The Same Things Still Fall Apart Essay Example for Free

The Same Things Still Fall Apart Essay In his first acclaimed novel, Things Fall Apart, one of Chinua Achebes many accomplishments is his uncompromisingly toughened rendering of Nigerian tribal life pre and post colonialism. The book was first published in 1958, which was just two years ahead before Nigeria declared independence from Great Britain; the book abstains from the obvious attraction of portraying pre-colonial life as a kind of Eden. Instead, Achebe outlined a world in which cruelty, war, and anguish exist; but at the same time, is filled with a balanced and strong sense of belief, ceremony, and social coherence. But more important than that, let us focus on his protagonist—Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a self-made man. He is the son of a charismatic good-for-nothing father. Okonkwo hated his father for this; and because of such, he worked day and night all his life to triumph over his fathers flaws. He was able to overcome his father’s reputation and has finally arrived at great richness and even greater status amongst his colleagues in the village of Umuofia. He is a champion warrior, a wealthy farmer, has three wives and father to several children. But more important than the characteristic that he portrays in the story, in a deeper and more objective angle, he is the epitome of a man who displays the flaws of a well-known Greek catastrophe: â€Å"Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw. Okonkwos fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.† (Achebe) At the same time, Achebe was also able to make this man cruel and sympathetic at the same time. And no matter how he conceals it, Okonkwo is fond of his eldest daughter and Ikemefuna—a little boy that was sent from a different village as payment for the wicked death of a young woman from Umuofia (another village). He starts to be delighted in his eldest son, in whom he has too frequently seen his own father. A series of catastrophic events tests the determination of this strong man, and it is his dread of weakness that eventually undoes him. It is only near the end that the real climax of the story begins. By then, Okonkwo and his village are already being colonized by the white men. But, with the traditions of his culture and village, his hopes for redemption are too mighty high to be abolished. The arrival of the white men with intentions to convert them into Christians, and the pursuance of the officials from the colonial government made his village confused and disrupted the Ibo culture completely. Okonkwo realized that it will be very hard on his part and for his fellow villagers to adapt to the incoming modern influences. And with these in mind, Okonkwo is now confused and lost between the abyss of the old and new ways. Because he believed that they should keep their traditions, Okonkwo self-decided that they should rage a war against the colonizers: â€Å"Does the white man understand our custom about land?† â€Å"How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.†   (Achebe) With this ideology, it is quite clear that Okonkwo does not want to be colonized and he will do anything in his power to avoid that. He was ready to go to war but when he realized that his clan is not ready, he was very disappointed and just decided to hang himself instead. When the commissioner decided to write a book about his rebellion and his clan, from the title of the book itself (The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger), it is sufficient to say that he was not successful in attaining his goal. The title of the book itself implies that the book will only be filled with biased point of views and opinions from him. Both the commissioner and Okonkwo failed in meeting half-way to share their culture. Since it became harder for him adapt and at the same time he does not want to be colonized, he decided and resorted that war is the answer. But his bravery is not the same as his villagers. He failed to emphasize to them the importance of their culture. This scenario not only happens in secluded villages in ancient years. It also happens in modern times in different forms and intensity but the same ideologies persist. Last December 2007, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in her homeland of Pakistan. For the longest time, she kept on fighting for the liberation of the vast minority in Pakistan. With the power that she has, it was inevitable that there will be people who will dislike her, and so, they assassinated her. Though this example is very political in nature, it has similarities from the story because they fought for the same thing—which was liberation for their people and at the same time, both characters were not able to fully achieve what they are fighting for. Somehow, both characters failed to achieve their goals. Works Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 1st Anchor Books Ed edition ed: Anchor, 1959.

Challenges and Opportunities in the UK Labour Market

Challenges and Opportunities in the UK Labour Market 1: The Business dictionary defines the labour market as: The nominal market in which workers find paying work, employers find willing workers, and wage rates are determined. Labour markets may be local or national (even international) in their scope and are made up of smaller, interacting labour markets for different qualifications, skills, and geographical locations. They depend on exchange of information between employers and job seekers about wage rates, conditions of employment, level of competition, and job location. Although not as heavily regulated as many other countries, the UK labour markets are regulated in many different ways, these include protections against oppression and discrimination, enhance efficiency, attribute responsibility, improve health and safety conditions, offers security, cut costs relating to employee/employer opportunism, and encouraging behaviour from employees and employers by imposing costs and rewards. Employment regulations exist to provide flexibility to employers and job and financial security to employees. It is vital in reducing poverty, supporting growth and employment with equity. Some argue the UK is not regulated enough e.g. TUC has called for greater protection in some areas of employment and argued for measures to further support collective bargaining. Whereas, Employers have complained that increased regulation restricts flexibility, particularly in times of economic burden. For regulations to be effective they must be implemented well and enforced. Social partner institutions such as, the Arbitration and Conciliation Advisory Service (Acas), the Low Pay Commission (LPC), the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), and the UK Commission for Skills and Employment (UKCES) regulate and influence the labour market via intervention and enforcement, to improve practices within the workplace. Regulation can also exist in the form of accreditation, e.g. a licence is required to perform a particular service. The number of professionals within the UK continues to expand. In 2014 roughly 24% of workers were classified professionals. Regulation has brought an end to the closed shop, restricted the ability to strike, and trade union governance. Although employers complain about regulation, it is recognised that it provides them with a level playing field in the market place. The UK economy is recovering, all be it slower than before. Recovery has not been helped by financial problems within the Eurozone, impacting on export markets. However, employment has now surpassed pre-recession peaks in terms of jobs (2012) and hours worked (2013). More recently there has been an increase in the number of jobs at both the top and the bottom of the job market, with significant fall in skilled trades in the middle resulting in an hourglass labour market. Although long term unemployment has increased, the UK has been relatively successful at keeping people in employment; employment rate, generally increasing each year since 2012, climbing to 73.7% (ONS 2015). Unemployment rates have fallen, however those with low skill levels and the young being more harshly hit. Youth unemployment has fallen sharply, and stands at around 22%. (UKES 2014). Although it should be remembered that substantially more young individuals are staying on in education, and enter the labour market much later than in the past, as graduates. The number of self employed has continued to grow, equating to 83% of net gains in employment since 2007 (Ashworth et al 2014). However, earnings with this sector have also dropped considerably. In addition to the growing self employed, the UK has also seen a substantial increase in other less secure employment. Since 2010 there has been a 50% increase in temporary work, zero our contracts, and government training schemes (OECD 2013). Employment within administrative and secretarial roles, and low skilled manual roles, continue to decline in many industries as technology advances. The world is becoming smaller, and many tasks/roles becoming automated. Many employees will find it necessary to retrain to keep up with technology advances and the changes it inevitably brings. Technology enables change, cost savings, and investment. Employees can now work from anywhere in the country/world quickly and efficiently, with the Financial Services, Specialist Engineering, and I.T. being amongst the industries leading growth and all greatly dependant on technology. There has been an increase of higher skilled workers commanding higher pay, within some industries; these include advanced manufacturing, creative and digital sectors (HM Treasury, 2011). Evidence shows those with higher skills and qualifications are more likely to remain employed; high-lighting the importance of high skills on job market outcomes. Research shows a drop in real wages of roughly 2% each year since 2010. (UKES 2014). By the end of 2013, real wages were roughly at levels of a decade previous. Removal of the default retirement age and changes to pension schemes, has seen individuals working longer, putting pressures on employers to ensure their policies and practices relate to older employees, and older employees needing to constantly retrain to meet the demands of different roles across their working life. There has been a drop of 19,000 people on Government supported training programmes. Public sector employment has also fallen, with numbers at lowest levels since comparable records began in 1999. However there has been a significant increase within private sector. Although it still exists there has been a reduction in the gender pay gap. IFS research shows an average difference in womens pay compared to means is 18%. This increases again after women have children. Freedom of movement within an ever growing EU, in addition to an increase in migration from outside the EU, has brought a large number of migrants into the UK looking for work; the number of non-UK nationals employed in the UK grew from 986,000 to 3.22 million 2015) between September 1997 and 2015. Many of which are employed in low-skilled work. Women, people from minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and those aged under 25 and over 55 years are all more likely to be either unemployed or economically inactive (Brewer et al., 2012). More women in the workplace, with more part time roles, and family friendly policies available. 1971 37% climbing to 69% by September 2015. The number of employed has increased to just over 4.1 million between 1992 and 2013; those over-50 increasing by 3.2 million, under-25s falling by almost 800,000. By 2013 the number of over 50s increased to 29% from 21% in 1992. 16 to 64 year-olds with a degree or higher-level qualification increased to +20% in the last 20 years. 2014, approximately 24% of employees were classified as professionals in the UK. Goods and services traded globally, are now five times the value in 1980. 2: Employment relationships are both an economic exchange (agreement to give wages for work) and a power relation (employee agrees to accept the employers authority). The psychological contract (Rousseau 1995), relies upon reciprocal expectations between the employer and employee being met. If violated employees may become de-motivated, and inefficient. Organisations have a huge variety of methods available to them, which involve the employee in the decision making process, making them feel valued and motivated which in turn, supports both the traditional and the psychological contract, enabling a positive working relationship, innovation, and high performing teams, these include: Participation empowers and motivates the employee by involving them in decision making. Teams are also trusted to make decisions for themselves, and encouraged to take responsibility for the quality of their own work. Examples include project groups, whereby employees are delegated resposnisbility to make important decisions, suggestion schemes providing employees with a channel to make comments and put forward new ideas, delegation of responsibility to employees at all levels, particulalry those on the front line and multi directional decision making allowing decisions to feed not only top down, but upwards and sideways too. Employee participation is also sometimes referred to as Employee Involvement. Employee Involvement is the level of employee contribution. A one-on-one approach between employee and management. Employee is involved throughout the decision-making process, therefore encouraging employee ownership. Information is the methods used by organisations to communicate information to their employees e.g. newsletters, information pinned to notice boards, informal networking, emails, and a combination of cascaded briefings, face-to-face communication from senior management and employee representatives. Consultation is the process used by organisations toconsult both directly with their employees, via face-to-face upwards communication, or staff surveys for example, and indirectly via employee representatives. e.g. Joint consultation review issues deemed to be of common interest/ importance to all parties, at unionised/non-union workplaces, predominantly private sector Collective representation Predominantly in public sector and some large private sector businesses. Involves negotiation between employee representatives (unionised/non union) and senior management on pay and other conditions of employment. Partnership schemes employee representatives and employers stress mutual gains. Tackle issues via co-operation. There is a high commitment to sharing information. Employee forums groups of mixed groups unionised/non-union employees meet with managers to share information and consultation. Employees can have a significant influence on the outcome. Partnership working is where employers and employees and/or their representatives work collaboratively to make decisions and plan actions. Partnership can take shape in a formal agreement between an employer and a trade union, but it is also used to refer to a way of working in co-operation (Reilly, 2001). Employee relations today, includes both collective and individual relationships, with alternative direct and indirect channels for employee voice emerging, including communication and involvement via team briefings, staff surveys, project working groups, social media, joint consultation, collective bargaining etc. Although union membership within the UK has fallen since 1980s, and employment relations without the involvement of unions is the norm within some industries, collective bargaining still has a considerable influence on European labour regulations. Typically where an organisation is unionised a significant number of employees will be members. Unions will bargain on behalf of the employee, and/or intervene with disputes between employees and management. As they represent large number of employees they are much harder for management to ignore. They can also protect the employee from victimisation. Another major benefit of belonging to a unionised organisation is that management can be legally bound to take procedures more seriously. In addition, unions have the power to threaten industrial action. Trade unions are still a strong force, primarily in the public sector, and large private sector companies. The majority of working population however, do not have access to union representation. Some parts of the public sector do not recognise trade unions; impacting on collective bargaining, representation in grievance, disciplinary matters etc, within large parts of the private sector. Smaller firms use more informal relations for consultation, using intermediaries offering advice primarily on the internet and in publications. However, many small firms operate without procedures and as such can lead to inconsistencies in employment relations. Non-union consultative committees are becoming common place in private sector, filling part of the gap generated by the decline in collective bargaining; the consultation process giving access to management enabling dialogue. In redundancy situations where no trade unions is recognised, non-union employee representatives must be advised and consulted of redundancies of +20 employees is proposed within a 30 day period. Bryson found that direct voice makes a particular difference in union settings suggesting that more channels makes for an employee voice with more impact. Elgar defines employee voice as the ways and means through which employees attempt to have a say and potentially influence organisational affairs about issues that affect their work and the interests of managers and owners. With a mixture of direct and indirect consultation and communication methods leading to higher levels of commitment, job satisfaction and job discretion. Initially employee voice was firmly equated with trade unions and collective bargaining, but more recently is viewed as a broad range of methods enabling employees to have a say about their organisation; it can be via both formal and informal systems, direct individual channels or indirect collective representation (CIPD 2010). Mechanisms can include one-to-one conversation between employee and employer, email communication, work/project groups, social events, suggestion schemes, profit-sharing, employee consultative committees and trade union representation. Research generally supports the notion that employee voice is beneficial to the working relationship of both the individual and the organisation; where employees are allowed to express their views and opinions, put forward suggestions for improvements, they feel recognised and valued. Data shows employee,employer relationships improve as trust increases and employee engagement and in turn performance increases. (Morrison et al. 2011). Farndale et al. (2011), argues that employee voice enables employees to communicate their views, and creates the belief that their contributions are valued, creating a level of respect and trust for their managers. Employee voice allows employees to feel recognised, listened to and valued, conversely, if no mechanisms for employee voice exist, or employees believe their views will have little or no influence it is likely to affect their attitudes and relationship with management (Farndale et al 2011). Truss et al. (2006) argues that one of the major drivers of employee engagement is employees being able to feed their opinions upwards. Research therefore suggests that there is likely to be a link between employee perceptions of voice and engagement, and increased engagement is proven to increase performance. 3: Organisational misbehaviour is defined as any intentional action made by members of an organisation that defies and violates shared organisational norms and expectations, and/or core societal values, mores and standards of proper conduct. (Yoav Vardi and Yoash Wiener 1996). Misbehaviour can be both minor e.g. poor timekeeping, and major e.g. stealing company resources. It can be internal and external, with the main aim being to hurt/damage others or the organisation, e.g. mistreatment, disruption and theft. Misbehaviour usually occurs where an employee: feels that they have been unfairly treated, unclear of job role bullying and harassment in workplace lack of training lack of equality and choose to repay this perceived unfairness by mibehaving. Misbehaviour inevitably leads to more management controls. Conflict in the workplace can take many forms including: an employee becoming withdrawn from the organisation, two workers who are not getting on, employee representatives and management at stand-off, an employee with a grievance, rivalry between teams, or a lack of trust and co-operation between employees and management. Where conflict exists, an organisation may experience a drop in motivation and in turn a drop in productivity, increased absenteeism, and increased negativity on staff surveys, and a general change in behaviour. By listening to employee views can help identify conflict, and take action to prevent the conflict becoming a problem. If conflict is not managed it can lead to strike action or even tribunal claims; Intervention at an early stage by management is crucial. When negotiation cannot resolve a workplace dispute industrial action typically follows. The three main forms of industrial action are: strike action short of a strike work to rule, overtime ban, or go slow lock-out the employer stops employees from working Official industrial action is authorised by the trade union. Employees have a minimum level of protection. Employees have additional protection where the union has appropriately balloted its members. Unofficial industrial action is action which has not been endorsed by any trade union. There is usually no right to argue unfair dismissal, if dismissed whilst taking part in unofficial action. Some conflicts are extremely visible. e.g., a heated exchange between two employees, or a stand off between management and an employee representative, and may result in misbehaviour. Organisational misbehaviour is defined as any intentional action made by members of an organisation that defies and violates shared organisational norms and expectations, and/or core societal values, mores and standards of proper conduct. (Vardi and Wiener 1996). e.g unauthorised absence, pilfering or sabotage. Conflict that is ignored will frequently escalate Recent industrial action trends are: Increase in private sector strikes however public sector lost significantly more days due to large scale strikes A decline in collective conflict increase in individual conflict, including strike, grievance or disciplinary measures Significant drop in strikes since 1980s mainly due to reduced trade union density and collective bargaining, and partnership working with employers. (WERS) average days lost fell to 0.5 million by 21st century 1999 employment tribunal cases soared +100,000, peaking again in 2006/7 with 132,500 applications Pay is the principal cause of labour disputes with the exception of 2009/2010, principal cause was redundancy The number of ballots up to 650, from 484 in 2013. Increase in multiple claims. Majority relating to equal pay claims against local authorities due to 1997 national agreement to seek single status of pay across employees. It is vital that managers are trained to enable them to deal with conflict. To help managers handle conflict they should: be trained to recognise signs of conflict, handle difficult conversations, manage absence, mediation and negotiation skills speak to their employees and letting them speak freely investigate conflict situations, and give sufficient time to finding resolution encourage open communication and expression of views in meetings and appraisals for example recognise the importance of feelings listen to what their employees are saying identify development and training opportunities explain and include employees in planning treat all employees fairly ensure safe working conditions have clear procedures particularly discipline, grievance, dispute procedures, absence and bullying and harrassment to ensure consistency write mediation into contracts of employment and/or grievance and disciplinary procedures identify when outside help is needed Third party involvement Where a dispute cannot be resolved using negotiation, unions and management may agree to approach Acas to resolve the dispute using conciliation, via independent support and advice. 70% cases who used ACAS, were settled or withdrawn before proceeding to an Employment Tribunal. Conciliation is used when a potential or an actual claim has been made to an employment tribunal. An impartial, independent person supporting two or more people in dispute to resolve their differences. Parties are not required to come face to face, as can be conducted over the phone. Pre-Claim Conciliation(PCC) saves time, money and stress. It promotes a quick solution for the employer and employee which may help to avoid a permanent breakdown in the relationship. Mediation is the most widespread form of conflict resolution. It is a form of early intervention and involves an impartial, independent person, or trained employee supporting two individuals/groups reach resolution, and maintain working relationships. Mediation does not make any judgments or determine the outcomes. They use appropriate tried and tested techniques to get people talking and listening and help determine the underlying causes of the problem. The mediator will try to get the parties to compromise and protect their working relationship for the future. The plus side of this method is, it can improve communication between parties, get them talking again when relationship had broken down, it is without prejudice and is flexible so resolution can be tailored to fit. However, the downside of this method includes, success is determined by how competent the mediator, it may not protect legal rights, and is relient on employee full co-operation and good faith, if pertinent parties are missing the process is weakened. Arbitration is a dispute which is settled by an independent person who considers everyones point of view and then issues a decision which is binding. An employee who believes they have been unfairly dismissed, has a complaint under the flexible working regulations, may have their complaint heard by an independent arbitrator who is appointed by Acas, if both sides agree. The plus side of this process is, it is completely confidential, it is formal and therefore minimises bad faith, it is quicker than the courts as there is less backlog, and the process is much shorter and therefore much less expensive. On the downside, success is dependent upon the arbitrator, right of appeal is limited, and confidentiality is not suitable in all disputes. Government has hi-lighted the importance of mediation in the workplace and extended the use of conciliation in-order to encourage the resolution of workplace disputes. 2012/13, over half of the cases (22,630) referred to PCC were resolved with less than a third progressing to tribunal (Acas, 2013). References ACAS. (2008). Conflict_at_work. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/f/j/Acas_Research_Conflict_at_work_03_08-accessible-version-July-2011.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. ACAS. (2014). Managing Conflict and Resolving Individual Employment Disputes in the Contemporary Workplace. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/6/9/reframing_policy_paper_FINAL.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. ACAS. (2016). Disputes and conflict in the workplace. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1662. Last accessed 25.09.16. ACAS. (2014). Workplace Dispute Resolution and the Management of Individual Conflict . Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/q/a/0614-Workplace-Dispute-Resolution-Thematic-Review.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. Alessandra Sgubini, Mara Prieditis Andrea Marighetto. (2004). Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation: differences and similarities from an International and Italian business perspective. Available: http://www.mediate.com/articles/sgubinia2.cfm. Last accessed 25.09.16. Anne Sharpe. (2014). Early Conciliation. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4018. Last accessed 25.09.16. CIPD. (2012). Managing employee relations in difficult times. Available: https://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/managing-employee-relations-in-difficult-times_2012.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. CIPD. (2015). Employment Regulations and the market. Available: https://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/employment-regulation-and-themarket_2015.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. CIPD. (2010). Voice and engagement: how does collective consultation contribute? . Available: http://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/5149_Voice_and_engagement.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. Craig Holmes and Ken Mayhew. (2012). The Changing Shape of the UK Job Market. Available: http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/The-Changing-Shape-of-the-UK-Job-Market.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. DifferenceBetween.com. (2014). difference-between-employee-involvement-and-vs-employee-participation. Available: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-employee-involvement-and-vs-employee-participation/. Last accessed 25.09.16. Rees, C., Alfes, K . and Gatenby, M. . (2013). Employee voice and engagement: connections and consequences. Available: https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/23168236/postprint_IJHRM_2013.pdf. Last accessed 25.09.16. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/labor-market.html https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/employment-regulation-and-the-labour-market_2015_tcm18-10238.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/343448/The_Labour_Market_Story-_An_Overview.pdf http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2014/08/The-Changing-Shape-of-the-UK-Job-Market.pdf www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/social-trends/social-trends-41labour-market.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/23/gender-pay-gap-average-18-per-cent-less-uk-women http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/427.pdf http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/427.pdf https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/23168236/postprint_IJHRM_2013.pdf http://www2.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/333391D9-A8E3-4AC7-A4E1-50B8ECE66E38/0/9781843982685_sc.pdf Bibliography CIPD. (2014). managing-an-age-diverse-workforce. Available: https://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/managing-an-age-diverse-workforce_2014.PDF. Last accessed 25.09.16. CIPD. (2016). employment-law-developments. Available: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employment-law-developments.aspx. Last accessed 25.09.16. Hempsons. (2016). official-or-unofficial?. Available: http://www.hempsons.co.uk/official-or-unofficial/. Last accessed 25.09.16. Office for National Statistics. (2016). Employment and Labour Market. Available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandmarket. Last accessed 25.09.16. UK Essays. (2015). https://www.ukessays.com/essays/commerce/union-and-non-union-forms-of-employee-representation-commerce. Available: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/commerce/union-and-non-union-forms-of-employee-representation-commerce-essay.php. Last accessed 25.09.16. https://www.oecd.org/dac/povertyreduction/43280231.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08a9eed915d3cfd00085c/RAND_WR957.pdf

injection molding :: essays research papers

Wilbert Plastic Services In the early days manufacturers came to us for a specific thermoformed or injection molded part or parts for a product they were making. Over the years we noticed that, more and more, they were coming to us for entire subassemblies and more complex parts that might incorporate both thermoformed and injection molded parts. Based on that experience, and our knowledge of the pressures that manufacturers are under to increase efficiency and reduce cost, it became obvious to us that we needed to provide a wider array of services to help our customers increase their efficiencies, reduce their overall costs and maximize their ROI on each project, part or component. This vision has lead us to add assembly, decorating (in and post mold), reusable packaging, RFID and much more to our capabilities. We believe that Lower Overall Customer Cost comes from an innovative, total solution made up of customer focused, operational excellence. By combining quality production and secondary services with design expertise, supply chain management, and world class logistics WPS has been able to help our customers find new ways to lower their costs and improve profitability. Injection Molding is the process of forcing melted thermo plastic into a mold cavity. Once the plastic has cooled, the part can be ejected. The first injection molding machines were built in the 1930's. There are six major steps in the injection molding process: Clamping An injection molding machine consists of three basic parts; the mold, the clamping unit, and the injection unit or units. The clamping unit holds the halves of the mold under pressure during the injection and cooling. Injection During the injection phase, plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, are pulled from a hopper on top of the injection unit. The pellets feed into the cylinder where they are heated until they reach molten form. Within the heating cylinder there is a motorized screw that mixes the molten pellets and forces them to the end of the cylinder. Once enough material has accumulated in front of the screw, the injection process begins. The molten plastic is inserted into the mold through a sprue, while the pressure and speed are controlled by the screw or in some cases a ram. Dwelling The dwelling phase consists of a pause in the injection process. The molten plastic has been injected into the mold and the pressure is applied to make sure all mold cavities are filled. injection molding :: essays research papers Wilbert Plastic Services In the early days manufacturers came to us for a specific thermoformed or injection molded part or parts for a product they were making. Over the years we noticed that, more and more, they were coming to us for entire subassemblies and more complex parts that might incorporate both thermoformed and injection molded parts. Based on that experience, and our knowledge of the pressures that manufacturers are under to increase efficiency and reduce cost, it became obvious to us that we needed to provide a wider array of services to help our customers increase their efficiencies, reduce their overall costs and maximize their ROI on each project, part or component. This vision has lead us to add assembly, decorating (in and post mold), reusable packaging, RFID and much more to our capabilities. We believe that Lower Overall Customer Cost comes from an innovative, total solution made up of customer focused, operational excellence. By combining quality production and secondary services with design expertise, supply chain management, and world class logistics WPS has been able to help our customers find new ways to lower their costs and improve profitability. Injection Molding is the process of forcing melted thermo plastic into a mold cavity. Once the plastic has cooled, the part can be ejected. The first injection molding machines were built in the 1930's. There are six major steps in the injection molding process: Clamping An injection molding machine consists of three basic parts; the mold, the clamping unit, and the injection unit or units. The clamping unit holds the halves of the mold under pressure during the injection and cooling. Injection During the injection phase, plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, are pulled from a hopper on top of the injection unit. The pellets feed into the cylinder where they are heated until they reach molten form. Within the heating cylinder there is a motorized screw that mixes the molten pellets and forces them to the end of the cylinder. Once enough material has accumulated in front of the screw, the injection process begins. The molten plastic is inserted into the mold through a sprue, while the pressure and speed are controlled by the screw or in some cases a ram. Dwelling The dwelling phase consists of a pause in the injection process. The molten plastic has been injected into the mold and the pressure is applied to make sure all mold cavities are filled.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Essay -- Biography First Lady Biogr

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was the widow of John F. Kennedy the 35th President of the United States of America and of Aristotle S. Onassis, a Greek businessman. Jackie was constantly in the spotlight during her years as First Lady and afterward, we admired her self-possession over things, beauty, and grace. She was known to the public as â€Å"Jackie,† and in her later years as â€Å"Jackie O† after she remarried Mr. Onassis. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in Southampton, N.Y., on July 28, 1929. Her father John Vernou Bouvier III was a successful Wall Street Broker and her Mother Janet Lee Bouvier was a well accomplished Equestrian. Her mother later divorced and re-married in 1940 to Hugh D. Auchincloss. She was brought up in wealthy and well-cultured surroundings, mainly in New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Jackie attended Miss Porter's School for Girls in Connecticut and Vassar College, where she excelled in history, literature, art and French and later graduated from George Washington University in 1951. In 1952, while working on her first job as an inquiring photographer for the Washington Times-Herald, she interviewed Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. On September 12, 1953, she and Kennedy got married at St. Mary’ Church in Newport. In time they had three children Caroline, John, and Patrick, who was born pre-mature and died two days after his birth in 1963. At the age of 31 Ja...

Consumer Behaviour Annotated Bibliography

In this article Anisimova investigates the influence of corporate brand on attitudinal and behavioural consumer loyalty. The author uses data gained through a questionnaire distributed through a participating car manufacturer to try to identify corporate brand attributes and consumer loyalty. Their research focuses on five hypotheses that related each corporate brand dimensions to consumer loyalty. The article is useful to my topic, because it identifies linkages between attitude and behaviour can be increased through brand personality. It also identifies that core values and personality are important paths to consumer loyalty. The main limitation of the article is that the research focused on one industry only (car industry), where brand loyalty is easier to determine. Thus the author indicate that further, more extensive, research needs to be undertaken to develop a more in-depth understanding of branding strategies in wider industries would be beneficial. This article will not form the basis of my research; however it will be useful supplementary information. Kaltcheva, V. D. and Parasuraman, A. 009, ‘Personality-Relatedness and Reciprocity Framework for Analyzing Retailer-Consumer Interactions’, Journal of Business Research’, Vol 62, Iss 6, pp 601 – 608 This article investigates four relational models for classifying retailer-consumer interactions to define the Personality-Relatedness and Reciprocity relational framework. The article investigates the use of this framework to identify t arget relational positioning, analyse actual relational positioning, formulate strategies to reach target and assess the effectiveness of these strategies. The article is useful to my topic, because it identifies the importance consumers place on retailer’s personality and the difference between consumer’s and retailer’s outcomes. The main limitation of the article is that the research is at an intermediate level that will inform propositions for future research. This article will not form the basis of my research; however it will be useful supplementary information. Capelli, S. and Helme-Guizon, A. , 2008, ‘Temperament: Measurement and Impact on Consumer Behaviour’, Recherche et Applications en Marketing, Vol 23, Iss 1. This article translates a measurement tool for temperament. The authors compare personality traits, and explores how it impacts on purchasing behaviours. The author uses data gained through a questionnaire distributed through a participating car manufacturer to try to identify corporate brand attributes and consumer loyalty. Their research focuses on five hypotheses that related each corporate brand dimensions to consumer loyalty. The article is useful to my topic, because it identifies linkages between attitude and behaviour can be increased through brand personality. It also identifies that core values and personality are important paths to consumer loyalty. The main limitation of the article is that the research focused on one industry only (car industry), where brand loyalty is easier to determine. Thus the author indicate that further, more extensive, research needs to be undertaken to develop a more in-depth understanding of branding strategies in wider industries would be beneficial. This article will not form the basis of my research; however it will be useful supplementary information.

Demography of China Essay

The demographic situation in People’s Republic of China is one of the burning issues nowadays widely discussed in the global community. Today, China’s population is over 1. 3 billion, the largest of any country in the world. So every 5th person in the world is coming from China. The population of China is greater than the entire world 150 years ago. Every year the population of China increases by 14 million people (the number of people in Texas or Chile). Each decade it increases by about 130 million (more than the population of Japan). About 39,000 new people are added every day. Cultural prerequisites for such family expanding tradition: The Chinese traditionally prefer early marriage, early child-bearing, and large families. Each married women usually raises between five and six children. The Chinese say: â€Å"†¦ more children means great happiness†. Population Problems in China. There is a great number of social, economic and environmental problems evoked by the demographic situation. * High unemployment rate. The competition to find a job is very high and as Chinese people saying themselves: â€Å"I’m frightened for my children`s future, China’s biggest problem is the population†. As a result a lot of people migrate to a bigger cities or to neighboring countries to seek for a job. * Water and food shortages. As the world’s population increases, so too does its need for food and water – the two resources which are absolutely necessary to sustain life. The Asian giant has been warned by one of its own groundwater experts to either cut its food production or else face â€Å"dire† water levels, especially in the dry northwest plains. If not, aquifers will sink to â€Å"dire† levels not seen in 30 years. For example, the yellow river is dying up. The river has been overused and abused. Dozens of dams block its flow, drawing off huge quantities of water to grow cotton in the desert. * Housing shortages. China has an acute shortage of housing, attributable not only to the large annual increases in population (over 10 million a year) that must be accommodated but also to the long-standing policy of directing investment funds into heavy industry rather than into housing and other social amenities. As a result of expensive housing, people are forced o live in poor conditions and share a flat with big number of people. * Chronic air and water pollution problems are now evident in rural and urban areas throughout the country. China didn’t join Kiyoto protocol, so having a well- developed industry it keeps on emitting CO2 in great quantities. Air pollution is all over China, even harming the most picturesque locations. Acid rain is also a common place. * All of these are issues that the Chinese government must struggle and find a lot of solutions in order improve the lives of its people.

All Quiet on the Western Front Literary Devices essay Essay

The earth, as in the soil beneath our feet, is taken for granted every single day, but never by a soldier on the front lines. Erich Maria Remarque explains this through his character Paul Bà ¤umer in the excerpt of his novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul is explaining the effects that war on the front can leave with a soldier, the hopelessness, instinct of an animal, and appreciation for things as simple as the earth that we walk on. While explaining these effects Remarque uses literary and rhetorical devices.Portraying Paul’s sense of being helpless and trapped as an effect of being on the battle front, Remarque uses various literary devices to describe Paul’s feelings. The narrator Paul states, â€Å"To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool† a â€Å"vortex sucking me†¦into itself.† This extended metaphor expresses the hopelessness that the war leaves with soldier. The vortex symbolizes the loss of optimism in the weary soldiers and how it is â€Å"irresistibly† and â€Å"inescapably† happening. This paragraph of the passage could also be an example of how Remarque uses parallelism to tell of the effects.The front not only causes the soldiers to gain a muffled mind, but to also gain gratitude. While explaining the appreciation they get when fighting to survive at the front, Remarque uses different types of imagery to express their deep feeling towards the ground. â€Å"To no man doe the earth mean so much as to a soldier†. He personifies the earth by calling it â€Å"her† and creates an image of the earth as a mother figure, protecting and sheltering the soldiers. Then, later in the passage, Remarque writes as if Paul is praising the ground as a God, saying that it has â€Å"redeemed them† and â€Å"granted the soldiers a new life†. This can be taken as a dose overboard, however, this image the soldiers have devised of the earth in their mind, â€Å"she† has saved them, physically and religiously. Concluding the effects that Remarque characterizes in this portion of the novel, He describes the sudden takeover of animalistic instinct while in battle. This instinct is the difference between life and death. Paul tells that a man will find himself on the ground, right at the moment that a shell flies over him. Yet he cannot remember if he had heard it or what had happened â€Å"one cannot explain it.† This is the instinct that appears when your mind has departed â€Å"It is this other, this second sight in us.† Paul claims that this is what saves them. A literary device used near the end was when Paul says â€Å"†¦there would not be one man alive from Flanders to the Vosges.† This is a hyperbole, because it is an exaggeration. Remarque continues the idea of animal instinct using an oxymoron: the soldiers come to the front and â€Å"become on the instant human animals.† He suggests that these soldiers retain the shape of humanity but have developed animal-like qualities in order to survive. This is a tragic consequence of war- the loss of humanity and civility. In the end Paul learns that he will never be the same. The profound transformations that he has endured during while being at the front have scared him beyond repair. This amplifies the hopelessness they feel, because if they do not die physically they will die emotionally. Remarque uses literary devices throughout the passage to emphasize to affect how the text is read. He uses personification multiple times throughout the paragraphs. When speaking of the soldier’s appreciation of the earth, Remarque personifies the earth and they develop strong feelings towards it. â€Å"O Earth, thou grantest us the great resisting surge of new-won life.† The overall message of the expert is the affect of the war on a soldiers mind. He will do anything to survive, he will find new recognition, and he will even give up all of his faith.