Introduction to International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to International Business - Essay Example Memo: Selling Portable Water Filtration System in China China boasts the world’s largest population with more than 1.3 billion people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Many of them are hard working and honest, but lack what industrialized nations should have: access to potable drinking water from the tap. For this reason, it is imperative that Brita International, market its portable filtration devices to them before other companies with an equal ability to penetrate the market do so. The key demographics include wealthy, health-conscious households as well as manufacturing workers. The wealthy families will be inclined to purchase a larger array of products, such as countertop systems for the family as well as canteen water bottles. As for the latter group, China’s manufacturing workforce boasts more than one-hundred-twelve million people whose wages have increased at an average of 9% over the past five years (Foshan, 2010). These workers put in long hours and are not always in the best conditions due to their lack of formal support as many of them are migrant workers and not part of a formal union. The factories are likely not to be any better than residential areas, and perhaps worse, making the need for clean water all the more paramount to the lives and livelihood of the people who work in them. While there is some apprehension from other companies to do business in the world’s most powerful communist country, it should be noted that of the thirty-two regions in the nation, five are autonomous and four are municipalities, showing that while China may have certain governmental preferences, it is obviously a nation governed by people who are understanding of the variances in leadership styles as well as government operations. In the judicial system, Chinese courts have a hierarchy much like the United States, but rather than it being separated as a structure of municipal, state, and federal courts, there is the Basic, Intermediate, Higher, and Supreme courts. Unlike the United States, though, â€Å"litigants are often limited to one appeal† in the event that their case goes unfavorably (Fischer). Like in the United States, in some cases, a person wanting to be heard by the kind of judge who may have the power to enact what he or she needs, may not be able to do so simply on the basis that this system of the people can work against those it is said to serve the most. The government of China is very much involved in the economy of the nation, but not to the extreme that Karl Marx envisioned of the communist paradise where there would be no personal property or rights to inheritance (Marx, & Engels, 27). Instead, the people do own property to include homes and businesses. This occurs more so in areas like Hong Kong, which does not follow the strict communist rule of the mainland, and while there are more provinces (twenty-three) under the rule of the more centralized and controlling regime than there are under the le ss strict rule of law, this does not mean that Brita International should not do business there since nationalization is not going to be an issue as the products can be moved from the Deutschland offices, and while the method of governing the people of this country may not be to the preference of some, the people who are in need are not a government, but citizens who are

Personality Psychology Essay Example for Free

Personality Psychology Essay Abstract:  Capturing a portrait of life reveals the keys to unlocking the potential or positive self-schema of emphasizing knowledge of your self-worth and the worth of others, utilizing your own interpretations of the world through life situations, film, spiritual enlightenment and our own perceptions. Which questions us to decipher the defense mechanisms that we to better decipher the defense mechanisms we acquire only making us handicap toward viewing and interacting with society. Introduction-That’s the Glory of, that’s the Story of Life Secretly we all want to be beautiful or handsome, equally talented, the center of attention just for once in our lives. The extravagantly creative are loners, the amazingly attractive are too conceited, and the king or queen of our dreams are nowhere in sight. But what makes us that social butterfly, that person who creates connections all across the world as their smile lights up the room, does this person reveal their true selves in society or is it just an illusion? The hard work and efforts we make to gain respect, insight and a positive imagine in our life might take more than just a decent gesture or a firm handshake, we sometimes have to be untruthful about who and what we are and simply what we do. Within our own crowded closets we hide our skeletons so perfectly that no one is aware of all those deadly fears, baggage, and overall unappealing factors that might make society feel like we are the unwanted or unnoticed. Whether we know it or not it is our self-sabotaging state of mind that leads us to the helplessness of being important and the desire to be socially acceptable; as we hold importance on self-image or self-schema we are sometimes left with our thoughts within our intriguing minds wondering how to get there and what we must become. We then began to shield our true emotions and feelings with defense mechanisms that stand as our guard facing the factors that we are only human and have faults. Looking At the Man in the Mirror –Finding Me, My Own Self-image Within The steps toward grasping our self-image must come from within as we look in the mirror,† we ask ourselves who are we to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? † Meanwhile the question answers itself saying â€Å"who are we not to be as a Child of God our playing small does not served the world, as we come to the realization that there is nothing enlightening about downplaying our own personalities so that other people won’t feel insecure around us. In life upon society we are meant to shine as we are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within, as everyone has that chance to shine but if we let our lights shine we give others the ability to unconsciously to do the same. Finally we are liberated from the fears that had us bound as we break those chains of negativity just simply by our presence we free others. (Williamson, 2013) This factor is known as cognitive schema or cognitive psychology; we define self-schema or self-image as the mental process with the efficiently processing and organization of incoming information. We find that our knowledge, beliefs, and past experience are stored into our long-term without intervening with our conscious thoughts. Although we equally process information about ourselves schematically this happens when our brains store memory feedbacks that we receive from the sources from our peers, senses and bodies which also interlinks with â€Å"our emotions and physiology in a complex way that interconnects with self-systems that triggers automated scripts or actions that respond well to the situation. It is the cues of the environment that prompt a schema that sets into motion an automated sequence of cognitive, emotional and physiological responses. Are we really the product of our own environment? Looking within our own past we find that our own self-schema is developed in our childhood, the thoughts of feeling unwanted, loved, unlovable, unattractive, unintelligent and other factors increasingly set into this motion that become negative and harmful in a person’ s life. With no reassurance from our peers, family or partners the emotions and behaviors that seem to deeply affect us makes it hard to conceal those wounds which prompt us to make additional self-schemas that seem to be more destructive than others. When we create the perfect self-schemas we initiate some matters more than others igniting a chain reaction of thoughts, feelings, perceptions and actions that are dangerous to us. It seems to me that we justify what’s harmful to us but not what’s harmful to others as we view other people and categorize them in ways that are negative which being stereotypical, prejudice or even discrimination about ones creed or color seem to reveal the way we truly feel about people different than us. Although our own self-schemas we have about ourselves can cause suffering there nothing less than cognitive constructs within our minds especially when thinking, feeling and behaving in a certain way. However, self-schemas are useful to us in our daily lives forcing us to be consciously being aware of important decisions and guide us on the right path so that we can behave appropriately in different situations and among people. Also they help us understand and interpret the way we use the information for example as we receive facts it activates specific cognitive, verbal and behavioral action sequences which are called scripts and action plans which makes it possible for us to meet goals more efficiently. The Spiritual Self-Schema, 2013) The Battle within Ourselves In place within ourselves, we fight the good fight but it seems like we are our own worst enemy but what truly lies within our own unique battles is the willingness to change. But does that underlying promise go unheard? For our interpretive frameworks for understanding our own are the schema that is related to the behaviors of others; could it be the self-relevant experiences, situations and events that are relevant to a person’s self-definition that gains our focus or our attention? Although we are only human our minds seem to always be consumed by the future, transformation and fears thereof. In reference to self-schema a film like Bicentennial Man portrays the story of the battle within us paint an intricate picture of how a blank canvas can turn into a magnificent masterpiece, whereas the story of Andrew Martin, expressed his endeavors in his transformation from robot to human and all the emotions and feelings involved. Andrew Martin played by Robin Williams reveals how people understand the behaviors of others in certain situations, experiences and events. (imdb. om, 2013) As he learned more and more about the human experience and behaviors and why we do the things we do he gained insight that maybe the image he saw of him was merely human. Martin, an android who was glad to be of service saw that life was more than being a mere machine but the utmost feeling of being a human was satisfying in ways beyond measure. As years and years progressed his family life throughout serving as a butler, a teacher, a maid, a cook and an instructor made him yearn for something more and more each day as he soon found his talent with wood and creating clocks, whatnots and other masterpieces. Could this be the element he was looking for something more that proved to him not only to be an android but a person full of talent, dreams and aspirations that no upgrade within his system could create? Time took a toll at the Martin’s residence whereas everyone was getting older and Andrew was no longer needed in the household but his bond with Sir Richard Martin and Little Miss provoked an idea to explore other remarkable experiences as he did with the Martin family. His journey did not stop there; his search drove him to find another android like him with more drive, passion and personality than he ever known. After years and years of searching for answers it took years for him to understand to be human was to live, to love, to cry, to laugh and utmost experience of fulfilling one’s life dream which was to look back at the moments of life and have no regrets dying peaceful as a human. Even though Andrew Martin was just a robot his future of being something specular was obviously his fate as he altered himself becoming, enjoying the human experience to its fullness this exposed the true meaning of self-knowledge with knowing his past selves, possible selves, aging and his outlooks toward the future. This is also the conflict we constantly have in life as we have trouble with seeing the our actual selves but yearn for the day of becoming something more sufficient than we see upon life’s mirror, it is very crucial that we accept things that we cannot change but have the willingness and drive to not be afraid to change the things that are changeable which start with loving ourselves as we would love our neighbor. Self-Schema, 2013) Healing Wounds, Love Thy Self as Thy Neighbor Have you ever noticed it is just the norm people to criticize others who are different than them, but if it’s inside there typical safe zone then they figure it not as much as a taboo? Within transforming ourselves we try to fix things that we do not like about ourselves as far as self-image, personality, self-schema but not our own interpretation of how we view the world. The paragraph stated before, but I must reiterate that our knowledge, beliefs, and past experience are stored into our long-term without intervening with our conscious thoughts; but isn’t it our own self-schemas we have about ourselves or others that can cause suffering there nothing less the cognitive constructs within our minds especially when thinking, feeling and behaving in a certain way. Another film that coincides with the known factor of not understanding the unknown, it is the film entitled, â€Å"Powder† where Sean Patrick Flanery portrays a young boy named Powder; who is an albino with a unique powers but as the more attention that receives the more he shakes up the rural community he lives in. (imdb. com, 2013) The looks, the stares and the comments reminds me of how people act when they see someone with deformities or let alone someone who is considered not normal in society. The story holds many different meanings and concepts just as the story of Jesus does when God brought him down to earth to die for our sins to save humanity. Although these too stories are quite different you cannot help but to see how this film and the life of Jesus simply coincide with each other, both being spiritual in nature but still different nonetheless. Powder was born with a gift, his unique talent of telekinesis, odd attraction to electricity, and knowing things about people with simply a touch, shows exactly how different he was from most of the people that were in town. It became a proven fact that he was the center of attention but it was unwanted for people like himself do not want to be mocked, criticized or ridiculed, as the movie progresses we find that although Powder is seen as a person of rare intelligence no one fully understands him. For he views his self-schema or self-image in a negative way, for he sees himself as unattractive, odd and is an individual who is deeply wounded with doubts, regrets and feeling of being unwanted his whole life. How can someone so passionate about life and its surroundings be deeply wounded inside, does his factors of his childhood impact his self-schema as he was told he was different not unique, disfigured not handsome, or even strange but not extraordinary? The day by day taunting of others and the cruelness seemed to take a toll on what Powder thought life would be like from living in a small basement as his only friends where his grandparents and his books, it became obvious that this young, ingenious soul could not cope. Deeply saddened by society and the people in it he chose to leave the world as much as Jesus did but only difference was he (Jesus) left on a cross and Powder upon the electrocution from a thunderstorm. Whether we know it or not the keys to unlocking the age old question to humanity is written deep within our hearts in souls, which it is to love thy neighbor like we love ourselves. If we took a closer look at the people as we go about the our daily hustle and bustle of our lives it seems that we are not truly focused on the importance or purpose of our own life which is to help our fellow man. When we look in the mirror do we see ourselves as a normal person with normal lives and ordinary dreams and goals but does the question ever come up in our minds about who did we have to step over to get on the climb on that ladder of success? Was it the people that we see every day that make an effort to become an impact in ones lives, someone will morals, a upbeat personality along with a sound mind and character? How do we love our neighbors like we love ourselves when we are so consumed by money, power, greed and success? What drives the engine inside us that we could be so cruel, closed-minded and let alone numb to the world. In society there must be something inside us that stops us and reminds us that it is those cognitive constructs within our minds and our self-schema that make it useful to live our daily lives as we are forced to be aware of the important decisions that we choose. This guides us on the right path so in every situation with each person we meet no matter what race, creed, color, orientation or abnormalities to behave the way we should, as we love our neighbor like we love ourselves. The factor of our own desires to have a close connection with our spiritual side interprets who and what we are. The Spiritual Self-Schema, 2003) Spiritual Self-Schema- What Would Jesus Do? Our own interpretation of life is immensely influenced by our culture, religion, environment and overall self-schema is basically how you are impacted by life or society. In a sense we all claim to be the seekers of our own destinies, as we search for our truest, strongest and deepest self we earn our stake to redeem ourselves. Otherwise in this fast-paced society it behooves us to analyze the construction of our patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving which occupies our unique characteristics as individuals. When life brings us misfortune we totally focus vastly on religion because it makes the path smoother which lifts our spirits, although our spiritual self-schema is known as a â€Å"cognitive structure† that can construct and maintain an ultimate experience full of qualities and characteristics that are attributed to it. As these things interconnect with all living things or Supreme Being or a higher power this position propose individuals who solely seek the will of spiritual nature in the total aspect of being compassionate, and peaceful in nature. During the route to spiritual self-scheme we discover our own spiritual path that relieves us from suffering and give us the ability to cope with adversity and the ability to change behaviors that harm ourselves or others. At that swift moment of instability we find courage, inspiration, and enlightenment through our spiritual self-schema as it molds us to become who and what we are; we face another factor in our lives which is our defense mechanisms that we thrive on to hide our true selves from the world concealing the hurt that we’ve experienced along with the pain. Spiritual Self-Schema, 2003) Dealing With Life, I Have a Big Ego Sigmund Freud described a number of ego defenses in his written works; he once said that â€Å"Life is not easy! The ego—the â€Å"I† –sits at the center of some pretty powerful forces: reality; society, as represented by the superego; biological, as represented by the Id. As the conflicting demands of society upon the poor ego seem to be understandable if you are threatened, overwhelmed or have that feeling of anxiety. It is that proof that only explains ego as one thing â€Å"survival† which might cause something else to be in danger. The way we deal with life, conflict and problems totally depends on our ego which engages the defense mechanisms we have on an unconscious level which helps us ward off anxiety and brings peace back to our situation or circumstance. â€Å"The ego, driven by the id, confined by the superego could be disgusted by reality and fights to control the tasks of displaying peace among the forces and influences that might be working in and upon it. Otherwise the ego must admit its weakness in order to break those â€Å"chains of anxiety regarding the outside world, as moral anxiety regarding the superego and neurotic anxiety regarding the strength of the passions in the id. † When our memories of the unconscious along with drives or urges still are existent, they continually apply to the â€Å"powerful influence on behavior, as the forces itself fight to keep painful or socially undesirable thoughts and memoires out of the conscious mind which are known as defense mechanisms. This â€Å"battle between the wish, repressed into the id and the so called defense mechanisms†; although we use defense mechanisms to â€Å"protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt that arises because an individual might feel vulnerable because our id or superego becomes too demanding, seem like they are not under our conscious control, and are very non-voluntaristic. The â€Å" ego† within our â€Å"unconscious will use several different methods to protect us when we come up against the stressors in our lives. † If we know or not our â€Å"ego-defense mechanisms that are natural and normal but soon as they get out of hand our neuroses develop for example anxiety states, phobias, obsessions or hysteria. †

Commercial Management And Project Management Construction Essay

Commercial Management And Project Management Construction Essay Kalifomatos Consultants is a Quantity Surveying firm with a wide range of services provided for the potential Client. One of the fields KCQS specializes in is Project Management. Project Management aims to deliver any given Project ensuring the desired balance between Time, Cost and Quality. Feasibility reports, according to Douglas (1999), test whether the requirements initially set out can be actually met or not. Boyle (2003) suggests that feasibility reports can take different forms. Functional feasibility amongst others refers to physical requirements as well as soil conditions. Technical feasibility refers to the statutory consents as well as the time constraints whereas financial feasibility deals with the costs of the development and in essence creates a budget for the Client to decide on whether he can follow it or not. In addition to the above, business feasibility deals with the strategic brief analysis indicating if the qualitative aspects of the development match the business model of the Client. In this stage, the initial statement of requirements is developed into the design brief on behalf of the Client confirming the key requirements and constraints for the development, following the feasibility analysis taken earlier. The next step that follows is the identification of which procurement method is better for use which sufficiently meets the Clients requirements; the Project Manager could do this. The last step of the Design brief is to assemble the people that need to be involved in the development process which comprise of Architects, Quantity Surveyors etc. (Boyle 2003) According to the information our firm has been provided with, the borehole records the Client is said to have in his possession are of a neighboring site to the proposed one. The fact that a neighboring site has previously undergone a site investigation does not guarantee that for example the soil conditions for the proposed one will be the same. The strata could vary as well as the depth of the water table; maybe a new site investigation for the proposed site reveals that the site has been bombed during the war, resulting to a distortion of soil conditions in the site. This could be seen as a possible constrain which would have been identified if a site investigation had been undertaken. Another activity that has been undertaken was the acquiring of the site. Following the previous point, as well as the fact that our company has not been presented with an actual investigation for the proposed site, the site could be rendered as completely useless for the purposes its needed. Taking into consideration the fact that the Clients directors have previous development experience for some years, the acquiring of the site with no site investigation undergone could be seen as a very naà ¯ve move. According to Hacket (2007), Management Contracting and Construction Management are very similar in many aspects, nevertheless, there is one essential distinguishing characteristic which is fundamental to the understanding of the two systems; the contractual arrangements between the parties involved. In Management Contracting, the subcontractors are in contact with the Management Contractor whereas in Construction Management they are in direct contact with the employer; none of the subcontracts are entered into by the Construction Manager. The difference is illustrated by comparing the two diagrams provided. The most important requirement the Client has set out was that the quality level is to be prestige. The best quality is offered from traditional procurement method. Another requirement set out by the client is the flexibility of the design; also traditional procurement is the best suited for this but Design and Manage offers a high utility for this section as well. However, when it comes to high complexity of the design, Traditional procurement does not best suit the description whereas all the other methods do. The next requirement set out is asap completion; Traditional Procurement does not offer that whereas again, all the other methods do. Furthermore, Design and Manage offers the single point responsibility the Client is looking for as well as Design and Build. This feature would not be available with Traditional Procurement method nor with the Design and Build or the Management Contracting as illustrated in the previous schematics. Furthermore, two of HRD2010s directors have pr evious development experience, so the fact that in order to use Design and Manage one needs previous experience is seen as a disadvantage, is easily one to overcome here. The main reason Construction Management has been rejected even though it is very similar to Design and Manage, was the single point of responsibility required by the Client; thus total utility offered in the chart is 450. And last but not least, the Client welcomes the sharing of risks; Design and Manage can also satisfy that requirement. Based on the RIBA task allocation, the Client has not performed properly the Preparation stage. Vital points have been left out which could have major impacts on the projects development. KCQS has provided the Client with some recommendations for the successful progression of the development. These would be the immediate conduction of a site investigation for the proposed developments site in order to be able to proceed accordingly. The Client has failed to provide a proper feasibility report (recommended) which is vital in assessing the quality of the proposed development, its costs as well as the need to meet statutory consents. Following the above, the Client should be able to address to possible constraints with regards to the development and overcome them in due time. It is also recommended that the people that are to be involved in the development process are to be identified.

Racism - I Was Born a Middle-class, White Child Essay -- Sociology Rac

Racism and Prejudice - I Was Born a Middle-class, White Child †¦ Professor’s comment: This essay assignment was designed to equip students with an understanding of academic research, theories, and concepts on race relations and then use that as a basis from which to critically think about, analyze, and develop strategies for change, both for themselves and for the world around them. This student takes us back to his childhood in Smallville and re-examines with us his upbringing, race relations in his town, his own awareness, and ultimately his and our need for change. He does this beautifully with the use of vivid and poignant imagery, juxtaposition, and allusions. Along the way, He takes us not just to Smallville but into our own lives and minds. This paper is the best I have ever read; it is enlightening, inspiring, and rich. I was born a middle-class, white child. I was never self-conscious about it until now. I grew up in a small town, â€Å"hick-town† some have called it. Twenty years ago, when my family first moved there, the small green sign on the south side of town read, â€Å"Smallville, Elevation: 1450 feet, Population: 1350.† In twenty years, the second number on the sign has changed little more than the first. I remember when my father used to take me out through the orchards to talk with the farmers, for that’s what people do in Smallville. They farm. Pears, grapes, walnuts, and a few kiwis, all financed by big white banks, grown by plump white farmers, sold by chubby white brokers, and harvested by Mexican-Americans. What a country. My chubby father markets pears and grapes. And he would take me out into Rick Bengard’s pear orchard. And with acres and acres of pear trees all around us, he would tell me how Unc... ...a half years ago, I figured that compared to most people, I was fairly aware. Since then, the most important thing I’ve learned is how much I don’t know. I don’t know what it is like to go to class and be the only dark spot on white linen. I don’t know what it is like to have to fight mentally, physically, and spiritually to preserve a cultural identity. I don’t know what it is like to fear running at night. I don’t know what it is like to be feared if I run at night. I don’t know what it is like to live under a shroud of stereotypes. I don’t know what it is like to have people who instruct me subtly ignore me and people who sit next to me subtly avoid me. And I don’t know what it is like being an ethnic minority on this college campus, this institute of higher education, this large-scale Smallville, this sheltered little world that is only â€Å"fairly aware.†

Economic Theory Essay

Two of the primary tasks in the world of Economics are prediction and evaluation. This assignment illustrates, at a rudimentary level, how models, techniques and methods constructed or borrowed from Economic Theory or other Sciences respectively are used to help accomplish these tasks. To do so, we consider a standard theoretical model of consumer choices in an economy in which the only activity is the exchange of goods. Due to the above-mentioned we can say that the most powerful technique used to predict the consequences of policies or future trends is modeling. A model is an abstraction intended to convey the essence of some particular aspect of the real world. Most economic models assume the existence of adequate information, yet information is a costly and scarce resource. Good models predict well enough to increase our understanding of certain situations, even though they may not predict them perfectly and there may be related situations in which the same models do not predict as well as expected. Last but not least there are models that constructed without using any numerical data; these are based entirely on economic theory. We shall begin by looking at some of the ways in which forecasting techniques can help us to predict future trends. Most business and economic decisions rest upon forecasts of future conditions. Methods of forecasting may be roughly categorized as follows: * Opinion polling * Mechanical extrapolations * Barometric techniques * Statistical and econometric methods Finally, forecasting techniques vary widely in their accuracy and sophistication. The most accurate technique is to be preferred, subject to the availability of data, expertise and finance and to the nature of the  forecast required. OPINION POLLING The assumption here is that by asking people who are likely to be directly involved, such as consumers or the sales force, attitudes and opinions which affect economic decisions can be assessed and predicted in advance. Opinion polling is a subjective method of forecasting made up largely of a weighted or unweighted averaging of expectations and attitudes. This general idea of developing informed and deliberated polling opinion has had a relatively length history successful experimentation beginning roughly during the 1970s in the U.S.A. In statistics polling is about probability sampling. A good poll: locates people who fairly represent the population we’re interested in; asks them fair, comprehensible and useful questions; calculates results fairly, without reaching beyond the data; and  is reported so people can understand where it does and does not apply. The importance of opinion polling and the way it can be done is shown in the below Figure: Opinion polling is a very powerful technique used to predict future trends. Based upon probability sampling it can give people many answers upon many problems in the society. Depending on the size of the sample, the results are relatively accurate, scientific representation of the entire public’s considered opinion on perplexing issues. Today there are a lot of companies which provide a wide variety of consultancy services and offer top quality research based solutions to their clients’ problems. They also provide full service market research process, from defining research objectives through analysis and presentation of data. To achieve their goals they use research methodologies, advanced statistical analysis and strategic relevant and decision reports. Their credibility and reputation is reflected in the fact that their publicly released findings are regularly quoted by the media (press, radio and television). Additionally, these companies are leading agencies in Socio-Political public opinion polls and Political Candidate Evaluation research. Another aspect of opinion polling is exit-poll. For example scientists use exit-poll method to predict who is going to win in elections. The exit-poll method is not 100% accurate, but the error between the real results and the one’s from exit-poll is very-very small. Asking a small sample of population inside a society it can predict whether the conservative of socialist party is going to be elected. Finally, opinion polling is also used by companies to know which product of theirs is more consumed by people. Asking a small sample of people using questionnaires (more often) they can realize which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which product are less consumed and tries to find means of improvement for others. MECHANICAL EXTRAPOLATIONS This is probably the most frequently adopted method of forecasting. It involves the basic assumption that past patterns of economic behavior continues to the extent that past behavior can be used to predict the future. It has the attraction of also being relatively cheap in that the company is likely to posses most of the relevant historical information. Last but not least, the mechanical methods of forecasting rely on future conditions being an extent of past ones. Also, this method might consist of taking a time series of historical sales figures, and fitting a trend line to it by eye as shown in the figure below: This can then be used to read off sales predictions for the required future dates. To produce this line between the dependent and independent variables of data, as shown in the above figure, the ordinary least-squares (OLS) technique uses a mathematical formula to illustrate this line. However, the technique also produces a measure of the explanatory power of the relationship on the basis of the relationships observed in the original data. A mathematical formula for producing this line is: Where a and b in this equation have been estimated using regression analysis (a set of statistical techniques used to quantify the relationship between two or more variables). BAROMETRIC TECHNIQUES In addition with mechanical extrapolations, barometric techniques assume that present happenings can give an indication of future events. Also, this technique is based on the observation that there are lagged relationships between many economic time series. Moreover, to give an indication of future events, there are three types of indicators as far as economic activity. Leading indicators are those which tend to herald future changes in the course of business activity. Coincident indicators move in step with the cycle; examples of these might include aggregate levels of sales, employment and industrial production. Finally, there are lagging indicators, which trail behind the level of economic activity. Although it is possible to isolate various leading indicators the direction of movements in each does not presage movements in economic activity with complete accuracy. The reason is that the lead-time between their behavior and the ensuing change in economic activity is not likely to be constant. Nowadays, many companies who want to see which of their product is more consumed by people, they make a statistical figure in order to calculate this. Using barometric techniques they can find which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which is not going too well and try to give improvements for others. So, they can indicate from present happenings, how a product can be in the future. STATISTICAL AND ECONOMETRIC METHODS Science is given as â€Å"truth ascertained by observation, experiment, and induction†. The purpose of science known as â€Å"statistics† is to provide the means for measuring the amount of subjectivity that goes into the scientists’ conclusions and thus to separate â€Å"science† from â€Å"opinion†. Hence, statistical and econometric methods, similar to those used in time series regression can be used to analyze the economic relationships between variables. Many of the firms forecasting problems can be solved with a single equation econometric model. Laws of probability are applied to this model in order to determine what â€Å"chances† are for the various possible outcomes of the experiment. The first step in the construction of such a model is to specify the hypotheses, which purport to explain the relationships between the variables. Hypothesis testing is the process of inferring from a sample (a collection of some elements of a population) whether or not to accept a certain statement about the population. The statement itself is called the hypothesis. When the model is constructed it gives the businessman the opportunity of experimenting to test the predicted results of various strategies. There is a vast variety of companies offering a full-service market  research which means the capability to successfully undertake any research project from the conceptual stage through the design, data collection, tabulation, analysis, interpretation of findings, recommendations, and presentation. The projects they undertake span a broad array of industries, types of studies, experimental designs and analytical statistical techniques. They are skilled in the wide variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, providing their clients with a seamless connection between all phases of the research program. Their full range of custom research for Consumer and Business to Business research includes the following: * Tracking studies * Product testing * Taste testing * Home-use tests * Advertising research * Strategic research * Product Positioning research * Concept tests * Customer satisfaction tests * Etc.

Hes A Lady essays

He's A Lady essays On Monday, May 20, 1782, a tall rangy blond young man with a firm jutting jaw and a prominent nose, who identified himself as Robert Shurtliff stated he wanted to join the army for the balance of the war. The Munster Master Noal Taft paid him sixty pounds bounty money and Shurtliff signed. The signature was bold, legible and still exists in Deborah Sampson was born into a poor family of seven children. At the age of 5, father disappeared and because her mother could not provide for her children, Deborah was taken in by another family. After moving around a few times, she ended up with the family of farmer Deacon Jeremiah Thomas where she was the only girl among ten sons. She spent her days doing strenuous farm work dressed in male clothing, and in the evening she made the boys, who went to school, teach her what they were learning. Deborah spent about ten years there, growing to be almost five foot eight inches tall, almost a foot taller than the average woman of her day. On May 20, 1782, dressed in men's clothing, Deborah signed up for the army as Robert Shurtliff. She marched with forty-nine other recruits to West Point where they were given their uniforms and equipment. Because there werent physical examinations for soldiers her gender went undetected. At this time, the last major battle of the Revolutionary War had already been fought, however, guerilla warfare was still being fought in some areas where Tories Deborah, or Robert Shurtliff, demonstrated courage, strength, loyalty and fighting skill over and over again during these small, but wild battles. When her group was ambushed near Tarrytown, Deborah was slashed in the forehead wound with a saber and was shot by a musket in the upper left front thigh causing her to fall to the ground. At a field hospital, a French doctor bound up her head wound. In ...

Understanding Cosmology and Its Impact

Understanding Cosmology and Its Impact Cosmology can be a difficult discipline to get a handle on, as it is a field of study within physics that touches on many other areas. (Although, in truth, these days pretty much all fields of study within physics touch on many other areas.) What is cosmology? What do the people studying it (called cosmologists) actually do? What evidence is there to support their work? Cosmology at a Glance Cosmology is the discipline of science that studies the origin and eventual fate of the universe. It is most closely related to the specific fields of astronomy and astrophysics, though the last century has also brought cosmology closely in line with key insights from particle physics. In other words, we reach a fascinating realization: Our understanding of modern cosmology comes from connecting the behavior of the largest structures in our universe (planets, stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters) together with those of the smallest structures in our universe (fundamental particles). History of Cosmology The study of cosmology is probably one of the oldest forms of speculative inquiry into nature, and it began at some point in history when an ancient human looked toward the heavens, asked questions such as the following: How did we come to be here?What is happening in the night sky?Are we alone in the universe?What are those shiny things in the sky? You get the idea. The ancients came up with some quite good attempts to explain these. Chief among these in the western scientific tradition is the physics of the ancient Greeks, who developed a comprehensive geocentric model of the universe which was refined over the centuries until the time of Ptolemy, at which point cosmology really didnt develop further for several centuries, except in some of the details about the speeds of the various components of the system. The next major advance in this area came from Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543, when he published his astronomy book on his deathbed (anticipating that it would cause controversy with the Catholic Church), outlining the evidence for his heliocentric model of the solar system. The key insight that motivated this transformation in thinking was the notion that there was no real reason to assume that the Earth contains a fundamentally privileged position within the physical cosmos. This change in assumptions is known as the Copernican Principle. Copernicus heliocentric model became even more popular and accepted based upon the work of Tycho Brahe, Galileo Galilei, and Johannes Kepler, who accumulated substantial experimental evidence in support of the Copernican heliocentric model. It was Sir Isaac Newton who was able to bring all of these discoveries together into actually explaining the planetary motions, however. He had the intuition and insight to realize that the motion of objects falling to the earth was similar to the motion of objects orbiting the Earth (in essence, these objects are continually falling around the Earth). Since this motion was similar, he realized it was probably caused by the same force, which he called gravity. By careful observation and the development of new mathematics called calculus and his three laws of motion, Newton was able to create equations that described this motion in a variety of situations. Though Newtons law of gravity worked at predicting the motion of the heavens, there was one problem ... it wasnt exactly clear how it was working. The theory proposed that objects with mass attract each other across space, but Newton wasnt able to develop a scientific explanation for the mechanism that gravity used to achieve this. In order to explain the inexplicable, Newton relied on a generic appeal to God, basically, objects behave this way in response to Gods perfect presence in the universe. To get a physical explanation would wait over two centuries, until the arrival of a genius whose intellect could eclipse even that of Newton. General Relativity and the Big Bang Newtons cosmology dominated science until the early twentieth century when Albert Einstein developed his theory of general relativity, which redefined the scientific understanding of gravity. In Einsteins new formulation, gravity was caused by the bending of 4-dimensional spacetime in response to the presence of a massive object, such as a planet, a star, or even a galaxy. One of the interesting implications of this new formulation was that spacetime itself wasnt in equilibrium. In fairly short order, scientists realized that general relativity predicted that spacetime would either expand or contract. Believe Einstein believed that the universe was actually eternal, he introduced a cosmological constant into the theory, which provided a pressure that counteracted the expansion or contraction. However, when astronomer Edwin Hubble eventually discovered that the universe was in fact expanding, Einstein realized that hed made a mistake and removed the cosmological constant from the theory. If the universe was expanding, then the natural conclusion is that if you were to rewind the universe, youd see that it must have begun in a tiny, dense clump of matter. This theory of how the universe began became called the Big Bang Theory. This was a controversial theory through the middle decades of the twentieth century, as it vied for dominance against Fred Hoyles steady state theory. The discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation in 1965, however, confirmed a prediction that had been made in relation to the big bang, so it became widely accepted among physicists. Though he was proven wrong about the steady state theory, Hoyle is credited with the major developments in the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis, which is the theory that hydrogen and other light atoms are transformed into heavier atoms within the nuclear crucibles called stars, and spit out into the universe upon the stars death. These heavier atoms then go on to form into water, planets, and ultimately life on Earth, including humans! Thus, in the words of many awestruck cosmologists, we are all formed from stardust. Anyway, back to the evolution of the universe. As scientists gained more information about the universe and more carefully measured the cosmic microwave background radiation, there was a problem. As detailed measurements were taken of astronomical data, it became clear that concepts from quantum physics needed to play a stronger role in understanding the early phases and evolution of the universe. This field of theoretical cosmology, though still highly speculative, has grown quite fertile and is sometimes called quantum cosmology. Quantum physics showed a universe that was pretty close to being uniform in energy and matter but wasnt completely uniform. However, any fluctuations in the early universe would have expanded greatly over the billions of years that the universe expanded ... and the fluctuations were much smaller than one would expect. So cosmologists had to figure out a way to explain a non-uniform early universe, but one which had only extremely small fluctuations. Enter Alan Guth, a particle physicist who tackled this problem in 1980 with the development of inflation theory. The fluctuations in the early universe were minor quantum fluctuations, but they rapidly expanded in the early universe due to an ultra-fast period of expansion. Astronomical observations since 1980 have supported the predictions of the inflation theory and it is now the consensus view among most cosmologists. Mysteries of Modern Cosmology Though cosmology has advanced much over the last century, there are still several open mysteries. In fact, two of the central mysteries in modern physics are the dominant problems in cosmology and astrophysics: Dark Matter - Some galaxies are moving in a way that cannot be fully explained based on the amount of matter that is observed within them (called visible matter), but which can be explained if there is an extra unseen matter within the galaxy. This extra matter, which is predicted to take up about 25% of the universe, based on most recent measurements, is called dark matter. In addition to astronomical observations, experiments on Earth such as the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) are trying to directly observe dark matter.Dark Energy - In 1998, astronomers attempted to detect the rate at which the universe was slowing down ... but they found that it wasnt slowing down. In fact, the acceleration rate was speeding up. It seems that Einsteins cosmological constant was needed after all, but instead of holding the universe as a state of equilibrium it actually seems to be pushing the galaxies apart at a faster and faster rate as time goes on. Its unknown exactly what is causing this r epulsive gravity, but the name physicists have given to that substance is dark energy. Astronomical observations predict that this dark energy makes up about 70% of the universes substance. There are some other suggestions to explain these unusual results, such as Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) and variable speed of light cosmology, but these alternatives are considered fringe theories that are not accepted among many physicists in the field. Origins of the Universe It is worth noting that the big bang theory actually describes the way the universe has evolved since shortly after its creation, but cannot give any direct information about the actual origins of the universe. This isnt to say that physics can tell us nothing about the origins of the universe. When physicists explore the smallest scale of space, they find that quantum physics results in the creation of virtual particles, as evidenced by the Casimir effect. In fact, inflation theory predicts that in the absence of any matter or energy, then spacetime would expand. Taken at face value, this, therefore, gives scientists a reasonable explanation for how the universe could initially come into being. If there were a true nothing, no matter, no energy, no spacetime, then that nothing would be unstable and would begin generating matter, energy, and an expanding spacetime. This is the central thesis of books such as The Grand Design and A Universe From Nothing, which posit that the universe can be explained without reference to a supernatural creator deity. Humanitys Role in Cosmology It would be hard to over-emphasize the cosmological, philosophical, and perhaps even theological importance of recognizing that the Earth was not the center of the cosmos. In this sense, cosmology is one of the earliest fields that yielded evidence that was in conflict with the traditional religious worldview. In fact, every advance in cosmology has seemed to fly in the face of the most cherished assumptions that wed like to make about how special humanity is as a species ... at least in terms of cosmological history. This passage from The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow eloquently lays out the transformation in thinking that has come from cosmology: Nicolaus Copernicus heliocentric model of the solar system is acknowledged as the first convincing scientific demonstration that we humans are not the focal point of the cosmos.... We now realize that Copernicus result is but one of a series of nested demotions overthrowing long-held assumptions regarding humanitys special status: were not located at the center of the solar system, were not located at the center of the galaxy, were not located at the center of the universe, were not even made of the dark ingredients constituting the vast majority of the universes mass. Such cosmic downgrading ... exemplifies what scientists now call the Copernican principle: in the grand scheme of things, everything we know points toward human beings not occupying a privileged position.

Internal, External and Situational Influences on Consumer Behaviour

Internal, External and Situational Influences on Consumer Behaviour The products that will be focused on this assessment will be meat products including poultry, new and/or used passenger cars, property (housing units) and dairy products.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Internal, External and Situational Influences on Consumer Behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These four product purchases will be assessed for internal, external and situational influences to determine the type of consumer behaviour that accompanies the consumer’s decision process when purchasing any of these products. Purchase one Purchase one is meat and poultry products which are one of the most commonly bought products in the Australia. Based on 2006 statistics, meat and poultry products were the mostly commonly purchased products for many Australian consumers and the country was also able to export meat and poultry products to countries such as Europe and the United States for a total of $1.3 billion in exports (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2007). The most commonly purchased meat products include beef, red meat, veal, liver and kidney meat and sheep offal. The poultry products that are commonly sold to Australian consumers include chicken breasts, eggs, chicken wings which are available in many of the fast food restaurants in Australia and boneless chicken products. The average consumption of meat products in Australia averages more than 224 grams a day for each individual consumer while that of poultry products amounts to 200 grams per day (Minchin 2007).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The internal, external and situational factors are those characteristics that influence or impact the purchasing behaviour of a consumer. The internal factors that affect a consumer’s purchasing behaviour include their personality traits , the psychological makeup of the consumer (what they think and feel when selecting products), the type of behaviour they demonstrate when buying products and how consumer motivation affects their decision strategies (East et al. 2008). The external factors that affect the purchasing decision of a consumer include influence from reference groups such as family members, friends, acquaintances and work colleagues, the quality and quantity of the product that is being purchased and the needs assessment of the product where the consumer is motivated to make a purchase decision for a product that will meet their needs (Tanner and Raymond 2010). The internal factors that affect the purchasing behaviour of meat and poultry product consumers include internal stimuli on the part of the consumer where they are compelled to buy meat because of a desire to eat meat products. The main motivation for Australian consumers to purchase meat and poultry products comes out of a desire to satisfy their hunger. Poultry products such as those sold in fast food restaurants like MacDonald’s and KFC are mostly bought with the main purpose of meeting the immediate hunger needs of consumers. The external stimulus that affects the purchase of meat and poultry products amongst Australian consumers include recommendations from reference groups who have purchased their meat products from certain supermarkets, meat delis, meat markets or other suppliers of meat products in the country (Lamb et al. 2009). These recommendations help the buyer of the product to determine whether the type of meat products sold in the recommended place will meet their dietary needs and also whether the meat or poultry is sold in a clean and refrigerated environment.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Internal, External and Situational Influences on Consumer Behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recommendations also allow the consume r to ascertain whether there are any alternatives to meat or poultry products such as red meat or veal available in the local market. Situational factors are the temporary conditions that affect how buyers behave during the purchase decision making exercise (O’Dougherty 2007). Situational factors influence whether the consumer will actually buy a product or not from a retailer and what factors will affect their purchasing decision. The most common situational factors that affect the buying decisions of a consumer include physical factors such as the location of a store, general ambience and environment, social factors such as whether the product is good for the society and time factors such as how long it takes to purchase the product when the product is being purchased by the consumer (Tanner and Raymond 2010). The situational influences that affect the purchasing process of meat and poultry consumers include the physical location of the meat delis or stores as well as the g eneral ambience of the store. Stores that are convenient to the buyer with regards to accessibility and are generally clean are likely to influence their purchasing decision when compared to meat delis that are difficult to locate and access and also have dirty refrigerators and unclean floors (Tanner and Raymond 2010). Purchase Two The second purchase that will be assessed to determine the type of consumer behaviour employed by buyers when making their purchases is property or housing units which is a high involvement purchase for most consumers who decide to buy a house. Australia is among top countries in the world that are experiencing a thriving real estate market as many citizens and residents desire to become home owners. Many Australian cities like Perth, Sydney and Melbourne are experiencing a boom in real estate as well as towns in the rural parts of the country.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An increasing number of people both Australian citizens and people living abroad have become increasingly involved in owning their property because home ownership in Australia is a goal for most of these people. Currently over 70 percent of the population in Australia owns residential property while the rest are tenants pointing to the fact that real estate ownership is an important objective for most Australian citizens and residents. According to the Real Estate Perth Guide (2011) the increase in property acquisition and real estate investment in Australia has been attributed to two factors the first one of which is the growing Australian population seeking to purchase real estate property in many of the urban cities in Australia. These property buyers have begun to realise the importance of investing in the housing market as it is seen as a long term investment. The second factor that has led to the increase in property acquisition in the country is that a notable number of peopl e have begun putting their money into real estate property that is related to tourism. Tourism is one of the major economic drivers in Australia and such investments are deemed to yield considerable returns to people who decide to invest in the sector (Real Estate Perth Guide 2011). The internal factors that influence the purchase decision of property buyers include consumer motivation to purchase housing units. As mentioned earlier on in the discussion home ownership is an important goal for most Australian citizens where individuals are motivated to buy their own homes. There is therefore increased consumer motivation to acquire housing units with the single family residences being the most commonly sought after housing units in the country. Australian residents and citizens are also motivated to purchase their own housing units because of the investment opportunity these purchases present to them. Investing in the housing sector that is involved in tourism guarantees some signifi cant returns to these individuals (Real Estate Perth Guide 2011). The external factors that influence the purchasing decision of real estate property buyers in Australia include family and cultural influences where individuals who have families are influenced to purchase single family residences so that they can be able to meet the housing needs of their families. The demand for such housing units has continued to increase as more Australians with families seek to own their own residential houses. Family and cultural backgrounds have therefore played a major role in home acquisition in the country. Another external factor that affects the consumer’s behaviour when buying property includes the quality of the product that is being purchased. Housing units are of a high quality and they present a significant return on investment to consumers especially those who have decided to invest in the real estate sector related to tourism. The quality of the product therefore plays an imp ortant role in influencing the purchase behaviour of the consumer (Lantos 2011). The situational factors that will affect the purchasing decision of housing consumers is the physical factors which according to Tanner and Raymond (2010) affect what type of product the consumer will buy, when they will buy it and how much of it they will buy. Physical factors include the location of the property, the price or cost of purchasing the property and the type of housing that is on sale. Such physical factors will influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers who might for example want to buy housing units in the rural or urban areas of Australia or might want to buy apartments instead of single housing units (Hoyer and Macinnis 2010). Purchase Three The third purchase that will be assessed will be new and used cars which are high involvement purchases bought by consumers and buyers. Just like any other country in the world, Australia has a high car purchase rate that has seen many buyers as young as sixteen years old owning their own cars. The last statistics to be conducted in 1995 on the number of people who owned cars in Australia were able to reveal the number of passenger vehicles registered per 1,000 people which had increased from 250 from the previous year to 465. This increase was mostly attributed to the convenience and flexibility personally owned cars provided to their owners which made buying a car much easier. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the increase in passenger vehicle buyers was also attributed to the ease of accessing employment, education and health services where people who had their own cars were able to engage in these and other activities (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006). Owning a car in Australia is seen to be a necessity rather than a luxury based on the increasing number of people in the country who own cars. People who have their own modes of transportation find it relatively easier to conduct their various busi ness and/or personal functions without any form of hassles. This increasing need to have their own personal modes of transportation has contributed greatly to the purchase decision that car buyers go through when deciding to buy a car. Because cars are high involvement purchases, consumers have to evaluate the internal, external and situational factors that will come in to play when deciding to go through with their purchases (Tanner and Raymond 2010). The internal factors that will influence the purchase of either new or used cars will be the type of motivation that a consumer has to buy a new or used car. As highlighted in the previous paragraph car buyers in Australia buy cars for purposes of convenience and flexibility meaning that the car offers them with an opportunity to accomplish various activities. The motivation of the car buyer to purchase a car will therefore depend on either of these factors. Another internal factor will relate to the individual tastes of the consumer where the consumer will consider which car model and make suits their own personal tastes. The external factors that will affect the consumer decision to buy a car will be the type of lifestyle that exists in Australia which allows for every individual of the family to own a car as long as they are 18 years and over. Holden which is the main car manufacturer in Australia has been able to develop various car brands that are meant to suit the various lifestyles and culture of the Australians. Some of the cars produced by Holden Australia include Commodore, Camden, Astra, Holden Monaro Coupe and Chevrolet. The situational factor that will affect the buyer decision to purchase a car will be physical factors where the location of car auto-marts will influence whether a consumer wants to buy a car. The ease with which a potential car buyer locates a Holden store in their vicinity will play a major role in influencing their purchase decisions (Tanner and Raymond 2010). Purchase Four The fo urth purchase to be assessed in the study will be dairy products which according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004) is the most intensive sector in the country. According to 2001 and 2002 statistics, consumers in the country drank approximately 18 percent of whole milk which was mostly produced in the state of Victoria. 50 percent of the country’s annual milk production was exported to other foreign countries such as the United States, Asia and Europe while the remaining percentage was sold to manufacturers of butter, cheese, cheddar and other dairy products. 2005-2006 statistics showed that the production of whole milk amounted to 10,092 millimetres while the consumption of whole milk and other dairy products such as cheese, skim milk powder, butter and casein amounted to 527 kt (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2007). Victoria is the dominant producer and supplier of milk as it accounts for 61 percent of milk production in the country. The states of New South Wales and Queensland both account for 22 percent of the milk supply in the country while Tasmania accounts for 7 percent of milk production and dairy products. The high production of milk and milk products in the country has made dairy products to be easily available to many Australian consumers in the local market regardless of their income levels within the country. Milk and dairy products are therefore common purchases for many average consumers in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004). The internal factors that will affect the consumer buying decision will be the motives of the individual dairy consumer that will be borne out of the desire to purchase dairy products which have been identified as a staple food source in the Western diet. Milk and other dairy products provide consumers with Calcium and other vital nutrients that support bone formation. Consumers might decide to buy dairy products because of this reason as well as the staple source of food that these products provide to consumers. The personal tastes of the individual might also determine dairy product purchases where consumers who want to buy high quality cheese and cheddar are influenced because of their desire for quality products. Consumers who do not have high quality preferences might decide to purchase the lower value dairy products because they do not attach a particular preference to their purchases (Tanner and Raymond 2010). The external factors that will influence the buyer’s decision to buy milk will be socio-cultural factors where as mentioned earlier on dairy products are the staple source of food for many westernised countries. The household budget will also affect the consumer’s decision to buy dairy products such as cheese and butter as some brands of these products are manufactured for high-end buyers. The situational factors that will influence the purchase of milk and dairy products will be time factors where the time of day will dete rmine whether a consumer will buy milk. Most dairy products are usually consumed in the morning for breakfast which means that the buyer’s decision to buy milk will be high if they make their purchase decision in the morning. References Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004) The Australian dairy industry. Available at: abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article182004?opendocumenttabname=Summaryprodno=1301.0issue=2004num=view= Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) Australian social trends, 1996. Available at: abs.gov.au/Ausstats/[emailprotected]/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/71DFDE1556ED2AB7CA2570EC0073F3E1 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2007). Australian food statistics  2006. Canberra, Sydney: Food and Agriculture Division East, R., Wright, M., and Vanhuele, M., (2008) Consumer behaviour: applications in  marketing. London: Sage Publications Hoyer, W.D., and Macinnis, D.J., (2010) Consumer behaviour. Mason, Ohio : South Western Cengage Learning Lamb, C.W., Hair, J.F., and McDaniel, C., (2009) Essentials of marketing. Mason, Ohio: South Western Cengage Lantos, G.P., (2011) Consumer behaviour in action: real-life applications for marketing  managers. New York: M.E. Sharpe Incorporated Minchin, L., (2007) Limit meat eating to tackle climate change: study. Available at: smh.com.au/news/environment/limit-meat-eating-to-tackle-climate-change-study/2007/09/13/1189276861060.html O’Dougherty, D., (2007) Consumer behaviour. Cape Town, South Africa: Pearson Education South Africa Real Estate Perth Guide (2011) Australian property: guide to buying property in  Australia. Available at: http://realestateperthguide.com.au/?p=233 Tanner, J., and Raymond, M.A., (2010) Principles of marketing. New York: Flat World Knowledge

Harley Davidson Cultural impact of media on women Research Paper

Harley Davidson Cultural impact of media on women - Research Paper Example People are easily updated with the happenings around them through those media as writers, bloggers, newscasters and columnists relay the information to the viewers. Sometimes those relayed information may not be the whole truth at all as sometimes works of fiction do affect the rituals and culture of people. Massive influence may be achieved through mass media and sometimes those become the avenue for negativities in the society to flourish. The widespread of the influence of the negative practices in the society may be attributed to the media that may be intentional or unintentional. It is considered as intentional when people truly want to influence others with their deeds and beliefs that may pose risks and hazards to the society and considered as crimes. Other activities that may be seen in media but are not considered crimes but may challenge the border that separates the morally acceptable beliefs and immoral ones. The cases that may arise from mass media that are in the bounda ry of right and wrong are the issues of gender and sexuality, abortion, euthanasia, divorce, no religious affiliation, and roles in the society. In particular, the paper will talk about the effects of media to the lives of women especially in the cultural aspect. Harley Davidson would be the subject for the media effects on women as that company endorses motorcycles and how it blends into the culture of women. Then several questions may have arisen from the motorcycle craze and its influence on the female gender. Does it make women more masculine? Does it encourage violence and other negativities in the society? What are its other impacts? Does motorcycle craze give any positive influence to the society as a whole? Will gender roles be greatly affected? The three previous studies about the effects on women would include â€Å"Girl Power† and Participation in Macho Recreation: The Case of Female Harley Riders by Catherine Roster, Subcultures of Consumption: An Ethnography of t he New Bikers by John Schouten and James McAlexander, and Examining Gender Images, Expectations, and Competence as Perceived Impediments to Personal, Academic and Career Development by Lorraine Wilgosh. The study of Roster talks about the women empowerment gained from the inclusion of some women in motorcycling sports which is played mainly by men. On the other hand, the study of Schouten and McAlexander goes into the culture of consumerism and an analysis was done on how it brings about the change in the society and behaviors of people especially for bikers. The last study was about the discrimination, stereotyping and societal imaging of what women should be and those effects upon the development of young girls. Other sources that will be used for the study are Older Women, Liberation and Lifestyles: Self-Care and Other Care, Depicting outlaw motorcycle club women using anchored and unanchored research methodologies, and Brand Morphing: Implications for Advertising Theory and Prac tice. Method The study was done by looking at the previous studies from background, methods to results, analysis and conclusion. It did not utilize primary sources and did not have any actual experimentation and first-hand data gathering as it relied purely on the theories and results laid down by the previous studies and reports. It made use of the six journal articles mentioned in the background section of the paper. Each source had its own contribution

How would you characterize writing in you field Do you believe it has Essay

How would you characterize writing in you field Do you believe it has a persuasive demension to it What sorts of evidence, data, and reasoning count as convincing and logical in your field's writing - Essay Example Business manager is responsible for marketing, finance, development and research, needs exceptional writing skills to convey his ideas and concepts. During the average day the managers may need to answer emails sent by bosses, notify the authorities on the progress in their new business venture - all these messages must be self-explanatory and concise; after all, a well written piece saves time and makes communication coherent removing the chances of misunderstandings. Writing in social sciences should be critical, as the subject is more often event-related and concerns different issues. The four basic writing styles used in social sciences are reporting, narration, exposition and argumentative. Usually the writing in social sciences is expected to be focused on the event which requires comparing and contrasting them back and forth. The writing style demands the writers to have a view point, give logical arguments backed up by empirical or anecdotal data. In short it is critical thinking. Writing, for example, in advertising field holds a prime importance, as the tag line should grab consumer’s attention. Likewise, broachers must also be written in a persuasive manner which is capable of seeking consumer’s attention and creating a desire to purchase that product. On the other hand, a human resources manager may also need good writing style to attract, select and hire the right kind of person who is fit for the job, thus, he should also know how to state specific qualifications in the advertisement. If we closely observe, writing in social sciences demands critical thinking, comparing and contrasting abilities, good narration and persuasive arguments, if not all of the aforementioned then some zest for writing in social sciences is needed, it is quite important for a person, who is a marketing head or a human resources manager, to be proficient in the field of business management and administration. Ability

Evaluating and reviewing current technologies within genetics and Essay

Evaluating and reviewing current technologies within genetics and biotechnology - Essay Example Some endangered species may recover on the brink of extinction, while others will never recover and may be lost forever. According to Neglia (2011), paleontologists estimate that 90 percent of flora and fauna that ever existed have gone extinct. Biotechnology scientists have embarked on extensive use of biotechnology to breed and conserve the endangered species. Biotechnology constitutes techniques that use substances from living organisms to make modified products or develop microorganisms for specific purposes (Gonzalez-Benito & Martin, 2011). Most of the biotechnologies have already been adopted while others are being developed. These biotechnologies include embryo-transfer, artificial insemination, multiple ovulation, ova-pick-up, In-vitro fertilization, embryo splitting, sperm sexing and cloning. Embryo-transfer Embryo transfer is a step in the process of assisted reproduction where embryos are placed in the uterus of a female with the intention of establishing pregnancy (Thongp hakdee et al, 2011). Biotechnologists have identified this procedure to be one of the best technologies in protecting species extinction. The primary demerit of embryo transfer is that it is not economically feasible in small-scale application; however, embryo transfer greatly contributes to genetic improvement in local breeds and restoration of endangered species (Klotzko, 2006). Embryo transfer is advantageous since it affords the possibility of producing a variety of progeny from a female species. This means that one female can be enhanced through biotechnology to produce several offsprings, just as male sperms can be used to fertilize several ova in Artificial Insemination. Biotechnologists, for example, have succeeded in increasing the lifetime productivity of Brown Pelican, Cheetah, Desert Tortoise, and Cockatoo from between six and ten offs springs to twenty-five (Iguchi & Kitano, 2008). Increased numbers of calves ensure that these species are not endangered and protect them from extinction (Hosseini, Fazilati, Moulavi, Foruzanfar, Hajian, Abedi, Nasiri, Kaveh, Shahverdi, Hemami & Nasr-esfahani, 2009). Another advantage of embryo transfer is that genetically outstanding animals have the potential for breeding program and their male young ones are usually selected for use in Artificial Insemination (Field, 2012). These male offsprings have excellent adaptive features that enable them to withstand harsh conditions in diverse environments, thus protecting endangered animals from possible extinction. Scientists can enhance the rate of genetic change with specially designed breeding schemes. This increases the chances of maximizing on the advantages of increased intensity of female selections and possible increase in turnover of generations (Verma, Kumar, Kumar & Chand, 2012). Increased generations turnover is the objective of genetic biotechnologists in their struggle to achieve protection of endangered species from possible extinction. Ethical considerati ons concerning embryo transfer include consent of donors and recipients, avoidance to mix gametes or embryos from different sources, and meeting the settlement of donor expenses. Artificial Insemination Artificial insemination involves deliberate introduction of semen into a female oviduct for the purpose of fertilization by means other than copulation (Araujo, Ginther, Ferreira, Palha?o, Beg & Wiltbank, 2009). The male

Single European Payment Area Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Single European Payment Area - Essay Example The Single Euro Payment System an electronic payment system in the euro zone countries. The banking industry in the European Union came up with the idea having the first Single Euro Payment Area products launched in January 2008. The Single Euro Payment Area, simply called SEPA, is an electronic system that eases the electronic payment all across the Euro zone by the use of credit cards, debit cards, bank transfer or direct debit. The electronic system will make it easy for tourist from and within the European Union, access their money as if they are in their domestic country (Anamaria and Ghiba, 2). The Single Euro Payment Area is highly supported by the EC and ECB. This is because of its significance to financial institutions and their client. The European Payment Commission, which represents the European banking industry, the European Central Bank and the European Commission all have a common vision and goals in the execution of the SEPA. The European Payment Commission uses the industry’s self-regulations to improve and promote the Single Euro Payment Area. This is done by defining common positions for core payment services within a competitive market place. The EPC is also accountable for providing strategic guidance for standardization and provide or in some cases formulate the best practices and support while monitoring the implementations of made decisions (Anamaria and Ghiba, 2). The EPC has fabricated new product schemes for direct debts and credit transfers and a structured framework for payment cards. The EPC represent the whole European financial industry as the members are from banking associations and banks from the EU member states. This assures that all the credit institution, regardless of its size, within the European market has a say in the implementation process of SEPA. The European Central Bank played a substantial role in the implementation of

Genetics assignment three Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetics assignment three - Essay Example refers to variant expression of chromosomes, parts of chromosomes, or individual genes, depending on any one of the two sexes from where they get inherited. For the achievement of imprinting, genetic materials can get modified during the process of gamete creation or near the beginning embryonic growth in any of the two sexes (Judd 33). Therefore, the imprinted genes determine the traits that are articulated in a different way than would be the expected case under distinctive Mendelian inheritance. This assertion is false since imprinting is not specifically activation of the Y chromosome because with imprinted genes one can inherit only one working copy of the gene both from the mother or a father (Judd 46). Therefore, depending on the gene, either the copy of the father or the mother, by addition of methyl groups at some stage during sperm or egg formation can epigenetically get silenced. b) Turner mosaicism could have arisen through errors in early fetal cell division that resulted in some of the cells having two complete copies of the X chromosome whereas the other have only one copy. The absent X chromosome results in developmental faults in the fetus. Judd, Sandra J.  Congenital Disorders Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information about Nonhereditary Birth Defects and Disorders Related to Prematurity, Gestational Injuries, Congenital Infections, and Birth Complications, including Heart Defects, Hydrocephalus, Spina. 2nd ed. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2007.

Summary on Henry Ford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary on Henry Ford - Essay Example The real turning point for Ford’s career was joining the Edison Company in Detroit as an engineer in 1892. Here, he struggled with building a gasoline engine strong enough to power a motorcar, but in 1896 the first Ford motorcar was born, and it could reach 90 miles per hour. From here, Ford accumulated funding and released the Ford model T in 1908, hugely increasing growth with assembly line production. Having become reputedly the richest man who ever lived, Ford was in a position to publish his opinions and moral-code on a huge scale. Ford detested all that was un-American (in his eyes), strongly backing the pioneers and detesting the immigrant Jew. This eventually led to Ford financially backing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a widely distributed anti-Semetic text favoured by Hitler. Ford is often mistakenly assumed to be anti-History, but he had a great passion for collecting and an admiration for the American past. He used this passion further in 1920 to restore his family home using real archaeological techniques. He then went on in 1926 to recreate a whole village as a tribute to village life and God’s nature, which he truly

Single European Payment Area Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Single European Payment Area - Essay Example The Single Euro Payment System an electronic payment system in the euro zone countries. The banking industry in the European Union came up with the idea having the first Single Euro Payment Area products launched in January 2008. The Single Euro Payment Area, simply called SEPA, is an electronic system that eases the electronic payment all across the Euro zone by the use of credit cards, debit cards, bank transfer or direct debit. The electronic system will make it easy for tourist from and within the European Union, access their money as if they are in their domestic country (Anamaria and Ghiba, 2). The Single Euro Payment Area is highly supported by the EC and ECB. This is because of its significance to financial institutions and their client. The European Payment Commission, which represents the European banking industry, the European Central Bank and the European Commission all have a common vision and goals in the execution of the SEPA. The European Payment Commission uses the industry’s self-regulations to improve and promote the Single Euro Payment Area. This is done by defining common positions for core payment services within a competitive market place. The EPC is also accountable for providing strategic guidance for standardization and provide or in some cases formulate the best practices and support while monitoring the implementations of made decisions (Anamaria and Ghiba, 2). The EPC has fabricated new product schemes for direct debts and credit transfers and a structured framework for payment cards. The EPC represent the whole European financial industry as the members are from banking associations and banks from the EU member states. This assures that all the credit institution, regardless of its size, within the European market has a say in the implementation process of SEPA. The European Central Bank played a substantial role in the implementation of

Summary on Henry Ford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary on Henry Ford - Essay Example The real turning point for Ford’s career was joining the Edison Company in Detroit as an engineer in 1892. Here, he struggled with building a gasoline engine strong enough to power a motorcar, but in 1896 the first Ford motorcar was born, and it could reach 90 miles per hour. From here, Ford accumulated funding and released the Ford model T in 1908, hugely increasing growth with assembly line production. Having become reputedly the richest man who ever lived, Ford was in a position to publish his opinions and moral-code on a huge scale. Ford detested all that was un-American (in his eyes), strongly backing the pioneers and detesting the immigrant Jew. This eventually led to Ford financially backing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a widely distributed anti-Semetic text favoured by Hitler. Ford is often mistakenly assumed to be anti-History, but he had a great passion for collecting and an admiration for the American past. He used this passion further in 1920 to restore his family home using real archaeological techniques. He then went on in 1926 to recreate a whole village as a tribute to village life and God’s nature, which he truly

Comparison between the South Asia and East Asia during WW1 Essay Example for Free

Comparison between the South Asia and East Asia during WW1 Essay In the twentieth century, WWI was a political tornado of change, sweeping over the entire world, augmenting everything in its path. Although the Allied and Axis powers were affected the most by WWI, East Asia and South Asia were also transformed as well, through considerable social and political reform. In East Asia, China was the country outside of the Allied and Axis powers affected the most in WWI, through the creation of the Chinese Communist Party. After WWI was over, the Treaty of Versailles transferred all German holdings in East Asia, including those in China, to Japan. To China, this was an outrageous offense. Although China certainly didn’t enjoy Germany owning part of their land, to have their worst enemy, Japan, owning it would be positively loathsome. A demonstration broke out in Beijing in protest over Versailles. After being defeated by both Japan and the West, China had enough humiliation and demanded social reform. It was then that Mao Zedong came forth and established the Chinese Communist Party. Although the Nationalists would crush the Communists efforts to overthrow the government, the Communist Party would eventually return and take control, changing China forever, because of the outcomes of WWI. In South Asia, India was affected by WWI through the heightened support of the Indian Nationalist movement. When England forced their colony India to support the war effort, the Indians complied, and the Nationalist movement remained dormant during the war. After WWI was over, most of the world saw Europe as a time bomb of conflict, and this combined with the oppressive efforts to force Indian soldiers into the war cause the Indian Nationalist movement to return full force. Intellectuals like Gandhi appeared with ideas as to what a post colonial India would look like, and almost everyone in India, Muslims and Hindus alike, could agree they wanted England out. Soon, England complied with India’s cries for independence and simply pulled out of South Asia. After discordant internal conflicts, India finally stabilized, with its independence intact, because of the outcomes of WWI. WWI changed the world forever and left many problems unsolved that would return again more forceful than before. In China and India, WWI provoked  social and political reform, but the two outcomes were very different. India gained its independence and set up a Western-style democracy, whereas China would eventually be ravished by the tormenting policies and killing-spree of Mao Zedong. Both India and China were directly affected by the outcomes of WWI.

Anti Jerk Control Of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay

Anti Jerk Control Of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay The report details the review done in the area of anti-jerk control of vehicles. It explains the phenomenon of driveline oscillations excited due to torsion of driveline at high engine torques causing unwanted longitudinal oscillations in vehicle body. Report starts with a broad introduction to the topic and lays down the aims and objectives of the research project. The aims and objectives of the project are to design an active feedback control for an electric motor of a hybrid electric vehicle to damp these undesirable oscillations. A summary review of previous research work done in this area is presented which defines the starting point of the project. Different techniques used for anti-jerk control in conventional vehicle are discussed. Basic approach to model based control design is presented in the report. An introduction to hybrid electric vehicle driveline and description of its components different from conventional vehicle is shown. The report also lays down the procedure of the work to be followed for the research project with a project plan. INTRODUCTION The increasing pressure of protecting the natural environment and to decrease the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy has encouraged vehicle manufacturers to develop more clean and efficient power systems. As a result Hybrid vehicles are hot topic for research among vehicle manufacturers. Efforts are being made to make the vehicles more fuel efficient with high performance and minimum CO2 emissions. Diesel hybrids are considered as next big thing among ecological designs since diesel engines are 20 % 30% more fuel efficient than their petrol counterparts. Nowadays noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) issues have become more important for a customer such that there are very stringent requirements for noise or vibration in a vehicle. Driveability of a vehicle is majorly impacted by NVH problems and is strongly felt as vehicles performance during various manoeuvres such as acceleration, braking, gear change etc. Thus vehicle manufacturers and OEMs have realized the importance of NVH issues and target to identify the root cause of vibration and incorporate the correcting measures at early stages of manufacturing with a main goal to refine the ride and driveability of a vehicle. These days efforts are being made to increase the performance of vehicles and to make them more fuel efficient by using different techniques and one of the techniques is electrification of various systems in a vehicle. Electronic power assist steering system, electric active roll control, electronic differential, brake by wire are some of the examples of electrification of vehicle systems. This kind of methodology becomes more evident in case of hybrid electric vehicles where electric power components including power electronics are integral part of the powertrain. It has been observed that using these electrification techniques not only helps in increasing the performance of the vehicle but also makes them more fuel efficient. Thus the electrification in a diesel hybrid powertrain to improve the driveability of vehicle forms the main platform for this research project. Problem Statement One of the major NVH issues in automobiles is torsional vibrations of driveline. The torsion of drivetrain at high engine torques causes oscillations in driveline. These oscillations are generally excited by various sources such as rapid or sudden load/torque change, gear change and unevenness of road surface. These oscillations cause longitudinal acceleration in vehicle structure and passenger compartment of the vehicle, which reduces the comfort and driveability of the vehicle and are experienced as unwanted jerking by the driver and passengers. These type of driveline oscillations are termed as Jerking, which is the main focus of this research. The high engine torques at low engine speeds makes this phenomenon more common in modern diesel engines. A sudden/abrupt pressing or releasing of accelerator pedal by the driver causing a rapid increase or decrease in engine torque called as tip-in and tip-out respectively, which gives rise to oscillations between frequency range of 2 10 HZ. To reduce these oscillations and to increase the comfort and improve the driveability of vehicle some kind of anti-jerk control is required. In conventional diesel engine vehicles, active control of engine fuelling and drivers torque demands and passive utilization of mechanical isolators such as dual mass flywheel (DMF) are used to permit feed forward active and passive damping of these oscillations. Aims and Objectives The aims of the research project are to investigate the phenomenon of jerking in a diesel hybrid electric vehicle and to electrify the anti-jerk control using the electric motor of hybrid vehicle to damp these oscillations. The aims of the project would be realized through following objectives: A feed forward approach in modeling the vehicle driveline to investigate driveline jerking using SIMULATION-X. The response of vehicle during tip-in, tip-out, idle and coast conditions would be studied. To design an active feedback control for electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to permit active damping of the investigated driveline oscillations. To analyse its effects on fuel consumption, comfort and sportiness of the vehicle and comparison with conventional anti-jerk control methods. To study the impact of passive damping of these oscillations using DMF in the driveline. Due to the diverse nature of the project the work has been divided between two students. It was decided that modelling of the driveline will be done by Pavan Mukkamala and Kamal Shamnani will take care of control design part of the project. Report Overview As it can be seen before, the report begins with the introduction to the current scenario of hybrid vehicles, driveability and electrification of vehicle systems. Then problem statement was defined followed by aims and objectives. The next chapter would summarize the undertaken review to understand the research work beginning with analyses of jerking. The literature review also serves as the basis to provide the expected response characteristics. It also explains the different control methods used on a conventional diesel engine vehicle. Chapter 3 lays down the outline of the procedure to be followed for the research project along with project plan. Conclusions based the literature review have been made in chapter 4. LITERATURE REVIEW Driveline Oscillations Different type of powertrain configurations (front wheel drive or rear wheel drive), engine type and dynamic response, engine torque at different engine speeds and vehicle mass excites different kind of oscillations in vehicle driveline. These oscillations have been summarized below [1]: Torsion of shaft causes jerking and pitching type oscillations in the driveline. Jerking then causes longitudinal acceleration of car body in a frequency range of 2 5 Hz. The pitch motion frequency is about 1 2.5 Hz. Engine movement and engine mount characteristic excites oscillations in a frequency range of 15 200 Hz. Gear box housing cause oscillations in the frequency range between 50 and 80 Hz. Combustion process, movement of pistons inside the cylinder and engine speed causes oscillations depending upon type of engine, number of cylinders and engine speed. Inline-four cylinder engine types engine exhibit large cyclic fluctuations of torque at idle speed. Driveline Jerking in a Diesel Engine Vehicle The fast response and high torque of modern direct injection diesel engines results in sharp and large changes in driveline torque. Moreover smaller and more powerful modern diesel engines with reduced flywheel inertias and reduced mass of powertrain components reduce the initial response to transient throttle demands by the driver. But on the other hand faster response and large changes in driveline torque make them more susceptible towards generation of driveline oscillations. These types of oscillations are commonly referred as driveline jerking, surging, driveline shuffle, driveline judder, jerk oscillations or bonanza effect. [2], [3] and [4]. These oscillations are generally excited due to the torsional vibrations of driveline when accompanied with sudden torque change. The sudden driveline torque change can be described as tip-in and tip-out manoeuvres. The tip-in and tip-out behaviour are described in figure-1 as a step input and after few seconds a step back to zero [2]. The tip-in and tip-out behaviour causes oscillations to engine speed. The difference between engine speed and wheel speed is generally used to describe the torsional oscillations of driveline shown as torsional speed in figure-2-1. These oscillations are transmitted to the vehicle body from wheel and tire and cause oscillations in vehicle longitudinal acceleration. The oscillations in longitudinal acceleration of vehicle body are shown in figure-2-2. The acceleration of vehicle body oscillates between the frequency range of 2 and 5 Hz. The observed frequency of oscillation is dominated by drivelines first natural frequency. This frequency lies between the resonance frequencies of various sensitive human body parts such as shoulders (4 6 Hz), stomach (4- 8 Hz) and trunk (3 6 Hz) [5]. So, these different body parts may resonate due to this jerking and hence very unpleasant for drivers and passengers. Figure 2: Effect of Tip-in and Tip-out on Engine and wheel speed [2] Figure 2: Body acceleration during Tip-in and Tip-out [2]. The phenomenon of jerking is more common where the manual clutch is not present, as a human driver uses manual clutch to reduce these vibrations. Whereas in automatic clutch units the design philosophy is to reduce the clutch engagement and disengagement time to prevail smooth torque transfer which gives rise to driveline oscillations. These oscillations differ at different gear ratios. It has been shown that oscillation frequency increases shifting from first gear to higher gears due to change in damping co-efficient associated with each gear and reflected engine inertia [6]. Generally driveline shuffle is also associated with phenomenon of clonk or gear rattle. Clonk is basically a noise which is a by-product of backlash present in gears. Backlash is allowed to incorporate operating clearances and manufacturing tolerances. The clonk can be reduced by increasing the driveline compliance but side effect of increasing compliance is the increased driveline oscillations hence jerking. Anti-Jerk Control of Conventional Vehicles The main parameters which govern the severity of jerking response of vehicle can be termed as engine torque rise rate and driveline compliance. Anti-jerk control acts as the balance between comfort and sportiness of the vehicle. The reduction in driveline oscillations is possible by controlling the engine torque rise rate, which can be done by smoothening of drivers torque demands. In a conventional diesel engine vehicle it is done by electronic fuelling control and in a petrol engine vehicle it is done by using spark advance and electronic throttle control. Various manufacturers use the filtering of drivers torque request but this becomes of no use when oscillations are excited by ground roughness. In practice, anti-jerk controller parameters are experimentally optimized to combine comfort and sportiness of the vehicle [2]. The parameters are tuned and accessed, to include non-linearities present in the system, by using various test-runs to find optimal controller parameters. All these parameters are stored in form of different maps and relationship between different engine parameters which are then used to obtain a feed-forward controller for the vehicle. The reductions in driveline oscillations in conventional drivetrain are possible by various active and passive methods. These include: Optimizing driveline parameters such as compliance of clutch, driveshaft and transmission, gear ratios and inertia of driveline components. Passive reduction of oscillations by adding damping to the system. Active control of engine torque. Model Based Anti-Jerk Control In past these parameters were obtained by using trial and error methods which may not be fully optimized and this strategy takes a lot of time depending upon the knowledge of automotive engineer [2]. These days as explained above that optimal anti-jerk control parameters are obtained experimentally by systematic and standardized computer aided test runs. This procedure still relies on time-consuming test runs. Whereas use of simulation can help in analytical assessment of a large number of performance, driveability and comfort parameters with reduced costs and less risk of testing. Simulation can determine highly optimized and accurate system parameters out of which only few parameters are required to be checked by real tests which save a lot of testing time. Due to this a lot of emphasis is given on use of simulation to obtain the optimal controller parameters and also if possible integration of model based controller in the vehicle is also being considered. A review of model based controller design approach is shown below. Modelling techniques Driveline of a conventional diesel engine vehicle is made up of an internal combustion engine which is connected to a gearbox through clutch whose output is connected to driveshafts which transmits torque to the wheels. In model based controller design gray-box approach is used to model the drivetrain. According to which driveline can be modelled as lumped parameter model which is made up of rotating bodies with lumped inertias, compliances, damping losses, input torque and load torque through environmental forces [6]. Even a complete linear state space model based upon this relatively simple transformation of driveline is of 14th order which is very complex and requires very extensive computational resources to run on a real time engine ECU and is therefore very expensive and cannot be implemented for mass production [4]. Structure of a complex rear wheel drivetrain is shown in figure -3 [4]. Figure 2: A rear wheel drive vehicle driveline structure [4] Thus it is required to define a reliable and low order linear representation of overall driveline dynamics. Since the purpose of anti-jerk controller is to damp the oscillations at drivelines first resonance mode, some approximations can be made to reduce the model complexity. To simplify the model it can be assumed that driveline oscillations at first resonance mode are caused due to torsion of drive shafts which can be explained as they are subjected to relatively highest torque since the torque from engine is amplified by the transmission and final drive [1], [7]. Clutch due to its higher stiffness can be considered as not contributing to first resonance mode. All these assumptions can be justified by measurements [1], [7]. This reduces the driveline model to a 2nd, 5th or 7th order depending upon the type of drive configuration and flywheel. For a reliable and accurate design of a model-based controller identification of model parameters is done on basis of measurement data. To incorporate the non-linearities present in driveline the values of parameters depending upon engine speed can be stored in form of look-up tables resulting in time-variant model which is more accurate and reliable [1], [7]. Different techniques such as least square optimization and extended kalman-filter can be used to optimize the non-linearities present in the system to reduce the error. The model can be validated by comparing the simulation results with real behaviour of the car. Controller Design In a model based anti-jerk controller design the controller is used in a feedback path. Here also different methodologies have been used to design the control strategy. One of them is to use the model to obtain the controller parameters. Thus in this case model based controller design approach is used to assist the engineer and to save time on testing [2]. This type of control topology is shown in figure 2-4 [2]. Figure 2: Model based designed controller structure [2] In this type of control architecture a two step procedure is used to damp the driveline oscillations first the requested driveline torque Tin is filtered to prevent jerking generation and then the feed-back controller minimizes the jerking further. State of the vehicle can be the feedback to the controller which can be engine speed, wheel speed, and vehicle speed etc, based on which variable controller parameters will be chosen from predefined maps. Advantage of this type of control structure is that it can be used to compensate for the disturbances from the ground roughness. The other advantage of this type of control strategy is that it requires only controller variable parameters to be stored in the ECU of the engine which will be extracted by two performance criteria i.e. sportiness of vehicle demanded by the driver and level of comfort required through no longitudinal oscillations [2]. The disadvantage of this type of controller is that it needs to store different parameter valu es for different gears and operating points which require the experience and knowledge of automotive engineer to adjust parameter maps. Also it may require some feedback of vehicle states from the vehicle which may be difficult to measure in a vehicle. Also the adjusted parameters values for comfort and sportiness will depend upon the subjective preferences of the engineer. A field of research in this case is the invention of tuneable factor between sportiness and comfort which enables customers to tune their car to their requirement [2]. Another approach in model based controller design is the predictive approach i.e. a reduced model of vehicle drivetrain will be included in vehicle ECU which will reproduce the occurrence of jerking before its actual occurrence and output of which is used as controller input which will then avoid jerking before its occurrence [1] , [7] and [4]. Figure 2: Model based predictive control structure [1] The dead time or the time delay due to engine combustion events is separated from dynamics of process and modelled separately at the end of model which makes the response of the model faster than actual vehicle [1], [7] hence enables the accurate reproduction of oscillations before their occurrence. Structure of a predictive model based controller is shown in figure 2-5 [1]. These types of controllers are generally equipped with an observer which incorporates the external disturbances such as ground surface roughness and compensates the model inaccuracies by including a feedback between model output and actual process output [1] and [7]. The response of observer is faster than that of the process to make the steady state error zero after a short period of time due to this its design is done separately and values for different engine speeds and demanded torques are stored in form of look up tables. Root locus method is used for designing these kind of controllers. An advantage of usin g this type of controller is that less dependence on automotive engineer to adjust parameter maps. However an appropriate compromise between comfort and sportiness needs to be defined. One of the ways to increase sportiness is to deliberately delay the activation of controller until initial vehicle acceleration. This type of method can give the user an option of different modes for example, sporty, everyday and comfort by changing the controller values [4]. It can also predict system states which are difficult to measure on a real vehicle hence a more accurate system response can be obtained. At the same time this type of controller can be very expensive as it requires significant computational resources added on to vehicle driveline ECU. Hybrid Vehicle Driveline A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle in which powertrain has more than one source of power, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) has an internal combustion engine and an electric machine/motor. HEVs powertrain can be classified as series or parallel hybrid systems. A series hybrid system is one in which electric motor provides all the torque required for vehicle propulsion whereas a parallel hybrid system allows torque input from either internal combustion engine or electric motor or from both. Hybrid electric vehicles are the most important topic of research for the past few years. A series hybrid vehicle driveline does not have a direct mechanical link between the engine and driveline. It is connected to a generator which in turn provides electric supply to power electronics. The electric machine/motor is connected generally through a single speed gearbox, final drive and drive shafts to wheels. Thus driveline oscillations in a series hybrid vehicle will be present, similar to a conventional vehicle. The main difference will be because of propulsion mechanism which is an electric motor. Regarding the anti-jerk control for a series hybrid vehicle, it can be done by active control of electric motor torque. It has been explained in a publication by Borodani and Ambrosio [3] in which an active robust control algorithm based on the Hà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¾ control technique was designed for a Fiat Bravo 1600 cc for electric only mode. In a parallel hybrid vehicle driveline both engine and motor are mechanically connected to the wheels through clutch, an automatic gearbox and drive shafts. The vibration modes of parallel hybrid driveline are similar to a conventional vehicle. A similar strategy can be used to minimize the jerking as used for conventional vehicles in engine only mode. Whereas an active control of electric motor torque can also be used to prevent jerking. As there is not enough evidence of work done regarding the investigation of jerking and development of anti-jerk control for hybrid vehicles, this will be a topic of this research. Figure 2: Block diagram of hybrid drivetrain to be used Electric motor in a hybrid vehicle driveline gives an opportunity to electrify the anti-jerk control which then can be compared with conventional methods of anti-jerk control for fuel consumption, degree of comfort and sportiness of the vehicle. A parallel four wheel driven diesel hybrid electric driveline with dual mass flywheel (DMF) of a sport utility vehicle will be used to investigate the driveline oscillation and then to design an active feedback control for electric motor to damp these oscillations. Vehicle drive configuration can be changed to front wheel drive by unlocking the central coupler. The effect electric real axle drive (ERAD) will not be considered for anti-jerk control design. The driveline is shown in figure 2-6. Some important components of driveline and their effect are explained below: Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) As name suggests ISG replaces both conventional starter and alternator/generator to a single electronically controlled device. An ISG can convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to start an engine and also mechanical energy to electrical energy to power all electrical systems in a vehicle such as lights, air conditioning etc and to charge battery. An ISG serves three important functions start-stop, electricity generation and power assistance [8]. It allows engine start-stop functionality to save fuel instead of idling when vehicle is not in motion. ISG generates electricity from spinning crankshaft of vehicle to charge the battery. In a hybrid vehicle an ISG can provide power assist to the engine during the boost-mode. Although it cannot propel a vehicle on its own but it can assist the engine and can be used to store energy while regenerative braking. The ISG is generally used in mild hybrids. An ISG can provide retarding force on crankshaft to generate electricity during bra king; this feature of ISG can be used for anti-jerk control. Dual Mass Flywheel A dual mass flywheel [DMF] consists of two rotating flywheels [primary and secondary] connected by long travel arc-springs [7]. Figure -7 shows the structure of a basic DMF [4]. A DMF can be used to mechanically isolate the driveline oscillations arising from high speed engine oscillations by decoupling the transmission from engine. It filters out the engine irregularities completely. Due to the smooth operation of secondary flywheel and transmission input shaft gear rattle is significantly reduced. DMF can provide good vibration isolation at low engine speeds which in turn reduces the fuel consumption of a vehicle. Due to its excellent vibration isolation and damping attributes, DMF today is found in many vehicle drivelines including low budget cars [4]. But despite of its advantaged DMF increases the system complexity. DMF is basically a spring damper unit having highly non-linear characteristics. It can temporarily store energy due to which it applies a reaction torque on internal combustion engine and alters the engine speed signal which is used by ECU. It increases the probability of undesirable side effects such as jerking. Figure 2: Dual Mass flywheel structure [4] PROCEDURE Procedure of work Driveline vibration is mainly a problem of engine torque profile and compliances of components in the driveline. To study the effect of jerking in hybrid vehicles a model of driveline with all system complexities will be developed using a SIMULATION-X. The simulation-X model will be a complex model replicating the complete dynamic behaviour of the vehicle. As the frequency range of interest is 2-5 Hz, drivelines first natural frequency the model will be reduced according to a final model to be implemented for the design on controller which can accurately predict the oscillations in the desired frequency range. An active feed-back control for electric motor torque and for engine fuelling control will be designed by implementing the reduced model in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Then both controllers will be implemented in the actual complex model in SIMULATION-X to observe the system performance in terms of fuel consumption, level of comfort and sportiness. Simulation tool Simulation-X Simulation-X has been chosen to investigate the phenomenon of jerking for the project due to its very user friendly graphical user interface. This interface provides a very intuitive and efficient lumped parameter modelling approach for modelling dynamic systems. It can model various physical systems (i.e. Electronics, Mechanics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Thermal etc) with much ease. It also allows for the signal and equation based modelling ideal for control systems. Another important feature of Simulation-X is the ease of parameterization i.e. it is very easy to define the system complexities and parameters depending upon the requirement. It has numerous possibilities for visualization, analysis and recording a large number of results associated with each element of a model. It is very beneficial for modal analysis as it can easily extract the dynamics of system by showing the modes of vibrations and the cause of these resonance modes. This feature is very handy and useful for this r esearch project as it can be used to differentiate between the causes of oscillations in the driveline and thereby helping to reduce the model for the desired frequency range. Project Plan CONCLUSIONS On the basis of literature review it can be stated that the high change in engine or load torque excites oscillations in vehicle driveline, known as jerking causing horizontal acceleration in vehicle body. The frequency of jerking lies in resonance frequency range of various sensitive body parts as a result it is entirely undesirable by the drivers. Comfort and driveability issues raise the need for anti-jerk control. There has not been enough work done on anti-jerk control for hybrid electric vehicles since not many hybrid electric vehicles are available in market. Other than the conventional methods, electrification of anti-jerk control can be done in a hybrid electric vehicle which will be the main aim of the research project. A model based controller design approach can be regarded as efficient and reliable. It can assist an automotive engineer in deciding control parameters for the controller, also it can be implemented directly to vehicle for anti-jerk control by reducing the order of driveline model. Driveline oscillations can also be damped using passive damping methods such as using DMF which will be studied as a part of research project. REFERENCES [1] Kiencke, U. and Nielsen, L. (2005), Automotive Control Systems for Engine, Driveline and Vehicle, Springer, Berlin, Germany. [2] Grotjahn, M., Quernheim, L. and Zemke, S. (2006), Modeling Identification of car driveline dynamics for anti jerk controller design, ICM 2006 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Mechatronics , 1-4244-9713-4/06. [3] Borodani, P. and Ambrosio, C. (2002), Robust control of active damping of a hybrid vehicle driveline shuffle, MED2002 Conference. [4] Walter, A. Kiencke, U., Jones, S. and Winkler, T. (2008), Anti-Jerk Idle Speed Control with Integrated Sub-Harmonic Vibration Compensation for vehicles with Dual Mass Flywheels, SAE International Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Congress Shanghai, China, 2008-01-1737. [5] McDevitt, I. (2005), Torsional Vibrations of Vehicle Driveline, MSc Thesis, Automotive Product Engineering, Cranfield University. [6] Lee, H.C. (2006), Driveline vibration control of electric vehicle, MSc Thesis, Automotive Product Engineering, Cranfield University. [7] Baumann, J., Torkzadeh, D., Ramstein, A., Kiencke, U. and Schlegl, T. (2005), Model-based Predictive Anti-Jerk Control, Control Engineering Practice 14 (2006) 259-266. [8] Viorel, I., Szabo, L., Lowenstein, L. and Stet, C (2004), Integrated Starter-Generators for Automotive Applications, Acta Electrotehnica, Volume 45 Number 3 2004. [9] Reik, W., Seebacher, R. and Kooy, A. (1998), Dual Mass Fly-wheel.