Willis Carrier and the Invention of Air Conditioning

Willis Carrier and the Invention of Air Conditioning I fish only for edible fish, and hunt only for edible game, even in the laboratory, Willis Haviland Carrier once said about being practical. In 1902, only one year after Willis  Carrier graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in  Engineering,  his first air conditioning unit was in operation. This made one Brooklyn printing plant owner very happy. Fluctuations in heat and humidity in his plant kept causing the dimensions of his printing paper to alter and create misalignment of the colored inks. The new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and, as a result, aligned four-color printing became possible – all thanks to Carrier, a new employee at the Buffalo Forge Company who started working for a salary of only $10 a week. The â€Å"Apparatus for Treating Air† The â€Å"Apparatus for Treating Air† was the first of several patents awarded to Willis Carrier in 1906. Although he’s recognized as the â€Å"father of air conditioning,† the term â€Å"air conditioning† actually originated with textile engineer Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase â€Å"air conditioning† in a 1906 patent claim he  filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants to condition the yarn. Carrier disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1911. The formula still stands today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning industry. Carrier said he received his â€Å"flash of genius† while he was waiting for a train on a foggy night. He was thinking about the problem of temperature and humidity control and by the time the train arrived, he said he had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity and dew point. The Carrier Engineering Corporation Industries flourished with this new ability to control the temperature and humidity levels during and after production. Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles and other products gained significant improvements as a result. Willis Carrier  and six other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915 with starting capital of $35,000. In 1995, sales topped $5 billion. The company was dedicated to improving air conditioning technology. The Centrifugal Refrigeration Machine Carrier patented the centrifugal refrigeration machine in 1921. This centrifugal chiller was the first practical method for  air conditioning large spaces. Previous refrigeration machines used reciprocating piston-driven compressors to pump refrigerant through the system, which was often toxic and flammable ammonia. Carrier designed a centrifugal compressor similar to the centrifugal turning blades of a water pump. The result was a safer and more efficient chiller. Consumer Comfort Cooling for human comfort rather than industrial need began in 1924 when three Carrier centrifugal chillers were installed in the J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan. Shoppers flocked to the â€Å"air  conditioned† store. This boom in human cooling spread from department stores to the movie theaters, most notably the Rivoli Theater in New York whose summer film business skyrocketed when it heavily advertised cool comfort. Demand increased for smaller units and the Carrier Company obliged. Residential Air Conditioners Willis Carrier developed the first residential â€Å"Weathermaker† in 1928, an air conditioner for private home use. The Great Depression and  World War II slowed the non-industrial use of air conditioning, but consumer sales rebounded after the war. The rest is cool and comfortable history.

Stifle, already!

Stifle, already! Stifle, already! Stifle, already! By Maeve Maddox Reader Brad Kruse came across this comment from the reader of a rabidly anti-health insurance reform site: die eisernen Stiefel (the iron jackboots) of Obamistas are methodically and systematicly [sic] destroying the very core of our country. Brad’s question has to do with the German word Stiefel, not politics: What I noticed was Steifel.   As in the old Archie Bunker, â€Å"Stifle yourself, Edith!†Ã‚  Does stifle come from boot, as in â€Å"put a boot in it?† No, there’s no connection between German Stiefel and English stifle. The boot-in-the-mouth image, however, certainly suits Archie’s personality. The word stifle has been in English with the sense of â€Å"to choke, suffocate, drown† since 1387. It may have entered English by way of Old French estouffer, â€Å"to stifle, smother.† The French word in turn may derive from a Germanic source: Old High German stopfen, â€Å"to plug up, stuff.† Archie’s metaphorical sense of the word has been around since 1577. The expression eisernen Stiefel, literally â€Å"iron boot† is usually translated into English as jackboot. A jackboot is a type of strong high boot without laces worn by farmers, motorcycle riders and soldiers. Because such boots were part of the Nazi uniforms in WW II, jackboot has taken on metaphorical associations with totalitarian government. Speaking figuratively, â€Å"jackboot tactics† are brutal and oppressive methods of control exercised by totalitarian dictators. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical Words25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)Predicate Complements

Natural Rights, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Natural Rights, - Essay Example In, 'Hanging' George Orwell has drawn a picturesque representation of the last minutes of a condemned prisoner, and also the relief of the authorities after finishing their task of execution. It goes without saying that the executants were executing the orders given by their superior authorities. Submitting without protest in a helpless state doesn't mean surrendering of one person and his will, before another. While his own nationals and fellow men didn't show any sort of sympathy or leniency to the condemned prisoner, George Orwell says that his dog hesitated to part with him during his last moments. George Orwell has put forth a question before us whether law is for man or man is for law If one cannot give life, has he got the right to take it away In Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has very clearly depicted the denial of natural rights to the American Citizen by the British sovereign. The British king has denied the natural rights of the American citizen, ignored the laws of their land and by self assumed power he was imposing his will and desire over a nation for decades together. The American War of Independence is a red-letter mark in the history of the world and those events will remain engraved in the hearts of millions of people.

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous Research Paper

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes - Research Paper Example hment, most people are afraid of death that is inflicted by the law; hence, what is most fearful is likely to deter most criminals into engaging in heinous crimes. According to Hess and Drowns in their book wrote that death penalty is a better deterrent to violent youths (330). Administering death penalty will be effective in deterring murderers who might otherwise not been deterred through any other means when they friend face this punishment. This is because most of these murderers when given life sentence in place of death penalty, they continue committing crimes in prison, such as murdering other prisoners or even prison wards; therefore, death sentence is the only punishment that can be used to prevent such criminals from committing crimes. Otherwise, they will not be discouraged into committing heinous crimes through any other means, and again because both convicted prisoners and prison warders deserve protection from these criminals. In addition, it is important to enforce death penalty as a form of retribution even though death penalty does not prove to stop murderers from continuing the practice due to the threat of life imprisonment. On the contrary, the finality of death penalty creates fear amongst criminals and sparing the life of prospective victims by deterring those who murdered them, is of more importance than preserving the life of a convicted murderer because of the possibility that executing them will not necessarily deter other murderers. Therefore, in addition, to using death penalty to prevent crime, it is not imposed for the main purpose of reattributing crimes, for instance, in case of murder it is unjust for the criminal to live. Putting threats and punishment is a necessity in the deterrence since it a one justification for violent crimes. Therefore, a criminal who commits heinous crime volunteers to assume the risks involved; hence, the punishment suffered is voluntarily risked and it is unj ust to the criminal not to be convicted and

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay Example for Free

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay The reading provided, extracted from Orpheus and Power by Michael George Hanchard, critiques the Race vs. Class Paradigm that is widespread in the Brazilian society. By weaving together some works of the more renowned analysts and sociologists of the topic, he highlights two main things: firstly, the salient points of their claims and secondly, the faults in their arguments. By comparing and contrasting two schools of thought on the issue, Class-based and Structuralist, he points out certain weaknesses and the glaring irreconcilability of such thought when applied to the trends in Brazilian economic society. The subject of Race and Class and their contributions into creating a society wherein oppression has been structured into policy has fueled many debates, much of them still ongoing. While there has not been any theoretical consensus reached, a characteristic that is always attendant in the field of academia, there is however, a fortunate by-product in that it has broadened the body of current knowledge to embrace other topics into the discussion such as modes of production and social inequality. It is also interesting to note that the post-World War II era, as represented by the works of Oliver Cox and Stanley Greenberg, show the minimum agreement between scholars that race, at the very least, plays cuts an integral figure in structuring the oppressive social inequality. This makes for a broader, richer and more interesting scholarly debate. Hanchard begins the comparison with a discussion on Economic Determinism and the study of the Negro population in Brazilian society through the written work of one Florestan Fernandes, Democracia Racial. Fernandes describes the relationship between the â€Å"White elites† and the â€Å"Negroes† in Brazilian society as a situation where the former â€Å"limit themselves to treating the Negro with tolerance, maintaining the old ceremonial politeness in inter-racial relationships and excluding from this tolerance any true egalitarian feeling or content. † (Hanchard 32) By articulating the â€Å"hegemonic position† of the White population over the Black one, he more than hinted at the absence of racial democracy in Brazilian society. Fernandes’ analyzed the racial interaction of the society a pivotal time in economic Brazilian history. The importance of his written work may largely be attributed the perfect timing of it. His deconstructions and analysis of Brazilian society then, through interviews and the gathering of empirical data, did much to further the study of Brazilian racial relations. Moreover, his role and significant importance to the field is further underscored by the fact that he was the first to analyze the linkage between race and class in the context of Brazilian socio-economic development. He claimed that the Brazilian Blacks were â€Å"exploited both during and after slavery by uncaring whites†. However, in a turn-about, he concludes that the Afro-Brazilian is â€Å"dysfunctional, suffering from anomie, hopelessness and immorality† and lacked a sense of discipline and responsibility that made them pale in comparison to Italian immigrants for competition in the labour markets. Hanchard, however, took issue with this particular conclusion and rebutted by emphasing the failure of Fernandes’ missed or misappreciated the important fact that the intervention of big landowners and government officials played a crucial role in creating a marketplace that preferred Southern European immigrants. In essence, Fernandes’ approach fails is that his discussion of the Negro social movement was confined to issues of racial inequality where race itself was autonomous and not an economic variable nor indicator. George Reid Andrews, by using an approach offered by Greenberg, refutes Fernandes’ claims and forwards his own. Andrews’ approach fares better than the previously discussed one of Fernandes’ to the extent that he explored the â€Å"collusion between the state government and landowners to foster economic development† by subsidizing European immigration creating a rocky playing field where the Blacks were the destined losers. He then claims that although slavery played the role of a detrimental catalyst in Brazilian socio-economic development, it is but one of many factors to the displacement of Afro-Brazilian workers. He considered state intervention more critical in that policy itself structured the economic oppression by the doling out of development funds in a very preferential treatment to European immigrant workers. Thus, he introduced a very important aspect into the debates; that of the material dimension of race and how it structures state policies. At this junction, the theoretical wars began to include a different perspective: Structuralist. As the third generation of race relations, this school of thought rebuts and debunks the racial democracy myth proposed by their predecessors. Carlos Hasenblag and Nelson Do Valle Silva are two of the most prominent figures in this approach that does not treat race and class as being on opposing ends of the same spectrum but rather they situated racial inequality at the very heart of socio-economic relations and the development and trends of the labour market. Harchand, however, critically points out that although there was a discussion of racial inequality, there was virtually no explanation offered how such inequality id politically constructed or even contested. â€Å"Despite the conceptual differences between the Reductionists and Structuralists, the tendencies seemed to concur about one crucial dimension of Brazilian race relations; a dimension that seemed to distinguish Afro-Brazilians from their US counterparts: a lack of collective awareness of themselves as a subordinated racial group. † (Hanchard 41) By analyzing the theories at hand, one thing is clear: the need for a better-tailored conceptual framework to be used as a guide for racially equal policy making. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In an effort to stop the mentality of finger-pointing to the dominant white, what has the different Afro-Brazilian social movements done, or at least attempted to bring about, in order to correct the racial inequality with regard to economic policy and labour markets? 2. What are some concrete state policies, like the Black Economic Empowerment Movement of South Africa, that can correct this historical injustice?

Religion in government: a plea for our morals and their influence in ou

Hello, I am a God-fearing, love-filled, concerned citizen who is very worried over the slow degradation of morals held in today’s society. In part this horrible condition has come about through the lack of laws restricting the spread of immoral subject matter in television programs and advertisement, the legalization and representation of abortion as a legitimate choice over the welfare of a child and its mother instead of an irreprehensible act of murder, and many other very obvious examples of the our governments lack of legislation to protect the morals of our American families. All of these examples, though rightfully a big reason for any Christian to be concerned there is an argument behind these problems, a cause to the growing moral irresponsibility in our governments procedure. This separation between our legislation and our religious beliefs is based on an argument that the first constitutional amendment which states: â€Å"Congress shall make no laws regarding the establishment of or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† Was intended to prevent the establishment of laws supportive to religious practices and morals no matter how widely held by the citizenry. And that this is indicative to our country not being founded on Christianity. These arguments, in my humble opinion, are asinine considering the religious backgrounds and beliefs of the framers of this great document. These great men were community leaders, ministers, and above all, Christians. James Madison, regarded by many as the father of the constitution and primary drafter of the first amendment stated in his Memorial and Remonstrance stated, â€Å"Religion†¦[is] the basis and foundation of government. This is not the only example of a founding father in support ... ...ording to Gallup, a well known polling company, just over three quarters of the U.S. population are Christians. To me this means that the majority of citizens are indeed Christian If our government is to function the way it was created to then should our laws not reflect the morals we all share as God fearing Christians? Works Cited *** Charity Wire (N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov 2010. http://www.charitywire.com/faith-based.html) **** (Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address." Gettysburg, Penn. 19 NOV 1863. Address.) **Eldenmuller, Michael E. "Benjamin Franklin." American Rhetoric.com. AmericanRhetoric.com)., 05 Nov 2010. Web. 15 Nov 2010. *Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Washington D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), Vol. XIII, p. 292-294. In a letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813.

How Does You Race, Religion, Nationality, Gender and Culture Define You? Essay

If we were stripped of our day-to-day activities, would you just wander around aimlessly, or would you default to the things that have been ingrained into our brains since we were little? What defines you? It could be your job, the fact that you are an A star student, a parent, or maybe it could be the things you love like your car or your impressive record collection. The problem is, what happens when you lose it? Lose your job, your kids grow up and move out, then what? When you define who you are with what you do for a living or the objects you own, it’s temporary. Identity is fragile. For me, my race, religion, nationality, gender and culture define me. No one can tell you that you are not something you are; that is to say, the things that define who we are cannot simply be taken away because we do not meet their expectations. People’s expectations say more about them than it does you. I am Chinese. But I am not from China. Skin colour is only skin deep. The genes for skin colour have nothing to do with athletic ability, musical talent or forms of intelligence. Unfortunately in Malaysia today, almost everything is race-based, which makes me feel unhappy. Race isn’t biological, but racism is still real. Race is a powerful social idea that gives people different access to opportunities and resources. The government and social institutions in Malaysia have created advantages that disproportionately channel wealth, power and resources to ‘bumiputras’, the Malay and indigenous people, which make up roughly 61.4 percent of the total population. For instance, in my cousin’s school there are quotas on how many Malay, Chinese and Indian students are to become prefects. The idea shocked and angered me further when I found out that out of the twenty positions, only three Chinese students are allowed to become prefects, whereas twelve positions are reserved for Malay students and the remaining five for Indians. She goes to a government school, undoubtedly. I feel grateful because I study in an international school, which does not follow such principles. Race-based quotas, a highly politicized and controversial issue, exists in university admissions also. I am also a Buddhist. But not a strict one. My immediate family does not have a prayer room or even an altar. Usually, Buddhists pray to specific gods or deities and give offerings as a daily routine in hopes of getting what they hope for, or sometimes doing something in return. Some Buddhists do not eat beef because they pray to the Goddess of Mercy, who regards the bull as a sacred animal. To my family and I, Buddhism is not about what you put into your mouth, but rather what comes from your mind and heart. As far as I know, a person who claims to be a Buddhist and does not consume beef can also indulge in unnecessary many other things, most of which are not abiding to the true teachings of Buddhism. We do, occasionally, visit the temple for blessings. We go to the temple in Ipoh, where my aunty and cousins live. The temple is very smoky but we endure it and kneel down in front of the idols of the gods and deities to pray, asking usually for good results, to be in the pink of health and generally good wealth. After that, we stick a few joss sticks into a metal bowl. Sometimes, my parents, with the assistance of a temple monk will use a slipper to hit a charm with the name of whomever they think might be preventing business deals to fall through or cursing them, in some way. Sometimes I do not believe in such things actually working, but I think my parents do it because it might somehow alter their luck. My father is, or rather was, a Christian. He went to church every Sunday when he was younger. His sister married a priest and they are very conservative. I am lucky in the sense that my father does not take religion to the extent that we are forbidden to say phrases such as ‘Oh my god’ or ‘God knows’, like his sister. I am very certain that her own children say that. This is not something she can control because we live in a different age now and the world is constantly changing. I think she should adapt to the current culture, or risk being seen as old-fashioned and not open minded. Back to my father, now he considers himself a Buddhist. He no longer goes to church and goes to the temple, with the rest of my family. I do pray, but rarely, sometimes when I am in desperate need of something, although not to any particular god, in hopes of the god wherever he or she may be, hearing my prayers and fulfilling them. I believe in karma too. When something bad happens, I tell myself that it happens for a reason. Maybe because something good is on its way, or because the Supreme Being is punishing me for something I did previously. I think of it as a balance of nature, because nobody can have it all. I have been to church when I was younger, not because my parents made me but because my friends went. It was quite fun while it lasted. Many activities were conducted during Sunday school, as they called it. Such activities were singing, playing games, drawing and reciting bible verses. Admittedly, I sometimes believe in Greek gods. I find it ‘cool’ because they are special. Maybe I find them so interesting because these beings are publicized and are often said to have mythical powers and go on quests and such in the movies and books. All in all, I think that I might be still finding myse lf in the religion department. But for now, I’ll still consider myself a Buddhist. Seeing as my name is Samantha, I am unmistakably female. Some people may call me girly or feminine but I think I can be tough if I want to. I am not generally a loud person, unlike my close friends. They are treated like boys by other boys. I’m not saying that I don’t accept that, but I think I prefer being treated like a girl. I do not mind gender stereotypes because for the most part, they are true. Gender is defined for us at birth, but how much you become like the gender is down to how much you choose to follow it. I am strongly against anti-gay and anti-homosexual beliefs though. I trust that many people in my generation accept that culture and do not discriminate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. There was a recent case of a Muslim gay man in Malaysia says he fears for his safety after speaking about his sexuality in an internet video that attracted online death threats and accusations by religious authorities that he is insulting Islam. I get angry after hearing news of the government acting irrationally towards these individuals. However, the government insists that this comes under the Islamic Law and such acts are a disgrace to their religion. I, myself would like to participate in rallies against anti-LGBT activists next time. Being a Malaysian does not affect me in any way. I do sometimes feel embarrassed by what our country has done in the past. Petty issues are often made big and raise eyebrows around the world. I do not want our country to be famous for its many controversies. Politics is also another factor because many politicians have become corrupt and greedy for money and power. They abuse their power for their own benefit and end up in scandals, which take even more money to cover up. Last but not least, culture does define me. I, as a Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year with my family every year. It is our tradition to pour and offer tea to our elders. We have yearly gatherings in my relatives’ houses. We gamble and eat, like most families do during that time of the year. Sad to say, our culture is heavily influenced by the Western society. This happens because of our exposure to their culture through television, radio and movies. Fads are spread quickly with the access of the Internet. For some reason, the Americans will always be held with a higher regard than the rest of the world. They consider themselves a global super power and can control everything. Our way of speaking, style of dressing and thinking has become more like the westerners’. In a way, I feel disappointed with the loss of a part of our culture but this change is inevitable. In conclusion, I think that as we grow older, we learn and tend to recognize what defines us more. Our priorities change and, in tandem we change ourselves. We must not be quick to judge because looks are not everything. I think our experiences also play a role in defining who we are. We remember the good as well as the bad si de of things, so every day is one part of our long journey to finding ourselves.

Lean Six Sigma in Hrm

1 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry Alessandro Laureani University of Strathclyde United Kingdom 1. Introduction The business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is rooted in the manufacturing industry, where it developed over the past few decades, reaching widespread adoption worldwide.However, according to the World Economic Outlook Database, published in April 2011, by the International Monetary Fund (IMF, 2011), the distribution of PPP (Purchase Power Parity) GDP, in 2010, among various industry sectors in the main worldwide economies, reflected a decline in the industrial sector, with the service sector now representing three-quarters of the US economy and more than half of the European economies. PPP GDP 2010 Agriculture Industry Service European Union 5. 7% 30. 7% 63. 6% United States 1. 2% 22. 2% 76. 7% China . 6% 46. 8% 43. 6% India 16. 1% 28. 6% 55. 3% Table 1. PPP GDP Sector Comparison 2010. In light of the increasing importance of the service sector, the objective of this chapter is to discuss whether the business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is applicable to the service industry as well, and illustrate some case study applications. 2. What is Lean Six Sigma? Lean Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology that aims to maximize shareholders’ value by improving quality, speed, customer satisfaction, and costs.It achieves this by merging tools and principles from both Lean and Six Sigma. It has been widely adopted widely in manufacturing and service industries, and its success in some famous organizations (e. g. GE and Motorola) has created a copycat phenomenon, with many organizations across the world willing to replicate the success. www. intechopen. com 4 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Lean and Six Sigma have followed independent paths since the 1980s, when the terms were first hard-coded and defined.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.The first applications of Lean w ere recorded in the Michigan plants of Ford in 1913, and were then developed to perfection in Japan (within the Toyota Production System), while Six Sigma saw the light in the United States (within the Motorola Research Centre). Lean is a process-improvement methodology, used to deliver products and services better, faster, and at a lower cost. Womack and Jones (1996) defined it as: †¦ a way to specify value, line up value-creating actions in the best sequence, conduct those activities without interruption whenever someone requests them, and perform them more and more effectively.In short, lean thinking is lean because it provides a way to do more and more with less and less—less human effort, less human equipment, less time, and less space—while coming closer and closer to providing customers with exactly what they want. (Womack and Jones, 1996:p. ) Six Sigma is a data-driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable process results, reducing process variation and defects. Snee (1999) defined it as: ‘a business strategy that seeks to identify and eliminate causes of errors or defects or failures in business processes by focusing on outputs that are critical to customers’.While both Lean and Six Sigma have been used for many years, they were not integrated until the late 1990s and early 2000s (George, 2002; George, 2003). Today, Lean Six Sigma is recognized as: ‘a business strategy and methodology that increases process performance resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom line results’ (Snee, 2010). Lean Six Sigma uses tools from both toolboxes, in order to get the best from the two methodologies, increasing speed while also increasing accuracy. The benefits of Lean SixSigma in the industrial world (both in manufacturing and services) have been highlighted extensively in the literature and include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ensuring services/products conform to what the customer needs (‘voice of the customer’). Removing non-value adding steps (waste) in critical business processes. Reducing the cost of poor quality. Reducing the incidence of defective products/transactions. Shortening the cycle time. Delivering the correct product/service at the right time in the right place. Antony, 2005a; Antony, 2005b) Examples of real benefits in various sectors are illustrated in Table 2. One of the key aspects differentiating Lean Six Sigma from previous quality initiatives is the organization and structure of the quality implementation functions. In quality initiatives prior to Lean Six Sigma, the management of quality was relegated largely to the production floor and/or, in larger organizations, to some statisticians in the quality department.Instead, Lean Six Sigma introduces a formal organizational infrastructure for different quality implementation roles, borrowing terminology from the world of martial arts to define hierarchy an d career paths (Snee, 2004; Antony, Kumar & Madu, 2005c; Antony, Kumar & Tiwarid, 2005d; Pande, Neuman & Cavanagh, 2000; Harry & Schroeder, 1999; Adams, Gupta & Wilson, 2003). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 5 Table 2. Benefits of Six Sigma in Service Organizations (Antony, Kumar & Cho, 2007). 3. Lean Six Sigma and the service industryThe service industry has its own special characteristics, which differentiate it from manufacturing and make it harder to apply Lean Six Sigma tools, which can be summarized in the following main areas (Kotler, 1997; Regan 1963; Zeithmal, Parasur and Berry 1985): Intangibility: Although services can be consumed and perceived, they cannot be measured easily and objectively, like manufacturing products. An objective measurement is a critical aspect of Six Sigma, which requires data-driven decisions to eliminate defects and reduce variation.The lack of objective metrics is usually addressed in service organizations through the use of proxy metrics (e. g. customer survey). Perishability: Services cannot be inventoried, but are instead delivered simultaneously in response to the demand for them. As a consequence, services processes contain far too much ‘work-in-process’ and work can spend more than 90% of its time waiting to be executed (George, 2003). Inseparability: Delivery and consumption of service is simultaneous.This adds complexity to service processes, unknown to manufacturing. Having customers waiting in line or on the phone involves some emotional management, not present in a manufacturing process. Variability: Each service is a unique event dependent on so many changing conditions, which cannot be reproduced exactly. As a result of this, the variability in service processes is much higher than in manufacturing processes, leading to very different customer experiences. www. intechopen. com 6 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations ManagementOwing to these inherent differences, it has b een harder for service organizations, such as financial companies, health-care providers, retail and hospitality organizations, to apply Lean Six Sigma to their own reality. However, there are also great opportunities in the service organizations (George 2003): – – Empirical data has shown the cost of services are inflated by 30–80% of waste. Service functions have little or no history of using data to make decisions. It is often difficult to retrieve data and many key decision-makers may not be as ‘numerically literate’ as some of their manufacturing counterparts.Approximately 30–50% of the cost in a service organization is caused by costs related to slow speed, or carrying out work again to satisfy customer needs. In the last few years, successful applications in service organizations have come to fruition and we will illustrate three possible applications: in a call centre, in human resources, and finally in a healthcare provider. 4. Case study 1: Lean Six Sigma in a call centre (Laureani et al, 2010a) The two major types of call centres are outbound centres and inbound centres. The most common are inbound call centre operations.Almost everyone in their daily life has had to call one of those centres for a variety of reasons. Outbound centres are used more in areas such as marketing, sales and credit collection. In these instances, it is the call centre operators who establish contact with the user. Although there are some differences between outbound and inbound call centres, they each have certain potential benefits and challenges, with regard to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. Benefits Some of the benefits that Lean Six Sigma can deliver in a call centre are (Jacowski, 2008; Gettys, 2009): . 2. 3. 4. 5. Streamlining the operations of the call centre: Lean strategy helps in eliminating waste and other non-value added activities from the process. Decreasing the number of lost calls: Six Sigma’s root-cau se analysis and hypothesistesting techniques can assist in determining how much time to spend on different type of calls, thus providing a guide to the operators. Better use of resources (both human resources and technology), thus leading to a reduction in the cost of running such centres.Unveiling the ‘hidden factory’: establishing the root causes of why customers call in the first place can help in uncovering trouble further along the process, providing benefits that go further than the call centre itself, improving customer service and support. Reducing employee turnover: call centres are usually characterized by high employee turnover, owing to the highly stressful work environment. A more streamlined operation would assist in reducing operators’ stress, particularly in an inbound centre. ChallengesSpecific challenges of applying Lean Six Sigma in a call centre environment (Piercy & Rich, 2009): www. intechopen. com 7 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 1. 2. 3. The relentless pace of the activity (often 24/7) makes it more difficult for key staff to find the time to become involved in projects and Lean Six Sigma training. The realization of an appropriate measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) is difficult because of the inherent subjectivity and interpretation of some call types, failing reproducibility tests of different call centre operators.High employee turnover, that normally characterizes call centres, makes it more difficult for the programme to remain in the organization. Strengths Weaknesses ? ? Root cause analysis can determine major reasons for customers’ calls, helping to unveil problems further along the value stream map of the company Lean Six Sigma deployment requires significant investment in training, that may be difficult from a time perspective in a fastpaced environment such as a call centre Opportunities Threats ? ? ? ? ? Decrease number of lost calls Reduce waiting time for calls in t he queue Improve employee productivity (i. . number of calls dealt with by the hour) ? Lack of metrics Lack of support from process owner Preconceived ideas Table 3. SWOT Analysis for the Use of Lean Six Sigma in a Call Centre. Overall, the opportunities far outweigh the challenges. Call centres nowadays are more than just operations: they are the first, and sometimes a unique, point of contact that a company may have with its customers. Their efficient and effective running, and their timely resolution of customers’ queries, all go a long way to establishing the company’s brand and image. Project selection is a critical component of success.Not all projects may be suitable candidates for the application of Lean Six Sigma, and this needs to be kept in mind in assessing the operation of a call centre. Also, different tools and techniques may be more suited to a specific project, depending on the nature and characteristics of the process it is trying to address. Projects that better lend themselves to Lean Six Sigma share, inter alia, the following characteristics: ? The focus of the project is on a process that is either not in statistical control (unstable) or outside customer specifications (incapable).As already mentioned in the introduction, Six Sigma techniques focus on reducing the variation in a process, making them the ideal tools for tackling an incapable but stable process, whereas Lean tools focus more on the elimination of waste and would be the first port of call for streamlining an unstable process. Priority should be given to unstable processes, using Lean tools to eliminate the waste and simplify the process. Once it has stabilized, more advanced statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox, can be used to reduce variation and make the process capable. ww. intechopen. com 8 ? ? ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management The root reason(s) for this has not been identified yet. It is important to start work on the project wit h an open mind and without any prejudice. Data and hard facts should guide the project along its path. Quantitative metrics of the process are available. A lack of measures and failing to realize a complete measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) can seriously jeopardize any improvement effort. The process owner is supportive and willing to provide data and resources.This is critical for the ongoing success of the project; the process owner’s role is discussed in detail in the Control Phase section. Potential areas of focus for Six Sigma projects in call centres (Gettys, 2009): ? ? ? ? Lost call ratio out of total calls for an inbound call centre; Customer waiting/holding times for an inbound call centre; First-call resolution; Calls back inflating call volumes. Call centres are increasingly important for many businesses and are struggling consistently with the pressure of delivering a better service at a lower cost.Lean Six Sigma can improve the operation o f a call centre through an increase in first-call resolution (that reduces the failure created by failing to answer the query in the first place), a reduction in call centre operator turnover (leveraging on training and experience), and streamlining the underlying processes, eliminating unnecessary operations. Given the large scale of many call-centre operations, even a relatively small improvement in the sigma value of the process can dramatically reduce the defect rate, increase customer satisfaction and deliver financial benefits to the bottom line (Rosenberg, 2005).By focusing on eliminating waste, identifying the real value-adding activities and using the DMAIC tools for problem-solving, it is possible to achieve significant improvements in the cost and customer service provided (Swank, 2003). 5. Case study 2: Lean Six Sigma in HR administration (Laureani & Antony, 2010b) In the late 1980s, when Motorola implemented Six Sigma originally, obtaining astonishing results, the compa ny was then faced with the dilemma of how to reward its employees for these successes (Gupta, 2005).This was the first time Six Sigma and HR practices came into contact, and a more accurate definition of HR practices was needed. If, in the past, the term HR was related only to administrative functions (e. g. payroll, timekeeping, etc. ), the term has increased substantially, in the last few decades, to include the acquisition and application of skills and strategies to maximize the return on investment from an organization’s human capital (Milmore et al, 2007). HR management is the strategic approach to the management of all people that contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business (Armstrong, 2006).As such it includes, but it is not limited to, personnel administration. In effect it includes all steps where an employee and an organization come into contact, with the potential of adding value to the organization (Ulrich, 1996). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 9 As such, and merging terminology from Lean and HR, we define the following seven points as the Human Capital Value Stream Map: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Attraction Selection Orientation (or induction) Reward Development Management Separation Fig. 1. Human Capital Value Stream Map.The Human Capital Value Stream Map is a Lean technique that identifies the flow of information or material required in delivering a product or service to a customer (Womack & Jones, 1996). Human capital is the accumulated skills and experience of the human force in an organization (Becker, 1993). The Human Capital Value Stream Map is the flow of human capital required for an organization to deliver its products or service to customers; the objectives of which are briefly described below: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Attract: to establish a proper employer’s brand that attracts the right calibre of individual.Select: to select the best possible candidate for the job. Orient: to ensure new employees are properly trained and integrated into the organization. Reward: to ensure compensation packages are appropriate and in line with the market. Develop: to distinguish talent and ensure career progression. Manage: to supervise and administer the day-to-day jobs. Separation: to track reasons for voluntary leavers and maintain a constructive relationship. It is possible to apply Lean Six Sigma tools to each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, in order to eliminate waste in the HR process Wyper & Harrison, 2000). For each step in the Human Capital Value Stream Map it is necessary to establish proper quantitative metrics that allow objective assessment and control of the process step (Sullivan, 2003). This makes use of the more quantitative statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox possible. Establishing HR metrics can be controversial, with different parts of the organization having different objectives (Jamrog & Overholt, 2005), but the answer to these simple ques tions may help to focus on the real value each step can provide. 1. 2. 3.What is the expected deliverable of the step? What are the relevant metrics and key performance indicators of the step? What are the opportunities for defects in the step? www. intechopen. com 10 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management For recruitment, for example, the answers to the above questions may be as follows. 1. 2. 3. Hire, in the shortest possible time, new members of staff to fulfil a certain job. The number of days to fill a vacancy (also define the acceptable norm for the organization). Any job remaining vacant for longer than the acceptable norm.Similar thought processes can be performed for other steps: having set metrics for each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, an organization is now in the position to apply Six Sigma DMAIC to it. Six Sigma can be used to improve administrative processes, such as HR processes. Implementing the Six Sigma DMAIC breakthrough methodology in HR f ollows the same path as implementing it in any other part of the organization. However, there are some specific key learning points and challenges for the HR area, such as: ? ? ?Difficulty in establishing an appropriate measurement system analysis and metrics; Data collection can be extremely difficult, as the project team is dealing with very sensitive issues; and Difficulty in performing any pilot or design of experiment. Any of these is going to impact on the behaviour of staff, making it difficult to measure its results accurately. As a result, projects may last longer than the standard four to six months and the wider use of tools such as brainstorming and ‘Kaizen’ workshops with domain experts may be necessary (Lee et al, 2008).Examples of potential Six Sigma projects in the HR function are: ? ? ? ? ? ? reduction of employees’ turnover reduction in time and cost to hire a new employee reduction in training costs reduction in cost of managing employeesâ€⠄¢ separation reduction in administrative defects (payroll, benefits, sick pay, etc. ) reduction in queries from the employee population to the HR department. Every area of an organization needs to perform better, faster and more cheaply, to keep the company ahead of the competition, and be able to satisfy ever-increasing customer expectations.HR is no exception: more cost-effective and streamlined HR processes will create value for the organization, instead of just being a support act for management (Gupta, 2005). 6. Case study 3: Lean Six Sigma in health-care delivery Health care is a complex business, having to balance continuously the need for medical care and attention to financial data. It offers pocket of excellence, with outstanding advances in technology and treatment, together with inefficiencies and errors (Taner et al, 2007). Everywhere in the world, the financial pressures on health care have increased steadily in the last decade.While an ageing population and technolog ical investments are often cited as culprits for these financial pressures, unnecessary operational inefficiency is another source www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 11 of cost increases, largely under the control of health-care professionals (de Koning et al, 2006). Lean Six Sigma projects so far in the health-care literature have focused on direct care delivery, administrative support and financial administration (Antony et al, 2006), with projects executed in the following processes (Taner et al, 2007): ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? increasing capacity in X-ray rooms reducing avoidable emergency admissions improving day case performance improving accuracy of clinical coding improving patient satisfaction in Accident and Emergency (A&E) reducing turn-around time in preparing medical reports reducing bottle necks in emergency departments reducing cycle time in various inpatient and outpatient diagnostic areas reducing number of m edical errors and hence enhancing patient safety reducing patient falls reducing errors from high-risk medication educing medication ordering and administration errors improving active management of personnel costs increasing productivity of health-care personnel increasing accuracy of laboratory results increasing accuracy of billing processes and thereby reducing the number of billing errors improving bed availability across various departments in hospitals reducing number of postoperative wound infections and related problems improving MRI exam scheduling reducing lost MRI films improving turn-around time for pharmacy orders improving nurse or pharmacy technician recruitment mproving operating theatre throughput increasing surgical capacity reducing length of stay in A&E reducing A&E diversions improving revenue cycle reducing inventory levels improving patient registration accuracy improving employee retention The focus has been on the improvement of clinical processes to identi fy and eliminate waste from the patient pathways, to enable staff to examine their own workplace, and to increase quality, safety and efficiency in processes (e. g. Fillingham, 2007; Silvester et al, 2004; Radnor and Boaden, 2008).The barriers specific to the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in health care, in addition to the ones commonly present in other industries, are: ? Measurement: it is often difficult to identify processes, which can be measured in terms of defects (Lanham and Maxson-Cooper, 2003). www. intechopen. com 12 ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Psychology of the workforce: in the health-care industry it is particularly important to not use jargonistic business language, as this has a high chance of being rejected or accepted with cynicism by medical professionalsThe application of Lean Six Sigma in health care is still in its early stages. Therefore early successes in simple projects will pave the way for tackling more complicated initiatives in the f uture, initiating a positive circle of improvement, bringing clinical change on a broad scale. Appropriately implemented, Lean Six Sigma can produce benefits in terms of better operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and higher process quality (Taner et al, 2007), as the case studies presented in this paper illustrate.The spiralling costs of health care means that unless health-care processes become more efficient, a decreasing proportion of citizens in industrialized societies will be able to afford high-quality health care (de Koning et al, 2006). Continuous process improvement is needed to ensure health-care processes are efficient, cost-effective and of high quality. The five case study applications we have examined in this paper provide examples of how Lean Six Sigma can help to improve health-care processes.The adoption of similar programs in other hospitals across the health-care sector will help the delivery of high quality health care to an increasing population. 7. Conc lusion Lean Six Sigma is now accepted widely as a business strategy to improve business profitability and achieve service excellence, and its use in service organizations is growing quickly. However, there are a number of barriers to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in services, such as the innate characteristics of services, as well as the manufacturing origins of Lean Six Sigma that have conditioned service managers to consider them as physical products only.On the other hand, as shown in the case studies, there are a number of advantages for the use of Lean Six Sigma in services (Eisenhower, 1999). Overall, the applications so far have showed the benefits (such as lowering operational costs, improving processes quality, increasing efficiency) to outweigh the costs associated with its implementation. 8. References Adams, C. , Gupta, P. & Wilson, C. (2003) Six Sigma deployment. Burlington, MA, Butterworth-Heinemann. Antony, J. (2005a) Assessing the status of six sigma in the UK service organizations. Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Six Sigma, Wroclaw, pp. -12. Antony, J. (2005b) Six Sigma for service processes. Business Process Management Journal, 12(2), 234-248. Antony, J. , Antony, F. & Taner, T. (2006), The secret of success. Public Service Review: Trade and Industry, 10, 12-14. Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Cho, B. R. (2007) Six Sigma in services organizations: benefits, challenges and difficulties, common myths, empirical observations success factors. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 24(3), 294–311. www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 13 Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Madu, C. N. 2005) Six Sigma in small and medium sized UK manufacturing enterprises: some empirical observations. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 22(8), 860-874. Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Tiwari, M. K. (2005) An application of Six Sigma methodology to reduce the engine overheating problem in an automot ive company. IMechE – Part B, 219(B8), 633-646. Armstrong, M. (2006) A handbook of human resource management practice. London, Kogan Page. Becker, G. S. (1993) Human capital: a theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. Chicago, University of Chicago Press. e Koning, H. , Verver, J. P. S. , Van den Heuvel, J. , Bisgaard, S. & Does, R. J. M. M. (2006) Lean Six Sigma in health care. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 28(2), 4-11. Eisenhower, E. C. (1999) The implementation challenges of Six Sigma in service business, International Journal of Applied Quality Management, 2(1), 1-24 Fillingham, D. (2007) ‘Can lean save lives? Leadership in Health Services, 20(4), 231-41. George, M. L. (2003) Lean Six Sigma for service: how to use Lean speed and Six Sigma quality to improve services and transactions. New York, McGraw-Hill. George, M. L. 2002) Lean Six Sigma: combining Six Sigma quality with Lean speed. New York, McGraw-Hill. Gettys, R. (2009) Using Lean Six Sigma to improve Call Centre operations. [Online]Available from: http://finance. isixsigma. com/library/content/c070418a. asp [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Gupta, P. (2005) Six Sigma in HR, Quality Digest, QCI International. Harry, M. and Schroeder, R. (1999) Six Sigma: The breakthrough management strategy International Monetary Fund (IMF), (2011) World Economic Outlook Database. [Online] Available from: http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/index. aspx. Accessed 7th August 2011] Jacowski, T. (2008) Maximizing call centre resource utilization with Six Sigma. [Online] Available from: http://ezinearticles. com/? Maximizing-Call-Centre-ResourceUtilization-With-Six-Sigma&id=1014905. [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Jamrog, J. J. & Overholt, M. H. (2005) The future of HR metrics, Strategic HR Review, 5 (1) 3-3. Kotler, P. (1997) Analysis, planning ,implementation and control, 9th ed. Prentice-Hall. Lanham, B. & Maxson-Cooper, P. (2003) Is Six Sigma the answer fo r nursing to reduce medical errors? , Nursing Economics, 21(1), 39-41. Laureani, A. & Antony, J. 2010) Reducing employees’ turnover in transactional services: a Lean Six Sigma case study, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(7), 688-700 Laureani, A. , Antony, J. & Douglas, A. (2010) Lean Six Sigma in a call centre: a case study, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(8), 757-768 Lee, Y. , Chen, L. & Chen, S. (2008) Application of Six Sigma methodology in human resources to reduce employee turnover rate: a case company of the TFT-LCD industry in Taiwan. International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management, 14 (2), 117-128.Milmore, M. et al, (2007) Strategic human resource management: contemporary issues. Prentice Hall/Financial Times. www. intechopen. com 14 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Pande, P. , Neuman, R. & Cavanagh, R. (2000) The Six Sigma way: how GE, Motorola and other top compa nies are honing their performance. New York, McGraw-Hill. Piercy, N. & Rich, N. (2009) Lean transformation in the pure service environment: the case of the call centre. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 29 (1), 54-76. Radnor, Z. & Boaden, R. (2008) Editorial: does Lean enhance public services? Public Money and Management, 28(1), 3-6. Regan, W. J. (1963) The Service Revolution, Journal of Marketing, 47, 57-62 Rosenberg, A. (2005) Six Sigma: the myth, the mystery, the magic: can Six Sigma really make an impact in your call centre? [Online] Available from http://www. callcentremagazine. com/shared/article/showArticle. jhtml? articleId= 59301130 [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Silvester, K. , Lendon, R. , Bevan, H. , Steyn, R. & Walley, P. (2004) Reducing waiting times in the NHS: is lack of capacity the problem? Clinician in Management, 12(3), 105-11. Snee, R. D. 2010) Lean Six Sigma: getting better all the time, International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 1(1), 9 –29. Snee, R. D. (2004) Six Sigma: the evolution of 100 years of business improvement methodology. International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 1(1), 4–20. Snee, R. D. (1999) Why should statisticians pay attention to Six Sigma? Quality Progress, 32(9), 100–103. Sullivan, J. (2003) HR metrics the world class way, Kennedy Information. Swank, C. (2003) The Lean service machine. Harvard Business Review, October, 123-129. Taner, M. T. , Sezen, B. & Antony, J. 2007) An overview of Six Sigma applications in the health-care industry. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 20(4), 329-340 Ulrich, D. (1996) Human resource champions. The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Wheeler, D. J. & Lyday, R. W. (1990) Evaluating the measurement process. 2nd ed. SPC Press. Womack, J. P. & Jones, D. T. (1996) Lean thinking. New York, Simon & Schuster. Wyper, B. & Harrison, A. (2000) Deployment of Six Sigma methodology in human resource function: a case study. Total Quality Management, 11, (4/5/6), 720-727. Zeithaml, V.A. , Parasuraman, A. & Berry, L. L. (1985), Problems and strategies in services marketing, Journal of Marketing, 49 (Spring), 33-46. www. intechopen. com Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Edited by Mr. Yair Holtzman ISBN 978-953-51-0345-5 Hard cover, 200 pages Publisher InTech Published online 16, March, 2012 Published in print edition March, 2012 The chapters in Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management creatively demonstrate a valuable connection among operations strategy, operations management, operations research, and various departments, systems, and practices throughout an organization.The authors show how mathematical tools and process improvements can be applied effectively in unique measures to other functions. The book provides examples that illustrate the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment b ridging the gap between theory and practice by analyzing real situations. How to reference In order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following: Alessandro Laureani (2012). Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry, Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management, Mr.Yair Holtzman (Ed. ), ISBN: 978-953-51-0345-5, InTech, Available from: http://www. intechopen. com/books/advanced-topics-in-applied-operations-managem ent/lean-six-sigma-in-theservice-industry InTech Europe University Campus STeP Ri Slavka Krautzeka 83/A 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Phone: +385 (51) 770 447 Fax: +385 (51) 686 166 www. intechopen. com InTech China Unit 405, Office Block, Hotel Equatorial Shanghai No. 65, Yan An Road (West), Shanghai, 200040, China Phone: +86-21-62489820 Fax: +86-21-62489821

Complete List of High School Electives

Complete List of High School Electives SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you thinking about high school electives and wondering what your options are? Unlike required courses, electives are classes you choose based on your interests. Most high schools offer electives that cover a wide variety of topics, so you're sure to find some that interest you! This list was created by compiling the elective options from numerous high schools across the country. A variety of schools were used including public, private, large and small schools in order to create a complete list of high school electives. How to Use This List This list is intended to give you an introduction to all the possible electives you may come across as a high school student. You can use it as a starting point for doing more in-depth research of your own school's electives. Read through the list below, making note of any course names that seem particularly interesting. Then, grab a copy of your school's course catalog (ask your guidance counselor if you don't know where to find it), and look to see which of the electives you found interesting are offered by your school. Read through the course descriptions if necessary because electives can have different names depending on the school offering them, even if they cover essentially the same topic (for example, the culinary arts class listed below could also be called cooking, foods, or something similar). Mark the interesting electives you find in your course catalog as potential classes to take in the future. Also, because this list organizes electives by category, you can see which categories have the most interesting electives for you. While electives don’t include all topics covered in a specific field, if you marked, for example, a lot of the science electives as potentially interesting topics to study, you may want to think about continuing to study science in college. Being interested in your classes is one of the best way to get higher grades and enjoy what you’re learning. Now that you have the complete list, are you wondering how to choose which electives to take? We have a guide for that! Read through it to learn how many electives you'll be able to take and how to choose electives that are both interesting and will strengthen your college applications! What If Your School Doesn't Offer an Elective Listed Below? It would be impossible for any single school to offer every elective on this list; there are simply too many. Schools choose which electives to offer based on a number of factors including location, student population, resources available, teacher expertise, and student interest. If you are interested in one of the electives on this list but don't see it offered in your school's course catalog, you can take the following actions: Talk to your guidance counselor or department head. The elective may be under a different name than the one listed below, or your school may offer a similar course. If there is no comparable course and you are really interested in the subject, talk to your guidance counselor and see if it’s possible for you to do an independent study or take the course at a local community college. The Complete List of Electives Business Accounting Business law Business management Consumer education Entrepreneurial skills Introduction to business Marketing Personal finance Computer Science/Information Technology Animation App development Audio production Computer programming Computer repair Film production Graphic design Media technology Music production Typing Video game development Web design Web programming Word processing Family and Consumer Science Chemistry of foods CPR training Culinary arts Early childhood development Early childhood education Family studies Fashion and retail merchandising Fashion construction Home economics Interior design Nutrition Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Foreign Language American Sign Language Ancient Greek Arabic Chinese French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Korean Latin Portuguese Russian Spanish You might even learn all the Dutch names of the Chinese zodiac signs! Language and Writing Advanced composition African literature Asian literature British literature Cinema studies Contemporary literature Creative writing Debate Film study Gothic literature Humanities Journalism Poetry Popular literature Practical writing Public speaking Rhetoric School yearbook Works of Shakespeare World literature Math Computer math Math applications Probability and statistics Quantitative literacy Trigonometry Performing Arts Choir Concert band Dance Drama Guitar Jazz band Marching band Music theory Orchestra Percussion Piano Theater technology World music Physical Education Aerobics Dance Gymnastics Health Lifeguard training Pilates Racquet sports Specialized sports Swimming Weight training Yoga Science Agriculture Astronomy Biotechnology Botany Earth science Environmental science Forensic science Geology Human physiology Marine biology Meteorology Oceanography Physics Sound and acoustics Zoology Social Studies African studies Asian studies Civics Cultural anthropology Current events Economics European history Human geography International relations Latin American studies Middle East studies Mythology Philosophy Physical anthropology Political studies Psychology Religious studies Sociology US government Women’s studies World politics World religions Visual Arts 3-D art Art history Ceramics Digital media Drawing Film production Jewelry design Painting Photography Printmaking Sculpture Vocational Education Auto body repair Auto mechanics Building construction Computer-aided drafting Cosmetology Criminal justice Driver Education Electronics FFA (Future Farmers of America) Fire science Heating and cooling systems Hospitality and tourism JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Metalworking Networking Plumbing Production technology Refrigeration fundamentals Robotics Woodworking What's Next? Now that you know the options you have for electives, read our guide to learn how to choose electives that will interest you and strengthen your college applications. Trying to decide whether to take the ACT or the SAT? Read our guide to figure out which test will get you a better score! Are you considering summer academic programs for middle school and high school students? Take a look at our guides for the TIP, SIG, CTY, and Stanford EPGY programs. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Are You Better at the ACT or SAT Find Out For Sure!

Are You Better at the ACT or SAT Find Out For Sure! SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because colleges accept both the ACT and SAT, it can be had to figure out which test to take. The changes to the SAT in 2016 made the two tests more similar than ever, although there are still some significant differences in content and format between the two tests. So how can you tell if you'll do better on the SAT or ACT? Drawing on my experience as a 99 percentile scorer on both the SAT and ACT, I'll give you a surefire way to figure out which test will result in the best outcome for you. The Gold Standard of Deciding Between the ACT and SAT There are enough differences between the ACT and the SAT that, empirically, it is difficult to predict beforehand if you'll be better at one than the other. The method I'm going to describe is the best way to be sure of seeing how you'll do on the SAT or ACT. You can use this information in many ways: to figure out what test to study, to see which scholarships you should apply to, and so forth. Once you've used this method, you don't have to guess. What's the method? It's to take both a real practice SAT and a real practice ACT. Who Should Use This Method? Taking practice tests is called the gold standard for a reason - it gives super precise information about which test you'll perform better on. However, taking two full-length practice tests is also time consuming. You should definitely use this method if one of the following applies to you: #1: You're Studying for 40+ Hours If you're going to focus on studying seriously, especially for more than 40 hours, it make sense to make sure you're spending it studying for the right test. Conversely, if you have fewer than 40 hours left (for example, only 20 hours), you should probably not spend 8 hours figuring out what test to take. #2: You're Willing to Invest Time and Energy in Studying If you care about your scores and are generally willing to invest the effort to get the best score, then taking a realistic practice SAT and a realistic practice ACT is a must. This method is not only good for telling if you're better at the ACT or SAT, but is also good practice in and of itself. If you're serious about the SAT or ACT, it would be a mistake not to do this. How Do I Find Out Whether I'm Better at the ACT or SAT? Step 1: Take a Full Practice SAT and a Full Practice ACT Get a real ACT practice test and a real SAT practice test (you can click on the links to get three of each for free). Make sure to choose one that you have not already used. Also, ideally, you should create a realistic testing environment with a timer, calculator, watch, and a quiet room. Now schedule four hours on two separate days to take the practice tests. You want to take them on separate days so that you're not more rested for one than the other. Most important of all, make sure your testing environment is similar on both days. The comparisons will not be valid if you take one at 10AM in a quiet library with plenty of sleep, and another at 8PM in a noisy house after eating a heavy meal. Step 2: Convert Your ACT Score to an SAT Score Now that you have both scores, use our ACT to SAT score conversion tools and tables to convert your ACT score to its SAT equivalent. Example: Mary got a 29 on her practice ACT. She uses the table linked above to convert this to1340. Mary got a 1200 out of 1600 on her SAT. Step 3: Compare Your Scores and Make the Call If your score difference ismore than 100 pointsin either direction, then you have a clear winner. You have done substantially better on one test than the other. You know which one you are better at! Moreover, a 100-point difference is substantial, and colleges will reward you for the better score. Continuing from the example above, Mary's ACT score is equivalent to a 1340 SAT score, while her SAT score is 1200. This means her ACT score is 140 points better than her SAT. She is definitely better at the ACT. If your score difference isless than 100 points, then you don't have a natural disadvantage on either test. The point difference is likely due to chance, and you could study for and score equally well on either test. Now you know how to precisely figure out whether you are better at the SAT or ACT! What’s Next? Get free offical practice SATs and official practice ACTs from us. Download and save them now and use them whenever! Don't have time to use the gold standard? Use our quick method to find out if you're better at the SAT or ACT. Read about the nitty gritty technical details about differences between the SAT and ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Research Report - Essay Example er, is that the Human Resource function by its very nature focuses not only on recruiting the most qualified workers to the organization but also ensuring there is a robust working environment. Lack of conducive working environment precipitates factors such as poor work moral, negative attitude to work, low or total lack of commitment to the organization. At Four Seasons, the management has taken cognizance of the fact that an organization’s most important asset is its employees. Highly qualified staffs who are well motivated would go out of their way to provide the best services to the customers. Such a quality is of profound importance in the hospitality industry where client satisfaction is the key to ensuring the hotel remains in business. An employee provides the first point of contact between a customer and the organization and as such, is the most important PR agent of the organization. Depending on how he or she is treated, a customer’s decision to make a repeat purchase is often rely much on the prior experience they had with the organization. The aspects of HR functions are not quantifiable in monetary terms, but play a big role in influencing the organization’s strategy. It is difficult estimating how much a well-motivated staff may be worth for the organization, but it is central to the firm’s profitability. According to Khan, the Human Resource department has three key roles to play in the organizations strategic advancement (Khan, 2014). These roles include one, to function as a strategic partner. This includes the provision of support for the organization’s policies, the people and implementations of regulations within the organization. Under this role, the department is usually the duty of taking care of administrative matters such as issues dealing with the individual employee payroll issues, insurance, leaves and any other benefits due to the employee. The department also provides support for the circulation of executive orders

Brand Extension for Reducing Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Extension for Reducing Risks - Essay Example This dilemma has long stared the food industry in the face, this sector being made up mostly of small and medium-sized companies each with 20 or so employees. (The likes of McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Kenny Rogers are the few notable exceptions.) Even so, the food sector is perhaps the most profitable and widely distributed industry in the world with, it is said, one food establishment to be found in every street corner. Economists have come to think of this industry as uniquely recession-proof, catering as it does to the most primal urge of man - the appeasement of hunger. During an economic crisis, people may forego acquisition of cars, appliances and cut back on their expenses for clothes and the like but food establishments will always draw them in. As a gold mine rich in business opportunities, it is said that all the food companies have accomplished at present is scratch the surface of this bottomless industry. Because of the food companies' size, the food sector has been described as a low-tech industry, with the lowest research-and-development to sales ratio. The industry's R&D to sales ratio is pegged at an average of only 1 per cent as against 12 per cent for the drug industry, 8 per cent for electronics and 4 per cent for motor vehicles (MAPP Working Paper 38, EU Concerted Action). This leaves much to be desired since R&D is crucial to achieving success in innovation, which in turn is necessary for making any company competitive. The said European Union study noted that a modern supermarket carries about 10,000 to 15,000 products at any given time with a yearly turnover of 10 per cent. One United Kingdom food retailer alone successfully introduced 1,500 new own-label products in 1993 to place the company ahead of its competitors. The conclusion is that introduction of new products is an "essential element of competition between food companies" and that innovation definitely gives them a competitive edge. Still and all, food companies operating on the economy-of-scale basis simply cannot afford the risks involved in diversification and innovation in the traditional sense. The advent of the brand extension concept gave these companies a way out of their problem by enabling them to develop new products without the attendant risks and extra costs. With brand extension, food companies found an effective strategy to reduce the risks of new product development. Brand extension is the use of an established brand name for a new product that is intended for another product category or class (Keller & Aaker 1992). Simply put, a brand extension is a product that carries the name of a known brand even as the new product fills a market need different from that of the parent brand. The idea is to ride piggyback on the name established by the parent brand so that the new product avoids the extra costs and risks inherent in coming up with a totally new consumer product. An entirely new product without the "symbolic" meaning of brands (i.e., company prestige, status and personality) to prop it up would be difficult to sell otherwise (Czellar 2003). The use of brand extension to good