The Morning of December 8, 2014

The mischance happened the morning of Dec. 8, 2014. The examination by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reasoned that the reasonable justification was â€Å"the pilot's direct of a methodology in basic icing conditions without turning on the plane's wing and flat stabilizer deice framework, prompting ice amassing on those surfaces, and without utilizing the suitable landing execution speeds for the climate conditions and plane weight,† (National Transportation Safety Board 2014). In light of the discoveries of the examination, the NTSB required the improvement of hardware for single-pilot flies that cautions the pilots when the ice-insurance frameworks ought to be actuated. The security load up likewise suggested the advancement of preparing past what is presently required to pass a sort rating check ride in such planes. The pilot, 66 years of age, was a doctor and CEO of a clinical think-tank. He held a carrier transport pilot authentication and an EMB-500 compose rating, which he had gotten around seven months previously the mischance. As it flew through Northern Virginia and into Maryland, different pilots were announcing ice endeavoring to shape on their wings as they flew through mists between 4,000 feet and 5,500 feet height. Mr Rosenberg, the pilot turned on the plane's de-icing framework for over two minutes as it achieved its 23,000-foot cruising elevation, yet then he flicked if off again for the rest of the flight. It stayed off as he plummeted toward Gaithersburg, in spite of flying through mists once more. The NTSB said that may have been a lethal oversight: â€Å"That puts the plane in noticeable dampness, a basic component for ice, for around 15 minutes. Mr Rosenberg was a very qualified pilot, with 4,500 hours signed responsible for a flying machine. He was guaranteed as a business pilot and as a flight educator. He likewise was appraised to fly the Phenom, a refined six-traveler stream that costs more than $4 million and can fly more than 400 mph. In any case, the 2014 occurrence was the second time that Rosenberg slammed while endeavoring to arrive at the Gaithersburg airplane terminal†, (NTSB 2014). Four years sooner, slow down admonitions sounded as he contacted a solitary motor turboprop plane down on the runway. â€Å"At the point when the plane floated to one side of the 75 broad runway, Mr Rosenberg endeavored to lift off again to circle the airplane terminal for a second arrival endeavor. Rather, the plane went around 100 feet to one side and collided with trees. He got away with minor damage. The NTSB inferred that the reason was pilot blunder†, (NTSB 2014) In excess of 1,000 little planes crash in the United States each year, and many those accidents result in fatalities, yet few accomplish the unpleasant qualification of what occurred in Gaithersburg on the Monday morning of Dec. 8, 2014. Discoveries from National Transportation Safety Board are as per the following:† The plane was appropriately certificated and furnished as per government controls†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"Examination of the plane destruction uncovered no preimpact breakdowns or disappointments that would have blocked typical activity of the plane†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"The pilot's activities previously departure for the mishap flight were reliable with resistance with standard working techniques†, (NTSB 2014).  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In spite of the fact that the pilot's utilization of off base tenant and freight weights had no impact on the plane staying inside EMB-500 Airplane Flight Manual weight and parity constraints, it influenced the arrival speeds he chose in anticipation of the way to deal with Montgomery District Airpark, which were slower than those that compared to the plane's real landing weight†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"The pilot's utilization of the slower landing rates in anticip ation of the way to deal with Montgomery Region Airpark is reliable with his referencing the Normal (non-icing) agenda, which does not require the initiation of the wing and flat stabilizer deice framework, and brought about band signs on the velocity show that did not suitably demonstrate the slow down speed†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"For something like 15 minutes amid the plummet and way to deal with Montgomery County Airpark, the pilot was working in a domain helpful for auxiliary icing without either plane ice insurance framework actuated†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"Not utilizing the plane's ice insurance frameworks amid the way to deal with Montgomery County Airpark was in opposition to the pilot's preparation and distributed standard working methodology and was conflicting with the pilot's past conduct amid the mishap flight†, (NTSB 2014).â€Å"The pilot's inability to utilize the wing and level stabilizer deice framework amid the methodology to Montgomery County Airpark prompted ice collection, a streamlined slow down at a higher velocity than would happen without ice aggregation, and the event of the slow down previously the aural slow down notice sounded or the stick pusher actuated. Once the plane slowed down, its height was too low to recuperate†, (NTSB 2014).† Providing pilots of turbofan planes that require a sort rating and are confirmed for single-pilot tasks and trip in icing conditions with programmed alarming about the need to actuate ice assurance frameworks would strengthen this basic strategy while working in potential icing conditions—particularly in single-pilot tasks†, (NTSB 2014).National Transportation Safety Board proposals as pursues. To the Federal Aviation Administration: â€Å"Work with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association to build up a framework that can naturally alarm pilots when the ice insurance frameworks ought to be actuated on turbofan planes that require a sort rating and are ens ured for single-pilot tasks and trip in icing conditions†, (NTSB 2014/A-16-12). To the General Aviation Manufacturers Association: â€Å"Work with the Federal Aviation Administration to build up a framework that can consequently ready pilots when the ice security frameworks ought to be initiated on turbofan planes that require a sort rating and are confirmed for single-pilot tasks and trip in icing conditions†, (NTSB 2014/A-16-13). To the National Business Aviation Association: â€Å"Work with your individuals that are makers and preparing suppliers of turbofan planes that require a sort rating and are confirmed for single-pilot activities and trip in icing conditions to create improved pilot preparing rules relating to chance administration in winter climate activities, including the utilization of ice assurance frameworks and adherence to agendas, with uncommon accentuation given to insufficiencies in pilot execution recognized in this mischance, and attempt accessible to the network of pilots who fly these planes†. (NTSB 2014/A-16-14). The synapsis of this whole incident was determined by National Transportation Safety Board that, â€Å"the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's conduct of an approach in structural icing conditions without turning on the airplane's wing and horizontal stabilizer deice system, leading to ice accumulation on those surfaces, and without using the appropriate landing performance speeds for the weather conditions and airplane weight, as indicated in the airplane's standard operating procedures, which together resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude at which a recovery was not possible,† (NTSB 2014).

Discuss the Disruption of Biological Rhythms

Discuss the disruption of biological rhythms 24m One example of disruption of biological rhythms is due to shift work and shift lag. This disrupts your sleeping pattern because it means you are required to be alert at night, so need to sleep during the day. This reverses and disrupts your circadian rhythm, becoming desynchronised where it is no longer entrained by EZ’s. There are many consequences of desynchronisation such as sleep deprivation. Shift workers find it hard to sleep during the day because of the EZ’s such as light and sound disturbances that keep you awake.This means shift workers find it even more difficult to stay awake at night time because they have had a poor quality daytime sleep. This then affects their alertness. Night workers often experience a circadian ‘trough’ of decreased alertness during their shifts. For example Boivin found that cortisol levels are at their lowest between 12 and 4am, which is the primetime a night worker, would be working. This means they have low alertness and decreases the efficiency of their job. There are also many effects on health due to shift work. A significant relationship has been found between shift work and organ disease.For example, Knutsson found that people who worked shift work for more than 15 years were likely to develop heart disease than a non-shift worker. This may be due to the direct effect of desynchronisation in the circadian rhythm. Jet lag is another example of how biological rhythms can be adjusted, but their effects are found to temporary, as travelling happens once in a while, whereas shift work may be somebody’s job which they have to be doing constantly every day. However, our biological rhythms are not equipped to cope with sudden and large changes in our rhythms.It has been found that they need approx. 1 day to adjust as each time zone is crossed. This is because the dorsal portion of the SCN needs several cycles to fully resynchronise, as it is le ss sensitive to light. When the dorsal portion of the SCN is adjusting we experience disruption in the form of jet lag. It has been found that it is easier to fly from east to west, as you need to stay up later, so your biological rhythms can adjust by you getting more sleep in the morning, whereas west to east you must wake up earlier so is harder to adjust.This can be demonstrated in a study where an American baseball team who travelled west to east saw their wins drop 37% due to phase advance where they have to get up earlier in the morning, causing a reduction in their overall performance. There are many real world applications that have derived from the effects of shift work and jet lag, enabling people to live alongside these disruptions in their biological rhythms. These are mainly targeted at shift work. It has been found that lorry drivers are prone to falling asleep at the wheel on night shifts.Legislation has been put in place to prevent this from happening. They now have a monitor in the cars that produce a sound telling the driver when they should have a nap to ensure they are not sleep deprived and avoid accidents from occurring. It has also been found that people should have bright lights at their work on a night shift to act as an EZ overriding the endogenous pacemakers. This could be supported by Gronfier’s study which found circadian rhythms were able to be entrained longer than 24 hours by using bright light pulses known as modulated light exposure.However, Boivin found that artificial lighting is only moderately effective in overriding the rhythm. Dim lighting which is mainly used in places such as hospitals failed to keep participants awake. This may be because the pineal gland is detecting an absence of light meaning melatonin is being produced which induces sleep. Therefore, in response to this research nurses who work in hospitals should have bright lights around the workplace to keep them awake. Melatonin has been found to be a ‘miracle cure’ for shift lag and jet lag. This is the hormone that induces sleep.This means that people experiencing sleep disruption can take melatonin tablets in order to sleep during the day or when they have finished their shift. This is supported by Herxheimer and Petrie who found when melatonin was taken near to bed time it was very effective. However, if melatonin was taken at the wrong time of day it could delay their adaptation to changing sleep patterns. However, these two explanations and examples of sleep disruption may be reductionist as it fails to ignore other factors that may disrupt the person’s sleep patterns.The lack of sleep may be associated with them having to go to bed at unusual times. This may lead to the person experiencing social disruption as they find it difficult to meet with their friends or spend time with their family. This may lead to high cortisol levels as they are stressed with the lack of social interaction. High cortisol lev els may be intervening with their sleep quality making them sleep deprived. Therefore, there are other intervening factors other than going to bed in the daytime.This can also be displayed in jet lag, where social customs are involved in entraining the biological rhythms. When you are travelling you are encouraged to eat and sleep at the same time as the country you are in. This could also help reduce symptoms of jet lag such as nausea. Timing of meals can re set the biological clock in the liver. Eating at the same increases enzyme production at the right time for digestion and avoids stomach upset leading the nausea.Therefore, social customs are an important factor to consider in the effects of sleep disruption and how they play a major role. The effects of disruption of circadian rhythms can vary considerably between different individuals. Some people may have circadian rhythms that try to adjust and change in response to shift work or jet lag, or other people’s circadian rhythms which don’t change at all. Reinberg found that people who gave up shift work because they couldn’t cope had constantly changing rhythms, whereas ‘happy shift workers’ had rhythms that didn’t change at all.This suggests that it may not be the shift work itself that is causing the sleep deprivation; it may be due to individual’s circadian rhythm and its ability to adjust or cope in different rhythms. Therefore, people’s who’s rhythms changed constantly may have experienced imbalance in neurotransmitters or raised cortisol levels from stress, meaning they experienced sleep deprivation. It would have to be asked whether shift work and jet lap is a disruption in biological rhythms for every individual, or whether some people are able to cope without the rhythm trying to adapt at all.

How does our design fit in with the design challenge Essay

How does our design fit in with the design challenge - Essay Example The design allows the pedals to adjust their force accordingly, such that when the user’s strength decided the degree of assistance coming from the pedals. As the user exerts more power, the pedals provide less assistance in response to the additional energy. In that sequence, the user can use less force as they cycle uphill and downhill, thus ensuring constant and less tedious movement. Another innovation in the design of the electric bicycle is the flywheel. The flywheel on the bicycle operates on electric power generated from a battery pack. As noted earlier, people have less power to cycle in old age. The electronically powered wheel can spin continuously, enabling the bicycle to keep moving even when the bicycle moves at considerably low speeds. The wheel’s design may assist people in their old age to maintain mobility in instances where they would otherwise use more energy to keep the bicycle mobile. These two features give due empowerment and motivation to the elderly, enabling them to use less energy as they cycle during old age, thus satisfying the requirements of the design

Business change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business change Management - Essay Example Organizational change is a term generally used for an extensive change within the organization where companies try to change, implement or also reengineer their processes. In most cases, organizational change tends to be radical and can lead to reorientation of the business. Any change within an organization is generally based on external factors that impact them and form the driving force. Since organizational changes are very deep-seated stakeholders of the company also tend to be impacted. This paper aims at discussing the changes management strategies that can be adopted by Huanghe Technology to overcome the issues that are being faced within the organization. The paper will provide an overview of the current issues, followed by a detailed discussion of the proposed solution and the possible challenges. Current Issues: The rapid expansion of the business has led the company to develop and work as three different and independent units. Although Huanghe Technology has very effectiv ely implemented latest technologies and has also seen intense growth, the lack of clear support for the customers. Since each of the three business units have grown independently and behave as separate entities with different cultures, there has been a lot of information loss. Huanghe Technology is currently being faced with issues like lack of proper customer support, lacking technical support and also numerous call drops between the customer care and sales teams. Hence it is crucial that the company implements a change plan to help develop an organized and effective approach to resolve this issue. The main focus of the change plan is on the customers and their needs. Huanghe Technology currently has its customer service office in UK and the company currently plans to reorganize this by keeping all of the Customer Service Department activities for the Huanghe UK office under the supervision of a new head. This can cause two main issues, i) resistance from the employees, ii) another independent unit to deal with customer service. Hence these are the main issues that the company currently needs to focus on while developing the change management program. Also, in the case of the SOHO customers, the company has set down two different channels to meet the needs of these customers. The first is where the company caters to the need directly and second where the products is sold by retailers like Tesco. In the retail channel, the technical aspects are dealt with by the company directly. However there is a major gap that has been found here and it is clear that the SOHO customers are not getting adequate technical support from the company. Proposal for New Customer Service Department Customer Relationship Management (CRM) plays an essential role in every business and holds an enormous importance in today’s competitive world. CRM is a business strategy that has been built around the notion of being customer-centric (Evans, O’Maley, & Patterson, 2004). The main aims are to have optimum revenue by better customer satisfaction through improved

Corporate Compliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Compliance - Essay Example Governance, risk management and compliance were the key elements that needed to be address by the company. Aero energy turned to SAP GRC Access Control and the systems risk analysis and remediation functionality to find the answer they needed (Krell, 2008).This tool has had the specific functionality that allow the company to meet its Sarbanes Oxley needs as well as enhancing the companys risk management capabilities. The solution to a certain extend worked in an automated manner, but it needed a corporate commitment from different people and departments. Three elements that were needed for it to work were: standardizing various business processes, full commitment from the companys executive staff and the participation and monitoring of the finance and IT departments (Krell, 2008). The implementation of the new system met the expectations of the company. It allowed the parent companies to perform joint internal and external audits much faster than before. The entire process was efficient and provided administrative and labor savings because the information was accessible and the raw data was organize in an easy to use manner. The realignment of the organizational structure allowed the desired collaboration to take place at Aera Energy. The move also allowed the firm to address other compliance issues such as segregation of duties. Prior to implementing this solution the company was struggling to deal as subsidiary company with the Sarbanes-Oxley obligation its parent companies request, but after implementing the new system their underlying problems were resolved. The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) is an organization that has been in business for over 30 years. The company is responsible for performing peer review and quality improvements for Medicare. Ironically a company dedicated to providing advice to others had forgotten about how to improve its own

Software Quality Assesment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software Quality Assesment - Coursework Example This ensures that there is prevention of any unforeseen defects. When started from the beginning of the product manufacture, the involved parties are able to consult with each other and understand the defects that arise as they progress to several stages of production. Quality is a difficult and comprehensive idea that always is determined by several factors. This could either be from the transcendental point of view that views quality as an idea that is recognizable but hard to describe. From users’ point of view quality is the ability of a product to accomplish its reason for being manufactured. Manufacturers see quality as sticking to laid down product qualifications. the products point of view that views quality as been one and the same to with definite features of a software and finally the value based point of view that views quality in relation to how much the final user is willing and able to pay so as to acquire it. There are several ways that the quality of software is ensured during manufacturing process (Tian 2005). These are: Software Testing Software testing is a systematic process mainly dedicated to the detection software defects. The product being manufactured is put to test under conditions that can be manipulated. This could be in special control rooms within the company premise specially designed for this type of work. The main reason the manufacturers ensure that such an environment should be in a position to be manipulated is because the manufacturers intend to create several scenarios whereby things go wrong when they are not supposed to and then they find ways to deal with the problem. Software Verification and Validation The verification process is undertaken so that the product is cleared of unforeseen malfunctions right before the testing process commences. Verification is made up of evaluations, meetings, assessing plans, policies, check ups, specifications among other details. On the other hand, validation comes immediately after validation and is the definite analysis of the product to establish its short comings that might arise due to malfunctions. Test Case A test case is a document that outlines the contributions, actions or events and the probable reactions of software. This assists the manufacturers/programmers to find out whether all aspects of the products are in the expected working status. This document contains s specifics such as the test case identifier, name, purpose, test circumstances, procedure as well as the expected outcomes. Good Design A good design is achieved when the general make up of the product is understandable, effortlessly adjustable and easy to preserve. The perfect design of a product always relies on the final users requirements. There are those products meant for commercial use thus this are made more complicated and very efficient than those meant for private/home use. Software Inspection This is a process meant to uncover imperfections and problems especially in records stipulating specifications, coding, and test cases among other issues (Rombach 1993). It is imperative to understand that this process just detects a hitch and notifies the manufacturers however it is not a process for rectification of such a problem. Most of the time in software quality checking procedures, it is very cost effective. It is open to many observers but only a single reader, moderator and a single individual for taking notes is required. Walkthrough This is a spontaneous and off the record meeting that is meant for analyzing the product. This is always attended by the management of the

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I Essay

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I - Essay Example The news was a surprise because until then Britain had aptly deployed a diplomatic foreign policy, and had substantially refrained from wars and European predicaments (Turner, 1988, p.23). Britain was referred to as the possessor of â€Å"Splendid Isolation,† and, until 1900, it was not a part of any significant military convention with any other states (Woodward, 1967, p.3). The factors that provoked Britain to enter this war has been debated a lot lately and no single factor can be termed as the sole reason behind Britain’s decision to enter the war. This paper is an attempt to unveil those salient factors that pushed Britain to join the Great War. German connection: In early 1500s, Europe entered a modernized era, and nations developed a strategy of "Balance of powers" (Orakhelashvili, 2011, p.123). It was done to eradicate or prevent the evolution of any single state as supremely powerful. However, this equilibrium was drastically shaken due to the occurring of seve ral historically influencing incidents. These include the 16th century Hapsburg Crisis, which resulted in Thirty Years’ War that greatly affected Europe from Hungary to Spain and later broke Hapsburg Monarchy in smaller kingdoms (Kann, 1980, p.45). The period of 1792 to 1815 saw France became a domineering empire on the continent during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. The German Crisis further deteriorated the situation and let Germany gain assertive control all over the Europe, which nullified the strategy of Balance of Powers. Hence, as an outcome of this unsettling scenario, two regions substantially gained the status of separate unified powers namely Germany and Italy. Kaiser Wilhelm II transformed Germany into an aggressive state, and ignored the long followed foreign policy of a status quo. (Wintle, 2002, p.55) Germany wanted to become as strong at sea as Britain, and hence, instead of renewing its treaty with Russia, Germany collaborated with Austria. The fear of Berl in’s resentment compelled Russia and France, two significant neighbouring states located on eastern and western sides of Germany, to come together for an alliance. Thus, the power in Europe was divided into two influential groups Central and Entente, and each group shared equal military strength. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary collated together under a treaty called the Dual Alliance and Italy joined in early 1900s, which converted it into Triple Alliance whereas France and Russia collated and formed Dual Entente in 1892 (Wintle, 2002, p.55). In the last decade of 19th century, Germany started to build its navy, which posed great threat to the world’s most influential and powerful maritime state, I-e Britain. Germany’s naval in-charge Admiral Von Tirpitz formulated a new policy in 1897 targeting Britain’s naval powers and decided to outnumber them on Home Waters by building High-Seas Fleet. The Austrian Ambassador in Berlin wrote: Germany’s a lready swiftly growing position as a world power into a dominating one. England is now regarded as the most dangerous enemy which, as long as Germany is not sufficiently armed at sea, must be treated with consideration in all ways (cited in: Afflerbach & Stevenson, 2012, p.116). Before the onset of 20th century, Britain and Germany shared friendly ties. However, this transformation of policy clearly projected the intentions of Germans and by 1907, British government realised that the most potential threat posed to its stability, and supremacy was from Germany. Hence, Britain had no other choice but to collaborate with rival nations Russia and France and the mutual alliance became Triple Entente. (Afflerbach & Steve

Communication and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Conflict - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that one is a good negotiator if he is able to use a set of supposedly sure-fire tactics that enable him to â€Å"get the upper hand† anytime. In this case, negotiation is seen more as a skill which allows one to manipulate the other to concede to his terms (the â€Å"lose† situation). Other contemporary views are that negotiation is settled by a â€Å"series of compromises†, or a debate rather than a conflict management tool; or, that it is â€Å"a game for managing impressions and manipulating information†¦ a struggle for advantage† that would translate to the â€Å"win† situation. One instance when I was on the losing side of a situation was when I was young and needed to ask my parents’ permission to stay overnight at a friend’s house. My father disallowed me, but I made such a big deal of being the only one in the group who wasn’t going. To appease me and end my tantrums, my da d said I could go provided I committed to doing a household chore for two weeks, like washing the dishes. I agreed, and at the time I thought I got a pretty good deal, until afterward when I came home. I found that in exchange for a single night of fun, I had to do fourteen days of dishes. I felt that I was had, that I should have bid it down to just a week. I was too eager to get my parents to permit me to go so that I did not think twice when the condition was given.

Rising Violence in the Schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rising Violence in the Schools - Research Paper Example It emerges that murders in the school are claiming more lives per event although they are unusual occasions. The media have publicized these multiple-victim occasions and in some cases, they have exaggerated the events. As a result, there are changes in the public discernments of school security and in laws and strategies that affect the lives of children and youth every day. Due to the publicity of these events, many people have cited them as a foundation for school expulsion or labeling of youngsters. Consequently, this may cause unfavorable effects on their learning opportunities and perhaps on their social performance and personality development (Verlinden et al., 2000). Redding and Shalf (2001) argue that impressive school shooting occurrences have contributed to students and parents' declining sense of safety in the schools. More and more students have been feeling very insecure while at school or campus since 1989. Studies indicate that 4% of students fear that their fellow st udents might attack them on the way to or from school while 5% feel that other students might attack them while at school. ... Kimmel and Mahler (2003) indicate that in spite of the notable similarities between the sexes on most violence occurrences, the most pigheaded gender disparity in aggression is the motivation to see it as a lawful means of resolving conflict and its real use. For instance, four times more adolescent boys than adolescent girls believe violence is suitable â€Å"when someone cuts to the front of a line.† Moreover, half of all adolescent boys engage in a physical fight each year. This is because they think that fighting is the best way of releasing hurt feelings and sentiments. Society laments over the unusual hostility of its children, while experts and parents strive to comprehend the causes of such deeds. In responding to the rash of school murders experts have endeavored to shape prospectively aggressive children psychologically. This would help teachers, experts and parents to recognize them before they instigate violence. Another response to the violence has been to typify the executors in a sociological framework to comprehend better the reasons for their anger (Lockwood, 2000). The consequential condition of fear in schools and campuses is having a great impact on the readiness and capacity of students to learn as well as employment and maintenance of teaching personnel. They also affect student rights to confidentiality, the emotional health of students and teachers, sincerity and openness of the campus and the general quality of the learning atmosphere. This has led to changes in school discipline strategies and processes, local and state laws as well as feelings and insights of youth and children concerning their security in school and in society in general (Verlinden et al, 2000). Causes of School Violence Gun control

Summary of the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of the article - Essay Example for existing depreciation methods as impairment would occur if they violate the requirement of depreciation charges while reflecting the use of the asset in revenue-generating process. The article then proposes an axiomatic system that is compatible with the recent accounting standards. This system shall also test the compatibility of the any depreciation method with the changed requirements for accounting. The axiomatic system proposed has three requirements. Firstly, the periodic depreciation charge has to be non-negative. Secondly, the depreciation charge is not greater than the cash flow for that period. And lastly, the periodic depreciation charge maintains the essential aspect of matching principle between depreciation and cash flow. The article then highlights how current depreciation methods violate the above axiomatic system. The focus of the article then shifts to proportional depreciation method which directly depends on the cash flow of the asset. Two requirements of consistency are then proposed, namely, Partition Consistency and Dynamic Consistency. The first requirement assures that there is consistency between depreciation charges throughout any sub-period division throughout an asset’s life. The second requirement demands that if there is no change in the economic fundamentals during the asset’s useful life, then the original computation of the depreciation charges will sustain. A detailed description of the axiomatic system is given along with its implications. The three axioms are formulated, their definitions are provided while their respective proofs are provided in the appendix. The proportional depreciation system is described and proof is provided about it sustaining the three axioms. The article then enters into the phase of defining partition consistency and dynamic consistency. They are linked to the axioms and a very solid relationship is established between these two consistencies and proportional depreciation method. The

Working Capital Simulation Essay Example for Free

Working Capital Simulation Essay SELECTION CRITERIA: In selecting what option to select the team came up with the following criteria: 1.) Selected option should lead to a reduction in working capital requirement and reduce short term debt in the process. 2.) Selected option should reduce the Cash Conversion Cycle. 3.) Selected option should free up locked capital in receivables and inventories. 4.) Selected option should lead to a zero working capital policy in the long run. SELECTED OPTIONS: We decided to tighten accounts receivable and drop poorly selling products because they yielded a percentage decrease in working capital requirement larger than their percentage drop in sales. Also these 2 options fit all the selection criteria we stated above. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: The options we chose led to a 44% drop in working capital requirement, drop from 159 days to 128 days in the cash conversion cycle and a 87% drop in debt. Overall we met our expectations of reducing working capital requirement and freeing up additional capital. EBIT has dropped immediately but by 2015 net income was higher by $8,000 despite the drop in $255,000 drop in EBIT in 2013. This surprised the team as we did not expect that in the long run by improving the working capital requirements of the company we reduced costs and increase net income resulting to a total created value of $691,000 for the firm. Despite the immediate decrease in sales in 2013, the overall financial position of the company is better in the long run, and moreover we have a remaining credit limit of approximately $2.8 million which is almost equal to the initial amount of credit borrowed in 2012. PHASE 2: SELECTION CRITERIA: From the learning’s and outcome of phase 1 the following selection criteria was used: 1.) Selected option should yield a percentage increase in sales  with a small percentage increase in working capital requirement. 2.) Selected option should not contribute to a significant degree in debt. SELECTED OPTIONS: Based on our analysis we felt that options 1 and 2 fit the criteria we set for selection best. Combined they show a significant increase in EBIT with a lower increase in WCR. Although we foresee a significant increase in WCR we feel that the credit line we have and the amount of capital we freed from phase would be sufficient to reduce the impact of the additional WCR. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: Our choices led to a constant increase in net income over the three years. Short term debt increase by approximately 100% percent but steadily reduced over the next three years. We were happy with the positive growth of the company and the fact that we were able to pay off most of the initial short term funding required by the increase in working capital requirement. Overall the current situation of the company in 2018 is good, although the total value created is less than 20% of that created in phase 1. From this we learned that the value of the firm can be significantly increased more through a reduction in working capital requirement than through increasing the firm’s sales and net income. PHASE 3: SELECTION CRITERIA: For this phase we decided to continue with the selection criteria from phase 1, and continue to try to increase sales with the minimum working capital requirement. We also decided to minimize risk and not go with options that have, however small, a chance of creating net losses for the company. SELECTION OPTIONS: Based on our analysis we felt that renegotiation of supplier credit terms would have a significant reduction to costs, given that most of the other suppliers would also agree to the new terms. Even though the company would need additional working capital we felt that the benefits outweigh the additional funding needed. And given the current credit line utilization and  increased profitability of the company we thought that this was a sound option to take. We also took the global expansion strategy because from a strategic management point of view it seemed like the next step to take in order to increase the company’s profitability in the long run. We again felt that we have sufficient credit and capital to venture into this expansion. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: There was a significant increase in net income but marginal increases in the succeeding 3 years. The most significant impact was in the short term debt wherein projected short term debt in 2021 would be zero, which made us very happy. This means that the company is nearing our goal of having a zero working capital requirement. This zero short term debt would also mean increased profits, and would improve our outstanding relation with the bank. Our final firm value is $4,259,000 which is significantly higher than it was in 2012. Overall we felt that we made the right decisions and our selection criteria were spot on. Value is not only generated in sales, but also in working capital requirement. And through this exercise we also confirmed that firms with efficient working capital requirement would be the most competitive in the market.

Impact of the Internet for SMEs in Malaysia

Impact of the Internet for SMEs in Malaysia Introduction The Internet According to Hamil (1997) stated that the efficiency and effectively medium used for accessing, organizing, and communicating information is representing the Internet. The presence on the Internet in the advanced economies is establishing from multinational or domestic whether its large or small (Duffy Dale, 2000). There are 888 million users of Internet for worldwide in 2004 and it is expected to growth until 1.35 billion by 2007 (eTForecast, 2004 Internet World Stats, 2005). In the global online population, Asia rank the highest percentage followed by Europe and then North America with Asia is 34, Europe is 29.2 and North America is 24.9 (Internet World Stats, 2005). English is the main medium of instruction for the Internet and the online population is declining for its dominance in the Web while the Chinese and Spanish speaking users are lesser extent but the Japanese users are on the rise (Glreach.com, 2004). The world most populous and developing nations such as China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil has forecasted that there will be a little growth of the internet users (eTForecasts, 2004). Internet use and access is uneven across countries due to global reach as the population of internet users in South Korea is 63.3 per cent, Malaysia is 35.9 per cent, and Thailand is 12.8 per cent. The o verall population internet users of these 3 countries just make up only 3.6 per cent of India population (World States, 2005). According to Peterson et al (1997), the accessing to online market surveys, newspapers and journals, country and industry market research, trade lists of suppliers, agents, distributors, and government contacts in a large number of countries are the reasons of the firms access to Internet. Internet can play a role as intermediaries between producer and users that mainly in collection, collation, interpretation, and distribution of information (Liang et al, 2004 Quelch Klein, 1996). Internet provides a flexible, reliable, and low-cost method if compared to other means of communication such as telephone, fax, and post (Poon Jevons, 1997). In the existing marketing activity, Internet is playing a supporting role (Hazel, 1996). The traditional dominance of fixed location stores will be replaced by a new retail format which is provided by Internet (Evans, 1996 Van Tassel Weitz, 1997). Internet is the means of communicating information about retail organization, products, and services (Bruno, 1997). In the US, retailer view the Internet as an emergence marketing communication tools that used to attracting new customers, penetrating new markets, promoting companys brand, and improving customer retention (Ernst Young, 1997). Small Business Enterprise (SME) and the Internet Small business enterprise is independently owned and operated where it is not dominant in its field, and doesnt engage in new or innovative practices. Neighborhoods grocery stores, fast-food restaurant, hair stylists, dry cleaners, video or record shops, and the veterinarian are an examples of small businesses. Qualitative factors are also important in describing the small businesses. To be classified as small, a small business must have at least two of the following features that are management is dependent, since the manager usually owns the business; capital is supplied and ownership is held by an individual or a few individuals; the area of operations is primarily local, although the market isnt necessarily local; the business is small in comparison with larger competitors in the industry (Washington DC: Small Business Administration, 1985). Perhaps the best definition of small business is the one used by Congress in the Small Business Act of 1953, which states that a small is one that independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field of operation. The act also authorized the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop more detailed definition that takes into account such criteria as sales volume and the number of employees in the firm. Incorporating these criteria into workable guidelines for use in determining loans, the SBA has established the upper limits for small firms in this manner (Washington DC: Small Business Administration, 1985). As the global online users growing rapidly, SMEs have discovered unparallel new opportunities in the Internet that are entrepreneurial enough to recognize and take advantage of highly profitable niche markets (Forster, 2000 Poon Swatman, 1997). The researchers found that SMEs in the UK has been characterizes as dynamic, enterprising and ambitious as key role in entrepreneurship and innovation by DTI (DTI, 2000). McCalman (1999), states that the entrepreneurial character of the owner, individual managers or operational teams often associated with the fast growing of the new venture and the high growth and high technology firms appear to be more able and more willing to seize the opportunities afforded by the Internet. The Internet has changed the landscape of the firms in the worldwide and globalization is a key driven role for Internet usage by small firms to expand their operations to other nations. The main strategic factors that associated with successful information, communications, and technology (ICT) is often viewed by the organization learning, entrepreneurship, innovative workplace cultures, and knowledge management enhancement context. The Internet virtually has relevance either directly or indirectly for entrepreneurship management in every aspect of organizational learning (Matlay, 2001 Leitch Harrison, 1999). In the marketing context, Noh and Fitzsimmons (1999) have described complex, creative, and innovation relationship is a significant relationship found between Internet usage and the marketing functions where ICT and entrepreneurial activity strategically linked. The ICT opportunities that the marketing function can respond is depend on sustainable competitive advantage of the organizational changes which is the key to organizational survival (Brady et al, 1999 Komenar, 1997). In order to attract and retain customers, the SMEs have to derive customer service advantages and marketing performance gains by adopted transformative use of ICT (Brady et al, 1999). According to Martin and Matlay (2001), the relationship between marketing functions and ICT adoption in SME would make the firms need to make creative and innovative changes in ordeal to deal effectively with actual and perceived ICT related marketing opportunities due to less attention on strategic SME operations and emphasis mor e on managerial capacity and marketing opportunities. online marketing only the step two in a five stages sequential progress to e-commerce and full ICT integration by a company identifies by DTI adoption ladder. Market analysis and related responses or strategies might be seen as sophistication function for e-use in SMEs (Martin Matlay, 2001). Despite its high level of connectivity and basic e-commerce applications, business appear reluctant to move up the adoption ladder but the DTI adoption ladder model is heavily emphasis on financial based transaction (UK Online, 2000). In the UK, 80 per cent of the SMEs have accessed to the Internet and another much smaller proportion also able to implement and embed new technologies for strategic purposes based on the figures of Internet adoption (UK Online, 2001). The adoption of ICT in the smaller firms has made the impact on SME profitability largely due to high connectivity according to the number of recent benchmarking surveys (UK Online, 2000). The UK government has initiative to promote the use of ICT and has ambitious target for Internet adoption, some has been already achieved (UK Online, 2000). In 2002, the digital marketplace there was 1.5 million SMEs expected to be wired up since 1.7 million businesses already connected and 81 per cent of all firms in one form or another. The national e-economy development had shown the successful outcome of the achievements and impressive of Internet adoption (UK Online, 2000). Information technology is implemented in SME can described as multidimensional change process (Martinsons Chong, 1999 Butter Fitzgerald, 2001). Information technology is playing an important role for training in SME. According to Coates (2000), information technologies represent the drivers of change of all aspect of life. A new corporate culture and management change will form when the electronic commerce fit into organization operations (Fadden, 2000 Hard Knie, 2001). The most important element of implementation of information technology is human resources (Greene et al, 1997). Westhead and Storey (1996) describe that the implementation of information technology can intervene on training aid for change in developing human resources and human capabilities of the organization. Decision making has played a dominant role for owner-manager in SME sector (Jennings Banfield, 1993 Jennings Beaver, 1995). The owner-manager has acted as principal driving force for implementation and adoption of electronic commerce. The role of a person characterized is in conjunction with the nature of managerial activity (Jennings Beaver, 1995). The owner-manager has total control on training. So, Jennings and Beaver (1995) have stated that the extension of the owner-manager role is the provision of organization training. SMEs are operated under uncertain condition (Nooteboom, 1994 Storey, 1994 Acs et al, 1997). Skills and ability of SMEs have change in uncertain environment and SME has adopted (Hendry, 1995 Acs et al, 1997). Recognition of change has relation with the implementation of new technologies (Martinsons Chong, 1999 Coates, 2000 Buttler Fitzgerald, 2001). The Internet adoption in the SME has make SME staff learning through online collaboration. According to Flexwork (2004), a project supported by CEC FP5 IST Programme is a place where EU SME teleworking is gathering at Flexwork. Lawless (2004) stated that both virtual working and face to face contact are still needed as well as those frequent working online also have some face to face contact. The relationship forming through work online has to be considered to maintain well fairly (Walther, 1992). SME has practice team working and it is a most used method currently (Institute of Work Psychology, 1999). Computer World and British Telecom (2003) has stated that beneficiary from the process working online with others is SMEs wish and it must be properly conducted and resourced since there is over 50 per cent of SMEs has no formal IT strategy. ICT based environment is important for future networking platform and it is crucial for SME to cope with it (Ulbrich, 2000) and the need for chang e in SME has to take consideration on collaboration learning through ICT whether it is formal or informal (Fulantelli Allegra, 2003 Williamson et al, 2001). It is an ideal to have online collaborative training or learn cluster (Geer Au, 2002). Collaboration is required for supply chain and SME is a part of the supply chain especially in motor and technologies industry. The trial has been conducted in Athabasca University in Canada to simulate SME members (Athabasca, 2002). Some EU training organization has proposed online collaborative learning systems using virtual classrooms, network or similar (AutoTrainProject, 2000). The individuals in the same SME or separate SME can form the collaboration learning. The increase used of ICTs especially email for internal communication has become a crucial feature of innovativeness of SMEs as well as collaboration between individuals in same or separate SME (Andrew Pettigrew, 1997). Another increased capacity for innovation in SMEs are exter nal networking (Gray Allan, 2000). SMEs and the Internet in Malaysia Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC) was established on 2nd May 1996 which is an agency under Ministry of International Trade and Industry to promote and coordinate the development of SMEs in Malaysia through specific programs, provide technical support and management counseling services with the cooperation with other agencies, forge linkage industries between SMEs and large companies or multinational companies, and collaborate with other agencies locally and internationally to develop the SMEs (Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation Malaysia, 2008). Malaysia adopted a common definition of SMEs to facilitate the identification of SMEs in the various sectors and subsectors. It has facilitated the government to formulate effective development policies, support programs as well as the provision of technical and financial assistance (Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation Malaysia, 2008). The categories of SMEs in Malaysia consist of manufacturing, manufacturing related services and agro-based industries and another category is services, primary agriculture and information and communication technology (ICT). The enterprise in SMEs in Malaysia varies from micro enterprise, small enterprise, and medium enterprise (Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation Malaysia, 2008). The Malaysia government has recognized that ICT would serve as a foundation to transform Malaysia from a P-based economy to K-based economy. ICT was emphasized as an enabler mainly in manufacturing sector and National Information and Technology Council (NITC) was established and its primary function is to ensure that ICT well integrated in the socio-economic fabric of the nation (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia, 2007) In the 9th Malaysia Plan, the strategic plans for Malaysia ICT including the implementation of Digital Content Development, E-Commerce, SSO, Bioinformatics, MyICMS 886 which consist of Content Development, ICT Education Hub, Digital Multimedia Receivers, Communication Devices, Embedded Components and Foreign Ventures. It also includes the launching of MSC Phase II and increasing the number of MSC status companies from 973 to 1236 (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia, 2007). According to Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia facts and figures 2008, the number of main lines subscribers is 588 per 1000 inibitants, number of internet users is 714.3 per 1000 inhibitants, number of broadband subscribers is 96.13 per inhibitants, and number of computer subscribers is 805 per 1000 people in 2007 (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia, 2008). The government has embarked on a concerted effort to improve the development of the SME sector. The government has integrated 14 ministries and 60 agencies as a model to approaches the SME to source of information of their businesses and stage of development. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council endorsed and launched the SMEinfo Portal as an integration of the Internet adoption and SMEs in Malaysia and a mechanism to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of dissemination of information to SMEs. Its a one stop online information resource SMEs across all sectors of the economy (SMEinfo, 2008). The SMEinfo Portal is portals that can comprehensive access to information and is a multilingual information portal outreach to wider SMEs as the function as sources of financing and types of financial support by financial institutions, business support programs by ministries and government agencies, training and advisory services, SME Business Adviser Network, managing counseling services, and relevant tools such as financial tools as well as events by ministries and government agencies (SMEinfo, 2008). The important features of the SMEinfo Portal is the SME Business Directory where SMEs can advertise products and services to large potential customers worldwide, sources of raw materials and relevant services by contracting suppliers, and identify potential customers to venture into new market for their products and services (SMEinfo, 2008). Problem Statement According to Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia facts and figures 2008, the number of main lines subscribers is 588 per 1000 inibitants, number of internet users is 714.3 per 1000 inhibitants, number of broadband subscribers is 96.13 per inhibitants, and number of computer subscribers is 805 per 1000 people in 2007. In UK, there are 80 per cent of SMEs have adopted Internet and another smaller proportion of small businesses also able to implement and embed new technologies for the strategic purpose. The small businesses in Malaysia have less adoption of Internet in business if compare to other countries such as UK and USA. So, the Internet adoptions in small businesses in Malaysia have another prospective such as some are using for information accessed. The Internet adoption for small businesses in UK and USA has been a long history in the industry. The early adopters for the Internet has used for the range of functions such as marketing and advertising, informa tion gathering, customer support and service and electronic transaction. There are several model to conduct the research on the Internet adoption for small businesses such as Rogers model of perceived attributes of the Internet. The firms has asked to rate their perceptions of Internet use for the business. From the previous research, Rogers, (1995) has listed the perceived attributes of the Internet as a strong influence exert on business use as: To what perceptions of innovation attributes for the research contribute to internet adoption for small businesses in Malaysia Research Objectives In this changing technology era, the internet has become more important for everyone to access for information, shopping and communications especially in the business use. So, the purpose of the research for the impact of the internet adoption for small businesses in Malaysia is: To investigate the relationship between innovation attributes and the internet adoption for small businesses in Malaysia. To identify the relationship between relative advantage of internet adoption and small businesses in Malaysia. To identify the relationship between compatibility of internet adoption and small businesses functions in Malaysia. To identify the relationship between complexity of internet adoption and small businesses in Malaysia. To identify the relationship between trialability of internet adoption and small businesses in Malaysia. To identify the relationship between observability of internet adoption and small businesses in Malaysia. Importance of the Study The importance of the study of research project titled The Factors Contribute to Internet Adoption for Small Businesses in Malaysia can be contributed to the industry, education and society. The study of this research can make an impact on industry, education, and society for different reasons. The impact of the study of this research on industry is identification of the potential business growth by small businesses in Malaysia with the Internet adoption. Business of the firm can growth by penetrating different market segments and coverage more geographical areas with using Internet as a marketing tool. Another impact of the study is can make the firm adopt process innovation and product innovation to reduce the cost of the production and capture the value of the customers with the quality products. The entrepreneurial opportunity also could discover on the study of this research. Youth could create entrepreneurial opportunity with the Internet adoption for developing own Electronic Business with the low cost, easy, and convenience method. The study of this research could create job opportunity in the industry especially from IT fields and entrepreneurship field. Besides, the importance of this study also contributes to the education. In education, undergraduates can have an improvement process of acquiring knowledge and information with the Internet adoption on academic. Universities and colleges can provide entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for undergraduates on students entrepreneurship development programs, academics and students organization on free enterprise. It also could increase the understanding of the technology in terms of information system and web development. Lastly, the importance of this study also contributes to the society. The study of this research can make an impact on society by reducing the employment rate for the country with the job creation by small businesses. It could increase the quality living of the society with the easy and conveniences services provide by small businesses on the adoption of the Internet. Foreign relation between people and people or government and government can be improving with the development of the Internet on the small businesses. The economies of the country can growth with the expansion and development of small businesses industry and small businesses can penetrate to another countries using Internet as well as increasing exports business of the country. Organization of Research Project The organization of the research project titled The Factors Contribute to Internet Adoption for Small Businesses in Malaysia overall consist of five chapters with each chapter has different aspects ranging from the different explanation of internet adoption and small businesses from different authors of journals to statistical analysis of the research study. In the chapter one, the definition and explanation of the internet extracted from different authors quote in different journals. The subtopics consist of the Internet, the SMEs and the Internet, and the SMEs and the Internet in Malaysia. In the chapter two, the literature review will extracted the quote from different authors in the journals to organize as a study of the internet adoption contribute to the small businesses in Malaysia. The other reviews of the literature are the relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability of the Internet adoption in any fields. In the chapter three, the methodology of the research will explain the sources of data collection from primary and secondary data. The hypothesis of the study and the procedures for collecting the samples will be explained here. In the chapter four, the discussions and results will based on the geographic profiles of the small businesses. The chi-square analysis will analyze differentiates of E-Commerce and Small Businesses, differentiates virtual consumer behavior from retail consumer behavior, and the level of understanding of small businesses. The multiple regressions will focus on the entrepreneurs interest in virtual store strategic management. Finally, the chapter five will describe the summary and conclusion of the research. The research will recommend the solutions for the problems of the study. Literature Review Internet Adoption Theory of reasoned action (TRA) (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975), technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989), and theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Azjen, 1991) reported as a number of studies of IT adoption. Adam et al (1992) stated that the fundamental determinants of acceptance of IT adoption consist of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use and it can be widely used in the IT adoption. Perceived usefulness is a major determinant of peoples intention to use computers while perceived ease of use is a significant secondary determinant of peoples intention to use computers by competing two competing models of computer technology usage, TAM and TRA. It can conclude as peoples use of computer technology can be predicted reasonably well from their intentions. The TAM has been selected as a useful basis for starting build a model of adoption of the Internet since TAM is slightly better from an empirical point of view in the comparison of TAM and TPB (Mathieson, 1991). The researchers found that technology acceptance; reasons of using IT and behavior of using IT can derive the definition of the Internet adoption. Besides, the researchers also found the definition of Internet adoption in other context such as supply chain management. Italian firm has made adoption modalities of IT to integrate into supply chain management to make their business growth. According to Chandrashekar and Schary (1999), in order to fit the customer request, the Internet can act as an enabler in depicting the firms. The efficacy and effectiveness of reaching higher level of performance is the integration and information technology (IT) and it can be regard as the most competitive and imitable weapons (Tan, 2001). Porter (2001) stated that modification of supply chain (SC) relationships, boundaries, and mutual influence is an integral part of the Internet in firms strategy. In the former Central and Eastern European, innovation of technology has been introduced into commercial. Famous researchers such as Rogers have been workout to derive the definition of the Internet adoption from the technology innovativeness context. Everett M. Rogers (1995) was formulated the innovation adoption theory. The innovation adoption theory has been widely used in analyzing the adoption of the Internet (Wolcott et al, 2001), various Internet related applications (Black et al, 2001 Polatoglu Ekin, 2001), and software products (Karahanna et al, 1999 Kautz Larsen, 2000). Rogers (1995), regards the perceived new unit of adoption of an individual can be defined as an idea, practice, or object in term of innovation. Rogers (1995), also defined the adoption is a process that members of a society can communicated through certain channels over time. Schumpeter (1934, 1939 1942) has stated that new application of invention, discovery or new or existing knowledge as an innovati on. The innovation also can be defined as the introduction and new development of knowledge derived tools, artifacts, and devices by which people extend and interact with environment (Tornatzky Fleischer, 1990). The related technologies linked closely and innovation is a cluster of Internet adoption and banking (Rogers, 1995). The factors influence the Internet adoption because the traditional modes of communication of the firms in the transitional markets of obtaining information on foreign markets, and communicated through business partners, customers, and distributors are costly and time consuming (Nguyen Nguyen, 2001). According to Rogers (1983), the adoption is an alternative solution where the firm confronted with the problems. The organizations strategies, policies, and actions as well as beliefs, attitudes, and intentions lead to the adoption of IT (Leonard Barton Deschamps, 1995). The adoption of IT for organizations continuously collecting information about target market needs and competitors capabilities and using it to create superior customer value. It is important and valuable for market orientation of an organization (Slater Narver, 1995: 63). Organizations innovativeness on IT facilitates the market orientation so that the forming of market orientation firms could gather information on m arkets and environments (Han et al, 1998 Jaworski Kohli, 1993). Besides, Firm creating and use knowledge influences the organizational factor in learning organization (Sinkula et al, 1997). As learning environment is creates and encourages in learning oriented firms lead to the rise of adoption and implementation of new ideas, process, and products to produce innovative capacity for the firm (Hurley Hult, 1998). Learning and sharing of knowledge opportunities exist among members of learning oriented firms from individual level to organization level (Nonaka Takeuchi, 1995). Slater and Naver (1995), explained that how an organization acquire, process, and use market intelligence is a question to the ability in engagement in adapting the generative learning as a key component of organization learning orientation. The leveraging of superior learning environment is the use of all resources including the behaviors that accompany market orientation (Baker Sinkula, 1999). As stated by the above definition of Internet adoption in the supply chain management context, there are many factors contribute to affect the relationship of the Internet adoption. An easy and fast way in the process of acquiring and sharing information and the efficiency and effectiveness of improve performance are linked to the aspect of Internet adoption (Deeter-Schmeltz Norman-Kennedy,2002 Ronchi, 2003). The mistakes and time reductions and contribution to the order and stock cuts facilitate the better coordination among players of network (Akkermans et al, 2001). The enhancement of business model development providing innovation opportunities and competitive advantages challenge as well as strategic dimensions of SC design are the impact of Internet adoption (Wouters et al, 1999). The cost reductions of product management as well as cheaper and flexible of data exchange and enhancement of data standardization are the impact of IT adoption mechanism in market environment and o rganization management (Malone et al, 1987). The adoption of web based tools could enhance the integration such as EDI and as impact of product complexity (Garcia-Dastugue Lambert, 2003). The standardization and behavioral formalization such as tasks repetitiveness and recognizability was influences by the adoption of ICT (Vacca, 1990 Lomi, 1991 Lorenzoni, 1992). The standardization of SC players in coordinating and performing activities are the affects of ICT (Becker, 2004). The change and variability sourcing are the improvisational aspect of routine which is including tacit knowledge, incorporate operative and applicatory capabilities (Pentland, 2003). Colombo et al (1997) stated that the transparency of process is the free information and knowledge sharing while Winter and Taylor (1996) stated that the reduction of middle management direct communication as an enabling of ICT. On the other hand, technology innovativeness has been adopted in European markets to cater the demand of the consumers in many ways. There are many factors of adoption of technology innovativeness to serve the markets in Central and Eastern European nations. Researchers have investigated and identify the factors of commercialization innovativeness to explain the relationship of Internet adoption contributes to commercial in Ukraine and Austria. According to Dickerson and Gentry (1983), a new innovative service firm must offer increased functional performance than its predecessor can be defined as relative advantage. The primary measurement of relative advantage is assessing an innovations superiority in terms of overall convenience (Polatoglu Ekin, 2001 Tan Teo, 2000). The degree to which an innovation is perceived as relatively difficult understands and use is the definition of complexity (Rogers Shoemaker, 1971). Tornaztky and Klein (1982) stated that the lower rate of adoption means the complex the innovation is. Rogers (1995) defined the compatibility as the degree to which an innovation is perceived as consistent with existing values, past experiences, and the needs of potential adopters. De Ruyter et al (2001) also stated that compatibility is consistent with existing consumer affect, cognition, and behavior. Some researchers also found that consumer perceived risk post as important factors to the ICT adoption (Eastlick Lotz, 1999 Hansen, 2005 Polatoglu Ekin, 2001 Tan Teo, 2000). Relative Advantage Rogers (1995) defined relative advantage as the degree to which an innovation is seen as superior to existing practice. In the competition context, there is another definition for seeing innovation as superior to existing practice. According to Day (1984) and Porter (1987), the competitive advantage can be seen as the objective of the strategy and the result of the competitive advantage is superior performance. The derivations of competitive advantage are from numerous

Reason and faith in religion

Reason and faith in religion Reason and Faith are sources of authority whereby the belief of an individual can rest. Belief is referred to as the values that emanate from a methodological process of inquiry. This process can either be religious, aesthetic, moral or even intellectual. On this basis, reason does not emanate from the wisdoms of traditional authority, or oracles, or assumptions. However, reason requires the existence of real life evidence to proof a fact. Once there is a clear demonstration of this evidence, a claim can be understood and justified as either to be false, or true. Faith is the opposite of reason, and it does not require any evidence for an individual to believe in a given issue or authority. On this basis, faith is a demonstration of assent or trust (Albl, 22). Faith therefore involves an action of commitment that emanates from the believer, in relation to a given belief. Religious faith involves the belief of an individual to a supernatural deity, or God. The root cause of this faith always comes from an individual revelation of God, or the workings of God (The Bible, 3). On this note, revelation can either be direct, personally experiencing the powers of God. It can also be indirect, that is experiencing the powers of God through the testimonies of other people. Faith that emanates from religion is of two types, namely evidence insensitive faith, and evidence sensitive faith. Evidence sensitive faith is built upon by demonstrable truths, which includes testimonies brought forth by believers or people who ascribe to the same Faith. Mueller (27) denotes that this type of faith is also built on the teachings and lives of people who believed in God. On the other hand, Mueller (29) denotes that evidence-insensitive faith is built upon the individual experiences of a person with his God. Albl (26) explains that it is very possible for a person to believe in God, through faith, or through reason. This paper take a stand that the bible is the main book that provides guidance on an individual’s Christian faith. Reason is only used to confirm and provid e support on the various religious beliefs. Prickett and Robert (36) denote that the main factor that led to the problems associated with reason and faith comes from the concept of revelation. All religious believes are based on revelations. Revelations always entails an individual’s experiences with God, which in turn they are described through sacred pronunciations (Prickett and Robert, 33). These revelations are then written in canonical writings or are passed through oral traditions. An example of a person who experienced revelation and passed the message through canonical writings is apostle Paul. Paul had a personal experience with God, and wrote the messages which are always reffered to as epistles. Hicks (36) denote that these writings are always immune from a rationale critique, or evaluations. On this basis, any attempt to evaluate and critically analyze these messages is a mistake. However, in the current century, Hicks (41) denotes that various religious organizations encourage a rationale critique of the Bible. One main issue that surrounds the problems regarding reason and faith is to find out how the authority of reason, and that of faith interrelate with one another in this process whereby a religious belief is either justified or not. There are four major ways in which reason and faith can interact. The first method of interaction is the conflict model. Under this model of interaction, the objects, aims and methods of faith and reason usually depict different notions and concepts. On this basis, there is a rivalry between reason and faith. An example of this rivalry is depicted in the different explanations of the existence of earth. Christian’s belief that God created the world, scientists on the other hand belief that God did not create the world, but it came as a result of evolution (Hicks, 56). The story of creation is effectively explained in the book of Genesis chapter number 1. Charles Darwin on the other hand denotes that the world came as a result of evolution of species. Darwin elaborately explains this concept through his theory of evolution. He came up with this concept of evolution after a careful study of the various species of animals, including mankind. On this basis, his evolutionary theory was developed out of a methodological study, satisfying the principles of reason. This view by Darwin directly conflicts the views of the origin of man, as prescribed by the Bible (Mueller, 28). This therefore challenges the existence of God, putting faith and reason in a conflict with each other. The next mo del of interaction between reason and faith is the incompatibility model. Under this model, objects, aims and methods of faith and reason are distinct. Under this model, faith concerns itself with seeking the divine truth, while reason on the other hand concerns itself with seeking for an empirical truth. On this basis, rivalry between faith and reason does not exist. This relationship between reason and faith is divided into two main categories. The first category is transrational (Hick, 43). Under this category, believers denote that faith is higher than reason, and reason can only be used to explain certain religious practices that occur within an individual’s religion or sets of believes. The second category holds that religious believes are irrational, and on this basis, it is not appropriate to examine it through a rational evaluation. Under this principle, it is only possible to understand God, by analyzing what God is not. People who ascribe to this principle believe that there is no need of subjecting faith to a rational justification. This is because it is beyond human understanding (Mueller, 41). The weak compatibi lity model on the other hand believes that it is possible for there to be dialogue between faith and reason. This is even though reason and faith maintain different methods of evaluations and clarity. Under this model, faith is developed from the existence of miracles, while reason on the other hand involves scientific evaluations of the miracles under consideration. The final relationship between faith and reason can be termed as the strong compatibility model. Under this relationship, faith and reason have some parity. Proponents of this relationship denote that it is possible to demonstrate articles of faith, by applying reason within it. It is possible to demonstrate articles of faith by using either inductive method, which is depending on experiences to justify faith (Prickett and Robert, 51). It can also take a deductive approach, which is depending on the teachings of faith to justify a belief. An example of an inductive approach is the miraculous healing of a lame man, whom science could not cure. An explanation to this concept is that God has a healing power, thus he healed the man under consideration. Science on the other hand would denote that there wasn’t any scientific method of healing the man under consideration; hence it is only the power of a divine deity that did the job (Prickett and Robert, 51). An example of a deductiv e approach would always start with an argument that the principles of science would not have existed, unless the power of God was there to ensure that the science under consideration is successful. For example, God gave men the capability and wisdom of making vehicles, and airplanes. In conclusion, Christians normally rely on the bible as a basis of their faith. For a long period of time, the information contained in the scriptures have never been challenged or critiqued. They are always held as true, no matter how controversial they may be. However, in the 21st century, there is always a demand of evidence and reason in the various teachings of Christianity. This paper manages to effectively explain this concept of reason, and how it used to justify certain aspects of faith. For instance, in this paper, we are able to denote that reason can directly contradict faith. This is by use of science to proof certain aspects of the scriptures as untrue. This paper explains how the Bible depicts the origin of the universe, and how science explains the origin of the universe. The Bible denotes that God created the world, while science denotes that the world came about out of evolution. These two areas are very contradicting and rival each other, and those who believe in t he evolution story, do not have any faith in God, nor religious beliefs. In as much as reason can contradict certain aspects of faith, reason is also used to explain certain religious practices or elements of faith. For example, how can one explain the movements of birds in the air, or even the existence of rivers, mountains, and lakes? Initially, the practices of a religious belief were not questionable. Whatever the scriptures said, was always true. However, in the 21st century, religious organizations encourage a rationale critique of their practices. Works Cited: Albl, Martin C. Reason, faith, and tradition: explorations in Catholic theology. Winona: Saint Marys Press, 2009. Print. Hick, John. Between faith and doubt: dialogues on religion and reason. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. Mueller, J. J.. Theological foundations: concepts and methods for understanding Christian faith. Winona, Minn.: Saint Marys Press, 2007. Print. Prickett, Stephen, and Robert Barnes. The Bible. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Print. The Bible. Harlow, England: King James Version, 2010. Print.

Alcohol Abuse: Alcoholism as a Disease Essay -- Health Addiction

The problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism,' habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of `disease' as follows: "Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder." Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it is somewhat understandable that `alcoholism' is classified as a disease. The Classical Disease Model appears to offer a hopeful option. Treatment and sobriety can allow people to lead fulfilling lives. Adjacent to the notion of alcoholism as personal failure or moral deterioration, the Classical Disease Model appears to be a more desirable concept as it provides a motive for the alcoholic to seek treatment and gain sympathy, minimizing personal guilt. As alcoholism is seen as a progressive and, to an extent, hereditary illness for which those afflicted are not accountable, victims avoid being ostracized from society (Jellinek, 1960). Labeling the problem as a `disease' allows the medical profession to take responsibility for the treatment of alcoholism, which puts the problem in a more favourable light than if it were in the hands of psychologists or social workers, thus detaching the stigma connected with the problem while it is put on a par with other diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, critics of the Classical Disease Model believe stigma helps reduce alcohol problems and aids the alcoholic. Any effort to reduce the stigma which is faced by the alcoholic will reduce pressures to moderate consumption and could have the additional ... ... the alcoholic of responsibility for their problem. Labeling an alcohol problem as a disease is perhaps as stigmatising as the problem itself and could have the effect of dissuading many problem drinkers from seeking help. It focuses mainly on those whose drinking has become excessive and is thus restrictive. The Classical Disease Model may appear convenient for alcoholics who want to deny they have a problem, yet it is likely to do more harm to the individual and the community than good, therefore it is clear to see why, in the 21st Century, the Classical Disease Model is viewed as entirely inadequate. Works Cited Jellinek, E. M. (1960.) The Disease Concept of Alcoholism. New Haven, Conn.: College and University Press. Lender, M. E. (1979). Jellinek's typology of alcoholism: Some historical antecedents. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 10(5), 361-375.

Miltons Passage :: Milton History Essays

Milton's Passage Works Cited Missing In this passage Milton surveys the battlefield after the inconclusive first day of fighting between the rebellious third of the angels and the equally-sized contingent God has sent to face them. The purpose is to portray the disarray and destruction caused by the battle, especially on the side of the fallen, and to contrast that chaos and baseness with the dignity and honor of the champions who defeat them. Little has been accomplished by the fighting, except to demonstrate the difference between the warriors on the two sides. Neither side is defeated, but the side of good has displayed its superiority in valor and glory, and the evil have shown themselves to be the lesser precisely because of their moral inferiority. Though they have fought to a draw, only the angels do so honorably, holding their ground as we watch the Satanic Host fly in a state of fear and panic. Milton seems to evoke a parallel with two of the most famous battles in history, as presented by the father of his tory, Herodotus: the Spartan duels with the vast Persian force of the Great King Xerxes. In the first battle, at Thermopylae, the Spartans stood their ground faithfully, and through obedience and discipline shamed their (in Herodotus' portrayal) morally inferior foe by forcing them to pay an outrageous price for victory. In the second, at Plataea, the Spartans this time defeat their more numerous foe, again due to their inherent superiority, which is ascribed, ultimately, to their virtue. If Milton's scene is imagined cinematically, the view begins low, looking down to see "all the ground" where the detritus lay "strown," "in "heap[s]," and "overturn'd" (388-90), and generally tipped over and fallen down in a catalogue of ways. The rebel angels' fallen condition is made literal by the work of the loyal warriors, whom we see in exactly the opposite condition, in spite of having fought just as hard and taken the same beating. We look up from the jumbled mass to see the angels in their state of "high advantages" (401), seeming to fly in formation unbroken by the onslaught, unperturbed by their wounds. Milton presents a dual image of battle lines shifting and being wrenched out of shape in parallel with the picture of bodies being crushed and mangled. Following his announcement that the devils' "Mightiest quell'd", we are shown that the "battle swerv'd" and we see "inroad[s] gor'd" into the broken battle formations and the broken bodies of the fighters (386-87). Milton's Passage :: Milton History Essays Milton's Passage Works Cited Missing In this passage Milton surveys the battlefield after the inconclusive first day of fighting between the rebellious third of the angels and the equally-sized contingent God has sent to face them. The purpose is to portray the disarray and destruction caused by the battle, especially on the side of the fallen, and to contrast that chaos and baseness with the dignity and honor of the champions who defeat them. Little has been accomplished by the fighting, except to demonstrate the difference between the warriors on the two sides. Neither side is defeated, but the side of good has displayed its superiority in valor and glory, and the evil have shown themselves to be the lesser precisely because of their moral inferiority. Though they have fought to a draw, only the angels do so honorably, holding their ground as we watch the Satanic Host fly in a state of fear and panic. Milton seems to evoke a parallel with two of the most famous battles in history, as presented by the father of his tory, Herodotus: the Spartan duels with the vast Persian force of the Great King Xerxes. In the first battle, at Thermopylae, the Spartans stood their ground faithfully, and through obedience and discipline shamed their (in Herodotus' portrayal) morally inferior foe by forcing them to pay an outrageous price for victory. In the second, at Plataea, the Spartans this time defeat their more numerous foe, again due to their inherent superiority, which is ascribed, ultimately, to their virtue. If Milton's scene is imagined cinematically, the view begins low, looking down to see "all the ground" where the detritus lay "strown," "in "heap[s]," and "overturn'd" (388-90), and generally tipped over and fallen down in a catalogue of ways. The rebel angels' fallen condition is made literal by the work of the loyal warriors, whom we see in exactly the opposite condition, in spite of having fought just as hard and taken the same beating. We look up from the jumbled mass to see the angels in their state of "high advantages" (401), seeming to fly in formation unbroken by the onslaught, unperturbed by their wounds. Milton presents a dual image of battle lines shifting and being wrenched out of shape in parallel with the picture of bodies being crushed and mangled. Following his announcement that the devils' "Mightiest quell'd", we are shown that the "battle swerv'd" and we see "inroad[s] gor'd" into the broken battle formations and the broken bodies of the fighters (386-87).

Computers :: essays research papers

Computers Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. Today, with home computers and modems becoming faster and cheaper, the home front is on the break of a new frontier of on line information and data processing. The Internet, the ARPANET (Advanced Research Programs Agency Network) spinoff is a channel of uninterrupted information interchange. It allows people to connect to large computer databases that can store valuable information on goods and services. The Internet is quickly becoming a tool for vast data interchange for more than twenty million Americans. New tools are allowing Internet presence an easier task. As did the gold miners set out to California on carriages to stake their claim in the gold rush, business and entrepreneurs are rushing to stake their claim on the information superhighway through Gopher sites, World-Wide Web sites, and electronic mailing lists. This article explains how businesses and entrepreneurs are setting up information services on the Internet that allows users to browse through picture catalogues, specification lists, and up to the minute reports. Ever since Sears Roebuck created the first pictorial catalogue, the idea has fascinated US that merchandises could be selected and ordered in our leisure time. Like any cataloging system, references make it easy to find what user seeks. Since its inception, The Internet has been refining its search tools. Being able to find products through many catalogues is what make the Internet shine in information retrieval. This helps the consumer find merchandise that they might other wise probably cannot find. The World Wide Web allows users to find information on goods and services, pictures of products, samples of music (Used by record Companies), short videos showing the product or service, and samples of programs. Although a consumer cannot order directly from the Web site, the business will often give a Voice telephone number or an order form that costumer can print out and send out through the mail. Although web sites have the magazine like appeal, storing large amounts of textual data is often difficult. Gopher (like go-for) is set up like a filing cabinet to allow the user more flexibility in retrieval. Gopher is similar to the white/yellow pages in the way information is retrieved word for word. They are also a lot cheaper and easier to set up which allows small business an easy way to set up shop. Consumers can find reviews, tech-info, and other bits and pieces of information. Each person who uses the Internet has an identification that sets them apart from everyone else. Often called handles (from the old short wave radio days). Electronic mail addresses allow information exchange from user to user.

Anabolic Steroids in the Enhancement of Muscle Development Essay

People nowadays have been more conscious of their physical appearance. The will of others to be physically fit, enables them to enroll in different programs or even engage themselves in the administration of drugs that help enhance muscle development. One of these drugs is the Anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids are defined as synthetic substances that are similar to the sex hormones in men. These are used as treatment for other conditions, and may also be used to increase the testosterone level in men. In addition to this, the use of such steroids also enhances the muscle mass of its users. Most of these, if not all, require a prescription upon purchase, for these may have effects on the body of the individual, causing irreversible health problems (National Institute of Drug Abuse, March 2007). These drugs are often used by athletes, bodybuilders, and people who are in need of excellent physical performance. Steroids are known to help in the increasing of the strength, aggressiveness, and body mass of its users. In addition to this, the continuous use of this drug increases the muscle size of users, at the same time helps in the improvement of the physical appearance through the reduction of the body fat (Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 6 March 2006). The Mayo Clinic website defines that steroids may be administered in a number of different ways. Two of the most common routes of administration were oral and parenteral. For oral administration, these come in the form of tablets (Mayo Clinic, 1 January 2008). They may also be administered parenterally, either through the subcutaneous and intramuscular routes (Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 6 March 2006). Some of the most common oral steroids used include Oxymetholone (Anadrol), Oxandrolone (Oxandrin), Dianabrol (Methandrostenolone), and Winstrol (Stanozolol). Injectable steroids, on the other hand, include Nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin), Nandron phenpropionate (Durabolin), Testosterone cypionate (Depo-Testosterone, and Bodlenon undecyclenate (Equipoise) (National Institute on Drug Abuse, April 2000, p2). Steroids help in the increase of muscle development in the body. This occurs when hypogonadal men receive treatments to increase their testosterone levels. The continuous use of anabolic steroids contribute to the increase in muscle mass of the user, most specifically in the mass of the upper part of the body. Furthermore, studies have shown that the administration of these drugs have an effect in the biochemistry and the morphology of the muscles. Biopsies have shown that there was a dramatical increase in the muscle fibers and the average fiber size, especially in the trapezius muscle upon continuous use of the steroid (Kuhn, 2002). The excessive use of anabolic steroids may result in negative effects in the body. Some of its major effects include liver tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, hypertension, trembling, severe acne, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and stunted height. Some people take these symptoms for granted, associating them with another illness other than steroid use. Aside from these effects, there were also gender specific effects of steroid use (ATOD Prevention Center, n. d. ). Even adolescents, when given excessive doses of steroids are greatly affected. Puberty changes arise, with their skeletal system growing prematurely. Men, being the most users of steroids, are also affected. Their testicles tend to shrink, with their sperm count greatly reduced to that of normal. There is also a great risk of baldness and the possible development of breasts, and worse, the risk of acquiring prostate cancer. Women on the other hand, tend to grow facial hair, and have male-pattern baldness tendencies. Steroid administration also results to the stopping or irregularity of the menstrual cycle, and the tendency to be moon-faced. For others, the drug administration may also result in a deeper speaking voice, accompanied by clitoris enlargement (Narconon Trois-Rivieres, 2 April 2008). Aside from all these effects, steroid abuse may also have psychological effects on the user. Depression, irritability, distractions, forgetfulness, paranoia, aggression, and manic episodes are the most common psychological effects of steroid use (ATOD Prevention Center, n. d. ). The continued use results in the sudden change in an individual’s way of thinking and their urge to hurt other people. The Drugtext website has stated that a test was made on three cases, marking their changes on their steroid use. All three resulted in a higher rate of aggression rates with the use of steroids, as compared to those who do not use the drug (Williamson, 1994). With the given data, it is just but necessary for people to learn how to control the use of these drugs. More lives may be saved, and addictions may be avoided. Let us all contribute to the upheaval of a healthy environment towards a drug-free life. Works Cited â€Å"Anabolic Steroid Abuse. † National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report Series 4 (2000): 1- 8. â€Å"Drug Rehabilitation Center: Steroids. † 2 April 2008. Narconon Trois-Rivieres. 8 April 2008 . Kuh, Cynthia M. â€Å"Anabolic Steroids. † 2002. Recent Progress in Hormone Research. 8 April 2008 . â€Å"NIDA: InfoFacts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic). † January 2, 2008 National Institute On Drug Abuse. Retrieved 7 April 2008 . â€Å"Steroids. † ATOD Prevention Center. 8 April 2008 . â€Å"Steroids. † 6 March 2006. Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Retrieved 7 April 2008 Williamson, Doug. â€Å"The Psychological Effects of Anabolic Steroids. † The International Journal of Drug Policy 5. 1 (1994): 8 April 2006 .

Aztec Human Sacrifice – a Detached View

In searching for a thesis for this paper, I was faced with a singular problem. With the ghastly subject of human sacrifice, what could possibly be argued and defended? During my reading and research, the stark and horrible reality of a butchered, battered, or burned human being slain in some grisly, weird ceremony for some equally weird gargoyle-like idol nearly caused me to choose another subject. Yet, years ago, when I read Gary Jennings' novel Aztec, I was fascinated with his description of the Aztec's sacrifice of prisoners during the dedication of the great pyramid in Tenochitlan: â€Å"The hearts of †¦ perhaps the first two hundred of them, were ceremoniously ladled into the mouths of Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli until the statues' hollow insides could hold no more, and the stone lips of the two gods drooled and dribbled blood†¦ Those who have read Jennings' novel know that the foregoing is but a mild example of some of the graphic barbarism he describes. During my first reading of that novel, I would have never believed that I could come to the conclusion of my thesis. My thesis is this: There appears to be an intolerable paradox between the barbarous religious practices and the rather high state of civilization in the Central Valley of Mexico. This paradox undoubtedly led the early Spanish missionaries to regard the conquered Indians as devil worshipers. However, I believe that it is possible to regard the Aztecs as civilized people who also happened to perform human sacrifice. They performed human sacrifice in reaction to their view of the world and how they cope within it. Maintaining those two opposing viewpoints requires an understanding and a detached view which may have more to do with the study of history than the study of human sacrifice. The Aztecs, of course, had no monopoly on the practice of human sacrifice. Earlier cultures (the Maya, the Toltecs and others) provided the cultural base for human sacrifice upon which the Aztecs took to new heights. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, excavations in Egypt and elsewhere in the ancient Middle East have revealed that â€Å"numerous servants were at times interred with the rest of the funerary equipment of a member of the royal family in order to provide that person with a retinue in the next life. The burning of children seems to have occurred in Assyrian and Canaanite religions and at various times among the Israelites. Rites among the ancient Greeks and Romans that involved the killing of animals may have originally involved human victims. † The Aztecs, as previously stated, took the practice to new heights. In 1487 (five years before Columbus arrived to the East and two years after Henry VII began the Tudor dynasty in England) the greatest orgy of bloodletting of human sacrifice occurred during the fierce rule of Ahuizotl. I have already quoted Gary Jennings' description of the carnage, and I will quote one more passage to illustrate how the Aztecs in a ceremony lasting four days sacrificed at least 20,000 prisoners to their insatiable god Huitzilopochtli: â€Å"The prisoners endlessly ascended the right side of the pyramid's staircase, while the gashed bodies of their predecessors tumbled and rolled down the left side, kicked along by junior priests stationed at intervals, and while the gutter between the stairs carried a continuous stream of blood which puddled out among the feet of the crowd in the plaza†¦ Although Jennings' Aztec is, admittedly, a work of fiction, I have seen his descriptions corroborated elsewhere; for example, G. C. Vaillant's The Aztecs of Mexico describes the scene: â€Å"†¦ At the start of the dedication, the captives stood in two rows, and (they) began the grisly work of tearing out the victim's hearts†¦ † Returning to my thesis, how could the practice of human sacrifice be looked upon as anything less than barbaric, even to the point where Aztecs could be regarded as uncivilized? The answer, in my opinion, arises from their view of their creation, their position in the world, their relative importance therein, and how they were only holding on by a thread. If the Judeo-Christian God took only six days to create the heavens and earth (and rested on the seventh day), the Meso-American deity took awhile longer to get it right. The Aztecs believed that the sun and earth had been destroyed in a cataclysm and were regenerated four times. They believed that they were living in the fifth, and final, stage of creation, and (according to Meyer and Sherman's The Course of Mexican History) â€Å"that in their age of their fifth sun, final destruction was imminent. † Meyer and Sherman also point out another interesting (and revealing) aspect of how the Aztecs regarded themselves in the cycle of their cosmology. The accepted view of â€Å"a natural cycle† was that humans occupied a rather lowly position in the food chain of the gods. The cycle held that since the sun and rain nourished plant life and sustained man, man should give sustenance to the sun and rain gods. One might infer from the foregoing view that the Aztecs placed a low value on human life. To add to the paradox of sacrifice versus civilization, the evidence is that the Aztecs regarded the individual human as â€Å"a most significant locus of the meditation of the human and divine. † In Aztecs – An Interpretation by Inga Clendenin, the author focuses in on the actual meaning of the word â€Å"sacrifice. In her analysis of the Nahuatl linguistic iterations covering the separate meanings of death and sacrifice, she (gradually) comes to the conclusion that Aztecs regarded sacrifice as a payment of the debt incurred and only fully extinguished by death, â€Å"†¦ when the earth lords would feed upon the bodies of men, as men had perforce fed upon them. † What I liked most about Inga Clenninden's writings on the Aztec was her m ixture of sometimes excruciating detailed scholarship (I had to have a dictionary handy at all times) along with her eventual arrival at the exquisite truth of the matter. Concerning debt of humans to the gods she states the truth of the matter in two exquisitely perspicacious sentences: â€Å".. (T)he Mexica knew that all humans, unequal as they might be in human arrangements, participated in the same desperate plight: an involuntary debt to the earthly deities, contracted through the ingestion of the fruits of the earth†¦ It is that divine hunger which appears to underlay the gross feedings of undifferentiated mass killings. While everyone in Aztec society had the same debt, Aztec religion and its black-robed, blood-caked priests served to pay everyone's daily dues for continuation in humanity's last Tonatiuh yet a while longer. Through obeisance and observance of the needs of the pantheon of gods and with the complicity of the Aztec society at large (and often even with the active cooperation of the victims), the priests performed their killings, according to Clendinnen, openly and everywhere: â€Å"†¦ not only in the main temple precinc t, but in the neighborhood temples and on the streets. The Aztecs believed that without human sacrifice and the offering of the most precious and sacred thing the human possessed (blood), the sun might not rise to make its way across the sky. This rather strange and naive belief was supported by a mythology in which Huitzilopochitli, their fierce bloodthirsty god played a central part. But first, an explanation of the Aztecs' beliefs regarding the creation of their current age does shed some light on the role of sacrifice and Huitzilopochitli's cult, which later ran rampant and reached its zenith in the sacrifice of 20,000 at the dedication of the temple in 1487. A succinct description of Meso-American mythology appears in The Daily Life of the Aztecs by Jacques Soustelle. The ancient Mexicans believed that the two parent gods lived at the summit of the world. Their â€Å"unending fruitfulness† produced all the gods, and from it all mankind was born. The sun was born when â€Å"the gods gathered in the twilight at Teotihuacan and a little leprous god â€Å"covered with boils,† threw himself into a huge brazier as a sacrifice and â€Å"rose from the blazing coals changed into a sun†¦ † This sun was motionless and it needed blood to move. So the gods â€Å"immolated themselves, and the sun, drawing life from their death began its course across the sky. † To keep the sun moving on its course, â€Å"so that the darkness should not overwhelm the world forever, it was necessary to feed it every day with its food, ‘the precious water'†¦ human blood. † Every time a priest fed the gods at the top of a pyramid, or in the local temple, the disaster that always threatened to fall upon the world was postponed once more. About the time of the Crusades in Europe, the Aztecs migrated from the west into the Valley of Mexico. They brought with them their strange hummingbird god Huitzilopochitli, who, according to Victor W. Vonhagen in his The Aztec Man and Tribe gave the Aztecs some rather sound advice: â€Å"†¦ wander, look for lands, avoid any large-scale fighting, send pioneers ahead, have them plant maize, when the harvest is ready, move up to it; keep me,†¦ always with you, carrying me like a banner, feed me on human hearts torn from the recently sacrificed. † †¦ all of which the Aztecs did. The mythology surrounding Huitzilopochitli's origins was also revealing. The Aztecs believed themselves to be the â€Å"people of the sun. † This god's fierce preeminence is surpassed only by the Aztec view of his mother Coatlicue. Victor Von Hagen describes the Aztec sculpture of this powerful and awesome goddess: â€Å"†¦ her head of twin serpents, her necklace of human hands and hearts, her arms claw-handed, and her skirt a mass of writhing serpents†¦ † The Aztecs believed that Huitzilopochitli sprang alive and fierce from his mother to vanquish his brothers, the stars, and his sister, the moon who had conspired to kill his mother. Coatlique, an earth goddess, conceived him after having kept in her bosom a ball of hummingbird feathers (i. e. , the soul of a warrior) that fell from the sky. His brothers, the stars of the southern sky, and his sister, a moon goddess, decided to kill him, but he exterminated them with his weapon, the turquoise snake. The Aztecs followed the hummingbird's twittering and became the dominant culture of a civilization that by the time Cortes and his group of scruffy adventurers landed in 1517 numbered in the millions. It is difficult to imagine an ancient, complex civilization like the Aztecs with a daily life that centered around the grisly practice of human sacrifice. The average Aztec only had to look at the stone idol of household god to be reminded of what nourished that particular deity. Deities other than Huitzilopochitli had their own feast days in the Aztec calendar and, accordingly, demanded their own sustenance. Slave children were drowned as an offering to the rain god Tlaloc. The fire god's victims were given hashish and thrown into the blaze. Those who represented the god Xipe Totec were fastened to a frame, shot with arrows, and then had their corpse flayed (the priests dressed themselves in the skin representing the â€Å"new skin† of spring). Here we have the phenomenon of how the person being sacrificed was symbolically transfigured into the image of the god and his own temple. In most cases the victim was dressed up so as to represent the god who was being worshiped. Just as the gods of old had accepted death, the person reenacted and became that sacrifice. Moreover, according to Jaques Soustelle in The Daily Life of the Aztecs, â€Å"when ritual cannibalism was practiced on certain occasions, it was the god's own flesh that the faithful ate in their bloody communion. † As the Aztec cycle continued and a shortage of â€Å"god food† occurred, the Aztec â€Å"Flowery Wars† replenished that supply. Militarism, elevated to a virtue, became ever intertwined with Aztec society. In fact, a warrior's status was determined by the number of captives he delivered to the sacrificial altar. Whether as a battlefield casualty or ending up as a captive on the altar of an enemy tribe, this â€Å"flowery death† was desirable and noble, and a place in the clouds was reserved for that warrior. Returning one last time to Gary Jennings' graphic description of the prisoner sacrifice on that day in 1487, when long lines of captives shuffled along the avenues toward Tenochitlan up the pyramid staircase towards the twin temples of Tlaloc and Huitzilopochitli: â€Å"†¦ any prisoners, however complacently they came to their fate, involuntarily emptied their bladders or bowels at the moment lying down under the knife. The priests – who†¦ had been clad in their usual vulturine black of robes, lank hair, and unwashed skin – had become moving clots of red and brown, or coagulated blood, dried mucus, and a plaster of excrement†¦ † It is indeed difficult to read of such gore and barbarism without relegating the Aztecs to the level normally reserved for far less developed and organized societies. Although the Aztec period is considered by historians as not having reached the heights of civilizations of the classic period, it is clear that the Aztecs and the cultures of the Central Valley were sophisticated and well organized. There may have been as many as 30 million inhabitants of that area (although some scholars believe that count is somewhat exaggerated), and the breathtaking sight of Tenochtitlan must have impressed Cortes beyond words. The question remains: Does existence and abhorrent (to us) practice of human sacrifice disqualify the Aztecs from full membership in the â€Å"club† of civilizations? Apparently, the Spanish felt that the answer to the question was an unequivocal yes. The horror and disgust that newcomers must have felt may have helped the Spanish convince themselves that the native religion was another form of devil worship and provided subsequent justification for destroying their culture. Jaques Soustelle gets to the heart of the matter in The Daily Life of the Aztecs. He says that the Aztec practice of human sacrifice was a great factor in making the two religions which confronted one another totally irreconcilable. In the early battles, some conquistadores ended up as captives and sacrificial victims of the Aztecs themselves, and this practice lent a particularly remorseless attitude on each side of the struggle between the Aztecs and the Spanish invaders. If we can understand the motives and the religious and cultural perspective of the Spanish, who massacred, burnt, mutilated and tortured their conquered natives, it is likely that the definition of cruelty differs from culture to culture. It follows, therefore, that it is possible to use the same perspective towards human sacrifice on the part of the Aztecs. Works cited: Jennings, Gary, 1980, Aztec Von Hagen, Victor W. , 1958, The Aztec, Man and Tribe Vaillant, G. C. , 1944, The Aztecs of Mexico Clendinnen, Inga, 1991, Aztecs An Interpretation Meyer, Michael C. , and Sherman, William L. , 1995, The Course of Mexican History Pre-Columbian Civilizations: MESO-AMERICAN CIVILIZATION: Postclassic Period (900-1519): AZTEC CULTURE TO THE TIME OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST: Aztec religion. Britannica Online HUMAN SACRIFICE: Britannica Online XIPE TOTEC – Britannica Online â€Å"Tlaloc† Britannica Online.