Sippican Corporation

Product Gross Margin Calculation vs. Product Contribution Margin Calculation Assigning the overhead costs to the products shows how profitable the products are after deducting all cost. However, it is important to find the appropriate method of overhead cost allocation. In Sippican’s case the traditional accounting method is used, which does not reflect the real resource usage of the different product lines. The correct method in this case would be to apply the time-driven ABC approach for cost allocation.Such method apart from showing the actual profitability after all cost deductions also depicts the differences in resource usage rates between the products and, thus, allows for identification of cost drivers. A contribution margin approach provides only insight into the products profitability after variable cost deduction, but it does not show whether the profit of a particular product is still profitable after all cost deductions. This could lead to a false perception of pr oduct profitability. In addition, this approach could lead to wrong decision making in terms of pricing or expansion actions.Moreover, with this approach it is not possible to identify any cost drivers. Thus, many profitability improvement opportunities might be lost. Moreover, in particular, in the Sippican’s case the overhead costs are not really fix. They are fix only in the short term but variable in the long term as with an increase in volume of the products or the number of various products more machines and labor are required. The correct term for such cost is step-fix cost. Thus, the overhead costs in this case are not really a period expense (only in the short term).Thus, the volume of each product line does indirectly drive the overhead cost in the long term. Consequently, it is important to see how each product affects the overhead costs or, to say it the other way around, what amount of resources does a product use and how does it differ from to the usage rates ot her product lines. Therefore, the executives should definitely not abandon the overhead assignment to the products, but instead use a different accounting method. Practical Capacity and Capacity Cost RatesFrom the information given in the Exhibits and in the text I have calculated the practical capacity and the capacity cost rates for the different resources. Table 1 summarizes the results. The practical capacity rates were calculated by multiplying the number of employees/machines with their respective total effective hours per month. The capacity cost rates were calculated by dividing the total monthly cost by the respective practical capacity to become the cost rate of the particular resource per hour. Table 1: Practical Capacities and Capacity Cost Rates Note: For exact calculations please see the attached excel file.Cost and Profitability Based on Time-Driven ABC Approach Table 2 shows the revised costs and profits of Sippican Corporation when calculating those according to the time-driven ABC approach. Table 2: Cost and Profitability Based on Time-driven ABC Approach Note: Total machine expenses include the expenses for machine production runs and the expenses for machine setups. For exact calculations please see the attached excel file. The expenses in each category were calculated by multiplying the actual usage of the resource (taken from Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4) by the respective capacity cost rate.It can be inferred from the table that valves is the most profitable product line with a gross margin of 42. 8% and not of 35% as obtained by the traditional cost accounting system. The pumps have a gross margin of 19. 7% as opposed to 5% and the flow controllers have a negative gross margin of -3. 6% as opposed to a gross margin of 38% as calculated using the simple accounting method. These differences in the cost and the resulting profitability of the product lines arise from the fact that according to the time-driven ABC approach the cost are allocated to the product lines based on their real usage of the company’s resources.In the simple accounting method the manufacturing cost were allocated as a percentage of direct labor cost at a rate of 185%. This method did not account for any specific cost arising from the complexity, diversity or other production related specifics of the product line. In contrary, the time-driven ABC approach does account for all the nuances of each product line. From the table can also be inferred that the practical capacity is not totally used since at the end there is a total of $28,288 of unused resources. Table 3 summarizes the capacity utilization of various resources.Table 3: Capacity Utilization Rates Note: For exact calculations please see the attached excel file. The significant shift in cost and profitability of flow controllers can be mainly explained by the considerably higher engineering and setup expenses (machines and labor). The latter arises due to the higher component number (10) of the flow controllers (resulting in higher complexity) which leads to a higher number of production runs and, thus, raises the number of setup hours. The number of production runs is further increased by the on average small batch sizes (see Table 4).Table 4: Average Batch Sizes for Production Runs and Shipments Note: For exact calculations please see the attached excel file. The time-driven ABC approach reveals that flow controllers use disproportionally higher amount of the company’s resources per unit (see Table 5). It can be derived from Table 5 that flow controllers have much higher per unit cost than other two product lines across all cost categories. According to the time-driven ABC approach the total manufacturing overhead per unit cost amounts to $63. 4 as opposed to $24. 055 as derived by the simple accounting system.As already explained above, the high per unit cost for flow controllers across the categories are mostly due to on average small batch sizes. For th e majority of activities (setup, receiving and production control, partially packaging and shipping) the costs occur independent from the volume, but they do depend on the number of batches. For these reason the total manufacturing overhead per unit cost for valves and pumps are lower than estimated via the traditional accounting method as in these product lines the average batch sizes in production runs as well as in shipments were very high (375/188 for valves and 125/125 for pumps).Table 5: Cost per Unit Note: For exact calculations please see the attached excel file. Recommendations Flow Controllers Starting with flow controllers, there are two ways to deal with the negative gross margin. First way would be to keep on producing the flow controllers and increase the batch sizes and thereby reduce the setup- and shipping related cost. If the batch sizes for shipments and production were increased to 25 units, the gross margin would amounts to 8. 6% (see excel sheet for precise cal culations).To reach the target gross margin of 35% by only adjusting the batch sizes one would have to increase the batch sizes of both shipping and production to 190 units. In reality the increase in batch sizes can be implemented by either imposing a minimum order size or reducing the variety of the flow controllers (this would reduce the number of production runs and allow for higher batch sizes). The freed up capacity from these actions can be used to increase the overall volume of the product lines.One could also try to reengineer the flow controllers to require fewer components which also would result in fewer production runs and, thus, fewer setup hours. Moreover, as the past price increase has proven the demand for flow controllers to be quit inelastic Sippican could further raise prices for flow controllers and drive up the contribution margin. In reality the price increase should be accompanied with a promotion campaign which emphasizes the superiority of Sippican’s flow controllers to prevent the potential market share losses from the price increase.If the prices were to raise by 10% the resulting gross margin would account to 5. 8%. Moreover, one could also try to reducer the hours of engineering. Table 6 shows an example of gross margin effects of the various actions outlined above. The total effect on the gross margin when applying all these actions would amount to + 24. 2 % which results in a gross margin of 20. 6% (by deducting the current -3. 6%). This is just an example. Further margin increases could of course be realized by further improving the identified cost drivers (please see the excel file to see the gross margin effects if changing the discussed cost drivers).Table 6: Gross Margin Effects of Various Actions Note: For exact calculations please see the attached excel file. Another way to deal with the negative gross margin of flow controllers would be to abandon the production of them completely and thereby reduce the fix cost ( step-fix cost to be precise). Thus, abandoning the production of flow controllers would lead to high reduction in resources and thereby saved costs. However, such a measure could lead to negative indirect effects on the image of the company which, hitherto, could result in market share losses in other products.Therefore, this method of dealing with negative gross margin of flow controllers is highly unfavorable. However, in instead of laying off the employees and reducing the number of leased machines one could use the freed up capacity from abandoning the flow controllers production line for other purposes, such as volume increase in other production lines or taking a new production line into the portfolio. Pumps and Valves To deal with the price pressure apparent in the pumps market Sippican could attempt to further increase the batch sizes in production and shipment.In addition, by combining higher batch sizes with an increase in the volume of pumps Sippican could increase the re venues and additionally fully utilize its capacity. Similar improvements can be applied for valves. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. 2 3 Brem, Lisa (2002). Sippican Corporation (A). HBS Publishing. February. HBS Note # 9-100-055. p. 4. Exhibit 2 [ 4 ]. 5 Brem, Lisa (2002). Sippican Corporation (A). HBS Publishing. February. HBS Note # 9-100-055. p. 4. Exhibit 2

The Movie Patriot A Piece Of History Film Studies Essay

The first thing I would state about the film is that about everyone watches the film. Peoples watch all types of film including action films, escapade films, comedy films, and many other classs, but when it comes to the history films, people do non believe if the narrative of the history film is a genuinely based on our existent history or it is merely filled with clump of fiction. Peoples normally guestimate that every history film is a portion of a existent history but the world is that about every individual history film contains at least small spot of fiction in it to do it great narrative and to maintain the audience ‘s attending. Traveling on to the chief point, to turn out it incorrect that non every history film is genuinely a portion of the existent history, I watched the film called the Patriot and in this paper I will compare the narrative of the Patriot with existent history to calculate out if the film contains a true narrative of history or is merely a filled with fiction. Let me get down my giving brief sum-up of the film Patriot. This film is about Benjamin Martin who was male parent of seven kids and he declines an offer to contend for the Continental ground forces. However, as shortly the conflict land reaches his front pace and accordingly plenty his 15 old ages old boy named Thomas is killed by Colonel Tavington who was the chief opposition. In consequence of this, Benjamin joins the ground forces and creates his private ground forces of shred ticket husbandmans and farmworkers. His ground forces ‘s chief end was to maintain General Cornwallis in the province of South Carolina by strategically cutting down his supply and ground forces. Their advancement were effectual nevertheless, subsequently in the narrative Martin ‘s another boy named Gabriel became victim to the same colonel that killed his oldest boy Thomas. This causes a last conflict in the film between Martin and Tavington. And at the terminal of this conflict, Martin kills T avington which besides helps led the Continental ground forces to triumph. ( prezi.com ) In the film, during the scene of the last conflict it shows that soldiers were keeping up the several American flags but in world, the huge bulk of the flags used by the Continental ground forces represented where their reserves is from. Another scene in which Benjamin is giving a shop clerk a money in which you can see that he is giving five dollar note with Abraham Lincoln on it and this can non be true because this film took topographic point more than eighty old ages before he was elected as a president. Besides that during the clip of American Revolution work forces normally saluted by taking their chapeau off and take downing their chapeau to the side, so they would set it back on. While in the film, Gabriel merely salutes by seting his manus on his chapeau. In the film all the Continental soldiers seem to hold same outfits and the British are firing down a church which is full of people. While in the world everyone in the Continental ground forces had really different vesture and there has ne'er been found a historical record which showed that British burned the church. ( prezi.com ) In the film there are many factual mistakes. For illustration, in the beginning of the narrative, during the town hall meeting Burwell was stating that we killed 700 of enemy at the Bunker Hill and they were merely kept coming, but in world they killed 226 of them. Besides harmonizing to the book Down and Out in Early America, it was highly impossible in the 1776 that a southern plantation proprietor could easy run a successful plantation which run by free work forces who worked by rewards. It would be about impossible to compare this plantation proprietor which person who used slaved as the work force. Besides that Benjamin Martin seems to be a rules adult male in the film but in world he killed Indians merely for merriment and was known for knaping his slaves. Therefore, I would state that all of these things did non look or they changed it merely to do Benjamin Martin good character in the film respect less of world. In one scene Benjamin Martin shoots a British troop who was on t he traveling Equus caballus utilizing a firelock gun at the scope of about 100 paces. It clearly seems bogus because slug from pulverization gun would non go this much of distance besides that going of this much distance and hitting traveling mark would be really hard with modern guns. ( sbroome ) In the film, Lord Cornwallis is portrayed as really old adult male, which is wrong because during the clip frame of this film in 1780, General Charles Lord Cornwallis was in his mid-fortiess. To be more descriptive, based on my research I found that Cornwallis was born in London on December 31, 1738 and harmonizing to that twelvemonth he would be six old ages younger than George Washington. Traveling to the following point, in the scene where auntie Charlotte takes in the kids after their household place was burned and destroyed, her hair was down. My point is that during the clip frame of the film, adult females merely wore hair down merely during illness or bedtime. Women ever pinned up their hair during the twenty-four hours and eventide, while they were out in the universe therefore, I would state that they this is clear fiction. ( About.com ) In the conflict scene where Benjamin is watching through the farmhouse ‘ window and we can see that Redcoats bayonet charge the Rebels. The soldiers ran across several hundred paces of unfastened land while Redcoat ground forces was good trained ground forces. During that clip military personnels were really of import therefore it was non good thought that parts of the military personnels would merely running about across the battleground. In world, they would hold charged Bayonets and travel towards the enemy. When they are about 50 paces away they would hold marched rapidly and decelerate sufficiency to stay a line. This would treat would do possible to hold control over way in the instance where needed to alter or to call off the order. And when the military personnels reach really near so military personnels could prosecute the enemy. ( sbroome ) In another scene in which Gabriel returns to the Martin plantation with blade lesion from Battle of the Waxhaws, he said that Gates ordered them to process heterosexual at the lobsterbacks. In world, Gates was non present nor the commanding officer at the conflict of Waxhaws. Furthermore, they were processing off when the British attacked. ( sbroome ) In this film, I would state that they tried to flim-flam us, when the British housebreaking to the Charlotte ‘s plantation, Tavington was seeking for the kid that was concealing under the tabular array and when Tavington looks beneath the tabular array to look into if anyone is concealing under or non and at the same clip, Nathan moved out from the underneath the tabular array on the right side and Tavington did non see him. The tablecloth on the table bents several inches from the floor so when Tavington tried to look child under the tabular array he should hold seen the Nathan from the spread that was between the tabular array fabric and floor but he did non saw the kid. Based on this point, it is clear that in this film they tried to flim-flam audience. ( sbroome ) The concluding conflict in the film is the conflict of Cowpens and it seems really large conflict while in world, merely 12 American died and was largely cavalry matter and it was all over in less than an hr. During this conflict there was scene in which cannon ball comes from enemy side and it rolls on the land and cuts the leg off of a figure of soldiers in its way, in which we can clearly see that one of the soldier ‘s leg falls apart good before the ball even touch his leg. Besides in this conflict Tavington and Martin seems contending where Martin foremost attack Tavington with a indicating tool on the terminal of the musket. And he besides attacks into Tavington ‘s pharynx right after first onslaught and we can see that Tavington was falling on the land but in the following onslaught we can see him still standing. The last scene was really confounding so it was difficult to do sense. ( sbroome ) During the American Revolution British were the Masterss of the sea. But in the film they had played with natural Torahs. During the scene of party where we can see that British ship was blown up in the seaport. But the Torahs of natural philosophies describe that behind each action there is an equal and the opposite reaction. When the ship was targeted and destroyed we see the large detonation with fire distributing all over the ship. However, although there was detonation on the ship, ship remains in its original place in the H2O therefore, it did non moved side to side or drop in the H2O it is impossible because based on natural philosophies jurisprudence ship should hold been moved or sunk in the H2O. As we can find that some of the scenes were non accurate hence, there is no drouth that narrative of this film would include fiction. ( Marts.com ) I besides figured geographical mistake in the film, in the scene in which Benjamin and his two of the younger boies were running and go throughing through the forests to disrupt the British who captured their older brother. They seem leaping and concealing around the stones to acquire in place. While in South Carolina it was ne'er glaciated in the portion of the country where this narrative took topographic point. In another scene where Tavington is looking for Martin ‘s kids at the Charlotte ‘s plantation, Susan seem to look out the window covered with Venetian blind. The Venetian blinds was non invented until the 1800s or approximately 100 twelvemonth after the timeframe of the film. To be more descriptive, the recorded innovation of blinds is holds by adult male from Chile named Hernando de Venuto and it was invented on May 20, 1857. ( sbroome ) About every knows that slaves did non like white people during the clip of revolution or any clip during the bondage hence, in the one scene after their place was destroyed, Benjamin Martin direct his household and his friend ‘s household to a slave settlement and they were welcomed at that place and had small jubilation at that place in the consequence of arriving of Benjamin Martin ‘s household. My point is that they should non hold been welcomed to their settlement because during that clip there were really few slaves settlements existed and ointments did non liked the white people. ( chccs.k12.nc.us ) In decision, I would state that even though the film Patriot include many fictional narrative in it but the manager of this film did many of the turn in the existent history to do it look more interesting to audiences and do narrative retrieve. This film besides gives audiences at least small spot of experiencing about American Revolution war. Although I found many mistakes in the film it contains really of import portion of our history and by watching this film, people can larn more about our history and seek to retrieve it as our yesteryear.

MooBella Case Study Essay

1. What categories of costs would you expect to see in a list of MooBella start-up costs? The categories of costs I would expect to see in a list of MooBella start-up costs are: – Owner’s salary – Employee wages and benefits – Computers, internet, telephone, and other technology – Promotion, advertising, web site hosting – Professional services – Insurance – Debt service – Taxes – Maintenance – Legal/accounting fees – Supplies 2. It took nearly 20 years from idea to market for MooBella. Clearly, it had a long development and start-up period. Reflect on the emotional and other nonmonetary factors that were likely involved for Bruce Ginsberg. MooBella was a seemingly simple concept that was technically complex and cost nearly $85 million in investment capital. Ginsberg was faced with many challenges with the research, development and start-up processes. The machines themselves were very costly, costing approximately $40,000 per machine, and it took 5 years to develop the computer portion alone. 3. What was the mix of funds used by MooBella to get started? Some of the start-up funding included: – Saturn Asset Management–$25 million in equity (2000-2005) – Inventages (Swiss venture firm)–$15 million in 2007 and $18 million in 2009 – Bruce Ginsberg–$1 million – W Health LP–$9 million (November 2010) – Debt–$17.5 million in high-interest loans and convertible notes 4. What are the start-up costs that you would expect to encounter if you were a company that purchased a MooBella machine? I would expect the cost of buying the machine itself, the supplies for the ice cream the machine dispenses, taxes, maintenance, if I buy multiple machines for different locations and hire people to refill and maintain them then employee wages, and debt if I cannot pay out of pocket.

Cultural sensitivity and multi-generational awareness Coursework

Cultural sensitivity and multi-generational awareness - Coursework Example Multi-generational awareness on the other hand has been explained by Thinkcos (2009) to mean the situation whereby at the workplace, people of different generations, most commonly, of four different generations live and work together. In the scenario, there are three different cultures, which are African-American, Caucasian and Japanese and two broad generations, which are the old and young. Type of preceptor that would work best with each new nurse In respecting the need for cultural diversity and multigenerational differences, it is very important that the preceptors assigned to these three new nurses are people who belong to their culture and generation; understand their culture and generation; or are ready to accept their culture and generation group. Assigning the new nurses to preceptors, who are of different cultural background and generation or people who are hostile to the individual cultures and generations would create chaos and anarchy at the workplace. What is likely to motivate the nurses to do the best possible job Clearly, these new nurses will be well motivated when they are treated to warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

CVS Caremark Corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CVS Caremark Corporation - Research Paper Example CVS Caremark’s annual financial reporting structure depicts the company as divided into three business segments: Pharmacy Services, Retail Pharmacy and Corporate (CVS Caremark, CVS Caremark 2011 Annual Report 22). However, from an operations perspective the company is divided into three strategic business units (SBUs): Pharmacy Services, Retail Pharmacy and MinuteClinic (CVS Caremark, â€Å"Our Businesses†). SBUs are mostly autonomous units set up within a corporation that are run like separate companies with their leadership entrusted with full responsibility over their profit and loss (Distelzweig Para 22). CVS Caremark’s three business segments are clearly SBUs because we see each unit being led a president who reports to the corporation’s CEO. Per Lofberg is the president of Pharmacy Services, Mark Cosby, the president of CVS/Pharmacy and Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic. These SBUs are organized along the company’s three broad product lines. The Pharmacy Services business provides a full range of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services targeting employers, unions, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans throughout the US. Retail Pharmacy SBU sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise through the CVS/pharmacies and Longs Drugs retail stores and online through CVS.com. The corporate segment provides management and administrative services such as corporate relations, legal, human resources, corporate information technology and finance departments and so on to support the Company (CVS Caremark, CVS Caremark 2011 Annual Report 23). MinuteClinics are small retail-based, walk-in health clinics located in CVS/Pharmacy stores that offer wellness services, treatment of common ailments and physicals. These clinics provide CVS Caremark with the capabilities to meet its goal of lowering the cost of health care. Given that MinuteClinics operate within t he CVS/Pharmacy stores, in the financial statements, MinuteClinics results are reported under Retail Pharmacy. The performance of the Retail Pharmacy and Pharmacy Services segments are evaluated based on net revenues, gross profit and operating profit before the effect of certain intersegment activities and charges. On the other hand, the corporate segment’s performance is evaluated based on operating expenses before the effect of certain intersegment activities and charges (CVS Caremark, CVS Caremark 2011 Annual Report 26). In 2011, the company’s net revenue was $107.1 billion, an increase of $11.3 billion in comparison to 2010. Of these net revenues, the revenue-generating segments, Pharmacy Services and Retail Pharmacy, contributed almost equally towards this amount. However, from a growth perspective, Pharmacy Services segment net sales increased by 24.9% in 2011 in comparison to Retail Pharmacy’s 3.9% increase. CVS Caremark’s more prominent innovat ions in the recent past have been attained through the integration of services with either other CVS services or other third parties. An example of CVS’

Course Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Course Design - Essay Example According to Iwasiw, Goldenberg & Andrusyszyn (2009), curriculum development in nursing education is characterized by ‘interaction, cooperation, change, and possibility conflict, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..and values of stakeholders’ (Chapter 1, n.p). Wound care management is a hot topic which requires special attention in nurses training. So a program in this would be very useful. Foot care management is providing education and training on proper foot care like foot massaging, trimming toe nails, identifying circulatory disorders etc. All these require expertise. So a course on foot care management is essential. These three areas are in need of experienced man power. So training courses in the above said departments is a necessity. I. SANE Course A. Course Design A course on Sexual assault nursing examination is important as the trauma of a victim is so intense. A four weeks long SANE course should follow a student centered approach with maximum interaction from the part of the st udent. In addition to the interactive class room sessions the learner should get active clinical practice making the learner competent in sexual assault practice. The learner should be trained in psychological principles to deal with the emotional state of the patient. The class size of 8 students and well trained faculty members makes the course interactive and interesting. Clinical practice sessions and visits to crime lab and crisis centers give the students enough practical exposure. 1. Course Description. This four-week course offers didactic and clinical training for Registered Nurses to conduct a comprehensive sexual assault medical forensic examination and to testify in court on that exam if called. This course should train the nurse in advanced physical assessment skills like emergency care, critical care and maternal child health care. The training they require should meet the requirement of the community they serve as each community varies in the mode of SANE practice. It varies according to the type of patient they handle like adult, adolescent and pediatric. A SANE is trained to work with a multidisciplinary population of professionals like advocates, law enforcement, forensic experts and legal professionals. So training in a collaborative learning environment is a criterion in SANE training. This course provides further knowledge in topics such as forensic code of ethics, extensive forensic examination, and documentation of injuries, collection of forensic samples and its management, testifying legal proceedings, giving emotional support to the victims. 2. Goal. The goal of this course is to mold a registered nurse to a professional trained in clinical preparation and forensic care of a patient who has experienced sexual assault. 3. Objectives. After four weeks of the course; 3.1. The participants will be able to discuss medical forensic history and dynamics of sexual assault 3.2. The participants will be able to describe and give examples of wha t to document, how to document and management of forensic samples 3.3 The participants will be able to demonstrate or show how to testify in a mock trial and do the GYN exam 3.4. The participants will be able to compare and contrast/ analyze different assault situations. 3.5. The participants will be able to explain/summarize forensic code of ethics 3.6. The participant develops skill in physical examination of the person who has undergone sexual assault 3.7. The

What impact has the war on drugs had on women Essay

What impact has the war on drugs had on women - Essay Example This essay would further analyze the impact of the war on drugs on women in this century (Solovitch 2006 & Bloom et al 2004). Figures taken from Women’s Prison Association showed an increase of 592 percent cases of women jailed for abusing drugs from the year 1977 to 2001 (Solovitch 2006). This shows a dramatic increase in the number of women jailed and the impact of the new legislative policies regarding drugs on the women. It is noted that women are the ones who are suffering the most at the hands of the war on drugs. An example of pregnant women can be considered here as when legislations were introduced it was seen that women who were using drugs were snatched of their parenting rights and were not allowed to bear the child (Bloom et al 2004). The pregnant women are at times even referred to child welfare authorities and in some states it is noticed that these women are sentenced to death. Not only this, the whole system of rehabilitation has also largely been only made to suit the male population living in this world. The women who are affected by drug abuse are not even given proper treatment when they are caught and yet again have to suffer because of the so called war on drugs (Solovitch 2006). In conclusion it can be said that although the number of men imprisoned for drug abuse are still higher than the women imprisoned for drug abused but even then the women are suffering the most from the new legislations. It is seen that many of the rights of these women are snatched without even being provided with their basic rights. Rehabilitation centers are specially made in line with the requirements of men and not women and that is why the women are not fully able to cure themselves from this problem. But on the contrary it can also be said that because of this war many women tend to avoid getting into the drug business as they are afraid of being punished and this seems like an

Virtual Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virtual Gallery - Essay Example At worst, the blacks were made slaves. Slavery was a form of business in the United States at that time. The slaves were not free. They were considered property by the American traders and plantation owners. They were not granted civil and political rights. Both the south and north of America had exemplified this historical event. Nevertheless, the time came when the Americans realized that the black people should be granted freedom and be treated like humans. It was the Northern part of America which started granting liberty to the slaves. Nevertheless, the Southerners became persistent than ever to maintain slavery in their area. The opposing policies of the Northern and Southern part of America had resulted into a civil war. There were states that made their own confederacy and disintegrated from the American united states or the union. Significantly, the civil war was ended through the Emancipation Proclamation. The triumph of the Emancipation Proclamation could be reflected thro ugh A. A. Lamb’s painting, an American painter. The painting entitled Emancipation Proclamation perfectly illustrates the declaration as an important period of American history. It can be observed that there are four main characters in the painting. These are the following: the black people, the soldiers of the Union, the Statue of Liberty and Abraham Lincoln.

International Adoption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Adoption - Research Paper Example ts meet across lines of disparity involving not only in the biological factor, but also race, ethnicity, nationality, cultural heritage and socio economic class. Typically in international adoption, the adoptive parents usually belong to one of the richer countries of the world where they have a tendency to adopt children from a poor mother and belonging to less privileged ethnic and racial groups of poorer countries of the world. There are many countries that serve for the US couples who are planning to adopt (Bartholet, â€Å"International Adoption†). International adoption is a phenomenon of the last half century. The trend had begun after the First World War. The horrible outcome of the war led to predictable deaths and devastation. In most of the vanquished countries, the difficulty of parentless children had become evident to the world. Again Korean War also opened up an option for United States to adopt Korean child. Recently, dissolution of the U.S.S.R. and fall of the â€Å"Iron Curtain† have resulted in inclusion of the name of Russia, China and various new countries in that list. China’s one –child problem along with its overpopulation crisis resulted in the foreign adoption of thousands of baby girls (Bartholet, â€Å"International Adoption†). The two basic reasons namely the children in need of home and larger community issues make people in favor of the international adoption. Otherwise there is huge controversy regarding this subject. Again one who is in favor of international adoption defines it in context of the social science and child development expertise which refers that children placed in the international adoptive home grow up much better than those who brought upon the street or in institutional homes. In this regards, the opponents argued that children can be better served through remaining in the same community of their origin and become fortunate to enjoy ethnic and national heritage. Again the advocates of the international adoption

Judith Thomsons Responsibility Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Judith Thomsons Responsibility Argument - Essay Example That is why in the course of the years, both sides of the discussion tried to come up with convincing argument. This paper ill describe and then critically analyze one of the ideas that was developed by Judith Thomson who supports abortion. In the course of the defense, the author comes up with several analogies which are supposed to be projected on the issue of abortion and convince the people that the latter is permissible. One of such analogues deals with the imaginary people-seeds. According to the author, there is world where the latter are floating in the air freely and are able to root in one’s furniture. One is able to take special precautions not to let them happen by installing special screens that would keep this pollen away. However, just like any material object, the screens might be defective and people-seeds might eventually end up in the house and root in the furniture. There is no doubt that the parallel between this thought experiment and conception is straightforward. The author goes further, claiming that there are certain rights that can be identified in this situation. First of all, the people-seeds do not have a legitimate right to dwell in the apartment of the person. The latter does not want to have children and the fact that the seeds were able to get it is nothing, but a coincidence. In addition to that, this person has an absolute right to get rid of the people-seeds since the latter are not welcome in the house. As one can clearly see this is a clear allusion to abortion. What is more important is that one can also name several duties that people have with regard to the question above. First of all, it is their duty to use means of protection that are available, primarily the above mentioned screens. The author suggests that there might be more extreme ways to make sure that people-seeds would not take a root as getting rid of all the furniture in the house (perform hysterectomy) or seal all doors and windows (never

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War Essay

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War - Essay Example Other affiliates of these regimes and several scholars have made identical claims, which are turning out to be, as emphasised by Ralph Summy & Michael Salla (1995) in their prelude, an ‘emergent orthodoxy’ (ibid, p. xv). The objective of this essay is to analyse the extent of the victory of the United State in the Cold War in the light of the logical essence of such claims. There are great difficulties contained in the modus operandi ‘winning the Cold War’ (Cohen 1995). The foremost is uncertainty about the extent of the claim, as the mentions of Reagan and Bush suggest, since victory in 1989 implied something distinct from victory in 1992, when the USSR had disintegrated and Gorbachev had been dethroned (Philips 2001). The next and interrelated difficulty is ambiguity about the real description of the Cold War. ‘Winning the Cold War’ is a very debatable principle since it can be understood as a moral excuse for all the defence and foreign polic ies of the Reagan administration—for instance, military involvement in Nicaragua during Reagan’s term, a tactic which foresaw perhaps combating and winning a major war and unparalleled budgets for peacetime military (Painter 1999). The concept of ‘winning’ also seems to justify the rules of aiming for military supremacy and arbitrations from strength, which may be catastrophic as shown. Did the United States Really Win the Cold War? Before attempting to evaluate the influence of the Reagan regime, it has to be explained first what was involved in the end of the Cold War, by determining the major components in the strategy of Gorbachev after 1985 and the unforeseen results of the course of internal and external reform. The policy reforms of Gorbachev occurred in four major domains; in each instance the policy acquired impetus and became more revolutionary commencing around 1987 (Geoffrey 2008). Primarily, the Soviet administration commenced after 1985 to re form features of its military strategy viewed as particularly hostile by the West, and at the same time to alter its method of arms control (Suri 2002). Gorbachev embarked on reassessing military principle, pioneering the notion of ‘reasonable sufficiency at the nuclear level’ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 139) which indicates that ‘lower nuclear weapons levels would be required’ (ibid, 139) and advancing toward ‘defensive defence at the conventional level’ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 140), in an effort to suppress the apprehensions of the West about surprise assault. The large-scale change in arms control strategy was recommended by the spectacular suggestions formed at the Reykavik summit convention in 1986 and agreed upon during the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) arbitrations, when the Soviet party suggested an extraordinary eagerness to agree on thorough on-site inspection and bigger reductions in its arsenal than those mandated of the United States (Lefler & Westad 2010). The address of Gorbachev at the 1988 United Nations, when he assured considerable unilateral cuts in Soviet arsenals and combatants in European Russia and East Germany, expressed the gravity of his determination to reduce armed forces (Juviler & Kimura 2009). Subsequently, Gorbachev indicated a reform in the ideological scope and proclaimed objectives of Soviet foreign policy, distancing from an idea of global class conflict toward a more broad-minded idea of peace and alliance. Propaganda about peace had contributed in Soviet policy beforehand,

Mona and the Promised Land Essay Example for Free

Mona and the Promised Land Essay It has often been said that coming to America is the start of a new life for many immigrant families. The novels Mona and the Promised Land by Gish Jen, and Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez, it is said that â€Å"American means being whatever you want† (Jen 49). Mona and Rodriguez both strive to reach that â€Å"American dream. † They take the initiative throughout the novel and seek what they want to become. However, the novels show that in order for Mona and Rodriguez to become what they want, they have to make sacrifices. From losing their culture to losing their strong relationships with their parents, Mona and Rodriguez will have to endure consequences of their decision to become what they want to be. Mona and Rodriguez were raised up to believe their parent’s religion and traditions. To begin, Mona has an Asian appearance, which automatically differentiates her, and Rodriguez has an accent, which also distinguishes him as different. The differences that set Mona apart from Americans lead her to decide that she wants to practice Judaism because she lives in a neighborhood that is dominated by the Jewish community, and wants to be more accepted in that community. The dissimilarities that set Rodriguez apart from Americans lead him to deepen his understanding of the American culture. Mona and Rodriguez believe that religion and culture are two of the primary instruments through which they can create and develop a new identity. Mona states, â€Å"Jewish is American, American means being whatever you want, and I happen to pick being Jewish† (Jen 49). Mona relates being Jewish with being American and she wants to be an American because then there is no limit to what she can accomplish or become. However, Mona still has people constantly trying to bring her back to her Chinese culture. Helen, her mother, tries to trap Mona in her Chinese culture by telling her that Chinese people are not supposed to be Jewish, and that if she chooses to be a Jew, she can no longer live in her home. Mona is in a complex situation where she wants to identify herself as a Jew, but Helen wants to limit her ability to be â€Å"whatever she wants,† (Jen 49) which forces Mona to choose between sacrificing what she wants to be or pleasing her mother. Helen asks Mona, â€Å"How can you be Jewish? Chinese people don’t do such things† (Jen 45). Mona replies, â€Å"I guess I must not be Chinese then† (Jen 46). Jen shows that Mona can be Jewish and also Chinese, but she cannot be Chinese and also Jewish, meaning the Jewish community will accept her even though she is Chinese, but her Chinese parents will not accept her being Jewish. Mona feels bound by her Chinese culture, when as an American, she feels as though she is supposed to have the freedom to do â€Å"whatever she wants† (Jen 49). Though Mona feels as though she has found how she wants to identify herself, she is realizing that her decision to become Jewish is conflicting with her relationship with her mother. Helen wants Mona to find herself in the Chinese culture, even though she was born in America. Mona feels as though, being born in America, she is supposed to have the right to find her identity in any way she chooses. Mona states, â€Å"Free country! Right! (Jen 250), but her mother combats that by stating, â€Å"In this house no such thing† (Jen 250). Helen is making clear that as long as Mona is under her roof, Mona will have to obey her instructions. Helen also tells Mona, â€Å"Once you leave this house you cannot come back† (Jen 251). Mona is in a situation where she has to decide between living with her parents and being Chinese, or leaving her home and staying Jewish. Rodriguez believes one must sacrifice their culture to become a part of another culture. Rodriguez states â€Å"Outside the house was public society; inside the house was private,† (15) meaning, outside of his home, nobody understands the way he feels inside of his home, and the amount of security and comfort that he feels while he is home. As Rodriguez grows deeper into the culture that he is learning about, the private feeling he has when he is at home, no longer became that private feeling. Rodriguez had a deep connection with his parents in which he states, â€Å"I am speaking with ease in Spanish. I am addressing you in words I never use with los gringos. I recognize you as someone special; close, like no one outside. You belong with us. In the family† (15). In his home with his family is the only place he feels as though he can truly express himself, but not only did he have to sacrifice his culture, but his parents did also. â€Å"They agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family’s closeness† (20). By his family also giving up their culture in their home, it is taking away his only place to truly express himself with his family, and losing that bond that they share. Mona wants to find happiness in things other than what she already has as a Chinese girl living in America. She changes her beliefs because she thinks she can find happiness in Judaism. She also changes her lifestyle because she has the freedom to do whatever she wants. After Mona gets everything she has sought, she realizes that all the sacrifices she made to fit into society were, in the end, not worth losing her mother. Rodriguez identifies himself with any culture he wants to. Rodriguez strived to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and become one with the culture and that is just what he did. He also lost his culture and that special connection with his family. Mona and Rodriguez believed that religion and culture are two of the primary instruments through which they could create and develop a new identity, but did not realize there would be major consequences from their decision to become what they want to be. Work Cited Jen, Gish. Mona in the Promised Land. New York: Knopf, 1996. Print. Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez: An Autobiography. Boston, MA: D. R. Godine, 1982. Print.

The Chomsky On Language Acquisition English Language Essay

The Chomsky On Language Acquisition English Language Essay By learning how to learn Bruner believes that one can  transfer what was learnt from one  situation  to another. Life-long learning is closely associated with this concept. Interactionist Theory and ESL How does the Interactionist Theory fit in with  ESL in a classroom? When faced with learning English as a second language, the student is essentially an infant. They cannot communicate with the teacher except through non-verbal communication. Therefore, it is up to the teacher to act as the adult in the infant-adult relationship. He or she is responsible for leading all interaction at first, and as the student becomes more familiar with the English language and able to communicate, the control of the interaction can be relinquished a bit and the students can take more control of their own language learning. Also, if students are encouraged to experiment with the language and learn that it is okay to make mistakes, they will be able to discover for themselves how to combine words and phrases to form full sentences and dialogues. Chomsky on Language Acquisition Noam Chomsky postulated that the mechanism of the language acquisition is derived from the innate processes. Innate is something which is already there in mind since birth. The theory proposed by Chomsky is proved by the children living in same linguistic community. Moreover, they are not influenced by the external experiences which bring about the comparable grammar. He thus proposed his theory on language acquisition in 1977 as all children share the same internal constraints which characterize narrowly the grammar they are going to construct. He also proposed that all of us live in a biological world, and according to him, mental world is no exception. He also believes that as there are stages of development for other parts of the body,  language development  can also be achieved up to a certain age. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN I.INTRODUCTION Language acquisition is one of the central topics in cognitive science. Every theory of cognition has tried to explain it; probably no other topic has aroused such controversy. Possessing a language is the quintessentially human trait: all normal humans speak, no nonhuman animal does. Language is the main vehicle by which we know about other peoples thoughts, and the two must be intimately related. Every time we speak we are revealing something about language, so the facts of language structure are easy to come by; these data hint at a system of extraordinary complexity. Nonetheless, learning a first language is something every child does successfully, in a matter of a few years and without the need for formal lessons. With language so close to the core of what it means to be human, it is not surprising that childrens acquisition of language has received so much attention. Anyone with strong views about the human mind would like to show that childrens first few steps are steps in the right direction. II. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORIES Language acquisition is the process by which the language capability develops in a human. First language acquisition concerns the development of language in children, while second language acquisition focuses on language development in adults as well. In this paper, we are focussed on the first language acquisition which concerns in the development of language in children. Nativist theories hold that children are born with an innate propensity for language acquisition, and that this ability makes the task of learning a first language easier than it would otherwise be. These hidden assumptions allow children to quickly figure out what is and isnt possible in the grammar of their native language, and allow them to master that grammar by the age of three. Nativists view language as a fundamental part of the human genome, as the trait that makes humans human, and its acquisition as a natural part of maturation, no different from dolphins learning to swim or songbirds learning to sing. Chomsky originally theorized that children were born with a hard-wired language acquisition device (LAD) in their brains. He later expanded this idea into that of Universal Grammar, a set of innate principles and adjustable parameters that are common to all human languages. According to Chomsky, the presence of Universal Grammar in the brains of children allows them to deduce the structure of their native languages from mere exposure. The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is a postulated organ of the brain that is supposed to function as a congenital device for learning symbolic language (i.e., language acquisition). The LAD concept is a component of the nativist theory of language which dominates contemporary formal linguistics, which asserts that humans are born with the instinct or innate facility for acquiring language. Chomsky motivated the LAD hypothesis by what he perceived as intractable complexity of language acquisition, citing the notion of infinite use of finite means proposed by Wilhelm von Humboldt. At the time it was conceived (1957-1965), the LAD concept was in strict contrast to B.F. Skinners behavioral psychology which emphasized principles of learning theory such as classical and operant conditioning and imitation over biological predisposition. The interactionist theory of Jerome Bruner and Jean Piaget later emphasized the importance of the interaction between biological and social (nature and nurture) aspects of language acquisition. Chomsky (1965) set out an innate language schema which provides the basis for the childs acquisition of a language. The acquisition process takes place despite the limited nature of the primary linguistic data (PLD, the input signals received) and the degenerate nature (frequent incorrect usage, utterances of partial sentences) of that data. Given this poverty of the stimulus, a language acquisition model requires a number of components. Firstly, the child must have a technique for representing input signals and, secondly, a way of representing structural information about them. Thirdly, there must be some initial delimitation of the class of possible language structure hypotheses. Fourthly, the child requires a method for determining what each of these hypotheses implies with respect to each sentence. Finally, an additional method is needed by which the child can select which hypothesis is compatible with the PLD. Equipped with this endowment, first language learning is explained as performed by a Language Acquisition Device progressing through the following stages: 1. The device searches the class of language structure hypotheses and selects those compatible with input signals and structural information drawn from the PLD. 2. The device then tests the compatibility using the knowledge of implications of each hypothesis for the sentences. 3. One hypothesis or grammar is selected as being compatible with the PLD. 4. This grammar provides the device with a method of interpreting sentences (by virtue of its capacity for internally representing structural information and applying the grammar to sentences). Through this process the device constructs a theory of the language of which the PLD are a sample. Chomsky argues that in this way, the child comes to know a great deal more than she has learned, acquiring knowledge of language, which goes far beyond the presented primary linguistic data and is in no sense an inductive generalization from these data. In some views of language acquisition, the LAD is thought to become unavailable after a certain age the critical period hypothesis (i.e., is subject to maturational constraints). Chomsky has gradually abandoned the LAD in favour of a parameter-setting model of language acquisition (principles and parameters). Much of the nativist position is based on the early age at which children show competency in their native grammars, as well as the ways in which they do (and do not) make errors. Infants are born able to distinguish between phonemes in minimal pairs, distinguishing between bah and pah, for example. Young children (under the age of three) do not speak in fully formed sentences, instead saying things like want cookie or my coat. They do not, however, say things like want my or I cookie, statements that would break the syntactic structure of the Phrase, a component of universal grammar. Children also seem remarkably immune from error correction by adults, which Nativists say would not be the case if children were learning from their parents. III. CRITICISM AND ALTERNATIVE THEORIES Non-nativist theories include the competition model, functionalist linguistics, usage-based language acquisition, social interactionism and others. Social-interactionists, like Snow, theorize that adults play an important part in childrens language acquisition. However, some researchers claim that the empirical data on which theories of social interactionism are based have often been over-representative of middle class American and European parent-child interactions. Various anthropological studies of other human cultures, as well as anecdotal evidence from western families, suggests rather that many, if not the majority, of the worlds children are not spoken to in a manner akin to traditional language lessons, but nevertheless grow up to be fully fluent language users. Many researchers now take this into account in their analyses. Those linguists who do not agree with Chomsky point to several problems: 1. Chomsky differentiates between competence and performance. Performance is what people actually say, which is often ungrammatical, whereas competence is what they instinctively know about the syntax of their language and this is more or less equated with the Universal Grammar. Chomsky concentrates upon this aspect of language he thus ignores the things that people actually say. The problem here is that he relies upon peoples intuitions as to what is right or wrong but it is not at all clear that people will all make the same judgments, or that their judgments actually reflect the way people really do use the language. 2. Chomsky distinguishes between the core or central grammar of a language, which is essentially founded on the UG, and peripheral grammar. Thus, in English, the fact that We were is considered correct, and We was incorrect is a historical accident, rather than an integral part of the core grammar as late as the 18th Century, recognized writers, such as Dean Swift, could write We was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ without feeling that they had committed a terrible error. Similarly, the outlawing of the double negation in English is peripheral, due to social and historical circumstances rather than anything specific to the language itself. To Chomsky, the real object of linguistic science is the core grammar. But how do we determine what belongs to the core, and what belongs to the periphery? To some observers, all grammar is conventional, and there is no particular reason to make the Chomskian distinction. 3. Chomsky also appears to reduce language to its grammar. He seems to regard meaning as secondary a sentence such as Colorless may be considered as part of the English language, for it is grammatically correct, and therefore worthy of study by Transformational Grammarians. A sentence such as My mother, he no like bananas, on the other hand, is of no interest to the Chomskian linguist. Nor would he be particularly interested in most of the utterances heard in the course of a normal lecture. 4. Because he disregards meaning, and the social situation in which language is normally produced, he disregards in particular the situation in which the child learns his first language. Bruners LASS Let us look closely at this fourth objection. The psychologist, Jerome Bruner, holds that while there very well may be, as Chomsky suggests, a Language Acquisition Device, or LAD, there must also be a Language Acquisition Support System, or LASS. He is referring to the family and entourage of the child. If we watch closely the way a child interacts with the adults around her, we will see that they constantly provide opportunities for her to acquire her mother tongue. Mother or father provide ritualized scenarios the ceremony of having a bath, eating a meal, getting dressed, or playing a game in which the phases of interaction are rapidly recognized and predicted by the infant. It is within such clear and emotionally charged contexts that the child first becomes aware of the way in which language is used. The utterances of the mother or father are themselves ritualized, and accompany the activity in predictable and comprehensible ways. Gradually, the child moves from a passive position to an active one, taking over the movements of the caretaker, and, eventually, the language as well. Bruner cites the example of a well-known childhood game, in which the mother, or other caretaker, disappears and then reappears. Through this ritual, which at first may be accompanied by simple noises or Bye-bye Hello, and later by lengthier commentaries, the child is both learning about separation and return and being offered a context within which language, charged with emotive content, may be acquired. It is this reciprocal and affective nature of language that Chomsky appears to leave out of his hypotheses. Bruners conception of the way children learn language is taken a little further by John Macnamara, who holds that children, rather than having an in-built language device, have an innate capacity to read meaning into social situations. It is this capacity that makes them capable of understanding language, and therefore learning it with ease, rather than an LAD. IV. CONCLUSION Chomsky, then, sees the child as essentially autonomous in the creation of language. She is programmed to learn, and will learn so long as minimal social and economic conditions are realized. In Bruners version, the program is indeed in place, but the social conditions become more important. The child is still an active participant, is still essentially creative in her approach to language acquisition, but the role of the parents and other caretakers is also seen as primordial. Finally, we could draw the conclusion that we can successfully teach any child any language we like as it is provided with Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and supported with Language Acquisition Support System (LASS).

Losses In Xlpe Insulated Cables Engineering Essay

Losses In Xlpe Insulated Cables Engineering Essay Power cables, mainly underground power cables form a bulk part of electrical power systems network. Accordingly, when medium voltage XLPE cables were first installed in the late 1960s, cable manufacturers and electric utilities expected them to perform reliably for 20 to 30 years. However, history has shown that these cables had high percentage of life losses whereby the service life of some of these cables was far shorter than expected. Many cables failed after only 10 to 15 years in service. The failure of XLPE cables was happened due to the aging process. Aging of XLPE cables is related to the temperature of the insulation. For XLPE cables, the normal maximum operating temperature is 90  °C. At this maximum value, the consumption rate of anti-oxidant has been calculated to afford a cable life of 30 years. Increasing the XLPE cables operating temperature will increase the rate which the anti-oxidant is used up. Subsequently, it will reduce the service life of XLPE cables. The rea ction follows the Arrhenius relationship which is an exponential function. From this, even a small increase in temperature, it will hence give significant impact on the aging process of XLPE cables. Once the anti-oxidant in the cables is used up, the cables will start to oxidize and become easily broken. Then, the cables will be subject to stress cracking and electrical failure at positions of mechanical stress. In addition, the presence of harmonics in power system causes a conductor to overheat. This overheating process makes the cable to increase in term of temperature to its insulation. Therefore, cable will soften and the mechanical performances will reduce which is called as premature aging. Thus, it is important to investigate the presence of harmonic in any electrical equipment. From this we could know the temperature due to the overheating process and evaluate the life losses of any associated cables. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE DECLARATION 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2 ABSTRACT 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 1 INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 Background 8 1.2 Premature Aging due to Harmonic 9 1.3 Development of Power Cables 9 1.3.1 Oil-Impregnated Paper Power Cables 10 1.3.2 Solid-Dielectric-Extruded Power Cables 11 1.3.2.1 Technology of XLPE Cables 13 1.4 Losses in Power Cables 15 1.5 Objectives of Study 16 1.6 Scopes of study 17 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 18 2.1. Introduction 18 2.2. Power System Harmonics 18 2.2.1. Definition of Harmonics 19 2.2.2. Source of Harmonics 19 2.2.3. The Harm of Harmonic 20 2.2.4. Effects of Harmonics on Power System 21 2.2.4.1 Motors and Generators 21 2.2.4.2 Transformers 22 2.2.4.3 Power Cables 22 2.2.4.4 Capacitors 23 2.2.5. Economical Damage due to Harmonic Losses 23 2.3 Underground Power Cables 24 2.3.1 Gas-filled Cable 24 2.3.2 XLPE Cables 27 3 EVALUATION OF THE AGING COST DUE TO HARMONIC LOSSES IN XLPE CABLES 29 3.1 Introduction 29 3.1.1 Flowchart 30 3.2 Calculation of Losses 31 3.2.1 Resistance of the conductor 31 3.2.2 Skin Effect 32 3.2.3 Proximity Effect 33 3.2.4 Total Power Losses 33 3.2.4.1 Joule Losses 34 3.2.4.2 Dielectric losses 34 3.3 Probabilistic Evaluation of the Economical Damage due to Harmonic Losses 35 3.3.1 Expected Value of the Aging Cost due to Harmonic Losses 35 3.4 Conclusion 39 4 DATA, MODELLING AND ASSUMPTIONS 40 4.1 Data 40 4.2 Assumptions 41 5 RESULTS, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSIONS 42 5.1 Results 42 5.2 Discussions 45 6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 46 6.1 Expected result 46 6.2 Conclusions 47 6.3 Recommendations 47 REFERENCES 49 APPENDICES APPENDIX A 52 APPENDIX B 58 APPENDIX C 67 APPENDIX D 68 APPENDIX E 69 APPENDIX F 72 APPENDIX G 73 Background By means of the discovery of electricity in the early 19th Century, all countries in the world nowadays have virtually utilized electricity as a source of light and energy. This has led to the existence of distribution-transmission line system carrying current, even if at different voltages and transporting it over long distances till the end users or customers. For the distribution-transmission line system, engineers had thought critically in finding the suitable power cables for power system. Mainly, most of the bulk electrical energy generated from the generation centers is being transported to major load centers within a large geographical area by the transmission systems using overhead lines [1]. In the other words, the distribution system delivers the electrical energy from these load centers to customers who are within a smaller geographical area. For safety, reliability and aesthetics, the electric circuits used to transport energy to such customers are usually underground power cables, though this kind of arrangement is expensive but has more advantages than the overhead lines [2]. Over the years, high demand of reliable electricity power supply has led the electricity markets to be highly competitive. Electric utility companies now have to develop means of maintaining, enhance the safety and reliability of their expensive power system components to operate advantageously and meet the demands of their customers. One of power system component that constitutes a bulk part of the distribution and transmission line systems in urban areas is the underground power cable. For instance, in the United Kingdom there are about 93000 km of 11 kV cable and more than 13000 km of 33 kV [6]. In Malaysia with rush of development has led to increasing demands of electrical energy. Doing this, underground cable distribution is increasing significantly. It is estimated that there are about 180000 km of underground cables in Malaysia, forming about 80 % of the underground power distribution system. This shows that, the technology of underground power cables has grown up very fast by the time as the world is moving extremely in science and technology. However, lately the presence of harmonic in electrical energy systems is well known [3]. The harmonics are due to nonlinear loads such as static converter and can damage the system components [6]. In the case of the cables, harmonics can cause relevant additional losses in the conducting and in the insulating materials which cannot be neglected. From the economical point of view, the presence of harmonics can cause economical damage which increasing the operating costs and decreasing the useful life of the system components. The economical damage due to harmonic losses can be defined as the summation of the operating costs and the aging costs. As stated in [13], the operating costs are referred to the costs of the incremental energy losses caused by the harmonic flow in the component, where the term incremental means that these losses are superimposed to the ones at the fundamental while the aging costs are referred to the incremental investment costs caused by the premature aging of the components caused by the harmonic pollution. Premature Aging due to Harmonic Aging failures have become a major and urgent concern in many utilities since many power system components are approaching the turning point to the end of life. For the case of power cables, the premature aging occurs due to harmonic pollution. The harmonic flow can lead to additional heating in power cables. Subsequently, temperature will rise and premature aging may result. Development of Power Cables [1] Power cable technology had its beginnings in the 1880s when the need for power distribution cables became pressing. With urban growth, it became increasingly necessary to replace some of the overhead lines for power transmission and distribution system with underground cables. The illumination of the larger cities proceeded at such a rapid pace that under some circumstances it was impossible to accommodate the number and size of feeders required for distribution, using the overhead line system approach. In fact this situation deteriorated so notably in New York City that, in addition to the technical and aesthetic considerations, the overhead line system began to pose a safety hazard to the line workers themselves, the firemen, and the public. As a result, the city passed an ordinance law in 1884 requires removing the overhead line structures and replacing them with underground power cables. Similar laws and public pressure were applied in other cities, with the consequence that by the early 1900s, underground electrification via insulated cables was on its way to becoming a well-established practice [14]. A practical lead press was invented in 1879 and subsequently employed to manufacture 2kV cables for Vienna in 1885. During the same period, vulcanized rubber was used to produce cables on a commercial scale, although use of guttapercha had already been made as early as 1846. Impregnated-paper power cables were first put on the market in 1894 by Callender Cables of England, using impregnant mixtures of rosin oil, rosin and castor oil and only in 1918 were these replaced by mineral oils. In North America, impregnated-paper cables were first supplied by the Norwich Wire Company. Varnished cambric cables were introduced by the General Electric Company in 1902. The behavior of these cables with hightemperature was subsequently improved the addition of black asphalt. Some of the more common early solid and liquid insulating employed in various underground cable installations were natural rubber, gutta-percha, oil and wax, rosin and asphalt, jute, hemp, and cotton. In 1890, Ferranti developed the first oil-impregnated-paper power cable. By following their manufacture, his cables were installed in London in 1891 for 10 kV operations. In addition, the cables were made in 20 ft lengths as the total circuit was 30 miles in length about splicing joints were four required. Nevertheless, these cables performed so well that the last cable length was removed from service only in 1933. Cable installation continued to proceed at a rapid pace, so that by the turn of the 20th century many major cities throughout the world had many miles of underground power cables. For example, already by the end of 1909, the Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago had 400 miles of underground cable operated in the voltage range between 9 to 20 kV. Montreal had some 4500 ft cir cuits of three-conductor cables installed in ducts under the Lachine canal for 25 kV operations; the same voltage was used for cable traversing the St. Lawrence River in 1906. With some experiences behind them, cable manufacturers were increasingly gaining confidence and during the St. Louis Exposition in 1904 power cables developed for voltages as high as 50 kV were put on display [14]. Oil-Impregnated Paper Power Cables [14] During the period prior to World War I, extensive use was made of oilimpregnated paper cables of the three-conductor belted type for voltages up to 25 kV. Due to non-uniform stress distribution in the cable construction, the belted cable proved to be highly partial discharge susceptible when attempts were made to extend the operating voltage range with larger wall thickness to approximately 35 kV, to meet the increased power demand following World War I [18]. This problem was resolved by shielding the individual conductors, using 3-mil-thick copper tapes. The outside of the shielded conductors was thus maintained at the same ground potential. Figure 1.3.1 Cross-section of an Oil-impregnated Paper Insulated Cable In addition, the belt insulation was replaced with a binder consisting of fabric tapes and strands of interwoven copper wire. The purpose of the latter was again to maintain the shields of the three cables at the same potential. Over the years, the conductor shapes of the three-conductor shielded paper insulated cables have evolved into three forms, namely circular, oval, and sectoral. In many utilities a substantial portion of the present-day distribution load is still carried at 35 kV via three-phase oil-impregnated paper belted cables, with the three conductors individually grounded. There is little inducement to replace these cables with solid extruded dielectric cables, whose outer diameter for an equivalent power rating would exceed that of the ducts accommodating the more compact threephase oil-paper belted cables. Moreover, the oil-paper belted cables have been characterized by remarkably long in-service lifetimes that often exceed 65 years. Belted cables with unshielded conductors are still deployed but only for working voltages equal to or less than 15 kV. With the individual conductors shielded, it was possible to extend the use of the three-phase belted cables for voltages as high as 69 kV, though on the average their application has been confined to voltages below 35 kV. The main reason for this upper limit has again been associated with the occurrence of partial discharges, which had in numerous instances led to the deterioration and failure of the dielectric at the elevated voltages. The partial discharges were found to take place in voids, which were formed either during the manufacturing process or during the load cycling while in service. Solid-Dielectric-Extruded Power Cables [1, 14] With the discovery of the hydrocarbon thermoplastic polyethylene (PE) in England in 1933, polyethylene became rapidly, the insulant of choice for RF coaxial cables. PE was first used as an insulant for power cables in the 1950s. In the mid 1960s, conventional PE became the material of choice for the rapidly expanding URD systems in the United States. It was known to be superior to butyl rubber for moisture resistance, and could be readily extruded. It was used with tape shields, which achieved their semi-conducting properties because of carbon black. By 1968, virtually all of the URD installations consisted of polyethylene-insulated medium voltage cables. The polyethylene was referred to as HMWPE; this simply meant that the insulation used had a very high average molecular weight. The higher the molecular weight, the better the electrical properties. The highest molecular weight PE that could be readily extruded was adopted. Jacketed construction was seldom employed at that time. Extruded thermoplastic shields were introduced between 1965 and 1975 leading both to easier processing and better reliability of the cable [19]. XLPE was first patented in 1959 for a filled compound and in 1963 for unfilled by Dr. Frank Precopio. It was not widely used because of the tremendous pressure to keep the cost of URD down near the cost of an overhead system. This higher cost was caused by the need for additives (cross linking agents) and the cost of manufacturing based on the need for massive, continuous vulcanizing (CV) tubes. EPR was introduced at about the same time. The significantly higher initial cost of these cables slowed their acceptance for utility purposes until the 1980s. The superior operating and allowable emergency temperatures of XLPE and EPR made them the choice for feeder cables in commercial and industrial applications. These materials do not melt and flow like HMWPE. The emergence of power distribution cables insulated with PE have replaced a significant portion of the oil-impregnated-paper insulated power cables used at operating voltages up to 35 kV. But lower voltage PILC cables are still being manufactured, due to their in-service longevity and reliability. In spite the long record of service and reliability of PILC cables, they are being gradually replaced by the less hygroscopic polymeric insulated cables, XLPE. XLPE cables have distinct advantages which are lighter weight, better electrical and thermal properties, less maintenance, and easier terminating and jointing procedure etc. Today, XLPE cables are being extensively used in many countries all over the world. In 1959, Japan and USA commercialized XLPE cables up to medium voltage rating. Since then a fast development of XLPE cables has taken place. Presently, XLPE cable of 500 kV class has been installed in Japan. The introduction of XLPE has increased the capability of polymeric insulated cables because of their higher temperature ratings. XLPE insulations perform well at elevated temperatures. Their normal operating temperature is about 90  °C and designed to withstand an emergency overload and short circuit ratings of 130  °C and 250  °C, respectively. Technology of XLPE Cables XLPE has become the most favored insulant. Germany, USA, Asian and Scandinavian countries have installed gigantic quantities of such cables. Japan has developed XLPE cables up to 500 kV which is the highest voltage rating of XLPE cables manufactured so far. The basic material for XLPE cable is polyethylene (PE). PE has very good electrical properties. However, its mechanical strength decreases significantly above 75  °C restricting its continuous operating temperature to 70  °C only. The improved thermal characteristics of PE are obtained by establishing a large number of cross-links between its liner molecular chains employing suitable techniques. The introduction of XLPE has increased the capability of polymeric insulated cables because of their higher temperature ratings. The processes for converting PE to XLPE are electron irradiation, chemical cross linking, and organic silane method. Electron irradiation is a slow process and it is difficult to ensure an even degree of cross linking throughout the thick insulation required for power cables. Therefore this process is usually restricted to thin insulation of 1 to 2 mm thickness only. Chemical cross linking process is the process by which cross-linking of PE is established using organic peroxide such as dicumyl peroxide (DCP) at high temperature in the range 250 to 350  °C and pressure 15-20 kg/cm2. This method is employed in the production of XLPE cables of all voltage range, from LV to EHV. Sioplas technique is a relatively new method of cross linking PE into XLPE. Cross linking is achieved by mixing suitable silane to PE and exposing this to ambient conditions. This method has the distinct advantage of lower capital expenditure as no special arrangements to maintain high pressure and temperature are required. But the process is very slow for thick insulation and hence restricted to low voltage and medium voltag e XLPE cables. The general construction of XLPE cable consists of copper or aluminium conductor, extruded layer of semi conducting material over conductor (for voltage class above 3.3 kV), extruded XLPE insulation, extruded layer of semi-conducting material (for cables of voltage rating above 3.3 kV), copper wire or tape as metallic screen, armour, inner sheath and outer sheath, usually made of PVC etc. Three core XLPE cables are generally used up to maximum 33 kV. Cables of 66 kV and above voltage rating are of single core construction. Figure 1.3.2 Solid dielectric extruded power cable [14] The manufacturing process of XLPE cables consists of mixing of PE with cross-linking agent (DCP) and antioxidants, extrusion of semiconducting layers and insulation over the conductor, crosslinking the PE compound in curing lines at high temperature and pressure and cooling the core to ambient temperature. All these processes are carried out in one step employing catenaries lines for curing and cooling, hence the name continuous catenaries vulcanization. Semiconducting layers and insulation are extruded using triple extrusion technique. The curing process was initially carried out with steam at high temperature and pressure. This resulted in the formation of microvoids within the insulation and restricted the application of steam curing process up to 33 kV. To achieve reliable HV cables, it was therefore necessary to employ curing in the absence of steam. For this reason, dry curing methods were developed, where PE was crosslinked under nitrogen pressure in silicone oil, in molten salt and also in long dies. The numbers of microvoids were drastically reduced. A new curing process has recently appeared namely silane process which is more economical. Losses in Power Cables Losses in power cables include losses in conductor, insulation, sheath, and screens armors. Conductor losses (I2Rac losses) depend upon the rms current I effective AC resistance of the cable conductor. Dielectric losses comprise of losses due to leakage through the cable insulation and caused by dielectric polarization under AC stresses. It includes the net dielectric losses depend upon cable voltage, its frequency as well as the permittivity and loss tangent of the cable dielectric material, as shown by the equation below: Power loss = à Ã¢â‚¬ °CoV2ÃŽÂ µr tan ÃŽÂ ´ [2] (1) Generally, tan ÃŽÂ ´, which partially controls the dielectric losses, is significantly higher for oil-paper insulation as compared to XLPE insulation. For most of the dielectric materials used in cables, tan ÃŽÂ ´ depends upon temperature, applied stress and supply frequency. For oil-paper insulation tan ÃŽÂ ´ is also strongly influenced by moisture content. Therefore, in voltage cables, a moisture level of less than 0.05 % is desirable in order keep dielectric losses within acceptable limits. The presence of voids and microcracks can also influence dielectric losses. These voids are formed in the insulation or at the screens/insulation interfaces during manufacture, installation or operation. In polymeric cables, they are formed during the extrusion process while in paper-insulated cables, during the impregnation cycle. Voids may also form in cables by the differential expansion contraction of cable materials due to cyclic loading or short circuit conditions. These voids have a higher electric stress as compared to the bulk insulation. However, the gas inside a void usually has lower breakdown strength as compared to the main insulation. When the electric stress in void exceeds the breakdown strength of gas within the void, PD occurs. Any partial discharge in such voids increases the effective tan ÃŽÂ ´ value for insulation. Consequently, when the applied voltage is raised above the charge inception threshold, the dielectric losses exhibit a distinct increase. Similarly, impurities in the cable insulation and screening materials also increase dielectric losses. The AC current flowing along each cable conductor induces emf the metallic sheaths of the cable. Without grounding, such sheaths would operate at a potential above the ground potential and can pose a hazard. Furthermore, it will accelerate degradation of the jacket and materials, thereby affecting the cables life and reliability. When the sheaths are bonded, circulating current flows in them causing power losses. However, for three-core cables such losses are negligible. In addition to circulating currents, eddy currents are also induced in sheaths of both single and multi-core cables causing additional losses which usually are of small magnitudes. 1.5 Objectives of Study This project is conducted to evaluate the expected value of aging cost due to harmonic losses in XLPE cables. Therefore, this project is conducted regarding to these objectives: To investigate the effects of harmonics losses on XLPE cables from economical point of view. To evaluate the expected value of the aging cost due to harmonics losses in XLPE insulated cables. 1.6 Scope of study This study will focus on XLPE insulated cables This study will use the characteristics of single core underground cables. The effect of harmonics losses on XLPE cable will be investigated A program will be developed to evaluate the expected value of aging cost due to harmonic losses. The economical damage due to harmonic losses is quantified by means of the expected values of the operating costs and of the aging costs. For this, it will focus only for the calculation of the expected values of the aging costs. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction We design power systems to function at the fundamental frequency [1]. In Malaysia, the fundamental frequency is standardized at 50 Hz. This design is prone to unsatisfactory operation. At the same time, failure will happen when subjected to voltages and currents those contain substantial harmonic frequency elements. Frequently, the electrical equipment may seem operate normally. However, when they operate under a certain combination of conditions it might enhance the impact of harmonics which cause results to damage [20]. Most people do not realize that harmonics have been around for a long time. Since the first AC generator began to operate more than 100 years ago (Sankaran, C., 1995), electrical power systems have experienced harmonics. When harmonics present in electrical equipment, it can cause the equipment to malfunction and fail to work. In this case proper design and rating are needed to prevent the presence of harmonics. 2.2 Power System Harmonics The objective of the electric utility is to deliver sinusoidal voltage at fairly constant magnitude throughout their system. In fact, in order to achieve this objective is reasonably complicated because there are loads that exist on the power system that will produce harmonic currents. These currents produced may result in distorted voltages and currents that can give negative impact to the system performance in different ways. As the number of harmonic producing loads has increased over the years, it has become increasingly necessary to address their influence when making any addition or changes to an installation. We should consider two important concepts that have to bear in mind with regard to power system harmonics. The first concept is the nature of harmonic current producing loads (non linear loads) and the second concept is the way in which harmonic currents flow and how the resulting harmonic voltages develop. Ideally, voltage and current waveforms are perfect sinusoids. However, because of the increased popularity of electronic and other non-linear loads, these waveforms quite often become distorted. This deviation from a perfect sine wave can be represented by harmonics sinusoidal components having a frequency that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency. Thus, a pure voltage or current sine wave has no distortion and no harmonics, and a non-sinusoidal wave has distortion and harmonics. To quantify the distortion, the term total harmonic distortion (THD) is used. The term expresses the distortion as a percentage of the fundamental (pure sine) of voltage and current waveforms. In addition, current harmonics can distort the voltage waveform and cause voltage harmonics. Voltage distortion affects not only sensitive electronic loads but also electric motors and capacitor banks. 2.2.1 Definition of Harmonic Harmonics are defined as current and voltages at frequencies that are integer multiples of the fundamental power frequency [4]. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 50 Hz, then the second harmonic is 100 Hz, the third is 150 Hz, and etc [5]. The presence of harmonics in electrical energy systems is well recognized due to nonlinear loads such as static converters and it can damage the system components [6]. These nonlinear loads will draw current in abrupt pulses rather than in a smooth sinusoidal manner. Then, these pulses cause distorted current wave shapes which in turn and cause harmonic currents to flow back into other parts of the power system. In the case of power cables, harmonics can cause relevant additional losses in the conducting and in the insulating materials which cannot be neglected in the cable size [6]. 2.2.2 Source of harmonics Most harmonics originate from the generation of harmonic current caused by nonlinear load signatures [4]. The major sources of power system harmonics include switching operations, power electronic devices and other nonlinear loads and etc [7]. Electronic devices are nonlinear and thus they create distorted currents even when supplied with a purely sinusoidal voltage. As nonlinear currents flow through a facilitys electrical system and the distribution-transmission lines, additional voltage distortions are produced due to the impedance associated with the electrical network. Thus, as electrical power is generated, distributed, and utilized, voltage and current waveform distortions are produced [8]. As the number and ratings of power electronic devices connected to the power systems increase, the harmonic currents injected into power system and the resulting voltage distortions have become a major problem for power quality. This is the current issues that always be taken into account nowadays. Furthermore, the installation of power factor improving capacitors may lead to resonance conditions that amplify specific harmonic currents flowing into transformers and generators. On the other hand, large industrial ac motors may also provide a path for the harmonic currents. These currents can cause overheating problems for the motors, generators, and transformers. Power grid connected electric devices which can generate harmonic currents in the power system include fluorescent light ballast transformers, induction motors, incandescent light dimmers, overexcited transformers, arc welding equipment, AC/DC rotary converters, battery chargers, computers, and any type of device that utilize s rectified AC power to drive DC equipment [9]. 2.2.3 The Harm of Harmonics Harmonics only mean trouble if the power system is not well designed to handle them. High harmonic neutral currents are a problem only if the neutral is not properly sized. Current harmonics are not a problem to a transformer if it is derated appropriately. Even some voltage distortion below 8 % THD at the point of utilization is acceptable as long as sensitive equipment is not affected. However, it is always important to be aware of the presence of harmonics and to try to minimize them by purchasing low distortion electronic ballasts and reactors for PWM ASDs. This will not only keep the harmonics in check and improve the power factor in the facility, but will also save energy by reducing losses on power system components. In addition, any time there is a considerable increase of non-linear loads, it is important to check power system components to prevent problems. 2.2.4 Effects of Harmonics on Power System Harmonic currents and voltage distortion are becoming the most severe and complex electrical challenge for th

Essay --

e of performance enhancing drugs in sports Performance enhancing drugs should be prohibited in all associations in sports. Not only because it dismantles the playing field for all athketes but it ruins athlete’s lives and careers in many ways. Titles can be revokes and winnings can be rejected. The side effects are horrendous and it ruins the love for the sport each true athlete participates in. Athletes think that performance enhancing drugs level out the playing field and let all of the current athletes compete on the same level. This only will make things worse than they already seem. Currently there are players who trained day in and day out, putting in hard work every hour of the day, compete on the same level, and go the extra mile for the sport they love. They all compete to be the supiroror athlete but these are the ones that are being pushed to the side and not receiving any credit for their achievements. Athletes who use performance enhancing drugs have a huge advantage over athletes who don’t. athletes who do use these drug have a gain in strength, less body fat, and better bone density . Lance Armstrong is the best Cyclist out there today. He would win race after race, tour after tour, but he only accomplished this because of the use of performance enhancing drugs. He used a drug called EPO which is an illegal transfusion of oxygenated blood cells that are put into an athlete’s body to help their blood cells stay oxygenated. This drug would take the athletes ability to perform for a long period of time to a whole knew level. This gave players, cyclist, and runners such an advantage that they could be stripped of their titles or medals received if they were caught. Oprah Winfrey interviewed lance about his use of drugs.... ...e. He stated, â€Å"My son would walk the halls and tell kids that his dad did not use drugs or his dad was clean† (Oprah and Lance Armstrong). All competitors know that using performance enhancing drugs is wrong. But some know that it helps them get a step ahead of other athletes, risking their lives, family bond, and career. Even though these drugs are very desirer able the side effect are just not worth the risk. These drugs dismantle the playing field in all sports. It is not fair to other athletes who work their butts off day in and day out to achieve greatness. These drugs are not worth the risk. It’s not worth knowing that the only way you got to the top of the game was by cheating. A saying that everyone knows is cheaters never win... so get rid of performance enhancing drugs in sports or watch the concept of sports take a huge turn for the worse in the future .

Dear Shakespeare: A Critique Of The Tempest Essay -- essays research p

Dear Shakespeare: A Critique of The Tempest To Mr. William Shakespeare,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am going to get right down to business. I am writing to you regarding our recent collaboration on The Tempest. In my opinion I think we need to make a couple of changes. The first is in regards to Caliban and the second has to do with Prospero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was reading the section of the play where Caliban takes Stephano as his master I began to think about how he should be wiser by now. As is Caliban begs a drunken Stephano to be his master. In my opinion Caliban should show development by not drinking and possibly taking advantage of the drunk Stephano and Trinculo. It should develop in this fashion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caliban:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that I can assist you in your stay on the island.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stephano:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What mean you beast?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caliban:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow, And I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts, Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how To snare the nimble marmoset. I'll bring thee To clustering filberts, and I'll teach thee to get Young scamels from the rock. Does't though attend me? Stephano: I do. For all this service what want'st you in return. Caliban: I ask but one simple service. The death of my tyrant master. Stephano...

Automotive industry Essay

Maruti Suzuki India Limited generally famous as Maruti is an ancillary company of the Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation. It has a market share of 44.9% of the Indian passenger car market as of March 2011. Maruti 800 and Alto are their entry level cars. Ritz, A-Star, Swift, Wagon-R, Estilo are their hatch back models. DZire & SX4 are Maruti’s Sedan class models. Eeco and Ertiga are Maruti’s C segment class. Grand Vitara is their Sports Utility Vehicle which is directly imported from Japan. Maruti is the 1st company in India to turn out and sell more than a million cars. Maruti Udyog Limited is renamed as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd on 17th September 2007. Maruti companies head quarter is in Nelson Mandela Road, New  Delhi. The company was customary in 1989; however the actual production commenced in 1983 with their Maruti 800. Till 2004 Maruti 800 was the India’s largest selling packed in car ever, since it was launched in 1983. More than a million units of this car have been sold worldwide so far. Maruti imports diesel engines for all their diesel cars from Fiat motors. Maruti’s manufacturing plants are located at two amenities Gurgoan and Manesar south of Delhi. Gurgoan plants installed capacity is of 9, 00,000 units per annum and Manesar plant with a capacity of 5, 00,000 units per year and a diesel plant with an annual capacity of 1, 00,000 engines and transmissions. Maruti has 933 dealerships crossways 666 towns and cities in all states and union territories of India with 2,946 service stations (inclusive of dealer workshops and Maruti Authorised Service Stations) in 1,395 towns and cities all over India. It has 30 Express Service Stations on 30 National Highways across 1,314 cities in India. Service is a major source of proceeds to the company. Most of the service stations help many stranded vehicles on the highways by sending across their repair man to the vehicle. 1.2 Definition Of Marketing According to American Marketing Association (AMA) Board of Directors, Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value of customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Dr. Philip Kotler defines, marketing as â€Å"the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. It defines measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs and promotes the appropriate products and services†. 1.3 Customer Perceived Value Customer Perceived Value (CPV) is the distinction between the prospective customer’s evaluation of all the benefits and all the costs of an offering and the perceived alternatives. 1.3.1 Customer Perceived Value of Maruti Suzuki with reference to Holbrook Model Typology of Customer Value Holbrook (1994 p. 27) asserted â€Å"Value is an interactive relativistic preference experience†. Based on this Holbrook proposed a typology of consumer value having three different dimensions: Extrinsic/Intrinsic: The consumer perceives value in using or owning a product or services as a means to and end versus an end in itself. Self-oriented/Other-oriented: The consumer perceives value for the consumer’s own benefit as against the benefit of others. Active/Reactive: The customer perceives value through direct use of an object as against apprehending, appreciating or responding to an object. These three dimensions give rise to eight types of customer value Extrinsic Intrinsic Self-oriented Active Efficiency Play Reactive Excellence Aesthetics Other-oriented Active Status Ethics Reactive Esteem Spirituality Thus for a company like Maruti it would be very apt to use this model considering that the products that Maruti Suzuki has to offer fits in quite easily in different dimensions as presented in the typology. 1.3.2 Customer Perceived Value of Maruti Suzuki with reference to Monroe Model Monroe (1990, p. 46) observes, â€Å"Buyers perceptions of value represent a trade-off between the quality or benefits they perceive in the product relative to the sacrifice they perceived by paying the price† Monroe has expressed the concept of customer perceived value as the ratio between perceived benefits and perceived sacrifice: Customer Perceived Value= Perceived Benefits ________________ Perceived Sacrifice According to Monroe perceived benefits has a positive influence on consumers’ perception of product value at first, and later on it may influence consumers’ purchase intentions. In contrast, perceived sacrifice first has a negative influence on consumers’ perception of product value, and later on it may influence consumers’ purchase intentions. Perceived Benefits Here the benefits include customers’ desired value, e.g., quality (Monroe, 1990). Sacrifices, on the other hand, include monetary (price) (Dodds, et al., 1991) and non-monetary (time, effort) (Cronin, et al., 2000) considerations. Therefore, value includes three key factors: (1) quality, (2) price, and (3) convenience (Lemon, et al., 2001), where convenience is the time and effort expended by the customers (Cronin, et al., 2000) In context to Maruti, the customer’s desired value is the quality of the car and services rendered there off. Whereas the sacrifices include the price of the car, maintenance cost, etc. 1.3.3 Customer Perceived Value of Maruti with reference to Woodruff’s Model A Value-Hierarchy Model Woodruff (1997) proposed that â€Å"Customer value is a customer’s perceived preference for and evaluation of those product attributes, attribute performances and consequences arising from use that facilities achieving the customer goals and purposes in use situations.† (p146) Accordingly the customer value hierarchy suggests that customers conceive of desired value in a means-end way. Basically it can be known as a system to run businesses throughout the country by understanding customer’s goal and satisfaction over it (Lister, n.d.) Desired Customer Customer Satisfaction Value with Received Value Customer’s Goals and Purposes Desired Consequences in Use Situations Desired Product Attributes and Attribute Preferences Starting at the bottom of the hierarchy, customers start to think about products as bundles of specific attributes and attribute performances. While purchasing and using a product they form desire or preferences for a certain attribute based on their ability to facilitate achieving desired consequence experiences. Looking down the hierarchy from the top, customers use goals and preferences to attach importance to consequences. Also the customer’s use situation plays a critical role in evaluation as well as in desires. Maruti Suzuki, being an automobile manufacturing company faces a lot of competition. Thus such a model would be very essential for their company. 1.3.4 Consumer perceived value of Maruti with reference to Zeithaml Model Means-End Model An adaptation of a model first proposed by Dodds and Monroe (1985), Zeithaml with her study in 1988 about price, quality and value towards consumers defined this into the concept of Means-End model. (Source: Means-End Model, Zeithaml, 1988) 2. Value Proposition Definition of ‘Value Proposition’ A business or marketing speech that summarizes why a customer should buy an item for consumption or use a service. This statement should prove a potential buyer that one meticulous product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other like offerings. Companies use this statement to target customers who will benefit most from using the company’s products, and this helps maintain an economic moat. The ideal value proposition is concise and appeals to the customer’s strongest decision-making drivers. Companies pay a high price when customers lose slight of the company’s value proposition. 2.1 Value Proposition of Maruti Suzuki ‘Way of Life’ is the Value Proposition of Maruti Suzuki. As India is a country where comfort is vital while travelling, Maruti has always been the first option. As mileage is a big criterion with cars for Indians, Suzuki proves to be better than quite a few other names in cars as its vehicles have a higher mileage; for example Swift gives 22km/ltr while if you compare a Honda City gives around 12-13 km/litre. 2.2 Mission & Vision of Maruti Suzuki The Company Mission To make available a wide range of modern, high quality fuel efficient vehicles in order to meet the need of different customers, both in domestic and export markets. The Company Vision We must be an internationally competitive company in terms of our products and services. We must retain our leadership in India and should also aspire to be among the global players. Their focus is on: Building a continuously improving organization adaptable to quick changes Providing value and satisfaction to the customer Aligning and fully involving all our employees, suppliers and dealers to face competition Maximising Shareholder’s value 2.3 Target Market Definition of target market: A specific group of consumers at which a company aims its products and services. Maruti Suzuki has adopted a focused approach and wisely created segments within a large market to promote their cars. Lower Income Group- Maruti 800, Alto  Middle Income Group- Wagon-R, Swift, Swift DZire, Ritz High Income Group- Maruti Suzuki Kizashi, Suzuki Grand Vitara Suzuki Grand Vitara would obviously have no takers amongst the lower income group. 2.4 Market Attractiveness Market attractiveness is a term that describes the profit possibilities available in a given market or industry. The more attractive a market is, the higher the potential profits. Companies in the process of considering entires into new industries or markets conduct a number of analyses to determine whether or not such a move would be good for the business. One such analysis is a market attractiveness analysis, conducted to find out if entering a particular market or industry would be profitable and how much the company could potentially earn. The automobile industry is a huge and diversified market. It can be divided into different segments each satisfying different needs of the customers. These different segments can be classified as: SUV’s, Sedans, Hatchbacks, C segments etc. This gives an automobile company ample amount of opportunities. Maruti Suzuki  is prevalent in all of these segments and is considered as one of the premium brands in all of these segments. In this very market other than the different segments of automobiles also is the service rendered by the company to the customers. Thus the market is as attractive as one would hope for giving Maruti Suzuki a chance to make the most of it.