Application of Theories in Firms Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Application of Theories in Firms - Assignment Example Companies use penetration marketing to gain market share and retain their customers Method Various literature and information were evaluated as regards the culture of employee empowerment theory. Empowerment as a social theory is traceable to Freire, an educator and humanitarian of Brazilian origin who espoused a plant for liberating the oppressed in the world using education. The idea of empowerment was mostly associated with alternative approaches to social or psychological development. The theory of employee empowerment suggests that employees will undertake their duties and responsibilities in a more responsible, efficient, and effective manner if they are allowed to behave in a less encumbered way and are better informed (Hur, 2006). Employee understanding of the mission, objectives, vision, and goals of the company will enable them demonstrate greater initiative, risk-taking and responsibility when they are effectively trained, accorded an environment that is relatively free of castigatory consequences and they have some authority in making decisions. It involves delegating authority up to the lowest level within the organization where decision making is allowed. Over the past twenty years, the theory of employee empowerment has been tried and proven to yield considerable predictive value (Towns, 2010). Employee empowerment culture gives employees the leeway to make decisions by themselves and this gives a lot of room for creativity, and entails principles of shared leadership and is a shift from the traditional hierarchical leadership method. It incorporates an approach that is motivational where not much independent power and authority is accorded to employees. The other approach is relational that entails a lot of power decentralization (Towns, 2010). Question Two The theory of penetration pricing is a strategy that entails giving customers a markedly low price (compared to average market price) at the early stages of the business enterprise with the b elief that over time due to experience and increased efficiency, costs of production will go down for instance due to economies of scale. This ultimately leads to the enterprise becoming profitable (Rao, 2009). It is suitable when a completely new product is being introduced, the market has customers that are price sensitive, a threat of a competitor entering the market exists, and continuous innovation is expected. Question three This memo reviews Google and Wal-Mart as two companies in the USA that practice employee empowerment and penetration pricing; respectively. Most traditional companies condition their employees to rely and depend upon leaders whom they really have no intrinsic connection to as the means for company progress. Employees are just not trusted to make the right decisions on matters affecting the company on their own (Llopis, 2010). Google has shown leadership and ‘breaking away’ from the pack by empowering their employees to make decisions and explo re their creativity. Google employees are empowered to use 20 percent of the time they spend at work daily to pursue personal projects that are not related to Google as a company and remarkably enough, this presently accounts for half of Google’

Customer Service and Design Alternative Courses Essay Example for Free

Customer Service and Design Alternative Courses Essay Case 1. TECSMART ELECTRONICS Identify the problem: Formulate objectives: Design alternative courses of action: Analysis of the ACA: a. advantages b. drawbacks Conclusion: Recommendation: Case 2. CAN SIX SIGMA WORK IN HEALTH CARE? Identify the problem: New culturein the hospital Formulate objectives:  · To be able to make it easy to employees and all staffs the new framework to be used.  · Design alternative courses of action: Analysis of the ACA: a. advantages b. drawbacks Conclusion: Recommendation: Case 3. TOYOTA MOTO CORPORATION, LTD. Identify the problem: Losing quality products. Formulate objectives:  · To be able to consitently provide quality products.  · To be able to regain quality edge. Design alternative courses of action:  · Inspect every process in the production system to ensure delivery of quality products to customers. Analysis of the ACA: a. Advantages:  · High quality products.  · Customers satisfaction to products. b. Drawbacks:  · Costly  · Time-consuming Conclusion: Toyota became a victim of its own success. Because of its focus in becoming the number one auto maker in the world, it affected its product quality. Customers began to face safety related problems in Toyota vehicles. Toyota had sacrificed its legendary quality and ignored its own management principles and customers. Recommendation: I would recommend them to forget their own pride in having their own principles and management, if it will lead them to a low quality products and unsatisfied customers. It is good if they would focus on providing quality and always conduct an inspection before giving away products to customer to ensure quality. Case 4. THE NIGHTMARE ON TELECOM STREET Identify the problem: Inefficient customer service system. Formulate objectives:  · To be able to improve cutomer service experience.  · To be able to provide quality service to customers.  · To be able to provide efficient service.  · To be able to give fast transaction. Design alternative course of action:  · Recreate the customer service system  · Hire additional customer service representatives to entertain calls Analysis of the ACA: a. Advantages:  · Customer satisfaction to efficient service.  · The more the employess, the more persons can facilitate customers need to entertain their needs and concerns. b. Drawbacks:  · More cost is shouldered by the firm.  · Time-consuming. Conclusion: In order to satisfy customers need to be entertain, the firm is in a need of new employees. As a customer myself, I also get pissed of to systems like this because it is very time consuming. Recommendation: I would highly recommend to hire more employees in order for the customers need to be entertain urgently and efficiently. If it is possible to reform the system, it is much better.

Methods of Social Research

Methods of Social Research Methods of Research The correct choice of research methods to use in answering researcher set questions investigating a topic is one of the most crucial and vital elements to the successful conduct of a research exercise, (McNeill, 2005). While much attention can be paid to theory within the methodology employed by the researcher it is also critical to consider the actual research tools which back up the theoretical decisions made and provide the raw data against which the hypotheses of the research can betested. For much research the research tools will be a decisive factor in thesuccess or failure of the project. In many instances the choice of research tool is not assessed correctly with the result being data is generated which is of little or no use to the researcher, (Ruane, 2005). This occurs both due to the research method not suiting the particular needs of the researcher and the improper administering of the research method itself. For many,  choice of research tool is influenced however not by the objective needs of the research but by the ability and capabilities of the researcher in terms of time, cost or other related factors such as familiarity with the processes and techniques involved within specific sets of research tools. In this essay, we examine three research methods, show how they can be constructed in a holistic manner toachieve triangulation in relation to a research question and illustrate ethical concerns and the manner in which they can be resolved in the successful deployment of these research methods, (Somekh and Lewin, 2005). We discuss these methods as a process and thus relate our discussion to the manner in which theycan be integrated and successfully deployed. In this sense then we examine howfocus groups can provide insights into theoretical observations, how theseobservations can be explored within semi-structured interviews with a selectedsample and how these observations from interviews can be developed intogeneralised into hypotheses tested against larger samples through the use of questionnaires.However it should be noted that a critical element in deciding on whichmethodologies should be used in a research project and the relative strengthsand weaknesses of using those methodologies will depend to a large extent onthe specific circumstances involved in conducting the research, (Bryman, 2004). By this it ismeant that weaknesses for example within the conduct of questionnaire may infact be a positive element for certain projects and negative for othersdepending on the contextual basis for the research. We explore this and otherfeatures of research methods subsequently. Focus Groups Focus groups are atype of qualitative based research method based loosely on the generalprinciples which apply to interviews. However while interviews are generallyone-to-one situations involving a interviewer and interviewee relationshipfocus groups employ a one to many dichotomy, (Holloway and Jefferson, 2000). Indeedfocus groups resemble semi or unstructured interviews more particularly thanstructured interviews as one of the primary objectives of the researcher withinfocus group interviews is as a facilitator or moderator of group discussionbased on sets of general themes identified as being related to the research objectivesfor which the focus groups are being used to generate data, (Bloor et al, 2001).In particular focus groups are a very useful method to consider in theexploratory stages of research to help form ideas related to theoreticalobservations upon which later research can be based. While notoriginally a tool familiar to the social sciences focus group methodologieshave been long deployed and successful elements within business andspecifically marketing research. From these origins however their utility for socialscientific research has come to be recognised within many sections for specificinstances for which they are useful, (Fern, 2001). Focus groups havea number of advantages and disadvantages when applied towards collecting datain answering sets of research questions. Let us discuss the advantages of usingthis methodology to begin with. Perhaps a fundamental strength of focus groups istheir interactive nature when designed and implemented properly. In this mannerthe researcher can set general themes and topics and also ask specificquestions of the group related to the research topic by facilitatingintra-group discussion arising out of the topics mentioned by the moderator. Subsequentlyrecording and monitoring the discussions and interactions which occur withinthe group as the issues raised by the researcher are thrashed out can provide immenselyvaluable qualitative data and also critically have the possibility of offeringtheoretical insights or considerations missed by the researcher. In terms of aspecifically action research or ethnographic research outlook focus groups areeven more element as the interactive nature of focus groups allows the groupand its participants to actively engage with the research and even when plannedfor adequately by the researcher allow them to shape the outcomes and processesof the research itself, .(Czarniawska, 2004) Some of the keydisadvantages we can associate with the use of focus groups are internal groupdynamics, participant and interviewer bias and transcription related problemsin codifying and making the data generated amenable to analysis. However the primarydrawback to this method is related to the interactive nature discussed above inthat the researcher has much less control over the type and nature of datagenerated during the course of the research. Again as mentioned planning andgood moderating skills are essential in the use of this method, (Litosseliti, 2003). Internal groupdynamics can play a vital role in determining the success or failure of using focusgroups as a means of answering research questions. The specific disadvantagesbeing spoke of here include a common feature of socials groups wherebyindividual members of that group through personality and group dynamics come tolead and dominate discussions, (Vaughn, Shay, Sinagub, 1996).An interviewer needs to be aware of such situations and develop tactics andstrategies which are inclusive in terms of encouraging all of the individualswithin a group to participate as equally as possible in the discussion as it isbeing held. With larger groupsand to some extent even smaller groups as well due to possibilities of manypeople answering at the same time, especially in more animated discussions thenecessity of effective recording allowing for accurate transcription isessential. Bias can occur both in terms of the moderator and participants inthat moderator may lead the discussion too much in their desire to gatherrelevant data or otherwise colour the responses of participants who in turn maydesire to satisfy what they perceive to be the wishes of the moderator duringthe course of the discussion. Such considerations are not isolated to focusgroups and should be a common concern for any research exercise, (Morgan, 1997). Ethically similarsafeguards that are used in other types of research methods need to be employedwithin focus groups with some specific concerns. As with other types ofresearch informed consent needs to be adequately collected from theparticipants and in particular with focus groups if the topic is sensitive orcovers material of a private nature it must be remember that other people willbe present and thus the moderator must take further care in considering theethical implications of this feature, (Gregory, 2003). Semi-structured interviews If a researcherhas used a focus group in order to identity common themes and concerns associatedwith his or her choice of questions a useful follow on from focus groups can bethe use of more in depth and detailed semi structured interviews. Theinterviewees could perhaps be drawn from a representative sample from which thefocus group was composed. Semi structured interviews are a popular form of qualitativeresearch much relied upon within social scientific as well as otherdisciplinary investigations. The general purpose of such interviews is toexplore in details specific topics relevant to the interviewees knowledge andalso relevant to the research questions and objectives forming the focus of theresearch project, (Silveman, 2004). The normalstructure for such an interview is a one to one situation with an interviewereither having a list of some predetermined questions which are then used to branchfurther questions outwards during the conduct of the interview or alternativelythe interviewer is equipped with a set of general topics from which questionsare generated during the course of the interview. While not as interactive asfocus groups good semi-structured interviews are however in some way reliant onparticipant determination for the tenor and tone of the conduct of theinterview. This can be a principal strength of using this method in that it canbe a highly fruitful manner of exploring topics with which participants arefamiliar The advantages ofsemi structured interviews can be surmised under a number of headings. Thefirst of these is the opportunity it gives to both interviewer and intervieweeto explore in depth and detail the substantive issues for research within agiven project mentioned above. Not only though do semi-structured interviewsafford the opportunity to discuss themes in detail but the semi-structurednature also gives the interviewer freedom to dynamically adapt and respond tothe flow of the discussion as it occurs. In this sense the interviewer canexplore themes not suggested by the structure of the interview which wasoriginally planned; this is an important difference from structured interviewswhich lack this interviewer flexibility and freedom. A semi-structuredinterview can thus be said to allow for frank discussion, is a flexible and adaptivemeans as the interviewer and interviewee can respond and explore topics as theyoccur during the interview and as such can be a useful source of data for anyresearch project. Disadvantages withsemi-structured interviews again like those common to focus groups are thosewhich need to be taken account of with the use of any research method. Some ofthe main disadvantages we can associate with the use of semi structuredinterviews include participant bias, interviewer bias and the reliability ofany data generated during the course of the interview. Like focus groups theinterviewer needs to be aware of their responses and comments to theinterviewee so as not to colour or bias the responses given. Similarly aninterviewer needs to display a manner which does not indicate to theinterviewee preference supposed or otherwise for a particular set of responses.Reliability is a concern with qualitative research in general and aninterviewer needs to be cognisant of the type and form of data generated duringthe conduct of the interview. Ethically again similar principles which appliedto focus groups apply to semi-structured interviews in that the participants insuch interv iews give full informed consent to the interview taking place andthat confidentiality is ensured on the part of the interviewer in terms of anydata generated from the participant. Questionnaires Perhaps the mostfamiliar of research methods both to researchers and the general publicquestionnaires as part of a survey strategy have long held a dominant role inthe conduct of research projects, (Frazer Meredith, 2000). Questionnaires come in a variety of forms from postal, totelephone administered, to interviewer administered and so on but they are all characterisedon a reliance on a predetermined set of questions with predefined answers whichmake the data amenable to later statistical analysis either by hand or throughthe use of the many statistical computer programs which now exist. Questionnairesexcel at the testing of hypothesis concretely formed and outlined as well atgathering opinion based data from large samples, (McQueen, 2002). Questionnaires area form of quantitative research and thus they involve many statistical elementsin terms of carrying out research using them. Some of the fundamental concernswith using questionnaires include the need for sampling, ensuring effectiveresponses and a high response rate. In turn these three elements are related tothe principal advantages and disadvantages of using this method, (Oppenhiem,1992). Or in other words the success or failure and the degree to these for aparticular questionnaire is determined to a large extent by the successfulsampling of a target group and having a well-designed questionnaire with clearinstructions for participants in order to ensure correct responses and a highnumber of responses from the sample. The primary advantageof using a questionnaire lies in the amount of data which can be collectingallowing for varying degrees and sophistication in statistical analyses whichcan be performed on the data, (Gillham, 2000). The primary disadvantage ofusing questionnaires is the inverse of this strength in statistical termsrelated to the rigid and inflexible way in which data must be collected in thatthe researcher is unable to benefit from any interactivity in the research andeven when the questionnaire is interviewer administered there is a rigidity tothe questionnaire format which must be adhered to, (Houtkoop-Steenstra, 2000). Questionnaires in terms of the triangulation discussed above couldusefully be deployed in order to test hypothesis generated from theexplorations and conclusions reached during the use of focus groups. Conclusion As can be gatheredfrom our discussion then all of the research methods we have discussed are possessedof both positive and negative aspects in the case of their deployment in orderto answer research questions set by the researcher. It is argued that perhapsthe best means in which to consider the use of any of these research methods isto see them as part of a cyclical process related to the triangulation ofcertain research objectives, (yen, 1990). It can be arguedthat by using a combinational method then in the approach of constructing aresearch methodology has the benefit of playing various research methodsagainst each other, by this it is meant that certain methods will be strongothers weak and that a combinational approach will allow for the strongestpossible methodology to emerge and thus have the best chance of generatinguseful data for the research questions at hand, (Gorard and Taylor, 2004). However asmentioned in some of the limitations we discussed previously with regards tothe methods each of these particular methods require certain skills of the researcherfor them to be truly effective methods. Thus projects which would seek to useall of these methods as well as possible others would need to draw upon skilledresearchers in terms of their ability to conduct quantitative and qualitativeresearch in equal measure. Similarly using a combinational method increases therange of ethical considerations for the researcher with the possibility ofthere being a complex network of ethical issues that need to be resolvedcontinuously across the range of research methods used in the project (deMarrais Lapan 2004). Similarly for acombinational method to be effective as well as the use of any of these methodssolely also a strong methodology in terms of a plan for the research and itsconduct will need to be in place in order to generate truly relevant data forthe research questions which the researcher wishes to investigate, (Andrews,2003). In conclusion the organisation of research methods in terms of their deploymentis the most critical determinant of the success of the researcher in gathering datawhich will be of use in their subsequent and later analysis based on theresearch questions they have tasked themselves with answering. Organisation it canthus be argued is one of the principal determinants of whether the selection ofany research methods will be successful in collecting relevant and valuabledata for that project, (Ragin, 1994). References Andrews, R.J.(2003) Research Questions, Continuum, London Bloor, M. et al (2001) Focus Group inSocial Research, SAGE Publications, London. Bryman, A. (2004) SocialResearch Methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford Czarniawska, B.(2004) Narratives in Social Science Research, Sage, London deMarrais,K. Lapan, S.D. (2004) Foundations for Research: Methods of Inquiry inEducation and the Social Science, Mahwah, N.J. : L. Erlbaum Associates. Fern,E.E. (2001) Advanced Focus Group Research, SAGE, US. Frazer,L. Meredith, L. (2000) Questionnaire Design Administration : aPractical Guide, John Wiley, London. Gillham,B. (2000) Developing a Questionnaire, Continuum, London. Gorard, S. andTaylor, C. (2004) Combining Methods in Educational and Social Research,Open University Press, Maidenhead Hollway,W. Jefferson, T.(2000) Doing Qualitative Research Differently: FreeAssociation, Narrative and Interview, SAGE, London. Houtkoop-Steenstra,H. (2000) Interaction and the Standardized Survey Interview: the LivingQuestionnaire, Cambridge University Press, UK. Litosseliti,L. (2003) Using Focus Groups in Research, Continuum, London. Gregory, I. (2003)Ethics in Research, Continuum, London McNeill, P. (2005)Research Methods 3rd Edition, Routledge, London McQueen, R. (2002)Research Methods for Social Science, Prentice Hall, Harlow Morgan,D. L. (1997) Focus Groups as Qualitative Research 2nd edition,Sage Publications, US. Oppenheim,A. N. (1992) Questionnaire Design, Interviewing, and Attitude Measurement,Pinter Publishers, New York. yen,E. (1990) Comparative Methodology: Theory and Practice in InternationalSocial Research, Newbury Park, London. Ragin,C.C. (1994) Constructing Social Research: the Unity and Diversity of Method,Thousand Oaks, Pine Forge Press, US. Ruane, J.M. (2005)Essentials of Research Methods, Blackwell Publications, Malden MASS Silveman,D. (2004) Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice, SAGE,London. Somekh, B. andLewin, C. (2005) Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Sage,London Vaughn,S., Shay, J. Sinagub, S.J. (1996) Focus Group Interview in Educationand Psychology, SAGE, US.

An Analysis of The Thurber Carnival Essay -- Thurber Carnival Essays

An Analysis of The Thurber Carnival  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The Fables for Our Time contained in Thurber's The Thurber Carnival are, in my opinion, particularly good examples of a writer successfully 'breaking frames' in order to create humor and satire. In this essay I am going to explore the main methods Thurber uses to create humor and satire in the fables "The Shrike and the Chipmunks" and "The Unicorn in the Garden"2. Firstly though, what do I mean by the 'broken frame'? This is a reference to the idea that the violation of our 'frames of reference', and the recognition of the incongruity caused by it, is the basic element of humour. If the incongruity needs to be explained, the humour will be lost. Kant expresses this idea when he says "Laughter is an affection arising from a strained expectation being suddenly reduced to nothing"3. Thurber violates several different types of expectation in his attempts to create humour and satire. These range from expectation of the rules of fable and other literature, to expectation of characterisation, and expectation of the familiar saying. "The Shrike and the Chipmunks", is first and foremost a parody of the traditional fable. It has all the traditional ingredients: the anthropomorphised Chipmunks, corresponding with stereotyped human characters, the building of suspense over a perceived right and wrong type of behaviour, a corresponding climax, and a moral at the end. Anthropomorphism is a common technique of humour. Umberto Eco explains that this is so that the audience can laugh at the 'broken frame', without the discomfort of empathy with the frame breaker. "It is for this reason that the animalisation of the comic hero is so important"4. But quite apart from this use, Thur... ... 1-9. Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Judgement, Book II. E307 Photocopy. pp. 196-203. Thurber, James. The Thurber Carnival. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1983.    End Notes 1. Umberto Eco, "Frames of Comic Freedom," in Carnival!, ed. T. A. Sebeok (Berlin: Mouton Publishers, 1984), p. 4. 2. James Thurber, The Thurber Carnival (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1983). Fables for Our Time pp. 278 - 305. "The Shrike and the Chipmunks" pp. 290-291. "The Unicorn in the Garden" pp. 304-305. 3. Immanuel Kant, Critique of Judgement, Book II, E307 Photocoy. p. 199. 4. Eco, p. 2. 5. Thurber, p. 290. 6. Thurber, p. 290. 7. Thurber, p. 291. 8. Thurber, p.305. 9. Burton Bernstein, Thurber: A Biography (Great Britain: Lowe & Brydone, 1975), p. 308. 10. Eco, p. 2.      

“The World Is Blue” Reflection Essay

Kylee Luckett BIO 106 Dr. Harper 4/10/2012 â€Å"The World is Blue† Sylvia Earle Review and analysis by: Kylee Luckett â€Å"It is our choices†¦ that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. † -Albus Dumbledore They say only a few will ever speak loud enough to be heard over the other seven billion voices on the planet. Today someone is shouting. Screaming off of the pages of â€Å"The World is Blue† is Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society’s Explorer in Residence, and vast contributor to the effort to preserve the planet’s oceans.Earle’s book is not an inconvenient truth, fueled by politics and funding, but rather, by Earle’s heart for the ocean, and its unique residents. Earle explores conflict and resolution, one chapter and issue at a time. Taking Marine Wildlife: The elephant in the room Earle utilizes her chapter on fish to call the world out on the elephant in the room-overfishing. Earle discusses how at one time in history, people believed that there was an infinite amount of fish to be caught, that there would never be a day when we would see something as popular as tuna, go extinct.We are sitting on the eve of â€Å"that day. † Earle really brings out the reality of overfishing, almost mocking our early ideas of sustainable yield. â€Å".. but those pesky animals didn’t obey the rules.. So what’s wrong with the concept of sustainable yield? † (Earle) Earle makes keen note that you cannot possibly create a concept of sustainability, when you know next to nothing about the species you are supposedly â€Å"yielding†. Earle debunks the idea of a surplus in the ocean of a healthy ecosystem, stating â€Å"What APPEARS to be an overabundance to human observers is a natural insurance policy†¦ (Earle) Earle applies the same idea of questionable yield to marine mammals. She spends a fair amount of this chapter on the touchy subject that is almost alway s controversial-whaling. She lends a nod to her own initial ignorance of marine mammals in an honest confession. â€Å"I had come to regard the cats, dogs, horses, squirrels and rabbits I knew personally as individuals, but I did not think of whales the same way. † (Earle) She goes on there after, to explain her emotional experience of â€Å"meeting† a whale, and her forever changed perspective.Whaling is just the tip of the iceberg or in this case, melting glacier, for Earle. Earle shifts into the amount of marine mammals killed as â€Å"by catch†, and the epidemic that breeds within the fishing industry. What would the world think if in fact the by catch of their tuna salad was the faithful Flipper? Would they still feel safe about their claimed â€Å"dolphin safe† tuna? I recall my six year old self, carefully checking each can of tuna my mother placed in our shopping cart, seeking out that little smiling dolphin to confirm that my lunch would be free of dolphin massacre.So much has changed since those would be conservation efforts. Earle does not forget to mention the smaller, less thought of creatures-the shellfish. Earle opens her chapter with a history lesson centered on oysters, at one time in our history- she notes â€Å"†¦. they were described as hazards to navigation. † (Earle) Today, few would ever say abundant in the same sentence as oysters. Earle pay homage to the importance of the shellfish in our ocean, discussing everything from clams to my personal favorite-the octopus, whom Earle notes as a critical part of the ocean’s health.Earle closes her shellfish segment with a sentence that hits close to home. â€Å"I have decided to cease and desist, hoping that every lobster I don’t eat, will increase the chances that somewhere a lobster might live, and do what lobsters do as a part of a healthy ocean. † (Earle) With that statement, I immediately connected on a personal level to Earle. As a devout vegetarian, I too, have hopes that every animal I do not eat, will aid in the future of that species, and ultimately, our planet’s future. She lends advice however, to these dynamic and complex issues- and it is all so simple.Do not take, what you cannot replace, and do not take what you know nothing about. The world is a vampire- sent to drain. Earle’s second major concept of her book is the relentless greed of the human race. Through pollution, ignorance, and pillaging of all resources, the human race has become that of a vampire species, feeding off of the seductive lure of power, money, and claim that our planet’s oceans bring. A particular lipstick wearing, wolf hunting politician made a statement that is becoming unanimous with most of America today- â€Å"Drill baby, drill. For the unknowing, that is Sarah Palin, a woman who agrees with offshore, and in some cases, onshore drilling. The topic of oil is sensitive. Do you drill in former wildlife and marine reserves to avoid wars with your supplying companies? Most of America, even the left minded Barak Obama was nodding to the idea of on and offshore drilling in the United States’ backyard. The steadily rising price of fuel and oil are making more Americans nod yes, than ever before. Earle is shaking her head no. largely because the action occurs underwater, out of the public view, little attention has focused on what actually happens on the ocean floor where drilling takes place, or what creatures are displaced by the thousands of miles of pipeline laced across the bottom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Earle)Despite my serious vendetta against Sarah Palin, I myself, had not actually considered the impact of pipelines on the ocean floor, I was always more focused on oil spills and the tragedies which take place thereafter. Earle does make serious mention of oil spills, reliving the Exxon Valdez casualty that permanently damaged the Alaskan shoreline.The book even features the text of Earle’s testimony before Congress on the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is not the spills, the pipelines, or the seeping of the oil that sets a tic for Earle†¦ it’s the use of the oil itself. The subject everyone has heard about, even if they didn’t want to. It doesn’t take Al Gore to make one think or hear about climate change. The 1950’s were a time for poodle skirts, milkshakes, and good old fashion family values, along with cigarettes, seat beltless cars, and DDT. My point is it should not stun anyone that emissions are impacting the planet in a â€Å"negative† way.Earle seems to feel the same. â€Å"Civilization currently thrives on oil based economies, and is continuing to do so despite herculean efforts to move away from fuels that pollute the planet today and will potentially shorten the number of tomorrows our species will have. † (Earle) Sylvia Earle is not an extreme leftist; she is an educated woman who has worked beside oil engineer leaders, government officials, and offshore experts. I believe it is these credentials that make her so magnetic, and tune readers’ thoughts to her direction. Her powerhouse chapter on oil has n Achilles’ heel, her lack of insight on solution. It is not as though she has an answer and it is not as if she is not willing to share, it is that no one has a surefire way to reroute the flight of emissions. This chapter, though mind-blowingly effective, still has an unfinished climax, much like our planet. Uneducated or Unwilling to learn? Earle is consistently using the same explanation throughout her book as to why individuals are not taking more action. In every chapter, she highlights examples of attitudes and expressions from people associated to the topic.Earle’s book is one of the tools our society now has to combat the epidemic of the uneducated on the subject of anthropogenic damage to nature. There is not a single environmental ist who at one time did not face the reality transition of a need for change. The issue is entirely complex and tedious because alongside the uneducated, are the unwilling. There has been an outward cry on the subject of climate change from Christians, denouncing it as political corruption, or that climate change is merely an effect listed in the book of Revelations.Earle does not seem to let the major issue of uneducated and unwilling affect her view on the future. She positively lists the strides being made to better understand the ocean. In Earle’s closing chapters, it is as if she is taking the reader by the hand, and showing how we can all make a difference. I found Earle’s book to be stirring. I have definitely become something of a cheerleader for Earle after reading this book. As a woman pursuing conservation science as a career, I found Earle to be a keen example of what one person can do in their field that can change the thoughts of others worldwide.Earle to ok her opportunity as an author, and produced an extraordinary document that covers every issue associated with the ocean and humans, but goes a step beyond outlining what’s wrong. Earle uniquely includes what is right, and what is currently being done to change the course of the future. I have read several books on environmental issues, and none have so effectively utilized the opportunity to educate and motivate individuals like Earle has done in her book. Earle has motivated me to keep fighting the good fight. I often struggle over if my work with polar bears ill ever be worth anything, and Earle’s book was the push I needed to continue on. Even if I do not know the outcome, at least I can say, I have made the effort in my lifetime to try. Earle sets a standard for each reader, to simply make choices in favor of the planet, and its oceans. We may not all have the ability to write books, give speeches, or work directly alongside the ocean, but we all have choices we can make to better our tomorrow. We are living in a time of great uncertainty, and are all faced with a forked road ahead of us.One leads us to certain extinction, the other to opportunity to at least try to change for the better. The world is blue today, but what will it look like tomorrow? What will our children see when they look to the sea? The answer lies entirely on our willingness to change. Will we be the generation who turned the course of the planet around? Or will we be the generation who had the opportunity and denied our own species, and so many others a future? Works Cited Earle, Sylvia A. The World is Blue. Washington DC: National Geographic, 2009.

Urban form and sense of security

This study tries to explore human perceptions of security In urban environments, by Investigating the impact of design actors in the built environment on an individual's perception of personal safety in that space. This study was carried out within the context of an urban design study rather than within a human psychology-based study. To validate these factors a site from the traditional fabric of Mohammedan is studied and is compared with the same factors at a site in the newer fabric of the city.The paper finally attempts to establish the relevance of the traditional urban form within contemporary city developments, in achieving better sense of security in public spaces. Understanding of the basic theme a. Deflation of Sense of security Sense of security In simple terms can be defined as a human feeling that makes the person convinced that he she is safe and secure in a particular place or context. The person with a sense of security is not feared of any force which can be a person , a group of persons or an animal or any other manmade / ‘supernatural' force which can put them in danger (physical or mental damage).People develop specific fears as they learn about certain people, objects, animals or natural/ ‘supernatural' forces. A child was conditioned to fear a white rat in the laboratory might fear even other white, furry objects Kenny P. Joy I 2 traumatic accident. For example, if a child falls into a well and struggles to get out, he or she may develop a fear of wells, heights (acrophobia), enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), or water (aqua phobia). There are studies looking at areas of the brain that are affected in relation to fear. L Variation in the definition.The definition of sense of security varies from person depending on their age, gender, and cultural background. In all of these categories there is a weaker section which is feared of the other group or some external force, be it manmade or ‘supernatural'. In the case of gender, women being weaker by physical strength fear f attacks of men on them in form of sexual assault, rape, eve teasing etc. Whereas in the case of age, children, being weaker in physical strength, associated lack of mental maturity in understanding the reality, make them fear of adults or even ‘supernatural' powers who can pose harm to them.Often cultural backgrounds affect the sense of security since form, color, light, sound, smell and other characteristics which are a part of any space will have different meanings in different cultures. The concept of sense of security is not confined to people who belong to any of the weaker groups of these categories but is applicable to any person. For example an able bodied adult male who does not belong to those weaker groups, also is prone to dangers of attack or theft in the public by criminals or animals. The fact that he is also in danger, inculcates a lack of sense of security within him.Here, when it was discussed about the about the victim of such an attack losing sense of security, we should not 1 http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/Little_Albert_experiment 3 forget that the sense of security of these criminals too are in question. They are again in a fear of danger from being caught by police. Though these are some of the basic factors that determine a person's sense of security, sense of fear in various forms is generated in a person due to the physical character and quality of the space where he is placed.For a person, the sense of security within an urban space is primarily linked with the level of familiarity, which means a sense of fear is generated in the person automatically in an uncertain environment. Fear can channel one's energies away from areas of perceived threats and into directions that seem safe. Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat and is a basic survival mechanism in response to a specific tumulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Factors that determine sense of security in an urban space. Acre level to micro level. At a macro level the location and the context of the urban space of study determines the sense of security of the person using it. This factor has an impact on the way a person moves within a city through preferential selection of routes which give him a sense of security. The next factor that affects the sense of security includes characters at precinct level – legibility and permeability. Legibility of the space makes a person free from getting clueless in an unknown urban space by aging the place more graspable for the user.Permeability helps in removing the feeling of a strange enclosure for a user in an unknown place with provision of number of visible alternative routes. These qualities are predominantly dictated by the form of the urban space. 4 Further going down into smaller levels, there are fine elements within the urban space including visual and non visual elements, which makes the space feel secure for t he user. They include factors such as width of the space or street, lighting level, sound, smell, architectural details, artifacts, etc..Besides characteristics of a space, he sense of security is also created by the kind of people who are associated with the space directly or indirectly. This dimension which comes into the picture while defining the sense of security is territorial definitions. When the territories of an urban space is defined well by the associated people through physical elements like form, character, details etc. Or non physical elements like activities, sound, smell, their cultural expressions etc. It creates a sense of non belonging or unfamiliarity (often attached with fear) for a person entering into the transition space.Definition of an urban space that offers sense of security: The sense of security of an urban space cannot be defined in terms discreet qualities which secure a safe feeling to any particular group (weaker group) of people discussed above ne ither can it be defined in terms of any quality which acts at a particular scale (micro to macro as discussed above), but is a quality which is a complex of all the above mentioned factors at all scales acting upon any person at any particular time in a particular urban space.Time become another factor defining the sense of security as various processes along he time, make the visual and non visual qualities of the space change accordingly. Time determines the type and intensity of activities happening in any urban space changing the level of sense of security throughout the day. The sense of security in urban space is relatively high when the perceived activity level of a particular urban 5 space is high for which time is a very important factor to be considered.The lack of activities, proper lighting, attack of dogs etc create an environment in Mohammedan city wherein beyond midnight and before dawn level of sense of security will be extremely low. Since the control of built form design has little to do with the perceived sense of security during the odd hours of the night, the study limits its scope into the non – odd hours. Relevance of sense of security in urban design: Sense of security adds on to the quality of an urban space.Proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime, and improvement of the quality of life. Recent trends and concepts of urbanism across the world, being learnt from the mistakes of the past forms of unsustainable urban development, have been stressing and demanding distance friendly urban spaces and networks to get integrated with mass public transit systems. Sense of security, therefore becomes an essential quality of the urban streets and other spaces to bring in people into walking who have once left walking and resorted to private vehicles.Establishing the relationship of sense of security with the design of urban space Factors that determine sense of sec urity in an urban space: The above discussion identifies two key factors whose subcategories can be listed down as the elements that determine the sense of security in the urban pace which include: The form of the urban space: This multidimensional element can be broken down into further sub elements such as street width, built form height, street enclosure ratio, building setbacks, texture of the surface, porosity of the built envelope, the size or the footprint of the buildings and permeability. Relation of the interiors with exteriors: Though the discussion is predominantly about the sense of security in urban space or the space between buildings, the spatial configuration and the relation of the interiors with the exterior spaces is an important factor. The elements which define this relationship are as follows: Compound wall, position of the entrance into the building, level difference of the ground level with the pedestrian surface level, presence of parking space in front of the building, amount of vegetation in front of the building, percentage of openings in the building elevation etc.Validation of these factors through case studies of urban spaces in traditional urban form: To understand and validate these findings in reality, urban spaces in the traditional built fabric of Mohammedan: Teen Darwin precinct with neighborhoods around (fig 1). The dense built fabric with low rise attached built structures housing a mix of uses predominantly residential and typology plays an important role in the keeping up the perceived sense of security. Urban spaces in between purely residential built environments often interact with the pedestrians very weakly and the level of activity is very less.This space gets activated as more and more building uses and activities like commercial or cultural activities gets inserted into it as what is seen in the site under study. The urban form is characterized by narrow pedestrian scale streets with small building footprints. The built form itself evolved out of strong social relations which in these neighborhoods. The territoriality was strongly marked by an area within which the inmates engaged themselves throughout the day – the flower shop, temple, vegetable and grocery shop, work place (often at not so far distance from the neighborhood till recent times).The public space seeps into the residential transition 7 spaces (verandah). The presence of large openings on the building fade always gives the pedestrian a sense that people can see him or in other words gives a sense f presence of people (rather than alienated or lonely) while moving through these public spaces. The In short, the perceived level of activity is high which in turn maintains a high level of natural surveillance. This traditional fabric essentially thus maintains a high level of perceived activity throughout the day and even late hours of the night.Fig 1 – Site map (Source – Google Earth) Fig 2 – Built fo rm (source – Author) Contemporary scenario: Understanding the changes occurred to the urban form structured by new principles which are predominantly non pedestrian and how it affected sense of security in public spaces: The perceptions and meanings of security have changed over time as technology transformed the form of the cities and the way in which they work. The built form which was predominantly fine grained became coarser and coarser as well as loosely packed.This transformation was in fact a product of the process of evolution of the urban form which got mutated by the insertion of automobile movements. The new age lifestyle redefined the character and qualities of living and work environments. As Kenny P. Joy I 8 making them shift to new comfortable and faster modes of movement through automobiles. This in turn affected the pattern of distribution of facilities and various building uses essentially disturbing the pedestrian scale of streets. The conventional planning principles made cities which are large grained with wide roads and segregated activity zones for different activities.This made the Indian city devoid of it original character and vibrancy created by a vibrant mix of activities or land uses. The city became more and more complex in its physical and social systems which supported it. Crimes rates rose in new forms and the sheer number which in turn affected the notion of public space as an alien space. People took time to associate themselves with public spaces and minors generally are discouraged in using public spaces especially in odd hours. Though systems to ensure security through police or security personnel as well as technological advancements (like CATV surveillance, mobile tracking systems etc. Have been put into use in public spaces, they work in their own limitations. Moreover for a pedestrian using the public space, these systems are additional backup systems of security which still hold a second place after the basic i nstincts or the responses to the environment through which he / she s moving. Demonstration through a case study: The site selected for understanding the change happened in the urban form is the newly developed area on the western side of Mohammedan – Nehru Magna Junction precinct (shown in fig 3).The site is located along BRATS corridor – a conventionally planned area in the Western side of Mohammedan city. The neighborhood and the adjoining commercial belt got developed into its current form after the insertion of the BRATS corridor in 2010. 9 Fig 3 – Site plan (Source – Google Earth) It has got a mix of housing typologies ranging from low rise apartments cluster of mall footprints as well as taller apartment complexes with few or nil commercial spaces in the ground floor.Since the streets are designed for vehicles, the street widths are large and lack elements make them pedestrian friendly. The built form includes typically, discreet built forms formin g islands (or array of islands) within open spaces unlike the previous case where the open spaces formed the islands in between the built form. The spaces between the buildings which contained human activities in the previous case became spaces of movement here. Relationship of the built form with on street pedestrian became weak due to many factors.The built form of especially the residential neighborhoods is characterized by residential buildings separated from the street space with a compound wall needing for more privacy within the property. The low rise built forms as residences or the second Kenny P. Joy I typology found are the tall apartments which may or not have commercial space in the ground floor. A family claim to a territory diminishes proportionally as the number of families who share that claim increases. (Oscar Newman. Creating Defensible Space).In these tall apartment blocks, the number of dwellers is so high hat, they hardly take any responsibility or rather use i t considerably to a basic level of activity. This makes the space further inactive and less maintained bringing down the level of sense of security of that space. The other qualities of urban form that determine the sense of security includes permeability and variety. Conclusion This study examines the relationship and role of urban form and typology in determining the level of activity as well as natural surveillance which are the quintessential determiners of sense of security any urban space.In above discussions on case studies, a significant trend observed is the evolution of built arms to achieve more privacy. When the built form is evolved out of a process in which pedestrian behavior, activities and his response with nature is structuring principle, the sense of security a pedestrian enjoys is much higher than in an urban space within a built form structured by behavior and movement pattern supported by automobiles.Mohammedan city current growth is through a form of developme nt which is a characteristic of the latter case. In the contemporary urban development where dimensions of privacy, demands of new lifestyle and perceptions of security eve changed urban form, the traditional urban form may not be possible to be recreated as it is, but the principles of the same can be incorporated within to create urban spaces which may not render a sense of fear in the users. 11 Reference Books Phaedra,Shills, Khan, Camera and Errand, Shills.