Management Science & System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Management Science & System - Coursework Example The cost of the rooms was  £120 per room per night. They would book the accommodation but if they found out a week in advance that they were not going to make the trip, they would cancel at a cost of 10% of the total value. If they cancelled one (1) to three (3) days in advance then the charge would be 50% and on the day 100%. The Reservations manager who was pretty new did not know how to handle situations like these and so he flatly refused to accept the booking or to give it any further thought. The hotel was already 60% booked for two of the days when the group wanted to stay. All the other days were below 50%. The group required 42% of the rooms which meant that there would have been an excess demand of a mere 2%. This case is considered of major importance because in a few months the Olympic Games will be in London and similar situations may arise during that period. Managers are required to make decisions everyday. It is important that when matters arise that they are analysed properly before actions are taken. Pearce and Robinson (1997) states that one of the critical tasks of strategic management is to: â€Å"identify the most desirable options by evaluating each option in light of the company’s mission.† One of the roles of management is to make decisions and there are a number of models that are available to assist in this process. One such method is decision analysis which uses a construct called a decision tree to analyse situations. According to Lucey (1992, p27) a decision tree is: â€Å"A pictorial method of showing a sequence of inter-related decisions and outcomes. All the possible choices are shown on the tree as branches and the possible outcomes are subsidiary b ranches.† Another model of major significance is linear programming – a mathematical technique. â€Å"Linear Programming has helped to bridge the gap between abstract economic theory and managerial decision making in practice† (Koutsoyiannis, 1979). It is normally used in

Discuss the implications of the increasing length of annual reports Coursework

Discuss the implications of the increasing length of annual reports - Coursework Example Information on market prices is used as a reflection of publicly available knowledge concerning a company. Financial reporting of market prices enhances efficiency through provision of more disclosure despite some anomalies that occur in the process of reporting. Experimental literature supports the fact on displaying financial information such as comprehensive income, which have influence on investor’s decisions. Consequently, financial statistics provide useful facts such as earnings and financial ratios that at times prove more costly to extract since they are never revealed by market prices. However, demand for financial information arises from the requirements posed by pending decision task. Such demand requires some level of information processing capacity that is determined by simplicity in presentation and information load (Deloitte, 2010). According to Hall (2009) sheer volumes of disclosures within International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has substantially increased the length of annual reports (Morunga and Bradbury, 2012). There are adequate results showing the impact of information overload on processing strategies and outcome of annual reports. The increase in length is further attributed to increase in the size of financial section of the entire report. There is substantial increase in the notes explaining the accounts and accounting policies. Information on IFRS reconciliations and accounting policies on transition accounts for nearly over 5% of annual reports despite the items not necessarily required on a continuing basis. Elimination of such transition items still gives space for accounting policies as well as note disclosures under IFRS which consumes close to 20% of total space. Therefore, there is significant proof that different components of accounting policy such as general, IFRS transition, f inancial instruments as well as

Paul Tillich Response to Modern Criticism Essay Example for Free

Paul Tillich Response to Modern Criticism Essay This course explores the themes of Paul Tillichs philosophical theology, with special attention to his analysis of meaning and its apparent loss in modern society. The course will also evaluate Tillichs response to the problem of meaninglessness and his effort to interpret the Christian message. WHAT IS EMPIRICISM? According to John Scott Gordon Marshall, empiricism, in philosophy, is â€Å"the attitude that beliefs are to be accepted and acted upon only if they first have been confirmed by actual experience†. This broad definition accords with the derivation of the name from the Greek word empeiria, meaning â€Å"experience. † Primarily, and in its psychological application, the term signifies the theory that the phenomena of consciousness are simply the product of sensuous experience, i. e. of sensations variously associated and arranged (Andrew M. Colman: 2003:242). It is thus distinguished from Nativism or Innatism. Secondarily, and in its logical (epistemological) usage, it designates the theory that all human knowledge is derived exclusively from experience, the latter term meaning, either explicitly or implicitly, external sense-percepts and internal representations and inferences exclusive of any superorganic (immaterial) intellectual factor. Empiricism is thus opposed to the claims of authority, intuition, imaginative conjecture, and abstract, theoretical, or systematic reasoning as sources of reliable belief. Its most fundamental antithesis is with the latter (i. e. with Rationalism, also called intellectualism or apriorism). Forms of Empiricism According to Catholic Encyclopedia empiricism appears in the history of philosophy in three principal forms: (1) Materialism, (2) Sensism, and (3) Positivism. a. Materialism: Materialism in its crudest shape was taught by the ancient atomists (Democritus, Leucippus, Epicurus, Lucretius), who, reducing the sum of all reality to atoms and motion, tau ght that experience, whereof they held knowledge to be constituted, is generated by images reflected from material objects through the sensory organs into the soul. The soul, a mere complexus of the finest atoms, perceives not the objects but their effluent images. With modern materialists (Helvetius, dHolbach, Diderot, Feuerbach, Moleschott, Buchner, Vogt, etc. ), knowledge is accounted for either by cerebral secretion or by motion. b. Sensism: All materialists are of course sensists. Though the converse is not the case, nevertheless, by denying any essential difference between sensations and ideas (intellectual states), sensism logically involves materialism. Sensism, which is found with Empedocles and Protagoras amongst the ancients, was given its first systematic form by Locke (d. 1704), though Bacon (d. 1626) and Hobbes (d. 1679) had prepared the data. Locke derives all simple ideas from external experience (sensations), all compound ideas (modes, substances, relations) from internal experience (reflection). Substance and cause are simply associations of subjective phenomena; universal ideas are mere mental figments. Locke admits the existence, though he denies the demonstrability, in man of an immaterial and immortal principle, the soul. Berkeley (d. 1753), accepting the teaching of Locke that ideas are only transfigured sensations, subjectivizes not only the sensible or secondary qualities of matter as his predecessor had done, but also the primary qualities which Locke held to be objective. Berkeley denies the objective basis of universal ideas and indeed of the whole material universe. The reality of things he places in their being perceived and this perceivedness is effected in the mind by God, not by the object or subject. He still retains the substance-reality of the human soul and of spirits generally, God included. Hume (d. 1776) agrees with his two empiricist predecessors in teaching that the mind knows only its own subjective organic impressions, whereof ideas are but the images. The supersensible is therefore unknowable; the principle of causality is resolved into a mere feeling of successiveness of phenomena; its necessity is reduced to a subjective feeling resulting from uniform association experienced in consciousness, and the spiritual essence or substantial being of the soul is dissipated into a series of conscious states. Lockes sensism was taken up by Condillac (d. 780), who eliminated entirely the subjective factor (Lockes reflection) and sought to explain all cognitional states by a mere mechanical, passive transformation of external sensations. The French sensist retained the spiritual soul, but his followers disposed of it as Hume had done with the Berkeleian soul relic. The Herbartians confound the image with the idea, nor does Wundt make a clear distinction between primitive con cepts (empirische Begriffe, representations of individual objects) and the image: Denken ist Phantasieren in Begriffen und Phantasierenist Denken in Bildern. c. Positivism: Positivists, following Comte (d. 857), do not deny the supersensible; they declare it unknowable; the one source of cognition, they claim, is sense-experience, experiment, and induction from phenomena. John Stuart Mill (d. 1870), following Hume, reduces all knowledge to series of conscious states linked by empirical associations and enlarged by inductive processes. The mind has no certitude of an external world, but only of a permanent possibility of sensations and antecedent and anticipated feelings. Spencer (d. 1903) makes all knowledge relative. The actual existence of things is their persistence in consciousness. Consciousness contains only subjective feelings. The relative supposes the absolute, but the latter is unknowable to us; it is the object of faith and religion (Agnosticism). All things, mind included, have resulted from a cosmical process of mechanical evolution wherein they are still involved; hence all concepts and principles are in a continuous flux. d. Classical Empiricism: Classical empiricism is characterised by a rejection of innate, in-born knowledge or concepts. John Locke, well known as an empiricist, wrote of the mind being a tabula rasa, a â€Å"blank slate†, when we enter the world. At birth we know nothing; it is only subsequently that the mind is furnished with information by experience. e. Radical Empiricism: This was advanced by William James, an American pragmatist philosopher and psychologist, based on the pragmatic theory of truth and the principle of pure experience, which contends that the relations between things are at least as real as the things themselves, that their function is real, and that no hidden substrata are necessary to account for the various clashes and coherences of the world. James summarized the theory as consisting of (1) a postulate: â€Å"The only things that shall be debatable among philosophers shall be things definable in terms drawn from experience†; (2) a factual statement: â€Å"The relations between things, conjunctive as well as disjunctive, are just as much matters of direct particular experience, neither more so nor less so, than the things themselves,† which serves to distinguish radical empiricism from the empiricism of the Scottish philosopher David Hume; and (3) a generalized conclusion: â€Å"The parts of experience hold together from next to next by relations that are themselves parts of experience. The directly apprehended universe needs, in short, no extraneous transempirical connective support, but possesses in its own right a concatenated or continuous structure. † The result of this theory of knowledge is a metaphysics that refutes the rationalist belief in a being that transcends experience, which gives unity to the world. According to James there is no logical connection between radical empiricism and pragmatism. One may reject radical empiricism and continue to be a pragmatist. Jamess studies in radical empiricism were published posthumously as Essays in Radical Empiricism (1912). According to him, it is only if it is possible to empirically test a claim that the claim has meaning. As all of our information comes from our senses, it is impossible for us to talk about that which we have not experienced. Statements that are not tied to our experiences are therefore meaningless. This principle, which was associated with a now unpopular position called logical positivism, renders religious and ethical claims literally nonsensical. No observations could confirm religious or ethical claims, therefore those claims are meaningless.

Biography of Ernst Ruska

Biography of Ernst Ruska ERNST RUSKA INTRODUCTION Mankind has come a long way since the dark ages in the field of science and medicine. We have seen many great inventions and discoveries that have helped shape our lifestyle. The electron microscope was one such invention which helped scientists and medical practitioners detect deadly diseases and viruses. The electron microscope helped scientists detect differences between the virus that caused smallpox and the virus that caused chicken pox. Today the electron microscope continues to be an integral part of many laboratories helping researchers to examine biological materials, medical biopsy samples and the characteristics of various surfaces. However, due credit should be given to the man behind the invention of this great apparatus. That man was none other than Ernst Ruska. Ernst Ruska came from a humble family whose intellect surpassed other children his age. Boisterous and full of life, Ernst went on to create history when he collaborated with Dr. Max Knoll to invent the world’s first electron microscope. So what drove Ernst towards the complex field of mathematics and science? What were the difficulties he had to face before becoming the man who today is known as the father of microscopes? Let us go back in time and explore the journey of Ernst Ruska and witness firsthand his rise to glory. THE BIRTH OF A GENIUS It was a typical cold morning on 25th December 1906 in Heidelberg, Germany. Julius Ruska and his wife Elisabeth welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family. Elisabeth had tears of joy as Julius gently caressed the baby with affection. The baby was christened Ernst Ruska by the proud parents. Ernst’s father, Julius was a professor, a passionate botanist and a mineralogist who had the big Zeiss microscope kept in his study. For an innocent child like Ernst, the microscope seemed very unique and strange. Ernst was fascinated by this strange looking artefact and wanted to see it in person. However, his father strictly forbade him to touch the microscope. But, like all children, this only heightened Ernst’s curiosity. Ernst’s father noticed the keen interest his son showed towards the microscope. So, he would take time off his busy schedule and show Ernst magnified objects with the invention. Ernst’s uncle was in charge of an observatory on a hill overlooking Heidelberg. As a result, Ernst would often visit the observatory to meet his uncle and see the telescopes in action. After graduating from school, Ernst wanted to study engineering but his father, Julius was not too happy with the decision. Julius was very judgemental of his son’s decision to become an engineer. â€Å"How could the son of a Professor choose an inferior educational path?† thought Julius. However, Ernst was adamant about his decision to study engineering and got himself enrolled at the Technical College in Munich in the autumn of 1925 and later moved to Berlin. EARLY YEARS Ernst was extremely energetic as a student and began involving himself in studying high voltage and vacuum technology at the institute of High voltage under the tutelage of Adolf Matthias. Sometime around the end of the summer term in 1928, Mr. Matthias formed a small team to develop a high-performance cathode ray oscilloscope. When Ernst heard of Mr. Matthias’ plan, he jumped at the opportunity and joined the small team created by Matthias becoming the team’s youngest member. The team was headed by Ernst’s classmate called Max Knoll who was an electrical engineer. Ernst noticed that the cathode in the oscilloscope emitted a beam of electrons which could be used to form a dot or a writing spot on a fluorescent screen. But, the beam emitting from the cathode was unstable. Ernst and his team put all their energies into improving the cathode and sharpening the focus of the electron beams. During their research Ernst came across an article in a journal called ‘Archives Elektrotechnic’. The article was written by a professor named Hans Busch. In the article, Busch stated that the short coil present in the cathode generated a magnetic field that made stimulated electron particles behave in the same way as light when it passed through a convex glass lens. Ernst remembered his childhood and realised that the same type of lens was found in his father’s microscope. Unfortunately, Busch was unable to bring his brilliant theory to practical use due to unavailability of newer data. However, Ernst was fascinated by Busch’s theory and decided to make it a part of his thesis which he submitted in his graduate years in May 1929 at the age of 23. In his thesis, Ernst calculated the characteristics of the magnetic coil. He tested whether it could actually be used to unite electron rays and focus on a target. He was successful in his approach and with the use of the coil; he managed to gain the first recorded electron ocular images of the anode orifice of the cathode ray tube. Ernst was elated to say the least. He had just brought Busch’s theory to life! An accomplishment which even Busch was unable to achieve! A SLOW PATH TO SUCCESS Ernst had an innovative outlook towards his profession. Yes, he was successful in obtaining images but his main agenda was to create an electron microscope. However, it wasn’t an easy task. In 1930, at the age of 24 Ernst tried to create a cheaper version of this experiment as part of his diploma thesis but failed to come through. So, Ernst went back to his original idea of using coils as lenses. Using two coils, Ernst managed to build a tube similar to the microscope. Ernst tested the apparatus for the first time and noted that the magnification factor of his unique invention was a mere 15 units. Even though the magnification of the apparatus was far lower than what Ernst had expected, he had managed to prove to his peers that it was possible to obtain magnified images using electron beams and magnetic fields. One day while working on developing the apparatus further, Ernst noticed that the electrons in the machine emitted a huge quantity of heat. The heat was destroying the objects that were being viewed by Ernst through the machine. Ernst was a bit disappointed with this outcome. There was no use of creating modestly magnified images when the objects in view could be burnt to ashes. Thus, Ernst along with colleague Bodo von Borries and Max Knoll ventured on building a new and efficient microscope. However, Ernst knew that in order to impress the scientific society, his microscope would have to be better than the current light microscope which was being used. During the process of constructing his very first electron microscope, Ernst noted that the trick to compressing the magnetic field to a tiny area relied heavily on the shape of the coil. The coil had to be designed in a way that the focal length could be kept as short as possible. Keeping the focal length short was a must so that the apparatus could obtain images with high magnification. To achieve this, Ernst and his colleague Bodo constructed a coil cocooned by iron with a small gap in the center which helped to compress the magnetic field. Ernst and Bodo named their coil the â€Å"pole shoe lens† and had it patented in 1932. Finally after a year of thorough research and sleepless nights, 27 years old Ernst and his colleagues built the first electron microscope in 1933. Unlike Ernst’s previous invention which had a magnification factor of merely 15 units, this new microscope had a magnification factor of a humongous 12000 units. Finally, after years of research and dedication, Ernst finally managed to achieve his dream. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The feat of inventing the first ever electron microscope in the world should have brought joy to Ernst. But, on the contrary Ernst wasn’t too happy as he couldn’t convince the industry to invest in the production of his microscope. The problem of overheating the objects under the lens of the microscope was still a major concern. Ernst noticed that the electron microscope would mostly be utilized by biologists. He also realised that the vacuum tube present in the microscope dehydrated the specimens and the electrons damaged them. On most occasions the heat generated burnt the specimen to ashes. Ernst was in a fix as he was unable to come to a solution to this particular problem. He turned to his younger brother, Helmut Ruska for assistance. Helmut Ruska was a medical practitioner with a positive attitude. He was sure the microscope would work if certain improvements were made. As a result, Helmut approached Richard Siebeck who was the director of the medical clinic at the Charity Hospital. Richard was also Helmut’s former medical professor and so, he managed to convince Richard to invest his time and effort into his brother’s invention. Richard was initially reluctant but after 3 years on 2nd October 1936, Siebeck praised Ernst’s invention and explained how the microscope could help doctors in analyzing the cause of diseases. He credited Ernst by stating that the microscope was capable of advancing research into identifying infectious agents that caused diseases which on paper seemed similar to each other. Diseases like measles, smallpox, and chickenpox seemed to have similar symptoms but Richard knew that the infectious agents causing the diseases were different. And he backed Ernst by stating that the microscope would be helpful in distinguishing the agents. Richard Siebeck’s testimony was enough to convince industries and companies to take the financial risk and and invest in developing electron microscopes. A renowned company called ‘Siemens’ hired Ernst and Bodo von Borries in 1937. Together Ernst and Bodo began work on producing microscopes. In late 1939 Siemens delivered the first series of microscopes branded â€Å"Siemens Super Microscope† to the laboratories of I.G. Farben in Frankfurt-Hochst. Ernst was eager to make his instrument famous all over the country. So in order to promote his invention, he suggested to the CEOs of his company Siemens to set up a visiting institute so that biologists and doctors could carry out their research using his microscope. The Institute of Electron Optics was built in 1940 when Ernst was 34 years old. Ernst along with German and foreign scientists managed to publish around 200 scientific papers from the institute by 1944. Ernst was obviously involved in the development and mass production of the electron microscope. Following the Second World War which proved to be devastating for Germany, the Institute of Electron Optics was disbanded. As a result production of microscopes had come to a halt. The demand for the instrument was huge and so in order to meet the demands of his customers; Ernst reconstituted the institute. FINAL YEARS In order to further develop the microscope, Ernst began working at the German academy of Sciences in Berlin from August 1947 to December 1948. In 1949, at the age of 43 he was made the head of department at the Fritz Haber Institute. After spending almost 20 years at Siemens, Ernst left the company at the age of 49 in 1955. After two years at the age of 51, Ernst was made Director of the institute of electron microscopy at the Fritz Haber Institute on 27th June 1957. In 1960, Ernst’s contribution to the field of medical science was acknowledged when he was awarded the Lasker Award. Ernst spent the 1960s serving as Director at Fritz Haber. He also held lectures at the Technical University of Berlin and Free University where he would talk about the basic principles of electron optics and electron microscopy. On 31st December 1974 at the age of 68, Ernst stepped down as Director and officially announced his retirement. In 1986, 80 years old Ernst received the Nobel Prize for his contribution to science. 25th May 1988 was a gloomy day in West Berlin. 82 years old Ernst Ruska left the world peacefully. He was cremated in West Berlin. TRIBUTE Even though Ernst left the world, his invention of the electron microscope continues to help biologists and medical practitioners till date. His ability to think out of the box was a quality that helped him reach a stage of grandeur. Ernst was all alone during the initial years of his studies when he stated that an electron microscope could be developed. Many doubted him and scoffed at his idea that an apparatus of such great significance could actually be built. The same people had to eat their hats when the microscope was finally invented. What one should learn from this legendary inventor is that one should never lose the will to succeed. Ernst’s life would have been very different had he chosen to give up on his dreams. Like they say, man is the maker of his own destiny and Ernst deserved every accolade that he received for his ingenuity. Here’s saluting the legendary inventor and genius known as Ernst Ruska.

Theodore Roethke and The Waking :: Waking Essays

Theodore Roethke and The Waking In describing the way he receives life's lessons and learned experiences, Theodore Roethke uses repetition of two different sentences and a simple rhyme scheme to help the reader understand his outlook on how to endure life. The two sentences repeated throughout the poem are "I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow" and "I learn by going where I have to go" [with slight variation in the latter]. "I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow" shows up in stanzas 1, 2, 4, and 6 and figuratively means that Roethke awakens in the morning and learns from the day's experiences. Unlike most people, Roethke does not rush through the day as if he expected another. He lives through the day in a calm and slow manner so that he learns about life without missing anything along the way. At night, he falls asleep content with the day's experiences and awakens the next morning in the same slow manner. When Roethke states "I learn by going where I have to go" in stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 6, he declares that he goes anywhere and everywhere to experience all that he can. He observes rare things throughout his journeys and makes mistakes along the way, but wherever he goes, he locks the experiences in his memory and repeats the cycle. The repetition of the sentences in the poem set a tone of determination and perseverance to enjoy all of life's experiences that come Roethke's way. The emotion portrayed by the sentences is an uplifting feeling because Roethke observes and enjoys even the most trivial aspects of life such as when "the lowly worm climbs up a winding stair." The rhyme scheme initiated by the author follows the rhyme scheme ABA in the first two stanzas, CDA in the third through fifth stanzas, and ABAA in the final stanza. This particular rhyme scheme creates a comfortable flow of overt rhyming. In the first two stanzas, the rhyming is the same (ABA) as Roethke talks about how to experience life by feeling. The rhyme scheme changes in the third through fifth stanzas as the focu s in the topic changes to how Roethke epitomizes his "experience by feeling" idea by sharing the specific examples of the worm and the ground. The last stanza returns to an ABAA rhyme scheme much like that of the first two stanzas.

Geronimo :: essays papers

Geronimo Geronimo's grandfather, Maco, had been the chief of the Nedni Apaches. He had been of great size and strength. When Maco had been chief his principle wars had been against the Mexicans. They were seldom at great length of peace with the Mexicans. When Maco's son (Geronimo's Dad) became a warrior, Maco died. Geronimo's father could not become the chief of the Nedni's, because he married a woman from the Bedonkohe Apaches. The two had 8 children- four boys and four girls, including Geronimo. The possibility that one of the boys would become chief of he Bedonkohe was very slim. His mother taught him the legends of his people; taught him the sun and sky, the moon and stars, the clouds and storms. She also taught him to kneel and pray to Usen fir strength, health, wisdom, and protection. When the children were young they would play with each other and sometimes with their mother and father. When they were grown up enough to do real services they went to the field with their parents: not to play, but to toil. They did not cultivate tobacco, but they found it in the wild. All of Geronimo's tribe smoked, both men and woman. No boy was allowed to smoke until he could hunt alone and kill large game such as; wolves, bear, deer, etc. Geronimo's father died when Geronimo was at a young age. They wrapped his father in his finest clothes, painted his face, wrapped a rich blanket around him, saddled his favorite horse, bore his arms in front of him, and led his horse behind, repeating in wailing tones his deeds of valor as they carried his body to a cave in the mountain. They then slew his horses and gave way all his property, as was customary in our tribe, after which his body was deposited in the cave, his arms beside him. Geronimo's mother never married again, which was not a custom to the Bedonkohe Apache. In 1846, when Geronimo was 17 years of age, he was admitted to the council of warriors. If a war had started between tribes he could go on the warpath with his tribe. Geronimo had long desired to fight with his warriors. What he was the happiest about was that he could marry Alope, the daughter of No-po-so. The two had been with each other along time before. So when he got the news that he was in the council of

Relationship Essay -- science

Relationship The relationship between men and women has always been complicated and sometimes even a really loving relationship cannot survive if people chose their personal longing as a priority. No matter how strong are the values of a man or a woman they should never forget about feelings and happiness that are nowhere else to be found but in the heart of the beloved person. Men and women fight in relationships: fight for more independence, fight to prove their rightness and keep forgetting that love is not a fight but a â€Å"mutual support alliance†. William Carlos Williams in his story â€Å"The Buffalos† gives an outstanding example of a relationship between a man and a woman. Francie in this story has a certain notion of what a relationship should be like. She seeks for being loved, unde...