Demand and price elasticity of demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Demand and price elasticity of demand - Essay Example In the case of Bordeaux, the consumers had proposed a low wine price. This implies that reducing the price of the wine will make the commodity be more affordable to the consumers (Sheffrin, B. 2003). This would increase the demand of the product thus increasing its supply. Increase in the supply of Bordeaux wine would increase the number of sales. Price elasticity of a commodities demand involves a measure that is used in economies in showing the elasticity responsiveness of the quantity of the product that is demanded towards a change in the product’s price. In this respect, it provides the percentage change of the quantity of the product that is demanded to follow a response to a change in the price. Price elasticity can be considered to be negative despite the fact that analysis would always ignore the negative sign leading to ambiguity (Peters, K. 2006). A positive price elasticity of demand occurs in a case where the products do not satisfy the law of demand. In this resp ect, the demand of the wine would be said to be inelastic when the price elasticity of demand (PED) is below one. This implies that the price changes have a significantly smaller effect on the amount of wine that is demanded. On the other hand, the demand of Bordeaux wine would be said to be elastic whenever the price elasticity of is more than one. This means that the changes in the commodities price would greatly influence the amount of the wine that is demanded. In the case of Bordeaux wine, the demand of the product could be said to be elastic. This is so because the demand of this wine is strongly affected by changes in price. Therefore, increasing the price of the product would reduce the demand of the product where as reducing the price of the product would have an effect of increasing demand of the product (Knugman, R. 2005). It is for this reason that the merchants who were contacted through The Times argue that they could only accept the wine when the price of the wine is reduced to about ?95 in 2008 for the best brands compared with the ?318 in 2007 vintage (Sage, A. & Pavia, W. 2009). These investors argue out that when the price of wine is higher than the proposed one, there would be no customers. This is a clear indication that the demand of Bordeaux wine was elastic. Part B. The amount of the wine demanded is normally a strong component of its price. A case study done to find out the quantity of the wine demanded at various price levels with all the other factors kept constant, would result into the table 1. Table 1. Demand schedule. year price Average price quantity 2002 95 95 170 133 700 2003 192 192 253 223 500 2004 141 145 190 159 600 2005 472 480 622 523 300 2006 450 450 622 536 200 2007 318 318 466 392 400 Graph 1. The graph represents the quantity of the wine that is demanded as the variable that is Independent (x-axis) and the price as the variable that is dependent (y-axis). According to the law of demand the quantity of the product tha t is demanded will always move towards the opposite price direction. This is observed in the graph above through the downward demand curve slope. When one moves along the curve, a change in the price of the wine would result into a change in the quantity that is demanded. Whenever there exists a change in the influencing factor besides price there could be a shift in the demand curve either towards the right or the left,

Local Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Local Lawsuit - Essay Example Summary of the actions that lead to the lawsuit against Henry’s Turkey Service The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) acting on behalf of thirty-two intellectually disabled former workers of Henry’s Turkey Services filed a lawsuit against their employer because of payment/ wages discrimination. The EEOC in their lawsuit accused Henry’s Turkey Service of deliberately paying the intellectually disabled workers less wages as compared to their able-bodied counter-parts who did the same job as the intellectually disabled workers. In specific, the EEOC accused Henry’s Turkey Service of paying each of the thirty-two intellectually disabled workers a total wage of $65 per month during the contract period, which was between 2007 and 2009 instead of the average $11 to $12 per hour, which their non-disabled counterparts got. The EEOC alleged that because of this wage discrimination at Henry’s Turkey Services, each of the thirty-two intellectual ly disabled workers accrued lost income in the range of $28,000 to $45,000 during the two-year contract (EEOC). Despite paying, the thirty-two intellectually disabled workers undeserving wage per month, the EEOC also accused Henry’s Turkey Service of verbally abusing them, physically mistreating them despite their condition, imposing crude punishments on them, and unlawfully restricting their freedom thereby interfering with the first amendment rights, according to O'Keeffe (1993). In addition, the employer also failed to provide them with appropriate health care as recommended by the labor laws and lastly, imposing on them inhuman terms and conditions in their employment contract such as forcefully housing them collectively in a substandard house. However, it is beneficial to note that the above-mentioned charges against Henry’s Turkey Service are set for trial hearing starting from March 2013. According to the studies conducted by Pimentel et al. (1992) and O'Keeffe (1993), Henry’s Turkey Service openly practiced pay discrimination, which violated the Americans with Disabilities Act that advocate for equal treatment as well as equal pay to disabled people within the American Society. The pay discrimination by Henry’s Turkey Service also violated the labor laws, which advocate for equal opportunity as well as treatment at the workplace and the international human rights law that advocate against discrimination of any member of the society based on race, gender, religion, cultural background or intellectual capacity (Cohen, 2005). Risk management by Henry’s Turkey Service There are a number of measures, which Henry’s Turkey Services could have implemented to prevent the likelihood of such a lawsuit from arising, and costing the company $1.3 million arising from the court’s verdict, which was in favor of the thirty-two intellectually disabled workers. One of the risk management strategies that the company could h ave implemented was awarding the thirty-two intellectually disabled workers same wage rate as their non-disabled counterparts who also worked at the evisceration line at the company’s premises. The equal payment is justified because a supervisor from West Liberty Foods acting as a witness for the EEOC stated that the intellectually di

Organizational Commitment Essay Example for Free

Organizational Commitment Essay The focal point of effective human resource management (HRM) is on managing people within the employer-employee relationship. As banks are considered a very critical industry of the economy, it is important that the workforces supporting these banks are well motivated and are effective in delivering the necessary work output. It includes the productive utilization of employees to achieve the organization’s business objectives and satisfy individual employee needs (Stone, 1998). HRM seeks to strategically combine the interests of an organization and its employees (McGraw, 2003). Consequently, ineffective HRM can be a major barrier to employee satisfaction and organization success (McGraw, 2003). HRM practices in the banking industry play a key role in attracting, motivating, rewarding, and retaining employees. HRM practices include recruiting employees, selecting employees, designing work, compensating employees, and developing good labor and employee relations (Noe, 2005). For the purpose of this study, the researcher bundled five specific human resource management practices. These are HR planning, training, career development, performance appraisal, and employee participation programs. The researcher chose to bundle HRM practices since bundled HRM practices produce interrelated and complimentary functions. For example, training and development, and performance appraisal overlap each others’ results. The appraisal of an employee’s performance will show potentials and identify gaps in employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that will be filled in by training and development. Furthermore, the alignment of HR practices produce synergy contributing to increase productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995). Bundled HRM practices contribute to overall firm performance by motivating employees to adopt desired attitudes and behaviors (Bowen Ostroff, 2004). Moreover, Chang (2005) argues that employees perceived HR practice as an exclusive and single practice rather than separate and diverse fields. According to Fishbein’s (1963) an individual’s overall attitudes towards each HRM practices can be represented by a summation of the belief held about each HR practices. It is important to study HRM practices and its relationship with work related attitudes, and behaviors. Attitude is a mental state of readiness that is organized through experience, applying a dynamic influence on the individuals response to objects and situations to which it is related such as job satisfaction and organizational trust. (Allport, 1935). On the other hand, behaviors are manners in which an individual or group conduct and respond to his/her environment like Organizational Citizenship Behaviors or OCBs ( Robbins, 2005). Employee perception of organizational banking practices and working conditions within the banks of Jamaica influence employee attitudes and behavior (Guest, 2001). Existing organizational practices within banks in Jamaica such as HRM should facilitate the development of desired employee attitudes and behavior that contribute to enhance firm performance. Previous studies have found that positive perceptions of HRM practices lead to positive employee attitudes and behaviors such as job satisfaction (Guest, 1999), organizational trust, organizational commitment, organizational justice (Greenberg, 1990). Job satisfaction, organizational trust and OCBs were the variables selected to be studied in relation with HRM practices as these three elements are key factors in organizational effectiveness and these variables are considered understudied. These facets affect and overlap each other’s functions and outputs that contribute to the development of HRM practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the literature by examining a wide breadth of outcome measures within the same study. The study extends HRM literature in three ways. First, it provides additional research in the examining the role of HRM practices to employee attitudes and behaviors since there are limited studies in HRM conceptualized as a bundle (Chang, 2005; Guest, 2004; Huselid 1995). Second, it examines the proposition of Morrison (1996) on the role of HRM practices in contributing to extra-role behaviors. An examination of HRM literature revealed that there has no study conducted investigating HRM to organizational citizenship behaviors. Third, it also simultaneously examines HRM, job satisfaction, organizational trust, and OCBs in one study. Previous studies have examined these variables separately. For example, Ellickson (2002) and Bradley, Petrescu, and Simmons (2004) conducted the study on HRM practices to job satisfaction, Tzafrir (2004) examined HRM practices to organizational trust. Furthermore, since there are limited studies on HRM practices within the banking industry; this would contribute to the importance of HRM practices in the management organization. Review of Related Literature Human Resource Management Practices HRM contribute to the attainment of an organizations competitive advantage through the strategic implementation of a highly committed and competent workforce using an integrated range of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques. Effective HRM leads to an organization success by developing employees that contributes to the delivery of products and services bring customer satisfaction, business results, and shareholder value (Stone, 1998). The main purpose of HRM is to improve the productive contribution of people wherein the employees are being heard by the management and helping the employees to find new resources that enable them to successfully perform their jobs (Ulrich, 1997). The role played by human resource functions is best explained by determining the key objectives that they seek to align strategies, develop effective policies, systems and activities which are significant to the firm’s overall success (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2002; Storey, 1995). HRM functions are critical in running an effective organization. Organizations need to have a competitive HRM functions in order to maintain a competent workforce and attain business objectives (Newman Hodgetts, 1998). HRM function includes planning, training and development, career development, performance appraisal, and employee relations. These functions help organizations to facilitate strategies that allow them to achieve efficiency and effectiveness (Stone, 1998). HRM functions must change in manner that it accomplishes new roles and new competencies. It also has to be transformed to deal creatively and practically with the emerging challenge. HRM practices have a tangible and various intangible organizational consequences. Prior researches have found support for the role of HRM practices in predicting organizational commitment (Davidson, 1998), job satisfaction (Bradley et al. , 2004), and procedural justice (Edgar Geare, 2005). Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the valuation of his or her work (Locke, 1976; Steijn, 2002). Even though job satisfaction is a highly personal experience, there are a number of facets that seem to contribute the most to feelings of job satisfaction. Steijn (2002) stated that mentally challenging work, adequate compensation pay, career opportunity, the ready availability of promotions, people that are friendly, considerate, or good-natured superiors contribute to job satisfaction (Johns Saks, 2000). For instance, the ready availability of promotions is positively related to job satisfaction. The promotion given enhances the perception of the employees that they are valued enough by the organization (Garrido, Perez, Anton, 2005). Previous studies have shown that compensation (Bassett, 1994), opportunity for advancement (Schneider, 1994), psychological climate, and leadership style (Howell Frost, 1989) are antecedents of job satisfaction. Organizational Trust Trust is an individual’s expectation, assumption, or belief about the likelihood that another’s future action will be beneficial, favorable, or at least not detrimental to one’s interests (Meyer, Davis, Schoorman, 1995). Trust is considered to be an essential component in organizations since it is a consistent mechanism that supports organizational change and development in an unpredictable environment than hierarchical power and direct surveillance (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Several studies clearly indicate that the formation of trust within workplace relationships is complex and elusive (Tzafrir, 2003). Furthermore, workplace trust is a necessary element for the development of competitive advantage through support, co-operation, and improvement of systems. Trust is viewed as a feature of the social foundation that begins interactions among parties (Mayer Davis, 1999). According to Kramer and Tyler (1996), there is a need for organizational trust for the reason of there are organizational needs that are not to be disclosed and one of the elements to address these requirements are employees that trusts their organization. Currall and Judge (1995) defined trust as an individual’s reliance on another person under conditions of dependence and risk. Dependence means that one’s outcomes are reliant on the trustworthy or untrustworthy behavior of another. Furthermore, risk means that one would experience negative outcomes from the other person’s untrustworthy behavior (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Previous studies have shown that psychological contract breach (Costa 2001), leadership style and organizational communication are antecedents of organizational trust. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBs) are behaviors that are discretionary, indirectly seen or recognized by the official compensation system, and as a whole encourage the effective functioning of an organization (Organ, 1998). It is also defined as an employee behavior that is above and beyond the call of duty and is therefore discretionary and not rewarded in the context of an organization’s formal reward structure (Konovsky Pugh, 1994). Social exchange is an explanatory mechanism to obtain OCBs. It refers to relationships that entail unspecified future obligations. Social exchange is a critical element in understanding OCBs. It is the theoretical basis and the starting point for OCBs to obtain. When HRM practices offered by the organization are perceived favorable by employees, they tend to reciprocate by OCBs (Organ, 1998). For example, when supervisors treat employees fairly, social exchange and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) dictate that employees reciprocate, and OCBs are the avenue for employee’s reciprocation. There are five dimensions of OCBs (Organ, 1998). First is altruism that involves all discretionary behaviors that have the effect of serving a specific other person with an organizationally important task or problems. The second is conscientiousness it is the extent that a person goes well beyond the satisfactory or required level in work attendance; the person exemplifies the brand of OCBs. Third is sportsmanship which the employees’ goodwill in tolerating less than ideal circumstances without â€Å"complaining and making a federal case out of small potatoes. † The fourth dimension is civic virtue which is the behavior that shows a concern for participating in corporate life for example, by performing tasks that they are not required to perform, and doing so for the benefit of the organization. It also implies a sense o involvement in what policies are adapted and which candidates are supported. The last dimension is courtesy which involves such actions as â€Å"touching base† with those parties whose work would be affected by one’s decision or commitments. Touching base refers to actions done by employees that their co-employees values (Organ, 1998). Previous studies have shown that procedural justice (Alotaibi, 2001; Organ, 1998), organizational commitment (Alotaibi, 2001; Mayer Allen, 1997; Moorman et al. , 1993 ), and job satisfaction (Alotaibi, 2001; Moorman et al. , 1993) leads to OCBs.

Analysis of Ford, Toyota and General Motors

Analysis of Ford, Toyota and General Motors COMPETITOR’S ANALYSIS: Toyota motors: Toyota is Japans greatest auto organization and the second biggest on the planet after General Motors. The essential explanation behind Toyotas achievement in the worldwide commercial center hails from their corporate rationality, the set of standards and demeanor that administer the utilization of its assets. The Toyota logic is frequently called as the Toyota Production System. The framework depends to a limited extent on a human assets administration arrangement that animates representative imagination and unwaveringness additionally, on an exceedingly productive system of suppliers and parts producers. Much of Toyotas achievement on the planet markets might be ascribed specifically to the synergistic execution of its approaches in human assets administration and inventory network systems. The playing point of the Tesla auto organization is that it centers chiefly on the one product offering identifying with the electric charging. So there is no preoccupation of the organization t o create autos having being energized by petrol, diesel or gas. The pivotal reason behind Toyotas accomplishment in the overall business focus lies in its corporate rationale the set of standards and state of brain that speak to the usage of its benefits. A corporate rationale, in the articulations of Fred J. Borch, past CEO of General Electric, is the umbrella approach that helpers most of the decisions and activities of the affiliation. The Toyota discernment is consistently more generally known as the Toyota Production System (Competitive advantage the Toyota way). Associations outside surroundings includes both geographic components and social components. Area and assets are urgent geographic elements impacting both national and corporate victory, with populace aspects and institutional courses of action making up the most serious parts of the social components influencing both the achievement of firms and of countries The Tesla company also has a competitive advantage in the manufacture of the cars as it has been successful in producing cars having lowest center of gravity, which is the main source of their â€Å"5 star safety rating† in all cars’ categories. This is the main cause of the endurance of the Tesla’s products in the market whereas Toyota and other remote auto creators have effectively infiltrated the US showcase and secured far reaching vicinity by temperance of its benefit. Toyotas logic of engaging its laborers is the inside bit of a human assets administration framework that encourages inventiveness and advancement by empowering representative investment, and that in like manner incites abnormal amounts of worker unwaveringness (Toyota). The biggest strengths of the Tesla are its execution. The company’s S model is the proof of how the company is able to execute and secondly its ability to increase the production that boosts up the investors’ confidence manufacturers aspirations. According to the latest earning report of Tesla it has achieved operating margins that equals to 25% for 2014. Moreover the company guided to 28% operating margins in the same year however Toyota is exchanging at 0.6 times bargains. Portage wants to start 23 models comprehensively in 2014, which is without a doubt the most item starts in a year in its history. Accordingly, development could quicken and this serves as a colossal impetus into 2014. The revenue of the Tesla is 9.3% that of Toyota moreover Tesla has much higher gross profit of 25%. The gross profit percentage of Toyota is 18.7% (Toyota). Ford motors: It was established by Henry Ford and fused on June 16, 1903. The Ford Motor Company (otherwise called essentially Ford) is an American multinational automaker headquartered Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was established by Henry Ford and fused on June 16, 1903. The organization offers cars and business vehicles under the Ford brand and most extravagance autos under the Lincoln brand. Passage additionally claims Brazilian SUV producer, Troller, and execution auto maker FPV. In the past it has additionally transformed tractors and auto segments (Our Company). Ford is one of the biggest car makers on the planet. The organizations head auto brands incorporate Aston Martin, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. The organization fabricates and conveys vehicles in over 200 businesses over six main lands. The organizations solid brand portfolio provides for it a huge preference. Return on equity indicates what amount of benefit an organization creates from shareholders cash. The return for equity champion around the automakers is Ford (F). Alternate automakers are not as compelling in changing over shareholder cash into benefit. Return on equity is a measure of administrations viability, so I see this as a paramount metric and preference for Fords proceeded victory. The profit for equity is computed by taking net salary and separating it by the shareholders equity. Being investors we can envision ourselves as one of the board parts on Shark Tank. In spite of the fact that we dont have almost to the extent that as the Shark Tank board parts, we can assess these organizations to figure out whether they deserve of our speculation cash. Portage is changing over 28.5% of shareholder cash into benefit. This multiplies the ROE of alternate automakers. This shows that speculators can trust in the work that CEO, Alan Mullaly and his group are doing from a business outlook. This administration group is getting the most excitement for its speculators hard earned money. The administration adequacy is eventually reflected in the outperformance of Fords stock cost as contrasted with its rivals (Ford Vs. Tesla Which Stock Should You Buy?, 2013). After a remarkable year in 2013, shares of Ford (NYSE: F) dropped lower by almost 8% once the organizations 2014 standpoint was exhibited.Consistent with Ford CFO Bob Shanks, the organizations pretax profit in 2014 will be lower than in 2013. The organization refers to various purposes behind this absence of change, incorporating unanticipated government activity in developing markets, item reviews, and likewise an annuity commitment support. Elon Musk launched Tesla motors after 100 years when Ford Motors started but recently Ford motors has become the laggard. From investors point of view Tesla has a far higher esteem.Tesla has a lack of operational history in comparison with Ford and that might be the biggest strength in short term because the engineers start to work from a blank slate but from other point of view it can be a greatest risk in long-term as Ford has survived in every economic climate. Talking about the shares of the Ford they are valued on the basis of the companyâ €™s journey and where it stands now where as Tesla is judged from the perspective of future standing (SWOT analysis of Ford). Client unwaveringness will dependably be an exceptionally paramount pressure indicator of car bargains victory, said Jeffrey Anderson, executive of counseling and dissection for Experian Automotive. Portage has created greatly devoted clients over an extensive variety of vehicles. That consistency crosswise over its product offering has helped vault Fords unwaveringness rankings past its adversaries in our most recent study. Investors are paying great willingness to invest in Tesla as its sales are likely to increase from $400 million to more than $2billion. Mercedes Benz was second with 43.7 percent, which is a noteworthy build over the past quarter when they came in ninth spot with 34.6 percent. Talking about Tesla its supporters are watching the 10 year ramp of revenue as the entrance of sedan in 2017 which will have a moderate price in the mainstream market. General motors’: General Motors is the second greatest vehicles collecting association on the planet. They have divisions all far and wide that give plans and parts to each other. By offering parts and plans all far and wide, GM has the capability further reinforcing expansion a favorable luck over their opponents by saving on arrangement bunches. They similarly use economy of scales to cut down their liability on their parts. Entry motors gained the system that allowed it low taking care of expense by cutting all the excessive upkeep included in these operations. The goliath use on unrefined materials was slashed down and the web collecting strategy was introduced that focus on the change of automobiles on one technique as opposed to having various segments of building and arrangement. This strategy was secures overhead purpose of investment and give the association advantage over its adversaries in regards to additional level out of pocket (concierge, 1983), in the mean while association watched tr ansforming sharp automobiles that were not esteem sensitive and offered the suitability of expected section cars (About GM: Our Company). China is the biggest car business and is a rising economy that develops consistently. It is likewise the second biggest business sector for GM as far as vehicle units sold. An early passage into China, well performing organizations and neighborhood Buick brand are the primary reasons why GM has a solid position in Chinas auto market. GM is the biggest auto maker in US and at present holds more than 18% piece of the overall industry. This is essentially because of broad learning of US market and its consumers. Gm’s Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick are around the top rated brands in US and China and acquire more than 80% of all General Motors deals. Tesla has become a media and stock market hero as it created gorgeous cars the Roadster and Model S. GM is a good competitor as it pools its resources and invest them into much focused projects. Some of the advantages that GM has over Tesla are the scale which is important for high profitability in the automobile industry and GMâ⠂¬â„¢s technology development that is used in several of its models. Tesla has a tiny product lineup (About GM: Our Company). General Motors has performed well starting late, however with GM, there had been the negative stigma encompassing its biggest guru, which obviously is the administration. Consequently, while the legislature possessed such a huge stake, shares of GM remained less expensive than its associates, and the organization still does not pay a profit. The Treasury has been offering shares at a quick rate in the course of the most recent year, and on Dec. 9 it affirmed that its remaining 31.1 million shares had been sold. In this manner, GM is no more government possessed, and has given or takes $37 billion in liquidity that might be utilized for profits and to make different speculations. U.S. automakers blasted after WWII, yet the impending blast in this hot auto business will put that surge to disgrace! Buyers in creating nations are developing wealthier, so clever moguls can exploit this ideal chance with the assistance of this brand-new Motley Fool report that distinguishes two automakers to purchase for a surging remote business (About GM: Our Company). Bibliography (n.d.). Retrieved from Toyota: http://www.toyota.com/ About GM: Our Company. (n.d.). Retrieved from gm: http://www.gm.com/company/aboutGM/our_company.html Competitive advantage the Toyota way. (n.d.). Retrieved from bsr.london.edu: http://bsr.london.edu/lbs-article/481/index.html Ford Motor Company passes General Motors and Toyota. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2014, from finance.yahoo: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-motor-company-passes-general-123000026.html Ford Vs. Tesla Which Stock Should You Buy? (2013). Retrieved 2014, from NASDAQ: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/ford-vs-tesla-which-stock-should-you-buy-cm288233 Our Company. (n.d.). Retrieved from ford: http://www.ford.com/ SWOT analysis of Ford. (n.d.). Retrieved from strategicmanagementinsight: http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/ford-swot-analysis.html

APPLICATIONS OF SILICON :: essays research papers

Applications of Silicon Silicon is one of man’s most useful elements. In the form of sand and clay it is used to make concrete and brick; it is a useful refractory material for high-temperature work, and in the form of silicates it is used in making enamels, pottery, etc. Silica, as sand, is a principal ingredient of glass, one of the most inexpensive of materials with excellent mechanical, optical, thermal and electrical properties. Hyperpure silicon can be doped with boron, gallium, phosphorus, or arsenic to produce silicon for use in transistors, solar cells, rectifiers, and other solid-state devices, which are used extensively in the electronics and space-age industries. Though silicon was originally discovered in 1810 and thought to be a compound silicon was discovered as an element in 1823 by Jons Berzelius. In 1824 Berzelius prepared amorphous silicon by the same general method and purified the product by removing the fluosilicates by repeated washings. Deville in 1854 first prepared crystalline silicon, the second allotropic form of the element. Davy in1800 thought silica to be a compound and not an element; later in 1811, Gay Lussac and Thenard probably prepared impure amorphous silicon by heating potassium with silicon tetrafluoride. Silicon is a metalloid at room temperature with an atomic number of 14, 14 electrons, 14 neutrons, and an average atomic mass of 28.0855. In its pure form,silicon melts at 2,570 degrees, and boils at 4,271 degrees Fahrenheit. This element belongs to the metalloid family, the 14th family on the periodic table of elements. This element is a solid metalloid at room temperature and turns to liquid at 2,570 degrees. Silicon is prepared as a brown amorphous powder or as gray-black crystals. Crystalline silicon has a metallic luster and grayish color. It is hard, non-magnetic, and most acids do not effect it, but it does dissolve in hydrofluoric acid, forming the gas, silicon tetrafluoride, SiF 4. At ordinary temperatures silicon is impervious to air, but at high temperatures it reacts with oxygen, forming a layer of silica that does not react further. At high temperatures it also reacts with nitrogen and chlorine to form silicon nitride and silicon chloride, respectively. Elemental silicon transmits more than 95% of all wavelengths of infrared, from 1.3 to 6.y micro-m. Silicon is present in the soil and makes up about 25.7% of the earth’s crust. Silicon also promotes firmness and strength in human tissues. It is part of the arteries, tendons, skin, connective tissue, and eyes.

Keller Williams One Man Band :: essays research papers fc

Imagine attending a concert in which if you were to close your eyes, you would assume that the music you are hearing is being created by a cast of band members, each playing their respective instruments. Contrary to your assumptions, however, this band only consists of one member. Keller Williams, dubbed by critics as a one-man-band, is one of a kind both in his musical talent and his solo act. Very few solo musicians have mastered such a multi-dimensional sound and captivating live show as Keller, making him standout amongst today’s musicians. Keller’s ability to perform improvisational live shows, form a large and dedicated fan base, and share the beliefs and attitudes of the hippie generation has given him the musical identity of the jam band genre in addition to his personal identity of being a solo act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keller grew up in of Fredericksburg, Virginia and first began performing at the early age of 16. Without any formal teaching, he taught himself how to the play the guitar, mimicking the styles of his role models John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and the late Michael Hedges. Williams started out playing in bars and restaurants in his hometown. He played in various bands to help him get a feel for his own skills. After doing so, he decided that a band would not suite the type of music path he was set out for and quickly decided to take a more solo-oriented route. The type of music Keller creates fuses elements of rock, funk, jazz, folk, bluegrass, and techno. His lyrics are â€Å"usually lighthearted, inventive and conjuring images of a twisted reality† (â€Å"Keller Williams Bio†). It is these characteristics, combined with the looping techniques that he uses to create a full-band sound with only himself on stage, which is what further distinguishes Williams fr om all other musicians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Placed in the genre of jam bands, Keller is able to create a solo jamming experience with the use of his arsenal of various instruments. Keller was â€Å"introduced to looping techniques by ‘Flecktones’ bassist Victor Wooten,† which he now uses â€Å"to build a full-band sound with only one man on stage† (â€Å"Keller Williams Brings†). A typical song will begin by Williams playing a guitar riff which he will then â€Å"loop† so that it repeats continuously. Next, he might pick up another guitar, of which he has collection numbering eight or so, and record another riff which he will loop on top of the original riff.

Instructional Communication Essay

Instructional Communication Instructional Communication can be best explained as the transfer of information in a teaching environment. There are a lot of aspects that is associated with Instructional Communication. The contexts that are most relevant to my career are teacher to teacher communication, teacher to student communication, comprehension of information, and technology used in the setting. These four aspects make up my career as a public affairs instructor for the Department of Defense. Instructional communication is very important to the field of communication. Instructional communication is implemented everyday all around the world. It is implemented in schools and in job settings. This type of communication is how we relate information to new people on the job or students in a classroom. In order to determine the depth of comprehension we have to analyze formal and summative assessments of the students. During the course that I instruct, we also use technology to convey information as well as have the students to use technology to complete projects that are due during the course. Instructional communication has several different contexts located within it. I feel that the most important context would be teacher to student communication. It is extremely important as a teacher or an instructor to be able to convey the information to your audience and them be able to comprehend what you are talking about. It is also very important that students ask questions or talk about the material that is being covered to show understanding. According to Karaduz, (Karaduz, 2010) â€Å"An important part of instructional services involves giving messages to students about how they should learn and become involved in the learning process, giving those stimuli for reinforcement, identifying the gaps in their learning, and amending these gaps. An effective instructional process thus requires strong communication skills along every step. It is through language that a healthy communication is established, student interest is aroused, and ways of comprehending, practicing and retaining information are clarified. Karaduz said a lot in these few sentences. He talked about how important communication is between student and teachers. What good do teachers do when the students cannot understand the teacher’s message? Teacher and student communication is so important in any instructional setting. The next most important part of instructional communication is teacher to teacher communication. It is handy to have colleagues that you can ask questions or get advice about certain criteria. I have worked as a public affairs person for the last seven years. Of that seven years 2 ? of them has been in a combat area. In this intense atmosphere I have learned pretty much everything that I teach my students at the Defense Information School. A lot of times other instructors come to me for information on what should happen in a certain situation in a combat area. I think that teacher to teacher communication is extremely valuable and you should take a advantage of it. According to Lance (Lance, 2010), â€Å"when administrators value collaboration between teacher-librarians and classroom teachers and when teacher-librarians and their classroom colleagues report that it happens more frequently, students are more likely to master ICT standards and more likely to earn advanced scores on state reading and language arts tests. † This study linked collaboration between faculty and students scores. Lance showed that when faculty collaborated on instructional information and objectives the student’s scores went up on formal assessments. Another context of instructional communication is comprehension assessment. As an instructor I have to assess the students learning to see if they have learned the specific objectives to move on to the next part of the course. If students do not meet those objectives then they fail and are recycled to another program. I use different kinds of assessments to check the depth of their knowledge of the material. The students have written assignments, formal assessments, and a Field Training Exercise (FTX). The students also have time to redo any work that they have failed in order to receive a better grade. I provide feedback within two days of the after the due date of the assignment. I provide feedback and remedial for any student that is deemed in need or feels that they need the extra help. Since we try to communicate very well with the students our fail rate is between 2 to 4% each course. Technology is the last item that is very important to instructional communication. â€Å"Based on the immersive interface that underlies virtual worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft, virtual environments allow the enactment of complex situations with tacit clues, imulation of scientific instruments, virtual experimentation, simulated collaboration in a team, and adaptive responses to students’ choice—all captured and recorded in data streams (Clarke-Midura, 2010),† according to Jody Clarke-Midura and Chris Dede. In this century technology has advanced so much. We have social media sites, PowerPoint presentations, email, and other was to communicate in and out of t he classroom. I learned that when you do not have proper communication things tend to follow apart.