Trends in Contemporary Trade Union Membership Essay

Trends in Contemporary Trade Union Membership - Essay Example They are major organizations that understand the needs and requirements of the working people and help provide them with safe working environment and help negotiate better pay and compensation. Trade unions play major role in the labor market in UK. The statistics of union membership is clear indication of its success as independent bodies that can negotiate successfully for the rights of the working population. BIS, a leading government department, regularly analyses government policies and publishes range of information and data of various public and private organizations to promote transparency. The major aim is to reveal as to how taxpayers’ money is spent and whether resources are better used to deliver value for money. BIS’ statistics on trade union membership is an important aspect that demonstrates its proactive participation in the welfare of the workers (BIS, 2011). But the recent fall in membership has emerged as major concern (Table 1; BIS, 2011) for TUC and government. The membership to unions has fallen from 2008 till 2011 showing its inability in negotiating welfare policies for workers in economic slowdown. The trend also highlights the fact that women have shown greater trust on the unions but membership has declined for workers for 60 years and above for the above period. The Table 2 (BIS, 2011) is hugely significant and shows that public sector has nearly double the union members (60.9%) as against the private sector employees (39.1%). Nearly 78.6% of members are full time workers, whereas only 21.4% of part time workers are union members. Most distressing is the fact that disabled membership of union is only about 17.5%. Moreover, the table gives credence to the fact that workforce with higher qualifications has more awareness and trust in union whereas non-qualified constitute only 3.7% of union members. The recent trend in union membership is distressing for the working population

Mercantilism & economic school Essay Example for Free

Mercantilism economic school Essay Mercantilism was a dominant economic school on Europe in XVI-XVIII century. The theory suggests that the global turnover of international trade is constant and the prosperity of a nation depends on the government ability to support a positive balance of trade with other nations. Mercantilism considers economic assets as a set of stock including gold, silver and trade value (bullion). The way for the government to increase the capital is to intervene into economy through the system of tariffs and restrictions aimed on increase of export and decrease of import. There are several basic flaws in mercantilism. The first one is that is assumes that the turnover of international trade is stable. Thus, in case one state constantly benefits and another one constantly misses from trade the trade would very soon stop because the missing state would either become bankrupt or stop trading, leaving the advantageous state without income so both nations would loose. The second gap of mercantilism is that it does not consider costs of trade race. In case nations start to compete in increasing their export and reducing import this will cause them produce even the goods which are cheaper to buy in other countries. So, in case one nation would specialize in producing one commodity and other nation would produce another commodity, they would both benefit from exchanging those commodities. The third disadvantage of mercantilism is that it does not take into account the influence of gold on the financial system. Endless accumulation of gold and silver ruined the financial system of Spain in the XVII century, as the nation suffered from enormous inflation. The entire branches of home economy were ruined resulting in dramatic reduce of export and collapse of mercantilist economy. Absolute Advantage Theory Originally proposed by Adam Smith, this theory relies on the ability of one nation to produce commodities with fewer costs and exchange those commodities to the ones other countries produce at lower costs. The need for less resources to produce a particular good results in its lower and attractive price on the international market and allows nations to specialize in production of some exact commodities both for home market and export thusly reviving global economy. The first flaw of the absolute advantage theory is that it reviews isolated commodities. It says â€Å"in case we produce A better than another nation and another nation produces B better than we, so we would exchange†, but it does not consider relative expenses of such production. In his famous example with wine and wool produced by Portugal and Scotland Ricardo proved that although Portugal produced both with fever relative costs, it would be more advantageous for Portugal to produce only wine and let England produce wool to exchange for wine with Portugal as the relative expenses of production of wool in England are lower than of wine. The second gap of the theory is that it excludes countries which have no absolute advantage in any commodity out of global economy thus reducing the global turnover and excluding workers and financial resources of that nation out of global economy. In case this theory is applied, economy would turn into a club of nations which have certain absolute advantage in comparison to all other nations. Comparative Advantages Theory Originally proposed by David Ricardo, this theory suggests that every nation would benefit from production and export of only those goods and commodities which are produced with lower marginal costs than in other countries. Given that all the goods can be produced inside one country with an absolute advantage, this country would still benefit from import of goods which are produced with lower marginal costs in the other countries. The first remarkable disadvantage of the theory is that in case every nation would hypothetically specialize in only one commodity this would result in elimination of competition in production of this commodity and let the producing nation speculate. The lack of both home and international competition would make nation strive to reduce costs in production of this commodity reducing its quality. Other countries which are economically dependent on the import of this commodity would not be able to combat such a development. The second disadvantage which is especially obvious in the modern economy is that the relative advantages theory does considers only the flow of goods, but not capitals, investments and debts. For example, producing debts costs nothing, so it would be absolutely economically advantageous to produce debts. Yet this gives an advantage only for a very short term, while soon the nation would face a huge demand for currency to pay for the assets, and as a result the export would be ruined while the import would boost devastating the economic grounds for prosperity. The third gap is that short-term advantages can turn into long-term disadvantages. Sometimes it can be necessary for a nation to launch new industries which would become effective in a long term, so it has to give up on the comparative advantage theory to make profits in future. The Theory of Factor Endowment This is a mathematical theory of international trade proposed by Heckscher-Ohlin. Further developing Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory Heckscher-Ohlin offered to predict patterns of commerce based on endowments of a trading region. Comparative advantages are determined by the country’s funds like land, labor and natural resources. Assuming that both countries have equal technological development, each of them would benefit from trading goods requiring inputs of endowments that are locally abundant. For example, in case a nation has much land but little labor it would benefit from agricultural production. The flaws of the theory are as follows. First is that the states do not initiate trade as themselves, which is usually done by firms and corporations, and those firms strive to increase their benefit but not to make use of the factor endowment Secondly, the theory would work well in the conditions of a perfect competition that no nation ever has. The trading partners are never fully informed of the endowment factor of their vis-a-vis making it hard for them to determine the benefits of application of their own endowments. Thirdly, as the theory considers only funds, it does not look at the technological development which is never completely equal between various countries, as well as the theory does not consider the influence of organizational and management factors that can make a nation effective in production of a particular commodity even if the nation comparatively lacks endowment. Bibliography 1. Ball, Donald; McCulloh, Wendel, Geringer, Michael; Frantz, Paul; Minor, Michael. (2003). International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 9 edition. 2. Mankiw, Gregory N. (2006). Principles of Economics. South-Western College Pub; 4 edition 3. Buchholz, Todd G. (2007) New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Economic Thought Plume; Rev Upd edition

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

It amazes me that we are finally here! Throughout the years, I have often thought about this moment. How it would feel to be with all of you, in our caps and gowns, finally graduating. I remember as a child, thinking about what I would look like when I was "all grown up," how I would act, who I would love and what kind of person I would become. And now here it all is, we're ready, we're done with high school, and I couldn't be more thrilled or scared! We go through this twelve-year metamorphosis, and then one day, we wake up and its over, our ascent into adulthood has come. We're ready to face all that life has to throw at us, to make a life for ourselves, outside of school and childhood, to go to college, take a year off or get a job. Yet at the same time, it can be terrifying to complete...

Morality and Generally Good Morals Essay

Morals, values and beliefs are all very similar in a way even though they may have different scientific definitions. Everyone in the world has morals, values and beliefs, although they may differ and have different roles in each other’s lives; theses three things all have an impact on how we choose to live our lives in some way. According to the online Merriam Webster dictionary, a moral is defined as something â€Å"concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. † How we act in certain situations is often based on our morals. With morals, the way one was raised plays a big factor on whether or not that person makes morally right or wrong decisions. More often than not, someone who had a stable and well-rounded upbringing will make more morally right choices in their life compared to someone with less family influence or support. Sometimes there are exceptions with this, but generally good morals are usually instilled in people at a young age which can last a lifetime. A moral can also serve as a lesson or theme which is why the phrase â€Å"the moral of the story† exists. With that being said, it is possible for someone to gain moral values through learning lessons through personal or others’ life experiences. By learning lessons through experiences it allows us to have a better understanding on how to act if a similar experience arises again. One moral value that my parents always stressed me to have was to be honest with everyone. They taught me that with honest actions comes more respect and trust from others, which will be very beneficial in my personal and professional life. Value is defined as â€Å"the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something† by the online Oxford Dictionary. Values are the components of peoples’ lives that they find important and meaningful. People’s values often change throughout their lives as their circumstances change. Personally, my values are education, family, friends and money. All of these are important aspects to me which I find necessary to be content with my life. If I didn’t find education valuable to me I would not be enrolled in school right now. Also, without my family and friends, I would not be who I am today since they serve as a great support system and offer value to my life. Money is important because without it I would not be able to support myself while away at school . For example I would not be able to buy necessary items such as books and supplies to give me the best chance at succeeding in college. As time goes on these values may change to my career, my children and more things that would be more meaningful to me as I get older in age.

Employment Story Essay

I first joined the army in 1996 and have been part of what most soldiers probably considers as the most important unit of any command, the Food Supply Unit. My battlefield is the kitchen where I rose from the ranks where my army soldier rank promotions became commensurate to my rise in the kitchen ranks. When I became Private First Class in 98, I also earned the title of First Cook. 2001 saw me become a Staff Sergeant on the field and a Senior First Cook in the Mess Kitchen. Currently, I am now Sergeant First Class and serving as the Dining Facility Manager as well. Being a Dining Facility Manager is not an easy job. I have to know how to manage twenty-five people and multi task between meal planning, cooking, and food distribution at base camp and on the field. Sometimes, it can turn into a real headache, especially when I have to accomplish the job in a war zone situation. I have done everything from planning meal drops to soldiers on the field, preparing the commanding officers meals, and when unavoidable, I can plan wedding receptions for my comrades who get married on base camp as well. I believe that I have served both my country and my fellow soldiers well. Together with my unit, I have done duty on two peace keeping missions as well as served in the war. I know that a soldier cannot fight on an empty stomach that is why my priority on the battle field is to make sure that all the units are well fed regardless of the combat situation. When somebody offers me a new job, I always tell that person the story about how I got to combine my two passions in the world into one very important job. I’ve always been a patriot and a cook at heart. Working in the army has allowed me to live my dream job. That is to serve and protect my country and the free world while cooking up a storm and learning new recipes while serving on the field.

The Religious Origins of Sanskrit Theatre essays

The Religious Origins of Sanskrit Theatre essays Acc to modern critics, Sanskrit drama, has a religious origin, as the Vedas are considered as the eternal source of all sublime and fine arts. Some critics also give credit to a semi-religious, secular or popular origin. All the same, there is no conclusive evidence to prove the same. There have been critics who have tried to prove that India borrowed its drama from Greece. But again, there is no conclusive evidence to prove this. India has certainly borrowed several features from different civilizations, including that of Greece, and had successfully assimilated them in her pattern of life. But Indian dramatic literature has several points of basic difference which preclude the possibility of any Greek influence on Sanskrit drama: 1. Sanskrit drama with its romantic appeal is closer to Shakespearean drama than to Greek plays of the classical type 2. Sanskrit drama does not conform to the unity of time and space, the scenes shift easily from heaven to earth, and gaps of years are created without hesitation. 3. The character and function of the prologue in Sanskrit plays differently from that of Greek plays. 4. Sanskrit drama favors poetic achievement over dramatic justification. 5. Thus, Sanskrit drama is seldom composed for the masses, unlike Greek drama. Therefore, the plays were perhaps staged for the classes rather than the masses. 6. The author of a Sanskrit play is free to introduce any number of characters, supernatural or even superhuman. 7. Sanskrit drama imitates the state or condition, whereas, Greek drama imitates the action. 8. Sanskrit drama has poetic recitals and lyrical verses, unlike its Greek counterpart, which has collective singing-music in choir/chorus. Also, the Greeks didn't attach much importance to dancing, unlike the Indian spectator. 9. And last but not the least, the object of all art in India is the attainment of nirvana or eternal bliss through the triple agencies of Dharma, Artha, a...

The solubility of Potassium Nitrate lab report. Essays

The solubility of Potassium Nitrate lab report. Essays The solubility of Potassium Nitrate lab report. Paper The solubility of Potassium Nitrate lab report. Paper The relationship is nonlinear, which means it isnt form a straight line when plotted on a graph. Now, there are three main factors, which affect solubility (besides pressure). Temperature will affect solubility. If the solution process absorbs energy then the solubility will be increased as the temperature is increased. If the solution process releases energy then the solubility will decreased with increasing temperature. Molecular size will affect the solubility. The larger the molecule or the higher its molecular weight the less soluble the substance will be. Larger molecules are ore difficult to surround with solvent molecules in order to solvate the substance. In the case of organic compounds the amount of carbon branching will increase the solubility since more branching will reduce the size (or volume) of the molecule and make it easier to solvate the molecules with solvent. The polarity of the solute and solvent molecules will affect the solubility. Generally polar solute molecules will dissolve in polar solvents and non-polar solute molecules will dissolve in non-polar solvents. The polar solute molecules eave a positive and a negative end to the molecule. If the solvent molecule is also polar, then positive ends of solvent molecules will attract negative ends of solute molecules. This is a type of intermolecular force known as dipole-dipole interaction. All molecules also have a type of intermolecular force much weaker than the other forces called London Dispersion forces where the positive nuclei of the atoms of the solute molecule will attract the negative electrons of the atoms of a solvent molecule. This gives the non-polar solvent a chance to solvate he solute molecules. I know all of this information is irrelevant, except for the bit about temperature, but I decided to include it anyway to give you (the reader) a wider perspective on the processes. In the case of potassium nitrate heat is absorbed to make the solution process more effective, thus making the solvate more soluble. This means that the higher the temperature, the more potassium nitrate can dissolve in distilled water. This proves my hypothesis to be correct. Errors: There are quite a few possible margins for error. The biggest one has to be human error. It is up to the observers own judgment to decide when the crystals are forming, and the human eye can easily be deceived. For example, a person very eager to see crystals will probably see them before they actually appear, and take the temperature then. Human error can be reduced by having the same person take all the readings and observations. Another problem could be any water evaporating from the boiling tube, which could result in inaccurate readings. Unfortunately there is no way of eliminating this error that I can think of. One should simply state that the results are approximate.

Learn About the Associative Property in Math

Learn About the Associative Property in Math According to the associative property, the addition or multiplication of a set of numbers is the same regardless of how the numbers are grouped. The associative property will involve 3 or more numbers. The parenthesis indicates the terms that are considered one unit. The groupings (Associative Property) are within the parenthesis. Hence, the numbers are associated together. In multiplication, the product is always the same regardless of their grouping. The Associative Property is pretty basic to computational strategies. Remember, the groupings in the brackets are always done first, this is part of the order of operations. Addition Example of the Associative Property When we change the groupings of addends, the sum does not change:(2 5) 4 11 or 2 (5 4) 11(9 3) 4 16 or 9 (3 4) 16Just remember that when the grouping of addends changes, the sum remains the same. Multiplication Example of the Associative Property When we change the groupings of factors, the product does not change:(3 x 2) x 4 24 or 3 x (2 x 4) 24.Just remember that when the grouping of factors changes, the product remains the same. Think Grouping! Changing the grouping of addends does not change the sum, changing the groupings of factors, does not change the product. Simply put, regardless of whether you show 3 x 4 or 4 x 3, the final result is the same. In addition, 4 3 or 3 4, you know that the outcome is the same, the answer remains the same. However, this is NOT the case in subtraction or division so when you think of the associative property, remember that the final result or answer remains the same or its not the associative property. The understanding of the concept of associative property is much more important that the actual term associative property. Titles often confuse students and youll discover that youll ask what the associative property is, only to be returned with a blank look. However, if you say to a child something like If I change the numbers in my addition sentence, does it matter? In other words, can I say 5 3 and 3 5, will the child that understands say yes because its the same? When you ask if you can do this with subtraction, theyll laugh or tell you that you cant do that. So in essence, a child knows about the associative property which is really all that matters even though you may stump them when you ask for a definition of the associative property. Do I care that the definition escapes them? Not at all, if they indeed know the concept. Lets not trip our students up with labels and definitions when concept understanding is the key ingredient in math.

Women In the US Army Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Women In the US Army - Research Paper Example Opposing the traditional socio-religious barriers to and prejudices that women are best suited for indoor activities due to their psychophysical fragility, women’s position in outdoor activities was reinforced by their participation in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp. Indeed the root of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp lies in the women’s unarmed services â€Å"with the Army under contract and as volunteers during World War I as communications specialists and dietitians† (Bellafiare 4). Subsequently, a bill regarding women’s inclusion into the US Army as regular personnel with equal pay, equal legal protection, disability benefits, pensions and medical care was proposed by Edith Nourse Rogers, the Congresswoman of Massachusetts. But Rogers’ propositions did not go unchallenged since â€Å"both the Army and the American public initially had difficulty accepting the concept of women in uniform† (Moore 34). Finally, Rogers’ c ommittee and the US Military authority came to a compromise regarding the women’s legal rights in the army and the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) became existent in 1942 by Public Law 554 () as a branch "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill, and special training of the women of the nation." (Bellafaire 7). Later, the WAAC gained the full status of an army branch, being converted to Women’s Army Corp (WAC) in 1943. About 150,000 American women â€Å"served in the Womens Army Corps (WAC) during World War 11. Members of the WAC were the first women other than nurses to serve within the ranks of the United States Army† (Bellafiare 5). Though Rogers’s idea was to provide the women with full status of army personnel in the US Army, due to the novelty of the idea and social barriers and prejudice towards women’s participation in armed activities, the WAAC members did not have the full rights that their male counterpart had

Holywood Studio System Between 1940s and 1960s Essay

Holywood Studio System Between 1940s and 1960s - Essay Example This was because there was discovery of the telescope, a cure for arthritis and even new advancements in astronomy. 2 With all these factors going so well for America; Hollywood home, one would presume that there would be greater opportunities for the studio system. However, this did not happen. 3 The main reasons were that there was a shift from cinema to television4, there was also politics involved and also other managerial and technological reasons came into play. 5 Details of these factors shall be examined below. In the wake of the country's economic boom, many people could now afford to purchase their own television sets. 6This meant that there was no need for any of them to go to the movies. By the year 1946, cinema attendance had diminished by a whooping 20 million consumers. 7 The studio that felt the highest pinch was the leader at that time; MGM. Before the decline in the Hollywood studio system, most studios were producing about eighteen billion dollars in revenue. However, after the popularisation of television, most studios were now making a mere four billion dollars. 8 There were also other political reasons that affected the Hollywood Studio system in the late forties. Prior to the decline, most studio owners or movie producers had exclusive rights to movie theatres. The five major studios in Hollywood (Fox, Warner's, Paramount, RKO and Lowe's) 9 had the ability to control distribution of their movies through these vested interests in movie theatres. However, The US Justice Department felt that that monopoly was going against the rules of free market and fair competition. 10Therefore, the Attorney General serving at that time gave a notice to the five major studios to appear in court. They were charged with conspiracy in the theatre industry. They were not supposed to control distribution as stated by the government and they were expected to let go of their vested interests in theatres During their appearances in court, top studio executives agreed to surrender their vested interests in the distribution sector and just after a short while all the big five studios gave up their rights to the movie theatres. 11Most of theses theatres were then sold to other vested interests. Consequently, studio producers had very little revenue to give their actors. Before selling away their theatres, most studios would contract actors for a period of seven years. But after the decline of theatres and studios, it was difficult to make such contracts anymore. Most studios started getting into deficits and they started closing down. 12These results came into play during the sixties. Eventually, the legacy of the Hollywood Studio system came to an end during those fateful years. Rise of independent movie producers During the 1960s more and more movie producers would choose locations that were outside Hollywood. They would prefer other countries such as England, Rome and Pinewood. Consequently, most of the equipments needed in studios were exported to the outdoors. This seriously affected the studio system as movie producers no longer considered the studio system as the norm. 13 The situation was made worse by increased competition from some independent movie producers. These movie producers were affiliated to their own movie producing companies and made the Hollywood studio system seem traditional. The

Project Management Mock Exam Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Management Mock Exam Paper - Essay Example â€Å"The benefit of utilising and understanding Belbin Team Roles is that not only do we learn more about ourselves, but also a lot about our work colleagues and how to get the best out of them† (â€Å"Belbin Team-Role Theory,† 2011, pgh. 3). In Belbin’s theory, his specified team roles help delineate what kind of worker each person is within a group setting at work. It is obvious from the â€Å"Belbin Team-Role Summary Sheet† that every individual contributing in a group—either as a plant, a resource investigator, a coordinator, a shaper, a monitor evaluator, a teamworker, an implementer, a completer finisher, or a specialist—has particular strengths and weaknesses (2011, pp. 1). ... Teamworkers are People-Oriented Roles. Teamworkers want to make the flow of the group smooth, and will do anything to be cooperative. In fact, they will go out of their way to make any project operate like a well-oiled machine. Teamworkers are diplomatic. Not only do they avoid friction and drama, but they try to build a team instead of break it down. Typical teamworkers will always try to repair any fractures within the infrastructure of the team. Teamworkers are good to have around because they are beneficial alliances in the event that other workers are upset with the manager. Specialists are Thought-Oriented Roles. Specialists are self-starting, dedicated types who evaluates research. Additionally, this person finds specialized information that is difficult to find. The weakness of a specialist is that he or she tends to get weighed down in technicalities. These prevent him or her from becoming an integral part of any team. Although the specialist’s skills are invaluable, he or she might have to be dropped from the team if he or she cannot get past the fact that it is important to coordinate with the other team members. Without doing this, the team will not be supported and could have other additional problems—thus ruining the teamwork. iii) Imagine an unbalanced team was formed in the group project, e.g. lack of one group type in the project team. What happens then? (329 words) Basically, Belbin’s theory of team-roles definitely seemed to make sense. Even in the face of an unbalanced team, various people can step up into place in order to take leadership in the team. One of the group members on the team who would be a specialist—having specific knowledge about the activity trying to be

Voting & Election Methods Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting & Election Methods Question - Essay Example However, an alternative within the plurality procedures is called a runoff election where the top two candidates would have a separate election after the initial plurality vote. In this case, it is likely that the top two candidates would be the liberal and conservative candidates winning 41% and 39%, respectively. These candidates would face off in a runoff election. If the results are at all similar to the support numbers in the polls for the 1992 election with Clinton, Bush, and Perot, it may be likely that the 20% of the voters who chose our moderate candidate in this example would favor the conservative candidate at 39% and this candidate would become the winner. If the majority of the 20% would go in favor of the liberal at 41% then the candidate would likely win the majority vote and win in a landslide. The remaining two types of voting processes are called a preference ballot and a Borda count. These two processes require the voter to rank each candidate in the election in the order they like the candidates the best. The votes are counted and each candidate receives the number of votes they won, 3 would stand for the top choice, 2 for the middle choice, and 1 for the least choice in our three person example. The goal of the preference ballot or Borda count is to find the majority winner or the person with more than 50% of the total votes. If this does not occur, then in places such as Australia, a sequential runoff is performed where the weakest candidate’s votes are given to the #2 choice on each voter’s ballot. This process is more difficult to predict. If more people vote that our moderate candidate at 20% is their second choice, it will cause more total votes to be given to that candidate and result in he or she being the winner. This process is problematic becau se at the very end, should this example

Don Giovanni and Enlightenment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don Giovanni and Enlightenment - Term Paper Example The character of Don Giovanni gives voice to two contrasting attributes of enlightenment. On is the enlightenment notion of liberty. Don Giovanni in his acts shockingly refutes all the norms and values of society, state, decency and religion (Clive 30). In that sense, Don Giovanni stands to be an Enlightenment anti-hero who mocks at the norms set by the society and the church, to live a life of true liberty. Thus, no doubt, Don Giovanni may be said to be devilish in the sense that he brings the humanity to face the truths that hide deep down in the recesses of the dark side of human personality, and are ordinarily too difficult to be faced owing to the pressures and constraints put in place by the state, society and religion (Clive 30). Yet, at the same time while tending to be the true proponent of the idea of liberty that constituted the bedrock of Enlightenment, Don Giovanni is also a harbinger of disruption in all the spheres of life existing around him, be it moral, political or legal (Clive 44). While he aspires to live a liberated life, he puts to risk the liberty of others around him, which happened to be a side effect of Enlightenment. The sexual hunger of Don Giovanni makes him blatantly mock the vows of love and marriage, put at risk time honored bonds and relationships, and disturb the social distinctions that to some extent held the society together. No doubt, Don Giovanni qualifies to be a true Enlightenment hero who is committed to live a liberated life, thereby giving way to a creative disturbance that shakes the foundations of old norms, values and ethics on the altar of reason (Clive 45). One essential aspect of Don Giovanni’s personality that attracts the attention of audience is his commitment to live a socially and ethically liberated life while setting aside all fear, either human or heavenly (Steptoe 243). In the final part of Act 1, when the five characters those are Masetto, Zerlina, Elvira, Anna and Ottavio try to scare him to r epentance by hinting at the heavenly vengeance, his carefree reply is â€Å"My courage shall not fail me, though the powers of hell assail me (Mozart: CD)†. Not to mention the end of Act II, when Don Giovanni vows to never to be scared to repentance, even if it amounted to burning in the everlasting fires of hell. The thing to be noted is that in the plot of this opera, Don Giovanni is not left at a dead end, but the destiny allows him a chance to repent and go to heaven instead of hell. Yet, in the true spirit of Enlightenment, Don Giovanni chooses to live a life on his own terms, rather than bowing before the constraints of the society. Hence, Don Giovanni turns out to be a true Enlightenment rebel hero. In this opera, the music by Mozart also highlights Don Giovanni as a happy and confident person who is free of all superficial constraints and superstitions. The music depicts Giovanni as a person who is totally unapologetic about his love for women and bodily exploits (Moz art: CD). The music attributed by Mozart to Don Giovanni is fast paced, celebratory and energetic (Mozart: CD). It goes without saying that the music also has a tinge of sadness, perhaps because it tends to convey to the audience the distance between Don Giovanni and society and its traditions and the inevitable fate of those who decide to live life on their own terms (Mozart: CD). There is no denying the fact that it is the opening bars of the finale that most suits the

Voting & Election Methods Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting & Election Methods Question - Essay Example However, an alternative within the plurality procedures is called a runoff election where the top two candidates would have a separate election after the initial plurality vote. In this case, it is likely that the top two candidates would be the liberal and conservative candidates winning 41% and 39%, respectively. These candidates would face off in a runoff election. If the results are at all similar to the support numbers in the polls for the 1992 election with Clinton, Bush, and Perot, it may be likely that the 20% of the voters who chose our moderate candidate in this example would favor the conservative candidate at 39% and this candidate would become the winner. If the majority of the 20% would go in favor of the liberal at 41% then the candidate would likely win the majority vote and win in a landslide. The remaining two types of voting processes are called a preference ballot and a Borda count. These two processes require the voter to rank each candidate in the election in the order they like the candidates the best. The votes are counted and each candidate receives the number of votes they won, 3 would stand for the top choice, 2 for the middle choice, and 1 for the least choice in our three person example. The goal of the preference ballot or Borda count is to find the majority winner or the person with more than 50% of the total votes. If this does not occur, then in places such as Australia, a sequential runoff is performed where the weakest candidate’s votes are given to the #2 choice on each voter’s ballot. This process is more difficult to predict. If more people vote that our moderate candidate at 20% is their second choice, it will cause more total votes to be given to that candidate and result in he or she being the winner. This process is problematic becau se at the very end, should this example

Ruminating on Ramadan Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ruminating on Ramadan - Article Example Fasting does not only mean abstaining from food – but more so on smoking and sexual relations. It is an opportunity to make amends and be sorry for one’s mistakes – to make peace and to indulge in catharsis or purging and cleansing of one’s mind, body and spirit. Prayers are magnified in intensity and utmost devotion. During the Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to go to the Masjid (Mosque) to offer prayers and sacrifice. According to Jabbar, a devote Muslim who now works in a private office in Jakarta, â€Å"during Ramadan, we focus more on prayers and fasting more than our daily activities. It is a month of meditation for what we have said and done to our neighbors and to ask forgiveness for our wrongdoing.† Shabir, a student at a university in Jakarta, expectantly rejoice in anticipating the end of Ramadan, the Eid al Fitr. She said that â€Å"after a month of daily fasting, sacrifice and prayers, families prepare for the end of Ramadan by giving gifts, eating specially prepared foods, and reuniting with families and friends. It is much like Christmas being celebrated by Catholics, I suppose. I couldn’t wait to open my gifts and to share the blessing with others.† Eid al Fitr, a three-day celebration means ‘festival of the fast-breaking’. It marks the beginning of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan. Muslims take the opportunity to thank Allah for the blessings and strength accorded them to surpass the sacrifices during Ramadan. Imad Rahim wrote an article on the Ramadan - Eid Ul Fitr Celebrations Across the World which could be accessed online through Suite 101 as he averred that â€Å"it is the biggest holiday in Indonesia and Malaysia. Shopping malls and bazaars are filled with people days ahead of Idul Fitri, causing a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country and traffic mayhem. The night before Idul Fitri is filled with the sounds of many muezzins singing the takbir held in the mosques or  or mushollahs.  

Industrial Relations Case Essay Example for Free

Industrial Relations Case Essay Of all the case studies and ethical dilemmas that students are asked to consider, this weeks is the most relevant to current challenges facing the manufacturing sector. The Oz Clothing case relates to clothing and textile but is could equally relate to automotive, white goods and even construction sectors. This weeks case asks that you consider the role of a number of key stakeholders in Industrial Relations and importantly the role of Fair Work Australia (FWA) does or could play in industrial relationships and strategic directions for companies OC to Oz clothing Question 5 To discuss the effect of FWA on industrial relations at Oz Clothing can entry with the element of IR. Firstly industrial relations have covered several aspects of industrial life as trade unionism, collective bargaining, workers’ participation in management, discipline and interpretation of labor rules and code of conduct (Christopher 2012). As the globalization, economic downturn and legislative change raised all these contributors have shaped the IR outlook with a re-examination of way it placed. Fair Work Australia is the national workplace relations tribunal that was established under the Fair Work Act 2009 which carries out a range of functions relating to norm of wage and employment conditions, enterprise bargaining, industrial action, termination of employment and other workplace matters. From one side it set out series of legislation and regulations transition about dismissal applications. Once the employee was dismissed for the reason of draining payroll accounting which was harsh and unjust, if there was no case of genuine redundancy the FWA may get involved to deal with that for general protection (Scott 2009). This mean the strategic direction for Oz is tough to make over its manufacturing sectors and dismiss the rest of workers. Also in the case study Oz Clothing intend to shut down the low-skilled, labor-intensive manufacturing industry. This would hard to implement as forced by FWA function of facilitating collective bargaining and enforcing good faith bargaining (Stone 2010). Federal government agreement as prescribed by international trade treaties and free trade protection is going to slash the advantage of local textile industry that there is no rely  on any assistance such as tariff protection (Nelson 1997). So the manager had to handle the higher company tax and maintain operation of manufacture by their own force. On the other hand according to Roberts (2005) stated the Rudd labor government arrangements with a greater priority provided for trade union interests. For the Clothing Worker Union against the risk of employment turn-off that will prevent agreements ending and Transport Workers Union can stop Oz form business sell off to the other trading nation. The remuneration politics is difficult to handle and would influence organizational strategy Meanwhile in terms of awards and award modernization program, the FAW has the authority to adjust minimum wages and award condition with Fair Work Ombudsman. By making and varying awards in workplace relations system, this function would impact Oz Clothing on their cutting operation of Australian manufacturing because the massive remuneration package cannot been covered by executive decision. Reference Christopher C, Steven R 2012 ‘Industrial Relations a Journal of Economy and Society’, Regent of the University of California, vol 51. Issue 4 Nelson, L.G 1997 ‘Managers and enterprise bargaining’ Asia pacific journal of Human Resources, 35 p.54 Roberts, C. 2005 ‘Me Inc’s challenge’, BRW, 20-25 oct, pp.16 Scott, S 2009 ‘Gillard gets tough with states on IR’, Australian Financial Review, 29 January, p.7 Stone, R J 2010, Managing Human Resources, 3rd edn, John Wiley Sons Australia Ltd, Milton QLD

The extent to which research influences policy

The extent to which research influences policy Discuss the extent to which effective development policy depends on good research Introduction In development, for one to know what aids development, why a particular system works and how effective an approach taken towards improving development is, a proper research has to have been done. Development policy is a decision made or designed to improve a condition from a problematic state to a better or an improved form. Research is said to be ‘a careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something’ (Merriam-Webster). Some types of research done are reviewing existing research, field experiments, secondary analysis (reviewing information from existing archives), qualitative methods, survey, case studies, and cost-benefit analysis (research done to determine the cost and benefit from an action), amongst others (Dukeshire and Thurlow 2002). Research is an important part of policy making because without research, pressing policy questions will not be answered as it’s hard to make a policy without identifying a problem, the context in which the problem is based and possible solutions that a policy could enforce. In a research at the IMF in 2011, Moises Schwartz, the director of IEO states that â€Å"Research is at the heart of innovation and improving policymaking†. He goes on to say that research, at the IMF, helps develop and improve conceptual models that serve as the foundation for policy recommendations. In this paper research will be used in relation to evidence-based This paper discusses how research influences policy, the gap between researchers and policy makers and how good research is needed for effective development policy making. Research and Development policy One cannot make a policy if one doesn’t know what that policy is to address. Without research, policy makers will not be informed about the problem that requires a solution through careful planning and decision making. The way research is done and presented could influence deeply the policy making process (Dukeshire and Thurlow 2002). For the creation of effective development policy, not just a policy under huge probability that it might work, proper research has to be done. Furthermore, for the improvement of quality of life and reduction in poverty, a proper use of research and evidence in the making and practice of development policy, is required (Court et al 2004). Research promotes credibility and also plays an important role on how policymaking is thought of by country authorities and also, research improves the gathering and spread of global knowledge (IMF 2011). Effective development policy requires researches that are relevant to the particular policy question. Researches done for a specific development policy question will look at the problem from all spheres, gather knowledge about the problem from the place the problem is situated and the people it affects, carry out a thorough case study and could also ask indigenous people to suggest solutions as they know better what will work for them and then make recommendations which will influence the development policy making. This entire process will ensure that the policy is effective as the decision will be based on research that addressed the problem directly and evidence produced. People in a community, through participatory approach, a research technique, could identify problems in their society and proffer solutions to these problems (green et al 1995; Frankish et al 1997). The 1999 white paper on modernizing government adopted evidence based policy as part of its philosophy as it expressed its expectations of policy makers to bring up new ideas, take a different approach to the way things have been done in the past he use of research in the policy making process and also to create policies that will proffer effective long term solutions. Research helps policy makers be well informed about a situation a policy is to address however â€Å"†¦there is nothing a government hates more than to be well-informed for it makes the process of arriving at decisions much more complicated and difficult† ( Skidelsky 1992). In my own opinion, research restrains the government from making a â€Å"one fit all† policy. It is easier for a government or donor institutions to make a ‘one fit all’ policy than going through the process of research, gaining adequate knowledge about a particular problem and having to make policies that fit specifi c contexts or societies and not been able to make a general policy that is not based on specific contexts or a countries specificity. In basil jones paper on linking research to policy, he says to achieve effectiveness and efficiency better sector work has to be done alongside research and analysis in development process which will in turn influence policy making. Without research or proper knowledge of a development problem, it is hard to make right decisions that will enable effective solutions. There is a great link between research and policy making although, it has been said that there is a gap between policy makers and researchers. It said that researchers make their findings inaccessible, sometimes lengthy, in a different language and uneasy to decipher just in time for policy decisions (Jones, 2011). Also, researchers do not research on problems facing policy makers but answer questions based on the tools and resources they have (World Bank 2010). Development policies are made based on finding solutions to development problems and research seeks to study and find possible and optimum solutions to those problems. Thus, without proper communication between the researchers and policy makers, it will be impossible to make an effective development policy as it is impossible to make a developmental progress if these two actors are working individually or separately. Conclusion it has been noted that governments and donor institutions tend to make ‘one fit all’ policies that will cut across different countries without taking into consideration the different countries peculiarity or its institutional context and sometimes are accused of making policies based on existing data from doctored research plans and conclusions that fit an existing policy or research done before without making room for new researches (Brettenwoods project, 2011). For example, the prevalent view amongst staffs of the IMF is that research findings need to be in relation with current IMF policies and evaluations done at the IMF showed that some researches were done with the conclusion and an already present policy in mind and some researches had different conclusions and recommendations separate from the analysis done in the research (IMF 2011). Furthermore, some NGOs have distorted the policy making process which renders the policy incapable and in turn creating negative e ffect on the poor by not engaging in research based evidence (Harper 2001). Above, it was noted that there was a significant gap between policy makers and researchers which needed to be bridged. Bridging the gap between these two actors In the development process could be done by making good use of researches that have been done and researchers communicating their findings to policy makers(court and young 2006). Also these donors should not make it all about the funding but also gaining or gathering and sharing new knowledge which can only be gotten from good research (Jones 2011). Policy questions should be the basis for a research and not just research based on the resources available to the researcher or what attracts the interest of the researcher at that time. Furthermore, in considering the future of development, results that influence policy and practice and relevant to poor people’s needs could be gotten by the improving the researchers effectiveness to produce such results. This was stated in a 2008 research strategy of DFID. Finally in answering the question to which extent effective development policy depends on good research, before a policy is made, there has to be an evidence of a problem and the evidence of the problem and knowledge gathered about the problem is held in mind before a decision is made to improve the condition of a problem, so basically there cannot be a policy without a research of some kind. Therefore, a development policy depends on research but an effective development policy that will properly address a problem that is being faced will depend on a good and thorough research. This paper has discussed the link and gap between research and policy, the dependency of policy on research and also the benefits of an evidence based policy. References â€Å"Research† Merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. web 26 February 2014 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research Brettenwoods (2011). Evaluations suggest IMF, World Bank research ideologically driven [online] Available: http:// http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/2011/09/art-568905/ [Accessed: 24 February 2014] Cabinet office (1999) modernizing government stationary office: London, Ch. 2, Para. 6. Cm 4320. Available at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/mordengov/whtpaper/index.htm> Court, J. and Young, J. (2006) Bridging research and policy in international development: an analytical and practical framework. Development in Practice, Volume 16, Number 1, February 2006. Court, J., Hovland, I. and Young, J. (2004) Bridging Research and Policy in International Development: Evidence and the Change Process, ITDG. Dukeshire, S. Thurlow, J. (2002). Understanding the Link Between Research and Policy. Rural Communities Impacting Policy Project Frankish, C.J., George, A., Daniel, M., Doyle-Waters, M. Walker, M. (1997). Participatory health promotion research in Canada: A community guidebook. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada, Health Promotion Development Division. Green, L., George, M., Daniel, M., Frankish, J., Herbert, C., Bowie, W. O’Neill, M. (1995). The study of participatory research in health promotion: Review and recommendations for the development of participatory research in health promotion in Canada. Ottawa: The Royal Society of Canada. Harper, C. (2001). Do the Facts Matter? NGOs, Research and Policy Advocacy, in Edwards, M. Gaventa, J., Global Citizen Action. Lynne Reinner Publishers Jones, B. (2011), Linking Research to Policy: The African Development Bank as Knowledge Broker, Series N ° 131, African Development Bank, Tunis, Tunisia. Research at the IMF: relevance and utilization / [prepared by an IEO team led by Ruben Lamdany and Hali Edison]. – Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund, 2011. Skidelsky, R. (1992) John Maynard Keynes; a biography. Vol 2: the economist as saviour, 1920-1937 macilian: London p 630. World Bank (September 2010) â€Å"Research for Development – A World Bank Perspective on Future Direction for Research† Policy Research Working Paper 5437 Yaron, G. And Louise, S. (2008) Good practice in evidence informed policy: An initial review for DFID. 1

Nanotechnology: The Future Here Now Essay -- Science Technology Essay

Nanotechnology: The Future Here Now Webopedia defines nanotechnology as the â€Å"field of science whose goal is to control individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit†. Current manufacturing processes use lithography to imprint circuits on semiconductor materials, at a size of less than one micron (1,000 nanometers), dealing with aggregates of millions of atoms. It is believed that this method is quickly approaching its physical limits. In order to continue reducing the size of semiconductors, new technologies that juggle individual atoms will be necessary. Popularly, the term nanotechnology refers to the science whose goal is to control individual atoms and molecules to create various things that are thousands of times smaller than the current technology allows. These processes will touch on all areas of our lives, several of great importance to our health and well being. New terms are startin g to surface, such as molecular nanotechnology, nanocoating, nanoceramics, nanoparticles and targeted nano therapies. While many definitions of nanotechnology exist, the National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology only if the process involves all of the following: 1. Research and technology development at the atomic, molecular or macromolecular level, on the length scale of 1 – 100 nanometers. 2. Creating and using structures, devices and systems that have novel properties and functions because they are very small. 3. The ability to control and manipulate on the molecular level. Some of the societal benefits that will be important to ... ...tronics Planet.com. 07 Mar. 2005 . Nano Investor News. 07 Mar. 2005 . National Nanotechnology Initiative. 07 Mar. 2005 . Neagley, Clinton H. UCDavis Technology Transfer Center. U C Davis. 07 Mar. 2005 . Phoenix, Chris, and Mike Treder. Center for Responsible Nanotechnology. Mar. 2004. 13 Mar. 2005 . Rashid, Nancy E. UCDavis Technology Transfer Center. U C Davis. 07 Mar. 2005 . The World Health Network. 07 Mar. 2005 . United States of America. Office of Science and Technology Policy/ Executive Office of the President. National Nanotechnology Initiative. 07 Mar. 2005 WorldHealth.net. 07 Mar. 2005 .

How Far Is Odysseus Motivated by Nostos?

â€Å"Odysseus is motivated only by his desire to return home (nostos). † How far do you agree with this view? In your answer you should: * Consider how Odysseus behaves on his journey home; * Include an analysis of his motives; * Support your answer with evidence from The Odyssey. On his journey home, Odysseus encounters many obstacles which he attempts to overcome swiftly so that he may arrive home as soon as possible; however, it can be argued that nostos is not his only motive throughout his journey, though it may be the most significant.In Book 5, Homer presents Odysseus for the first time, and we find him weeping for his â€Å"lost home† and discover that he has been doing so for the past seven years every day. This shows how much he longs for his nostos and that this is his main aim in life. However, despite his apparent pain and homesickness, he has not yet attempted to leave the island, nor does he hate Calypso for keeping him here, as he sleeps with her every night and shows no aversion to eating and talking with her.Of course, if he did try to escape he would die immediately, so his motive for not doing so is self-preservation rather than nostos; on the other hand, if he died he would never achieve his nostos, so perhaps his sole motive is nostos. Furthermore, he declines Calypso’s offer of immortality as he claims his â€Å"never-failing wish† is to achieve his nostos. In Book 9, Odysseus tells the Phaeacians that he and his men raided Ismarus when they left Troy.Odysseus’ motive for this could either be a desire for booty (in which case he wants kleos rather than nostos) or a desire for supplies (in which case he does want to achieve nostos, and so is preparing himself for the journey). Also, he is anxious to leave Ismarus as soon as possible which shows a desire for nostos; however, he allows his men to overrule this decision, which either shows that his motive is to please his men, or that his desire for nostos is not very strong at this point.If it is the former, his sole motive his not nostos. (Incidentally, when he drags two of his men away from the Lotus-eaters, his motive is to please his men as well as to be a good leader, not nostos, which shows that his sole motive is not nostos at this point). In Book 9, Odysseus explains how he tried to escape the Cyclops’ cave as he and his men were in â€Å"mortal peril†; thus, his motive was self-preservation and good leadership (as he wanted to save his men as well).Furthermore, the reason they were trapped in the cave in the first place was because Odysseus desired booty; though his men tried to urge him away, he wanted â€Å"gifts† and would not leave without them. In addition to this, he called out his true name to the Cyclops as he wanted kleos and thus provoked the Cyclops to curse him (which hindered his nostos). At this point in his journey, he was motivated more by kleos than by nostos. In Book 10, we find out tha t Odysseus stays with Aeolus for an entire month, thus fulfilling the laws of xenia by not rushing away, so piety seems to take precedence over nostos here.When he has left Aeolia, however, he is certainly anxious to reach Ithaca swiftly and even takes complete control of the â€Å"sheet of the ship† in his â€Å"anxiety†. He does not relax until they are finally in sight of Ithaca. Furthermore, when the winds blow him back to Aeolia, he does not attempt to linger once more but immediately requests Aeolus to assist him in reaching Ithaca as soon as possible and feels â€Å"deep distress† when the request his denied, showing how important nostos is to him.In Book 10, Odysseus also relates how he stayed with Circe for a year simply finding â€Å"pleasure in living† and enjoying himself. He does not feel any pressing need to return to Ithaca, and it is his men who finally remind him that they need to go home. This shows that he is not motivated solely by nos tos on his journey. On the other hand, when his men urge him to leave Circe’s island, he is quick to agree and they leave the next day, showing his eagerness to return home – however, despite nostos being the significant motive it is clear that it is not the sole motive at this point.In Book 12, Odysseus encounters the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and the island of Thrinacie. Here it is very clear that his motive is not nostos; he listens to the Sirens rather than putting wax in his ears, motivated by kleos and curiosity; he attempts to kill Scylla rather than sailing swiftly past, again motivated by kleos; he easily gives in to his men and lands on Thrinacie despite knowing that their â€Å"deadliest peril† (and greatest obstacle to nostos) lies there, claiming his motive is that he cannot go against the majority vote.Although he does pray to the gods for a â€Å"way of escape† from Thrinacie, he can also be motivated by wanting supplies and self-preserv ation, so his sole motive is not nostos. On Scherie, Odysseus states that â€Å"All I seek now is my passage home†. The use of â€Å"all† shows that it is the only thing he wishes for and therefore his sole motive since he has left Calypso’s island. It can be argued, however, that it is only because Odysseus has achieved kleos (his name is known even in the heavens) and no longer has the responsibility of his men that his sole motive is now nostos.Also, he has now been away from home for twenty years, and is now truly homesick. Odysseus’ arrival in Ithaca is quite anti-climatic: although he is â€Å"overjoyed† and kisses the earth, Homer does not linger on the moment but relates how Athene and Odysseus proceed to make a plan. The killing of the Suitors is much more significant, as it is described in great detail and Books 14 – 23 concern mainly this matter.Then again, perhaps this is because Odysseus has not achieved his nostos simply by arr iving at Ithaca: he must regain his position as well, in which case the killing of the Suitors is far more significant. However, it can be argued that the killing of the Suitors is not solely motivated by nostos but also a desire for revenge, especially since Odysseus does not spare any of them and kills his disloyal servants as well, and would have killed the Suitors’ families if it had not been for Athene’s interference: it does not seem like the sole motive for all of this killing could have been nostos.In conclusion, Odysseus is motivated by many things throughout his journey, including kleos, revenge, curiosity, the desire to please his men, good leadership, leading a comfortable life and nostos. Before he lands on Calypso’s island, nostos is not the most significant; however, it becomes his sole motive for the rest of his journey. Once he lands in Ithaca, it can be argued that he is also motivated by revenge, but nostos is still a significant motive even i f it is not the sole motive.

Business Strategy for Easyjet

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. Mission statement, Aim & Objectives 2 3. PESTEL Analysis 2 3. 1 Political 2 3. 2Economic 3 3. 3Social 3 3. 4Technological 3 3. 5Legal 3 3. Environmental 3 4. SWOT Analysis 4 4. 1 Internal Analysis 4 4. 2External Analysis 4 5. Porter’s five forces 4 6. Porter’s value chain 5 7. Stakeholders Mapping 6 8. Ansoff Matrix 7 9.BCG Matrix 7 10. Strategy position and selected strategy 8 11. Conclusion 11 12. Appendices 12 13. Reference 15 1. Introduction Easyjet Airline Company is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport which operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports (Theairdb, 2005).The company was founded in 1995 by Stelios Haji-loannou. And currently the management of easyjet is formed by Andrew Harrison as CEO, Cor Vrieswijk as COO and Jeff Carr as CFO (Easyjet, 2009). Up to 2009, easyjet had nearly 7000 employees throughout Europe. Apart from low-cost tickets, easyjet has improved in network quality, lower cost deals with key suppliers and enhancements to easyjet. com and so on (Easyjet, 2009). 2. Mission statement, Aim & Objectives Mission statement of easyjet is â€Å"to provide customers with safe, good value, point-to-point air services.To effect and to offer a consistent and reliable product and fares appealing to leisure and business markets on a range of European routes† (Easyjet, 2002). The company will develop its people and establish lasting relationships with its suppliers. Vision| Easyjet’s vision of the future is built on developing its strength to be the largest and best low cost airline in Europe (Bized, 2002). | Value| 1. Safety 2. Teamwork 3. Pioneering 4. Passionate 5. Integrity (Easyjetcareers, 2010)| The aim & objectives of Easyjet are similar to its mission statement.The company underpins its long-term prospects matter its business with safety, customer satisfaction, future f inancial performance, people and environment (Easyjet, 2009). 3. PESTEL Analysis 3. 1 Political The political environment includes tax policy such as Air Passenger Duty and carbon tax. â€Å"APD tax is raised about ? 2. 4bn for government every year. The airline Easyjet also supported for a green tax on air travel based on carbon produced (BBC, 2007). Increasing tax is not effective for customers to pay more but â€Å"easyjet has realized it and apologized to customers† (Easyjet, 2007).Cheap first and expensive later is what Easyjet always does. According to appendix 1, more immigration coming to UK gives easyjet more marketing opportunity. However, national insurance puts employees wage up so that increases company’s costs (Telegraph, 2010). 3. 2 Economic According to appendix 2, â€Å"some experts predict that the UK interest rate will increase to 3% in 2010 and 2011† (Marketoracle, 2010). Customers may pay higher for tickets if they borrow money. Meantime, a ccording to appendix 3, it is bad for easyjet because â€Å"some experts assert that Euro may depreciate in the next 6 months from January, 2010† (Marketvector, 2010).People maybe fail to choose easyjet up to this viewpoint. Additionally, it gives a burden to the company as fuel price may go up year by year (see appendix 4). 3. 3 Social Attitude of customers impact on easyjet’s business. According to appendix 5, more customers prefer to travel by air these years and it hits 2000 million in 2004 (Grida, 2007). The phenomenon makes easyjet arrange more flights. Meantime, â€Å"nearly 28% people choose to search tickets information online everyday so that the company’s business online can be developed quickly† (Alexa, 2010). 3. 4 TechnologicalThere are nearly 200 airplanes in the company and easyjet is working closely wth all the relevant airframe and engine (Easyjet, 2009). The safety can be guaranteed. The company also offers online check-in system for bag gage with codes and buying tickets which is pretty convenient to customers (Azureholidays, 2009). 3. 5 Legal The company follows mostly European law such as safety law. But there is a piece of bad news recently that easyjet needs to pay 1. 4m euros in damages for violating French labour laws (BBC, 2010). It is not only negative to financial condition but also to reputation.At the same time, the company supports carbon law that cut carbon emissions. 3. 6 Environmental The global standards for aircraft that can lead to carbon emissions of aviations being cut by 40%, Easyjet seeks the legislation for cleaner aircrafts is demanded by his firm to stop the flight of old and inefficient planes (Gray, 2009). It is good for passengers’ health. Meantime, the average aircraft age is 2. 2 years which makes up the youngest, cleanest and quietest fleets in the world (Easyjet, 2009). 4. SWOT Analysis 4. 1 Internal Analysis Strengths| Weakness| Leading airline with low-cost flights which acr oss most big city in Europe such as Berlin, Milan, Paris and so on (Easyjet, 2008). * Being seen as an innovative and flexible organization and has a strong e-business which offers full and fast price plan to customers. * Image, differentiation on price and brand (Mayer, 2007). * Quick turnarounds at the airports with more flights, better productivity. * Internal job mobility (Kernchen, 2007). | * Low frequency of routes. * More outsourcing might affect customer satisfaction (Kernchen, 2007). Sometimes longer flights without frills might be hard to implement successfully like no food service (Fifield, 2007). | 4. 2 External analysis Opportunities: Low-cost airline industry has a promising future. If Easyjet can establish itself as the low-cost number 1 airline, Easyjet will continue its success with its strong position and prove takeover opportunities (Kernchen, 2007). Threats: Economic downturn may lead to a decrease in casual flyers (Businessteacher, 2006). Increased competition l eads to greater difficulties in demanding incentives from communities such as low fees Easyjet received at Luton (Mayer, 2007).To enter new markets like Germany and France, Easyjet also end to spend much money than in the UK (Kernchen, 2007). The cost is pretty higher. 5. Porter’s five forces The threat of substitutes = Low The threat of substitutes for easyjet comes from other transport tools such as trains, cars, boats and so on. Minimal threat from train and car on domestic routes (Mayer, 2007). Eastjet does not need to worry too much about other transports tools if easyjet improves online system continually. The threat of entry = low It is difficult for a new company to enter in the low-cost airline industry. Easyjet has quite a comfortable position in the UK low-cost market as the biggest operator. High capital requirements also negate threat to some extent for easyjet† (Mayer, 2007). The threat of buyers = Moderate Customers will often choose better price particul arly with the online tickets system (Capon, 2008). Customer loyalty is necessary so that easyjet must keep a regular check on prices all the time (Mayer, 2007). The threat of suppliers = High Easyjet have no power to alter the price of fuel as an individual company (Mayer, 2007).Without Boeing and Airbus, Easyjet lose planes so that Easyjet must keep good relationship with them. Sometimes, airports also easily raise charges to airline. The threat of competitive rivalry = Moderate It is pretty rivalrous with many competitors who also operate short-haul market in the European such as Palmair, Germanwings, Ryanair and so on (Which, 2010). A numbers of tour operators like Thomas Cook may threat the market by selling scheduled seats (Subiotto and Snelders, 2007). All in all, â€Å"the growth of individual airlines and the expectation that competition among low-cost airlines will intensify† (Chris, 2010). . Porter’s Value Chain As a low fare airline, Easyjet makes the most o f its assets and its competencies to develop advantages and create much value compared with other airlines Inbound Operation Outbound Marketing Sales Tickets sales online After-sales service Ticketless service Catering Internet Fuel Aircraft Baggage handling Maintenance Inbound * Easyjet uses outside catering supplier to offer in-flight service (Dfnionline, 2007). * Easyjet spent a great deal of money on fuel. * Easyjet buy or rent airplanes mainly from Boeing and Airbus (Easyjet, 2009). There is another company who is mainly responsible for respire easyjet’s airplanes (Viploan, 2005). Operations and Outound * With ticketless service, customers just need a code and bring it to airport for boarding number (Ciao, 2000). * Internet is more important for Easyjet than call centre. * Easyjet does well in online check-in facility with hold baggage (Easyjet, 2009). Marketing and Service Easyjet has its own marketing department to publicize the company. And the company mainly focuses on lost baggage and speedy boarding for customers (Easyjet, 2009). . Stakeholder Mapping Low Interest High Interest | Suppliers: Boeing and AirbusCustomersCommunity Groups| | InvestorsGovernment AgencyShareholders: Stelios Haji-Ioannou who owns 22% shares. | Low Power High Power It is obviously that Boeing and Airbus has lots of interest so that they cooperate with Easyjet frequently. Customers prefer to low-cost tickets and convenient online system. However, they have less power as Easyjet can buy or rent planes from other airline. The company also has founded its largest UK airline position.Investors are really into Easyjet’s service and its growth markets, and they also have powers to buy shares to make its share price up. For shareholders, Stelios Haji-Ioannou owns 22% of the whole company (Easyjet, 2009). He gets big power. 8. Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration: Easyjet can make the most of its existing products to achieve growth of market share such as â€Å"put ticket p rices to some domestic destination down continually and add more seats in planes† (Columbia, 2008). Market Development: Easyjet hopes to get growth by using its existing product to into new markets.The company is launching new flights to Australia, Romania and Germany which have been travel spotlights with its low-cost tickets and frequent flights (Easier, 2007). Product Development: Easyjet is adding flights and developing new flight routes to more places across the European even northern Africa (Easyjet 2009). Therefore, it develops the product range. Diversification: Easyjet is not only operates airline service but also does other related transportation service such as easycar, airport parking. Apart from transportation field, the company is also responsible for hotel booking, travel guide and so on.Diversification makes easyjet consolidate existing market and accmulaing experience for new fields. 9. BCG Matrix StarSpeedy Boarding| Question MarksBaggage terms| Cash CowsClub cards| DogsFood| Star: An enhanced version of its fast boarding service attracts more customers (Travel Trade Gazette, 2007). It is a high growth market. Question Marks: There is baggage allowance that Easyjet offers to speed its market up. Cash Cows: Customers get club cards of Easyjet so that they can get savings for credit purchasing of tickets (Travel Trade Gazette, 2007).Interest rate generally affects this so that there is not any growth. Dogs: Easyjet gets little money in catering according to the annual report (2009annualreport, 2009). 10. Strategic position and selected strategy The strategic position of Easyjet is similar to the aim & objectives. â€Å"Turn Europe Orange† that Easyjet expands its employer presence across Europe (2009annualreport, 2009). The company aims to cut more carbon emissions and add more seats in the planes so that improving quality of its service (2009annualreport, 2009).The objective has covered SMART because up to now Easyjet has been the largest airline in UK and the second largest airline in Europe 10. 1 Identify and evaluate alternative strategies * Easyjet can develop new routes from local airports in UK to Romania in 2011. This strategy meets Easyjet’s network position for refreshing new routes all the time. It covers suitability, feasibility and acceptability well. Suitability| The strategy conforms objectives of easyjet and makes the use of company’s resources on providing cheaper short-haul service within Europe (Pender, L. nd Sharpley, R. 2005). | Feasibility| It is achievable as Easyjet has been the second biggest airline around Europe so that passengers may choose because of its good reputation (Pender, L. and Sharpley, R. 2005). | Acceptability| Low-fare airports with cost-benefit and more marketing opportunities. | * Easyjet will offer British Airways Executive Gold card holders free speedy boarding plus (priority check-in and boarding) on the days that BA crew strike. Most passengers wish to use this free offer on that day (Easyjet, 2010).This strategy meets Easyjet customers proposition for building appeal to business travelers. By the way, it is also a kind of marketing campaign to offer more speedy boarding to customers. It covers suitability, feasibility and acceptability well. Suitability| It is profitable for the company to reduce check-in time and sell seats for leisure customers. Make the most of resources to earn money. | Feasibility| It is easily achievable that passengers who hold British Airways Executive Club Gold Card wish to accept this free offer (Easyjet, 2010). | Acceptability| | Easyjet is going to work closely with CAE which is a good flight school to use 5000 Series simulator for A320 pilots training at CAE’s Burgess Hill facility (Atwonline, 2008). The strategy meets Easyjet safety requirements to improve pilots training. It covers suitability, feasibility well but not acceptability. Suitability| Providing customers with well-trained pilo ts and good safety system. | Feasibility| CAE helps with qualified training simulators so that the quality and service can be guaranteed (Krishnan, A. 2008). | Acceptability| Easyjet spends money to make agreements with CAE.It may give additional strain on staff. | 10. 2 Select one strategy and describe the implementation & monitoring plans In my opinion, it is appropriate for Easyjet to develop new routes to Romania. There are only two routes which departure from Madrid and Milan to Romania (Easyjet, 2010). It is not enough. Firstly, Easyjet is the UK’s largest airline measured by the number of passengers flown (Easyjet, 2010). But in the Europe, there are several competitors such as Ryanair, BMI and so on. More people choose to go on holidays to Romania which known as the â€Å"Paris of the East† (Easyjet, 2009).Developing new routes gives rise to more marketing opportunities. Secondly, choosing low-fare airports such as Bucharest meets the organizational objectives. The company is able to make good use of its resources of new aircrafts and employees. Thirdly, developing new routes which departure from native airports in UK gives local people opportunities to go on holidays to Romania directly. Thus, it helps Easyjet to consolidate its UK largest airline. Implementation The route starts from UK airport such as Liverpool, Bristol, Stansted, it is necessary for Easyjet to make good deal with the airports.The company needs to pay a sum of money for airport fees which involves aircraft parking, administration fees and airport parking, airport lounges for passengers (Easyjet, 2007). The native airports in UK offer low cost parking such as ? 4 per day at Bristol. The airports in other European cities such as Milan, Paris will cost a little more for these fees (Easyjet, 2007). Then Easyjet may prepare how many flights will departure from each route with arranged pilots, in-flight staff and the first departure date. The company needs to publicize the n ew routes to passengers in time online with detailed ticket price include or exclude tax.For example, many people are attracted by the Bucharest’s architecture (Easyjet, 2009). The company can develop a route from Liverpool in summer vacation or winter vacation, 2011. Thus, there will be more customers who would like to have a view of Romania during holidays. Monitoring Plan In order to operate these new routes better, the company is able to monitor the routes carefully. To ensure every flight should be arrived to the airports on time, using global online service to anticipate weather-related delays at departure and destination airports (Metoffice, 2010).Work out optimizing schedules and scan customers’ feedback carefully so that if there is someone who feels bad for easyjet’s service, the company can improve immediately. If the new routes are operated well with lots of numbers of passengers and minimizing level of delays times, Easyjet can consider opening more new routes across Europe. It is appropriate for easyjet to operate 70 new routes in 2010 (Easyjet, 2010). The company can add more routes departure from different local airports such as Luton, Bristol to Romania and then add some routes which departure in other countries such as Paris to Romania.Therefore for customers at any places, there will be more choices. 11. Conclusion In order to become the largest low-cost airline in Europe, Easyjet also needs to enhance its online system and â€Å"fly outside Europe† strategy. This may give rise to more marketing opportunities. However, up to now, Easyjet operates successfully and gets profit up to 80 million pounds with 9% up of market shares in 2009 (2009annualreport, 2009). The company must be growing continually and has a promising future. 12. Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 | | Irish Pound to US Dollar Currency Exchange Rate Forecast|Appendix 4 Appendix 5 13. Reference Books Capon, C. (2008), Understanding Strategi c Management, Prentice Hall: Essex. Fifield, P. (2007), Marketing strategy: the difference between marketing and markets (3rd Edition), Elsevier: Oxford. Krishnan, A. (2008), War as business: technological change and military service contracting, Ashgate Publishing Limited: Hampshire. Kernchen, N. (2007), Marketing differences between traditional airlines and low-cost airlines in Europe, GRIN: Paris. Mayer, F. (2007), A Case Study of EasyJet and the Airline Industry, GRIN: Paris. Pender, L. nd Sharpley, R. (2005), The management of tourism, SAGE Publications Ltd. : London. Subiotto, R and Snelders, R. (2007), Antitrust Developments in Europe 2007, Kluwer Law International: Netherlands. Journals Chris, T. (2010), LOW-COST COMMODITY, Airline Business  Feb2010, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p28-30 Gray, C. (2009), Easyjet seeks carbon laws, Travel Trade Gazette UK & Ireland  12/4/2009, Issue 2892, p26-26 Travel Trade Gazette, (2007), Extra boost profits, 11/23/2007, Issue 2794, p14-14 Websites 2009annualreport, (2009), Annual report and accounts 2009, [Online] http://2009annualreport. asyjet. com/business-review/review-of-strategy/safety. html (13/04/2010). Atwonline, (2008), CAE to offer pilot training in India, earns Level D certification, win $53 million in FFS contracts, [Online] http://www. atwonline. com/channels/airlineprocurement/article. html? articleID=2265 (16/04/2010). Azureholidays, (2009), Easyjet launches online check-in for hold baggage, [Online] http://www. azureholidays. com/Article. aspx? ArticleID=19488267 (05/04/2010). Alexa, (2010), Daily research, [Online] http://www. alexa. com/siteinfo/easyjet. ch (04/04/2010).Automotivedigest, (2009), Fuel Price Forecast 2008 To 2011, [Online] http://www. automotivedigest. com/content/displayArticle. aspx? a=65572 (04/04/2010). Bized, (2002), what is the company’s vision for growth, [Online] http://www. bized. co. uk/compfact/easyjet/easyindex. htm (28/03/2010). BBC, (2007), Easyjet supports green air taxe s, [Online] http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk/7000103. stm (02/04/2010). BBC, (2010), Easyjet in French court over labour laws, [Online] http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/8475204. stm (08/04/2010). Ciao, (2000), Easyjet-great service, [Online] http://www. ciao. co. k/easyjet_com__Review_71098 (08/04/2010). Columbia, (2008), Deal or No Deal: Should Economy Airline Offer Last-minute Bargains? [Online] http://www4. gsb. columbia. edu/ideasatwork/feature/102579/Deal+or+no+deal:+Should+economy+airlines+offer+last-minute+bargains%3F (11/04/2010). Dfnionline, (2007), The company replaces Alpha Flight Services as the airline’s onboard retail and catering operator, [Online] http://www. dfnionline. com/article/Gate-Gourmet-wins-Easyjet-inflight-retail-contract-1462747. html (11/04/2010). Easier, (2007), Easyjet announces new flights to Austria and Romania, [Online] http://www. asier. com/50798-easyjet-announces-new-flights-to-austria-and-romania. html (13/04/2010). Easyjet, (2007), The government has made easyjet the tax collector, [Online] http://www. easyjet. com/en/book/airline_has_been_made_tax_collector. html (02/04/2010). Easyjetcareers, (2010), Our Vision & Values, [Online] http://www. easyjetcareers. com/about-us/vision-and-values. asp (28/03/2010). Easyjet, (2010), Route map, [Online] http://www. easyjet. com/en/routemap/ (16/04/2010). Easyjet, (2010), Easyjet to launch a further 70 new routes for 2010, [Online] http://corporate. easyjet. om/en/media/latest-news/news-year-2010/04-01-10en. aspx (19/04/2010). Easyjet, (2010), Free Speedy Boarding Plus for BA Gold card holders on strike days, [Online] http://corporate. easyjet. com/media/latest-news/news-year-2010/Free%20Speedy%2 0Boarding%20Plus%20for%20BA%20Gold%20card%20holders%20on%20strike%20days. aspx (14/04/2010). Easyjet, (2009), Cheap flights to Bucharest, [Online] http://www. easyjet. com/en/cheap-flights/Bucharest (16/04/2010). Easyjet, (2009), Annual report and accounts 2009, [Online] http:/ /2009annualreport. easyjet. com/files/pdf/easyJet_AR09. pdf (26/03/2010).Easyjet, (2009) The â€Å"easyjet ecojet†: to cut CO2 emissions by 50% by 2015, [Online] http://www. easyjet. com/en/news/easyjet_ecojet. html (05/04/2010). Easyjet, (2007) Airport Parking, [Online] http://parking. easyjet. com/ (19/04/2010). Easyjet, (2002), Easyjet Mission Statement, [Online] http://www. easyjet. com/en/about/ (26/03/2010). Grida, (2007), The boom in air travel, [Online] http://maps. grida. no/go/graphic/the-boom-in-air-travel (04/04/2010). Metoffice, (2010), Easyjet set for ClearFlight, [Online] http://www. metoffice. gov. uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/pr20100201a. tml (19/04/2010). Marketoracle, (2010), UK Interest Rate Forecast 2010 and 2011, [Online] http://www. marketoracle. co. uk/Article16450. html (02/04/2010). Marketoracle, (2010), U. S. Dollar to Euro Currency Exchange Rate Forecast, [Online] http://www. marketvector. com/exchange-rate/euro. htm (02/04/2010). Telegraph, (2010 ), Election 2010: George Osborne says easyjet would be hit by ‘job tax’ on airport visit, [Online] http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/election-2010/7560181/Election-2010-George-Osborne-says-easyJet-would-be-hit-by-jobs-tax-on-airport-visit. html Read also: My Ambition Is To Become a Collector

Graphene Replaced with Copper

Graphene replaced with copper Graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity two orders of magnitude higher than copper Recent research into the properties of graphene nanoribbons provides two new reasons for using the material for interconnects in future computer chips. In widths as narrow as 16 nm, graphene has a current-carrying capacity approximately a thousand times greater than copper while providing improved thermal conductivity. The current-carrying and heat-transfer measurements were reported by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). The same team had previously reported measurements of resistivity in graphene that suggest the material’s conductance would outperform that of copper in future generations of nanometer-scale interconnects. The graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity two orders of magnitude higher than copper at these size scales, according to Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer at Georgia Tech. {draw:frame} Composed of thin layers of graphite, graphene has been studied by the Georgia Tech team as a potential replacement for copper in on-chip interconnects wires. The graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity of more than 108 A/cm2, which makes them very robust in resisting electromigration and should greatly improve chip reliability. This electromigration phenomenon causes transport of material, especially at high-current density and leads to a break in the wire and, consequently, chip failure. The research team also discovered that the graphene nanoribbons also have excellent thermal conductivity properties and can conduct heat away from devices. They found that graphene nanoribbons have a thermal conductivity of more than 1,000 W/m Kelvin for structures less than 20 nm wide. This will help the interconnects serve as heat spreaders in future generations of integrated circuits, according to Murali. They used electron beam lithography to construct four electrode contacts, then used lithography to fabricate devices consisting of parallel nanoribbons of widths ranging between 16 and 52 nm and lengths of between 0. 2 and 1  µm. The breakdown current density of the nanoribbons was then studied by slowly applying an increasing amount of current to the electrodes on either side of the parallel nanoribbons. A drop in current flow indicated the breakdown of one or more of the nanoribbons. In the study of 21 test devices, the researchers found that the breakdown current density of graphene nanoribbons has a reciprocal relationship to the resistivity. Because graphene can be patterned using conventional chip-making processes, manufacturers could make the transition from copper to graphene without a drastic change in chip fabrication. The data they developed so far look very promising for using this material as the basis for future on-chip interconnects. Visit www. youtube. com/watch? v=kd6zzwhfEqw to view a video explaining graphene’s thermal-conductivity capabilities. Though one of graphene’s key properties is reported to be ballistic transport—meaning electrons can flow through it without resistance—the material’s actual conductance is limited by factors that include scattering from impurities, line-edge roughness and from substrate phonons—vibrations in the substrate lattice. Use of graphene interconnects could help facilitate continuing increases in integrated circuit performance once features sizes drop to approximately 20 nanometers, which could happen in the next five years, researchers said. At that scale, the increased resistance of copper interconnects could offset performance increases, meaning that without other improvements, higher density wouldn’t produce faster integrated circuits. This is not a roadblock to achieving scaling from one generation to the next, but it is a roadblock to achieving increased performance. Dimensional scaling could continue, but because we would be giving up so much in terms of resistivity, we wouldn’t get a performance advantage from that. That’s the problem we hope to solve by switching to a different materials system for interconnects Survey in graphene replaced with copper PORTLAND, Ore. —Graphene will carry nearly 1,000-times more current and run over 10-times cooler than conventional copper interconnects below 22-nanometer line widths, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). The speed (electron mobility) of graphene has already been touted as better than copper, but this Georgia Tech data on nanoribbons as small as 16-nanometers quantifies just how superior carbon is to copper. The graphene nanoribbons tested at Georgia Tech could carry as much as 10 billion amps per square centimeter—nearly a thousand times greater than copper. â€Å"No one had measured graphene's current carrying capacity before this,† said Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer in Georgia Tech's Nanotechnology Research Center. One possible reason that this property of graphene was not touted before is that there were no experimental results until our work. † The superior current carrying capability of carbon formed into graphene nanoribbons is also combined with less heat build-up, since carbon's thermal conductivity is much higher than copper. Nanoribbons have a thermal conductivity of 1,000-to-5000 watts per meter Kelvin—ten times greater than copper . The Georgia Tech researchers also claim that graphene nanoribbons will mitigate electro-migration which is an increasing problem for copper as line widths descend to the nanoscale. If the current carried through a wire is close to the current-carrying capacity of the wire, then the chances of electromigration are greater than if the current in the wire is much smaller than the current-carrying capacity,† said Murali. â€Å"Graphene has over two orders of magnitude greater capacity than copper, thus if a graphene wire is compared to a copper wire carrying the same current, then the graphene wire will better resist electromigration. † Murali's team obtained their graphene samples by removing layers from a graphite block and depositing them on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. E-beam lithograhy was used to construct the metal contacts and cut the parallel lines of graphene into lines 16-to-52 nanometers wide and 200-to-1000 nanometers long. There are three hurdles remaining to commercialization of carbon interrconnects, according to the researchers at Georgia Tech: perfecting methods of growing monolayers of graphene over entire wafers (since today only small centimeter-sized areas can be easiliy grown in monolayers), fabricating vias to interrconnect graphene nanowires, and integration of carbon into the back-end of process on a CMOS line. Murali performed the work with fellow researchers Yinxiao Yang, Kevin Brenner, Thomas Beck and James Meindl. This research was funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Interconnect Focus Center, the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative and the Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX). Replacing silicon {draw:frame} Silicon transisitors are approaching the point where further miniturization will no longer be possible. It is expected that once silicon transistors reach 16nm size, optical lithography will no longer be capable of making smaller images. Thus, unless all preogress in transistor size is terminated and performance improvements are limited to processor architecture alone, it is very likely that chip manufacturers will move to graphene as a way to get smaller transisitors. One example is that graphene transistors are very â€Å"leaky† compared to those made of silicon- that is, more charge can escape from them. This means that graphene chips are likely to run much hotter than silicon chips. Graphene has several very appealing traits. Electrons meet much less resistance from graphene than they do from silicon, traveling through it more than 100 times as easily. And because graphene is essentially a two-dimensional material, building smaller devices with it and controlling the flow of electricity within them are easier than with three-dimensional alternatives like silicon transistors. The finding underscores graphene's potential for serving as an excellent electronic material, such as silicon, that can be used to develop new kinds of transistors based on quantum physics. Because they encounter no obstacles, the electrons in graphene roam freely across the sheet of carbon, conducting electric charge with extremely low resistance. The research team, led by Chun Ning (Jeanie) Lau, found that the electrons in graphene are reflected back by the only obstacle they meet: graphene's boundaries. â€Å"These electrons meet no other obstacles and behave like quantum billiard balls. â€Å"They display properties that resemble both particles and waves. † when the electrons are reflected from one of the boundaries of graphene, the original and reflected components of the electron can interfere with each other, the way outgoing ripples in a pond might interfere with ripples reflected back from the banks. he â€Å"electronic interference† by measuring graphene's electrical conductivity at extremely low (0. 26 Kelvin) temperatures. She explained that at such low temperatures the quantum properties of electrons can be studied more easily. The electrons in graphene can display wave-like properties, which could lead to interesting applications such as ballistic transistors, which is a new type of transistor, as w ell as resonant cavities for electrons, that a resonant cavity is a chamber, like a kitchen microwave, in which waves can bounce back and forth. Scientifically, it has become a new odel system for condensed-matter physics, the branch of physics that deals with the physical properties of solid materials. Graphene enables table-top experimental tests of a number of phenomena in physics involving quantum mechanics and relativity. Bearing excellent material properties, such as high current-carrying capacity and thermal conductivity, graphene ideally is suited for creating components for semiconductor circuits and computers comparing with silicon. Its planar geometry allows the fabrication of electronic devices and the tailoring of a variety of electrical properties. Because it is only one-atom thick, it can potentially be used to make ultra-small devices and further miniaturize electronics. Image shows graphene, which can act as an atomic-scale billiard table, with electric charges acting as billiard balls. (Credit: Lau lab, UC-Riverside) Silicon has been the main ingredient in microchips since they replaced vacuum tubes in electronics. But the common element graphene, found in pencils, may one day supplant silicon on the billion-dollar foundries of IBM, Intel and AMD. Graphene shares the characteristics that make silicon so ubiquitous, not just in computers and cell phones, but in such applications as medical and aviation sensors, ultrahigh-frequency analog electronics for preparing signals for fiber-optic transmission or for radars. Graphene can do what silicon can, only better. Graphene has extraordinary electron-transport properties; its monolayer thickness yields exquisite sensitivity to changes in environment, and its mechanical and thermal properties equal or exceed those of the best conventional materials. The superior properties of graphene and graphene-related materials present an extraordinary opportunity for enabling new classes of electronic, optoelectronic and electromechanical devices and sensors The first commercial use for graphene may be as an electrical coating for LCD screens, solar cells, and touch screens. Thin, transparent, extremely conductive, and strong, it seems ideal for the job. ONE OF THE APPLICATION Graphene Quilts to Keep Things Cool December 21, 2009 {draw:frame} Graphene University of California, Riverside (UCR) Professor of Electrical Engineering and Chair of Materials Science and Engineering Alexander Balandin is leading several projects to explore ways to use the unique capabilities of graphene â€Å"quilts† as heat conductors in high-power electronics. Graphene is a recently discovered single-atom-thick carbon crystal, which reveals many unique properties. In Balandin’s designs, graphene â€Å"quilts† (large-area overlapping networks of graphene flakes) will play quite an opposite role of your grandma’s quilts. They will remove heat instead of retaining it. His work on graphene heat-conducting coats for heat removal from high-power gallium-nitride transistors is being funded by a recently awarded $420,000 grant from U. S. Office of Naval Research (ONR). It aims at an experimental proof-of-concept demonstration to be conducted in Balandin’s Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL). In addition to the ONR grant, Balandin received a new three-year subcontract with the Interconnect Focus Center (IFC), based at the Georgia Institute of Technology, that deals with graphene interconnects and heat spreaders for three-dimensional (3-D) electronics. According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, in the next five years, up to 80 percent of microprocessor power will be consumed by the interconnect wiring—a driver for the search for new interconnect materials and innovative methods of heat removal. Another recent subcontract awarded to Balandin is with the Functional Engineered Nano Architectonics (FENA) center based at UCLA. In this center, he investigates the problems of energy dissipation in graphene nanostructures and nanodevices. Combined new funding secured by Balandin this month for the three projects exceeds $1 million. The centers’ funding comes from the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Because graphene is only one molecule thick, it didn’t lend itself to traditional methods of thermal conductivity measurement. Balandin led a team of researchers that first measured it using an original non-conventional technique in 2008. The procedure involved a non-contact approach on the basis of Raman spectroscopy utilizing the inelastic scattering of photons (light) by phonons (crystal vibrations). The power dissipated in graphene and corresponding temperature rise were detected by extremely small shifts in the wavelength of the light scattered from graphene. That was sufficient to extract the values of the thermal conductivity through an elaborate mathematical procedure. Balandin’s research group discovered that the thermal conductivity of large suspended graphene sheets varies in the range from about 3000 to 5300 W/mK (watts per meter per degree Kelvin) near room temperature. These are very high values, which exceed those of carbon nanotubes (3,000-3,500 W/mK) and diamond (1,000-2,200 W/mK). As a result of his findings, Balandin has proposed several innovative graphene-based approaches for thermal management , which might lead to creation of a new technology for local cooling and hot-spot spreading in the high-power-density and ultra-fast chips. A detailed description of Balandin’s graphene and thermal management research can be found in his invited popular science article, â€Å"Chill Out,† in the October 2009 issue of IEEE Spectrum, the magazine of the The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).