Project Management and Coffee Shop Essay

Mission/ Purpose We are A coffee Shop aim to achieve consumer satisfaction by providing fresh brew coffee and teas at guarantied the best prices. We strive to provide a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. In addition, we will try to preserve our reputation of providing an excellent quality of coffee. SOW The coffee shop project contains a few renovations to an old building. It is my idea to create a vintage cafà © with hopes of attracting tourists as well as locals. I hope that the idea of a vintage cafà © in the hustle of the city attracts people as well as provides them with a sense of ease and relaxation. The renovation ideas include adding new, small, dim lights throughout the ceiling, repainting the walls, the addition of darkly colored wooden floor, purchasing and hanging up vintage style pictures and memorabilia. The use of small round tables and country styled chairs. We hope to renovate a new central air system. The project will start on the 5thof January and Finish by the 26th of February. This project will include a contingency of 50%. A project management team will be assigned to manage all renovations. Objectives In our efforts as a coffee shop the objective is to provide a unique project to a community that is located only minutes from all major subway and bus stops and has many openings in the busiest location throughout the five boroughs. Business Need We are in the business of clearly understanding our project requirements and this includes choosing coffee shop activities that enable my team to accomplish true desire, while monitoring performance during and at the end of the project. We the coffee shop are focusing on meeting real needs so therefore this project main goal is to establish itself in multiple locations throughout the state and eventually throughout the country to reach an overall goal of customer satisfaction as well as a prosperous business. Project Manager and Stakeholders Project leader is no other than Earnesto the stakeholders of this project are the satisfied consumers. Milestones The Key milestones of the coffee shop are to establish its renowned name through at least Five locations throughout the state; Twenty locations throughout the tri-state area; and possibly forty locations throughout the country. Budget The order-of-magnitude budget for this project is to improve our efficiency by 30 percent. Budget cont. (Monthly) Legal/ administrative fees $20,000.00 Renovations (painting, flooring, etc) $50,000.00 Contingency Allowance (Plan A) (20%) (Plan B) $25,000.00 $15,000.00 Business Insurance $15,000.00 Supplies (cups, coffee, stirrers, coffee makers, blenders, cash registers, $10,000.00 Staff Payment $5,000.00 Total Budget $140,000.00 User Acceptance Criteria/Quality The minimum success criteria as defined by the key stakeholders are to assure that our customers are always satisfied with their orders from our business, as well as the locations, set up and environment of the business. High-Level Project Assumptions A constant flow of customers in addition to first time customers will enable us to assume that we are conducting and carrying our business successfully. High-Level Project Constraints  Limiting factors that affect the project is ensuring that the majority of our customers enjoy our brews and blends with different selections of coffee as well as our dà ©cor and arrangement of the facility. We must cater to the public’s desire and keep up to date in order to progress as a business. Exclusions and Boundaries Boundaries of the project include making sure that we have appropriate and professional staff; That our overall interior and exterior design is attractive, that the staff is welcoming, customer satisfaction, etc. Major Risks The Risks affecting the project is that we must set up the next branch of the coffee shop in an area where we are sure that we will profit the most because if we set up in an unsuccessful area we may not profit which ultimately will risk the progression of our business.

Biometrics Identification Attendance Monitoring System Essay

Technology plays an important role in our society because of modernization. One that makes the daily activities of organizations more convenient is the use of technology. The internet that is really abundant today for handling information, web-based applications are some example of this and Information Technology (IT) is a big help to many companies. To resolve the problems encountered in the daily processes as well as to make their company effective and competitive. â€Å"Business Analytics† is a continuous iterative exploration that refers to the technology, application, processes and a fact based management to driven decision making. Philippine Auto Components, Inc. was established in the Philippines in 1995. The company is a part of DENSO Corporation Japan, which is the leading company in automotive technology components in the world. The products are car air-conditioning and heating systems, electrical automotive and electronic control products, filters, fuel management systems, instrument panel clusters and radiators. PAC is certified as ISO 14001 in August 1998 for it regards the preservation of natural resources and international and environmental standard. The company have the mission to contribute to the better world by creating value together with a vision for future. It’s Vision to become the top design engineering who totally develop Electronic automobile technology. Its philosophy, such as Customer satisfaction to quality products and services, Global Growth through anticipation of change, Environmental Preservation and harmony with society and Corporate vitality and respect for individuality. The organization works the spirit of having teamwork, as One for All, All for One†. The policy in the manufacturing as 3M- Minimum space, stock, investment; 3N- No defect received, produced, delivered; 3S- speed, simple, s. o. p and 3Z- Zero emission, variance, accident. The principles of HR to their employees to motivate them to work with encouragement by fully concentrating with their capabilities, to recruit, assign, retain, and develop competitive workers with creative power and fair HR management policies to gain for DENSO recognition in both community and associates. Since they expanded last year, they will focus on recruitment of new employees and maintaining the performances of their current workers. Because of this they exceed more time and focus for the HR Personnel to generate reports about the employees, the applicants as well as the supervisors. In the recruitment process, there are applicants that will have an exam once they submitted their resume in the company; applicant wait hours while screening of their resume which is checked by HR Personnel. Applicants who passed the exam will be informed through phone for scheduled interview and requirements. Usually applicants wait months with the result. When an employee requests a sick leave, he/she is required to fill up explanatory form. Before request leave acceptance, he is required to submit medical certification for the updating signed by concerned Officers for HR archiving and verification. Ailing personnel is considered unfit to work. Meanwhile, the supervisors have several tasks to accomplish also and the top priority is the work for the flow of the production. They should go to the designation area of the supervisors and employees to update records correcting inconsistencies accomplishing this with given deadline. HR has other reports to be done apart from this. Through cooperation and time management the process with the HR, it should be easier for them to handle. We focused our study on the HR department about their current process in the recruitment, evaluation and filling leave by the employees as well as the reports for the HR. The researchers want to contribute to the improvement of the processes through this study. The Philippine Auto Components, Inc. is one of the companies that want improvement, in their office because they encountered inconveniency. The main objective of the study is to develop efficiently the current process of Human resources of Philippine Auto Component, Inc. Specifically, the study aims to achieve the following: 1. To determine the problem with regards to data rendering of Human Resources. 2. To determine the issues with regards to generating reports of Employees Information. 3. To address accurately the information for the Human Resources related decision. 4. To speed up the process of monitoring the records in recruitment, job evaluation and performance, leave request and employees’ information. 5. To provide a system that can be effective, accurate, reliable, user friendly and secure. 6. To improve the reports and employees information being mishandled that leads to the lost of data and errors in records. Conceptual Framework The researchers used a paradigm structure to support the fundamental principles of the study. A paradigm is a pattern or a model that corresponds to the real world of processes on what the researchers have gathered. It guides the development of the study regarding what the proponents want to improve for the satisfaction among the persons involved in this study. The figure shows the paradigm that is based upon the process in the Human Resource Department or the office. The paradigm has the Input, Process and Output that will guide the researchers for the development of the automation in some HR processes. INPUTPROCESSOUTPUT Figure 1. Conceptual Framework The figure shows the process inside the HR that the information about the employee, applicants and even the supervisors are being recorded. The employees information like their leave request, their performances in their designated jobs including the personal information and which the department they belong to. The applicants’ information with the flow of recruitment and their training are also being input. The supervisors are also being evaluated by the employees. This will be processed and have an output of the reports in evaluations of three, the absence calculations and the lists of the current employees and newly hired as well as the applicants’ information and list. Significance of the Study Prior to the advent of computerization, data is processed manually. However, in the past few decades, the computer and electronic technology has been incorporated into almost every aspect of our lives. They now play a big role in the lives of people and assist them in taking care of files and documents. Today, there is probably no better indication of how technologically advance is the society than a computerization process. Nowadays, computers have become the base technology that enables the people to tap information resources as the fast growing industry of the internet. Great help will be provided for the company Philippine Auto Components, Inc. in terms of trends in Information System, thus, improving the HR functions and benefits as the delivery of services within the organization. The following are the beneficiaries: Company. The Philippine Auto Components, Inc. will benefit because they can save materials like papers and inks as part of their cost in the operation of the company, especially they can now have strategic planning to be more competitive advantages instead on focusing to the manual process that HR has. The company will remove the barrier between the branches or other department. HR Personnel. Can give less effort in the report, target deadlines are being done before the date, eliminates human errors, save time, the leave and absences made by the employees are monitored as well as the communication between the applicants and employee is more convenient. The possible loss of information is less. Supervisors. Accurate and up to date leave reporting and a real-time tracking of leave will generate the system. They are easily informed about the leave request and handling of approval and disapproval will not disturb their other work activities within the company. Employees. Can easily file a leave request without filling up many forms like explanation slip, and they can monitor and aware of their allotted leave such as sick leave and vacation leave. They can work in a fair environment. Their performances are also shown for they will be in the sense of improving their jobs and have a goal to do task well managed and be an asset to the company. Applicants. Hiring within the company is easily being known by the applicants and they will prefer online applications than traditional walk-in job hunting which is time consuming and costly. The announcement online will benefit them, for they can easily apply for what exact job they are looking for. The follow-up Interview schedule through email would be better than waiting for a phone call. Researchers. This will help the future researchers to use this as their reference in their study as well as the programming language being used. This will aid them in enriching their study and will serve as a source of their related literature. Scope and Limitation This study will focus on the HR functions in the company, Philippine Auto Components, Inc. and is intended to eliminate the common problems encountered by the current process of the organization. The information about the current employees, applicants as well as the supervisors will be input to the system. The employees can request a leave which is being approved by the supervisor with the use of the system. Employees can also monitor their allotted leave and performances in their jobs. Applicants can follow-up scheduled interviews through the notification in the HR admin who uses the system. They can also view hiring position within the company. HR can monitor the training of the newly hired employees. The information list of employees in their classification belonged to like contractual, under probationary, regular employees and on the job trainees are also being monitored. The allotted or remaining absence or leave will be monitored by the employee. The performances of employees being evaluated by the supervisor and the applicants’ information are being updated by the HR Personnel. The system offers reports like list of employees, list of applicants, leave monitoring and evaluation reports among the employees. There is a communication between the employee and the HR department and employees can also suggest some ideas to the management. The system does not cover the inventory of all the materials inside the company, cannot compute the sales of the company, do not monitor the prices of the product, cannot monitor trucking and shipping of the products and cannot make purchase order. Definition of Terms Online. A computer-related application that uses an internet connection to be access by the users of the system to communicate easier and faster among the people involved in the institution. It helps the organization to gain more competitive advantages. Company. This is the working environment that has one goal in achieving their vision in terms of business and customer services depending on their products. Organization. It is the groups of people in the company that are involved in the process of Human Resources and needed to have the full attention with regards to the data handling. I. S. Information System. System that help the current process to be more accurate, efficient, secured, user friendly and make their work and day to day operation be more convenient. HRIS. Human Resource Information System. System that develop to collect, process, store and distribute information applying to the policies and process of the Human Resource Management. HRM. Human Resource Management. It encompasses the recruitment, records, leave reports and other information that provides a safe and fair environment in the company. HR Personnel. Person who are responsible in the Human Resource in the current process. HR Department. The persons who are involved in the data reports, recruitment, evaluation and the whole Human Resource process in the company. Supervisors. The head officer of each department in the company that implement the rules and regulations of the company, communicating to the HR for the better flow of the employees’ job, be motivated and guides them for their leave request. Employees. The persons who work within the company’s premises. Applicant. The people who seek job vacancies in the company to have a work and be stable to the day to day life. Leave Request. The employees need to file when in sick, emergency, even maternity and paternity leave covered on period of the date. Computerization. It is the process of applying technology in the paper handling materials for betterment of the organizations’ tasks in the company. Paradigm. A pattern that will help the researchers to overview the covered processes of the HR on what are should be the input data and the accurate output of the system. Quantitative Data. It express the data’s certain amount or range. It makes sense to set boundary limits to such data and it is also meaningful to apply arithmetic operations to data. Quantitative research. This is a technique like surveys whose findings may be expressed numerically and can be computed through mathematical manipulation. That will help the researchers to estimate the future events or quantities. Lickert Scale. It is the way to measure the mean figure responses and evaluate a study through questionnaire using decrement value (Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither, Disagree and Strongly Disagree). Iterative Waterfall. The focus is on delivering a sprint of work as opposed to a series of valuable/shippable features.

Ch8 Test Bank

b. The probability for any individual value of a continuous random variable is zero, but for discrete random variables it is not. c. Probability for continuous random variables means finding the area under a curve, while for discrete random variables it means summing individual probabilities. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 2. Which of the following is always true for all probability density functions of continuous random variables? a. The probability at any single point is zero. b. They contain an uncountable number of possible values. c. The total area under the density function f(x) equals 1. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 3. Suppose f(x) = 0. 25. What range of possible values can X take on and still have the density function be legitimate? a. [0, 4] b. [4, 8] c. [? 2, +2] d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 4. The probability density function, f(x), for any continuous random variable X, represents: a. ll possible values that X will assume within some interval a ? x ? b. b. the probability that X takes on a specific value x. c. the height of the density function at x. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 5. Which of the following is true about f(x) when X has a uniform distribution over the interval [a, b]? a. The values of f(x) are different for various values of the random variable X. b. f(x) equals one for each possible value of X. c. f(x) equals one divided by the length of the interval from a to b. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 6. The probability density function f(x) for a uniform random variable X defined over the interval [2, 10] is a. 0. 125 b. 8 c. 6 d. None of these choices. ANS:APTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 7. If the random variable X has a uniform distribution between 40 and 50, then P(35 ? X ? 45) is: a. 1. 0 b. 0. 5 c. 0. 1 d. undefined. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 8. The probability density function f(x) of a random variable X that has a uniform distribution between a and b is a. (b + a)/2 b. 1/b ? 1/a c. (a ? b)/2 d. None of these choices. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 9. Which of the following does not represent a continuous uniform random variable? . f(x) = 1/2 for x between ? 1 and 1, inclusive. b. f(x) = 10 for x between 0 and 1/10, inclusive. c. f(x) = 1/3 for x = 4, 5, 6. d. None of these choices represents a continuous uniform random variable. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 10. Suppose f(x) = 1/4 over the range a ? x ? b, and suppose P(X 4) = 1/2. What are the values for a and b? a. 0 and 4 b. 2 and 6 c. Can be any range of x values whose length (b ? a) equals 4. d. Cannot answer with the information given. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 11. What is the shape of the probability density function for a uniform random variable on the interval [a, b]? a. A rectangle whose X values go from a to b. b. A straight line whose height is 1/(b ? a) over the range [a, b]. c. A continuous probability density function with the same value of f(x) from a to b. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 TRUE/FALSE 12. A continuous probability distribution represents a random variable having an infinite number of outcomes which may assume any number of values within an interval. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 13. Continuous probability distributions describe probabilities associated with random variables that are able to assume any finite number of values along an interval. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 14. A continuous random variable is one that can assume an uncountable number of values. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 15. Since there is an infinite number of values a continuous random variable can assume, the probability of each individual value is virtually 0. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 16. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 10 and 20 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 12 and 15 is 0. 30. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 17. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 15 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 10 and 20 is 1. . ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 18. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 25 (inclusive), then P(X = 15) = 0. 05. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 19. We distinguish between discrete and continuous random variables by noting whether the number of possible values is countable or uncountable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 20. In practice, we frequently use a continuous distribution to approximate a discrete one when the number of values the variable can assume is countable but very large. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 21. Let X represent weekly income expressed in dollars. Since there is no set upper limit, we cannot identify (and thus cannot count) all the possible values. Consequently, weekly income is regarded as a continuous random variable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 22. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must be non-negative. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 23. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must lie between 0 and 1 (inclusive). ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 24. The sum of all values of f(x) over the range of [a, b] must equal one. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 25. A probability density function shows the probability for each value of X. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 26. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X 5) = P(X ? 5). ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 27. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X = 5) = f(5) = 1/10. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 28. If a point y lies outside the range of the possible values of a random variable X, then f(y) must equal zero. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 COMPLETION 29. A(n) ____________________ random variable is one that assumes an uncountable number of possible values. ANS:continuous PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 30. For a continuous random variable, the probability for each individual value of X is ____________________. ANS: zero 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 31. Probability for continuous random variables is found by finding the ____________________ under a curve. ANS:area PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 32. A(n) ____________________ random variable has a density function that looks like a rectangle and you can use areas of a rectangle to find probabilities for it. ANS:uniform PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 33. Suppose X is a continuous random variable for X between a and b. Then its probability ____________________ function must non-negative for all values of X between a and b. ANS:density PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 34. The total area under f(x) for a continuous random variable must equal ____________________. ANS: 1 one PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 35. The probability density function of a uniform random variable on the interval [0, 5] must be ____________________ for 0 ? x ? 5. ANS: 1/5 0. 20 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 36. To find the probability for a uniform random variable you take the ____________________ times the ____________________ of its corresponding rectangle. ANS: base; height height; base length; width width; length PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 37. You can use a continuous random variable to ____________________ a discrete random variable that takes on a countable, but very large, number of possible values. ANS:approximate PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 SHORT ANSWER 38. A continuous random variable X has the following probability density function: f(x) = 1/4, 0 ? x ? 4 Find the following probabilities: a. P(X ? 1) b. P(X ? 2) c. P(1 ? X ? 2) d. P(X = 3) ANS: a. 0. 25 b. 0. 50 c. 0. 25 d. 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Waiting Time The length of time patients must wait to see a doctor at an emergency room in a large hospital has a uniform distribution between 40 minutes and 3 hours. 39. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/140, 40 ? x ? 180 (minutes) PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 40. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait between one and two hours? ANS: 0. 43 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 41. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait exactly one hour? ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 42. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait no more than one hour? ANS: 0. 143 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 43. The time required to complete a particular assembly operation has a uniform distribution between 25 and 50 minutes. a. What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? b. What is the probability that the assembly operation will require more than 40 minutes to complete? c. Suppose more time was allowed to complete the operation, and the values of X were extended to the range from 25 to 60 minutes. What would f(x) be in this case? ANS: a. f(x) = 1/25, 25 ? x ? 50 b. 0. 40 c. f(x) = 1/35, 25 ? x ? 60 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 44. Suppose f(x) equals 1/50 on the interval [0, 50]. a. What is the distribution of X? b. What does the graph of f(x) look like? c. Find P(X ? 25) d. Find P(X ? 25) e. Find P(X = 25) f. Find P(0 X 3) g. Find P(? 3 X 0) h. Find P(0 X 50) ANS: a. X has a uniform distribution on the interval [0, 50]. b. f(x) forms a rectangle of height 1/50 from x = 0 to x = 50. c. 0. 50 d. 0. 50 e. 0 f. 0. 06 g. 0. 06 h. 1. 00 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Chemistry Test The time it takes a student to finish a chemistry test has a uniform distribution between 50 and 70 minutes. 45. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/20, 50 ? x ? 70 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 46. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take more than 60 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 47. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take no less than 55 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 75 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 48. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take exactly one hour to finish the test. ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 49. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the median amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 50. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the mean amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Elevator Waiting Time In a shopping mall the waiting time for an elevator is found to be uniformly distributed between 1 and 5 minutes. 1. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/4, 1 ? x ? 5 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 52. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability of waiting no more than 3 minutes? ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 53. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that the elevator arrives in the first minute and a half? ANS: 0. 125 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 54. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the median waiting time for this elevator? ANS: 3 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Ch8 Test Bank b. The probability for any individual value of a continuous random variable is zero, but for discrete random variables it is not. c. Probability for continuous random variables means finding the area under a curve, while for discrete random variables it means summing individual probabilities. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 2. Which of the following is always true for all probability density functions of continuous random variables? a. The probability at any single point is zero. b. They contain an uncountable number of possible values. c. The total area under the density function f(x) equals 1. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 3. Suppose f(x) = 0. 25. What range of possible values can X take on and still have the density function be legitimate? a. [0, 4] b. [4, 8] c. [? 2, +2] d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 4. The probability density function, f(x), for any continuous random variable X, represents: a. ll possible values that X will assume within some interval a ? x ? b. b. the probability that X takes on a specific value x. c. the height of the density function at x. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 5. Which of the following is true about f(x) when X has a uniform distribution over the interval [a, b]? a. The values of f(x) are different for various values of the random variable X. b. f(x) equals one for each possible value of X. c. f(x) equals one divided by the length of the interval from a to b. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 6. The probability density function f(x) for a uniform random variable X defined over the interval [2, 10] is a. 0. 125 b. 8 c. 6 d. None of these choices. ANS:APTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 7. If the random variable X has a uniform distribution between 40 and 50, then P(35 ? X ? 45) is: a. 1. 0 b. 0. 5 c. 0. 1 d. undefined. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 8. The probability density function f(x) of a random variable X that has a uniform distribution between a and b is a. (b + a)/2 b. 1/b ? 1/a c. (a ? b)/2 d. None of these choices. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 9. Which of the following does not represent a continuous uniform random variable? . f(x) = 1/2 for x between ? 1 and 1, inclusive. b. f(x) = 10 for x between 0 and 1/10, inclusive. c. f(x) = 1/3 for x = 4, 5, 6. d. None of these choices represents a continuous uniform random variable. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 10. Suppose f(x) = 1/4 over the range a ? x ? b, and suppose P(X 4) = 1/2. What are the values for a and b? a. 0 and 4 b. 2 and 6 c. Can be any range of x values whose length (b ? a) equals 4. d. Cannot answer with the information given. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 11. What is the shape of the probability density function for a uniform random variable on the interval [a, b]? a. A rectangle whose X values go from a to b. b. A straight line whose height is 1/(b ? a) over the range [a, b]. c. A continuous probability density function with the same value of f(x) from a to b. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 TRUE/FALSE 12. A continuous probability distribution represents a random variable having an infinite number of outcomes which may assume any number of values within an interval. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 13. Continuous probability distributions describe probabilities associated with random variables that are able to assume any finite number of values along an interval. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 14. A continuous random variable is one that can assume an uncountable number of values. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 15. Since there is an infinite number of values a continuous random variable can assume, the probability of each individual value is virtually 0. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 16. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 10 and 20 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 12 and 15 is 0. 30. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 17. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 15 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 10 and 20 is 1. . ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 18. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 25 (inclusive), then P(X = 15) = 0. 05. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 19. We distinguish between discrete and continuous random variables by noting whether the number of possible values is countable or uncountable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 20. In practice, we frequently use a continuous distribution to approximate a discrete one when the number of values the variable can assume is countable but very large. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 21. Let X represent weekly income expressed in dollars. Since there is no set upper limit, we cannot identify (and thus cannot count) all the possible values. Consequently, weekly income is regarded as a continuous random variable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 22. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must be non-negative. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 23. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must lie between 0 and 1 (inclusive). ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 24. The sum of all values of f(x) over the range of [a, b] must equal one. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 25. A probability density function shows the probability for each value of X. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 26. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X 5) = P(X ? 5). ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 27. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X = 5) = f(5) = 1/10. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 28. If a point y lies outside the range of the possible values of a random variable X, then f(y) must equal zero. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 COMPLETION 29. A(n) ____________________ random variable is one that assumes an uncountable number of possible values. ANS:continuous PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 30. For a continuous random variable, the probability for each individual value of X is ____________________. ANS: zero 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 31. Probability for continuous random variables is found by finding the ____________________ under a curve. ANS:area PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 32. A(n) ____________________ random variable has a density function that looks like a rectangle and you can use areas of a rectangle to find probabilities for it. ANS:uniform PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 33. Suppose X is a continuous random variable for X between a and b. Then its probability ____________________ function must non-negative for all values of X between a and b. ANS:density PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 34. The total area under f(x) for a continuous random variable must equal ____________________. ANS: 1 one PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 35. The probability density function of a uniform random variable on the interval [0, 5] must be ____________________ for 0 ? x ? 5. ANS: 1/5 0. 20 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 36. To find the probability for a uniform random variable you take the ____________________ times the ____________________ of its corresponding rectangle. ANS: base; height height; base length; width width; length PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 37. You can use a continuous random variable to ____________________ a discrete random variable that takes on a countable, but very large, number of possible values. ANS:approximate PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 SHORT ANSWER 38. A continuous random variable X has the following probability density function: f(x) = 1/4, 0 ? x ? 4 Find the following probabilities: a. P(X ? 1) b. P(X ? 2) c. P(1 ? X ? 2) d. P(X = 3) ANS: a. 0. 25 b. 0. 50 c. 0. 25 d. 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Waiting Time The length of time patients must wait to see a doctor at an emergency room in a large hospital has a uniform distribution between 40 minutes and 3 hours. 39. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/140, 40 ? x ? 180 (minutes) PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 40. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait between one and two hours? ANS: 0. 43 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 41. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait exactly one hour? ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 42. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait no more than one hour? ANS: 0. 143 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 43. The time required to complete a particular assembly operation has a uniform distribution between 25 and 50 minutes. a. What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? b. What is the probability that the assembly operation will require more than 40 minutes to complete? c. Suppose more time was allowed to complete the operation, and the values of X were extended to the range from 25 to 60 minutes. What would f(x) be in this case? ANS: a. f(x) = 1/25, 25 ? x ? 50 b. 0. 40 c. f(x) = 1/35, 25 ? x ? 60 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 44. Suppose f(x) equals 1/50 on the interval [0, 50]. a. What is the distribution of X? b. What does the graph of f(x) look like? c. Find P(X ? 25) d. Find P(X ? 25) e. Find P(X = 25) f. Find P(0 X 3) g. Find P(? 3 X 0) h. Find P(0 X 50) ANS: a. X has a uniform distribution on the interval [0, 50]. b. f(x) forms a rectangle of height 1/50 from x = 0 to x = 50. c. 0. 50 d. 0. 50 e. 0 f. 0. 06 g. 0. 06 h. 1. 00 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Chemistry Test The time it takes a student to finish a chemistry test has a uniform distribution between 50 and 70 minutes. 45. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/20, 50 ? x ? 70 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 46. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take more than 60 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 47. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take no less than 55 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 75 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 48. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take exactly one hour to finish the test. ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 49. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the median amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 50. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the mean amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Elevator Waiting Time In a shopping mall the waiting time for an elevator is found to be uniformly distributed between 1 and 5 minutes. 1. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/4, 1 ? x ? 5 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 52. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability of waiting no more than 3 minutes? ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 53. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that the elevator arrives in the first minute and a half? ANS: 0. 125 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 54. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the median waiting time for this elevator? ANS: 3 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1

Introduction to political ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to political ideologies - Essay Example s "a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary†, by the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (Carl Slevin) Anarchism can be of many types (Fowler,738 -752 ). But, all of them are not mutually exclusive (Sylvan, 231). According to the Oxford Companion to Philosophy, "there is no single defining position that all anarchists hold," beyond their rejection of compulsory government, "and those considered anarchists at best share a certain family resemblance." (Anarchism. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 31). Anarchists hold different opinions like, as to the economic organization of society; some favor libertarian communism, collectivist anarchism or participatory economics while others believes that supporting free market systems like mutualism, agorism, or anarcho-capitalism is beneficial for the society (Brooks, xi). Most of the anarchists firmly oppose voting or participating in the State institution. Still there there are a few that disagree. The prominent anarchist, Proudhon stood for election to the French Constituent Assembly twice in 1848. Paul Brousse developed a concept Libertarian municipalism in Switzerland in the 1890s which involved participating in local elections (George H. Smith). There are three reasons behind the opposition of election by anarchist. the anarchist collective CrimethInc. launched "Dont Just Vote, Get Active," during the 2004 US Presidential election. This was a campaign to promote the importance of direct action instead of just an electoral change. Anarchists in other countries quite often engage in similar anti-voting campaigns. Some anarchists propose a more pragmatic approach which includes voting in referenda

Strategic Plan Part 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Plan Part 1 - Research Paper Example The company will be known under the name and style of Mangoamla Juice Centers LLC and juices will have 4-5 variances such as pure amla juice mixed with ginger and turmeric, pure mangosteen with ginger and turmeric, mangosteen-amla mix and so on. The products that the company aims to serve are different than any available product in the market as nowhere fresh juices prepared from amla and mangosteen are served that are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells of the human body from cancer causing free radicals. Mangoamla Juice Centers aims at not only building awareness about antioxidant rich fruits but also make them available to the masses in their vicinity (Carlsen, 2013). Amla Mangosteen Vision Statement Mangoamla Juice Centers’ vision statement is to enrich the people’s health with naturally occurring antioxidants and become a champion in protecting people’s health. Mission Statement Mangoamla Juice Centers’ mission statement is to satisfy hea lth-conscious masses with the organically grown antioxidant-rich fruits and herbs derived from the Mother Nature and help people build strong immune power to keep from deadly diseases. Our Values Integrity: We always offer what we convey. Transparency: We are transparent in what we offer. Fairness: We are always fair to our customers. Responsibility: We consider ourselves responsible and accountable to the community where we live and operate. Defining Values Talking about transparency, the company will specify all ingredients and its proportion clearly in its all typical servings. Whatever specified will be offered with full integrity and honesty. The company will take social responsibility and delve into the issues that the farming community faces in growing amla and mangosteen crops in their countries, vital for the company’s continuance and business growth. The company will advise them on increasing crop yields while farming organically; for sustainable ways of farming and the ways to reduce labor in plucking the crop thus, helping them to increase their earnings. The company will be most diligent in following all applicable laws and regulations following ethical business practices at all levels. All activities will be done in line with the best environmental practices and sustainability growth. Strategic Direction The vision, mission and values as described above will guide the organization’s overall business and marketing strategy. The company will continue to find innovative ways and introduce new products and flavors to retain customers and attract new ones. The product quality will be of highest standard and will never be compromised at any given time. The thrust will be on quicker and fast paced services with minimal waiting period in the center. The customers will be provided with pleasant and cozy environment that they can always cherish with. Understanding Customer Needs Arthritis, gout, cancer ailments, asthma and many chronic ailmen ts have been plaguing the US society since long (CDC, 2012). Traditional medicines suppress these ailments for some time but cannot treat them fully. Moreover, perennial consumption of these medicines causes huge side effects. Obama initiative is aimed at not only to provide proper treatment opportunities to all in the society but it also aims at preventive measures and raising general health standards of the people. A large number of the people in the US

The Trosack Family Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Trosack Family Decision - Essay Example The social worker would also identify and facilitate local and community based programs such as support groups and grief counselors since depression could become an issue for both Rita and Peter. The educator would provide education on Tay-Sachs disease. This could be a physician who specializes in genetic diseases or a nurse educator with an advanced knowledge of Tay-Sachs disease. Understanding the disease, including cause, expectations, and prognosis would be of utmost importance to Rita and Peter to help them grasp their situation on and begin to cope with it (Kaback, Rimoin and O'Brien, 1977). The genetic counselor could provide information regarding the risks of subsequent pregnancies and possibly shed some light into their family history related to the development of the disease. The case manager, in collaboration with the other healthcare team members, would be responsible for designing a unique and patient specific approach to Rita’s healthcare and both Rita and Peter ’s emotional wellbeing. Nurses have knowledge and decision-making skills in health assessment, diagnosis, offer therapeutics and health care management to the patient. They provide health care services that encompassing prevention of diseases and injuries and other support services. Their integration to the team would provide access to a wide range of primary health care services (Lapham, Kozma and Weiss 1996). Teaching plan Definition Tay Sachs disease (TSD) is also referred to as Hexosaminidase or GM2 gangliosidosis. It is an autosomal recessive disorder that is genetic. Infantile Tay Sachs disease causes a persistent deterioration of physical and mental abilities that begin at six months old more often than not results to death by age four (Lapham, Kozma and Weiss 1996). Genetic diagnosis TSD is caused by a genetic defect in a single gene which has one faulty copy gene inherited from the parents. The disease arises when dangerous amounts of cell membrane gangliosides build up in the nerve cells of the brain. They finally lead to the early death of those cells. A genetic mutation in the HEXA gene on chromosome 15 is the main cause of TSD. It is a hereditary disease. TSD takes place when the body lacks hexosaminidase A. This protein assists in the breaking down of gangliosides. Gangliosides build up when the protein is missing. When both parents carry the faulty TSD gene, their child has a 25 percent chance of getting the disease (Feetham, 1999). Treatment of TSD At present, no treatment is available for TSD. However, anticonvulsant medicine may be used to control seizures initially. Supportive treatment such as proper nutrition and hydration can be applied (Lapham, Kozma and Weiss, 1996). Prognosis of Tay-Sachs disease Children with TSD die usually by age 5 due to recurring infection. This is due to the complications that arise after the child is born. Support Groups Stress of the illness may be relieved by joining support groups whose members share c ommon problems and experiences such as the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association. Its aim is to lead the fight of treating and finding a cure for TSD. It also supports affected individuals and families to lead fuller lives. Such groups may also offer financial and emotional support. Pregnancy information Screening should be done before pregnancy and if possible before marriage. One partner can be screened and if the

Evaluative Rhtorical Mode Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluative Rhtorical Mode - Essay Example Even if a person who is not a fan of the sport can access the website and find helpful information if they just want to learn about the Championship, or if they are interested in becoming a fan themselves. This particular website excels in meeting its purpose. It is informative on the Championship, providing visitors with anything they could possibly want to know about the Ultimate Fighting Championship. While it is very fan-friendly, it is also appealing to people who are just curious about the Championship and are seeking basic information. The website contains a plethora of facts and details that cover every aspect of the sporting event. The strong amount of information provided on the webpage makes it simple for the website to reach its purpose. However, there is a slight problem in tracking down certain information due to how cluttered the website feels, especially to people who access the site for the first time. The aforementioned is one of two problems with the format of the webpage. The first issue, as previously noted, is that the homepage of the website is a cluttered mess of facts and information. While the sections are split up so that they do not mix with unrelated sections, there is simply too much information on the front page. Even with separately headed sections, there is a lot to take in, which can be confusing for people that are not used to the website. The homepage contains what equates to a summary of the entire website, and it is too much is a rather small space. While this layout can be good for gleaning a lot of information at a single time, it can appear to be a jumbled mess to someone who is not used to the page. The second problem with the website is a difficulty in navigating the page. Besides the main navigation bar at the top of the page, there are other links throughout the rest of the page. In most cases, clicking one link will take the visitor to another page with even more links, and a link from that page will just continue t he trek to another page full of other links. There is a search bar at the top that allows visitors to type in something specific, and most of the links are detailed enough for a visitor to know what they are looking for, but the navigation between additional links gets to be too confusing. The only changes that the website should see is in regard to the layout of the homepage and the navigation throughout the entire site. The homepage needs to contain less information so as to not overwhelm visitors, especially the ones that are new to the site or are only visiting to obtain a few quick facts. The homepage should only consist of some brief information about the Ultimate Fighting Championship, such as the history and what it is, and perhaps an events schedule. There should also be a section containing links to the other most important aspects of the page, such as those previously mentioned. If a person finds it hard to work their way around the homepage of a website, they may not fee l that it is worth it to explore the rest of the website. Similarly, the links need to be fixed up so that there are fewer of them. Each webpage in the site should be designated to a specific part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship so that visitors do not have to keep jumping from page to page looking for a specific piece of information.

Reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reflection - Coursework Example One way of organizing the varied components in an essay may have to do with the course affiliated to by the line of reasoning resorted to by the writer, as in persuasive and opinion essays. In that context, an essay may follow a general-to-particular or a particular-to-general format of organization. The essential thing about the general-to-particular form of organization is that it allows the essay writer to carry the strain of thoughts imminent in the essay from broad and expansive generalizations, to specific and concrete conclusions. In other words the writer here begins with a general body of facts and then keeps on chiseling and paring it to facilitate its culmination into a reliable and effective conclusion. Thereby, the particular-to-general mode of organization is the one in which where a writer begins one’s line of reasoning from a specific fact or information and then moves on to broaden the scope of that specific fact to support a more generalized view of things. B oth these modes of essay organization do come in handy in essays driven by reason and logic. Every student of English does know that many a times one has to write an essay which is not merely reason based, but does also have an essential plot and landscape associated with it. That is such essays do contain much material pertaining to human characters, incidents and aspects of landscape like buildings, structures, vegetation, etc. Thereby, chronological order and spatial order here help the essay writer to arrange the elements of plot and landscape in an essay in a coherent and concise manner. Chronological order is a mode of essay organization in which the incidents, occurring, eras in an essay are arranged in consonance with a linear time order, which may flow from past to present or from present to past. Contrary to this, the spatial order takes care of the varied details of the landscape presented in an essay, as they exist in space. Such a form of organization may present the varied

Correlation Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Correlation Discussion - Essay Example Fisher’s z-Transformation (Zr) is another method which enables a skewed sampling distribution to be transformed into a normal distribution scheme. In particular, this may be applied when the value of r (Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient) deviates from zero, in which case, the sampling distribution becomes skewed progressively and Fisher’s z-transformation may resolve to normalize this condition. Though the mean and variance do not follow a common transformation, functions pertaining to cumulative distribution and probability density can still be determined statistically via such method. The following graph demonstrates how ‘zr’ varies with ‘r’.Evaluation of Pearson ‘r’, on the other hand, may indicate the correlation between two variables based on tests to figure whether the ‘r' varies from -1 to +1, with 0 in reference to the absence of relationship and 1 for the perfect relationship. Test reports with this method incorporate critical one-tailed and two-tailed ‘r’, Fisher z-transformation, t-statistic, and population correlation figures.Calculating Spearman’s rank-order correlation non-parametric coefficient ‘Ï Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, likewise, formulates a nearly similar output as does measuring the Pearson’s ‘r’. It takes two numeric variables to carry out the method through which each variable is converted to ranks.  

Gothic architecture and romanesque architecture Essay Example for Free

Gothic architecture and romanesque architecture Essay Gothic Style is the most fascinating and mysterious architectural era the world has seen. These large structures of the 11th through the 16th centuries, that are considered to be of Gothic Style, are simply glorious. Throughout the centuries, beautiful medieval cathedrals have been towering above every building and till this day, still survive with their astonishing appearance. The edifices built during the so-called Gothic period were not built with simple identifying Gothic features. Gothic architecture was born of Romanesque architecture altered by the influence of medieval society. Romanesque and Gothic architecture, although having many similarities, also have many differences. There are some who would regard the first Gothic churches in France as late extensions of the Romanesque building boom.The Romanesque contributed greatly to the development of highly articulated, expressive exterior and interior design.'(K Conant p. 6) French Romanesque architecture was the antecedent to Early Gothic in France. What remained to be done in creating the Gothic style as we know it was to take the proportion and sophistication of Cluny III, its relatively thin vaulting, its flying buttresses, joining them to the rib vaulting of Durham, and developing the effective features of each. (K Conant p. 291) Romanesque architecture was designed to be more for protective purposes than for any aesthetic quality. So as not to be destroyed by invaders, the walls of the Romanesque cathedrals were built very thickly. Gothic, on the other hand, had thinner walls and worked towards a more artistic approach. Gothic cathedrals were also designed with statues and sculptures on them such as the gargoyle, which also served as a rainspout. Romanesque cathedrals had few windows, as the walls of the cathedrals were very thick and made placement of windows extremely difficult. Contrary to Romanesque architecture, Gothic had many stained glass windows, which spread colored light, giving a feeling of peace. Gothic style used many flying buttresses and pointed arches, while Romanesque used rounded arches for added support to the heavy construction of the walls and ceilings. Gothic architecture was achieved intentionally by the plan of Abbot Suger to rebuild St-Denis. During the thirteenth century other French contributions influenced cathedrals and partially erased the twelfth century forms. (Grodecki, p. 73) The great models of the thirteenth century gave rise to formal  continuity that can be seen more clearly throughout France than in other countries. France contains more structures that are easier read of successive stylistic phases. Champagne was the most readily influenced by the creation of Gothic architecture. The edifices of Champagne and Saint-Remis represent the final technical and formal improvements of Early Gothic architecture. The sixteenth century Parisian church of Saint-Eustache was modeled after the twelfth century Notre-Dame of Paris. Though Notre-Dame of Paris is considered to be a negative influence by Grodecki, it was a model for many edifices of lesser dimension and importance in the diocese of Paris during the last third of the twelfth century. The edifice being four stories tall lacks a triforium: in its place are rose shaped roundels that emit light up to the roof. The very large, well lit gallery opens to the central nave through triple arched openings. (Grodecki p. 62) Given the height of this structure, the builders turned to flying buttresses as a final solution. However, flying buttresses were not added to the choir. The cathedral was built according to the thin-wall principle; the shallowness of the window recesses and of the gallery arcade make this thinness noticeable at every level. (Grodecki p.62) A positive influence on Gothic architecture is Chartres Cathedral. The Chartres type is believed not only to have served as a model for the great cathedrals both in and out of France, but also its formal and structural success is believed to have made it a kind of masterpiece sui generis whose historical value surely matches that of the most celebrated creations of world architecture. Gothic style is not to be found in the Chartres type, but instead in mid-thirteenth century art: namely Rayonnant style. The choirs of Paris cathedrals all share certain features that make the real culmination of the Gothic principles of space and construction. (Grodecki p. 107) The immensity and magnificence of Chartres is due to the facts that it was the seat of a very wealthy bishopric and the site of a well-known Marian pilgrimage. Chartres includes a double ambulatory with chapels, due to the combining of the plans of Notre-Dame at Paris and of Saint-Denis. The transept is borrowed from the Cathedral of Laon. Chartres architects genius and originality is shown in the interior elevation and general  structure of the building. Chartres is three stories and resembles Sens with one difference: the arcade and clerestory are of equal height, separated by a triforium much like that of Laons. The design of the interior volumes, the delineations of bays by piers and colonettes, the rigor of the side aisles and ambulatory these features comprise one of the most logical spatial arrangements known to Gothic architecture. (Grodecki, p. 110) The Cathedral of Chartres must be considered one of the monuments that states most explicitly the Scholastic or mystic purpose of medieval art. The influence of this extraordinary structure was immediate and widespread. Chartres prompted the elimination of the gallery during construction and the rejection of certain characteristic Champagne features. The twelfth century design of Notre-Dame had been superceded . There are some discrepancies about when Gothic first came to England. According to L Grodecki, the Gothic style was first introduced to England in 1174 by Guillaume de Sens in the choir of Canterbury Cathedral. (Grodecki, p. 195) While C Wilson believes that Gothic was introduced to England by way of a series of more or less disconnected episodes, only some of which had important consequences. (Wilson, p. 72) Wilson also believes that some of the churches which the Cistercians built in the north of England from about 1155 were Gothic. (Wilson, p. 73) So he is saying that these churches are the earliest examples of Gothic in the region, which counter claims Grodeckis theory. Unfortunately it is not at all clear which of the mid-12th-century Cistercian churches in the north of England served as the channel through which Gothic influences reached the region. What can be affirmed is that at least one northern Cistercian church must have been built in the Gothic style by the late 1150s. The presence of the Burgundian elements at York virtually proves that the northern English Cistercians were the medium by which both the architect and the Gothic elements of his design were transmitted. (Wilson, p. 74) Avila, which is a parallel to York, is a mixture of Burgundian Cistercian Romanesque and French Gothic. The society of the medieval time played an important role in the creation of these Gothic Cathedrals. Every walk of life in medieval society can be seen portrayed in the art and decoration of a medieval cathedral. (Brookes essay in Swaans GC, p. 13) The materials used in constructing these edifices were often gifts or offerings from the King, founders, patrons and craftsmen. Swaan seems to think that the peasants felt that the cathedrals were not meant for their presence except during construction when they offered their carts or labor for building. This would suffice to say that the contractors were of low class peasants. Cranes and pulleys powered by men and animals were used to haul stones. Cathedrals were expensive to build; the money came from gifts of land, farms, houses, and jewels. Many people believed that donating money would forgive their sins. The workers such as the architects, sculptors, blacksmiths, and many others, believed that being a part of the construction would bring them fame and fortune. Cathedrals and the people inside implored that God is the most important part of a persons life and should be thanked for everything. People offered prayers and offerings to God at the great Cathedrals thinking it would bring a prosperous and healthy life. At anytime were the townspeople feeling downhearted or prosperous for any reason, their first priority was to go to the center of town and thank God at the cathedral. Praising the Lord became a ritual of everyday life. As one of the largest buildings of its time, the cathedrals represented the heavens in which people believed was peaceful and serene. France was the birthplace of the Gothic Style. French cathedrals began the Gothic era that spread throughout Europe in a rage that has never been seen since. English cathedrals combine the art of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The cathedrals represented faith, dedication and cooperation. And showed the people that even if they had a miserable life, they could always turn to the comforting church for salvation. Cathedrals across the world come in many shapes and sizes but all have the same purpose, to serve as a place to praise Jesus. They will always be around to show the roots of Christianity and portray the architectural skills served by the people of the middle ages.

Mployee Relations Against A Changing Background Management Essay

Mployee Relations Against A Changing Background Management Essay Employee is the key element of an organization. The success of the organization depends much on the employee. Relationship among the employee and employer is an important issue in the present business world. by managing employee relation organization easily manage the organization goals. So the manager should have aware about the nature of employee relation and application on the business. For the overall activities of employee relation a manager have to the nature of conflict and its effect on the employee relationship. LO1: Understand the context of employee relations against a changing background Explain the unitary and pluralistic frames of reference (P1) Unitary reference In Unitary reference all the employee share their object, interest and purpose. By this way employee can work together, hand to hand. Moreover, unitary is a systematic approach where the entire employee should loyal to other. (Abbott, k. 2006) Unitary assumptions and values have played a significant role in three schools of theoretical and practical thought: theory of scientific management Human relations theory Human resource management Pluralistic reference Pluralists reference start from a set of view, assumption and values in which workplace conflict is inventible. Administration and workers constitute two such groups, who, because of the very nature of the factory system, which are seen as invariably subscribing to different values and objectives. (Abbott, k. 2006) Evaluate how the changes in trade unionism in the 20th century have affected employee relations within the organization (P2) Innovation of trade is old like human history but trade union come to form in the18th century. This becomes very powerful in the 19th century trade union come to form to maintain the interest of the business man. In the very first of the 20th century trade union become very powerful. in 1901 a bill was passed in the court that a tare union can sue against any organization or person for which organization become bound to give the proper right to the employee. From 1923-1929britain faces the conservation government in that time some general stick was held by the trade union which make the trade union more powerful and for this the unlimited freedom of management began to decrease. During the 1920s old industries like coal mining were declining. So in 1921 employers cut wages. In 1926 they proposed to cut wages and increase working hours. But the trade union protect against it. in the may 26 in 1926 a general stick held against it a processing also held where some employee died for which we observe the may day. By this the way trade union affects the employee relation (businesscasestudies, 2012). Explain the role of 4 main players in employee relations of an organization (P3) The main four player of an organization are chief exceptive officer, human resource manager, employee trainee and department head. All he persons play some incredible rule to maintain the employee relation. Their role are describe below Role of department head: Department head paly some important role to build up a unique relationship between the employee. A department head observed all the activities of the employee under his department which is very helpful to crate relationship. On the other hand he also monitors the relationship among the employees. Role of HR manager in employee relation: Human Resource Manager can develop the relationship by providing enough information, managing workforce engagement, and job design and so on Role of employee trainee in employee relation: by provide the proper training employee trainee ensure the proper employee relation. Role of financials manager: By making suitable wages and salary policy financial manager help to maintain employee relationship Why do you think the field of Industrial Relations has been replaced with the name Employee Relations over the years? Give examples to support your answer (M1) Industrial relation means the relation between industries and employee relation means the relation among the employee, employer and management. The term industrial relation has been replaced with the name f the employee relation .i support this statement for the below reasons Industrial relation replaced by the employee relation because RE concept is much helpful to the firm Employee relation is easier to understand for the general employee. industrial relation is not so much effective than the employee relation now employee is consider the core element of any organization for which industrial relation replaced The value of industrial relation cant maintain the better relationship. (naukrihub ,2012). LO2: Understand the nature of industrial conflict and its resolution Explain the procedures an organization should follow when dealing with different conflict situations Every organization faces many types of conflict. Many organizations maintain a code of procedure to solve the workplace conflict. The procedure of dealing with different conflict situation maintain three steps Indentify causes of conflict Identify the way of solve conflict situation Ways of implement solving procedure Conflict solve procedure Armstrong, M,(2003), Identify the causes of conflict: For many causes conflict can arise in an organization. the most common reason are given below sexual harassment in the organization is the prime cause of employee conflict conflict may be arises for the leadership problems past problem which cant solve in the proper tome can be the cause of conflict unhealthy and risky working condition unplanned communication system lack of proper training Identify the ways of solving conflict: Conflict must be solving for the organization further success and maintain proper employee relation. There are many ways to solving the conflict of the organization. Those are ensuring the safety and healthy workplace manager can solve workplace conflict giving reward for maintaining employee relation giving the wages and salary in time by maintain proper communication system managing NO HARASMENT policies in all sectors of the business by employee empowerment business can solve workplace conflict Ways to implement solving procedure: There are many ways to implement the solving measures. An organization can implement the solving procedure by the following ways by taking open decision from all of the members of the organization because many innovative ideas may come from general members make a conversation with the Human Resource Manager of the organization and employee representative by managing all business records Making formal commitment about the employee right organization can solve the conflict. Explain the key features of employee relations in a real life conflict situation of British American Tobago (BAT) British American Tobago is very conscious about the employee relation because this company knows that the overall success of an organization depends much on the proper employee relation. In the real life this company maintains some feature to manage the employee relation. Those features are evaluate the degree of employee relation evaluate the contribution of the employee relation to the business success and evaluate the necessary of employee relation in the real life In the real life this company thinks that the employee relation depend on the following feature compensation and payment process securities and safeties of the employees how organizational works are manage and labor management issue Evaluate the effectiveness of procedures used in a conflict situation from real life organization Lack of better understanding between the employee and employer and employee and management can refer as workplace conflict. In the above we see that there is a three steps procedure to solve a conflict. But there is a question may arise how effective of this procedures are? The effectiveness can evaluate by the many ways British American Tobago evaluate the effectiveness by the following ways consumed time to solve a conflict efficiency of solve of a convict cost of organization to solve a conflict measuring the employee relation after solving the conflict the efficiency of the conflict solve procedure measure Torrington Hall, (2007), Present findings from the reasons for conflict between British Airways Cabin Crew staff and management. British airways are a famous airways industry in the world. This is one of the leading companies in the air way industry. in the recent time there is a conflict arise among the cabin crew staff and management. The reasons of this conflict are given below cabin crew said that their salary is low in the measurement of their quality there is a lack of safety they have no insurance poor communication and there is lack of understanding between the cabin crew and manger LO3: Understand collective bargaining and negotiation processes Explain the role of negotiation in collective bargaining (P7) Conflict may arise in the organization for the bargain about any issue of the organization among the employees and management. This problem can solve by the collective bargaining. The definition of collective bargaining is a procedure of negotiation of any current issue of the organization. Negotiation plays some important role in the collective bargaining. The negotiation is mainly based on the employee salary and safety of the employee. The roles of negotiation in the collective bargaining are Torrington Hall, (2007) negotiation settle the industrial conflict negotiation decrease the unlimited freedom of the management by the negotiation employee become satisfied for which the production increase negotiation create a better relationship between the employee and employer By the negotiation the interests of the trade union fulfill. Critically reflect on any current conflict situation of any public or private organization in UK and give clear conclusions on the effectiveness of negotiation process between two parties (D1) Acas is a rewound organization in the UK. This company is very aware about right of its employee. But recently there is a conflict between the management body of acas and its employee. This conflict happened for many reasons among the lack of equal opportunity, less safety working conditions, unfair treatment, unbearable work load in main For these problems a conflict arises between the management and employee of acas. But this problem was taken under control by the governing body of acas using the negotiation process. To solve this problem governing body discuss with the human resource manager and identify the causes of conflict then they discuss with the employee representative. After discussion the governing understand the reason of conflict. Then the governing body takes some decision based on the employee wants and management lacking. (Acas , 2012) Evaluate the impact of negotiation strategy of London Transport Association for conflict with Tube workers in recent times. (P8) Negotiation is very important to solve the conflict. The negotiation is necessary for all types of company as it production based or service based. For this the negotiation plays an important role to solve the conflict between the London Transport Association and its employee. The impact negotiation to solve the conflict of London Transport Association are discuss below negotiation settle the London Transport Association conflict negotiation decrease the unlimited freedom of the management of the London Transport Association by the negotiation employee become satisfied for which the services standard of London Transport Association increases negotiation create a better relationship between the employee and employer of London Transport Association By the negotiation the interest of the trade union fulfills. Who work on behalf of the employee of the London Transport Association LO4: Understand the concept of employee participation and involvement Evaluate the influence of the EU policies and directives on industrial democracy of workers within the UK (P9) EU policies influence the industrial democracy of workers of UK. Suppose the anti harassment policy make a women move freely in the workplace. They can join any workplace without mental problem like harassment problem. Trade policy is another derivative of EU which indicates the degree of freedom of an organization. By this policy an organization involve in the international business. Safety and healthy workplace is n important policy of EU by which an industrial freedom is measured. If the workplace is safe for the employee the employee get more democratic right thus EU policies influence the UK employee freedom. The impact of UN policies in the UK are given below It protect the sunrise company of UK Vulnerable company of UK are protected by the EU policies EU policies manage the industrial freedom of the employee in the UK Influence the industrial democratic system of workers. Maintain Safety and healthy workplace in the UK business. (europa,2012). Taking help from the answer to Question 4.1 produce a report for LCC and recommend how these EU policies can benefit the organization for long term. (D2) A report LCC About the UN policies Report introduction: European Union is a combination of countries of the Europe. This union has some internal policies about business which influence on the UK business and others countries also. Those policies also influence on the industrial democracy. About the report: This report is about UN policies, the influence of UN policies impact on the democracy freedom and the lacking of the report. The impact of UN policies of the industrial freedom of the UK employee: EU policies influence the industrial democracy of workers of UK. Suppose the anti harassment policy make a women move freely in the workplace. They can join any workplace without mental problem like harassment problem. Trade policy is another derivative of EU which indicates the degree of freedom of an organization. By this policy an organization involve in the international business. Safety and healthy workplace is n important policy of EU by which an industrial freedom is measured. If the workplace is safe for the employee the employee get more democratic right thus EU policies influence the UK employee freedom. Recommendation: The operate policy of EU must be helpful for the general people of the Europe. The policy should be ensure the safety of the employee It is very looked-for to generate a safety and healthy agency for the employees. This must exist the democratic for the employer EU policies must be business oriented These policy must be helpful for the organization (europa,2012). Compare 3 methods used to gain employee participation and involvement in the decision making process in organizations (P10) Employee involvement is an important factor of human resource management. Employee involvement is an important tool to create employee interest on the work. by the employee involvement an employee was given the duty and power to any work for this thy do it with satisfaction. There are many ways of delegation, giving authority method, proper communication method, information method etc. Delegation: delegation is a process of delegate of work of the senior to the subordinate. In this process the supervisor gives responsibility to the subordinate to do any work with proper authority. This method is more effective than others. Proper information method: by providing proper information about the organization manager can give the power to the employee. In this method employee can access the organization information. Giving right technique: Everyone likes power or be a member of authority. Giving power employee involvement can increase. This method is more effective than other methods. Assess the impact of human resource management on employee relations (P11). Human resource management (HRM) is one of the most important parts of any business success and achievement of a business depends on the HRM practices of that business. The main activities of the human resource management are recruitment, employee selection, providing proper training to the employee, employee performance measurement, workplace planning and provide the employee salary and wages. The employee relation may influence by the human resource managements Decisions and activities crate influence on the employee relation. Human resource management always focuses on the employee and organizational development. Armstrong, M,(2003), Function of the human resource management assesses impact by the following ways: Employee selection policies and employee relation: When an organization selects an employee then it considers the employee behaviors. Every company wants to select those employees who are more friendly and skilled. HRM want to take those people who are smart and active and would have loyal to the organization culture for this the new employee can easily cope with the organization. All of the above functions are very helpful to maintain employee relation. Training and employee relation: Providing training is an important function of the HRM. The employee relation depends much on the employee training and development. By giving training to the employee based on the employee relation may helpful to maintain the e3mployee relation. Job design and employee relation: Sometime HRM designs job of the employee based on some assumption. They think workplace is the best place to build up a relationship among the employee because employee spends most of his time in the workplace. Some time job design is based on the help of other method where an employee must have to take help from the other employee. This policy is very helpful for the management to build up an employee relationship. Wages and salary method and employee relation: The relationship between the employee and employer, and employee and management depend on the salary method. if an organization cant pay the salary properly or on the fixed time the overall relationship among the management and employee may breakdown. Work place planning and employee relation: Employee relation depends much on the workplace planning. Safety and healthy workplace help employees to build up a relationship among them. Combine work for example will help employer to create a better relationship with them. Stone, R. (1995) Support your answer in P11 by critically evaluating the impact of any 3 HR practices in improving employee relations in a large organization of your choice (D3). British American Tobago (BAT) is world famous company which is very much aware about the employee relation. The human resource management of BAT is responsible for the employee relation. in the below three human resource planning are discuss which improving the employee relation of the BAT. Employee selection policies of BAT and employee relation: When British American Tobago selects an employee then it considers the employee behaviors. British American Tobago selects those employees who are more friendly and skilled. HRM want to take those people who are smart and active and would have loyal to the organization culture for this the new employee can easily cope with the organization. all of the above functions are very helpful to maintain employee relation in the BAT. (LinkedIn, 2012) Training of British American Tobago and employee relation: Providing training is an important function of the HRM. The employee relation depends much on the employee training and development. By giving training to the employee based on the employee relation create helpful situation for BAT to maintain the e3mployee relation. Job design of British American Tobago and employee relation: and employee relation: British American Tobago designs job of the employee based on some assumption. They think workplace is the best place to build up a relationship among the employee because employee spends most of his time in the workplace. Some time job design is based on the help of other method where an employee must have to take help from the other employee. This policy is very helpful for the management to build up a employee relationship. (LinkedIn, 2012) Wages and salary method of British American Tobago and employee relation: The relationship between the employee and employer, and employee and management depend on the salary method. if British American Tobago cant pay the salary properly or on the fixed time the overall relationship among the management and employee may breakdown. Conclusion: the word employee relation cannot use alone. If we want to ensure proper employee relation in the organization we have to manage the workplace conflict, negotiation process, and collective bargaining. We also know the different relationship theories.

Sinner vs. the Sin in Dantes Divine Comedy Essay -- Divine Comedy Inf

Sinner vs. the Sin in the Divine Comedy Often when we set out to journey in ourselves, we come to places that surprise us with their strangeness. Expecting to see what is straightforward and acceptable, we suddenly run across the exceptions. Just as we as self†¹examiners might encounter our inner demons, so does Dante the writer as he sets out to walk through his Inferno. Dante explains his universe - in terms physical, political, and spiritual - in the Divine Comedy. He also gives his readers a glimpse into his own perception of what constitutes sin. By portraying characters in specific ways, Dante the writer can shape what Dante the pilgrim feels about each sinner. Also, the reader can look deeper in the text and examine the feelings that Dante, as a writer and exiled Florentine, may have felt about his particular characters. Dante shows through his poetry some admiration for certain sinners, as if in life he had reason to respect their actions on earth, only to mourn their souls' fate. In the case of P ier Delle Vigne, it is clear that Dante wishes to clear the name of the damned soul that has been conscripted to hell for the shame of unjust dishonor. At the beginning of Canto 13 we find Dante the pilgrim entering the wood of the suicides. He has grown stronger in will at the sight of each circle of torment, yet he approaches this one with a sense of wonder concerning the meaning of the suffering. Here the trees are black and gnarled, with branches that bear "poison thorns instead of fruit"(l.6). The souls of suicides will never be productive, presenting even in death, which they hoped would free them, only negativity. Here the pilgrim learns the sinful nature of suicide, it being an aberration of ... ... of Pier delle Vigne has a dual purpose: both to teach about the sin of taking one's life, but also to show how the value of one's own life can still drive one to destroy it. There are many similar conflicts in the Inferno. The lesson that must be learned is to balance judgement with compassion, but not let the emotions cloud the nature of sin. It is important to learn the true path to righteousness, but also important not to miss the many complicated nuances of life along the way. Just as Dante the poet felt conflicting feelings about the sinners he portrayed as damned souls, readers of the inferno should also consider the many different aspects of each character's portrayal. Works Cited Ciardi, John, trans. The Divine Comedy. In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition. Vol. I. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995.

Executive Women: Substance Plus Style :: essays research papers

Executive Women: Substance Plus Style PSYC 4310 Executive Women: Substance Plus Style The article "Executive Women: Substance Plus Style" deals with the issue of whether the "abilities and attitudes of male managers are different from those of female managers" and that these differences have been used to keep women out of managerial positions. Furthermore, it suggests that it has now become "fashionable" to state that these differences are favorable and complement the business environment. Lastly, the article focused on several strategies that women should follow in order to succeed as a middle or upper level manager within a large corporation. The authors refute the notion that the differences between male and female managers are great. They mention that "the few studies that have looked at women and men in comparable managerial roles have discovered more similarities than differences across sexes" (Catalyst, 1986). A test bank from "thousands of managers and professionals in management development programs from 1978 to 1986" was cited as another reason why they believe there are few differences between male and female executives. The tests revealed that executive men and women scored equally on most areas and that executive women are just as capable at leading, influencing, and motivating groups, as well as analyzing problems. The authors go on to show that, despite these similarities, women are disproportionately represented in the ranks of Fortune 500 company executives. Repeated references are made to studies that were conducted with 22 people, 16 men and 6 women, whose job is to select executives for top jobs. These people are continually referred to as "savvy insiders" throughout the article. These so called savvy insiders were tasked with providing an example of what they considered to be a woman who "made it" and one who "derailed". They describe what basically amounts to a woman who utilizes characteristics of both masculine and feminine personalities. They came up with these four contradictory sets of expectations that women must overcome: take risks, but be consistently outstanding; be tough, but don't be macho; be ambitious, but don't expect equal treatment; and take responsibility, but follow others' advice. The research was based on a comparison between male and female managers and by tests that measured personality dimensions, intelligence, and behavior in problem-solving groups. As I had learned in a previous psychology class, personality tests are not really an effective measure of personality, nor is an intelligence test necessarily an accurate means of determining ones' success in the future. I would have been more convinced by experimental research rather than by a review of tests or an interview with 76 people. I have noticed a trend that has been

Civil War 9 Essays -- essays research papers

Many developments in social life and the constitution amounted to a revolution between 1860 and 1877. Some of the major events that took place during this time period were the secession of the southern states, Civil War, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendment, and reconstruction. In 1860, South Carolina declared their causes of secession. South Carolina was the first state to secede, and their main reason was that their powers were restrained by the federal government. They felt they were not sovereign, and therefore needed to secede. In the 1860’s, the nation continued to struggle to become united. Congress introduced the new banking and currency systems. Senator John Sherman commended this because he was a strong believer in national unity. He believed that everything should be nationalized because putting state authority above national authority would be "the main instrument by which our government is sought to be overthrown." The blacks at this time were persistently struggling for their civil rights. They declared that they should have the privilege of voting because they fought in the war to preserve the union. In a petition, American citizens of African descent stated that " It (the government) can afford to trust him with a vote as safely as it trusted him with a bayonet." At this time they did not have full protection from the courts, nor did the courts receive a black person’s testimony. In 1865, the blacks did not receive homesteads...

Concepts, Control and Choice Between the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

The human mind may be seen as a sophisticated computing machine which has for its object of thought that which we call reality. In a certain sense, scientific knowledge and technological developments continuously define and redefine our sense of what is real. Questions concerning reality are questions that are paradigmatically philosophical. A paradigmatically philosophical question is a question that is both familiar and strange. This familiarity and strangeness of reality manifests itself when we try to ask ourselves the question: What is reality? On a preliminary note, both The Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave present us with fundamental questions concerning reality and knowledge. Moreover, both The Matrix and Plato present us with questions concerning a very important characterization of the human being: our capacity for choice which is built upon the concepts of rationality and autonomy. As rational and autonomous beings, we are responsible for the choices that we make. In 514a of Plato’s work called Republic, he offers the Allegory of the Cave as an analogy for the educational progress or enlightenment of the soul. In Plato’s theory of the Divided Line, he uses the sun as a metaphor for the Form of the Good, which for him, is the proper object of thought. It is important to note that Plato assigns an ontological status to the Forms. The Forms are real, so to speak. In the allegory of the cave, he uses a surrogate metaphor for the sun: the fire within the cave. The main thrust of the Allegory of the Cave is to contrast life within the cave with the life outside of it. The cave, in Plato’s work, is a prison wherein the individuals dwell in the world of semblances. Inside the cave, the prisoners only see shadows of objects produced by the light coming from the fire. Plato uses the object-image metaphor to illustrate this point. What we may thus infer is that knowledge and reality, in Plato’s account of them in the Allegory of the Cave, comes in degrees. Regarding this particular differentiation between object and image and the real from a mere semblance or copy, Cornford writes that Plato views â€Å"†¦a world of intelligible Forms separate from the things our senses perceive† (2). In effect, Plato envisions reality as that which is absolute and accessible only through thought in contrast with mere semblances or copies that we find in the sensible world. Whereas Plato considers reality as absolute, the Matrix Trilogy depicts not just a reality but ‘realities’ which overlap each other. Morpheus presents Neo with a dilemma when the latter has to make a choice between which pill to take. The evidence of the aforementioned necessity to choose is evident as Morpheus states that â€Å"no one can be told what the Matrix is (since its existence is something that one ought) to see for one’s self†. In this sense, the discovery of reality is to be understood as an act which involves the reacquisition of a new perspective in which one may understand reality per se. According to Irwin, the similitude of Plato’s conception of the Forms in relation to the conception of reality as presented within the aforementioned text is evident if one considers that â€Å"as with the Forms, it is not a literal ‘seeing’ (which is involved) but a direct knowing that brings understanding of the Matrix† (14). In the movie, the red pill stands for ‘truth’ which eventually allows Neo to see behind the deceiving reality produced by the matrix. In very important respects, the red pill also stands for the biblical interpretation associated with the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden. In the film, the red pill induced the discovery that the world in which Neo lives is not real but a mere virtual reality (Lloyd 32). The fact of the matter is that Neo’s body is stored in a body farm with his mind plugged into the matrix. It is not difficult to see the apparent similarity with this state of affairs with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In effect, we may say that Neo and the prisoners in the cave are in a state of illusion. Both Neo and the prisoners in the cave are presented with two options: to remain in the state of illusion or to liberate themselves from the virtual reality of the matrix or the shadows in the cave. The meaning of human life then, its purpose and moral integrity in a physical or bodily existence in the context of The Matrix is to be found in human beings’ opposition to the illusions produced by the Matrix or in a more academic terminology, ‘technological modernity’ and by restoring the natural world. In today’s world, there is a clamor for a paradigm shift in terms of adapting to the demands of modernity. Such a shift is considered by Beck as necessary when he writes that: A new kind of capitalism, a new kind of economy, a new kind of global order, a new kind of politics and law, a new kind of society and personal life are in the making which both separately and in context are clearly distinct from earlier phases of social evolution (81). In line with this, it is important to note Agent Smith’s initial explanation as to the creation of the Matrix. According to Agent Smith, the Matrix was â€Å"designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered†. The result of the design, however, remained as an ideal. Agent Smith noted that the reason for this lies in the imperfection of the programming language used to depict that perfect world. He notes, â€Å"I believe that as species human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from†. Questions concerning the meaning and purpose of human life are further explored on Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolution. They provide more complicated and dialectical approach of what it means for a human being to live in a technological world. The aforementioned complexity may be inferred from comparing the possibilities that are evident in the presentation of the worlds in the three movies. It is important to note that in the first movie, the matrix and the machine from which it gets its sustenance only seems to provide less complicated and normative possibilities evident in its ‘either-or’ presentation. It is at this particular aspect point where one may say that Reloaded and Revolution provide a more appropriate construal of the human condition. These two were able to explore not only the diametrically opposing views on technology and human society but also their complex interdependence. It is not difficult to see that the moral dilemma posed by Reloaded and Revolution then, is not simply to escape from our technological milieu, but to discover and rediscover what it is that enables us to be and to remain ‘human’ within such a world. Furthermore, the narrative suggests that the threat of a nihilistic instrumentalism is to be found, not simply in the external world of technological devices and systems prima facie, but in that moral and metaphysical trajectory underlying a mechanistic technoscience. The urgent task that it points to is thus to contest the nihilism of the Baconian dream and to recover those deeper sources that can sustain moral and spiritual experience and relationship even within a highly technologically advanced world. Another important aspect that ought to be given emphasis is the ‘divide’ existing behind those who know the truth [or reality] and those who do not know. Zion, the last bastion of humanity, represents that which is real. Why is it important to point out the so called divide? The answer is rather obvious. This particular aspect further generates systems of power and power relations. In a certain sense, it maintains political power. Whoever creates the divide, the fake choice, is placed at the point of authority and ultimate control. Withholding the knowledge of one world from another is simply a tool of this control – and the Plato’s Cave, so often referred to in discussions on The Matrix, does not necessarily have to refer to Zion alone. It represents any society where the knowledge is withheld from both sides of the divide, and where the self-examination of each group is discouraged of stepping over into examination of the whole system. Mindful of the points of convergence between the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in terms of their themes and philosophical underpinnings, we may safely add that both of them employed, in one way or another, the use of myths and metaphors in terms accounting for the concept of reality. If we are to characterize the ancient mind, we may say that it thinks in terms of metaphors. Metaphorical thinking is still one of the ways in and through which we try to explain and appropriate for ourselves various phenomena. One may take the time to consider how, for instance, we used to explain to ourselves that ‘the universe is a machine’. This was the metaphor during the time of Leibniz which continued to flourish in the advent of scientific reductionism. There remains, however, a significant difference in the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Whereas, the path to Zion, the representation of that which is real requires Neo and the others to rebel against the matrix for them to be able to liberate themselves, the path to Plato’s Form of the Good, that which is real, requires introspection and a life of contemplation. This is because Plato is primarily concerned with questions of ontology than questions of politics or even ethics. In the case of the Allegory of the Cave, Plato seeks to explain the nature of reality and knowledge. He is concerned with the liberation of the mind from ignorance and dogmatism. Human beings’ capacity for reason is what distinguishes them from other forms of life in the universe. Rationality is an excellence of the noble soul.