The article by Joachim Wambsganss Essay Example for Free

The article by Joachim Wambsganss Essay The article by Joachim Wambsganss discusses the nature and functions of gravitational lenses that both help and challenge our understanding of the celestial bodies in the universe. As the author rightly puts it, the sky is filled with many mirages and mysteries to be explored. The gravitational lenses make the universe into a palace of glasses where one images reflects into multiple images creating an illusory effect. It is curious to know the nature and functions of these gravitational lenses that both help and defy our understanding of the universe. . Gravitational lensing is a budding and promising area of study in astronomy. It helps astronomers to study the dark matters in the universe. It is also useful to investigate the structure of quasars, black holes and find earth like planets around other stars. Â  Gravitational light deflection was identified and accepted, though not accurately. Einstein was doubtful about it though he predicted that a foreground star could magnify the image of a background star as a result of gravitational lensing. More optimistic was the Swiss-American astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky with his predictions on lensing effects of galaxies. At last the speculation came to an end in 1979 when astronomers actually saw evidence of lensing. Generally light that comes from a celestial body goes straight. But when there is any object in between it deflects and the deviation causes many distortions to what we see in the space. It is interesting to note that any thing that possesses mass can serve like a lens. It need not emit light on its own. Four consequences of gravitational lensing are identified. They are: 1.Change of Position, 2. Magnification and Demagnification, 3.Deformation, 4. Multiplication. The perceptible location of star or galaxy changes because of the deflection of gravitational light Secondly, it is also possible to see the magnification of brightness of a star or quasar because of the deflection of light. Sometimes the light demagnifies. Thirdly, galaxies can appear long-drawn-out into arcs or bananas because of the deflection of light. Finally, the multiple images are the result of strong gravitational lensing. How Lensing Works The gravitational –lens system has three components embedded in the space. The distance source of light, an intervening mass that acts as a lens and an observer on the earth are the three which form a straight line. The distant source of light could be a star, quasar, or galaxy. The intervening mass that acts as a lens can be anything from a planet to a black hole. Light travels through the shortest distance, and it need not be a straight line always. Sometimes it can travel through a curve as well. The light bends when it reaches the curved space near a cosmic body. The degree of deflection depends on how close the rays get tot the body and on the mass of the body. The deflect ion angle is directly proportional to the mass and inversely proportional to the closest distance. Gravitational lenses are different from ordinary lenses in many ways. The ordinary lenses have a well-defined focal point whereas the gravitational varieties produce focal lines or surfaces. The typical gravitational lens also causes light rays to experience smaller deflections. The gravitational lensing is achromatic. When the lens system is asymmetric, i.e. when source, lens and observer are not in alignment, the lens has an oblong mass distribution – and the resulting ring breaks up into discrete variegated images. The lens magnifies different parts of the source by different amounts and the highest magnification occurs at caustic. When the alignment is very far off or the lens mass distribution is very spread out, the lensing is very weak. With the discovery of double quasar Q0957+ 561 gravitational lensing became an observable science. So far 64 double, triple and multiple quasars have been found. The CLASS (Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey) project has mapped more than 10,000 radio sources and 17 multiply imaged systems. To identify whether it is real quasar or an illusion, observes have developed a checklist. They see whether the quasars lie at the same distance, whether their spectra is similar, whether there is any potential lens between the observer and the quasar and whether the brightness of each quasar fluctuates in the same way. When the galaxy lens is spherical it can distribute the light of background quasar or galaxy into a ring or circle called Einstein ring. About a dozen such rings are found. The important application of quasar lensing is to measure Hubble constant, which is a measure of size and expansion rate of universe. Multiple quasars can give insight into cosmological parameter called cosmological constant. It is essential to explain why the expansion of universe appears to be accelerating. The more is the expansion accelerated, the bigger the volume of space. Cosmological constant can not be more than 62 percent of the energy density of the universe. If the density is more, there could be more number of quasars. It supports smaller values of the cosmological constant. Quasars are unsteady by their nature and they tend to brighten and then dim on their own. Â  To distinguish microlensing fluctuations and intrinsic variability astronomers monitor multiple quasar systems. Â  In 1989 astronomers confirmed five multiple quasar systems. They conclude that innermost parts of quasar are hotter and bluer than outer parts. If lens is not single galaxy, but a cluster of galaxies then the image can be a kaleidoscope of strongly distorted arcs and arc lets. Studies on clusters of galaxies reveal that clusters are dominated by unseen dark matter. On an extremely large scale, the vast galaxy clusters of matter tend to be powerful lens. The wide spread shearing of galaxy images support the view that universe is giant cobweb of matter interspersed with voids. The article also focuses on MACHOs and Extra solar planets. MACHOs are collection of rogue planets, dead stars or black holes. However research says that the entire dark matter cannot be made entirely of MACHO. It also notes that stellar mass black holes may cause microlensing events. Stellar microlensing can even detect planets and the extra burst of brightening that might have been caused by planet candidates. Thus, the article ‘Gravity’s Kaleidoscope’ narrates interestingly how the study of illusions can lead us to the discovery of truth relating to celestial bodies in the universe.

To What Extent was Guatemalas Civil War Caused by US Policy

To What Extent was Guatemalas Civil War Caused by US Policy Spanning decades from the late 1950s to the 1990s, the Civil War in Guatemala represented one of the longest conflicts in Latin America. During this time; over tens of thousands of refugees fled the country; over a million were made homeless as over four hundred indigenous villages were destroyed; and ultimately over two hundred thousand people were killed or have disappeared.[1] The root of this conflict lay in the ridiculously imbalanced distribution of wealth that had existed within Guatemala for centuries. This misdistribution was born out the combination of a revolutionary international atmosphere, alongside years of economic hardship caused by the governing elites. To what extent each of these factors caused the Civil War will be assessed throughout this essay. Predeceasing the Civil War, the Elites possessed the vast majority of the land in Guatemala. As a result, they exercised a significant amount of power and control over the society. To further the abuses in wealth distrib ution, the U.S. owned substantial amounts of land in Guatemala, and viewed the country as pure potential profit[2]. What is so fascinating in my opinion; are the diverse opinions regarding the roots of the issues. Two major narratives emerged as a result from the conflict. The first master narrative tells the tale of the indigenous Mayan population being brutally oppressed over centuries by European and American powers. The continuums of colonial tradition lead to mass abuses of human rights which lead the oppressed population to look towards supporting insurgent groups. This narrative brings to light the voices of the people and state and can be viewed through the vast literature which creates its own Testimonio genre. The second and opposite narrative regards the more recent role that the United States has played in Guatemala. In particular, with regards to the involvement that the CIA had in supporting the Guatemalan government in order to eradicate the leftist forces within the country. Ultimately, the argument stands that the United States was a significant factor in causing the Guatemalan Civil war.   It stands as one of the reasons why Guatemala had such a poor economic infrastructure. Moreover, this infrastructure provided the dissent that led to the creation of insurgent groups which so threatened U.S. political ideology. This threat enabled the U.S. to intervene and turn a civil war into an international conflict. In the context of Latin America, the testimonio was a crucially important form of literature that represented the first master narrative mentioned.   John Beverley in the book The Real Thing: Testimonial Discourse and Latin America describes testimonio as: a noveltold in the first person by a narrative who is also a real protagonist or witness of the event he or she recounts[3]. Testimonios are accounts in which the author uses their experience as an agent of collective memory or identity. Through these first-hand accounts, readers can ascertain a certain truth derived from a situation of oppression that can challenge and even correct so called official history. Beatriz Manz is an example of a testimonio author. Alongside Manz, other famous works of Testimonio surrounding Guatemala exist; the most notable being Me llamo Rigoberta Menchà º y asà ­ me nacià ³ la conciencia. Menchà ºs story narrates the tortures faced by a poor Quichà © peasant family, who had to migrate every ye ar to large coffee plantations in order to survive. The story tells how her family were mistreated; she herself did not attend school, and her brothers died of malnutrition. The main argument Menchà º has is that the economic hardships within the country lead to her gross mistreatment. Following the accusation that her family was involved in the guerrilla movement, one of her brothers was arrested, tortured and killed in 1979; her father was killed by security forces and her mother died after being tortured and raped. Menchà º tells a heart wrenching story that brought the Guatemalan struggle to the forefront of international interests, however it is not without its flaws. One of the central issues with regards to testimonio is the authenticity and veracity of the voice. Sklodowska cautions it would be naive to assume a direct homology between text and history. The discourse of a witness cannot be a reflection of his or her experience, but rather a refraction determined by the vic issitudes of memory, intention, ideology.[4] This is something that American anthropologist David Stoll assesses in his book, Menchà º and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans. Stoll makes the bold statement that the events described in Menchà ºs testament are exaggerated in an effort to amass support for the guerrilla movement. Testimonios represent the fine balance between fiction and history; emotion and fact. In the eyes of Menchà º, the U.S. played a crucial role in promulgating the civil war. Stolls criticisms could be undermined by the fact that his stance is from a Western point of view, which disregards the nature in which history has been testimonial in Mayan culture for centuries .[5] In this sense, Menchà º wasnt attempting to tell a completely accurate story of her family, if not relay the struggles of her people. Her story has since contributed to the greater good by bringing to light the vast abuses of human rights that the Guatemalans faced for decades.[6] This economic hardship that Menchà º describes can be traced back centuries to initial American involvement. Chairman Henry Kissinger oversaw the creation of The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America in a hope to establish a consensus for Central American administration.   Described as well-informed laymen who took a six-month odyssey into the terra incognita[7] of Central America; the commission members intricately analyzed the political, economic and social problems of Guatemala. The conclusion was reached that inevitable U.S. intervention was favorable. However, like a Gordian knot, the report never successfully resolved the tension between U.S. security interests in the area and the admitted need for radical change in many Central American societies. I take issue with regards to the vernacular used throughout the report, as the U.S. seems to absolve itself of any responsibility for causing the very problems that the report encompasses, and implies it has moral responsibility to fix these issues. For instance, the report accounts the negative long-lasting Spanish colonial legacy in Central America, yet only briefly describes the significant influence of the United States in the centuries predeceasing the Guatemalan crisis. The semi-feudal system established by Spain over three centuries ago set a precedent for an inability of indigenous peoples to self-govern and integrate into the colonial political system. Whilst this is a valid point for assessing the development of the turmoil within Guatemala, the U.S certainly did not take as much of a back seat as the report would have us believe implementing a passive Good Neighbor Policy which sought to see all neighboring countries stable, orderly and prosperous[8].   Focusing on two instances in the early 20th Century; Colombia and Nicaragua for instance, it becomes evident that America did not take as passive an approach to Latin America as the report would have us believ e.   Active American involvement in Central America can span back to The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 in which America planned to protect Latin American states from European expansionism. Substantiated by the Roosevelt Corollary in 1904, the doctrine created a precedent for the justification of intervention on account of political ideology.[9] The commission report serves as an example of this policy being enacted as it claims that U.S. intervention during the early 20th Century was focused on promoting the stability and solvency of local governments so as to keep other nations out.[10] Intervention in Guatemala, for instance can be seen as pre-emptive interventionalism hoping to fix the wrongdoings in Latin America. In Roosevelts State of Union Address, the use of international police power was therefore excused as a justification for involvement in Latin America.[11] Moreover, Guatemala was of upmost economic importance to the U.S., which historically had wanted to create an economic hegemony in Latin America in order to diminish European Imperial expansion.[12]   This pseudo American Imperialism makes it evident that U.S. expansionism was deeply rooted in a sense of Manifest Destiny.   The Banana Wars that shaped U.S. Foreign Policy towards Latin America and American military involvement across the continent as a whole, stand as symbols of this economic relationship that the U.S hoped to establish. Joseph Freeman and Scott Nearing place American financial imperialism within a Marxist context. The Colombian uprisings against U.S. canal rights in the Panama Canal resulted in American military involvement[13]. This perfectly exemplifies the argument in which military force was used to broker economic expansion. The Panama Canal sets a sinister precedent which would then see future U.S. military involvement in Guatemala decades later. The report was written with a post-Vietnam/post Iraq cynicism, which could result in why rhetoric of a civilising mission was used to justify aggressive exploitative expansionism. The rebellions in Nicaragua stood as inspiration for Guatemalans during the 60s and 70s as they hoped they could utilize similar tactics in order to regain control of their country. Insurgent groups formed in Guatemala as a result, as described by Manz; The growth of social movements in Guatemala took place in the turbulent context of Central America in the late 1970s and early 1980sâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ Social upheavals and indiscriminate repression both were escalating throughout the region.[14] These mounting social problems combined with shrinking political options proved to be a volatile combination that finally erupted into armed confrontation.[15] From the standpoint of the Guatemalans; the Sandinista guerilla movement had proven successful in the catalysis of the Nicaraguan Revolution in 1979. Manz describes the revolutionary atmosphere that surrounded Guatemala, and notes that the Guatemalan insurgents and many supporters thought that if victory had already taken place in Nicaragua and seemed possible in El Salvador, why not in Guatemala?[16] As mentioned, the peak of the Guatemalan civil war occurred at a very similar time to the peak of the Cold War. This meant that the U.S. turned its focus on to its southern neighbors as they turned to communism. The consequences of this meant that ordinary local conflict would soon have an international audience as Guatemala would become another battle ground in the Cold War. Arguably motivated out of fear; the U.S. provided immense military and economic aid to Guatemala; much of the fighting took place at the height of the Cold War and the combatants were well aware of U.S. support for the Guatemalan military.[17] As stated by Kissinger, the U.S. was concerned of the intrusion into Central America by aggressive external powers[18]. The fear that Cuban or Soviet backing would support the insurgent groups, led to the U.S. providing tacit support to the Guatemalan Government. This U.S. support gave the Guatemalan government both a military and political upper hand, whilst intrinsically tying the corrupt ruling elite to external American influence. This cascade of events that followed U.S. intervention in to Guatemala placed the country firmly within a Cold War context; where ideology played a substantial role in rallying support by even the indigenous peoples; who believed they too, were fighting for justice. However, was this intervention completely necessary, and did it exacerbate and prolong the civil war? The report briefly touches on this notion, which a disagreement with regards to the conditionality of U.S. intervention. Should there be a link between U.S. support and improvements in Latin Americas execrable human rights record. Such a notion implies awareness for the deterioration of the human rights that America was c ausing, however, they feared a Marxist-Leninist victory in El Salvador, and therefore this notion was consequently ignored. The report believes that in order to fight an expanding army of communist guerrillas, U.S. must continue to provide support to the armed forces. A peace agreement is long overdue in Guatemala. Following almost three decades of armed conflict and brutal injustice; Guatemala is owed a transformed society with democratic leadership, increased rights for the abused Mayan people, end to the U.S. military backing, constitutional reform, and an improvement of the socio-economic and socio-political issues. Whilst in my opinion, the main forces behind the war in Guatemala were the economic oppression and daily violence which led to the creation of the insurgent groups that so threatened the American political status quo. The economic oppression was inflicted primarily by the governing elite, however, as a sole factor this could not have led to a war of such gross magnitude. America played a significant role. The years of colonial oppression implemented by America into their southern neighbours had an underrated lasting economic consequence. By default, the U.S. had a much larger responsibility in causing the Guatemalan Civil war than is initially apparent. Such destructive and protracted conflict could not have amassed had it not been for the influence of the international community. Guatemala today has still not recovered. The lives of millions have been shattered, and America should be owed a much larger blame than any other country. Bibliography Berryman, P. The Religious Roots of Rebellion, (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1984) Beverley, J., The Real Thing (Our Rigoberta), (Modern Language Quarterly 57:2:1986) CIA The World Factbook, 20 Nov. 2008, Central Intelligence Agency, 1 Dec. 2008 Grandin, G. The Last Colonial Massacre(The University of Chicago Press, 2004) Kissinger, H. The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, (Macmillan, 1984) LeoGrande, W.M, Our own Backyard, The United State in Central America 1977-1992(The University of orth Carolina Press, 1998) Levenson-Estrada, D. Trade Unionists Against Terror (The University of North Carolina Press, 1994) Manz, B. and N. Aryeh, Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004) McClintock, M. Roosevelt, T. Theodore Roosevelts Annual Address to Congress (December 6th 1904) accessed via http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=truedoc=56page=transcript Smith, R. The United States and the Latin American Sphere of Influence, (Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1981) [1]CIA The World Factbook Guatemala, CIA The World Factbook, 20 Nov. 2008, Central Intelligence Agency, 1 Dec. 2008 [2] B. Manz; A. Neier, Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004), 16-17. [3], G. M. Gugelberger, T he Real Thing: Testimonial Discourse and Latin America, (Duke University Press, 1996), p.34 [4], G. M. Gugelberger, T he Real Thing: Testimonial Discourse and Latin America, (Duke University Press, 1996), p.34 [5]J. Beverley, The Real Thing (Our Rigoberta), (Modern Language Quarterly 57:2:1986), p.129-235 [7] H. A. Kissinger, The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, (Macmillan, 1984), p.1 [8] H. A Kissinger, The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, (Macmillan, 1984), p.34 [9] J. Monroe, The Monroe Doctrine, December U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 2, 2011. [10] H. A Kissinger, The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, (Macmillan, 1984), p.34 [11] T. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelts Annual Address to Congress (December 6th 1904) accessed via http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=truedoc=56page=transcript [12] R. F. Smith,The United States and the Latin American Sphere of Influence, (Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1981), p. 10 [13] R. F. Smith,The United States and the Latin American Sphere of Influence, (Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1981), p. 10 [14]B. Manz; A. Neier, Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004) p. 96 [15] B. Manz; A. Neier, Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004) p. 46 [16] B. Manz,; A. Neier, , Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004) p. 96 [17] B. Manz; A. Neier, , Paradise in Ashes A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope, (New York: University of California P, 2004) p. 224 [18] H. A. Kissinger, The Report of the Presidents National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, (Macmillan, 1984), p.36

Why Do Females Ask Males The Question They Do? :: essays research papers

Every day males are faced with questions that, in a females perspective, are punishable by death if answered incorrectly. Why do they do this to us and what can males do to evade them? The questions seem basic enough at first glance. When examined further, the questions are without a resolution. They are questions like â€Å"What are you thinking,† â€Å"Do you love me,† â€Å"Do I look fat,† and â€Å"Does she look prettier than me?† We know the acceptable answers to these questions, but when faced with them a blank look comes over our faces and all intelligent thoughts exit our minds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What are you thinking?† The obvious answer is â€Å"I was just thinking about what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, and intelligent woman you are, and how fortunate I am to have you.† Of course, that is not what we are thinking at all. If, and I emphasize if, because most of the time were not thinking anything at all, its more along the lines of â€Å"Football, sex, baseball, or how much prettier that woman is than you.† These are the types of answers that can get you a nice little place to sleep on the couch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you love me?† This question always screws us up. If she ask us this she most likely loves us. This makes the answer, and delivery, all that more important. The obvious answer is â€Å"Yes,† spoken with feeling. Eye contact is important. You can even change it up with â€Å"Yes, baby.† Contrary to popular belief males do feel love and when we do, at least from my own experience; we let the girl know it. When we don’t feel it answers like â€Å"I suppose so† come out. Here’s a little tip, never use the word suppose in a sentence when talking about love. Other answers would include â€Å"That depends on what you mean by love,† â€Å"Does it matter,† or â€Å"Who me?† None of these should pass your lips without expecting some sort of retaliation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I look fat?† This question is another one of the biggies. A good answer would go along the lines of â€Å"Of course not!† Incorrect answers sound like â€Å"Compared to what,† â€Å"I wouldn’t call you fat, but your not exactly thin,† â€Å"A little extra weight looks good on you,† and a definite Freudian slip â€Å"I’ve seen fatter.† Once again, what we say and what we think does not always match, and honesty is not always the best policy.

Chavez: Weakening Democracy Essay -- Government

What is democracy? According to the online version of the Miriam Webster dictionary, democracy is "government by the people" also "is a government in which supreme power is invested by the people and it is exercised by the people directly or indirectly through a representational system in which periodically held free elections." Venezuela as well as other countries in Latin America has undergone constant changes in their democracy, produced by their rulers. The primary function of the government is to ensure the safety of the state, its territory and its inhabitants. Also their objective is to strength the democratic institutions that ensure the democratic liberties and rights. Unfortunately, not all the leaders are capable of respecting these functions and get corrupted by the power granted by the people, or they simply came to power with the idea of governing for their benefit and not for the benefit of its citizens. President Chavez is no exception to the rule, after being impri soned for a failed coup against Carlos Andres Perez in 1992 which was provoked by the severe economic situation that affected the country in the 90's. In this essay, I would like to present the premise that Hugo Chavez Frias, even though was selected by the people and still today has the support of the majority of the people, has been constantly weakening the democracy in Venezuela. To support this argument I am going to present chronological examples of the different actions committed by Chavez and his government since his ascension to power in 1998. Hugo Chavez, a former lieutenant colonel in the militia resulted president in 1998. Shortly after having come to power instead of focusing on solving the precarious economic situation in which the cou... ... Works Cited Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . Schuyler, George W. (2001), "Health and Neoliberalism: Venezuela and Cuba" (PDF), retrieved April 21, 2012 Corrales, Javier. "A Setback For Chavez." Journal of Democracy 1st ser. 22 (2011): 122-36. Print. "Comparing Democratic Institutions in Venezuela and Canada." Venezuela News, Views, and Analysis. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . Kornblith, Miriam, and Vinay Jawahar. "Elections versus Democracy." Journal of Democracy 16.1 (2005): 124-37. Print. Corrales, Javier. â€Å"Hugo Boss† Foreign Policy (2006), No. 152. pp. 32-40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25461989 Corrales, Javier, and Michael. Penfold-Becerra. "Venezuela: Crowding Out the Opposition." Journal of Democracy 18.2 (2007): 99-113. Print.

Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of Cholera :: Essays Papers

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author of Love in the Time of Cholera, depicts his characters by having them act in certain ways, in ways of love and care towards others. Each character acts certain ways to certain people, either to gain respect, love, friendship or hatred. Marquez’s character Florentino Ariza, is desperately in love with Fermina Daza, a beautiful young lady (early in the novel), who promises him her hand in marriage then breaks that promise by marrying Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Although heartbroken Ariza’s love for Fermina would still continue over many long years, thus showing how much he was in love with her. Over the years Ariza would do many things to attempt to woo Fermina back into his arms, none that would prosper. All of the acts he committed, he committed for the love he had for her. Most of the actions she would never know of, for he would never show nor tell her about such things. It seemed almost daily Marquez had Ariza writing Fermina a poem, a song or some sort of letter. Most which would never make it into her hands. Florentino Ariza’s love for Fermina Daza went beyond just loving her. He was truly IN love with her. People can love many people, but I believe that there can truly only be one person you are IN love with. Ariza would sacrifice so much throughout his life to attempt to have her attention. He would quit jobs, and move to be near her or to even just see her for a split second, like he would do when he went to the park to see her walk past. Ariza would finally work hard and become prosperous and wealthy, again trying to impress Fermina. Ariza’s love went beyond the childish love that most of us have endured. He waited fifty-one years to be with the woman that he considered his soul mate. This truly shows a great deal of self-determination and love for another human.

Case study on Implementation of quality systems through information technology systems in Athal Company Essay

Case study on Implementation of quality systems through information technology systems in Athal Company Introduction                   Athal is a service offering company that was established in 1980. It offers inspection, testing, consulting, and quality control services. The company offers services to different companies in different industries through its 15 branches in United Kingdom. The company had offered these services in the past using manual quality system but due to competition and emergence of technology in the industry, the company found it necessary to implement a new automated quality assurance system by adapting information technology systems. This would enable it to offer quality services that meet national and international standards. The implementation of the new system was faced with challenges from financial to employees’ resistance to the new technology. The data on the case study was obtained through questionnaires and interviews. The findings were as follows. From the 110 questionnaires administered, only 100 of them were complete and used for this case st udy. From the 100 questionnaires that were complete, 90% discredited the manual system saying it was faulty as it offered minimum monitoring. 70% of the employees had a positive attitude about the manual system, as it was not effective when monitoring employees. 30% had negative attitude on the system as they felt the system caused personal conflicts between them and the people in charge of quality control. 100% of the participants agreed that the automated system was more effective compared to the manual system since all the employees had to log in to automated biometric system. 43% of the employees were resistant to the process and felt that the manual system would continue while 57% of the employees felt that transformation to the automated quality system was necessary. 95% of the employees felt that it was important to implement the quality system for both the external and internal environment of the business to ensure that the overall performance of the company was monitored. 5 % of the participants were not sure if the quality system was supposed to be installed both internally and externally.                   The company’s 110 employees were issued with questionnaires and five management staffs from the five departments were interviewed revealing the following: The employees were resistant on the new implementation was because of fear of losing their jobs and their relevance when the new technology would be adapted in the company. Hence, the implementation process heavily relied on the employees in the company. The company sensitization and trainings employees on the new technology saw the implementation process become smooth. The company also faced challenge on the cost of the new system in terms of infrastructures such as software, computers, and training employees and technical staff on running and marinating the process. However, the implementation of the new system improved the services offered and increased its competitive advantage in the market. Through analysis, it was realised that, the company use of technology has limited the buyers’ bargaining power thus retraining and attracting more customers from its unique quality services that it offered. The new technology decreased the profitability of the industry thus decreasing the threats of the new entry. The company was under the threat of high suppliers’ bargaining power due to few suppliers in the industry that made the cost of operations to increase thus decreasing the profits margins. There industry has threats of substitute services that are offered by companies using the manual system at low prices. However, the new automated system was found to be fast and giving effective services that attracted consumers and thus retaining and attracting new employees in the company thus helping it to regain its competitive position in the market. Moreover, the ability of the system to be monitored by different people at the results in services that are accurate is free from errors thus giving consumers’ confidence as opposed to the manual system. The proces s is also cost effective in long term due to reduced time and human capital that can be utilized in other constructive duties that would improve the productivity of the company. The system was recommended for both internal and external controls. Question                   Athal is a company was established in 1980 in United Kingdom. It main work is provision of services in that vary from inspection, testing, consulting and quality control. They offer these services to different organizations to ensure that they offer quality services and that they are able to handle managerial and financial problems with the international standards. The company offers these services in more than 15 branches in United Kingdom. For the company to be efficient, it has linked all the 15 offices through information systems and technology. The company also manages to offer these services by employing 110 workers that are of various professional backgrounds. The workers are delegated duties based on 5 different departments of the company that include public relations, finance department, technical, marketing and quality control. The finance department ensures that all the financial services are met for the company and that of the clients looking for consultancy services in the organization. The public relation department ensures that interpersonal relationship for all the clients and workers is maintained at high level thereby improving the performance of the employees, retain, and attract more customers. This has led to productivity of the company due good customer relation and high quality services that the company offers. Technical department ensures all the other department and technical services management meet the goal and mission of the company to offer quality services.                   The quality control department ensures that all the services that offered by the company and its internal managements are in line with the international and local standards (Hoyle, 2009 p. 244). The company had adopted manual quality control system that mandated employees to monitor all the services and departments in the company. In addition, the inspections and testing when assessing qualities of their clients was done manually, which was expensive and involving to the employees in charge. The manual system was not efficient and some of the departments, employees, and services monitoring was poor resulting to poor services that affected the productivity of the company. The quality of services that a company or business offers helps it to retain and attract more customers making the company more competitive and commanding a wider share of the market (Berry, & Parasuraman, 2004 p. 134). Therefore, for the company to improve its services and improves its market share, a competitive and efficient quality control systems had to be put in place. Despite the high cost of implementation, the service would ensure that quality services are dispensed through efficient monitoring services.                   The company adopted and automated a quality control system developed through information technology to link all the five departments and the employees. Consequently, the company linked all the 15 branches such that all the services offered meet the customers need. The interlinked company departments and branches would ensure that inspection and testing process were efficient. The technical department monitored and maintained all the systems. The marketing department quality system ensured that customers could get all the necessary information and services that meet the international standards. Consequently, through quality control the public relation department would ensure that a good relationship among all the stakeholders of the company by disseminating relevant information and keeping the customers updated throughout.                   The questions categorized for questionnaires and interviews. The employees’ questions related to the effectiveness of the new process, their attitude on the change, and the transformation to the new system. Moreover, it also focused on employees’ involvement in the new process, and how monitoring changed comparing the old system. Concerning this question, some employees said that the new system was more effective while few of them did not distinguish between the performance of the manual and the new system saying that they view both systems as the same. On the issue of cost and monitoring, most of them said that the new system on quality assurance was more costly and offered close monitoring of employees and projects on the course thus maintain a high performance rate in the company. On the issue of the attitude of the employees, some employees had a negative attitude on the new system as they said that the new system would limit their free dom and might result to losing their jobs. Those with positive attitude argued that the new automated system would make work easier and improve the performance of the company. Few were confused on the though seemed interested with the implementation of the new technology. The implementation process was expensive from the response of the majority of the participants while few did not care about the cost and they said that it was cheap for the company since it had enough resources to implement the new system. According to the participant in this case study that were working for Athal company for the time of the research, the transformation process was faced with resistant as some employees feared losing jobs due to inadequate skills. Other argued that new technology would result in working overtime because some machines would require monitoring and thus resisted the change and made the transformation process difficult for the management. A number of the employees said that transformat ion was smooth as they cited that the management was able to deal with employees and assured them that nothing would change on the management of employees and their jobs were safe. They also indicated that the management assured them that the transformation to the new automated system would include training of employees in order to adapt to the new system. The employees argue that method would be applicable to both internal and external monitoring, as the company required the monitoring of the quality of other companies that it offered services. To them, this was the best means by which the company would improve its services to its clients.                   On the part of the management interview, it emphasized on the performance of the new technology, employees and clients response, and the cost of the implementation. The interview involved five management employees under the five departments. The management unanimously answered that the performance of the new system showed improvement. They cited that the system could process large information fast, accurately, and effective as compared to the old system. The management argued that the employees had a mixed reaction on the implementation while the clients were happy and welcomed the new system, as they believed that it could improve their services. The implementation process was costly according to the management but they did it as a way of improving their qualities.                   The organization experienced problems and poor performance in the marketing department thus caused reduced customers in the company. Similarly, poor performance of public relations department resulted to conflicts and poor employees’ performance that affected the efficiency and productivity of the company in delivering its services. In every company or business, good employees’ relationship is important since it minimizes conflicts and improves their working conditions and as a result, employees become very productive, which is the aim of every business. Consequently, employees are able to offer quality services to the customers thus retaining more customers for the company. Similarly, the slow monitoring and poor services in the finance department caused company poor performances and financial mismanagements. All the problems happened to Athal Company despite it having a manual quality assurance system that was mandated monitoring and ensu ring that the company was able to operate within the local and international business environment. The problems reflected that the manual system was ineffective. Therefore, the company needed to change its method of quality assurance so that it could ensure that customers received quality services. Finance department also needed good management as it ensured that the company operated with the international and national standards. The approach would not only improve the company’s quality systems but also improve its productivity and its competitiveness due to high quality services and standards that it would uphold.                   The target market for Athal Company is organizations and businesses that are in need of consultancy, inspection and testing services. The companies or businesses may be diverse and offering various services in the market but for them to provide quality services to their customers, they strengthen their managements through Athal consultation services (Wigand, 2003 p. 33). Therefore, Athal Company needs to provide high quality services and set international standards to its clients. Hence, it was important for it to adapt new technology in quality assurance services that would allow it give quality inspection, testing, and quality control services. Thus, adapting an automated information system would ensure that it would be able to carry out internal and external quality control.                   Athal Company offered effective services in the industry, which has maintained its productivity in the market in spite of its manual system. The company has also high skilled employees although the achievement of the company’s goals has been achieved through extra management and monitoring. In addition, the company operates in an industry where competition is not very much stiff. However, the emergence of the new technology that few companies are adapting, competition is becoming a business issue that management has to deal with. Moreover, the companies marketing strategies and technology adaptation has been poor until the recent past when the company adapted the new technology on quality assurance. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the implementation process of the new quality assurance system and how best is suited in the company’s strategies to improve its productivity and growth in the industry. Literature Review                   With the development and the industrialization of the world, technology has become inevitable to business industries (Lanz, 2013 p. 6). Many businesses industries adapt technologies to increase efficiency and quality of services they offer. The quality services and efficiency serves as a strategy to compete in the market. Information technology is one of the technologies that have been adapted by many companies and bushiness to improve on their performance (Ho-Chang, Chang, & Prybutok, 2014 p. 316). The information technologies have been used in various areas of specialization for company such as records department, financial, marketing and quality control. The technologies are linked to the business strategies such that they fit the competitive strategies making the company to fit in a dynamic market and environment (Wang et al, 2012 p. 346). The information technology systems help to integrate business entities making it more manageable and efficient i n delivery of its services (Drnevich, & Croson, 2013 p. 488-489). Hence, the quality system that would incorporate information technology system will enhance the integration of the five departments and the external environment making the company more manageable and improve service delivery. Consequently, the business would be able to compete and improve its performance.                   The implementation of the new technology in Athal Company involved an organization change. Hence the company needed to prepare the employees for a new change because people tend to resist to changes and particularly to those that tend to affect their freedom (Ford, J., Ford, L., & D’Amelio, 2008 p. 370). The managers have the responsibility to initiate new changes and influence employees to develop positive attitude on the technologies for smooth adoption of new technology (Lilly, & Durr, 2012 p. 199). To avoid resistance managers and executive must provide employees with trainings and other support skills that will help them to adapt to new technologies (KumpikaitÄâ€", & ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", 2008 p. 93-94.). Methodology                   The case study used questionnaires to obtain information from the employees about the manual quality system and the newly implemented quality systems in the company (Appendix 4). All the 110 employees were administered questionnaires to feel that contained both the questions about the old and the new information systems. In addition, interviews were conducted with five members from the top management team to understand the monitoring of the two systems (Appendix 5).                   The questionnaires were preferred for the employees because they were a large group in the company and other methods would take a lot of time. Moreover, it was possible to administer all the questionnaires at the same time thus saving time and getting the required information. However, the tool is not appropriate for getting details.                   Interviews were preferred for the management team because they were few and it could be managed with a short time. Interview also helps in getting details about the implementation process. However, it is time consuming. The interview involved the three questions attached in the appendix for the management.                   Athal Company was chosen in this case study since it was one of the companies that had implemented a new automated quality system using information technology in the recent past. These meant employees could be able to provide the required information as opposed to those that implemented it long time ago. In addition, there was high likely hood that most of the employees working in the company were present during the implementation process thus accurate information. Moreover, the implementation of the new system was faced with many challenges from employees’ resistance to financial support. In addition, the company size was manageable for this study since it had few employees, few departments and only five departments. Hence, finding information from the company would be easier compared to large complicated company.                   The region of study was chosen to be United Kingdom because the location has been advanced in quality system technology and so there was high likelihood of finding a company that had implemented a quality system using information system as the study had targeted. The studies show that the United Kingdom has a number of companies operating in quality assurance industry, which made the study more appropriate within the country (Sroufe, & Curkovic, 2008 p. 517). Study                   The case study involved the shifting of Athal Company from the manual quality systems to new automated quality systems that would be implemented using information technology systems. To implement the new quality assurance system using information system, the company needed to purchase new computers, information systems software to link various departments and branches. The program required skilled labor that was costly and extra training for the employees so that they could be able to adapt to the new technology freely. In addition, the new technology needed change of organization behavior from a manual system to an automated system, which many of the employees were not conversant. Therefore, the company had to change the behavior of employees from manual to automated systems, which risked objection and resistant. Hence, the management had to use their leadership skills and organization development to implement the new change successfully (Mullins, 2013 p. 8). The new system meant that the employees freedom, poor performance and missing of duties would end. Consequently, their level of services would be monitored and thus giving quality services. The implementation process involved installation of inspection, testing, and quality control infrastructures that were linked using information system software and hardware that would be used to disseminate information.                   The change to new technology for Athal Company meant that it would increase its market share due to improved quality of services that it would offer. Its clients would receive quality inspection and testing that would guarantee the quality control. The new information system would be able to monitor external companies that serve as its client at constant rates thus enhancing efficiency of Athal Company. Moreover, the automated system has low errors as compared to the manual system thus, the right services will be offered. This will guarantee the company efficient services that meet the national and international levels.                   The new changes to the automated system will enable the management in the Athal Company to be able to define their objectives and delegate to specific employees, which could not be possible with the manual system. Defined objectives and delegation of duties in the company will mean that the tasks would be accomplished in time. Moreover, less time is wasted using the automated quality systems thus the employees become more productive in spite of quality services that they offer. The result is the overall productivity of the company and better services to their clients compared to when they were using the manual system.                   The company decision to implement the new quality assurance system was because of increased competition and the deteriorating performance on its inspection, testing, and quality control services. The few companies in the industry had improved their performance, they had started to command the market, and therefore, the company had to look for means by which it could be able to compete with the other companies. The adoption of the new automated quality assurance system was seen as the only way that the company would be able to compete successfully in the market and thus a decision was finally reached to implement the new system. However, the decision was subject to employees support as they would be the one s that would use the technology for the benefit of the company. The decision process involved all the employees in the company where opinions were included in the new projects. Due to fear of most of the employees on their relevance when the new techno logy would be implemented, training of existing and recruiting of new employees was included as part of the implementation of the new system. When all the employees were comfortable with the new technology and sensitized on the need to shift to the new technology, the management went ahead to implement the new automated quality system in the company. Since the employees are growth oriented, they were able to adapt to the new system. Analysis                   The company wanted to implement new system as a sign of its improvement from the manual to the automated system. The automated system would allow the company to improve its services and the ability to upgrade and update the systems software will give the company ability to adapt to continued improvement of its services. Therefore, the new technology will be advantageous to the manual quality system that limited continued improvement throughout the operations.                   The case study can be analyzed using various porters’ five forces to determine its applicability of the new technology in Athal Company and the external business environment (Appendix 7). The porters’ five forces help to analyze the business in terms of competition, threat of new entry, power of buyers, suppliers, and substitute’s products or services.                   Consulting industry in United Kingdom is very competitive and thus companies in the industry must devise strategies that will make them more competitive and make them the leading companies in the market. Therefore, for Athal Company to remain relevant in the market, it must adopt the best technologies that will enable it to provide the best quality assurance services in the industry. In the industry, company adapt to manual systems due to their low operation cost (Ahuja, & Khamba, 2008 p. 745). Hence, Athal company shift to new technology gives it competitive advantages over the other companies in the industry. According to the research carried out on the company, 90% of the employees credited the automated system saying that it was effective compared to the manual system. Thus, the system would be able to deliver quality effective services to its target market. Quality services help a company to retain its customers and place it in a more competitive po sition in the market as customer or buyers tend to be attracted by quality and not the prices (Porter, 2008 p. 33). Therefore, the company’s choice on the automated system would be advantageous in the market despite the cost that is associated with it. The implementation of the new automated case study led to the improvement of the company’s performance and increase in customers seeking services from the company and thus improved incomes as shown in figure 1 below (Appendix 1). According to the interview carried out on the company’s income performance, the income is expected to rise to $ 27,000 million with the new automated system.                   The industry suffers from the presence of companies that are still using manual systems as a means of quality assurance system. The manual system forms the substitute services offered in the industry. These companies charge their inspection services at lower prices that threaten Athal automated services. Hence, Athal Company must offer good services beyond their clients’ expectations so that they will be able to shift from the manual to the automated. The company also needs to put in place marketing strategies that will advertise the new system emphasizing on the quality of services that it will offer as opposed to their previous method of quality assurance. Moreover, the company needs to offer quality services that will meet the needs of the clients. Hence, the company needs to improve its management and staff training so that it will be able to cope up with the substitute services from the company.                   In every market, companies maintain the large share of the market through limiting the bargaining power of the consumers. Initially, the company was offering manual services that were offered by other companies in the market. This gave consumers more bargaining power as they had a wide choice of obtaining services from various companies. However, the shift of Athal company from manual system to the new technology that was adapted by few companies make consumers to have limited choices of seeking services from the automated companies. The presence of few companies with the automated quality control system makes it possible for Athal Company to limit the bargaining power of consumers. When the bargaining power of consumers in the market is limited, they will tend to buy or obtain services from a single business (Chen, 2008 p. 241). Therefore, Athal Company will limit the customers and thus they will tend to seek the new services from the company thus impro ving its productivity and making it more competitive in the market.                   Athal Company shifting to the new technology meant that it would also shift its suppliers from those that provided the manual facilities to those that would suppliers it with facilities and infrastructures for the new technology. Since many companies in the industry have not adapted the new technology, it means that the suppliers are few in the industry. Few suppliers mean that the suppliers provide their services with strict conditions and high prices due to lack of competition. Moreover, the suppliers have high bargaining power in the market. This led to high installation cost for the automated quality system and the maintenance cost. The high prices offered by suppliers in the market reduce the profits margins for the companies operating in the industry (Chen, 2008 p. 241). Therefore, the new technology was costly to the company and the consecutive maintenance costs remain high thus reducing the profits margin for the company. Hence, limited suppliers in the industry threaten Athal Company adaptation to the new technology for quality system.                   The decreased number of suppliers and the reduced profits margin in the industry discourage new entrants in the industry. The decreased new entrants in the industry result in decreased competition in the market and threats for the existing companies. Therefore, Athal Company is free from threats of new entry due to high cost of adapting new quality system technology. The reduced competition creates favorable environment for the existing company to operate and improve their services in order to achieve their desired profit margin and growth in the market. According to the management, the maintenance cost for the new technology in the quality system is 40% more than the previous manual system. Hence, few companies in the industry can adapt it and especially those that are profit oriented. Advantage of Athal Company on implementation of the new quality assurance system                   The implementation of the new quality assurance system by Athal Company will accrue various advantages over the old manual system. The advantages will be in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, cost, involvement, and result oriented.                   The automated system will be advantageous in that inspection and tests will be run fast and effectively thus saving time that can be used to do other constructive duties in the company. Automated system will mean that the same type of the information will be fed to the system for various clients at a very short time and giving results instantly (Mak, & Peng, 2008 p. 366). One can only repeat similar information for the automated system. However, on the manual system one would be forced to record similar information for various entry and different clients thus taking a lot of time for a given task and giving out delayed results. This can be distractive to clients making them to shift their services to other companies that can offer fast and effective services. Hence, the automated system will not only give effective services at a very short time, but also retain the customer making the company more competitive in the market as opposed to the manual system (GE inspections N.d p. 1).                   Although the automated system installation and training of employees on the new system is costly in the short term, in long term, the system will be cheap as there will be saving of time and decreased human involvement thus saving the cost of labour for the company. The time saved could be used to do other constructive and productive services for the company, which would in turn give returns that subsidise the cost incurred by the company. Since the new system utilises decreased human labour, the company can opt reducing its labour, which may as well reduce its cost of operation and thus increase its profits margin (GE inspections N.d p. 18). However, the manual system required a lot of time to fill out the forms and extra human labour to attend different labour thus the process becoming expensive in the long term and but cheap in the short term since there are is no cost of installation. Hence, the automated system is less expensive in the long term and thus more advantageous to the company compared to the manual system.                   The automated system is results oriented and the results can be assessed by different employees since they will be available from the system thus minimizing errors being transferred to clients. Moreover, different employees can monitor the results in their various destinations so that a perfect final product is achieved. Hence, the system forms the best collaborative monitoring system. This is in contrast to the manual where results are only processed by an individual subjecting them to errors that may be transferred to clients and may affect the customer relation with the company and affect its performance and provision of services. Therefore, Athal implementation of the new quality system through information system presents it with advantage on accurate and quality services for the customer thus maintain customer relations and maintaining its market performance at improved level.                   However, the new automated system will be a challenge to the company as the information system tool is expensive on purchase and replacement in cases of breakdown. Moreover, the process of maintenance and training of employees can be very expensive for the company thus accruing unplanned cost, which may make its services more expensive thus making it less competitive in the market. Customers are attracted by low prices in the market. Although the automated system performs various tests for the information fed for the machine, the system has limitations and some of the tests such as images, and colour are only tested using manual system. Hence, the system cannot operate fully independently. Thus the cost of operation is increased by additional services for manual system. Findings                   The data obtained from this case study from Athal Company was summarised as follows. From the questionnaires, only 100 of them were complete and used for this case study. From the 100 questionnaires that were complete, 90% discredited the manual system saying it was faulty as it offered minimum monitoring. 10% saw it as the means to abscond their duties for their private jobs. All the employees agreed that the manual system was costly in terms of monitoring but cheap on the maintenance. 70% of the employees had a positive attitude about the manual system as it was not effective when monitoring employees. Employees could be absent from work without the knowledge of the top management due to unreported cases. 30% had negative attitude on the system as they felt the system caused personal conflicts between them and the people in charge of quality control. 100% of the participants agreed that the automated system was more effective compared to the manual sys tem since all the employees had to log in to automated biometric system. The information could be relayed fast and reach the target group within the shortest time possible. 43% of the employees were resistant to the process and felt that the manual system would continue while 57% of the employees felt that transformation to the automated quality system was necessary. 95% of the employees felt that it was important to implement the quality system for both the external and internal environment of the business to ensure that the overall performance of the company was monitored. 5% of the participants were not sure if the quality system was supposed to be installed both internally and externally.                   The data that was obtained from the management was as follows. According to the management, the automated quality system was more effective and efficient in monitoring and delivery of information across the company departments and branches. Moreover, the system was fast as compared to the manual systems. The management agreed that the automated quality system improved the performance of the employees and that of the company thus increasing attracting more customers. The customers had increased from 300 to 550 per day when the new system was implemented as shown in figure 3 below (appendix 3). Similarly, it is expected that the income would increase from $ 13,000 to $ 27,000 million by the end of the first year the figure 2 below in appendix 3 analysis the change. The management said that the employees had mixed reactions on the new quality systems, with almost half number of the employees arguing against it. However, concerted trainings and sensitization s led to smooth implementation of the new systems. From the questionnaires, it was found that managers appreciated the new systems and saw it a good system for medium companies. The implementation process was expensive and the maintenance cost is high. The installation and maintenance cost is 60% more for the new technology than the manual system as shown in the figure below. Conclusions and Recommendations                   The objectives of this case study were achieved in that the new quality assurance system that was implemented by Athal Company could be upgraded unlike the manual system through update of information system software.                   The process of full implementation, handling, monitoring, operating the system for the Athal Company involved the employees and organization management. Therefore, the process of quality assurance is effective when coupled to individuals, groups and organisations.                   According to the management, the type of the information system adapted to be used by quality assurance system depend on the size of the organization, services offered, financial ability and availability of resources. Athal Company being a medium company chose the relevant information system that meets their size of the company, financial ability and ability for continuous improvement.                   The process of quality assurance automation involves installation of testing, inspection and quality control equipments that are interlinked with information system software and hand wares such as computers to record information and deliver results. Athal Company followed the protocol and successfully implemented a quality system using information system.                   The following recommendations would be most appropriate for the company and other that would take the initiative to implement the same system in their premises.                   The company should prepare its employees in advance through hiring the right employees who have the skills to prevent unnecessary cost from extra trainings. If there has to be a training, only few employees should be trained and not the entire workforce. This would prevent resistant to new technology and save the company unplanned costs.                   The company should asses the availability of suppliers of the technology that is planning to adopt to prevent exploitation of the company by suppliers as evidenced in this case study. Few suppliers in the market resulted to increased cost, which in turn led to reduced profits from high cost of operations. References Ahuja, I. P. S., & Khamba, J. S. 2008. Total productive maintenance: literature review and directions. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 25(7), 709-756. Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. 2004. Marketing services: Competing through quality. Simon and Schuster. Chen, Z. 2008. Defining buyer power. Antitrust Bull., 53, 241. Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., & D’Amelio, A. 2008. Resistance to change: The rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 362-377. GE Inspections. Inspection Technologies: Productivity through inspection solution. N.d 1-19 Ho-Chang, C., Chang E., K., & Prybutok, V. R. 2014. Information technology capability and firm performance: contradictory findings and their possible causes. MIS Quarterly, 38(1), 305-A14. Hoyle, D. 2009. ISO 9000 quality systems handbook. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. KumpikaitÄâ€", V., & ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", R. 2008. New training technologies developing human resources. Economics & Management, 93-94. Lanz, J. 2013. Helping Small and Midsized Businesses Succeed in a Technology-Driven World. CPA Journal, 6-9. Lilly, J. D., & Durr, D. W. 2012. Technology changes at work and employee reactions: The role of leader behavior. Human Systems Management, 31(3/4), 193-201. Mak, K. L., & Peng, P. 2008. An automated inspection system for textile fabrics based on Gabor filters. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 24(3), 359-369. Mullins, L.J. (2013). Management & Organisational Behaviour. Pearson Porter, M. E. 2008. The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard business review, 86(1), 25-40. Sroufe, R., & Curkovic, S. (2008). An examination of ISO 9000: 2000 and supply chain quality assurance. Journal of Operations Management, 26(4), 503-520. Wang, N., Liang, H., Zhong, W., Xue, Y., & Xiao, J. 2012. Resource Structuring or Capability Building? An Empirical Study of the Business Value of Information Technology. Journal Of Management Information Systems, 29(2), 325-367. Wigand, R. T. 2003. Introduction to business information systems. Berlin [u.a.: Springer-Verl. Appendices Appendix 1 Figure 1: showing the changes in income with respect to change in quality assurance system Appendix 2 Figure 2: increase in number of employees with the change in technology Appendix 3 Figure 3: comparison between the cost of the automated and manual quality system. Appendix 4 Questionnaires Serial no. Question Answers Employees 1 How effective was the manual system 2 Was the manual system costly in terms of monitoring and maintenance 3 What was your attitude on the manual system 4 How effective has the automated quality system been compared to the manual system 5 Comparing to the manual system, was it costly in terms of implementation and maintenance 6 How was the transformation to the new automated system 7 Was the automated system applicable to internal and external monitoring of the company 8 Was you involved when deciding on the new system Appendix 5 Management interview questions 8 How do you compare between the manual and automated quality control system on their performance 9 How did the employees and customers respond to the new system automated system 10 Kindly comments on the overall implementation process and whether the cost of the installation of the process is high or low Appendix 6 Manual system Automated system Customers 300 per day 550 per day Income $ 13,000 million $ 27,000 million Cost and maintenance 100% of the standard cost 160% of the standard cost Appendix 7 Source document

Substance Abuse: It’s affect on Individuals, Family, Friends, and Society

The purpose of this essay is to shed light on substance abuse and its effect on individuals, family, friends, and society. This study examined reliable data regarding substance abuse, the effects it has on individuals, families, friends, and society. Included also are the risk and dangers associated with methamphetamines, and the problems associated with the drug trafficking industry worldwide. Treatment programs are available and can be beneficial to the individual as well as society. The preliminary results will show how substance abuse affects all people, businesses, and organizations involved.The conclusion can also be drawn that substance abuse and its effects are problems that, if treated properly, and the correct tactics are used in controlling its supply, can be managed to some extent. Substance abuse effects not only the person abusing drugs but also family, friends, and society as a whole. The costs associated with substance abuse is astonishing; these costs include medical care, court costs, the cost of treatment, court proceedings, and costs associated with crimes involving drugs. Prisons are overcrowded and the battle to keep illegal drugs out of the prison system continues.The problems associated with substance abuse are not only in the United States but Worldwide. New programs and tactics to treat and fight substance abuse have to be implemented to keep up with the ever changing drug industry. Individuals who abuse tobacco or other addictive drugs are at a higher risk illness, injuries, imprisonment, and death. Some of the health risks associated with substance abuse include: dependency, impairments to brain function, cancers, STDs, HIV/AIDS, withdrawals, depression, seizures, liver, lung, and kidney problems, death, and many others (â€Å"Health Risks Associated with Alcohol and Drugs†, n.d. ).The brain can suffer many affects from substance abuse, from addiction, mild anxiety and depression, to extensive manic and other psychopathic resp onses. Severe withdrawal symptoms from â€Å"physiological depressants such as alcohol and benzodiazepines are hyperactivity, elevated blood pressure, agitation and anxiety† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005). After withdrawing from stimulants a person will feel depressed, tired, and withdrawn. â€Å"Any substance taken in very large quantities over a long enough period can lead to a psychotic state† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005).Cancer is another health problem associated with substance abuse. Intravenous drug use, unprotected sex, and heavy drinking can cause liver damage and result in cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Diseases such as hepatitis C can be contributed to unprotected sex and intravenous drug use; sometimes leading to liver diseases. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2013) estimates that, â€Å"in 2011 a total of 14. 0 million people injected drugs worldwide, which corresponds to 0. 31 percent o f the population aged 15 – 64† (Extent of health consequences of drug use : injecting drug use.para 1. ).People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are high among intravenous drug users. The UNODC (2013) â€Å"estimates that the global prevalence of HCV among people who inject drugs is 51. 0 percent, meaning that 7. 2 million people who inject drugs were living with HCV in 2011† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 2) HIV/AIDS and STDs are common among drug users and be spread through unprotected sex and intravenous drug use, which is a behavior known to be associated with substance abusers. UNODC (2013) estimates that of the 14.0 million people who inject drugs, â€Å"1. 6 million are living with HIV; that represents a global prevalence of HIV of 11. 5 percent among people who inject drugs† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 1).Premature death due to drug overdose has been on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), ( 2013), â€Å"in 2010, 30,006 (78%) of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States were unintentional, 5,298 (14%) of suicidal intent, and 2,963 (8%) were of undetermined intent† (The Problem, para. 3).The statistics show that men are more likely to die than women and that â€Å"American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest death rate, followed by whites and then blacks; the highest death rates among people 45-49 years of age; and the lowest rates among children less than 15 years of age† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013, Risk Factors for Drug Overdose). Drugs are now to blame for more deaths than motor vehicle accidents, for the first time (ABC news).According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2013),† an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to the survey† (How Many People Take Drugs and Drive). Drugs also play a major role in traffic accid ents; According to Science Daily, â€Å"between 1998 and 2009, there were more than 44,000 fatally injured drivers with drug-test information—one quarter of whom tested positive for drugs†(Deadly Drugged Driving: Drug use tied to fatal car crashes, 2011, para. 11). According to MADD (n. d), â€Å"over 1. 2 million drivers were arrested in 2011 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics† (Statistics, para.2).Death of a loved one affects the family members and friends, not only emotionally but also financially. There are very few states that offer assistance in funerals and those that do only pay a small amount (Funeral Ethics Organization, 2012). Substance abuse can affect families in many ways. Children of parents who abuse drugs are at a higher risk of child abuse and of being born prematurely, low birth weights, and other problems which occur at birth.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (n. d.), â€Å"there may be as many as 45,000 cocaine-exposed babies born per year† (Magnitude: Addiction Affects Everyone: Prenatal. ). Women who smoke during pregnancy deliver babies that have a lower average birth rate than those of women who do not (NIDA). The risk to children in homes where the parents manufacture drugs is even greater. â€Å"Approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases substantiated by child protected services involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents†, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse: Magnitude (Addiction Affects Us All: Child Abuse).The emotional and financial burdens of living with a person who has a substance abuse problem can be overwhelming. Some of the other effects include the risk of HIV, increased risk of substance abuse in children born to addicted mothers, conduct problems in children living in homes where there is substance abuse present, marital problems, emotional and physical abuse, and legal problems (â€Å"Substance Abuse Affects Families†, n. d. ).Many times children born to or living in homes where the parents have a substance abuse problem, the children will end up in foster care. According to American Humane Association, † the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, by the American Humane Organization estimates in a 2005 report states that substance abuse is a factor in at least 70 percent of all reported cases of child maltreatment† (Parental Substance Abuse Can Lead to Child Abuse and Neglect).The number of children living in foster care is a financial burden to society as a whole. Society is affected by substance abuse in a number of ways including increased crime rates, lower property rates in drug infested areas, and financial burdens to federal, state, and local governments, and taxpayers. According to the Drug War Facts Organization (1998-2013), â€Å"of the 1,552,432 arrests for drug law violations in 2012, 82.2% (1,276,099) were f or possession of a controlled substance, and 276,333 were for the sale or manufacturing of a drug† (Basic Data, para. 1).This along with stricter sentencing policies has caused an overcrowding of jails and prisons. Not only are the jails and prisons filled with people convicted of drug possession, sales, and manufacturing, but they also consist of people convicted of crimes committed to support their habits (Drug War Facts Organization Basic Data, section 6).The annual costs per federal inmate according to The Urban Organization (2012), are â€Å"$21,006 for minimum security, $25,378 for low security, $26,247 for medium security, and $33,930 for high security† (Prison is expensive) According to the Vera Institute of Justice,(2012), â€Å"among the 40 states surveyed, representing more than 1. 2 million inmates (of 1. 4 million total people incarcerated in all 50 states prison systems), the total per-inmate costs averaged $31,286 annually†(Total Taxpayer Cost Per Inmate, p. 8, para 1).There are also state and federal costs associated with training within the federal and state law enforcement agencies and prisons. Methamphetamine labs not only put the safety of citizens at risk but they also cost the state, federal, and local government as well as the taxpayers a considerable amount of money. People who live near these labs, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders are all at risk of being seriously injured or killed. Law enforcement means and allocated expenditures are strained because of the costs associated with disposing of and cleaning up of methamphetamine labs.According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, â€Å"the average cost to clean up a methamphetamine production laboratory is $1,900; given that an average of 9,777 lab seizures were reported to NCLSS each year between 2002 and 2004, the economic impact is obvious† (The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6). There was also additional training needed for deali ng with these labs which was not only an added financial burden but increased workloads (National Drug Intelligence Center: The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6).The burden felt within the law enforcement system is not the only industry that has been affected by drug use. As of 2009, most drug users aged 18 and over, were employed and admitted to having used drugs while employed. The turnover and absenteeism, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (n. d), â€Å"from 2002 to 2004, full-time workers aged 18-64 who reported current illicit drug use were more than twice as likely as those reporting no current illicit drug use to report they had worked for three or more employers in the past year†(Turnover and Absenteeism).Current drug users were also more likely to miss more days of work. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (1998), â€Å"estimates by the United States Department of Labor in the mid1990s suggest that drug use in the workplace may cost American business and industry between $75 billion and $100 billion annually in lost time, accidents and higher health-care and worker’s compensation costs† (Economic consequences of drug abuse and trafficking, p. 17, para. 3). School performance is lower for drug users than for non-drug users according to the whitehouse. gov website.The fight against drug abuse is not only in the workforce, schools, and society in the United States, but worldwide. According to Stein (2012), an author for the Los Angeles Times, in one article out of a series of articles they are doing on addiction states that â€Å"about 200 million people around the world use illegal drugs every year† (Stein, 2012). The study contained information regarding four drug categories; opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana. The rates of drug users are higher in developed countries. Social factors and the accessibility of drugs also affect the rates.Drug use fell behind tobacco and alc ohol use in mortality rates, but when considering the lost years of life drugs rated higher at 2. 1 million, according to Stein (Stein, 2012). Drug trafficking is another problem felt worldwide; according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), â€Å"given the large quantities of licit substances that make their way across oceans and continents every day, in containers and even small boats, maritime trafficking poses a particularly knotty challenge for the authorities†(Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para.1).Maritime seizures are usually larger than those seizures of trafficking by road or air (Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para. 3). New trafficking routes are being looked for as the old ones are being discovered, causing the authorities to have to step up their efforts in controlling the drug trafficking industry. New drugs are being created daily to not only meet with the dema nd for them but to help traffickers avoid detection. With this increase of new drugs the number of new narcotics under international control had be increased.With all the drugs and the drug abuse in the United States as well as around the world the need for treatment programs and tactics to fight drug abuse is on the rise. There are five primary treatment models that professional in the field of substance abuse can use: psychoeducational models are used in educating patients about substance abuse, related behaviors and their consequences; skills development groups basically try to teach individuals the skills they will need to maintain a drug free lifestyle.; cognitive-behavioral groups are designed to change the clients thinking patterns; support groups help reinforce the clients’ efforts regarding their thinking and emotions and help them develop better interpersonal skills while in recovery.There are also relapse prevention treatment groups, communal and culturally specifi c treatment groups, and expressive groups (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy, 2005). One or all of these types groups may be used in the treatment of substance abuse and in different settings.There are different types of substance abuse facilities available for the treatment of addiction. â€Å"Facilities operated by private, nonprofit organizations account for 58% of treatment facilities. Private, for-profit facilities (29%), and the remaining facilities are operated by local governments (6 percent), state governments (3 percent), Federal Government (2 percent), and tribal governments (1 percent)† (Substance abuse treatment facilities: New data, 2010: Major Findings, para. 1).Programs are also being made available in jails and prisons to help reduce the number of returnees to the prison system. Substance abuse treatments vary in price but can be very expensive although it is believed that the benefits outweigh the costs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012) states that, â€Å"according to several conservative estimates, every dollar invested in addiction treatment programs yields a return of between $4 and $7 in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft† (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?, para. 2).When healthcare savings are figured in to that savings it can exceed costs by a 12 to 1 ratio, so while the costs may seem great the benefits can be even greater. Family and friends can help addicts find treatment and resources to help pay for the treatment as well as being supportive while they are in treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost? ) There are several websites that are available to help obtain the information needed to locate the right treatment facility.The effectiveness of treatment varies depending on the individual and the treatment facility and type. According to NIH, â€Å"research that tracks individuals in treatment over an extended periods, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning†(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: How effective is drug addiction treatment? , para 1). Substance abuse affects individuals, family members, friends, and society as a whole.There are astonishing costs related to drug abuse, crimes committed related to drug use and producing drugs, and the cost associated with authorities who fight against drugs. The jails and prisons are overcrowded and the staffs are overworked. Substance abuse is not a problem associated with just the Unites States, but worldwide. There are treatment options and facilities available, although; they can be costly. However, statistics show that the benefits far outweigh the costs in most cases.