Warehouse Design

How to Write MBA Essays

How to Write MBA Essays Each year business schools in America receive more than 200,000 applications from perspective MBA hopefuls. Given this vast number of individuals looking to pursue a degree in business administration, I would like to take this opportunity to offer some specific tips on how to create effective MBA essays. I recommend that anyone thinking about applying to business school read the following information. If, on the other hand, this topic does not apply to your specific scholastic goals, please feel free to skip to the next section. If you are considering applying to business school, you should take special care in writing your MBA admissions essay. Regardless of how well you did in school, you can count on the fact that there are thousands of other students applying to business school who have the exact same marks as you. Therefore, you need something more than just good grades and/or test scores to make your application stand out. You need the boost of a powerful and well-reasoned MBA essay. MBA essays are a crucial part of the application process. When writing your MBA essay, make sure to include specific details on why you decided to pursue an MBA degree. Discuss your reasons for choosing the school in question and dont hesitate to use an admissions essays hub and/or editing service to proof your work. Online companies offering admissions essay editing services are especially helpful in making sure that your MBA essay is top notch. The most important factor when dealing with MBA essays is time. Make sure to plan and take all the time you need in order to deliver a quality composition. If you would like additional information on how to write a good MBA essay or if you would like to know more about business school essays and/or law school essays, please dont hesitate to access the link provided.

Inquiring Minds want to know Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Inquiring Minds want to know - Assignment Example This is far more than what numbers can suggest as the supplementary text allows the reader to understand why the research was conducted (the problem recognition) along with the potential shortcomings of the study (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). It further aids the comprehension of statistics and quantifiable metrics. In the words of one author, the use of text allows researchers to provide background information and highlight major trends from the research. The statistical information would be presented in this case by starting from the broader background (problem recognition) and ending with specific details. This is usually used in most research reports that begin with broader context (goals and objectives of research) and end up with specific findings and recommendations. A useful tool for representing statistical data would be drawing a â€Å"five number summary† on a chart known as the box-plot. The spread in customers’ responses shall be indica ted and enable the decision maker interpret the inquiry method towards which customers are skewed. Bar charts can be used to convey values through a scaled axis and make comparison easier along a multitude of dimensions. For instance, two parallel bar charts could be constructed for 1992 and 1997 depicting the inquiry methods used. Next, a pie chart could be extremely useful to depict the responses of the primary research conducted through 676 respondents. Apart from being visually appealing, pie charts allow the percentage of total held by each category, thereby making it easier to assess its contribution towards the total ‘pie’ (Iversen, Gergen, & Gergen, 1997). For instance, the ‘forecasted’ use of internet by respondents during next five years could be compared with the use of internet during the past year using two separate pie charts. Multiple bar charts would also be extremely useful in depicting data pertaining to the â€Å"newer inquiry methodsâ⠂¬  including Web-visits, fax-on-demand and email. These charts would allow the decision maker to not only compare the data within each class but also across classes (Francis, 2008). Furthermore, the data in this case is overlapping and not mutually exclusive. For instance, the use of e-mail (as an inquiry method) in the next five years by 73.7% of the respondents does not mean that these individuals are ‘not’ included in the 72.2% of respondents that will visit the website. In other words, it is highly possible that respondents using e-mail may â€Å"also† visit the web and vice versa. This necessitates using multiple bar charts as, unlike bar charts or pie charts, a ‘total’ is not required here. Since the decision maker is concerned more about drawing the comparison than looking at the respective proportions per se this method of representing data would be highly useful. As far as the data of respondents using telephone as an inquiry method for im mediate needs and mail for non-immediate needs is concerned, tables would be the most effective way of representing data. Tables have, since long, been considered as one of the most effective way of displaying data. They enable the decision make

Developing and using power and influence tactics to influence people Article

Developing and using power and influence tactics to influence people - Article Example Different leadership techniques have to be adopted under different circumstances and for different purposes. For instance, to get a project through, people need the support of others. The first action taken by the leaders is to adopt the project as their own and show personal commitment to it. They then work towards generating support from others in the organization. They have knowledge about the company and know how to use the company’s informal system of relationships. Markham (1998) indicates that some types of influence tactics are more successful like the logical argument. Some prefer to use the coercive and persuasive techniques rather than confrontive influence strategies even when they expect resistance although threatening tactics are unsuccessful influencing people. Use of personal power or positional power would depend upon target commitment. Expert power has been more useful than reward or legitimate power sources. Although leaders may use enthusiasm and drive to make their projects successful, these have a detrimental effect on projects and targets according to Markham. This requires influencing many people who may not wish to be influenced and the end result may be tension and conflicts. The project leaders may not be trained enough in interpersonal relations, which imply that being a project leader does not give an individual the power or ability to influence, although Carson and King (2006) believe that empowerment leads to self-leadership. Today’s work environment call for self-leadership, say Carson and King. Empowerment implies to delegate power from the higher organizational levels to the lower ones. Employees must be given the power to take decisions rather than just making suggestions. This leads to self-leadership which involves an analysis of how and why a task should be completed. It is the process of influencing oneself. This helps to improve direction and motivation within

GenerationY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GenerationY - Essay Example One of the ways of showing this is by talking freely. However, the talk is limited to telling jokes. In as much as it portrays the sense of showing composition, it may be intimidating to some interviewers. Some interviews see it as one being arrogant and out of context. In order to avoid this, the individual should stick to the business of the day and answer according to the questions asked (Meagan & Larry, 2010). Another behavior to avoid is speaking too much about the previous place that the person worked. Questions may come relating to the previous work places that the individual worked. The interviewee in the process may over emphasize the success he had in his previous contract. When the interviewee talks a lot about the experience and the success, the interviewer may conclude that the interviewee is not over the previous work place. In addition to this, it may show that he is expecting similar treatment that he received from his previous job. This may not be a good move especially when the previous job was from a better firm as compared to the one he is applying for presently (Meagan & Larry, 2010). Generation Y individuals should avoid making promises during the interview concerning the amount of work that they are willing to do. These kinds of statements portray the act of being over confident in the job. Over confidence in the job may results to poor performance ultimately. They may also appear as if he is judging those working currently at those positions as being lazy and unproductive. In addition, these statements may also sound insulting to the firm, as the whole administration will be in question about how well they ensure that their workers do their job correctly (Meagan & Larry, 2010). In the event that the interviewer poses attack on the interviewee, the interviewee should desist from getting very defensive in the process. Most of Generation Y individuals did not face a lot of confrontation during their earlier years.

Survey On Different Energy Harvesting Methods

Survey On Different Energy Harvesting Methods Mubashir Hussain, Sami-Ur-Rehman Khan Telecommunication Engineering Dept FEST, Iqra University Main Campus Karachi, Pakistan Abstract This paper serves as a survey on energy harvesting from different sources and their methods presented after a brief literature review of different technical papers available in the public domain. The Process of extracting energy from our surroundings is known as energy harvesting. The energy harvesting got its origins from the water wheels and windmills. Energy can be scavenged from sources around us like, light, water, wind, heat, radio waves, mechanical vibrations etc. In the present age we need more reliable, low cost and efficient power sources for our systems. The new systems require less energy and give out great output similarly the sources are supposed to be more efficient and effective, in this paper we have presented that how the energy which is presently wasted around us due to radiations, friction or reflection can be scavenged to make them useful of our everyday use. Keywords: Energy Harvesting Networks, Different Energy Harvesting Sources, Methods for Energy Harvesting Introduction Conventional batteries are not always beneficial as they require human involvement for replacing batteries. Hence, require electrical power to make these devices functional. Therefore, consideration of alternate type of energy source to traditional batteries is required. The electrical power is required to operate these devices can be obtained by converting the light, mechanical or thermal energies available in the ambient environment. This conversion of energy available in ambient environment can produce unlimited energy for the lifetime of the electronic device. This process of extracting energy from the ambient environment and converting them into consumable electric energy is known as Energy Harvesting. Typical energies available in ambient environment are mechanical energy, solar energy, RF energy and thermal energy. Since, it is proven to be an efficient alternative to give lifelong electrical power to electronic devices, there is an increasingly volume carried out on energy ha rvesting, these days [1-10, 22-28]. Energy harvesting sources can be utilized to maximize the ability and lifetime of the devices by augmenting the usage of battery [18-20]. Electrical devices switched on by energy harvesters can be utilized to give important information on structural and operational circumstances through positioning them in unapproachable whereabouts [21]. Different Sources Used for Energy Harvesting The categorization of energy harvesting can be done on the basis of the types of energy being used to harvest energy, available in ambient environment, into electrical energy. The different yet widely used sources for energy harvesting are photovoltaic cells, thermoelectric generators, wind turbines, and mechanical vibration devices such as electromagnetic devices and piezoelectric devices [11]. Table I highlights some of the energy harvesting sources with their power generation capability [12]. Table I: Energy Harvesting Sources [12] Mechanical Vibration When a device vibrates, an inertial mass can be utilized to generate movement. This vibrational movement can then be converted into electrical energy using 3 mechanisms including piezoelectric, electrostatic and electromagnetic. Energy used here is mechanical energy. Electrostatic Energy Harvesting This type of energy harvesting mainly depends on the varying capacitance of vibration-dependent varactors (variable capacitors). Vibration causes the separation between plates of an initially charged varactor, which causes mechanical energy to be converted in electrical energy. Electrostatic generators are simple mechanical devices that produce electricity by using manual or mechanical power [13]. Roundy, et al. [31] define the categorization of the electrostatic generators into three main classes namely: in-plane, in-plane gap closing and out-of-plane gap closing, and overlap. The different electrostatic generators under the three distinguished classes are debated in various papers. Piezoelectric Materials These are the materials that convert mechanical energy, produced by applying force, pressure or vibrations, into electrical energy. These materials are able to generate electrical charge when mechanical load is applied on them. This property of piezoelectric materials is considered by the researchers to develop various piezoelectric harvesters in order to power different applications [14, 15]. The very first example of extracting electrical energy from piezoelectric materials is from the collision of leaving steel ball bearing on piezoelectric transducer [29]. 3.3 Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Electromagnetic energy harvesting can be attained by principles of electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic induction can be described as the method of generating voltages in an electric conductor by varying the magnetic field around it. One of the most effective ways of producing electromagnetic induction for energy harvesting is with the help of permanent magnets, a coil and a resonating cantilever beam [8]. Electromagnetic induction gives the benefit of better mechanical damping and reliability as there will not be any mechanical intercourse between any parts; therefore, no distinct voltage source is needed [30]. Photovoltaic Cells Photovoltaic cells are the devices that transform light energy into electrical energy. The form of energy harnessed is typically light energy usually received from sunlight. Usage of photovoltaic cells would be effective and efficient at places where the availability of light is guaranteed and usage of batteries and other means of power supply are not feasible or expensive. While designing sources which harvest solar energy, constituents such as accessibility of day light, periods of smoggy cloud and snow cover, effects of operation at higher latitudes, functionalities of the photovoltaic cell used, the strength of the incident light, power supply needs are to be considered [9, 16]. Thermoelectric Generators Thermoelectric generators work on the principle of thermoelectricity to generate the required electrical energy. The phenomena of generating electric current with a temperature difference and vice-versa can be named as thermoelectricity. The thermal energy here is harvested to get electrical energy to power-up electronic devices. These devices are mostly used in space and terrestrial applications. Solid-state thermoelectric generators are considered to have long life, low maintenance and high reliability. However, their usage is limited because of their low energy conversion efficiency and high costs [17]. Microwaves Energy Harvesting Recently, researchers have designed a device that is converting the lost microwaves, generated from Wi-Fi, into electrical energy. The lost microwaves are converted into electrical energy using metamaterials. Metamaterials Literature Review As we know that in today’s world, energy crisis is one of the biggest issues as the demand of energy is increasing day by day and the supply is not enough to facilitate everyone. In such shortfall of energy supply and high demand for consumption, energy harvesting is truly a magnificent approach to bridge the gap between supply and demand. Using energy harvesting networks, we can harvest the ambient energy available in surrounding such as light, heat, electromagnetic and mechanical energy and can convert them into useful energy. Though, the amount of energy being produced by energy harvesting network is low, however, it can still be used to power small and portable electronic devices including our cellular phones –one of the most important devices used for communicating, all around the world. As the researchers are doing extensive research in this field to discover new techniques to produce more and more energy from energy harvesting networks, it seems that, in coming w orld, energy harvesters would be fulfilling more than 50% of our energy requirements. The rapid demand of energy harvesting modules can be observed by the given graph over certain period of time. Key Findings Due to rapidly increasing demand of energy, it is observed that the traditional energy producing networks are not efficient enough to facilitate everyone and people are now looking for alternatives to overcome the shortfall of energy. When it comes to find alternatives of traditional energy-producing networks, energy harvesting networks are on top of the list. Energy harvesting networks are the most efficient yet low cost energy producing devices that harvest the energy available in environment and convert them into electrical energy to power up electrical devices. Previously, solar energy and mechanical energy were two of the main and only known sources that were being used to generate energy. However, after the continuous hard work and research in this field, researchers have introduced such energy harvesting networks that can harvest electromagnetic waves, as well as radio waves into electrical energy to produce energy. The recent Wi-Fi energy harvesting network developed by the s tudents of Duke University, England, can produce electrical energy up to 3.7 volts that is equivalent to the average electrical energy produced by USB –we use to charge our gadgets. Therefore, it can be said that energy harvesting networks are the only best alternatives to traditional energy producing networks to overcome the shortfall of the energy in today’s and upcoming world. Open Areas Recently, researchers have designed a device that is converting the lost microwaves, generated from Wi-Fi, into electrical energy. The lost microwaves are converted into electrical energy using metamaterials. Metamaterials are composite materials having a structure that exhibits such properties that cannot be found, usually, in natural materials, especially the property of having negative refractive index. Metamaterials are capable to capture different forms of wave’s energy and tune them into useful applications. There is no doubt at all that energy harvesting of electromagnetic and other radio waves is the future of energy harvesting networks as they are most commonly founded waves in our today’s tech-world environment –as our communication is mainly done via electromagnetic and radio waves and it would be keep going in future too. So, the Electromagnetic energy harvesting networks would be helping the people, in coming world, to power up their devices for free, anywhere, anytime, wirelessly. Conclusion Harvesting energy from the ambient environment is being considered as a valuable alternate to replace the existing power supplies for energy constraint embedded systems. Especially, the latest research done on energy harvesting of microwaves, radiated from Wi-Fi mainly, has enlightened a new hope among the researchers to identify such energy harvesting methods that can raise the amount of power generated using the power harvesters. These methods would be going to assist in placing the energy harvesters as one of the best power sources for portable power devices in the field of wireless technology. References [1] Amirtharajah R and Chandrakasan A P, â€Å"Self-powered low power signal processing,† IEEE Symposium, VLSI Circuits, Digest of Technical Papers, 1997, pp 25–26. [2] Amirtharajah R and Chandrakasan A P, â€Å"Self-powered signal processing using vibration-based power generation,† IEEE Journal of Solid-Stage Circuits, v 33 n 5, May 1998, pp 687–695. [3] Arakawa Y, Suzuki Y and Kasagi N, â€Å"Micro seismic power generator using electrets polymer film,† Power MEMS Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2004, pp 187–190. [4] Atwood B, Warneke B and Pister K S J, â€Å"Preliminary circuits for Smart Dust,† Proceedings of Southwest Symposium, Mixed-Signal Design, 2000, pp. 87–92. [5] Cavallier B, Nouira H, Foltete E, Hirsinger L and Ballandras S, â€Å"Energy storage capacity of vibrating structure: application to a shock system,† Proceedings of Symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS/ MOEMS DTIP0, Montreux, Switzerland, 2005, pp 391–393. [6] Bayrashev A, Robbins W P and Ziaie B, â€Å"Low frequency wireless powering of micro-systems using piezoelectric magnetostrictive laminate composites,† Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2004, v 114, pp 244-249. [7] Beeby S P, Tudor M J, Koukharenko E, White N M, O’Donnell T, Saha C, Kulkarni S and Roy S, â€Å"Micromachined silicon generator for harvesting power from vibration,† Proceedings of Transducers, Seoul, Korea, 2005, pp 780–783. [8] Beeby S P, Tudor M J and White N M, â€Å"Energy harvesting vibration sources for Microsystems applications,† Journal of Measurement Science and Technology, 2006, v 17, pp 175-195. [9] Callaway, Jr and Edgar H, Wireless Sensor Networks, Boca Raton, Florida: Auerbach Publications, CRC Press LLC, 2004. [10] Cavallier B, Berthelot P, Nouira H, Foltà ªte E, Hirsinger L and Ballandras S, â€Å"Energy harvesting using vibrating structures excited by shock,† IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, 2005. [11] Park G, Farrar C R, Todd M D, Hodgkiss W and Rosing T, â€Å"Energy Harvesting for Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks,† Technical Report, Los Alamos National Laboratories, LA, February 2007. [12] Atwood B, Warneke B and Pister K S J, â€Å"Smart Dust mote forerunners,† Proceedings of 14th Annual International Conference on Microelectromechanical Sytsems, 2001, pp 357–360. [13] Peano F and Tambosso T, â€Å"Design and optimisation of a MEMS electrets-based capacitive energy scavenger,† Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2005, v 14, pp 435–529. [14] White N M, Glynne-Jones P and Beeby S, â€Å"A novel thick-film piezoelectric micro-generator,† Smart Material Structures, August 2001, v 10, pp 850–852. [15] Williams C B and Yates R B, â€Å"Analysis of a micro-electric generator for microsystems,† in Proceedings of Solid-State Sensors and Actuator and in Eurosensors IX. Transducers, 1995, v 1, pp 369–372. [16] Raghunathan V, Kansal A, Hsu J, Friedman J and Srivastava M, â€Å"Design Considerations for Solar Energy Harvesting Wireless Embedded Systems,† Fourth IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks, April 2005. [17] Fleurial J P, Snyder G J, Herman J A, Smart M, and Shakkottai P, Giauque P H and Nicolet M A, â€Å"Miniaturized thermoelectric power sources,† Intersorie Energy Conversion [18] Kansal A and Srivastava M B, â€Å"An Environmental Energy harvesting framework for Sensor Networks,† Proceedings of International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design (ISLPED ’03). ACM Press, 2003, pp 481-486. [19] Kansal A, Potter D and Srivastava M B, â€Å"Performance Aware asking for Environmentally Powered Sensor Networks,† Proceedings on the Measurement and Modeling of Computer Systems in Joint International Conference, ACM Press, 2004, pp. 223–234. [20] Kansal A and Srivastava M B, â€Å"Distributed Energy Harvesting for Energy Neutral Sensor Networks,† IEEE Pervasive Computing, v 4, January-March 2005. [21] Park G, Farrar C R, Todd M D, Hodgkiss W and Rosing T, â€Å"Energy Harvesting for Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks,† Technical Report, Los Alamos National Laboratories, LA, February 2007. [22] Sodano H A, Inman D J, and Park G., â€Å"A Review of Power Harvesting from Vibration Using Piezoelectric Materials,† The Shock and Vibration Digest, 2004, v 36, pp. 197–205. [23] Sodano H A, Inman D J and Park G, â€Å"Comparison of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Devices for Recharging Batteries,† Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. 2005, v 16, pp 799-807. [24] Sodano H A, Simmers G E, Dereux R, and Inman D J, â€Å"Recharging Batteries using Energy Harvested from Thermal Gradients,† Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, January 1, 2007, v 18, pp 3 10. [25] Sterken T, Baert K, Puers R and Borghs S â€Å"Power extraction from ambient vibration,† Proceedings of 3rd Workshop on Semiconductor Sensors and Actuators, November 2002, pp 680–683. [26] Sterken T, Fiorini P, Baert K, Borghs G and Puers R, â€Å"Novel design and fabrication of a MEMS electrostatic vibration scavenger,† Power MEMS Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2004, pp 18–21. [27] Staley M E and Flatau A B, â€Å"Characterization of energy harvesting potential of Terfenol-D and Galfenol,† Proceedings of SPIE, 2005, pp 630-640. [28] Tashiro R, Kabei N, Katayama K, Tsuboi F and Tsuchiya K, â€Å"Development of an electrostatic generator for a cardiac pacemaker that harnesses the ventricular wall motion,† Journal on Artifcial Organs, 2002, pp 239–245. [29] Umeda M, Nakamura K and Ueha S, â€Å"Analysis of the transformation of mechanical impact energy to electric energy using piezoelectric vibrator,† Japan, Journal of Applied Physics, 1996, v 35, pp 3267–3273. [30] Roundy S J, â€Å"Energy Scavenging for Wireless Sensor Nodes with a Focus on Vibration to Electricity Conversion,† Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2003. [31] Roundy S, Wright P and Pister K, â€Å"Micro-electrostatic vibration-to-electricity converters,† Proceedings, IMECE, 2002, pp 1–10.

The Congress for New Urbanism and Environmental Awareness Essay

The Congress for New Urbanism and Environmental Awareness In the last two decades the New Urbanism movement has begun among planners, designers, and builders. Though it does not provide complete solutions to many of the environmental problems caused by human development, it shows a greater awareness of the undesirable and potentially destructive tendencies exhibited by conventional methods of design, planning and construction. Robert Davis, board chairman of the Congress for the New Urbanism, describes the problem of urban sprawl and development. "For five millennia, we have built towns and cities with strong centers and clear edges, beyond which lay farms and forests and lakes and streams. For five decades these clear edges have become increasingly ragged, and the centrifugal forces of sprawl have flung a strange collection of objects across the landscape. The strangest of these objects are large boxes with very specialized functions. They are connected to each other by swaths of asphalt and each is surrounded by a small sea of the same material. Their placement relative to each other and to the smaller boxes we live in is designed and planned for the maximum possible consumption of our time, and of energy in various forms, including human..."(http://www.cnu.org/nunjuly98.html). "Our monoculture development pattern started as a good idea to separate steel mills and slaughter houses from dwellings. Now we rigidly separate all uses: our homes, our workplaces, our children’s schools, the places we assemble. This not only ensures the maximum possible consumption of time and energy, it also separates us from each other" (http://www.cnu.org/nunjuly98.html). This is a design perspective based on aesthetics instead of enviro... ...d, watertables, or their conditions. Nor was their any specific mention of the use of natural recyclable or sustainable materials in construction. These facts make me aware that there needs to be more collaboration and sharing of knowledge between planners, designers, builders, and ecologists. If ecological concerns are not given consideration in development, ultimately all life forms will suffer. If biologists and ecologists do not understand the essential elements of economics and aesthetics in design when communicating their concerns, nothing will be done to correct current development trends until human health is severely effected. Works Cited CNU Update http://www.cnu.org/nunjuly98.html Environmental Building News http://www.ebuild.com/Archives/Other_ Beth Dunlop, Architectural Record Jan. 97, The New Urbanists The Second Generation, p.132-135

Child Trafficking Essay

A child is a young human being who is not yet an adult. It also defines trafficking as an act of buying and selling things illegally. So, child trafficking is an inhuman act where children are being used unjustly as objects of business transaction. Boys and girls are involved but girls are mostly involved as victims. They are taken from their parents by the trafficker who with deceitful words promises the girl’s parent’s heaven and earth for instance that she will send them to school or that she has a business in abroad like a saloon where the girls can work for few months and establish theirs. Parents who are living in the villages are the ones they use to go to, because most of them are unable to afford both material and financial needs of all their children. Such parents have no alternative than giving out their childchildren who maybe in their teens to the lady who pretended to be good. Despite all these government can still work on this heavily by the following: Firstly, government should declare free education in every school that is the school owned by the government maybe to the secondary school level. By so doing, parents will not have the excuse of giving out their children to someone else to take care of them. Secondly, government should see to duly paying of workers’ salaries at the end of each month and not leaving them empty handed at the end of the month because they need money to solve the problems facing them in the family and also to prevent them from exposing their children to those heartless human beings that use children illegally to make money. The last but not the least is that the parliamentary arm of government should sit together with the support of the president, make laws for children against abuse and intimidation. Also the judiciary arm should be strict in punishing anybody found exhibiting the act of child trafficking

Americas M4 Sherman Tank, a WWII War Machine

America's M4 Sherman Tank, a WWII War Machine The iconic American tank of World War II, the M4 Sherman was employed in all theaters of the conflict by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, as well as most Allied nations. Considered a medium tank, the Sherman initially had a mounted 75mm gun and had a crew of five. In addition, the M4 chassis served as the platform for several derivative armored vehicles such as tank retrievers, tank destroyers, and self-propelled artillery. Christened Sherman by the British, who named their U.S.-built tanks after Civil War generals, the designation quickly caught on with American forces. Design Designed as a replacement for the M3 Lee medium tank, the plans for the M4 were submitted to the U.S. Army Ordnance Department on August 31, 1940. Approved the following April, the goal of the project was to create a dependable, fast tank with the ability to defeat any vehicle then currently in use by Axis forces. In addition, the new tank was not to exceed certain width and weight parameters to ensure a high level of tactical flexibility and permit its use over a wide array of bridges, roads, and transportation systems. Specifications M4A1 Sherman Tank Dimensions Weight: 33.4 tonsLength: 19 feet, 2 inchesWidth: 8 feet, 7 inchesHeight: 9 feet Armor and Armament Armor: 19-91 mmMain gun: 75 mm (later 76 mm)Secondary armament: 1 x .50 cal. Browning M2HB machine gun, 2 x .30 Browning M1919A4 machine gun Engine Engine: 400 hp Continental R975-C1 (gasoline)Range: 120 milesSpeed: 24 mph Production During its 50,000-unit production run, the U.S. Army built seven principle variations of the M4 Sherman. These were the M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4A3, M4A4, M4A5, and M4A6. These variations did not represent a linear improvement of the vehicle but rather changes in engine type, production location, or fuel type. As the tank was produced, a variety of improvements were introduced, including a heavier, high-velocity 76mm gun, wet ammunition storage, a more powerful engine, and thicker armor. In addition, numerous variations of the basic medium tank were built. These included a number of Shermans mounted with a 105mm howitzer instead of the usual 75mm gun, as well as the M4A3E2 Jumbo Sherman. Featuring a heavier turret and armor, the Jumbo Sherman was designed for assaulting fortifications and aiding in breaking out of Normandy. Other popular variations included Shermans equipped with duplex drive systems for amphibious operations and those armed with the R3 flame thrower. Tanks possessing this weapon were frequently used for clearing enemy bunkers and earned the nickname Zippos, after the famous lighter. Early Combat Operations Entering combat in October 1942, the first Shermans saw action with the British Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein. The first U.S. Shermans saw combat the following month in North Africa. As the North Africa campaign progressed, M4s and M4A1s replaced the older M3 Lee in most American armor formations. These two variants were the principle versions in use until the introduction of the popular 500 hp M4A3 in late 1944. When the Sherman first entered service, it was superior to the German tanks it faced in North Africa and remained at least on par with the medium Panzer IV series throughout the war. Combat Operations After D-Day With the landings in Normandy in June 1944, it was learned that the Shermans 75mm gun was incapable of penetrating the front armor of the heavier German Panther and Tiger tanks. This led to the rapid introduction of the high-velocity 76mm gun. Even with this upgrade, it was found that the Sherman was only capable of defeating the Panther and Tiger at close range or from the flank. Utilizing superior tactics and working in conjunction with tank destroyers, American armor units were able to overcome this handicap and achieved favorable results on the battlefield. Operations in the Pacific and Later Due to the nature of the war in the Pacific, very few tank battles were fought with the Japanese. As the Japanese seldom used any armor heavier than light tanks, even early Shermans with 75mm guns were able to dominate the battlefield. Following World War II, many Shermans remained in U.S. service and saw action during the Korean War. Replaced by the Patton series of tanks in the 1950s, the Sherman was heavily exported and continued to operate with many of the worlds militaries into the 1970s.

Group Think Essays

Group Think Essays Group Think Essay Group Think Essay Abstract This paper discusses groupthink a psychological phenomenon with reference the attack on Iraq. It argues that what happened in Iraq was a case of groupthink. Outline Introduction Definition Attack on Iraq and Groupthink Conclusion Groupthink On July 9, 2004 the US Senate Intelligence Committee released its report on the United States’ justification for the Iraq war, reported an erroneous â€Å"groupthink† was to blame. Groupthink is described as â€Å"a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action†. In other words, retreat into a system allowed â€Å"socially designed flaws† to rear within the group’s members. And that was what occurred when American and its allies went on war with Iraq. In 1972, Irving L. Janis published his ground-breaking work â€Å"Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes† which scrutinized how things go wrong when rebellious voices are drowned out, discounted or dismissed out of hand. From the Bay of Pigs, the boom of the Vietnam War, the Challenger shuttle disaster and the notion of the strong Soviet state, 20th century American history is full of cases of usual wisdom being flawed. The â€Å"groupthink† that occurred with attack on Iraq is far from an innocent error, and critics charge that the Senate Intelligence Committee reports’ tries to couch blame as mere unclear thinking. : The fact is that this psychological experience perhaps translates to a broad failure to appreciate the reality of circumstance, the nature or implications of actions, the very disparity between right and wrong. And as a hard core of believers and leaders is characteristically central to such a phenomenon’s workings, their authority radiates broadly outward through their immediate groups and those they relate with. The attack on Iraq meets the criteria of the groupthink qualifiers as pointed out by Janis and which are evident as all the eight ndicators are present in the group think that occurred. I. Illusion of invulnerability in the unipolar world as the only superpower United States felt overly positive about taking on Saddam Hussein. II. Collective rationalization: the government and its allies refused to listen to warnings from the weapons inspectors and other world leaders in the days leading to the attack. III. Belief in inherent morality:. President Bush overlooked the ethical and moral consequences of invading another country on feeble evidence as he and his subordinates believed they were right in the attack. IV. Stereotyped views of out-groups: it is not hard to understand that Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda were linked together although there was no proof because of the stereotyping by the government and because both were view negatively. In addition racial profiling and patriot acts were also a way to stereotype suspicious people namely Muslims. V. Direct pressure on dissenters: those who did not obey or did not follow the group ideas were sidelined like Colin Powel General Schwarzkopf VI. Self-censorship: as in the classic case of group think people did not articulate any doubts about the venture and later admitted to it like Colin Powel. VII. Illusion of unanimity: all the decisions were thought to be unanimous and the country stood united on the eve of the attack. VIII. Self-appointed ‘mind guards: the leadership and government only listened to the news and information that they required to hear, likewise the American people were also fed limited and one sided story from the typical media. Thus it is evident from the above examples that in fact the attack on Iraq was a prime example of groupthink in action, and the results are significantly more then in the case of Challenger disaster as thousands have died and others are still dying because of this unjustified war which was not thought through because of groupthink. Bibliography Justin Rounds. Groupthink colostate. edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory16. htm Max Catros Progressive Weekly: July 2004 progresoweekly. com/index. php? progreso=Max_Castro=1089867600

WEEK 4 DISCUSSION PART 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

WEEK 4 DISCUSSION PART 1 - Essay Example In order to quantify the magnitude of Medicaid fraud in the US, the study will be conducted across a wide range of participants. The study will target people who have participated in Medicaid fraud or who have been affected by the scheme. Throughout the study, anonymity of the participants will be maintained unless instructed otherwise. In addition, the study will also target professional in the medical and legislative sectors who have facilitated the scheme either directly or indirectly. The study will be conducted through both open ended and closed ended questionnaires. Research assistant will conduct manual interviews and filling of questionnaires, however, electronic (online) questionnaires will be available. In either of the data collection methods, anonymity of the participants will be maintained unless they recommend otherwise. The research site will be identified through a random process that will be highly inclusive and conclusive. The selection will target both upper and mi ddle class Americans. In addition, the study will have a professional phase whereby the participants will be drawn from both the medical and legal professionals. The study will have a quantitative segment that will capture the magnitude of the phenomenon. On the other hand, the qualitative segment of the study will focus on the reasons or factors that contribute to Medicaid fraud among Americans. In the quantitative segment of the study, the researcher will be interested in identifying the magnitude of losses incurred in the health sector due to the scheme. Financial loses will be identified as the dependent variable while time will be identified as an independent variable. The quantitative segment will also be concerned with the variation of fraud across different social classes. Thus, different income classes will be identified as independent variables while financial losses will

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychology - Essay Example Similarly, significantly more women than men meet the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders (56% vs 35%). On the other hand, men (20%) are twice more prone to substance abuse disorders (eg. alcohol dependence) than women (8%) (WHO, 2007). Also, the incidence of antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy) is three times more in men than women. In cases of severe disorders as schizophrenia, it is obsevered that men have early onset of symptoms but women experience higher frequency of hallucinations or psychotic symptoms. The key reasons behind greater prevalance of such disorders in women are because of greater exposure to poverty, discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantage such as child/sex abuse, traditional gender based violence and overwork. Reasons why more men have antisocial personality disorders as women tend to be more empathic than men. Works Cited WHO. (2007). Gender Disparities in Mental Health. World Health Organization, Department of Mental Health and Substance D ependence. Geneva: WHO.