The Boston Molasses Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Boston Molasses Disaster - Essay Example A lawsuit was filed against the company and a bitter legal battle ensued after the disaster. Negligence and errors in design were finally proved to be the most obvious reasons explaining the tank failure. This event raised public morale to combat high handed corporates who did not pay much attention to environmental issues and public safety. And the technical aspects of the disaster are also extremely vital. A simple and stationary storage tank had behaved in a strange manner. This signals poor understanding of chemical engineering. Designing a storage tank is not just a mechanical engineering topic. Chemistry of the material to be stored in the tank is highly important. Continual research on the Boston Molasses Disaster can help the engineering community to learn from past mistakes and understand the importance of industrial safety in the context of holistic disaster management preparedness. Background The Boston Molasses Disaster: What happened? The Center for Chemical Process Safety or CCPS has furnished a very concise but informative description of the Boston Molasses Disaster. On 15th January 1919 morning, a large storage tank in northern Boston blasted releasing tons of molasses. The steel tank was 50 ft or 15 m high. It had a diameter of 90 ft or 27 m containing nearly 2.3 million US gallons of molasses. All the rivets sealing the tank walls were spattered in the manner of machine gun firing, and chunks of steel were hurled across the area. Consequently, a wave or molasses rising above 15 ft or 5m began to surge ahead from the site of the blast. The wave had a speed of about 60 km/hr and traveled across two bocks of the Boston city with great momentum. Consequently, 21 people were killed, above 150 were injured, several buildings and vehicles were smashed, and the municipal system was completely disrupted. See Figure – 1. (CCPS 2007) Figure 1: Photographs showing the site of disaster before and after the molasses tank failure took place. Source: CCPS (2007) 1.1.2 The technology/engineering involved The CCPS (2007) has utilized a sound technical a pproach to describe the disaster. This approach is contextual with relation to both the old and new paradigms of engineering. The old paradigm of early 20th century engineering technology was devoid of facilities like computer aided design (CAD), industrial control systems, etc. The new paradigm is modern 21st century engineering which has power of new discoveries and superior computing efficacy. In sum,

2011 Occupy Wall Street Movement Research Paper

2011 Occupy Wall Street Movement - Research Paper Example It raised questions about the humanity of the people at the helm of affairs and also questioned the political will of the nation’s system of governance whereby the sincerity of the nation’s political establishment in creating a certain amount of parity within the population is rendered suspect. There are other aspects of this movement and the government’s response that need to be looked into. Apart from not offering any tax sops to the common man and talks of doing away with tax-cuts that were offered during the Bush-era, the government had fuelled the anger of the common man. The brutalities that were carried out upon the protestors by the police came out in the open only due to the work of independent cameramen who were not associated with any news agency. The incidents that occurred during the movement thus bring to light the role of the media as well in the success or failure of such movements. The movement is described by itself as being the result of a series of movements that supports democracy. These, the movement claims, includes the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt where the common man protested against the marginalization of a majority of the population for the purpose of the welfare of the minority that constituted the ruling elite (Occupy Wall Street : The Revolution Continues Worldwide, n.d.). Having this as a moral backing definitely provides a cushion for the movement in terms of the support that it would be able to gather at an international level. There is thus an element of diplomatic support that the supporters of the movement expected to get through their efforts for an equitable society in which everybody would be provided with equal opportunities. In the absence of this, people would live lives whereby their work would be used for the benefit of others and not themselves. Apart from the moral degeneracy of this position, there is also the fact of its unsus tainability from an economic point of view that needs to be looked

Theatre Funding in America Essay Example for Free

Theatre Funding in America Essay The theatres for the performing arts in the United States of America greatly vary in terms of age composition and specialties on theatric performances. As a result, the theatres found across America derive their funding from different sources, ranging from private individuals who share the same passion to companies and other organizations that seek to establish beneficiaries from their financial capabilities to support groups for the arts. It is not surprising, therefore, that theatre groups for children may have funding sources quite differently from theatre groups composed of more mature, if not adult, members. In general, the patrons for the theatre arts include but are not limited to local and national politicians, non-government organizations that primarily promote the preservation and the wider appreciation of theatre arts, and private entities and corporations. Basically, it is a widely held fact that membership in theatre groups do not essentially come for free although there are exceptions to this. Setting aside these exceptions, the initial source of funding for theatre groups to ‘operate’ are the membership fees paid for by the members of the theatre groups themselves. There are also many other fees that may be collected from the members of theatre groups depending on their discretion, and some of these fees may include monthly contributions and other miscellaneous fees. However, it can be said that the funds derived from the contributions of the members will hardly sustain the more resource-demanding activities of the theatre groups. For instance, a major performance in an auditorium with a large seating capacity and with complete amenities will require more than the members’ contributions accumulated during a certain period. In a case like this, it is often the prerequisite of theatre groups to seek major sponsors. External sponsorships play a significant role in funding the major activities of theatres inasmuch as they play an equally important role in securing the preparations for the event such as booking an auditorium a few weeks or months before the actual event, and selling tickets, if applicable, with the aid of creating a team that will handle such role. These two things, at the least, require funding, the source of which can practically come from the financial aid provided by private and public entities willing to stand as sponsors. For the most part, the government also contributes to the funding of theatres, one of which is through the creation of several agencies that promote the culture and the arts as a whole. Perhaps the primary arm of the government in sustaining the assistance to the art projects from various groups in America is the National Endowment for the Arts or NEA. Since the public agency was established by Congress in 1965, it has continued to provide grants to deserving applicants to this day. In 2007 alone, the agency has provided approximately $144 million to its beneficiaries from the different states of the country, both rural and urban (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriation History†). NEA provides a fragment of its general funding appropriations to theatre companies of different genres, sizes and membership composition. A potential organization applying for NEA funding can request for up to $150,000 to a minimum of $5,000 depending on the needs of the theatre organization. Moreover, NEA also provides financing assistance to underserved populations, allotting them a grant for up to $10,000 as part of the agency’s mission of reaching every community in America with the artistic inclinations for the theatre arts. NEA also encourages the participation of children in the theatre arts through its provision of financial grants reaching up to $150,000 to deserving theatre organizations composed primarily of young students (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†). One important aspect with regard to the collaborative efforts of private corporations to sponsor several activities of theatre organizations in the United States is the fact that the government provides â€Å"indirect subsidies† to corporations doing so through â€Å"tax expenditures that allow both individuals and corporations to make tax deductible donations to cultural organizations (Mulcahy and Wyszomirski, p. 121)†. It is not surprising, therefore, that private enterprises engage in sponsorships for the activities of theatre groups precisely because it’s a win-win solution for both the sponsoring corporation and the receiving theatre organization: the theatre group receives the financial support it needs in order to materialize their stage performances and the sponsoring corporation gets tax deductions, which means more profit for the latter. Suffice it to say that there are several examples which can be cited that supports this observation. For example, Paper Mill Playhouse, a musical theatre group established during the 18th century in America, has conducted several theatre performances in the past which were sponsored by American Airlines, one of the leading companies in the American airline industry (â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†). Another example is that of Orpheum Theatre located in Memphis, Tennessee where at least a series of nine Broadway plays were sponsored in part by Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casinos which is a private corporation (â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†). There are still countless other theatre organizations that have been receiving funding from private corporations through sponsorships either in part or in full, which brings us to the differences in sponsorship packages. Funding from private corporations usually comes through sponsorship packages, depending on the internal arrangements made between the theatre organization and the private corporation. For example, the sponsoring corporation may prefer to finance the overall theatre performance of the organization, including the expenses for the stage set-up and the payment for the location where the theatre performance will be held. The ‘package deal’ may also be limited to an inclusion of the company’s name in the billing or in the tickets as an advertisement bargain. The important thing to note is that corporate sponsorships of any theatre group’s activities greatly vary depending on the agreement made between the performing theatre group and the corporation itself. These variations, in turn, affect the funding which will be received by the theatre organization. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation in the payment of expenses for, say, a specific stage play, the lesser the finances the theatre organization will handle at the end of the day. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation could also mean the bigger tax deductions from the tax payments for the corporation. There is also another way for theatre groups to receive funding from private corporations, which is to solicit directly from these corporations a certain amount. A theatre organization can, for instance, make solicitation letters and personally deliver them to the corporation that they seem fit to sponsor their stage play. In return, the organization can provide advertisement deals with the corporation before and until the day of the stage performance. The primary difference between soliciting from the previous funding example provided is that the former necessitates the organization to directly engage prospective sponsors through the organization’s initiatives. On the other hand, private corporations who are attracted to sponsor a certain theatre activity are usually the ones who make the first step in contacting the theatre organization and in laying down their sponsorship deals. Another source of funding for theatre organizations is personal donation from private individuals who do not represent either the government or any private corporation. Philanthropists, among others, provide a big push for theatre organizations in pursuing their activities especially when philanthropists donate a huge sum of money without expecting anything in return such as exposure in the form of advertisements from posters to tickets. Although the instances when such persons give financial donations to theatre groups are not always present or are not the usual order of things, it can hardly be denied that personal donations from such people can stand at par with, if not more than, the financial backing provided by private corporations and government agencies such as the NEA. There are also private individuals who, although their contributions through monetary donations may not equal those from the corporations and the NEA, can provide additional funding. Establishing theatre organizations and, more importantly, sustaining activities for such groups are hefty tasks which involve funding in many ways. Although funding is a challenging task for theatre groups to handle especially for those who are new in theatre arts, there are several private corporations and individuals as well government agencies who can provide help in financial terms. Works Cited Mulcahy, Kevin V. , and Margaret Jane Wyszomirski. â€Å"The Organization of Public Support for the Arts. † America’s Commitment to Culture: Government and the Arts. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995. 121. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriations History†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/about/Budget/AppropriationsHistory. html. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/grants/apply/Theater. html. â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†. Memphis, TN. Orpheum Theatre. August 7, 2008. http://www. orpheum-memphis. com/index. cfm? section=comattracpage=broadwayma. â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†. Millburn, NJ, 2006. Paper Mill Playhouse. August 7, 2008. http://www. papermill. org/stage/shows. php? ID=45.

Effective Communication within the Workplace

Effective Communication within the Workplace Effective Communication within the Workplace In the fast-paced world that we live in, communication has become a way of life, especially within the business environment. From a managers point of view, communication is the key to the success of many objectives and goals set by individuals and upper management. Unfortunately, management at every level is experiencing increased tension and uncertainties from lack of communication within the workplace. Therefore, the need for new strategies such as listening preparations, which includes the mental, physical, and behavioral aspects required for communicating and listening effectively (Hybels Weaver II, 2007). Therefore, good communication skills in management are necessary for sufficient technical leadership within any organization. Throughout the next couple of paragraphs, I will be discussing different communication processes, some personal learning outcomes, as well as some learning outcomes from the Hybels and Weaver II Communicating Effectively textbook. First being able recognize how self-concept, defensive and supportive messages and behaviors create a positive or negative communication climate. For instance, giving employees positive reinforcement or feedback simply means telling them how they are doing at work which helps develop ones self-concept. However, there is also two-way feedback, which means taking feedback from employees. This means we need to be ready to listen to what others tell us without becoming defensive if it is not what we want to hear (McCoy, 2003). If managers approach this is technique of communication with open doors, it proves them with active listening skills that will provide a well-developed communication climate that will increase their own performance and/or the businesses p roductivity. Organizations have often thought that poor communication is the biggest barrier to organizational effectiveness. Therefore, the development of communication skills is very important for management to build and maintain an employees self-concept. By management sharing information with employees, it helps reduce any uncertainties about their jobs and futures, which also increases their well-being and perception of the work environment. Some strategies management uses to overcome some of these communication barriers and conflicts are, clearly defining the employees roles and responsibilities and actively listening to their concerns, which builds their personal communication skills and improves their communication competences. When employees and management have good business relationships and the feeling of equal empowerment and positive self-concepts are shared, it makes for a productive work atmosphere. Giving workers the opportunity to participate in the decision making process, that affect their jobs, is another way to build confidence between themselves and upper management. It is also important to show employees that they are valued, by praising their good work performance verbally, which maintains and develops their self-concept. The key to any productive business is effective communication yet there are billions of dollars wasted each year, due to poor communication, therefore it is favorable for both managers and employees to include this skill within the workplace, for an enjoyable, well-organized and productive work environment. Building communication skills and becoming active role models in the workplace can have a remarkable contribution to the success of businesses and the success of employees. Some objectives to becoming a better communicator are to make personal contacts, actively listen, be a clear communicator, show respect, and most of all make compromise an option. It is a proven fact that by improving communication skills throughout life it will make you more successful and productive within the workplace. Which simply means less stress and more rewards for both employees and companies. Moreover, you become a valued leader and your company becomes more successful, due to effective communication. It is important to remember that good communication skills require the use of critical thinking, which allows us to take control of our opinions and mind-set in order to make better judgments without jumping to conclusions, which can ultimately lead to conflicts. Therefore, the use of critical thinking skills and good communication skills provides us with the intellectual standards needed to ask questions about the certain situations that might otherwise be overlooked. With everything that we have studied during this class, I found that keeping an open mind and thinking outside the box is the easiest way to approach certain situations that require a special need for communication skills. Although, our communication skills will always change throughout our lives because of our constantly changing self-concept and perceptions (Hybels Weaver II, 2007), I have been using strategies like actively listening and proper assessments, as a way to achieve a flexible style effectively communicating. To me, good communication skills with a positive attitude open the doors to a successful career that is beneficial to any organization, but more importantly a way of knowing and understanding those around you. As mentioned earlier, recognizing personalities and self-concepts is very important within any organization. From a personal and a management viewpoint, the high expectations of communication skills within my career, has actually been very helpful with the development of many different skills. For instance, a strategy introduced a few years ago was going to help understand and recognize different personalities within the organization. The learning tool developed by Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, was actually going to help everyone understand each other to the point communication would not be an issue within the organization. The programs intent was to help treat people, as they needed to be treated, based on two of four colors, red being a director, blue being a relater, green being a thinker and yellow being one that socializes. They had each employee take the short quiz to determine their two personal colors, one being their primary color and the other being secondary. After I took my quiz, it determined that I was red over green, which meant that I was a director and a thinker. I really had my doubts about this program until I moved up into a management position, which required me to communicate at a much higher level. Knowing and understanding that each individual requires different forms of treatment and communication being the primary form, the use of this technique has given us the ability to determine what those individual needs may be. This learning technique has had a powerful impact on the communication within the company and even if someone has not taken this quiz, it provides a way to assess their personal communication competencies, by determining a set of colors that fits each individual. Although, the assessment/ judgment may not always be correct, it does provide a foundation for emotional in telligence development. Hybels, S., Weaver II, R. L. (2007). Communicating Effectively 8th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. McCoy, J. (2003). Business Performance. Retrieved 3 26, 2010, from Employee Feedback How to Build Staff Moral and Grow Your Business: http://www.businessperform.com/articles/workplace-communication/employee_feedback.html

Imperfect Conscience in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Essay

Crime and Punishment:   Imperfect Conscience  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A highly educated individual, avoiding the hardships of society while pondering the possibility of great wealth, Raskolnikov, in Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment," frustrated with his immoral actions, suffers from an abrupt physical and mental breakdown after brutally mutilating a wicked pawnbroker. After this soul-scarring incident, the initial feelings of success in completing his mission quickly changes once he realizes possible flaws in his, otherwise considered, perfect murder. Raskolnikov's imperfect conscience finally comes to an emotional awakening once his saint, Sonya, an unintelligent prostitute, brings him the love, sensitivity, and inner serenity to help him confess to the murder he so coldly commits. After ruminating on the pessimistic consequences of this crude and selfish murder, a change in conscience comes over Raskolnikov. Once he understands the reality of the matter does he actually suffer a breakdown. Though he commits a very serious crime, Raskolnikov still refuses to believe its contin...

The Romantic Hero in Goethes Faust Essay -- Papers Essays Goethe Faus

The Romantic Hero in Goethe's Faust Works Cited Not Included Long hailed as the watershed of Romantic literature, Goethe’s Faust uses the misadventures of its hero to parallel the challenges that pervaded European society in the dynamic years of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Faust is the prototypical Romantic hero because the transformation of his attitudes mirrors the larger transformation that was occurring in the society in which Goethe conceived the play. Faust’s odyssey transports him from adherence to the cold rationale of the Enlightenment to a passion for the pleasures that came to define the Romantic spirit. Faust not only expresses the moral contradictions and spiritual yearnings of a man in search of fulfillment, but also portrays the broader mindset of a society that was groping for meaning in a world where reason no longer sufficed as a catalyst for human cultural life. The period of German Romanticism in which Goethe wrote Faust was plagued with the same intrinsic turmoil that Faust himself felt prior to making his deal with Mephisto. The destruction that the French Revolution had exacted on the European consciousness was evident in the attitudes of the people most touched by the tumult of the era – people who came to realize that absolution was no longer a pertinent intellectual goal. The cold rationale of the Enlightenment was no longer adequate to explain the significance of life in a society where everything had so recently been turned upside down. Romanticism was the expression of this society’s craving for answers and fulfillment. Everywhere, people embraced life passionately and lived as... ...emption, despite her sins, because â€Å"all her crime was love† (line 4501). Goethe’s Faust is a work in which a new type of hero emerges to satisfy the needs of a changing society. With Faust, Goethe succeeded in representing a microcosm of the tensions that accompanied the shift from rationalism to Romanticism. Complex and dynamic, Faust, like the great men of his era, is a hero whose most notable achievement is his transformation of the lives of others as well as his own. In this respect, the lesson of the Romantic hero is comprised less of romance than of utility. Following the trends of the Goethe’s contemporary evolving society, the means by which Faust succeeds in accomplishing his goals are largely selfish, brutal, and unethical. This is perhaps Goethe’s single greatest reflection on the modern nature of heroism.

Marketing Concept †Britvic Essay

Question 1 Identify three key characteristics of the marketing concept. ‘Marketing concept is a philosophy that an organisation should try to provide products and services that satisfy customer’s needs through a coordinated set of activities that also allows the organisation to achieve its goals’ (Dibb, 2012:18). According to marketing concept customers should be at the centre of all the organisations activities. Therefore all departments of organisation are responsible for customer satisfaction and only in that way organisation goals can be achieved. According to Drucker, the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous, is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him/her and sells itself. Marketing puts customers in central of all business activities, finding out what customers wants, meeting customer needs, supplying them more efficiently and effectively and creating and maintaining profitable relationships. Putting the customer in the middle of all company’s operation allows Britvic to be one of the biggest branded soft drink businesses in UK. Britvic provides fresh, bottled fruit juices with source of Vitamin C. Question 2 Explain Btitvic’s micro and macro environment. Marco forces of marketing environment can affect all organisations operating in market. External marketing environment consists of six categories of forces: political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal (Dibb, 2012:76). Those forces are uncontrollable and often called PEST or PESTEL. Generally, businesses can prepare for the unexpected by using PESTEL analysis. For example a new legislation of television advertising of food and drink to children has led to the use of non – television campaigns i.e. sponsorship and celebrity endorsement like Wimbledon or British pantomimes play an important role in Britvic’s marketing strategy. Micro environment factors are factors close to a business that have a direct impact on its operations and success. These factors include competitors, customers, distribution channels, suppliers, employees, media, shareholders and the general public. Businesses cannot always control micro environment factors but they should endeavour to manage them along with macro environment. Environmental forces are always dynamic and even though the  future is not very predictable, marketers can estimate what will happen and modify their marketing strategies to the new environmental circumstances. Britvic try to minimize their competitors by supplying their products to 200,000 outlets across UK, possessing the licensed distributor of PepsiCo brands in country, and becoming the number two branded soft drinks business in the UK. Question 3 Explain why market research and the information gathered are important to an organisation like Britvic. According to American Marketing Association ‘marketing research is the function that links consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems, generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions, monitor marketing performance, and improve understanding of marketing as a process’ (www.marketingpower.com). That information must be accurate, reliable, timely, relevant and affordable. There are five basic steps of planning marketing research: locating and defining problems or research issue, designing the research, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting findings, and reporting research findings (Dibb, 2012:264). Marketing research helps businesses like Britvic to identify consumer’s needs, competition, market segments and size of the market. They are also used to determinate company goals, pricing strategy or reduce risk of putting a new product onto the market. Question 4 Explain how Britvic might collect and use market research information. Britvic may collect for its purpose secondary (information compiled inside or outside the company) or primary (information gathered first hand) data, or both. Primary research can be classified as either Quantitative or Qualitative. Quantitative methods are used to discover something that can be measured. They ask questions such as: how many, where, when, what. These methods includes: survey (a method of questioning via post, Internet, telephone or personal interview), observation and experimentation. Qualitative research looking for the answers to the questions why or how people feel which is very difficult, if not impossible, to be found out through a survey or a questionnaire. This data is often called ‘soft’ as it is often difficult to quantify statistically. Methods include in-depth interviews or focus groups. For Britvic purpose, which is to find out about customers’ preferences, thoughts and feelings with regards to the new product (Tango Clear), more sufficient would be a personal interview (quantitative method) and a focus group (qualitative method). Question 5 Explain the process of market segmentation and targeting and benefits of segmentation and targeting to Britvic. Market segmentation is the process of grouping customers into smaller, more similar or homogeneous segments. It is the identification of target customer groups in which customers are formed into groups with similar requirements and buying characteristics (Dibb, 2012:212). Thus market segmentation is the process by which customers with different requirements can be grouped into smaller, more similar segments. One of the basic ways to consider segment is to segment the market by geography, demography, psychographic or socio – cultural factors. Britvic distinguishes between core brands and seed brands. Core brands are the central point of the business and include Pepsi, Robinsons, J2O, 7Up, Fruit Shoot and Tango. Seed brands are those that are believed to have potential for growth in the future and include Gatorade, V Water, Drench. Once segments have been identified, decision about which and how many customer groups to target can be made. There are several options to consider for companies like Britvic. The choice needs to be made between concentration on a single segment with one product and one marketing programme and offering one product and marketing programme to a number of segments (Dibb, 2012:215). By launching new ‘Tango Clear’ Britvic has targeted a slightly older market than traditionally. Business like Britvic by creating separate offers for each segment provides customers a better choice; retain customers who might switch to competing products and brands. Thus using market segmentation Britvic can reach customers more effectively and at a lower cost. List of references: American Marketing Association (2004) Definition of Marketing, available from www.marketingpower.com/aboutama/pages/definitionofmarketing.aspx (last seen on 29th December 2012) Dibb Sally, Simkin Lyndon, Pride William M., Ferrel O.C., (2012) Marketing Concepts and Strategies 6th edn, Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA