Material Selection Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Material Selection Case Study - Essay Example The outcome is that presently golf clubs have been developed that perfectly suit each of the aforementioned groups. It is now even possible to customize the manufacturing of these kits to satisfy individual taste, preferences and financial strength. Golf manufacturers have been able to satisfy their customers, largely because of the wide array of materials available for use. Through research and development, new materials or new combinations of existing ones have been unearthed to develop even better fitted kits. A recent study by Peterson (2003) has revealed the extent to which technology and material selection for that matter, has contributed in boosting golfer player performance over the past 20 years. The author found, for example, that the average driving distance of median tour players has increased by 27.3 yards from 1993 to 2003.The improvement in performance was traced to better golf equipment developed for the game by manufacturers. This report reviews commonly used materials in manufacturing golf clubs. In doing so, it gives plausible reasons why and how they were incorporated as materials into golf clubs. The report concludes with the presentation of some possible materials that could be used in future for manufacturing these equipments. Golf clubs come in various shapes, sizes and colors... The shaft of a golf club measures about 89 to 115 centimeters in length and has a diameter of about 12 millimeters towards the grip end of the club. The most common way of classifying shafts is based on the extent to which they bend when swings of a player are applied to them. On the basis of how they withstand this pressure, they are described as either being stiff or soft. Stiffer shafts facilitate relatively faster swings than their softer counterparts for a given load applied. Generally, the stiffer the shaft, the greater it can potentially impart the ball when struck. However, if it is too stiff, a golfer may not be able to apply enough swing to it for its maximum effect to be manifested. In that case, it leads to a loss of distance coverage. This problem notwithstanding, stiffer shaft gives greater accuracy than their softer counterparts. Materials used for making shafts are steel, graphite fiber, a combination of steel and graphite, among others. The grip is the end of the shaft opposite to the head. It is commonly made from materials such as rubber, synthetic leather, or derivatives of these materials. The third component of a golf club is the club head. This is that part of the club that comes into direct contact with the ball when hit. A golf club head can be made from persimmon or maple wood, metal inpregrenated woods such as titanium or iron or steel woods, among others. 3.0 Materials used in manufacturing golf clubs As already mentioned, various materials are employed in the manufacturing golf clubs. These materials possess unique properties that aid the making of superior and easy to use golf clubs. This section takes a good look at these materials and highlights some

Communication Strategy in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Strategy in Business - Essay Example All the audience wants to know is if or not the presenter has done sufficient homework to have them listen to him/her. Having said that, when a presenter is able to narrate a story, it not only involves the audiences more into the presentation, but also gives them the impression that the presenter knows what he/she is saying. The non-story like presentation makes the audiences feel drawn out, in reaction to which, they are reluctant to approve of the presentation. It is linked to business presentations because these presentations provide the audiences with a lot of room for questions. An effective business story is the one which has a certain start, discussion of interim events and a defined conclusion. Since it is a business story, so it has to explain the nature of business, the risks and opportunities encountered, the way they were managed, how the resources were arranged, what was the scope of work, the organization structure and the organizational culture and the profits made as well as the losses incurred. Being â€Å"in command† means that the presenter leads the presentation rather than the audiences taking the lead. It also means that the presenter knows and is experienced in the business. Q. 2 Answer: Weissman is right in his consideration of the story as of more value than the graphics. The audiences know that they are there just to raise the questions. Being in a position to challenge the arguments of the presenter, they fully exploit the presenter if he/she bores them with flashing slides, that don’t really make any detectable connection with one another. What they want is a detailed explanation of the challenges encountered by the presenter and the way he/she dealt with them. The audiences are smart enough to know that many presenters attempt to get away with the scintillating and gaudy effects while the content is really very shallow and just insufficient. By narrating the story, the presenter takes the form of a lecturer and the au diences become students. Naturally, a sense of respect for the presenter starts to cultivate in the audiences’ heart. I disagree with Weissman’s view that the effects of the slides are just to support the presenter and not the audiences. The various sizes of fonts and the background effects and the color combinations are fundamentally there to satiate the vision of the audiences. The audiences need the text to be clearly visible in the background, so that they may be able to read the content of the slide. Also, the audiences are very critical about each and every word of the content. The moment they feel that the presenter is trying to play with the words, they start arguing. A presenter who is able to narrate the story should display minimal content in the slides, should keep the charts and drawings very simple and the colors light. It doesn’t really matter if the slides have a low profile because it is fundamentally the presenter who is in charge. Q. 3 Answer: Although I agree that a presenter must always prepare properly, yet I do not agree that he must never apologize. There is no point for an individual not to be apologetic at any point in something as exposed to the public criticism as a presentation. If a presenter tends to defend his/her point when he/she is not really supposed to, it has a very negative impact on his/her impression in the audiences’ eyes. He/she is perceived to be stubborn and rude rather than understanding and kind.

Design Issues in the System (Security) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design Issues in the System (Security) - Essay Example The usability and accessibility guidelines have to be followed to develop easy to use software system. It is vital to balance the usability and security among the various design objectives. As per the given case study, the new system implemented in the restaurant has several issues related to the system security and user interface design. It is pertinent to highlight and review these issues include but are not limited to the locking up of the system after receiving four incorrect either username or password, the system screen automatically gets locked after three minutes of remaining idle, the locked screen can only be opened by the particular / logged in cashier and if the cashier is not available the system is required rebooting to log in any other cashier. These highlighted issues are due to the bad designing of the software application that can be removed or resolved by redesigning the software application. The implemented software application has software design issues include: the system has a design flaw of locking up the system either by inserting incorrect password or leaving the system idle for some time; the system rebooting is a major software design flaw which wastes time as well as irritates the users. (Payne and Edwards, 2008). Design Issues Solution The design issues in the deployed software application can be determined by an analysis the design issues and planning the new software design or redesigning the existing software application. There are few guidelines need to be considered while redesigning the currently deployed software application to remove the above highlighted design issues. These guidelines include but are not limited to the locked system should have the capability to be logged in by just changing the username and password by any cashier, as currently the logged in cashier can only unlock the system. In this way, the manager would not be bothered every time the system is locked. Moreover, this design would remove the requiremen t of rebooting the system, as the system can be unlocked by any cashier after entering his / her correct login name and password. The software application’s security breach can be avoided by following another guideline for securing the software application by implementing security certificates for all the users (cashier / manager / administrator). Software Design Plan The tasks for redesigning the software implemented in the restaurant may include: the analysis of the existing software (highlighting key issues), redesigning of software application keeping in view the highlighted issues, building up a prototype, performing user testing, feedback from the user, prototype refinement and these tasks lead to the final product. The above mentioned tasks need to be performed by the team keeping in view that the existing software has to be modified to correct the design issues, the software should adopt new hardware, the interface of the software has to be upgraded, and overall impro ving the performance of the software application. The information observed / identified through the analysis of the existing software application should be properly utilized in the implement new software application or modifying the existing software application in such a way with increased security and highly usable software applied. The software testing and validation procedures need to be developed for testing of the software application with objectives to remove the existing design issues. Documentation is one of the key factors in the success of any software application development; therefore, it should be performed properly and document version should be maintained. After

Mesa Verde Park - Essat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mesa Verde Park - Essat - Essay Example Mesa Verde is very important to the structure of the alcoves where the cliff dwells also providing a spectacular and significant preservation of the parks architecture. The alcoves are formed in specific ways that make them appear large with arched depressions, which can be observed in cliff walls (Hopkins and Hopkins 157). There are differences between the alcoves and the cave, with the caves having underground chambers that are not popular in mesa Verde while the alcoves are formed after the water that is seeped into the cracks, freezes leading thawing later on, expansion, eventually pushing the rocks to fall apart. Some portions of the rocks drop in blocks, forming very attractive alcoves in Mesa Verde Park. Formation of alcoves is highly assisted by water that is soaked up and penetrates through stomas in the sand stone. The water, which finally reaches a layer of shale, with less absorbent power than the sandstones making it impossible for the water to pass through it with ease but gravity guides it to the face cliff. The cliff face provides unremitting source of water for the people who live along the alcoves as well as the undying beauty of the same to the tourists who vat the place. Excessive calcium carbonate in the area is dissolved by the constant water that flows through the area ensuring that the sandstones are held together at all times (Chronic and Chronic 97). However, the continuous process eventually leads to the sandstone falling apart to single grains of sand which are blow away by the wind or washed away through rainstorms. The silt collected during the process has been used for various reasons one of them is to make mortar mix. Alcove formation is a continuous process that is still taking place up to today the reason why stabilization process in very significant for Mesa Verde preservation. Deep canyons and other attractive scenes are what make Mesa Verde one of the most beautiful plateaus in the world. The landscape was constantly swamped by the seas, submerged below the water, crossed by powerful rivers and scorched by windblown dunes (Hopkins and Hopkins 170). The above process led to formation of sediment layers, which have very conspicuous strata observed in Mesa Verde Park canyons. As rocks repeatedly eroded, uplifted, folded and faulted by the boiling magma, the buried explosives led to eruption of the volcanoes leading to geologic formation of sediment rocks. The erosion of some highlands led to stripping of overlying sedimentary layers exposing the basement core of the rocks pushing everything out of range. Taken together, all the sedimentary rocks in Mesa Verde Park are still stuck together in a uniformed manner that makes them attractive for a period of time. Though there are sufficient numbers of layers that have eroded away over the years or have been deposited in local areas, the sedimentary rocks making the geology of the place admirable can still be observed from bottom t top without much critic. Abou t 10 million years ago, the rate of uplift and

Global Hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Hunger - Essay Example mbined aid of between $135 and $195 billion for the next ten years, which may seem like a lot but it is not, according to Sachs, because it would only represent a small increase in the gross domestic product percentage of each country. Sachs is a valid source on this issue, as he has worked as an economist for various institutions and countries and is even a special advisor to the United Nations on global poverty. Extreme poverty, which is defined by Sachs as having an income of less than a dollar per day, is a significant problem, as it is responsible for countless deaths worldwide each day and is solely responsible for the extreme living conditions in many developing countries. This book uses a number of significant analyses from Sachs’s own experiences, which give the book a very legitimate feel. Also, Sachs discusses many of the causes of global poverty and gives solutions to how these problems can be fixed and why the governments of these countries should listen to his th eories and implement these solutions. One of the main reasons for extreme poverty, according to Sachs, is that much of the world suffers from poor geography, poor road and rail networks, and/or poor healthcare. This makes travel to and from these locations difficult, which cuts down on the amount of trade that other countries are willing to do with that particular country. It also makes these regions unviable for tourism, which is a main source of income for many wealthy nations. This makes it very difficult to maintain any type of economic growth, as there is very little to build on. Even though â€Å"todays search for cheap labor has moved jobs from rich countries to poor,† (Landes, 520) the disparity between the countries remains. Without any immediate sources of viable income, these countries have become trapped in subsistence mode, which makes it nearly impossible for them to develop at a significant rate. All of the money that these countries do produce goes into maintaining what the

Ethics Social Justice Essay Example for Free

Ethics Social Justice Essay The ethical issues that were identified in the case study of Guerrilla Government in EPA’s Seattle Regional Office were cumbersome. The first of many to create unethical situations was the administrator of EPA’s Seattle regional office in 1981, John Spencer. His staff remembers his tenure for all the unethical actions he took such as using tax payer’s money to buy a membership for the EPA in the Chamber of Commerce (O’Leary, 2014 p. 48). His actions continued even after numerous attempts to advise him that his actions were against federal guidelines and caused serious conflict of interest questions. He also allegedly took several personal trips to Alaska to handle affairs related to his previous job on public expense. In addition, he requested as personal driver to take him to and from and requested modifications to the EPA office building without getting prior approval from the General Services Administration thus violating federal law (O’Leary, 2014 p. 48-54). There was also unethical conduct displayed by Ernesta Barnes ‘successor, Robie Russell. In March of 1987, Russell made his unethical behavior known when the local media announced that a veteran engineer had quit his job due to being angry that he was being transferred involuntarily to another job. At that point, Russell began making decisions that had once been a group effort behind closed doors. Workers who were once performing analysis, were cut out of the decision making process. He was even believed to have removed important comments in reports before they were released to the public. He was also known to back out of his support for the development of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and then recall that support later in a testimony to the U.S House of Representatives who were considering the proposal. He stated that â€Å"The EPA does not oppose the environmentally acceptable development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge†.

Using Semi Structured Interviews Health And Social Care Essay

Using Semi Structured Interviews Health And Social Care Essay Before initiating the interviews, approximately eighteen semi-structured questions were formulated, some of which were changed or re-worded during the course of the interview. Interview subjects were selected based on their position. The name of the delegation leader for each African member state was obtained from the UNFCCC secretariat. For certain member states, where the leading delegate was unable to be interviewed due to security reasons or timing, an alternative senior member of the delegation was sought. A total of 23 African leaders were interviewed. Appendix E lists the African Group leaders who were interviewed as part of the study. The African leaders who were interviewed consisted of Presidents, Ministers, Ambassadors, Director Generals, Directors and other senior personnel of the countries delegation such as the UNFCCC Focal Point Representative. The choice of a semi-structured rather than a structured interview was employed as it offered sufficient flexibility to approach the individual respondents in different ways, while collecting the same data. All interviews were held in the various meeting rooms of Bella Centre and half of the interviews took place during the high level segment of COP15, i.e. between the 16th 18th December 2009. The interviews were pre-scheduled; however, due to the overrunning of a number of the COP15 Plenary sessions, a certain degree of flexibility was required by the researcher. In some of the interviews, an interpreter had to be used. In all cases, this interpreter would be a member of the same African delegation as the interviewee. The duration of each interview varied from 45 minutes to 1 hours and 15 minutes. Before each interview commenced, the researcher gave an introduction highlighting the purpose and background to the research, the interview questions, the length of the interview in terms of time and the confidentiality of the results. Most senior interviewees were accompanied by security officers, directors or special assistants. A number of interviewees had invited one or two members of their delegation to give comments or information in addition to their own response and these were also recorded. The interviews were recorded using a combination or methods. Some were recorded using a tape recorder, whilst others were transcribed or a combination of both methods was used during the interview. The intention was to use a tape recorder for all interviews conducted, as this would ensure the most accurate account of the conversations held. However, due to certain reasons, some security aides and ministerial assistants did not allow the use of a tape recorder. In these instances, the interview was transcribed and a synopsis of the interview was read back to ensure the accuracy of the data captured. However, this slowed down the progress of the interview. 4.7.5 Participant Observer According to Jorgensen (1989), participant observation is most appropriate when certain minimal conditions are present: The research problem is concerned with human meanings and interpretations gained from the insiders perspective. The phenomenon is sufficiently limited in size and location to be studied as a case Study questions are appropriate for a case. The research question can be addressed by qualitative data gathered by direct observation and other means pertinent to the field setting. Jorgensen (1989) further states that participant observation is especially appropriate for exploratory studies [as it is a] a special form of observation and a unique way of collecting data [] Direct involvement in the here and now of peoples daily lives provides both a point of reference for the logic and process of participation observational inquiry and a strategy for gaining access to phenomena that commonly are obscured from the standpoint of a non-participant. Furthermore, according to Iacono et al (2009), participant observation can arise from an on-going work situation where the researcher is an industry practitioner. Given this researchers professional status as a practitioner in the field of management consultancy and her current assignment as the Special Technical Assistant to the Minister of Environment, participant observation was used as a method to further understand the group decision-making process of African leaders within the context of the African Group. Observed were the daily activities in relation to how decisions were made, the interaction between delegates and the group dynamics. The formal African Group meetings scheduled from 8am 9am daily were attended, as well as the African Group meetings relating to the Kyoto Protocol between 7pm 8pm, each day. These African Group meetings were at the technical level. A total of 18 African Group meetings at the technical level were attended during COP15. The researcher also attended all four meetings of the African Ministers Committee on Environment (AMCEN) and the two meetings of the Conference of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC). The plenary sessions of the COP15 / MOP5 were closed to party delegates. However, as the researcher was registered as a participant to the Conference, further need to negotiate access to the plenary sessions was not required. During the meetings of the African Group, AMCEN, CAHOSCC and the plenary sessions, detailed observations and field notes were made, including observations on the culture of the UNFCCC decision-making environment. As a researcher, being in the midst of the decision-making process allowed my own understanding and notions to be continually challenged by the action and words of the African leaders within COP15. Conversations were had and questions were asked during the African Group meetings only. 4.7.6 Focus Groups According to Morgan (1997), Focus Groups are a way of collecting data through group interaction on a topic determined by the researcher. Morgan (1997) also states that focus groups are especially useful when seeking to gather a large amount of interaction on a topic in a limited period of time. According to Greenbaum (2000), the goal of a focus group is to delve into attitudes and feelings about a particular topic, to understand the why behind certain behaviours. Other researchers, such as Gibbs (2007) states focus group research involves organised discussions with a selected group of individuals to gain information about their views and experiences of a topic that is particularly suited for obtaining several perspectives about the same topic. Gibbs further states the benefits of focus group research includes gaining insights into peoples shared understandings of everyday life and the ways in which individuals are influenced by others in the same situation. According to Fern (2001) focus groups can be distinguished in terms of the research purpose they serve, the types of information and knowledge they produce, their scientific status and methodological factors. Fern (2001) also states that there are three types of focus groups i.e. exploratory, experimental and clinical. This research uses the exploratory type, as this type is used to explore a new issue, generate a hypothesis and for theory applications including generating theoretical constructs, causal relationships, models and theories. The researchers choice of using an Exploratory Focus Group can be summarised as follows: The nature of the topic under investigation; The exploratory nature of the research; The fact the researcher had ready access to members of the African Group; The data collected would strengthen the findings of the research in conjunction with other research methods adopted for the research. The focus group process consists of seven components. These include: group cohesion, the discussion process, the outcome, group composition, research setting, the moderator and the group process factors (Fern, 2001). Some of these can be controlled by the researcher, while others cannot. The central component is the discussion process and the exchange of information. The discussion process, in turn, affects the nature of the focus group outcome. Fern (2001) also states that group cohesion is important to the success of a focus group as it provides the reason for participants to contribute to the discussion. Group composition and the focus group setting affect cohesion, both directly and in combination. Morgan (1997) states focus groups generally comprised of 6 10 individuals, whereas according to Fern (2001), smaller mini-group focus groups are also common with 4 6 participants. Morgan (1997) also states that the amount that each participant has to contribute to the discussion is a major consideration in determining group size. Small groups work best when the participants are likely to be both interested in the topic and respectful of each other when the researcher desires to gain a clear sense of each participants reaction to the topic. The researcher conducted 6 focus groups comprising of 4 9 members. Compatibility is a major concern when determining the composition of focus groups. According to Morgan (1988), when participants perceive each other as fundamentally similar they can spend less time explaining themselves to each other and more time discussing the issues at hand. Morgan (1988) also states that the classic way to achieve compatibility is by bringing together homogeneous participants. A shared background or demographic characteristics, i.e. gender, race or ethnicity, age, location or residence, educational level, occupation, income, marital status or family composition are a common basis for selection. Too much homogeneity, however, can restrict the range of issues and positions discussed; therefore a degree of heterogeneity was sought in the selection of the African Group members. In this research, the participants were selected on the basis of gender, occupation and location (in terms of the African county they represented). Gender was chosen to ensure female representations amongst members. In terms of occupation, all the respondents were leaders within the environmental sector and had a relatively good understanding of the purpose of COP15. Locality was an important factor, as the researchers aim was to have a member from each of the African states represented in the various focus groups. This was not achieved, due to the difficulty of getting participants together at the same time due to the volume of meetings and side events being held during COP15. The size of each focus group varied from 6 9 participants as stated above. The setting refers to the space in which the focus group takes place. Considerations for setting include the ambient (i.e. tangible or physical) characteristics of a room, the tables, chairs and recording equipment (Fern, 2001). The setting of the focus group meetings was fixed for the duration of the conference. The set-up of the meeting room for the focus groups is illustrated in Figure 5 below. This is based on a group comprising of six participants. The date of each focus group meeting was fixed; however there was need to be flexible on the timing due to meetings and plenary sessions over running. Most of the focus group meetings were held during the first week of the conference, to avoid impacting on the meetings scheduled to interview Ministers and Heads of Governments during the second week of the conference. The majority of the respondents used for the focus group interviews, were technical members of their delegation, but all were in a position of leadership. Suggestions about the optimal number of focus group sessions range from 2 to 8 (Fern, 2001). Though most focus group research shows that fewer than five sessions are adequate, if the purpose of the research, as is the case with this study, is to collect a total population of thoughts rather than common or unique ones (Fern, 2001). Appendix F gives a breakdown of the focus groups held, the participants and the country of origin of the participants. The aim of the researcher was to achieve a good representation of leaders across the continent. Morgan (1997) identifies some more considerations in determining the number of focus groups. Probably the most important of these is the variability of the participants both within and across the groups. Within groups, when there are more heterogeneous participants, this will typically require a larger number of groups to sort out the different sets of opinions and experiences. Degree of structure of the interview also has an impact on the number of groups required. Less structured interviews, with lower levels of moderator involvement, require more groups. Another significant consideration concerns the availability of participants. If there are fewer potential participants available or if they are highly dispersed, several smaller groups of a smaller size are required to address the criterion of saturation. All these factors were considered in determining the exact number of focus groups used in this research. Discussion process (Foulkes, 1964, as cited in Fern, 2001) provides a series of factors which guide the focus group discussion process. These factors represent sequential stages in the group discussion. The first factor, social integration, is the opportunity for equal participation of all group members in the discussion. The second, the mirror reaction, is the individual participants realization that others share similar ideas, anxieties, or impulses and this then relieves the anxieties they feel in relation to participation in the focus group. Condenser phenomenon, as the third factor, is an activation of the collective conscious and unconscious that makes it easier to talk about the issues raised in the discussion. Finally, exchange, is the process of sharing information and explanations that makes up the bulk of the discussion. In the 90 minutes scheduled for each focus group, the first 10 minutes were devoted to the first two factors, social integration and mirror reaction. This included time for participants to check in and become acclimatised to the room and engage in light conversation with the researcher and other participants. Introductions were made and participants got to know a little about each other. Participants were then asked to take a seat around the table. The researcher set the stage in terms of the role of the researcher, the purpose, and the ground rules (i.e. use of audio recorder) and the role of the researcher as the moderator for the session (Greenbaum, 2000). Interview questions were tailored for about 80 minutes of discussion. Each focus group was conducted in a moderately structured manner. As such, the researcher was guided by a set of questions, but neither the exact wording nor the order of questions was predetermined. Likewise, the questions themselves were adjusted from focus group to focus group as information gleaned and data analysed from previous groups was used to guide each subsequent group. As previously explained in earlier chapters, fully structured style was not used as this research is exploratory and the intent was to determine the participants perspective. On the other hand, a fully unstructured approach was not considered suitable as the researcher possessed insights into the relevant discussion topics from an extensive review of the literature and her personal experience as a consultant/practitioner. Generally, the focus group began with each participant providing a brief personal introduction. Questions were then asked about Africas preparedness for the COP15. This was followed by questions relating to how the African Group worked. These questions were used to ascertain, whether there was an understanding and awareness amongst members on the decision-making process of the African Group, and whether the Group leaders fully understood the process. Furthermore, it was important to ascertain whether members of the group were aware of the background and commencement of Africas common position. Other questions that were discussed included those relating to the participants views on the impacts of Climate Change on Africa and the main concerns of the African Group. In addition there were questions relating to their views on whether they felt the decisions made by African leaders were rational and what the likely outcome from COP15 in terms of the expectations of the African Group would be. A final important component to the discussion process is the moderator. In a focus group, the moderator is a facilitation or discussion leader, not a participant to the discussion (Fern, 2001). Two important considerations must be taken into account when deciding on a moderator. These are prior experience and relationship to the participants (Morgan, 1998). As the researcher had both, she made the decision to use an independent moderator for the focus groups. Focus Group Outcomes The focus group outcome refers to the success of achieving the researchers goal. Fern, (2001), defined outcome as: Task performance effectiveness (i.e. quality, quantity, and the cost of information); The users reaction (i.e. satisfaction with the process and output), and; Group member relations (i.e. cohesive, compatible, and lively groups) (Fern 2001).