingly serious. This seems to form a cycle of death. The forth and fifty parts are relatively, a look at survey result that students talk about integrity dishonesty and the proposals and resolutions. It can be included with four words-affidavit, report, punish and curb. Students sign an affidavit to insurance their academic integrity. Students report the academic dishonesty to faculty immediately. Those academic dishonesty students will be severely punished. ASU has absolutes acceptance for academic integrity that curb the academic dishonesty. The recommendations were met with grateful support from deans, who agreed that visible steps were necessary to change the culture. (Cultural reforms come from symbolism, P205) This shows that all members of the community to create an academic integrity and the determination of the real talents. However, the cause of academic dishonesty is also a common social contradictions Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn(2008,P207) also showed that students stress the pressure they feel to make goo d grades, especially by parents who are paying tuition. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..students are also vocal about how poor teachers encourage academic dishonesty if tests have little to do with class discussions or are so outlandishly hard that mass cheating seems the only answer. quite a few added, you dont cheat in classes you love. It is common for students to pursue a better academic achievement at the expense of their family. The latter phenomenon is the problem of the university school system, where faculties or college and students all want to get better grades to prove themselves, which have created a large number of open academic dishonesty. Then, an interesting ideas exist the academic dishonesty students, some individuals just get a high out of cheating and seem to enjoy the thrill of getting away with it(P207). There are six resolutions that the SFPC came forward for the Faculty Senate in March 2005. The first resolution build an orientation that pay attention to academic integrity culture. The second is in order to enhance the culture with a specific action-brochures. Th third promote faculty to use a website in their syllabus that encourage students do not have academic cheating. The fourth, encouraging faculties to use anti-plagiarism software. The fifth, established in each college to monitor large sections. The sixth, each college designate an individual who serves as the lead authority when cheating problems arise in the college. (P210) Above, the last step has a conclusion about the total document, according to the academic dishonesty of this phenomenon have occurred, the relevant departments have taken corresponding measures. Students because of vanity and herd mentality, students choose academic cheating. This not only undermines the market demand to have the ability people. The whole society in the loss of credit environment. In addition, make more students lose confidence in academic integrity, which makes the whole country level decreased. At last, the author supports changing the university culture to change the academic integrity. Through a series of small reforms to complete the reform of the entire academic credit. References An Economic Analysis of Academic Dishonesty and Its Deterrence in Higher Education . Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn. Journal of legal studies education volume 25, issue 2, 183-214, summer/fall 2008.. Available at the center for academic integrity, located at clemson university, http://www. academicintegrity.org/cai_research/index.php. Francesca Di Meglio, a crooked path through business school?, sept. 24, 2006, http://www. businessweek.com. Friedrich A. Hayek, the use of knowledge in society, 35 am. econ. rev. 519 (1945).

Visual cryptography

Visual cryptography Introduction One of the popular solutions for image encryption is visual cryptography. Secret sharing concepts are used to encrypt a secret image into the shares (customized versions of the original image) which can be transmitted over an undeveloped communication channel and by overlapping shares, the secret message is obtained Visual cryptographic solutions are based on binary or binaries inputs. Due to this, natural images must be first transformed into halftone (this is a technique which uses different density of dots to display the image) images to simulate the original gray or colour levels in the target binary image To create the shares, the halftone version of the input image is used instead of the original image. The decrypted image is made by stacking the shares together. Because binary data can be displayed in an apparent form when printed on transparencies or viewed on the screen and overlapping shares that contain apparently random information can expose the secret image. However, the decrypted image is darker, contains a number of visual damages due to the algorithm that is used for the process and the resolution of secret image is increased by most of visual cryptography solutions (Lukac at el,2005) and(Lukac 2006). 1.1 Objectives The base of protected communication among users using insecure channel is known as cryptography. In order for cryptographic security to take place, an algorithm is involved for the practice of encrypting and decrypting messages In its basic form, one image is split into two separate images called shares. When the shares are stacked on top of each other, the unique image is retrieved A general n out of n visual cryptography scheme involves n participants in which a secret image is split into n random looking shares and all n shares are required to recover the original image. 1.2 Aims The important idea behind Visual Cryptography is to encrypt information in the form of images in a secure and flawless way The information must be encrypted before it is sent, so that it cannot be illegally read or modified in the middle of transmission. Suppose 4 persons have deposited their money in a bank account. These persons obviously do not trust each other. In particular, they do not want a single member of themselves to withdraw the money. However, they assume that withdrawing money by two members of the group is not considered a conspiracy; rather it is considered to have received authorizations Therefore, they decided to set the bank code (with a trusted computer) into 4 partitions so that any two or more partitions can be used to reconstruct the code. Since the persons representatives will not have a computer with them to decode the bank code when they come to withdraw the money, they want to be able to decode visually: each thief gets a transparency The transparency should yield no information about the bank code (even implicitly). However, by taking any two transparencies, stacking them together and aligning them, the secret number should pop out. How can this be done? (Naor and Shamir, 1994) proposed a solution and introduced a simple but perfectly secure way that allows secret sharing without any cryptographic computation, which they termed as Visual Cryptography Scheme. The simplest Visual Cryptography Scheme is given by the following setup. A secret image consists of a collection of black and white pixels where each pixel is treated independently To encode the secret, the original image is split into n customized versions (referred as shares). To decode the image, a subset S of those n shares is picked and display each of them onto a transparency In this project, a new visual cryptography scheme is intended for shadow images. The proposed scheme will be flexible, easily implemented, and more secure for shadow images. Moreover, shadow image structure is augmented to reduce the chances for an attacker to guess the secret. Literature Survey 2.1 introduction Visual Cryptography was introduced by (Naor and Shamir, 1994) at Eurocrypt, an annual conference sponsored by the International Association for Cryptographical Research (IACA) to encourage discussions and seminars among cryptologists all over the world In that, the description is about a new cryptographic scheme that encodes a black and white image into n shares. Decoding is done with the human visual system when the n shares are placed on transparencies and stacked on top of each other. They included several schemes to implement a visual cryptography system in their presentation Since that time, the paradigm of visual cryptography has attracted wide attention all over the world. Several papers and projects have been presented to extend visual cryptography. Schemes have been invented for a general k out of n sharing scheme and to cover gray scale and colour images as well(Jim Cai and Zhou,2000) Even today, research continues in the field of visual cryptography and papers regarding contrast, extended schemes are being published regularly This research addresses the few questions concerning visual cryptography, and will attempt to answer these questions in the context of the research by using experimental approach into the problem of visual cryptography, these questions are: what is cryptography? What set of features should be used in visual cryptography? How to reduce chances for attackers to get the secret of shadow images? 2.2 Theory This section will attempt to explain the basic theory behind visual cryptography. Consider a black and white image (not gray scale). It is made up of black pixels and white pixels grouped such that when viewed with the human eye, the picture (or word, symbol etc.) can be seen. To encrypt this image, each pixel from the original image is taken and converted into sub pixels. For sake of this discussion and for simplicity, let us assume that each pixel will be converted into two sub pixels and there will be two shares If a pixel is white, then one of two combinations of sub pixels will be randomly chosen to represent the pixel on each of the shares. When the shares are stacked and properly lined up, the sub pixels for the white pixel produce the result In both sets of sub pixels for the white pixel, it can be seen the result is one black sub pixel and one white sub pixel next to each other. When viewed with the human visual system, the result appears to be gray (combined effect of white and black next to each other) On the other hand, if a pixel is black, then one of the two combinations of sub pixels will be randomly chosen to represent the pixel in each of the shares (same idea as the white pixel). However with black pixels gives two sub pixels next to each other. To the human eye, this appears as a share by itself gives no visible information from the original image because the sub pixels are evenly distributed on each share (one black sub pixel and one white sub pixel for each pixel in the original image). These combinations (black/white and white/black) occur with probability 1/ 2 providing a share with randomized pixels and thus not revealing any hint of the original image. When the shares are stacked, the white pixels are seen as gray, while the black areas remain black (Naor at el, 1994 ,Lee at el,2003 and Voyatzis,1996) (Naor and Shamir, 1995) thought about the problem of encrypting material such as: printed text, handwritten notes, pictures, etc in an absolutely secure way which can be interpreted directly by the human visual system Furthermore, they have explained that the basic model includes a printed page of cipertext (which can be sent by mail of faxed) and a printed transparency. The system they developed can be used by anyone who lacks knowledge of cryptography and without performing any cryptographic commutations. Moreover, they noted that the best way to visualize the visual cryptographic scheme is to consider a concrete example In cryptography, the process of transforming data (referred to as plaintext) where the process uses an algorithm (called cipher) is called encryption. The encrypting process make the information unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The encrypting process results encrypted data (in cryptography, referred to as cipher text). To read encrypted data, the encrypted data should be made readable. So the reverse process is called decryption. In real world, the software for encryption can typically also perform decryption to make the encrypted information readable again (ElGamal,1985 and Rivest,1978) Encryption has long been used by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. Encryption is now used in protecting information within many kinds of civilian systems, such as computers, storage devices (e.g. USB flash drives), networks (e.g. the Internet, e-commerce), mobile telephones, wireless microphones, wireless intercom systems, Bluetooth devices and bank automatic teller machines. Encryption is also used in digital rights management to prevent unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted material and in software also to protect against reverse engineering (Encryption) Encryption, by itself, can protect the confidentiality of messages, but other techniques are still needed to protect the integrity and authenticity of a message; for example, verification of a message authentication codes (MAC) or a digital signature. Standards and cryptographic software and hardware to perform encryption are widely available, but successfully using encryption to ensure security may be a challenging problem. A single slip-up in system design or execution can allow successful attacks. Sometimes an adversary can obtain unencrypted information without directly undoing the encryption. (Maurer,1994 and Diffie,1976) Moreover, The optimality of VC is determined mostly by its pixel expansion and the relative contrast and, the relative contrast needs to be as large as possible to ensure visibility (Alvarez at el,2005). In the scope of this research, the works related to contrast optimization will be explored. Works related to deriving lower bound of pixel expansion m can be found in (Naor and Shamir, 1995), (Rivest at el,1984) etc. The research on contrast optimization was motivated by the problem of extra graying erect introduced to decoded image. This occurs because the decoded image is not an exact reproduction of the original image, but an expansion of the original, with extra black pixels. Research methods -Doing a thorough investigation into basic visual cryptography -Careful study of algorithms used in visual cryptography -Checking out a suitable development environment and a suitable frame work that can ease the image processing tasks -investigating shadow image structure for visual cryptographic practices such as pixel expansion and the relative contrast -This project emphasizes, intends and evaluates a computer-based system using appropriate processes and tools, as follows Front End :Java Back End :Microsoft SQL Server OS : Windows XP and Windows vista IDE : net beans 6.7 The net bean IDE is used for following features: In this project, net beans Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is used because its tools, debugging and performance monitoring. Net bean IDE for developing applications saves the time by managing windows, settings, and data. In addition, an IDE can store repetitive tasks through macros and abbreviations. Drag-and-drop features make creating graphical user interface (GUI) components or accessing databases easy and highlighted code and debugging features alert to errors in the code The application is developed by java because of following features Java is a graphical user interface programming language Java supports to platform independent mechanism Java is a general purpose and object oriented programming language The most striking features of the language are that it is platform neural language Java program is under the control of JVM; the JVM can contain the program and prevent it from generating side effects outside the system. Thus safety is included in Java language. Java is mainly adopted for two reasons Security Portability These two features are available in java because of the byte code. Byte code is a highly optimized set of instructions to be executed by the Java run time system called JVM. The features of Java which are adopted for the network system explore are Multithreading Socket programming Swing Multithreading Users perceive that their world is full of multiple events all happenings at once and wants their computers to do the same. Unfortunately, writing programs that deal with many things at once can be much more difficult than writing conventional single threaded programs in C or C++. Thread safe in multithreading means that a given library functions is implemented concurrent threads of execution Swing Swing refers to the new library of GUI controls (buttons, sliders, checkboxes etc). Swing is a rapid GUI development tool that is part of the standard Java development kit. Swing is a set of classes that provides more powerful and flexible components. Swing components are not implemented by platform specific code. Instead they are written in Java and therefore are platform independent (java doc).

Charles Fraziers Use of Music in Cold Mountain Essay -- Charles Frazi

Charles Frazier's Use of Music in Cold Mountain The American Civil War was a bitter, grief-filled conflict with oddly musical overtones. A Southern soldier, Alexander Hunter, recalled that â€Å"There was music in plenty,† (Lawrence 169) just as Charles Frazier’s character Stobrod in Cold Mountain remarks that â€Å"there was so much music back then† (407). While both the Union and the Confederacy placed great import on music, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier focuses primarily on the Southern perspective of the war, in all of its aspects. Spiritual music gave soldiers hope, gave them something cheerful to listen to after their days of slogging through the grime of human remains, as Inman discovers during his journey. Songs of homecoming and perseverance also strengthened the women, children, and parents left behind, waiting with fearful hopes for the return of their loved ones. Ada’s continual reference to â€Å"Wayfaring Stranger† illustrates this point beautifully. Finally, the musical natures of both armies created a bond that otherwise would not have been possible, forming brief alliances among enemies. The impact of music during this period of American history was so great that General Robert E. Lee was heard to say â€Å"I don’t believe we can have an army without music† (Wiley qtd. in Waller and Edgington 147). Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain exemplifies this statement, interweaving music throughout the struggles of Ada and Inman, using it as a tool to express emotion and to give a common thread to the broken culture that was the American South. The dissonant harmonies of Civil War-era music both complemented and contrasted itself, creating new forms from old ones and forging bonds where there had been nothing. Hope was a rare p... ...ow Music Shaped the Confederacy, 1861- 1865. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole, 2000. netLibrary, U of Denver Penrose Library. 15 April 2004 . â€Å"Aura Lea.† Music of the War Between the States. 24 April 2004 Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain. New York: Vintage, 1998. Hill, Lois. â€Å"Lorena.† Poems and Songs of the American Civil War. 23 April 2004 . P. Wilson, Keith. Campfires of Freedom: The Camp Life of Black Soldiers During the Civil War. Kent: Kent State U P, 2002. S.A., R. â€Å"God Save the South!† Ballads of the North and South in the Civil War. Comp. Walbrook D. Swank Colonel, USAF RET. Shippensburg: Burd Street P, 1996. 66. W. Sears, Stephen. To The Gates of Richmond. New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1992. Waller, Lynn, and William P. Edgington. â€Å"Using Songs to Help Teach the Civil War.† Social Studies 92.4 (2001): 147- 150.

The Poem Negro by Langston Hughes Essay -- Poetry Analysis

The poem â€Å"Negro† was written by Langston Hughes in 1958 where it was a time of African American development and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Langston Hughes, as a first person narrator tells a story of what he has been through as a Negro, and the life he is proud to have had. He expresses his emotional experiences and makes the reader think about what exactly it was like to live his life during this time. By using specific words, this allows the reader to envision the different situations he has been put through. Starting off the poem with the statement â€Å"I am a Negro:† lets people know who he is, Hughes continues by saying, â€Å" Black as the night is black, /Black like the depths of my Africa.† He identifies Africa as being his and is proud to be as dark as night, and as black as the depths of the heart of his country. Being proud of him self, heritage and culture is clearly shown in this first stanza. The structure of this poem is not the traditional form of poetry, in that he begins with a first person statement then after an indentation, he elaborates on it almost lik...