Organizational Culture: the Case of Turkish Construction Industry Essay

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0969-9988.htm Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry Ela Oney-YazÄ ±cÄ ±, Heyecan Giritli, Gulfer Topcu-Oraz and Emrah Acar Department of Architecture, Division of Project and Construction Management, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Purpose – The main stimulus of this study is to examine the cultural proï ¬ le of construction organizations within the context of Turkish construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 (Working Commission W112 of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. Data were collected from 107 contracting and 27 architectural ï ¬ rms, by means of a questionnaire based on OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument), a well-known and widely used measurement tool developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Findings – The ï ¬ ndings show that the Turkish construction industry has been dominated by ï ¬ rms with a mixture of clan and hierarchy cultures. In addition, the analysis reported here indicates cultural differences at organizational level in terms of ï ¬ rm type, size, and age. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry by providing empirical evidence from the Turkish construction industry. As future research direction, it highlights the need of a cross-cultural comparison among different countries, and an investigation of the effects of cultural proï ¬ les of the organizational members on organizational culture. Keywords Organizational culture, Construction industry, Turkey Paper type Research paper Turkish construction industry 519 Introduction Understanding of organizational culture is fundamental to examine what goes on in organizations, how to run them and how to improve them (Schein, 1992). Organizational culture is deï ¬ ned as the shared assumptions, beliefs and â€Å"normal behaviors† (norms) present in an  organization. Most organizational scholars and observers recognize that organizational culture has a powerful effect on the performance and long-term effectiveness of organizations. Cameron and Quinn (1999) propose that what differentiates successful ï ¬ rms from others is their organizational culture. With the worldwide globalization trends, special attention has been given to the study of organizations and their cultures. Empirical studies of organizational culture have been carried out across various countries and industries (Hofstede, 1997; Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner, 1998; Cameron and Quinn, 1999; see among others). In comparison there seems to be a limited number of published studies related The funding for this study was provided by the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey and is gratefully acknowledged. After reviewing research on organizational culture, Ankrah and Langford (2005) have concluded that there is a need to become more aware of the importance of this phenomenon and its impact on organizational performance in the construction industry. The main reasons for the growing importance of the organizational culture can be explained by the internationalization of the construction markets (Low and Shi, 2001), and the fragmented nature of the industry (Hillebrant, 2000). It is a well-known fact that international construction ï ¬ rms have faced many problems due to conï ¬â€šicts, confrontations, misunderstandings, and the differences in ways of doing business with other cultures (Gould and Joyce, 2000). On the other hand, the adversarial relations between different project participants are assumed to be inï ¬â€šuenced by the cultural orientations of the stakeholders (Phua and Rowlinson, 2003). Thus, the study of cultural issues should be addressed when considering the globalization of construction markets. Additionally, it is a common belief that organizations that have developed within similar environments usually have similar cultures and related mindsets with regard to ways of doing business. For this reason, the research reported in this paper, aims to contribute to an understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry using data from a developing country, such as Turkey, where there is no study in this ï ¬ eld. Findings of the study may also have implications for other cultures with a similar make-up. Background study Despite different deï ¬ nitions of organizational culture, there is a consensus among organizational researchers that it refers to the shared meanings or assumptions, beliefs and understandings held by a group. More comprehensively, Schein (1992) deï ¬ ned organizational culture as: [. . .] a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.  ´ Similarly, Deshpande and Webster (1989, p. 4) proposed that organizational culture is: [. . .] the pattern of shared values and beliefs that help individuals understand organizational functioning and thus provide them with norms for behaviors in the organization. There is an extensive body of knowledge in the literature that deals with organizational culture. Many researchers have proposed a variety of dimensions and attributes of organizational culture. Among them, Hofstede has been very inï ¬â€šuential in studies of organizational culture. Drawing on a large sample of 116,000 employees of IBM in 72 countries, Hofstede identiï ¬ ed four dimensions of culture. These four dimensions used to differentiate between cultures are: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism. Beyond these, Hofstede (1997) also identiï ¬ ed the process/results oriented, employee/job oriented, parochial/professional, open/closed system, loose/tight control and normative/pragmatic dimensions of culture. These dimensions have been commonly adapted and applied in studies of organizational culture  (Sà ¸dergaard, 1996). Other comprehensive studies into organizational culture have been carried out, notably by Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner (1993), who conducted an extensive research into the attitudes of 15,000 managers over a ten-year period in 28 different countries. They proposed ï ¬ ve cultural dimensions: (1) universalism/particularism; (2) collectivism/individualism; (3) neutral/affective relationships; (4) diffuse/speciï ¬ c relationships; and (5) achievement/ascription. When dealing with a multitude of dimensions, typologies are usually considered as an alternative to provide a simpliï ¬ ed means of assessing cultures. In this regard, typologies are commonly used in the studies of organizational culture. Notable contributors to these typologies include Handy (1993, 1995) who identiï ¬ ed the club, role, task and person typologies, and Quinn (1988) who identiï ¬ ed the market, hierarchy, adhocracy and clan typologies of culture. Since the culture is regarded as a crucial factor in the long-term effectiveness of organizations, it becomes important to be able to measure organizational culture. Accordingly, a range of tools designed to measure organizational culture have been developed and applied in industrial, educational, and health care settings over the last two decades. All these tools examine employee perceptions and opinions about their working environment (the so-called â€Å"climate† of an organization) but only a few, such as the Competing Values Framework and the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI), try to examine the values and beliefs that inform those views (Scott et al., 2003). The majority of the existing studies in the Construction Management ï ¬ eld mostly attempt to appropriate the theoretical models and measurement tools of the management literature. For instance, Maloney and Federle (1991, 1993) introduced the competing values framework for analyzing the cultural elements in American engineering and construction organizations. Focusing on the relationship between the organizational culture and effectiveness, Zhang and Liu (2006) examined the organizational culture proï ¬ les of construction enterprises in China by means of OCI and Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), the measurement tool of the Competing Values Framework developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Rowlinson (2001), using Handy’s organizational culture and Hofstede’s national culture frameworks, investigated the cultural aspects of  organizational change in the construction industry. Ankrah and Langford (2005) proposed a new measurement tool after analyzing all cultural dimensions and typologies developed in the literature and highlighted the cultural variability between organizations in the project coalition. Literature review shows that despite the growing importance of organizational culture in construction research, there are few cross-cultural, empirical studies. This may be due to the difï ¬ culties of conducting research in several countries. The study reported in this paper forms a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 on â€Å"Culture in Construction†, concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. The aim of the research project is to develop an international â€Å"Inventory of Culture in Construction†. It continues to stimulate new participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and America. Research methodology Measurement of culture represents difï ¬ culties, particularly in respect of the identiï ¬ cation of cultural groups and boundaries. This is further complicated by the nature of the construction industry in which projects are temporary and participants are subject to the values and beliefs of their employing organization, professional groups and project organizations. There is an ongoing debate concerning the study of culture among construction management scholars. However, it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the methodological aspects of studying culture in the construction industry. In order to be compatible with the studies conducted in other countries participating in the CIB W112 research, Cameron and Quinn’s (1999) â€Å"Competing Values Framework† (CVF) as well as their measurement tool named â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument† (OCAI) are adopted as the conceptual paradigm for analysis in this study. The CVF was originally proposed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) to understand organizational effectiveness, and was later applied to explore different  issues relative to organizations (Al-Khalifa and Aspinwall, 2001). The CVF is based on two major dimensions. The ï ¬ rst dimension emphasizes the organizational focus (internal versus external), whereas the second one distinguishes between the stability and control and the ï ¬â€šexibility and discretion. These two dimensions form four quadrants (see Figure 1), each representing a major type of organizational culture: (1) clan; (2) adhocracy; (3) market; and (4) hierarchy. Figure 1. The competing values framework Theoretically, these four cultural typologies exist simultaneously in all organizations; therefore, archetypes may be used to describe the pattern of the organizational culture (Paperone, 2003). Sampling and data collection Unit of analysis for this study were the contracting and architectural ï ¬ rms operating in the Turkish Construction Industry. A number of 351 ï ¬ rms were contacted, and 134 of them participated in the study giving a response rate of 38.18 per cent. The ï ¬ rms were selected by judgmental sampling procedure. The judgment criteria used for selection were: . origin of nationality, with emphasis on local ï ¬ rms; . size based on number of employees, with emphasis placed on medium and large ï ¬ rms; and . industry position based on market share, with the focus on the 12 largest ï ¬ rms. Sample consisted of a total of 826 respondents (74.9 per cent male, 25.1 per cent female) including both managerial and non-managerial professionals. The questionnaire comprised two parts. Part I included questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the ï ¬ rms and respondents, which are presented in Table I. Although the analysis conducted in this study was at ï ¬ rm level, the characteristics of the respondents are also provided in Table I to reï ¬â€šect a better proï ¬ le Frequency Characteristics of the ï ¬ rms (N  ¼ 134) Number of ï ¬ rms: Contracting Architectural Firm age (years): ,15 16-25 .25 Size of ï ¬ rms (number of full-time employees): Small Medium Large Characteristics of the respondents (N  ¼ 826) Number of respondents: Contracting Architectural Gender: Female Male Age of respondents (years): 30 and under 31-40 41-50 51 and above Percentage  of the sample. As is seen in Table I, contracting ï ¬ rms are representing the 79.9 per cent of t he sampled organizations and 87.5 per cent of the respondents. For the purpose of this study, organizations with less than 50 employees were classiï ¬ ed as small (46 per cent), those with 51-150 as medium (28 per cent), and those with more than 150 as large (25 per cent). The contracting ï ¬ rms in the survey were generally medium and large-sized whereas the architectural ï ¬ rms were small in size. Searching for the cultural orientations of the ï ¬ rms, Part II was adopted from the â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI)† developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). OCAI consists of six different questions which are relevant to the key dimensions of organizational culture: (1) dominant characteristics; (2) organizational leadership; (3) management of employees; (4) organizational glue; (5) strategic emphases; and (6) criteria for success. Each question has four alternative statements representing different cultural orientations making a total of 24 questions. All respondents were asked to rate their organizations’ culture on a ï ¬ ve-point Likert scale. In this scoring system, for each of the ï ¬ ve response categories (completely true, mostly true, partly true, slightly true, never true) a score of 1-5 was assigned, with the highest score of 5 being assigned to â€Å"completely true†. The overall cultural proï ¬ le of an organization was then derived by calculating the  average score of all respondents from the same ï ¬ rm. Reliability coefï ¬ cients (Cronbach alpha) were calculated for each of the different culture types being assessed by the instrument. Coefï ¬ cients were 0.89 for the clan and adhocracy cultures, and 0.86 for the market and hierarchy cultures, which indicate the fairness of all culture types. Results and discussion A cultural proï ¬ le score for each organization was obtained by averaging the respondent’s rating for each cultural type across the six dimensions. This provided an indication of the cultural orientation of sampled ï ¬ rms based on the four cultural types. The average scores for all the participating ï ¬ rms are shown in Table II. As is seen from the table, the dominant culture of the sample is clan culture. Respondents identiï ¬ ed hierarchy type as the next most dominant in their organizations. These predominant cultures were followed by adhocracy and market, respectively. The sampled ï ¬ rms tend to have values consistent with employee focus or clan culture and internal process or hierarchy culture. The values consistent with external orientation and results focus are emphasized to a lesser extent. This ï ¬ nding contributes to our understanding of the alignment between national and organizational cultures. According to Hofstede’s (1980, 2001) model of national culture, Turkey has been described as being high on the collectivism and power distance value dimensions. This suggests that organizational cultures in Turkish ï ¬ rms are characterized by both unequal (or hierarchical) and harmonious, family-like (clan) relationships.

Germany experienced a period of political Essay

Political calm, spd can’t compromise, Hindenburg causing problems, lack of cooperation between parties causing polarisation but no outright revolutions that happened during 1919-24, growing foreign relations lorcano/treaty of berlin Economic development, result of lorcano meant breathing space from reparations also dawes and young plan and rentenmark – dawes plan borrowed US money lead to increase in capital. Later though fulfilment still causing problems and unemployment pay is causing issues, increase in taxes Social progress, conservative right unhappy and manifests in literature and cinema expressing glory in WW1 contrasts with neue sachlichkiet modern Weimar culture, Bauhaus linking art and functionality. Highlighting social issues within Weimar Overall relative calm but lack of progress, economic development but in short term and social progress but not helping Weimar. The years 1924 to 1929 are often described as the ‘Golden years’ but it is debatable to what extent Germany actually experienced political calm, economic development and social progress during this time. Certainly there was not the turbulence of post-war Germany and the consequences of the crippling Versaille Treaty were not as harsh in this period but this does not mean it was a time of development and progress. It can be suggested that it was not a period ‘of political calm’, there was certainly a lot of tension between the various political parties that made up the many coalition governments in this period, the failure of so many governments alone suggests that there were serious political issues. The narrowing of the interests of each party meant that it was becoming increasingly difficult for effective coalition governments to be formed. The SPD were especially difficult in this time as they were against compromising with the ‘bourgeois parties’ as they felt a change in ideals would occur and proposed policies like the Heidelberg Programme which would see private ownership of industry be taken over by social owners. Obviously many parties from the left felt this but the SPD had the largest amount of seats in the Reichstag, over 150 at their peak in the 20’s, and therefore had the ability to put the government into a stalemate. The SPD’s inability to compromise makes the political stage even worse when Hindenburg is elected as president  in 1925. Hindenburg, being a veteran of the Franco-Prussian war and the general who won the battle of Tannenburg was already conservative and took as many steps as he could to reduce the power the SPD had. Hindenburg also believed the powers of the president should be unrestrained and even blocked a draft that would limit his ability to use Article 48. This incoduscive atmosphere meant that by the time the SPD were willing to cooperate with a coalition government, individual interests and polarisation of parties had developed and no one else was interested. Therefore this cannot be classed as a period of political calm due to the stagnant politica l system. However, it could be suggested that this tension is to be expected as people are still feeling the effects of the First World War and political calm could be defined by the lack of extreme political parties attempting to take over. When this era is compared to the years 1919 to 1924 it is by far a time of political calm as there were no outright attempts at revolution. The years before saw extreme right and left wing idealists try to take over and the fact that this was not attempted during the ‘golden years’ meant it was a time of relative political calm. This is not to mention the successes in Stresemann’s foreign policy, which put Germany back on track to becoming a serious European power once again. The admittance of Germany into the league of nations and the signing of various treaties, such as the Lorcano treaty, meant Germany were in a period of political calm; not experiencing the diplomatic humiliation of the years before. The various treaties signed by Stresemann also helped the economic development in this period. The Dawes gained significant investments from the US and the Young Plan reduced the reparations Germany would have to pay, and set a timescale for how long they would have to pay. This gave the country some ‘breathing space’ to repair and develop its own economy. The young plan, for example, reduced the amount they would have to pay by 1700 million marks than they would in conjunction with the Dawes plan. These plans, alongside the introduction of the rentenmark meant there was an increase in German capital in this period, which can certainly be classed as a period of economic development. Whilst there is definitely evidence of economic development in the mid-1920’s it did also experience financial issues. The increase in unemployment, 15% of the workforce were unemployed by 1929, put a heavy strain on the welfare system of Weimar Germany. The institution for paying unemployment benefits had to borrow money from the Government, 342 million reichsmarks, and the parties could not agree how to find this money. The SPD would increase taxes while the DVP would cut benefits. This can be seen as a backwards move in economic development, as the system did not address the problem of unemployment, but just found more money to pay it, with the decision of how to pay for the unemployment benefits was delayed until 1930. This can be seen as the government almost shooting themselves in the foot and making a short term fix for a long term problem. This short-sightedness can also be argued to be found in Stresemann’s policies, for borrowing money from the US. An international financial crisis would leave over-dependant-on-America Germany in a high amount of debt, which is what happened when the Wall Street Crash occurred. Therefore it can be said that these years were a period of economic development, but that there would be little long term effect on the country from these developments. Social progress is probably the only contention that can be absolutely agreed with, with very influential movements like the Bauhaus dominating this period of time, summed up as Neue Schlachkliet. This movement, saw a progression in modern views and an attempt to undermine the Weimar government by exposing the issues faced through literature, theatre and film. The need for educational and social reform was well documented and although this did not bode well for the Weimar government it definitely showed progress in attitudes of the general public. The conservative nature of many Germans could still be found and also classed as a social progress in the form of anti-democratic writings and films that promoted the glory of the First World war. The two social ideas both grew in this period, but neither celebrated the Weimar Government so whilst it was undoubtedly social progress it was not productive for the Weimar republic. There is definitely a case for political calm, economic development and social progress in the mid-1920’s but they were not necessarily the advances  that would warrant the term ‘golden years’. The political calm was only due to a lack of serious opposition to the government but still they could not successfully form an effective coalition government and whilst the economy did improve in this time the provisions made were short-sighted and the country was over-reliant on foreign investments. Whilst social progress was made in this era it is easy to see that the progress wasnot in the name of democracy and presented the Weimar government with future problems as popular ideology differed from what they promoted.

The Things They Carried: Book Review

The characters and situational plots bring a sense of depth to the Vietnam War that is not always confronted or even appreciated. The novel's stories are recounted from a narrative perspective describing occurrences within a platoon of the Alpha Company serving in Vietnam. O'Brien himself Is the narrator describing through flash backs and written Journal entries what the war was like through his eyes. The flashbacks are not written In sequence; rather, they jump from one point in time to another as they might in any real soldier's thoughts.This unique perspective gives insight to how a former soldier thinks and dreams about what he encountered. The language of the book is true to the culture and creates doubt that any of the characters or events are fictional. The platoon is made up of several important characters all having their own unique quirks, habits, ambitions and dreams. Death, Injury and surviving are undoubtedly key elements to the stories, as are the things the soldiers ca rried with them. From emotions and memories to weapons and supplies, the things they carried are extensive both in context and in quantity.Each individual story within the book is a memory of O'Brien and sometimes is told from the perspective of his companion oldie's. The stories carry with them elements of grief, love, passion and guilt and the setting details are so Intense the reader can practically hear the firing of arms In the background. O'Brien mission of recounting the Vietnam war through a soldier perspective Is accomplished and a new side of history is revealed even through these fictional occurrences.Frequently, the Vietnam War is remembered for its controversy, longevity and brutality; rarely is the individual soldier's story counted as a valid part of this history. O'Brien reminds the reader that for the soldiers fighting and dying, the AR was not political or something to be protested; It was simply a stage in life that they so desperately hoped to live through. The h istory that the novel offers Is one that is accurate and in tune with thousands of deceased and former soldier's experiences and is a version of history that is as accurate as any other.Author Tim O'Brien did a remarkable Job at incorporating himself into the story and into the life of Vietnam veteran. His ability to make the reader feel what he felt, both during and in the years after the war, Is noteworthy as Is his ability to retell erosion of the same story from various character perspectives. Despite these being honest is hard to determine. Several times his narration alerts the reader that what he is retelling may or may not be accurate and asserts that fabricating stories is the heart of a true war story.In moments throughout the novel, and especially towards the end, the reader is left to second guess why the fictional O'Brien dreamed up so many elaborate details, or if he even did. This confusion was one part of the novel that I personally could have done without. Regardles s, the heart of the novel emends the reader how valuable a soldier's perspective is to history. One of the most realistic issues raised is that of how returning soldiers are treated. Especially in the Vietnam era, veterans felt a since of dismissal, lack of respect, and a longing to return to the war they both hated and loved.Today's generation of veterans similarly experience these emotions, betrayals and face issues of depression, PUTS and reforming themselves to fit into the civilian world. I believe it was O'Brien aim to bring awareness to the loneliness war veterans' feel and the lack of respect they too often experience. It is novels like The Things They Carried that can help to articulate the emotions that these veterans wish they could express themselves but often suppress instead. This novel is relevant to anyone wanting to learn more about the Vietnam War from an informal, non-political perspective.Though fictional, the content is based on realistic events and happenings t hroughout the United States and in Vietnam. It gives insight to the impact that the draft had on young, American men and how they sometimes coped with receiving orders to deploy despite their own set of ambitions. The novel informs the reader on the various roles the soldiers had, the disconnect they experienced with the outside world and higher-ranking commanders, and what they encountered after returning home.Unlike history textbooks, The Things They Carried uses pathos to create an impact with the reader that will likely remain intact far longer than the official historical perspective. Reading this novel was a rewarding experience primarily because it is not a novel I would have normally read. However, after doing so, I am anxious to read other war stories Tim O'Brien has written. As a former military spouse, I experienced war from a different perspective. My version of war is one that consists of waiting, worrying and being lonely.I related a lot of the content I was reading to stories told (and UN-told) by my own veteran husband. I especially loved how a substantial part of the language and acronyms used is something that only those with military experience or knowledge can truly appreciate and comprehend. Using this military cultural language made the stories seem more fact than fiction. Previous to this class, I had little understanding of previous wars. Now, I'm better able to imagine and attempt to understand what it is that soldiers endure and the honor they truly deserve before and after returning home.Overall, Tim O'Brien has done history the great favor of writing this novel to help illustrate the impact of the Vietnam War. It is fast-paced, enjoyable and written from an interesting angle. I enjoyed reading it and believe I learned more about Vietnam than I would have from any other non-fiction source. I am confident that anyone interested in learning about war and experiencing a soldier's love and loss will appreciate this great historical ficti on novel as well.

The world of Sports matematics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The world of Sports matematics - Research Paper Example Just to mention but a few, in crickets, it serves to establish the number of runs and to enumerate the total number of runs needed in each over, what is referred to as the run rate. This is critical in beating the opponent. The discipline also serves in majoring the courtyards in football and to mark the perimeter from say the mount all through to home plate in baseball. The field is often 100 yards long and so it is marked at an interval of 10 yards using a line. This brings about the center being 50 yards from either side and divides the two teams halfway apart. In athletics otherwise referred to as sprints, mathematics is used to determine the speed of an individual relative to the opposition’s. This is achieved by determining two variables, which are the distance covered and the stride frequency. An interesting mathematical concept is involved in interpreting the speeds of any given athlete. To ascertain the technique best suits a sprinter in so far as take off is concerned, the athlete’s tangential slope is used to gauge his or her velocity. The results are then exposed to three modus operandi. In order to establish who among the players is best based on performance and contribution of the match, mathematical concepts still set in. The number of passes he or she receives and the number of complete passes he makes are translated into numbers, counted and used to determine their performance throughout the season. Baseball for instance derives its popularity from statistics which was used to keep records and tracks from home runs. The major operations such as subtraction, division, addition and multiplication have been used to bring fourth analysis and rational judgments in matters of sports. In football for example, there must be designated teams according to each pool and all these have to battle it out in order to secure a place on top of the pool. This in essence calls for counting of the number of goals scored, the

Cultural diversity in the workplace Research Paper

Cultural diversity in the workplace - Research Paper Example It has always been a good sign within any organization when employees find it easy to communicate with one another. It allows for fresh ideas to flow and linkages become easier to manage. Any company that fosters multicultural relationships eventually reaps the benefits in the long run (Cox, 1994). On the same footing, the organizations which lack the basic skills of getting along with their employees lose out on quite a few tangents. If employees feel that they are being looked after well and that they continue to grow along with one another, it becomes a very attractive proposition for them to stay with such an organization for quite a long period of time. Also they have positive things to say about such multicultural diversity realms that have come about within the organizational levels. When employees have good relationships existing within their fore, they find it easier to work along. This brings in more productivity for the organization which essentially helps everyone to grow and develop. Good relations immensely allow for effectiveness and efficiency to reign in as and when required. This means that the employees feel that they are not made to work while being caged but they feel free and relaxed whilst working at their best. This is a good omen for the organization because it then knows that its employees are growing along together, and working to their best to foster relationships that would eventually boost the basis of the business from a strategic viewpoint. When employees come from different backgrounds, they bring with them a plethora of knowledge and skills which are specific to their respective natures. Similarly their cultural values are transferred quite easily towards a multicultural diverse setting which has prospered within the organization. The need is to understand where success lies and how to derive it for the best possible results in the long run. This will set the ball rolling for the employees and give them the much needed edge tha t they so require. Also it will tell all concerned how serious the organizational environment is in terms of fostering relationships and what this means for the sake of the business in the long run. It indeed is a win-win situation which needs to be studied, properly analyzed and then taken into consideration before being implemented in a head on fashion. When creativity is much desired, diversity resolves this issue instantly. This is because diversity allows the people to come from different backgrounds and thus explore the basis of creatively tackling a problem at hand. It also gives the permission to find out alternatives which might not have come about if diversity was absent. Any organization that knows the true value of creativity would always give its employees a chance to express themselves and this can only happen when there is a workforce which is open to understand each other better. Business creativity gets enhanced when people hailing from different backgrounds give in their side of the experience which essentially is a success factor (Boyett & Conn, 1992). This makes the organization feel proud that it offered the multicultural workforce a chance to express themselves, which came about in the form of creativity within the business ranks. It always allows the top management to find out where they can explore new options and how the routes can be envisaged for the same. Some

Does New Institutional Economics Helps a Business in Assessing Risk of Assignment - 1

Does New Institutional Economics Helps a Business in Assessing Risk of Foreign Direct Investment - Assignment Example In order to fully understand and analyze the role of new institutional economics (NIE) in risk assessment of foreign direct investment (FDI), we first need to develop a sound understanding of the new institutional economics and various aspects of foreign direct investment. In this paper I will discuss what is New Institutional Economics and its background; and how it is dissimilar from traditional economics. Its various impacts and demands will also be discussed. I will also discuss help of NIE in finding solutions which were previously unresolved. What change in a system is required for its implementation? NIE is not without its shortcomings it also poses some problems. In this paper, we will try to analyze the impact of NIE on foreign direct investment. Does NIE help in any way assessing the risk associated with foreign direct investment? The term new institutional economics was invented by Oliver Williamson in 1990’s. It now refers to various active theoretical currents which belief in the importance of institutions. They also believe 1(Barnard Chavance, 2009) that importance of institutions can also be analyzed with the instruments of standard economic theory with some adjustments. He emphasized on the absence of the existence of the firms in the conventional economics. He uses the cost of using the price mechanism as his basis. The search of appropriate prices and negotiation of separate contracts can be costly for individuals. Hence an individual volunteers himself under the authority of an organization or entrepreneur to sell his services to the market. Hence market transactions are eliminated and firm replaces the market thus economizing the cost of price determination. He developed the concept of transaction cost. Differing cultural values provide an advantage. The nature of the labour force shows that the cost of overcoming the difference in culture is sometimes worth the cost because of other benefits.  Ã‚  

Controlling at UPS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Controlling at UPS - Essay Example As the report declares UPS has a firmly entrenched management development process that begins the first day of hire for a manager. This managerial development process is UPS’ method to instill effective planning within its daily operations as well as its overall strategy in response to constant innovation in its industry. Again, it’s one derived from the founder’s philosophy of â€Å"constructive dissatisfaction† which stipulates that management should never be content because operations are working, but should continually search for ways to improve on the positive. This paper stresses that when management is ingrained with this type of corporate culture it learns to plan as a matter of practice. UPS could not effectively be the company it is if each individual manager at each level treated his or her own area of responsibility as a fiefdom since each department relies on the functions of so many others. To institute this structured management training and to instill in employees that sense of responsibility and trust in the training of others to perform in the same manner, UPS has traditionally instituted all training in a classroom environment. Because UPS daily moves 6% of the Nation’s GDP, operates the 11th largest airline in the world, has the largest private wireless network, and operates the largest DB2 database outside of government. UPS has begun to incorporate its training and indoctrination programs into its corporate technology infrastructure: â€Å"The information services side of UPS recently transitioned much of its learni ng to an e-learning format†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .

Moon shots and unemployment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Moon shots and unemployment - Essay Example According to the former president of United States, unemployment is not structural but it is largely due to the incapability of the firms to hire professionals suitable for the jobs. In other words, the people being hired are not competent enough for the jobs being offered to them. One of the solutions to this problem should be the development of a proper Human Resource system that would facilitate all the companies to hire people who perfectly fit in the given criteria. Job descriptions for each post should be developed and talent hunt should be conducted subsequently. However, the problem faced by USA is much more deep-rooted than this. While other developing countries like China are building on their core-competencies and looking for newer and bigger entrepreneurial ventures (for example, electric car manufacturing), USA is spending billions in Afghanistan. This is very dangerous for the country. USA should therefore invest in discovering new avenues for economic growth, rather than being so politically active in wars all around the world. Otherwise China will become an economic superpower in the upcoming years and USA will be importing products like electric cars from

Critical analysis on an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Critical analysis on an - Article Example Though this type of research is not new by any stretch of the imagination, the rigor and thorough nature of the datasets and graphs that the authors present help to engender a degree of well reasoned argument with which the reader can both understand as well as identify with. Although the weakness of the approach are not specifically enumerated upon, the authors begin the piece by discussing the ways in which the study of directional evolution risks over-simplifying the subject matter and ultimately reducing the research question to a form of â€Å"what came first the chicken or the egg†. As a means of addressing such a threat, the piece seeks to lay out a firm and rigid framework of analysis which does not allow any form of broad generalizations on the subject matter (Whittall et al 706). As far as influencing the views of this particular student and providing a bigger picture conclusions, it can be definitively stated that the results that the piece has proven leave little if any doubt in the mind with regards to the clear and inarguable nature of directional evolution and the means through which it occurs. As a function of the bigger picture, this can be understood to re-affirm Darwin’s original theory and helps to shed a further light o n the ways in which individual species evolve, grow, and develop over

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Marketing - Essay Example Today’s world has created green image a necessity for businesses to grow, not only from environmental issues but also from competitive advantage’s point of view. Most of the businesses are adopting green image to be environment friendly. Some businesses follow green marketing to sell the benefits of the products while other in this capacity follows green businesses by running their operations in a green environment. Marketing- Growing Green This paper deals with marketing issues dealt in â€Å"Growing Green; The smart paths to developing sustainable products by Gregory Unruh & Richard Ettenson.† Thorough analysis of this article mentions the methods and problems related to growing green businesses. Green competition is increasing in today’s world due to resource allocation with respect to environmental issues. With the advent in knowhow of green products, marketing and businesses; most companies are adopting it as their competitive advantage. Patagonia is also one of them, who shifted their strategies towards environment friendly culture. Patagonia started as a small business to assist the climbers and surfers by making tools for them. Their main focus was to target all silent sport lovers by providing them with cloths and tools for climbing. This business was the main inspiration by the interest of the founder in these sports. Patagonia not only cared for the customer but also have a great love for the nature and its beauty. The notion of saving the environment brought them towards ecofreindly production. Their aim was not only to go green but also to take others â€Å"go green† in the industry. First green strategy of Patagonia was use of ecofriendly raw material in their cloths production. They used recycled polyester rather than cotton which usually contains pesticides. They have developed very high standards for being environment friendly users. They modify their product designs, manufacturing capacities, utilization of r aw material and energy sources to reduce the effect of these entire on environment. (Rarick, Charles A, Feldman, Lori S, 2008) They company started their journey of green image in early summer of 1994. This was the immediate response to the harmful impacts of their company on the environment. Research and development department conducted a thorough research on use of fibers predcted the major cause of dreadful impact on earth. "If we continue to make clothes with conventionally grown cotton, knowing what we know now, we're toast anyway. Let's do it; let's go organic."(Yvon, 1994) He advised the company to go green. There came an issue of dealing with the resources, company had and growing green through manufacturing of green products. For Patagonia it was difficult to sustain their image as a green business due to fewer resources, but it was necessary to do as a right thing for the environment. The sense of environmental responsibility can be use as a source of business differentiat ion and company growth through competitor’s intelligence. (Unrah. G, Ettenson. R, 2010) Green product development brought unique cultural and execution challenges to the company. This was important to address properly for the sustainability of the green business. In the case of growing green by Gregory Unrah and Richard Ettenson, many marketing issues related to green businesses were dealt. They mainly focused on the following issues. Sustainability Strategy formation Advertisement Positioning of the brand Green marketing Execution Same faced the

Life in the Colonial Cities Essay Example for Free

Life in the Colonial Cities Essay The people of early colonial America settled mainly in rural areas and farms. Eventually, by the end of the 18th century, cities became dominant settlements over the rural regions. The cities of colonial America were heavily influences by British; the latest fashions of dress, social ideas, and furniture among other things were imported from Great Britain. As the size of cities grew, problems in health and sanitation began to arise. Throughout all of the major cities, taverns were the common places where everyone would meet. The cities of colonial America helped spread the European Enlightenment across the Atlantic. This in turn helped create an American Enlightenment movement, which started primarily in the major cities. Cities helped develop the advancement of learning in science, literature, and the arts. They were also centers for manufacturing and commerce, where industry boomed. The major cities of America included Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Newport, and Charleston. In these large cities, many problems began to surface. These difficulties involved health, sanitation, police protection, and fire prevention. To decrease these problems meant that the city would have to work together and stop with individualistic ways. Philadelphia was the most heavily populated, and most sophisticated of the major cities. They had brick roads and sidewalks including street lamps, which turned on every night. There was a regular night watch along with volunteers for fire protection and there were also many booksellers. Some people were unhappy with Philadelphias design while others thought the city to be a masterpiece. Boston was another populous city, thanks to its elegance and in general the manners of its people. The people of Boston had many luxuries, such as coach rides where slaves served the customers. Also, the Mall was a very popular place among the people. The Mall was a beautiful Common with trees and paths, which was an imitation of St Jamess Park. Although Boston was not as  densely populated as Philadelphia, Boston offered a cleaner and more open society. New York City preserved many of its native Dutch traditions and qualities. A lot of the buildings were built of brick, which was the common Dutch style. New York also had developed into the headquarters of the British North American Army. Many New Yorkers were influenced greatly by Britain, which meant that the people were considered to have excellent manners. Taverns were the centers of social life in the cities, also called the principal social institution of colonial America. The taverns social class ranged greatly depending on its surrounding areas. Some taverns housed the low lifes and poor people while others only accepted gentleman. Most of the pubs were a place for common people to discuss any matters at hand. Some say the foundation of the Revolutionary War was planned in taverns. Some people felt as if taverns were causing some problems in society. Benjamin Franklin was one of the major figures that tried to limit the number of taverns in cities. He argued that the number of taverns might cause poverty to many of the people and the surrounding neighborhood. However, taverns could be considered good to the cities because they were the closest form of business enterprise in colonial America to this point. Although in the early years of colonial America, many people resided in the rural areas, the cities became more populated over time. Taverns were a main reason for people moving from farms to the cities. The conditions of the city werent excellent, as the water supply was not very sanitary and garbage disposal was a major issue. However, these factors made for the beginning of a new nation and helped form how America is today.

Agriculture in the Amazon Rainforest Essay Example for Free

Agriculture in the Amazon Rainforest Essay Throughout a hundred centuries people have worked hard to sustain productive agriculture and dense human populations. Certain forms of agriculture are possible, and should be considered sustainable, for the economic development of tropical rainforests. For thousands of years humans have created a disturbance in the rainforests by creating areas of concentrated diversity of species within the landscape. The Indigenous people of the Amazon fostered palm forests, groves of Brazil nuts and fruit trees, and vine forests near ancient Amazonian settlements. Environmentalists could argue that rainforests can be â€Å"saved† by through the restriction of economic growth, but it is vital to realize that the local communities will not approve parks and reserves, as it is in their interest to conserve the rainforest. The shifted cultivator who forces small farmers into the forest to begin new farmlands causes about 60% of deforestation in Amazon. Researchers have warned if we continue to change the use of the land it can affect the region’s climate, and the absorption of carbon dioxide in the Amazon. By converting forests into cropland there is a pronounced ecological and climate impact than land conversions because it involves the complete removal of land biomass, including tree trunks, stumps and woody roots. † (Mike Bettwy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). A better approach to addressing the increasing problem of deforestation in the Amazon is to follow the methods that have been used by indigenous forest dwellers for thousands of years. Many cleared forest areas used for agriculture can be salvaged by cultivation techniques. Annual crops, pasture land, are some examples of what can be done to increase agricultural productivity and to reduce the destruction in many rainforests. Effects of human population on the Ecosystem Over 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has been destroyed, in addition to the Amazon Rainforest is gone forever. Unfortunately with human population, the Amazon Rainforest has had effects with loss and harm to the population of wild species. A lot of the land is being clear for cattle ranches, mining operations, logging and subsistence agriculture. According to Raintree (1996) â€Å"Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. If this was happening in 1996, we can only imagine that in 2012 it is so much worst. Sustainability and Conservation Overpopulation causes many problems to the Amazon rainforest. More than 20% of Earths oxygen is produced in this area. As the area is reduced more carbon dioxide will be found the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is important to this issue because plants need it to give off oxygen, which humans need to survive, not only for oxygen but also for food and nutrition for out health. Carbon dioxide is not necessarily a bad thing unless a large amount pollutes the air we need to breathe. Not only can overpopulation of the Amazon affect the air we breathe, but it will also affect the wildlife, water, and food we need to survive. There are over 200 species of trees in on hectare of the Amazon. This is important because there are so many possible cures for life threatening diseases. The Amazon is home to mare species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. Some interesting animals live in the Amazon and a lot of them are very rare. For example, a new species of freshwater fish, brown-spider monkey and a frog called â€Å"cowboy frog†, were some of the amazing animals discovered in the Amazon. The animals found in the Amazon are endless. It is amazing the new discoveries that have happened over the years and the new ones to come. The animals in the Amazon have live there longer that humans have lived on this planet. The Amazon is one of the largest natural resources and with overpopulation more and more rainforest are becoming non-existent.

Kicking Performance and Kick Co-ordination Training

Kicking Performance and Kick Co-ordination Training The effects of a strength and kick co-ordination training programme on lower limb velocity, ball velocity and knee extensor strength: Differences between male and female football players. Football (also known as soccer) is one of the most popular team sports worldwide (Katis Kellis, 2007) with hundreds of millions purported to play (Masuda et al, 2005) and in accordance is watched on 6 continents (Ekstrand, 1994). Due to this popularity, football is a widely researched area with the volume of literature extensive. Various research programmes have been undertaken in the area of football kick biomechanics with a range of parameters being measured and analysed, in an attempt to understand the fundamental skills required by the sport, especially the maximal soccer kick (Lees Nolan, 1998). Although the field is widely researched gaps still transpire. One of these gaps is gender differences; little research is documented on the kick biomechanics of womens football as said by Barfield et al (2002), who states the rapid rise in female participation in soccer worldwide has not been followed by a corresponding increase in the number of studies biomechanically that target fema le kicking patterns to determine if differences exist between males and females. Lee and Nolan (1998) state that success in football depends on kicking performance, with new aspects of this being identified (Kathis Kellis, 2007). Shan and Westerhoff (2005) believe that the scientific understanding of the sport is not yet on the same echelon as its practice, subsequently its partakers acquire their skills not through research based instruction but through individual experience; suggesting that biomechanical feedback may facilitate an athlete further. Kicking performance and kick co-ordination Biomechanical kicking success in football has been measured predominately by maximum ball velocity (Markovic et al, 2006) with Dorge et al (2002) stating it could be this speed that is particularly important when kicking towards goal. When kicking a ball, players will use the most appropriate form dependant on the intent and nature of the outcome (Numone et al, 2002) and according to a study by Grant et al (1998), who analysed data from the 1998 World Cup, the instep kick (IK) (see figure 1) and sidefoot kick are the most commonly used techniques to score. The ball velocity of the maximum IK is the main indicator in kicking performance (Orloff et al, 2008) and has been said to be the result of various factors including technique (Lees and Nolan, 1998), gender (Barfield et al, 2002), muscle strength and power of players (De Proft et al, 1988; Dutta Subraminium, 2002). The IK is a fundamental skill that is used on many occasions during football (see figure 1), with Orloff et al (2008) stating that the mechanics in instep kicking are critical in determining kick performance. Transfer of momentum from the thigh to the leg is believed to play an important role in instep kicking, however these claims have not been conclusively quantified (Dunn Putnam, 1988). The IK involves a sequence of momentum from proximal (thigh) to distal (shank and foot) body segments in the kicking limb as it is a swing action (Barfield et al, 2002) that should be a natural fluid motion (Clagg et al, 2009). When a kick is performed the proximal segment initiates the movement taking the kicking leg backwards, with the distal segment lagging behind, forward movement of the leg occurs when the proximal segment has reached its potential at backswing and is brought forward whilst the knee continues to flex (Wickstrom, 1975; Dorge et al, 2002). This is followed by a deceleration of the proximal segment due to motion dependant moments from the shank (Putnam, 1991); upon ball impact the proximal segment is almost stationary, at which point the distal segment is accelerating and vigorously extending about the knee to almost full extension at ball impact (Wickstrom, 1975) (see figure 2). At the point of contact, of instep to ball, powerful kickers keep the foot/ankle compl ex locked and plantarflexed, as a consequence the forces that propel the ball are maximised (Hay, 1996; Tsaousidid and Zatsiorsky, 1996). Lower limb velocities (Levanon Dapena, 1988) are said to be an important determinant of ball velocity. Manolopoulos et al (2006) state that a greater shank velocity is indicative of a more powerful shot, the study conducted by Manolopoulous et al (2006) concluded that a strength and kick co-ordination training programme over a ten week period can cause an improvement in angular velocities of segments. A study conducted by Barfield et al (2002) found that a greater ball velocity was found with greater angular velocity of the distal segment (in male footballers). From this literature it can be assumed that a person with a high lower limb velocity should have a high ball velocity. It has been theorised that the length, speed and angle of approach are the most important aspects of the preparatory phase, before movement transpires, having a significant effect on football kick success (Isokawa Lees, 1988; Kellis et al, 2004).When a football kick is performed the athlete may kick the ball from a stationary position or approach the ball from a certain distance (Kathis Kellis, 2007), Opavsky (1988) states that higher ball velocities are established when there is a running approach, of at least two to three steps, to the ball in contrast to a stagnant approach. Another important point is that a ball will in most cases be moving towards the player; consequently the player will not be hitting a stationary ball as is often the case in laboratory conditions, supported by Tol et al (2002). Kellis and Katis (2007) state that higher ball speed values have been during competition in contrast to a laboratory setting. Isokawa Lees (1988) concluded that on average maximum swing leg velocity occurred at an approach angle of between 30 ° and 45 °, with a maximum velocity ensuing at 45 °. From this finding it can be alleged that 45 ° is the optimal approach angle for a maximal velocity instep soccer kick (Clagg et al, 2009). Maximum ball speed and its relationship with accuracy is one which has been investigated with interesting results. Asami et al (1976) reported that by demanding both speed and accuracy from players, an 80% drop of the maximal value occurs as a result, this is a considerable reduction; however is further supported in literature stating that accurate kicking is achieved through slower ball velocities and kicking motion (Katis Kellis, 2007; Lees Nolan, 1998; Teixeira et al, 1999). Katis Kellis (2007) deduce that a defined target, such as a goal, will determine the actual constraints on accuracy, with its manipulation leading to a trade-off between speed and accuracy of ki ck. Another factor that could inhibit a maximal velocity IK is the kicking limb chosen. Many studies have found that higher ball velocities are found when football players kick with their dominant limb as opposed to kicks with the non-dominant limb; this has been attributed to higher foot speeds and a better inter-segmental pattern (Numone et al, 2006; Dorge et al, 2002); Manopoluous et al (2006) state that ball speed is the result of several segmental actions of the body during a kick, figure 3 illustrates the movements of the body segments during different phases of the kick. Female and Male footballers Studies regarding male football performance in relation to kick biomechanics is a well researched area, however this does not correlate to the lack of knowledge gained when researching for female information. This statement is supported by McLean et al (2005) and Hewett et al (2006) who both acknowledge that few studies have characterised or examined female athletic performance in specific sports such as soccer, along with the assertion from Barfield (2002) that the rapid rise in female participation in soccer worldwide has not been followed by a corresponding increase in the number of studies biomechanically that target female kicking patterns to determine if differences exist between males and females. It is thought that the identification of kinematic differences between the sexes could potentially play a critical role in the teaching and training of aspiring female soccer players (Barfield et al, 2002). Consequently it can be assumed that female studies should be regarded to be o f high importance and those found could help to eradicate huge differences between the sexes. With this said there are a few studies that have compared male and females, and studies that have solely looked at females. A study by Barfield et al (2002) investigated differences between elite female and male soccer players. The study concluded that males kick the ball with greater ball velocity on the instep kick than women (see table 1 for mean ball velocity achieved in this study) and the differences in kinematic variables investigated were significantly different between the sexes, although this was small. However in this study there was one exception to the case, as it was found that one female generated greater ball velocity on two of her three kicks than the males on her dominant side, suggesting that not everyone follows the trend. A study by Tant et al (1991) supports Barfield et al (2002) findings, as it was found that male players produce greater ball speeds than their female counterparts, they attributed this finding to greater strength that males recorded; as tested on an isokinetic dynamometer. In contrast to these findings, a study by Orloff et al (2008) comparing the kinetics and kinematics of the plant leg position between males and female collegiate soccer player during an instep kick, found that ball speed did not differ significantly between the two sexes as was hypothesised. Table 1 illustrates mean ball velocities, ranging from 15 to 30 m.s-1, achieved during a number of studies most of which occurred with the instep kick. Only one study shown provides details of a mean female ball velocity once more indicating the lack of research on female football participation. Strength training It has been stated that kicking performance when measured by means of maximal ball velocity, can be improved by strength training (DeProft et al, 1988; Jelusic et al, 1992; Taiana et al, 1993), relating to Wisloff et al (2004) who states that maximal strength is an important factor in successful soccer performance; this is because of the apparent demands visible from the game. Strength has been defined as the integrated results of several force producing muscles performing maximally, either isometrically or dynamically during a single voluntary effort of a defined task (Hoff Helgerud, 2004); Schmidtbleicher (1992) states that strength influences all other components and thus it is located in an upper hierarchal level. The use of strength training is a common means of improving muscle function and has been said to develop performance of kicking skill through apposite training (Masuda et al, 2005). Gomez et al (2008) believe that the coalescing of strength training with technical training involving motor tasks is required for improvements in performances to occur, this relates to the traditional training principle of specificity; Behm Sale (1993) and Sale (1992) support this principle as they believe that training is intended to correspond to specificity in sport itself, this is in terms of contraction type, contraction force, movements and velocity. This can be related to football training, since the fundamental aspect of football is kicking and this involves a complex series of synergistic movements of the lower limbs, which in essence would be extremely complex to imitate with simple strength-training movements (Bangsbo, 1994). Therefore strength training should be integrated into football training with several types and speeds of training involving the actual movement pattern in order to increase performance (Masuda et al, 2005). If a relationship between muscle strength and performance exists then it can be assumed that positive effects should become perceptible when measuring ball velocity, if these performance enhancing training benefits are not evident then athletes may not be motivated to participate in strength training (Myer et al, 2005). Myer et al (2005) conducted a study that explored the effects that a comprehensive neuromuscular training programme had over a period of six weeks. The investigators measured performance and lower extremity movement biomechanics in female athletes, it was concluded that female athletes who trained with this six week programme could gain performance enhancements and significant improvements in movement biomechanics. Myer et al (2005) states that female athletes may especially benefit from multi-component neuromuscular training, as females often display decreased baseline levels of strength and power when compared with their male counterparts. The previous statement is supported by Kraemer et al (2003) and Kraemer et al (2001) who believe that a comprehensive training programme may significantly increase power, strength and neuromuscular control and therefore decrease gender differences in these measures. Campo et al (2009) conducted a study over a period of 12 weeks on female soccer players; this involved the undertaking of a plyometric program. It was found that this program produced improvements in explosive strength in the female athletes and consequently this improvement could be transferred to soccer kick performance in terms of ball velocity; this study also lends evidence to the use of plyometrics in a strength training program. Studies by Aagaard et al (1996) and Trolle et al (1993) found similarities within their results, since no significant improvements in kicking performance were established after knee-extension strength training. However De Proft et al (1988), Gomez et al (2008) and Monolopoulos et al (2006) all conducted strength training programmes that combined strength with another form of training, football training, plyometric exercises and technique exercises (kick co-ordination) respectively, found significant improvements in kicking performance (maximal instep football kick). The studies by Gomez et al (2008) and Myer et al (2005) took place over a 6wk period, with the study by Monolopoulos et al (2006) taking place over 10 weeks and Campo et al (2009) over a 12 week period, suggesting that the length of a training programme is interchangeable to gain relevant results. Hoff Helgerud (2004) state that research based on strength training is often not conclusive; this may be due to the variances in measurement techniques. Knee muscles Various studies have examined the muscle activation patterns that arise during a football kick; one of the findings to come from studies is the high activation of knee muscle groups (De Proft et al, 1988). To examine this further, maximal isokinetic data has been undertaken to study the moment of force of the knee extensors and flexors, this has been investigated in male players (Brady et al, 1993; Oberg et al, 1984; Oberg et al, 1986), female players (Reilly Drust, 1997) and in relation to football kick performance (Cabri et al, 1988; Poulmedis, 1988; Reilly Drust, 1997). Rapid knee flexion and extension is an important part of a football kick as the knee flexes then extends at impact, this movement is accompanied by a stretch of the knee musculature during backswing ensued by immediate shortening during distal segment movement (Katis Kellis, 2009). The action of the proximal segment being brought forward whilst the distal segment lags behind (as the knee is still flexing) serves to stretch the extensor muscles of the proximal segment before shortening of them is needed, this necessitates the generation of large end-point speed (Lees Nolan, 1998). It can be assumed that if the knee extensor muscles are powerful then they should facilitate in large end point speed (greater ball velocity). Isokinetic muscle testing is often used to evaluate strength within sport, with a range of data obtainable from its use (Ozcakar et al, 2003) however controversy surrounds its application. Wisloff et al (2004) believe that isokinetic tests do not reflect the actual movements of the lower limb segments during a football kick, and Dvir (1996) states that this is due to the nature of testing knee extensors, as it is a single-joint configuration, it is limited in functional scope. A study by Reilly Drust (1994), have reported results for female soccer players that show a high correlation between ball speed and knee extensor strength, this is supported by McLean and Tumilty (1993) who state that maximal strength of knee extensor muscles is an important determinant of kick performance. Asami et al (1982) report that the ball velocity and knee extensor strength relationship of the kicking limb may well depend on the skill level of the players, suggesting that the strength of the muscles in the knee has less input on ball velocity in football players whom are more skilled. This statement implies that less skilled players rely more on their muscular strength than skill. De Proft et al (1988) conducted a strength training programme for footballers and found a 25% increase in concentric muscle strength of extensors. Studies have shown that knee extensor strength and kick performance however did not have a positive relationship, as for example Masuda et al (2005) found that knee extension/flexion strength was not correlated with the ball velocity and Aagaard et al (1996) conducted a 12 week training programme on the isokinetic strength of the knee extensors and flexors, with an increase in isokinetic and concentric strength found, but it was concluded that this gain did not help facilitate improvements in performance. Expectations and hypotheses From current literature it is expected that the use of a strength training programme integrated with technical game play, will have a positive significant improvement from pre-test to post-test on both females and males as previous research has shown that a strength training programme improves performance (Manolopoulos et al., 2004; De Proft et al., 1988; Dutta Subramanium, 2002), however the female group are expected to have a bigger improvement as they often have lower level of strength to start (Myer et al, 2005) leaving more room for improvement, and men will have a better kicking performance determined by ball velocity as they possess more power (Barfield et al, 2002; Tant et al, 1991). It is also expected that an improvement in knee muscle strength, limb velocity and foot velocity at ball contact will lead to an improvement in ball velocity as it can be said that kicking performance can be related to leg muscle strength as it is the muscles which are directly responsible for t he increasing speed of the foot and therefore resultant ball velocity (Lees Nolan, 1998). This information leads to the hypotheses for this study. It is hypothesised that after a strength training and kick co-ordination programme both men and women will find significant improvements in their kicking performance and knee extensor strength, females will have a greater improvement in the pre to post test results than their male counterparts, men will have greater ball velocity both pre and post test than women, improvements in knee strength, limb velocity and foot velocity will lead to an improvement in ball velocity. Materials and methods Pilot testing Before any real data collection commenced two pilot tests were conducted. This was to enable any aspects of the testing procedure to be checked, allowing areas of weakness and uncertainty to be enhanced and/or changes needing to occur to be implemented before actual testing transpired. The first pilot test involved kinematic analysis data collection, using Qualysis Oqus 3D motion capture system, at a sampling rate of 500 Hz, under laboratory conditions. A participant was marked up with a lower limb marker set (see figure 7 and 8), a warm up and relevant instructions were given. 5 maximum velocity kicks were performed with the dominant foot at a target (1.82m x 1.2m) set 6 metres away from the position of the ball, a 2metre approach distance of self selected approach angle was allowed and a Sports radar precision gun (SRA 3000) was positioned behind the target. Uncertainties regarding target size, approach distance and quality of data collection were put under scrutiny. Collaboration with the participant allowed for uncertainties such as target size and distance of approach to be modified. Quality of data was checked and it appeared not all parts of the movement were captured or markers visible at all times (see figure 4). Due to these findings the pilot testing res ulted in changes to the planned protocol, such as approach distance (an extra metre allowance was given), bandage size (was halved to prevent covering of markers), calibration technique in regards to area dynamically covered was increased (to cover all movement performed) and appropriate marker placement took place (incorrect palpitation had previously taken place). The second pilot test was an extension of the first, relevant changes were made as noted in pilot test 1, with testing on the isokinetic dynamometer (ISOCOM- isokinetic technology, eurokinetics) included for strength data. A warm up was conducted prior to use, with the involvement of dynamic movements to help replicate the movement on the isokinetic dynamometer, once completed 5 practice trials took place followed by 3 trials that were collected as the data. This allowed for any time restraints for the two conjoined to be noted. It was found that the testing on the isocom took longer than the kinematic data, as it was expected that this would be roughly the same time; so implementation of a suitable time system could occur. Marker issues previously noted in pilot 1 were not problematic; this could be due to the increased area of calibration and anatomical landmark markers not being covered by bandages. Figure 5 shows that most data was captured and tracked, giving evidence to improve ments made being effective, when comparing figure 4 and 5 against each other. The extra metre approach distance allowance proved successful with collection of data running more smoothly. Participants Sixteen amateur football players volunteered to participate in this study, eight females and eight males. Participants were split with regards to gender and assigned to either the female control group (FCG) (n= 4 females; age 20  ± 0.8 years; height 169  ± 5.8cm; body mass 68.9  ± 11.1 kg; all mean  ± std), the male control group (MCG) ( n= 4 males; age, 21  ± 1 year; height 177.5  ± 7 cm; body mass 77  ± 10 kg; all mean  ± std), the female strength training experimental group (FTG) (n= 4 females; age 20  ± 1.3 year; height 160  ± 1.8 cm; body mass 58.1  ± 4.3 kg; all mean  ± std ) or the male strength training experimental group (MTG) (n= 4 males; age 17  ± 1. 2 year; height 174.9  ± 4.1 cm; body mass 73.1  ± 13.7 kg; all mean  ± std). All females were right foot dominant, with 6 males being right foot dominant and 2 left foot dominant. Foot dominance was self selected based on the players reply to which foot they preferred kicking with to gain a maxi mal ball velocity outcome. Subjects were informed about the requirements, benefits and risks of the study, and completed an informed consent form and Par- Q prior to any testing (see Appendix). Kick performance test / Biomechanical testing In accordance to the study of Masuda et al (2004) kick performance was evaluated by measuring the maximal and mean velocity of the ball, by the use of Sports radar precision gun (SRA 3000), and a set number of trials in which the ball hit the target (5 times). Other measurements from this maximal kick were also taken by means of Qualysis Oqus 3D motion capture system, this uses multiple cameras (an eight camera system) to reconstruct three dimensional movement data; this was captured at a sampling rate of 500 Hz for 5 seconds. This enabled human movement analysis during the execution of a motor task (instep kick) to be traced via the use of reflective markers, gathering quantitative information (Cappozzo et al, 2005). The calibrated anatomical system technique (CAST) marker set was used (Cappozzo et al, 1995), each participant was instrumented with 44 retroflective markers (see figure 7 and 8). All markers and clusters used when capturing the data was with the aim to: not significant ly modify the performance being captured and measured as stated by Brand and Crownshield (1981). These markers were placed on anatomical landmarks (medial and lateral side of proximal and distal end of segements) by palpation using guidance from Croce et al (2005), and on segments using clusters in accordance with Manal et al (2000) who state that a rigid shell with a cluster of four markers is the optimal configuration for a cluster set. Specific shoes were provided for all participants, with the anatomical landmarks placed on these prior to testing (figure 6). Before data collection of each participant commenced, the motion capture system was calibrated (see figure 9a) to allow information gathering of spatial location of anatomical landmarks in regards to a known frame of reference (Cappozzo et al, 1994). This occurred by the use of a wand, which carries two markers of a given distance (750.5mm), and is made to coincide with the target anatomical landmarks by moving dynamically through the volume of cameras (Cappozzo et al, 2005; Richards, 2008) over a calibration frame placed in the data collection area (see figure 9b), this is removed so data for the intended activity (instep kick) can be performed and recorded. A static of each participant with clusters and anatomical markers was then taken (see figure 10) asking participants to gain a posture where anatomical markers can be seen by two or more cameras for at least a frame. Once this was achieved only tracking markers were kept on (thigh and shank clusters, anterior superior iliac spin e (ASIS), posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), greater trochanter, iliacs, foot markers except 1st and 5th metatarsals), as Cappozzo (1984) states markers used for identifying anatomical landmarks should be removed before physical movement is performed. Qualysis Track Manager (QTM) was the software used to capture the data including statics, dynamic movement and calibration. The set-up design for the kick performance test can be seen in figure 11. Specific instructions were given to participants regarding their kicks, it was stated that although the kicks that missed the target would be repeated, they should not sacrifice speed in order to improve accuracy. A ball of standard size and standard inflation (Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale de Football Association, FIFA, standard) was used. A warm-up was conducted, this took place on a treadmill (5-10 mins) followed by stretching, once the candidate felt they had been sufficiently warmed up practice trials took place. 2-3 practice trials were implemented allowing participants to acquaint themselves with test equipment and kicking conditions. Participants were allowed to self select their approach angle to the ball (between 0 ° to 60 °), the only restraint utilised was the approach distance to the ball; participants were allowed a run up of between 2 to 3 metres this distance was marked and made noticeable to the participants. 5 successful trials were recorded on the dominant leg, a successful trial was classed as one which hit the target and the motion capture data was seen to be adequate, only 3 of these trials were analysed (data deemed as poor quality was discarded). This testing took place both pre and post intervention. Once data collection had been completed in QTM, the information was used and markers labelled; including both static and dynamic data. For dynamic data, this took place through naming the markers in a dynamic frame and processing this to the corresponding data. An aim model was built, this was then generated and batch processed to all the dynamic trials, the checking of each anatomical frame ensued to ensure all markers were labelled correctly. Once this procedure was completed data was then exported to Visual 3D for further analysis and model building. Data from QTM (see figure 10) was built in to actual body segments that could be visually seen and recognised; this occurred through model building on Visual 3D. Figure 12 shows some examples of how the right hand side of the body was built; the same was done for the left side. Once model building had been completed, all trials were checked and different pipelines were put in place (a set of commands that can change or produce data wa nted). An interpolation pipeline was conducted on the data to fill in missing data points, a ten frame gap fill was instrumented, filling in gaps more than this suggest that data is of poor quality. A low pass filter (using Butterworth filter) pipeline was put in place on the data, to smooth and remove noise that could be due to relative and absolute errors (soft tissue artefacts) (Richards, 2008), with a cut of frequency of 6 Hz used. Cut off frequencies previously used in other literature are between 6-18 Hz (Andersen et al, 1999; Dorge et al, 2002; Nunome et al, 2002; Teixeira, 1999). To determine heel strike of the non-kicking leg at placement the event minimum pipeline was used on the non-dominant leg (heel), to find the lowest point of the heel in the z axis (see figure 13). For information between a range of movements to be determined, the event ball contact was defined (see figure 14). Segment velocity (in x axis) of the thigh, shank and foot was extracted from the data, in the reports section, using the range of events previously defined (non-dominant leg heel contact and ball impact) to visually see data between and up to those chosen points. Muscular strength test Isokinetic concentric peak torque of the dominant leg was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer (ISOCOM- isokinetic technology, eurokinetics) see figure 15. The strength test involved movement of the knee (extension and flexion) to detect muscular strength in the knee extensor muscle groups. The angular velocity used for the movement was 60 ° s-1; this angular velocity has been used by many investigators to evaluate knee muscular strength of football players (Kellis et al, 2001; Ergun et al, 2004; Dauty et al, 2002). Prior to undergoing the test a warm-up was conducted, consisting of a 10 min warm up of cycling and 5mins of dynamic stretching, completion of this lead to the familiarisation process of the test protocols for the isokinetic movements that were tested including practice trials. Three maximum voluntary repetitions of flexion and extension at 60 ° s-1 took place in a seated position, with five familiarisation trials taking place beforehand, the participants were war ned as to when the real trials were about to commence. The peak torque value was used to represent muscular strength; this is considered to be the gold standard in isokinetic measurement (ISOCOM testing and rehabilitation user manual). This testing took place both pre and post intervention with the same protocol applied for both testing. Training programme The training programme undertaken in this study was a synthesis of findings derived from published articles for example training books and journals (Manolopoulous et al, 2006; Zatsiorsky Kraemer, 2006; Chu, 1998). The FTG and MTG followed a 6-week training programme consisting of 1 session per week (each session consisting of up to an hour and a half) including a warm up and main activities. The main activity consisted of a circuit style fashion plyometrics, kick co-ordination and strength work ensemble, with exercises such as; lunges, squat jumps, resistance band work, core stability ball work and hurdle work included. Technical game play was incorporated into each session at the end of the circuit; with the aim of improving k

Parking the Car :: Short Story New York Papers

Parking the Car Today has been like most days. I wandered in a dreamlike state from class to class, across a campus with falling fiery leaves, up three flights of beer-stained stairs, into a room littered with the debris of my chaotic existence, and straight back into a chronically unmade bed. I chased images and thoughts in my mind, getting nowhere, while faintly aware of music drifting from my computer. I closed my eyes without trying, and dreamt without sleeping, and thought without thinking real thoughts. I spent as much time luxuriating in nothingness as I could, before the bar of guilt and responsibility clamped down on my shoulders, compelling me to do homework, to think about thinking. Now it is back to nothingness. I am lying on our dorm room floor delighting in an unexpected snack. "This is damn good stuff," I say, shoving a tortilla heaped in salsa into my greedy mouth. "This is amazing," Thea agrees, shutting her eyes to intensify the already orgasmic experience of eating homemade chunky salsa. I disregard the desperate and pained pleas of my hall mates as small pieces of tomato fly from my overloaded tortilla onto the rug. The poor chip is terribly weighed down and breaking under the pressure, causing salsa to slide off on all sides. I remember that in a moment of frenzied sanitary obsession last week, I actually cleaned the toilet. There is, therefore, no reason to be clean now. I recline in a salsa-induced stupor, squinting in vague curiosity at a plate of cookies in the kitchen. I try to ignore them, but I just can't. Eat us, they hiss. I saunter lethargically into the kitchen and engage in a momentary face-off with the provocative plate of cookies. My heart speeds up for a moment as I weigh the attributes of each cookie. I don't want to make a mistake and take the wrong cookie. That always happens, and I end up resenting my cookie and asking it why it can't be more like the other cookies. I finally settle on the biggest one, though it does seem to have fewer raisins than the others, a drawback that bothers me. Nonetheless, I secure my fingers around the cookie in a defensive death-grip, which means I'll be eating a cookie as well as a little bit of everything else I've touched today. Oh well.

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts :: Compare Contrast Linguistics

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts Linguistics is the science of a language. Linguists depend on the use of certain aspects in order to analyse, describe and explain a human language; these aspects include semantics and pragmatics. Semantics can be defined as the study of "meaning" of lexical words and expressions independently of context. Where pragmatics is the process of recognising the "invisible meaning" of lexical items and expressions; taking into account the speaker's/ addressee's intention, the status of hearer/ receiver and the actual situation. This paper will explain the process we, as humans usually follow to understand a certain text or utterance. This explanation would be achieved through the analysis of two journal articles from semantics and pragmatics perspective, taking into account a range of techniques associated with each of the two concepts including: Semantics Aspects: Synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, prototypes, homophones and homonyms, polysemy and ambiguity. Pragmatics Aspects: Deixis and Distance, reference and inference, conversational implicature, anaphoric and cataphoric reference, presupposition, entailment, direct and indirect speech acts and speech events, cultural context and cross cultural pragmatics, conversational analysis and background knowledge, denotation and connotation meaning, the four maxims and hedges. Analysing Article One We will begin by observing the semantic and pragmatic features in article 1 being "Men are sulks say surveys" .This article is taken from the hot topics section of the popular msn website. The main topic of this article is a medical concept being flu/cold, where the unspecified writer of this article discusses the reaction of men, compared to women when it comes to having flu. The article also lists a number of readers' comments on the subject topic. As a whole, article one is rich with lexical items that belong to the medical lexical field, such as cold, flu, Panadol, tablets, sick, suffer, diseases, chicken pox, depression, doctor, coughs, headache etc. The extensive use of these terms throughout the article was a necessity since the main topic is about a medical condition. Another lexical field was elaborated in this article being the family relationships such as mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children etc. Antonymy or the use of two lexical items that represent the opposite meaning appear in this article such as men and women, males and females, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, vent and defend etc. The use of these terms in this article is more likely for the purpose of comparison. Most of these antonyms are relational opposites; these opposites indicate two ends of a relationship between persons.

Breakthrough Perspective on Green and Sustainable Architecture Essay

Buildings have been part of human life since the beginning of time, we depend of them to live, learn, grown, for protection and shelter. The decisions we make today will not only affect our future but our surrounding as well. We need buildings to survive the climates of the earth and to live our own lives. Architecture is what nature cannot make, yet it is influenced by the rules of nature, as humans evolved so did our way of thinking, and so did our architecture. Green architecture is a breakthrough in human history, Green Architecture is more a more advanced way of building, it has if the building as a life. The purpose of this essay report is to identify the advantages of green Architecture in Canadian Society and its positive effects on our economy. By illuminating the advantages of these green buildings, we will clarify that green building as opened many doors and new possibilities into the human world. What is Green/Sustainability Architecture? Green architecture is a method of design that reduces the negative impact that buildings have on the environment. â€Å"It’s a harmless approach to building that minimizes harm on human health and the environment† (Jackie Craven, What is Green Architecture† and â€Å"Green Design, About.com Guide, 2009http://architecture.about.com/od/green concepts/g/green.htm) It helps people to live in a safer and healthier environment as well as contribute to the well being of the planet. A building is considered green when it has a positive approach on all area of its focus, which includes sustainability, materials efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, land use and waste reduction. All of these criteria are based on the Canadian LEED rating system, which is applicable to new building, and ba... ...rcialnews.com/article/id22421 2 Williams, Patricia (2007). Concrete makes perfect choice for Toronto’s St. Gabriel’s Passionate Church. Retrieved Dec 5, 2009, http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/article/id25465 3 Green Church Applauded (2006). Presbyterian Record. Retrieved Dec 5, 2009,http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-155664452.html 4 St. Gabriel’s Passionate Parish. Retrieved Dec 6, 2009, http://www.stgabrielsparish.ca/index.php 5 â€Å"Businesses Gain Interest in Sustainable Buildings,† Design News 62.9(2007): 28, Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web 14 Dec, 2009†). 6 Jackie Craven, What is Green Architecture† and â€Å"Green Design, About.com Guide, 2009http://architecture.about.com/od/green concepts/g/green.htm 7 (Kirthy Shetty, Green Building and its Advantages, exinearticles.com, 2009, http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Building-and-Its-Advantages!&id=1861902)

Criminal Justice and Technology

Computer and telecommunications technologies in criminal justice system have developed at an extraordinary rate. Increased computing power, advances in data transmission and attractive and user-friendly graphic interfaces present law enforcement agencies with unprecedented capacity to collect, store, analyze and share data with stakeholders inside and outside of government. Technology in criminal justice field represents a tool to help local law enforcement achieve its broadened and increasingly complex mission. But whether this capability is fully realized, and at what pace, is not a foregone conclusion. Preliminary studies suggest that if its integration is not well managed, some aspects of technology may meet with resistance among officers and other staff, particularly when such technology is perceived as unfairly intrusive or technically cumbersome. Historically, technological innovation has served as the catalyst for dramatic changes in the organization of police work and has presented both opportunities and challenges to police and other criminal justice practitioners, according to Janet Chan, a social scientist who has studied how technology affects the way police do their jobs. Noting that information is the stocking- trade of policing, Chan has identified three general imperatives driving law enforcement’s investment in information technology: 1. A Technology-driven imperative to improve effectiveness and efficiency by increasing the capacity to store and process large volumes of data; Improving intelligence and investigative capabilities; and providing ready access to criminal records and other kinds of relevant data. 2. An Information-driven imperative to satisfy increasing demands to share data with external entities, including other government agencies, the public and other outside entities such as insurance companies and other businesses; and 3. A Policy-driven imperative to meet the requirements of new forms of police management and accountability, in terms of probity, cost effectiveness, and procedural regularity, including systems designed to provide early warning for police use of force complaints. Under this new order, police are being scrutinized internally by management systems, surveillance technologies, internal audits and investigations and externally by watchdog agencies, public complaint systems and central auditors. As Chan notes, information technology provides a tool not only for policing citizens, but also for policing the police. Important technologies in the Criminal Justice System DNA- The past decade has seen great advances in a powerful criminal justice tool: deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. This one can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists. By the same token, DNA can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes. In all, DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system. DNA is generally used to solve crimes in one of two ways. In cases where a suspect is identified, a sample of that person’s DNA can be compared to evidence from the crime scene. The results of this comparison may help establish whether the suspect committed the crime. In cases where a suspect has not yet been identified, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender profiles in DNA databases to help identify the perpetrator. Crime scene evidence can also be linked to other crime scenes through the use of DNA databases. DNA evidence is generally linked to DNA offender profiles through DNA databases. In the late 1980s, the federal government laid the groundwork for a system of national, state, and local DNA databases for the storage and exchange of DNA profiles. This system, called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), maintains DNA profiles obtained under the federal, state, and local systems in a set of databases that are available to law enforcement agencies across the country for law enforcement purposes. CODIS can compare crime scene evidence to a database of DNA profiles obtained from convicted offenders. CODIS can also link DNA evidence obtained from different crime scenes, thereby identifying serial criminals. In order to take advantage of the investigative potential of CODIS, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, states began passing laws requiring offenders convicted of certain offenses to provide DNA samples. Currently all 50 states and the federal government have laws requiring that DNA samples be collected from some categories of offenders. Fingerprints- offer an infallible means of personal identification. That is the essential explanation for their having supplanted other methods of establishing the identities of criminals reluctant to admit previous arrests. The science of fingerprint Identification stands out among all other forensic sciences for many reasons, including the following: * Has served all governments worldwide during the past 100 years to provide accurate identification of criminals. No two fingerprints have ever been found alike in many billions of human and automated computer comparisons. Fingerprints are the very basis for criminal history foundation at every police agency on earth. * Established the first forensic professional organization, the International Association for Identification (IAI), in 1915. * Established the first professional certification program for forensic scientists, the IAI's Certified Latent Print Examiner program (in 1977), issuing certification to those meeting stringent criteria and revoking certification for serious errors such as erroneous identifications. * Remains the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide – in most jurisdictions fingerprint examination cases match or outnumber all other forensic examination casework combined. * Continues to expand as the premier method for identifying persons, with tens of thousands of persons added to fingerprint repositories daily in America alone – far outdistancing similar databases in growth. * Worldwide, fingerprints harvested from crime â€Å"scenes lead to more suspects and generate more evidence in court than all other forensic techniques combined†. Other visible human characteristics change – fingerprints do not.