Water Is Under Threat Of Being Exhausted Environmental Sciences Essay

Like most natural resources, drinkable H2O is under menace of being exhausted due to over-consumption. And like most natural resources, one time depleted, regeneration of the land H2O and surface H2O will take 100s of old ages. At the present rate of ingestion every chance needs to be utilized to conserve our beginnings of H2O and create statute law that will promote wise usage of H2O. Governmental bureaus and private endeavor should mobilise their resources to construct proper substructure for H2O preservation like edifice dikes, reaping rain H2O, etc. This paper is a survey of current and future tendencies with regard to H2O use, and will show a image of what the following twosome of decennaries might look like. Water Technology and Emerging Tendencies: 1. Governments of all states are coping with issues related to supplying safe imbibing H2O to its citizens. In position of the pressing demand extended research has been done and some new engineerings and procedures have emerged. Electrolyzing imbibing H2O is efficient in extinguishing water-borne sources. E-water is formed by go throughing an electrical current to a weak solution of salt and H2O, which turns super- acidic that kills the pathogens. Water is therefore sanitized for imbibing intents and does n't look, odor, or taste any different from tap H2O ( Zinzi 2010 ) . In the hereafter scenario this will be a major agencies of recycling used H2O to do it drinkable and suited for ingestion. 2. Another technological promotion that has come to visible radiation is the usage of aquaporins as biomimetic membranes to let transition of lone H2O molecules and nil else through it. No molecule that is larger or smaller than a H2O molecule can go through through the channel. This ensures that drosss are blocked from polluting the H2O. The lone disadvantage of commercializing biomimetic membrane is to do it strong and stable plenty to defy repeated fouling and cleansing procedures. In future this will turn out to be a pillar in recycling waste H2O and saline H2O to do them drinkable for human ingestion. Politicss, policy and statute law: 1. Harmonizing to the US Geological Survey, future H2O demands can non be accurately identified, but tendencies of increasing emphasis on H2O resources the universe over can be widely recognized. Even though the jobs can be recognized, they will non be resolved on their ain. For case, aquifers can non be recharged rapidly after they are over-pumped. Water allotment struggles have been observed in many parts, these jobs are compounded by increasing population and forseeable drouths. Governmental bureaus like the geological study or similar bureaus are in a place to help states in apprehension, predicting, and minimising the impact of these crises. 2. The job of H2O handiness becomes more serious and outstanding as the explosive growing of population is predicted globally ( For e.g.US Census Bureau undertakings the US population to increase about 50 % from 282 million in 2000 to 420 million in 2050 ) . The hydrological agenda of any part is mostly influenced by regional factors like clime, rainfall etc. Infrastructure including waste H2O aggregation, storage and distribution of H2O, agribusiness, electric power coevals ; building of roads and commercial edifices and clean imbibing H2O for residential countries, must be planned for the sustainability of H2O. The job of worsening surface H2O and land H2O resources are a cause for concern. Consumption: 1. Projecting the information for 2026, based on the current tendencies of the economic demand for commercial and residential H2O use, it can be estimated that the engineering affecting optical maser beams used as a big scale H2O purification procedure. This technique involves laser beams being pointed at a watercourse of imbibing H2O that can observe and take unsafe pathogens and sublimate H2O for imbibing intents. This engineering will be used to supervise H2O safety for both domestic and industrial usage ( Zinzi 2010 ) . Giant strides in the development of cost effectual ways of reaping rain H2O will be made to prolong agribusiness and gardening. 2. Industrial H2O is likely to be higher in developing states compared to developed states. However, the overall industrial H2O ingestion will diminish globally due to betterments in H2O preservation engineering and monitoring of demand and execution of Governmental ordinances. Demand for H2O used for irrigation will, similarly, addition in the development states and is projected to be the most intense in sub- Saharan Africa and the Latin American states followed by Western Asia. Water scarceness in these parts may be intense as existent demand is frequently higher than projected demand. As a consequence the planetary harvest output rate may worsen ( Rosegrant, Ximing & A ; Cline 2002 ) . Families and relationships: 1. In order to project the demand for municipal and domestic H2O for 2026 one needs to analyze and acknowledge, cipher the jutting demand and put precedences for all bing and possible H2O use. Projection of future demands for municipal H2O depends on the alteration in the economic construction of a part and the efficiency of implementing alternate H2O usage policies. Other factors that may lend to an accurate projection include household size, distribution of household units between unitary and joint households and per-capita H2O usage ( Willsie & A ; Ratt 1974 ) . Water will go more of a trade good and ingestion will depend on the purchasing capacity of single users. 2. Future H2O demands may be computed on the footing of figure of individual and multi-family units, addition in population and the gross per capita usage of H2O per part. Domestic H2O usage depends on the size of the family and the seasonal usage of H2O. Education and consciousness degrees with respect to minimising wastage of H2O are besides of import factors. In 2026, H2O rationing will depend on the economic position and size of belongings in urban countries. ( House-Peters, Pratt & A ; Chang 2010 ) . Sharing of H2O resources across international boundary lines will be in focal point as struggles may originate due to unequal allotment and general scarceness of H2O. Health and fittingness: 1. Human organic structure is made up of 75 % H2O ( Maxx 2009 ) and we need to imbibe H2O in order to remain alive. Water is necessary for the proper operation of variety meats like the encephalon, liver and kidneys. Without H2O our organic structures will acquire dehydrated and will be afflicted with serious unwellnesss. So in order to remain fit and healthy all living existences need to devour big measures of H2O. Water is considered to be the wonder drug by many. Due to scarceness of drinkable H2O, people will be given to happen replacements in the signifier of soft drinks, milk merchandises and caffeine. 2. At the present rate of ingestion, the demand for H2O will far transcend the supply of H2O which will take to a H2O pricing system in most states. Denationalization of H2O across the Earth will hold serious branchings every bit far as wellness and fittingness is concerned because poorer people will non be able to afford sufficient measures of imbibing H2O. This will take to dehydration related chronic diseases like allergic reactions, high blood pressure, diabetes, and unsusceptibility upsets. This will impact the wellness of the society as economically backward populations will non be able to afford medical specialties and governmental resources will be strained to supply wellness attention benefits. Work and leisure: 1. By 2026, people will be preoccupied with developing newer techniques in H2O direction ( Griffiths 2009 ) and H2O preservation. So this will supply employment to a big population and will include H2O recycling and transit. A batch of scientific work will be encouraged by authorities every bit good private establishments at national and international degrees. The handiness of H2O will ever stay as nature has its ain manner of recycling H2O, nevertheless, the rate of recycling H2O is lower than the rate at which H2O is being polluted and made unfit for ingestion. Building H2O canals, reservoirs and dikes will go a precedence with governmental bureaus and will supply chances for employment, particularly in developing states. 2. As developing states gain economic stableness and richness, demand for H2O for basic healthful demands will increase. More people will be able to afford comfortss like Jacuzzis, auto lavation, horticulture and swimming pools ( Griffiths 2009 ) . This will add to the H2O crisis in 2026. Depending on the richness degree, fewer people will be able to afford installations that we take for granted for illustration holding swimming pools at place and H2O Parkss, etc. Global heating will impact winter athleticss like skiing which will ensue in beaches and H2O athleticss around the sea going more popular as leisure activities. Biophysical environments: 1. Biophysical environment in relation to H2O trades with H2O ingestion by people, land and farm animal. The alterations in clime, peculiarly rainfall, have deductions for fresh fish resources as it has for agribusiness. Since the handiness of natural H2O is non uniformly distributed, transit of H2O to countries with high denseness of population will go common characteristic. Puting extended web of grapevines overland for H2O for human ingestion every bit good as for farm animal will affect considerable outgo. Water holes, pools and swamps will necessitate to be tapped to run into the demands of croping for cowss. Herding direction and land use will necessitate to be implemented ( deLeeuw 1993 ) . 2. Demographic alterations are anticipated in future depending on the ready handiness of H2O for domestic and livestock use. In parts where the cost of H2O transit can non be afforded, people will switch to countries closer to natural H2O beginnings. Heavy industries are most likely to be set up close to rivers and other natural H2O organic structures as this will minimise the cost of transporting H2O for industrial usage. Land use for agribusiness will Promising societal invention: New stuffs: De Leeuw, PN 1993, iThe survey country: Biophysical environmenti , FAO Corporate Document Repository viewed 13 September 2010 & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fao.org/wairdocs/ILRI/x5552E/x5552e06.htm & gt ; Griffiths, J 2009, Water Facts and Trends, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, viewed 13 September 2010 & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/lD1tMGiLZ7NL9mBOL2aQ/WaterFactsAndTrends-Update.pdf & gt ; Haughn, S 2008, ‘Global Tendencies 2025: Water deficits threaten nutrient security, energy supply and geopolitical stableness ‘ , Circle of Blue, viewed 12 September 2010 & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2008/world/africa/global-trends-2025-water-shortages-threaten-food-security-energy-supply-and-geopolitical-stability/ & gt ; House-Peters, L, Pratt, B and Chang, H 2010, iEffects of Urban Spatial Structure, Sociodemographics, and Climate on Residential Water Consumption in Hillsboro, Oregoni , JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 46: 461i472, viewed 13 September 2010 hypertext transfer protocol: //onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00415.x Kwok, SC, Lang, H & A ; O'Callaghan, P 2009, Water Technology Markets, Global Water Intelligence, viewed 12 September 2010, & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.globalwaterintel.com/client_media/uploaded/files/sample_water_tech_markets_aquaporins.pdf & gt ; Maxx, 2009, iWater- Natureis Wonder Drugi , How To Maximize Your Health And Fitness, viewed 12 September 2010 & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //health-and-fitness-buzz.blogspot.com/2009/05/water-natures-wonder-drug.html & gt ; Rosegrant, MW, Ximing, C & A ; Cline, SA 2002, Global Water Outlook to 2025, Colombo: International Water Management Institute, pp: 4-7, viewed 12 September 2010, Google Books. Willsie, RH & A ; Ratt, HL 1974, iWater Use Relationships and Projection Corresponding with Regional Growthi , Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 10: 360i371, viewed 13 September 2010 & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1974.tb00575.x & gt ; Zinzi, F 2010, iTrends in Water Technology and Consumptioni , Ezine @ rticles, viewed 12 September 2010, & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //ezinearticles.com/ ? Trends-in-Water-Technology-and-Consumption & A ; id=4074865 & gt ;

Us Military Endeavor in Bosnia 1993-1995

US Military Endeavor in Bosnia 1993-1995| | 08. 12. 2009| | Introduction: With Josip Broz‘s (Tito) death in 1980 the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has lost its political leader. Tito supported a wide ethnic representation in his country and a division of power. Without his strong leadership Yugoslavia would have broken up years before the Balkan war in 1992. Yugoslavia was politically weak without Tito and the country was hard hit by an economic crisis in the early 1980ies.Calls for comprehensive reforms were growing, especially from the constituent republics Slovenia and Croatia and the central government became incapable of acting. More and more power was given up to the constituent republics. At the beginning of 1990 the Yugoslavian unity party SKJ (Savez Komunista Jugoslavije) has fallen and majority party elections were established in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Political Parties were established that functioned mainly in the interest of their ethnical background.Hence the rivalry between the parties for more power developed into an ethno-political rivalry. On June 25 in 1991 Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Directly after, armed conflicts started between groups which defended their territorial and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), the last institution of the SFR Yugoslavia. More and more constituent republics were involved and soon a war started that we will remember as the Yugoslav war that later reached Bosnia, where most of the fighting took place.It was a bloody civil war between neighbors in South Eastern Europe in the late 20 century that was ended too late. Many victims would be alive if the international audience would have been more concerned about its importance of involvement. The United States, as one of the countries, acted too late at the expense of human life. The Bosnian war was a failed humanitarian intervention of the UN, a weak NATO presence and a US policy that planned [†¦ ] to pursue a U. S. ommitment to Bosnia-Herzegovina that is short-sighted in vision and transparent in end state The ‘symbolic’ presence of the UNO and the early stage of the war In 1991 The United States just ended the Gulf War and hence the majority of the American population didn’t see the point in involving themselves into another war. It was an ongoing dispute of whose responsibility was to intervene in the Bosnian War. George Bush’s policy indicated to use diplomatic initiatives rather than the usage of American military force.After being involved in World War I and II the United States saw their mission in Europe completed. There was no more a Soviet threat and the European Community (EC) should be ready to deal with its problems by themselves which was also accomplished by the Maastricht treaty in 1992. The countries in the EC should be stable enough to ensure democracy and peace in Europe. However, the actions that have been initialized by the EC failed. The countries couldn’t find a consensus of working together and using a strategy that would end the war.The Yugoslavian conflict parties arranged, with the initiative of the EC, a plan on June 29th in 1991. The plan provided 3 points which was 1) ceasefire between Slovenia and Croatia and the withdrawal of their armies 2) Slovenia and Croatia should pause with their declaration of independence for 3 month 3) Serbia should give up his resistance towards the new elected Croatian President Mesic Beside the 3rd point all the other attempts to end this war failed. Another failure of the EC was to rush into recognizing Slovenia’s and Croatia’s independence.Bosnia was even rushed to motion its independence between the times of December 16th until December 23rd 1991. A week that was given to consider establishing a country which history is very diverse and complicated. In the late summer of 1991 the Moslem politician Izetbegovic asked the UNO to send observers a nd a peacekeeping force because he knew what a war would cause in Bosnia. The attempt failed due to the UN principles to intervene when all intern actions failed to prevent a civil war. After the war broke out the UN decided to send 100 and a few month later in June 1992 1. 000 peacekeepers to Bosnia. The modest aim was to ensure a complete defeat of the Moslem population with a minimum of UN forces. NATO In early May 1992 the UN sanctioned Yugoslavia or the parts that still remained Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and a few days later the UN Security Council placed an economic embargo on Yugoslavia. NATO warships were sent to the Adriatic Sea to enforce the internationally established embargo. In October 1992 the UN Security Council decided to forbid any military flights of the warring parties.However, there have been various violations against the flying ban. Therefore NATO decided to start their direct combat mission in the air in April 1994. It didn’t stop the Serbs to take UN peacekeepers and other observant as hostage. Thus the NATO’s first air attacks did not have a great effect for stopping the war. The establishment of ‘UN protected zones’ and the case of Srebrenica The UN protected zones were established mainly for the Muslim population that was surrounded by either Croatian or Serb territory.Building protected zones was another attempt to secure civilians even though they were fairly against the UN principles of impartiality and agreement of all warring parties. The history has shown us that the UN peacekeepers were tricked by the Serbs and the ‘protected zone’ was used to facilitate covert genocide that we know today by the name of The Srebrenica Massacre in July 1995. End of the war After violating the protected zones in Srebrenica and Zepa, NATO decided for massive air attacks on military and logistical targets of the Serbs. Until this moment there have been ten NATO air attacks during the war.It was obv ious that this was not enough to end the war. Through another UN Resolution, that was formally not necessary, the UN and NATO decided to intensify their air attacks by almost 2000 attacks in a couple of days. The war ended but it was a very long way for the US to decide the various kinds of intervention. Opinions went from not getting involved at all because the EC should deal with it by themselves to deploying US troops, first for humanitarian or peacekeeping efforts then for United Nations (UN) or NATO military actions, including rescuing UN peacekeepers.According to several polls at the beginning of the war, the Americans would support any of the humanitarian interventions and multilateral agreements. ‘Bosnia reveals that the ‘‘post-Vietnam syndrome’’ was still apparent in the preference of most Americans to stay out of foreign entanglements since the Reagan-era involvements in Central America’. Nevertheless, most Americans were sure that Bo snia won’t be the next Vietnam. Polls also show that interventions should be used if there is a case of genocide.However, it was a long way for the US government to fulfill the peoples will. It was talked too much around and the media used terms such as ‘civil war’ or ‘ethnic war’ to undermine the need of stronger interventions at the beginning of the war. A Presidential term was coming up and the need of actions was put aside regardless of moral principles. In a democratic country that is based on a will of people with representatives elected by the people, a public opinion is a crucial right.If a poll shows that most of the Americans agree with military humanitarian intervention before 1995 why did a hegemonic power, as the US back then, didn’t interfere earlier with more pressure on the International community to act stronger and precisely. A diplomatic intervention in 1992 had a great impact on the course of the war until 1995. The United States has supported the UN resolution of preventing genocide, as it was before declared to be a crime under international law. Sadly neither Bush senior nor Clinton have made efforts to prevent genocide in Bosnia.Samantha Power wrote ‘it is in the realm of domestic politics that the battle to stop genocide is lost. American political leaders interpret society-wide silence as an indicator of public indifference. ’ Not until Srebrenica did the domestic and international politics pushed Clinton into action of interfering with massive military forces which at the end brought the war into an end. ‘Clinton rode into the White House rallying against Bush’s non-interventionist policy and favoring commitments to stop genocide.Facing a re-election year, a time when an administration’s promises are measured against their actual accomplishments, Clinton was particularly sensitive to challenges to his earlier pledges. Dole’s role augmented an explosion of a united media campaign, increasing international pressure for intervention, and the embarrassing fall of a U. S. -backed ‘safe zone,’ aggravating Clinton’s original commitments to put an end to the Bosnian genocide and made the political costs of non-intervention too high for the Clinton Administration to withstand.Because of this conglomeration of pressures, Clinton could follow his own moral convictions and stop the genocide. ’ In conclusion: The US intervention in Bosnia has three significant phases. The first phase included a diplomatic interference at the beginning of the war. It was an European problem. Thus Europeans should deal with it. The second phase was a very modest humanitarian-military intervention (UN and NATO) by the US, in an area where such ‘experiments’ are fatal in the course of the war. The UN ‘peacekeeping master plan’ failed completely for one good reason.No one can heal a huge wound with a simple band ai d. After 3 years of a bloody fight and a never ending war what could the hegemonic power US do? Either withdraw its troops and run away and be an audience of a war that might have murdered a whole ethnic group or reinforce and fight. The third phase, which finally ended the war, it was crucial that the US as well as the EC, NATO and the UN realize the importance of a strong military interference which is based on a common consensus. The European Community failed completely to solve its Balkan problem due to self-interests, premature decisions and a lack of a consensus.However not being involved in the war, as some US elites suggested at the beginning of the war because it is an European issue, would have been against the principles of human rights and would have created a humanitarian disaster similar to the one in WWII. Bibliography Karadjis, Mike Karadjis. Bosnia, Kosova ; the West. Resistance Books, 2000. Kull, Steven . â€Å"Americans on the Crisis in Sudan. † The America n Public on International Issues N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 July 2009. ;http://www. pipa. org/OnlineReports/Africa/Sudan_Jul04/Sudan_Jul04_rpt. df;. Mellenthin , Knut . â€Å"Der jugoslawische Burgerkrieg, die UNO und die NATO. † Jugoslawien N. p. , 14 Dec. 1995. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. ;http://www. knutmellenthin. de/artikel/archiv/jugoslawien/der-jugoslawische-buergerkrieg-die-uno-und-die-nato-14121995. html;. Petrilli , Danielle Petrilli . â€Å"More Than Witnesses at a Funeral? : The U. S. and Humanitarian Intervention . † Duke Journal of Politics Duke University, 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. ;http://www. poli. duke. edu/undergrad/D. %20Petrilli%20writing%20sample. doc. ;. Power, Samantha. A Problem From Hell† America and the Age of Genocide. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print. Rachal, Louis N. â€Å"U. S. Strategy in Bosnia: Are We Really Committed?. † Military U. S. Strategy in Bosnia: Are We Really Committed? N. p. , 1997. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. ;http://www. global security. org/military/library/report/1997/Rachal. htm;. Sobel, Richard . â€Å"Trends: United States Intervention in Bosnia. † Public Opinion Quarterly Oxford Journals, 1998. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. ;http://poq. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/reprint/62/2/250. pdf;. ——————————————- [ 1 ]. Rachal, Louis N. â€Å"U. S. Strategy in Bosnia: Are We Really Committed?. † Military U. S. Strategy in Bosnia: Are We Really Committed? N. p. , 1997. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. . [ 2 ]. Sobel, Richard . â€Å"Trends: United States Intervention in Bosnia. † Public Opinion Quarterly Oxford Journals, 1998. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. . [ 3 ]. 80% of the respondents of the PIPA survey said that if the UN determines that genocide is occurring, the UN, including the US, should act to stop the genocide by military force if necessary http://www. ipa. org/OnlineReports/Africa/Sudan_Jul04/Sudan_Jul04_rpt. pdf [ 4 ]. à ¢â‚¬Å"Crimes within the Court's Jurisdiction. † Development and Human Rights Section United Nations, n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. . [ 5 ]. Power, Samantha. †A Problem From Hell† America and the Age of Genocide. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print. [ 6 ]. Petrilli , Danielle Petrilli . â€Å"More Than Witnesses at a Funeral? : The U. S. and Humanitarian Intervention . † Duke Journal of Politics Duke University, 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. .

Wal-Mart Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wal-Mart Case - Essay Example China benefits heavily from this since almost all consumer goods sold at Wal-Mart stores are made in China. This increases employment in China. However, government deregulation of the retail industry has led to increased retail giants that charge lower prices just like Wal-Mart. This implies that its cost leadership assertion is neutralized. China is a booming economy with a high potential courtesy of its high population. Wal-Mart can utilize the advantages by easing its struggle for cost leadership and adopt a more diverse mechanism of boosting its market. This can be done by cultivating good will from the community in which it operates by fair remuneration of workers and better working conditions in stores and also by its suppliers. This would boost its image thus increasing sales. Wal-Mart uses a number of strategies to maintain low prices. First, Wal-Mart contracts suppliers from China who provides relatively cheap products. Second, the retail giant employs some staff on part tie basis to reduce costs of operations. Third, most stores in the US are located installer towns to boost its

Three Gorges Dam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Three Gorges Dam - Essay Example The whole project is generally a hydroelectric engineering power generator constructed along Yangtze River; the longest river in China which runs across half of the land, horizontally into the Pacific. The project is the world’s biggest power station as far as installed capacity (22,500MW) is concerned. In addition, Three Gorges Dam is the 2nd biggest functional hydroelectric project in regard to annual energy production, generating in 2012 over 98.1Twh plus 83.7 Twh last year (Trouw, 2014). The idea of building a huge dam on River Yangtze was initially the brainchild of Sun Yat-Sen in 1919.He envisioned a dam with a capacity of producing 22 GW of power being feasible downstream Three Gorges. The government, in 1932, under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek started preliminary plans on the Three Gorges. Japanese military occupied Yichang in 1939 and began surveying the area. The Otani plan design for the dam was finished in expectation of a possible defeat of China by Japanese. Engineer John Savage of US bureau of reclamation in 1944 designed a proposal of the dam project paving way for 54 Chinese engineers to leave for US to receive specialized training. The initial concept was for the dam to be utilized for unique movement of ships; however the project was stopped in 1947 due to Chinese Civil war. The project was in 1949 supported by Mao Zedong, though he started Gezhouba Dam. The idea would re-emerge in 1980s and finally the approval came from the National People†™s Congress in 1992.Construction of the dam started in earnest in 14th of December 1994 and was expected to be complete and fully operational by 2009.However, additional projects like the underground power facility with 6 extra generators delayed complete operations till the May of 2012(Trouw, 2014). The project has come with its own share of controversy. In 1958, for instance, engineers who spoke negatively

The Millennium Dome Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

The Millennium Dome Project - Research Paper Example Blair was trying to rescue the Millennium Dome, which, far from being the built representation of his reforming, forward-looking, government – â€Å"Cool Britannia† replacing â€Å"Rule Britannia† (that looked back to the time of the British Empire) – was rapidly becoming a political and financial scandal. That very evening was a disaster: thousands of guests were still stuck in lines at security checkpoints at Stratford Tube Station when the midnight hour struck and for those who made it to the Dome the champagne ran out!† It was built on a 300-acre land overlooking the River Thames. The Dome measures 320 meters in diameter, and reaches a height of 50 meters at its center; it was created to lure tourists to London. The costs for the Dome reached 758 million pounds (or more than $1.2 billion). The Dome was destined to be a failure. It carried the slogan â€Å"Time to make a difference†, which was heavily criticized by the press, and the citizens of London were asking, â€Å"What difference will it make?† Many however were looking forward to its opening for it certainly was making history. It was designed to attract tourists to London, help regenerate the depressed Greenwich borough provide a showcase for UK designs and companies and reinforce London’s image as a dynamic international city. (Swarbrooke, 2002, p. 345) At the time of the Dome project, there were many other similar projects envisioned and already started by the Government as an outcome of the global economic and cultural changes. In the post-industrial city, economic survival depends upon growth in the service sector. (Thornley, 2000, p. 689) The Millennium Commission was set up to decide the allocation and announced on 28 July 1996 that the Dome would take place on the Greenwich peninsula in London. The big bulk of the money came from the National Lottery when Prime Minister John Major and his Conservative Party decided to open it for a year’s exhibition, after which it had to be sold to  any interested private bidder.

Experience never be forgeten Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experience never be forgeten - Essay Example ollection of those events and how we challenged that situation has always been a thrilling experience for me and the story is often repeated by me to my inquisitive friends and relatives. We were a group of five friends and we made elaborate arrangements for the proposed camping adventure. A week before the date of departure for the camp, we busied ourselves in shopping and we collected tents and trappings and other equipment needed for the camping. We collected various items of food. The choices of each of one we were different and thus we had a good collection of food items. We had decided to stay overnight at the camping site which was all the more exciting. We started off early in the morning, and loaded our suitcases on the carrier of the car, and by 7.30 a.m. began heading for the destination. We had rented a car, and I had not thoroughly checked its condition, before agreeing to take it, and that was a serious mistake that I committed, especially when we were going on a long journey. The car began to tell its story and it seemed as if it is not happy with its noisy companions. We had covered a distance of about fifteen miles and at a lonely stretch and I had to bring the car to a screeching halt due to a flat tire and I had a difficult time in controlling it. None of us were experts in fixing the tire, but with great difficulty and hesitation we solved the problem. My only fear was what we should do, if another tire would go flat. After fixing the tire problem, we had tea and snacks in a roadside restaurant and then we moved further. I was driving slowly and after covering about 10 miles, I suddenly realized that I forgot my cellphone at the restaurant, and we had just crossed a bridge and the next exist was after 4 miles. We had to get back and I felt that the bridge was mocking at us, for we were using it for the third time in less than one hour. The GPS was also quite unfriendly and was constantly teasing us with â€Å"Keep Right† and â€Å"Keep Leftà ¢â‚¬ 

Self-discovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self-discovery - Essay Example Some of the things that I have discovered with regard to synthesis include facts such as one of the main advantages of the aforementioned synthesis is the achievement of a neutral clarity that is guided by the connection of different perceptions whose missing pieces in a sense can be said to come together. The combination of these two accomplishments allows one to have a better understanding of their self in general. The discoveries that are learnt from each inventory allows the individual to dive deeper into their frame of thought and catch a glimpse of a part of them that may have not been visible to them at the beginning. As mentioned earlier, these inventories help an individual make a number of discoveries about their self that they can in turn use towards their benefit through proper planning and focus. These discoveries can play a large role in my life and as such have not been taken lightly but have instead been used to mold my activities to that which properly suit my intere sts and ambitions. The MBTI provided an opportunity to discover information about my character as well as any peculiar features that may arise. This assessment revealed that I can be described as an individual who is equipped with open thinking and intuition. I feel that these assessments are accurate to a general extent as a result of my nature to try and maintain a fair level of acceptance with other individuals no matter their different backgrounds as long as they do not infringe on mine or other people’s personal space with regard to their rights.

Economics of Slavery and its Impact on Nation Essay

Economics of Slavery and its Impact on Nation - Essay Example African slaves were bought cheaply in African countries, and shipped into the Caribbean in the hold, in much the same way as other commodities. They were not only kept by those with large amounts of land, but also by small farmers, and city dwellers. It is generally believed that the economics of large acreages of Cotton and Sugar, combined with low levels of servant indenture, meant that America came to rely upon slaves to work the land. It would have been impossible to farm the vast amounts of these goods without slave labor, as liberated workers would have demanded pay, and probably better working conditions and fewer hours; slaves, on the other hand, were not employees, and could be worked in extreme conditions. African Slaves were able to repopulate, like livestock, and were also supposed to be immune to Malaria and other diseases (Racism saw them as stronger, and better suited to physical labor than white people); unlike Indian slaves, black people (at least in the early to mid 18th Century) stood out among the general population.

MAF307 EQUITIES AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MAF307 EQUITIES AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS - Essay Example The strategic analysis of the group indicates that with continued development of new initiatives and business products, the group is likely to expand its client base by entering new markets. The company’s salary packing business continues to provide an annuity stream of income that further allows cross-selling of company’s other products such as leasing services. The company has a very strong balance sheet and cash flow position that gives it opportunity to choose inorganic expansion route. The company’s revenues from core activities experienced 12.6% to $161.50 million at the end of December 2012, with net profits rising over 19.3%. The company announced the gain in gross revenue and profit for the year June 2013 but a proposal from the Labour government shook company’s future earnings capacity causing the company’s share price to plunge by over 55% in the middle of July 2013. Background of Share Price Crash McMillan Shakespeare’s Finance gr oup share price almost halved since the government flagged changes to current laws of fringe benefit tax (FBT) that has created uncertainty in the markets. The company’s trading was suspended for a week and when it resumed trading the share prices crashed by over 48% to $7.99 wiping away almost $549 m of shareholders’ wealth from the markets (Australian Associated Press, 2013). Due to this reason the company’s management requested for an extension to halt trading which is viewed by many analyst as a desperate move by the management to avoid such huge amount of losses and save shareholders’ wealth from volatile and uncertain markets. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission have however rejected the company’s plea of halting trading. (Source: ASX, 2013) The company has criticised the government’s recent decision to tightening FBT guidelines especially on salary package and car leasing for the share price crash and uncertainty in ma rkets. The panic among the investors was evident since the proposed changes to FBT guidelines tighten fringe benefit taxes on salary packaging and car leasing. The investors in the market expected the revenues of the company to be adversely affected from the government’s decision since the company’s primary source of revenues is generated from car leasing and salary packages. This negative outlook on the company’ future earning capacity from the tightening of FBT created panic in the broader markets that led to overselling of company’s stocks in Australian Stock Exchange. Thus, it can be said from the above discussion that a chain of events starting from the government’s decision to tighten FBT guidelines, the same decision to adversely affect profitability of the company, negative sentiments among the investors in the market regarding company’s future, and huge sell of the Finance Group’s MMS stocks after a week’s inactive tra ding, ultimately caused the company’s share prices to plummet by over 55% in the mid of July 2013. Reasons behind Dramatic Price Change The company under observation derives almost 50% of its revenues from two major segments namely Asset Management and Group Remuneration Services. But from the analysis of financial statements of the company it is apparent that over 70% of its total earnings are generated from the revenues of group remuneration, which is almost three

CritiqueCitations writings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CritiqueCitations writings - Essay Example These characteristics are complementary rather than divisive. Narrow definitions can be misleading, too particularly focused missions can be self-defeating, and neglect for the bigger picture can result in disastrous consequences. In the modern era, despite occasional protests to the contrary, leadership is best demonstrated in terms of flexibility, ethical behavior, perseverance, and a consideration for the effects of every decision and course of action. This essay will set forth a definition which encapsulates the innate qualities of leadership as envisioned by Badaracco, incorporate notions of ethics into the larger conceptual framework of leadership, examine the idea that leaders ought to be concerned with the welfare of others, and agree with the proposition that organizations are fluid rather than static creatures. Whether leaders are made or born is perhaps a tangential and irrelevant consideration; innate characteristics, whether hormonal or environmentally-instilled, must give way to a more individualistic analysis. Leadership, to be sure, is measured both objectively and subjectively. However one measures leadership, the fact is that some leaders excel and achieve goals; others, just as surely, fail to accomplish the goals set by themselves and the targets set by other concerned individuals and organizations. There is a persuasive school of thought, a very real theoretical underpinning in the field of leadership, which attempts to link successful leadership and motivation causally. This school thought is represented by commentators like Badaracco, whom has stated that Only people driven by strong motives are likely to make real progress in a world that is often an unpredictable and confusing place, in which trust is fragile and lots of people play for keeps. Merely thinking that something should be done is not enough. Quiet leaders want to act responsibly and ethically, but to do so they usually have to persevere and improvise, often over long periods. To have any hope of achieving their aims, their motives have to be good enough and strong enough" (2002: 42). There is, in Badaracco's view, a need to identify choices, to consider options pursuant to certain guiding motives or values, and to commit to courses of action in a prolonged and committed fashion. This suggestion, the need to commit to a course of action, is increasingly difficult in a world characterized by imperfect information, conflicting philosophies, and frequent dishonesty. Indeed, as stated by Aditya and House, this often places the role of leadership into the risk-taking arena (1997: 412). Leaders must, in short, be confident enough, have strong enough goals and motives, and be willing to steer their organization through challenging obstacles. This risk-taking relates well to Badaracco's advice; more specifically, goals must be both legitimate and pursued with vigor if they are to be attained in the modern era. 1.2 The Significance of Ethics and Fundamental Values More than ever before, there are leaders, scholars, and commentators whom advocate an incorporation of a fundamental set of values and an ethical framework for guiding leadership decisions. The incorporation of these value-based components is not universally accepted, but the trend is clearly

Internship in Nevada Restaurants Association Essay Example for Free

Internship in Nevada Restaurants Association Essay Having a successful career after studying is one of the aspirations of many college students. However, facing a real scenario in a corporate world seems to be very challenging and for some, it can be frightening. That is why internship programs are included in college courses to show the real world associated with the profession to the students and to prepare them by requiring them to work in a company of their choice. For my case, I took internship at Nevada Restaurant Association, an organization that focuses on managing various events and activities associated with hotel and restaurant management. As an HRM institution, Nevada Restaurant Organization has a goal of rendering world class hotel and restaurant services to valued customers. For them, customer satisfaction is very important because it measures the level of their performance. To accomplish their goals, NRA exhibits various ways of rendering high quality hotel services, safety food provision and high standard accommodation. The most important thing about NRA is that they recruit members in their organization for the goal of helping others and sharing their knowledge with them. Seminars, trainings and exhibits are done in a regular basis to continuously help aspirants and hone them into globally competitive HRM professionals (NRA 1). Since I am still an intern student and my knowledge about the industry is still limited, the management gave me basic tasks in the organization. As an intern, my basic tasks are to assist the events team in managing events and seminars like high school cooking competition, food preparation seminars and other activities related to hotel and restaurant management. I also do administrative works like preparation of seminar kits, modules and other things needed for the events. Most of the time, I assist the director of the organization in conference room meetings by means of preparing the room and the materials needed by the director and the participants. Even though my tasks are basic, for me they are very challenging because it tests not only my knowledge about my career but also my behavior towards work and other people. I can say that by being an intern in Nevada Restaurant Association, I am able to apply what I have learned from my subjects and learn new things at the same time. As a hospitality management major, my everyday tasks and interaction with my coworkers and a lot people outside the organization enhanced my skills and made me appreciate my profession more than how I appreciated it when I am still starting my course. As an example, the things that I have learned in my Facilities Management, Marketing and Finance subjects helped me in effectively preparing and organizing events and seminars. By assisting the team in using the available resources in an optimal way, I was able to help the entire organization in attaining cost effective processes that aided them in rendering high class services to participants. On the other hand, my knowledge in Service Management and Career Development subjects aided me in dealing with the people in the organization and with the participants in all the events that I have organized and attended. I know that it is through effective communication and respective approach that I will be able to apply my hospitality skills in my career. Among all the subjects that I have taken, it is Service Management that aided a lot n preparing me for my career. It is because I believe that a large part of Hospitality Management deals more on the services rendered. It is on how the services are organized and implemented that customer satisfaction is garnered. The food, drinks and other visual products of the service only serve as tangible proofs but beyond that, it is the kind of service that make people say that â€Å"it has a global quality†. Thus, it is very important that the skills and potentials required for rendering service is developed and enhanced. During the internship, I treated my managers and my coworkers as my customers and as a service provider, I did my best and used my skills and talents in rendering services that will give them utmost satisfaction. That is by obeying instructions, by doing tasks the right way and the way they wanted it and by completing requested works on or even ahead of time. In that way, I was able to practice how to render high quality services to other people. When I entered Nevada Restaurant Association as an intern, the management had an agreement that I will be spending 200 hours working in the organization. We also agreed that no amount will be paid for the internship and I will be working in the company until I completed the 200 hours. Perhaps for some people, 200 hours of work maybe hard especially to those who have no interest in their job. Yet, for me, 200 hours work seemed to be not enough. It is because for me, there is a lot to learn about the company and I, as a very aspiring person want to learn all the things that I can learn about the company. For me, it is the learning and the experiences that encouraged me to have enough strength to work on my tasks and be utmost motivated to prepare myself for my profession. In my own point of view, working in Nevada Restaurant Association is a big challenge for me. First of all, it is my first time to work with professional people and second, it is also my first time to apply the skills that I have learned in school in the real world. I admit that I felt the pressure of my work. There are times during my first days in work that I doubted if my work is good enough to satisfy them and if it will meet the standards set by my managers. Like any other person, I do not want, as much as possible, to fail in my work and receive negative feedbacks from my managers. It is true that at first, I thought that my job is difficult but I realized, as days went by that what I was doing was fun. I realized that the pressure is just there because it is my first time. Later on as my work get clearer and clearer for me, I realized that I am blessed because I was given the opportunity to work in a prestigious organization. In my entire stay in the company, I felt the enjoyment and fun of working with various people, meeting new acquaintances and establishing new contacts. Most of all, I learned one of the most important lessons, that failure is a key to success. As a fresh intern, I admit that I also made some mistakes in my work and my managers usually pointed it out. Though it is sometimes frustrating especially if I have already exerted too much effort to finish the job, I realized that it is my failures in my work that pushed me to do better and be more deserving for my profession. I realized that if I really want to learn, I should learn to be patient enough to continuously try my best to make my work better. Mistakes are not there to discourage me but they are there to direct me to my potential improvements. I learned that as a person full of aspirations, I should not focus on my mistakes and instead, I should focus on what my managers are telling me because they are the ones who know better than I do and they can direct me to my improvement. By keeping that in my mind, I was able to make my tasks a lot easier, fun, and enjoyable. The pressure that I felt during my first days disappeared as I learned to love my job and seek learning from it. I think that it is my positive outlook in life that I am able to transform the pressure into motivation and burning aspiration to finish my intern and keep what I have learned until the time that I need to apply it again. In addition, the organization’s culture taught me important things that helped me to be a better person. First of all, I learned to be a competitive person in a creative way that showcased my talents and abilities. Since the organization aimed for producing skillful, world class and competitive students and trainees, I, as an intern has adopted this behavior and I was able to apply it in my everyday life. For me, this behavior is very essential because I believe that when I enter the real world after graduating from college, I will be facing a lot of people who may have the same skills that I have and in order for me to get accepted, I must stand out from the rest by being competitive in the best that I can be. In accordance with the culture of the company, I also experience a lot of good things in the company. Even though I am just an intern, my coworkers did not treat me as one and in fact, they treated me as their coworker already. They have shown me the appropriate respect, encouragement and motivation. Although authority is there, their attitude of being friendly and very open gave me the comfort and confidence of getting along with them and voicing out my side during meetings and or brainstorming. The light and stress-free atmosphere motivated me to work harder and be better and better everyday. Their advice served as my guiding principles during my stay and it really helped me a lot in accomplishing my job. Most of all, the most important thing that I learned from the organization and that I think I will never forget is the act of sharing. As an organization, Nevada Restaurant Association believes that the ultimate responsibility of all hotel and restaurant employees is to render their customers with world class services. In order to achieve that quality, they must share their knowledge with each other and aimed for the same goal. For them, being competitive is not about winning over other people but showcasing the best talents a person has. Nevada Restaurant Association believes that by helping each other, by sharing ideas and by teaching it to those who are willing to learn that the entire community of hotel and restaurant employees will be able to completely render high quality and world class services. It is through sharing of ideas that integration of little but talented ideas can happen to be able to establish an excellent strategy that will deliver utmost customer satisfaction and that will benefit everyone in the industry. My internship in Nevada Restaurant Association is really one of the best experiences that I have in my life and I am willing to apply what I have learned in my future career to be able to help other people and contribute in enriching the industry that I am in. References: NRA. (2007). Nevada Restaurant Association. Available at: http://www. nvrestaurants. com/

Fashion buyer

Fashion buyer Introduction Fashion buyers role is to monitoring the development of a product range targeted at a specific market group and price range. In a small company, buyer may also be involved in the creative and technical areas of developing a product, therefore one criteria to be a buyer is to have product knowledge. The goal of buyer is to deliver consumers a garment with satisfactory in appearance, fit, comfort, quality and price. Technology is said to be the â€Å"foundation of all jobs within the fashion business†. Indeed, technology is extensively used in different processes in the textile pipeline, from fibre to clothing and to consumer. For hundred years, development of fibres and fabrics with specific functions and machineries has been heavily dependent on technology. Digital systems such as CAD are introduced to the design and product development processes. Technology is also essential for communication between retailers, manufacturers and consumers. This study is to evaluate the performance of fabrics during manufacture and use, processes involved in the creation of a garment, the impact of human measurement on the provision of adequate sizing and how CAD system is applied in the stages of product development and visualization and to analyze how technology influents fashion buyers decision on range planning. Creation of garment Before production of garment takes place, the stage of design, product development and sourcing should be completed and provided that all the materials have arrived. There are several processes encompassed in the creation of a garment; beginning with spreading and cutting fabrics, sewing, wet processing and finally applying pressing. Generally before cutting, fabrics including body and interlining, need to be spread and or pre-washed if required, can then be cut into parts and panels, which spreading and cutting can be done by computer-controlled machinery in mass-production and manually for sampling. Spreading is defined as the process of â€Å"superimposing lengths of fabrics on a cutting table† by Glock and Kunz (2005, 402), and â€Å"fabrics may be spread face up, face down or face to face† for there are directional fabrics such as velvet, corduroy and fake fur, even with one or two-way prints and stripes, depending which direction they are viewed and it is important to be distinguished as this will affect the aesthetics of the finished product. Applications of interfacing, which is defined by Frings (2008, p164) â€Å"is a layer of fabric placed directly under the garment fabric for structuring and support†, may be required in different parts such as waistband and pocket openings of a garment especially tailored, helping to maintain shapes and eliminating damages on fabric from radical stretching. Interfacing is also one example of trimmings, and â€Å"use of trimmings varies with each segment of the industry.† (Frings, 2008) Functional trimmings such as elastics and zippers are widely used in sportswear, and decorative trimmings such as embroidery and buttons may be used in childrens wear making the products look more attractive. Stitches are applied to assembling the parts and panels together into pieces. According to British Standard 3870-1:1991, stitches are divided into 6 classes. Class 100 Chain stitch: Brown and Rice (2001) indicated it is flexible but also unravels easily by pulling one end of the thread, mainly used for making button holes. Class 200 Hand stitch: mostly for decorative uses Class 300 Lock stitch: widely used in industry with no problem of seam grin, but puckering, however, more secure and good for setting zippers and pockets. Class 400 Multi-thread chain stitch: can be combined with Class 500 integrating safety stitches with stretchiness. Class 500 Overedge chain stitch: widely used in knitwear industry due to its extensibility Class 600 Covering chain stitch: very extensive and strong and used especially for knitted fabrics. There are variations of stitch types providing different level of functional performance, comfort as well as attractiveness and decision on which types to use is determined by the type of fabric used and purpose of the end product. For example, the combination safety stitch 401.503 is most commonly used for security and neatens the cut edges of both knitted and woven fabrics; hand stitching using thick, colourful threads is very decorative especially for childrens wear. However, sewing faults such as seam puckering and grin, even damages on fabrics may be caused by insufficient use of stitches, thread tensions and machine needles. Moreover, it is mentioned by Chuter (1995, p136) â€Å"a mismatch between thread and fabric causes puckers on washing†, especially for products need to undertake wet processing as a finishing, therefore choice of thread has to be careful particularly in a product designed with decorative stitches, because it cannot be mended once the damages are mad e unless taking out all the seams and start sewing again. The principle of pressing is defined by Cooklin (1997) that is to remove creases from a garment by application of heat, steam and pressure, in order to create a desired final appearance of a product. Pressing may apply during the process of assembling to open seams, or press a hem. However, condition of pressing varies from different fabrics; for example, cotton and linen fabrics requires a hot iron, and can be pressed on the right and the wrong sides, whereas fabrics made from synthetic fibres require a cool iron or they will melt under too much heat. Process of pressing should be held by experts avoiding damages on products. From fibres to fabrics Textile fibres are the basic unit of a garment, contributing to aesthetics, durability, comfort and appearance of a garment. Fibres can be divided into 2 categories, natural and man-made. Natural fibres come from plants consisting of cellulose and animals consisting of protein; cotton, flax, wool and silk are the most commonly used in knitting fabrics. All natural fibres are spun into staple, short fibre yarns (except silk, a filament, long fibre yarn) through specific spinning system accordingly (See Figure 4). Yarns can be twisted into 2 directions: Z for cotton and linen and S for woolen and worsted. It is clarified by Elsasser (2005, p113) that â€Å"twist direction does not affect quality in single yarns.† Man-made fibres, also called manufactured, mentioned by Eberle (2004) can be classified further into cellulosic and synthetics, such as viscose, polyester and nylon, are produced through technology from chemicals (petroleum) and natural sources (wood) that cannot be used in original form, and then into yarns. Elsasser (2005, p14) stated that â€Å"Science and technology have allowed people to create fibres to meet specific end-use applications. For example, the nylon used in auto mobile tired is very different from the nylon used in hosiery.† Several man-made fibres are produced to be substitute of particular natural fibres due to economical and environmental factors; for instance, viscose, a manufactured (regenerated) cellulosic fibre made from natural fibres to chemical solution then extruded through spinneret, is also called â€Å"artificial silk† (Elsasser, 2005) for its fineness and luster and it is very much less expensive than silk; acrylic, a synthetic fibre, ha s properties closely resemble those of wool. Subsequently man-made fibres are spun and twisted into filament yarns by different spinning systems according to fibre type, such as melt spinning, dry spinning, wet spinning (see Figure 5) and many others, which can then be constructed into fabrics and used in wide range of apparels. The most common methods of forming a fabric are weaving and knitting, however non-woven fabrics are also widely used in textile industry. Woven fabrics are constructed in an interlacing structure with 2 sets of threads, which is firm and strong with the least stretch; three basic weaves are plain (e.g. chiffon), twill (e.g. herringbone and denim) and satin. Whereas knitted fabrics can be made by machine and hand, are formed with an interlocking structure in weftwise or warpwise direction by loops of threads, allowing significant stretch and drape but can easily lose shape; three basic knits are single jersey, rib and purl. â€Å"The structure of a fabric, or how it is fabricated, affects its aesthetic and functional performance.† (Brown and Rice, 2001) As well as the structure, fibres carrying different properties determine the performance of a fabric, and thereby different end uses. Elsasser (2005) suggested properties of a fibre maybe classified as physical, mechanical, chemical and environmental. â€Å"Physical properties are properties that can be evaluated with the naked eye or with a microscope† (Elsasser, 2005, p14) including cross section (see Figure 7), covering power, hand, luster and pilling propensity. Abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and resiliency are examples of mechanical properties of that can be determined under textile testing procedures. For example, cotton is soft and comfortable, which can be knitted into a lightweight single jersey fabric making into underwear or a heavyweight denim fabric making into jeans; polyester has a high level of resistance to crea ses and water, it can be knitted to make sportswear, outerwear. â€Å"Chemical properties of a fibre determine how it will react when it is exposed to the many substances used in production and in cleaning (Elsasser, 2005, p22) including absorbency and flammability. Environmental properties are the sensitivity of a fibre to climate and insects. â€Å"Most authorities agree that the colour or printed design of a fabric is the most important factor in the customers decision to purchase apparel of furnishings,† expressed by Elsasser (2005, p172). Brown and Rice (2001, p183) mentioned that â€Å"fabrics can be dyed in the fibre, yarn, fabrics, of garment stage† by dyeing and printing. Dyeing is to be processed by soluble colourants penetrating colours to the core of fibres, and printing is adding colours onto fabrics by pigment, insoluble colourants. There are always some instinctive disadvantages of fibres such as cotton wrinkles very easily; combination of fibres knitted into fabrics is one way of offsetting, at the same time enhancing the fabric with better function and performance. For example, polyester is blended with cotton to provide a certain level of crease resistance to a fabric and improve durability; viscose blending with cotton providing a silky appearance. â€Å"Finishes give textile products properties they do not possess naturally† said Elsasser (2005, p189). Besides blending, weaknesses of fibres maybe overcome by mechanical and chemical finishing processes modifying surface, wearing properties and aftercare. Mechanical finishing includes calendering, raising, cropping and compressive shrinkage, which require machinery to achieve. Chemical finishing includes mothproofing, crease recovery, anti static, flame retardant. Calendering is often applied for a smooth surface if the fabric needs to be printed; moth proofing is most likely to apply on woollen products as a finish. Consumers become more concerned about the quality of textile products nowadays, quality of a garment can be controlled by inspecting raw materials and finished products; a set of lab tests and inspections are carried out to assure the quality â€Å"indicating factors such as fabric and seam strength, colourfastness, shrinkage, and other properties† suggested by Kothari (1999, p7) and there are authorities such as British Standards Institute and International Standards Organization to standardize the levels on test methods, performance and the specification. Sizing â€Å"Body type is the fundamental basis of sizing systems. For apparel sizing, body types are classified by body proportions as related to age and gender† indicated by Glock and Kunz (2005, p139), for example toddlers, juniors and women, there are also additional body types classified as petite, tall or plus sizes. It is suggested by Brown and Rice (2001) that age, sex and body types group together into classification generating the sizing system including a size range and there are sizing methods for the majority mass-produced clothing, e.g. size code. Size code can be expressed in letter (S, M, L) or number forms (10, 12, 14), which represents general body size, however, different numbers or letters are used in a particular garment, for example, in mens dress shirts, sizes are indicated according to the collar and the sleeve length measurements such as 16-34. According to the British Standard of body measurement, size code of the garment should be indicated clearly on a label and securely attached to where it is easily readable on the garment. Brown and Rice soon argued it is lack of standardization on apparel sizing and the numerical codes do not necessarily indicate adequate sizes for many female consumers. Glock and Kunz (2005; p141) enlightened that â€Å"size alone does not determine garment fit. Fit is how a garment conforms to or differs from the body. Fit is sometimes described as garment ‘cut. A well-cut garment conforms to the body in a comfortable and flattering manner.† Silhouette of a garment is often determined by anthropometrics, which is a set of measurement of human body establishing the size, shape and proportion of the body in order to provide and improve for better fit, physical comfort and performance of a garment. Fit is evaluated by Brown and Rice (2005) that can be controlled by five elements: grain, set, line, balance and ease. In order to establishing a good fit, the grain line of fabric needs to be parallel to the length of body; bias may be cut to achieve special effects. A garment with poor set will have wrinkles and folds pinpointing the locations of the fit problem, which the wrinkles caused cannot be eliminated by ironing. Twisted side seams is one example of distortion of the structural lines of the garment where side seams are meant to be hanging down and perpendicular to the floor and this may be caused by poor design or construction. Garments should balance from the front, back or sides and follow the silhouette of the body. Garment containing adequate ease should allow room for ordinary movements such as walking and breathing, and yet it is sometimes a style for a garment to be designed and made with extra fullness. In addition, stretch fabrics are particularly selected for conforming the exact body silhouette than rigid fabrics and manipulation of body scanning technology is introduced in recent years, obtaining more than a hundred measurements of a body in only few seconds and provided with this data, an absolute fit garment can be produced. CAD CAD (Computer Aided Design), an interactive computer design system extensively used in the clothing and textiles industry, is often used together with CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture). They can be distinguished by â€Å"CAD is generally used to support the creative processes in the design studio and CAM is used in the manufacturing process to control machinery or system (such as grading, lay planning or pattern cutting).† (Gray, 1998, p2) and it is suggested by Aldrich (1992, p84) that it has â€Å"an ability to simulate visual impressions†. CAD technology was originally developed for textile industry, and soon introduced into all processes in clothing industry â€Å"from apparel and textile design, pattern making, grading, garment production through to merchandising and data management.†(Burke, 2006, p157) The first stage in the process is often apparel and textile design. Designers uses CAD system in creating fashion illustration by simulating and designing textiles (wovens, knits, prints) and sketching silhouette of garments, presenting visual images of moodboards, colour palettes, fabric swatches, fabric draping, trims, embroidery motifs, stitch structures, scanning and editing images as well as producing higher quality of printouts. Pattern creation is the next stage in the clothing process. As CAD is a computerized system, it enables technicians â€Å"to scan, digitize in or create pattern blocks on screen and redesign pattern pieces where necessary† (Aldrich, 1992, p95), which makes pattern making very much convenience than it was before. Once the basic pattern is digitized into the computer and by inputting a size chart, â€Å"grading, or how each pattern shape changes to allow for different sizes, is automatically achieved.† (Aldrich, 1992, p83) With the digitalized system of pattern developing and grading, a lay plan (also called a marker), which is a cutting template, can then easily be generated of how the patterns should be laid out together â€Å"as closely and efficiently as possible† (Eberle, 2004, p145) to maximized usage of the fabric during the manufacturing process. Depending on the width of the fabric and pattern sizes, the lay can be planned into single size or multi-size. In addition, CAD is also used throughout the supply chain for communication between retailers, suppliers and customers. CAD can be integrated with other information technology systems, generating 2D designs to 3D, carrying out processes excluded in design and manufacturing stage, such as collecting sales orders and controlling stock as well as planning and visualizing shop floor layouts. Discussion Being a fashion buyer, there are some crucial factors of technology which have to be taken into consideration when a new range of products is under development. In term of range, every season retailers have various product categories as ‘fashion, ‘seasonal and ‘staple styles, different terminology maybe used in different retailers, such as ‘classic or ‘key items. Seasonal items are designed in specific themes for weather changes and traditional events including Halloween, Christmas and Easter, usually individual collection is designed for each category. Staple items are usually the basic styles selling in the previous season with more or less the same fitting however minor changes, such as style (from crew neck to V-neck) and colour combos. Fashion items are the unique and trendy items in the collection which only sell for a particular season and buyers are responsible for the selection of the collection including the outlook of items, fabrics used, colo urways by forcasting future trends. Goworek (2001, p20) defined range planning is that â€Å"the stage where buyers define the detail of the range that is to be offered to the customer in terms of styling, fabric, design details, suppliers and prices.† In the stage of planning, buyer needs to make decisions on the followings: Theme, fabrics, trims, patterns and colours to be used in each style; depending on what season and style the garment is in, different types of fabrics and colours may apply accordingly achieving specific outlooks. Size range for individual styles; most of the retailers usually have specific target market groups which the size range is based. However measurements sometimes vary slightly for fashion items. Range selection; the styles to be manufactured, the amount and ratio of styles such as tops and bottoms to be included in each category collection; there are usually hundreds of styles designed every season and only 60-70 styles are in final production list. Origin of the products; buyer considers the techniques to be used in the garments and decides where to place the bulk orders according to the manufacturers capabilities. Selling price; price to be sold in the stores â€Å"A product at any level must achieve the correct balance between price, quality, creativity and wearability†, said by Tungate (2004, p226). â€Å"Quality of textile and apparel products can prove decisive in the success or failure of companies in the fiercely competitive global market† stated by Kothari (1999, p1). Quality to the consumers means fitness for purpose such as comfort, warmth. Comfort can be performed by different sectors of a garment: fabrics, and design fitting. Fabric is the main component for comfort, which influences the presentation of a garment at the same time. Inadequately used fabric may result in not selling, for example an evening gown designed to be shiny and drapes well should use satin or silk not twill fabric, as the garment is worn next to skin, twill fabric is not appropriate for its surface is rough and uncomfortable to wear. Being attractively dressed is not the only reason for people to wear clothes; functional properties such as protection and keeping body warm is also a crucial factor and fabric should be appropriately used in apparel, additional finishing can be applied depending on purpose of garment, may be for different events and weathers, for example, a rain coat should have a waxed finish on the fabric surface protecting body from wet. Therefore, fabric sourcing is an essential process for new development; buyers should have background and update knowledge on fibres and fabrics as there is â€Å"continuous development of specialized fibers or fabrics for specific functions† (Kim and Johnson, 2009), as well as the technology in manufacturing. Since buyers may not be an expert on textiles, designer and the fabric technologists usually participate in the stage of fabric sourcing, it is important to distinguish the fibre contents and the constructions of a fabric as it is under British Standard that the fibre content must be clearly and accurately shown on a label stating what the garment was made of as well as the care instructions. Quality of the fabrics is tested by the authorized laboratory such as SGS, ITS ensuring fabrics achieving the standard of certain requirements in order to satisfy consumers. Brown and Rice (2001, p183) pointed out that â€Å"dyeing and printing are merchandising decisions as much as technical decisions because colour is critical to consumers when considering which garment to purchase.† When consumers first walk into shops, the first component appears to them is colour and the patterns of the garment. Buyers should always keep track on the fashion trend and the latest technology of dyeing and printing as well as competitors movements before making decisions as wrong decisions made may result in no sales and lose money, it is clearly shown by the failure case study of Marks and Spencer choosing the colour ‘grey to be the theme colour of its products. On the other hand, when making decisions, buyers should take into account the cost of the finishings needed to be applied to the fabrics and products, some finishings require special machinery for which not every manufacturer will have and for those who have, will demand a higher price for produci ng. For example, an additional cost of mercerizing process will be added to manufacturing the cotton fabric. Also, most of the time, fabrics are to be dyed into required colours and the cost of the fabric should include the dyeing cost, however for a product designed with garment dye finishing will cost more as manufacturers do not own a dyeing mill. Labour cost will also includes due to the constructions of the products using complicated machinery such as the cost of sewing in lock stitch will be less than sewing five-thread decorative overlock stitch. Cost can be eliminated in such minor sections to keep the whole production cost down, for one of the duties of buyer is to keep manufacturing cost down in order to make most profit for the company. Manually prototypes are manufactured with designated materials, colours and prints, then fitted on a model for buyers and designers reviewing if there should be any amendments, and while clothing designers use CAD systems together with other IT systems such as V-stitcher to perform ideas and stimulate designs by editing details, it is a more convenience and less time-consuming way to visual prototypes and change the materials, colourways, print patterns, trims and even the silhouette of a garment in a 2D and 3D computerized system as efficiency is crucial in this fast fashion industry. However, these digital systems are not affordable for every company. Consumers are concerned about apparel sizing and fit, they tend to purchase garments make them look well dressed and it is indicated by Brown and Rice (2005, p154) that â€Å"manufacturers aim to produce apparel that consistently fits their target market because apparel that fits increases sales and customer satisfaction† as well as gaining customer loyalty for they can expect to find a good fit as found before. The size range of garments available in store maybe different between retailers depending on what their target customer is. Moreover, garment measurements also vary between styles according to the perception of fashion, for example, the latest trend for womens top is oversized, measurement on shoulder of the fashion items will be bigger than a basic crew neck t-shirt. In order to achieve good fit, 3D body scanner can be applied to collect measurements of a model in the retailers target market group and transferring into computer data and collaborating technology of body scanning and V-stitcher, an avatar representing specific target market group is developed in V-stitcher system. Together with CAD system, where patterns are prepared, designers and buyers can review the styles on the avatar by different poses and movement and amend the fitting if necessary. Constructions of a garment can also be demonstrated in this collaboration system by putting specification of stitches and seams onto the prototypes. Nevertheless, it is difficult to examine the suitability use of stitches and seams without an actual finished prototype is produced. Conclusion This study illustrated the application of technology in the clothing and apparel industry from fibres to fabrics and to finished products, it is indeed used throughout all stages by designers, buyers and manufactures with digital and manual systems. Fibres and fabrics are being developed continuously, design and product development processes are becoming more and more dependent on the digital technology systems as demonstrated by Lectra, it is very useful to creating all the virtual images of designs, colourways and materials and generating into a collection in a computerized system. Technology is demonstrated as an advancement of this fast fashion industry. In order to success in the new product development, fashion buyers are responsible for making decisions for a complete collection of styles, based on researching the market for the latest trends, the consumer behaviours, and the most important is the application of technology. Design may be the key factor of a successful product, however, will not succeed without assistance with technology. The key elements of technology that influents fashions buyers decision in a new product development will be the technology achieving better fit and better quality to a garment.

Leadership In Sustainable Organisational Change Management Essay

Leadership In Sustainable Organisational Change Management Essay This report outlines the effective management of change through different leadership styles. The role of leadership has been viewed in the process of organisational change in this essay. Organisational change is referred to the process of intentionally inducing change in the organisation by altering its structure, processes, systems, products or any other component. The role of leadership has remained vital in bringing the change to organisation. Thus, this assignment tends to explore the role of different leadership styles in exploring the process of change in the organisation. There are two leadership styles that have been studied in this essay. These are transactional leadership styles and transformational leadership style. The transactional leadership cannot emphasise on the expressive aspects that are present in the organisation namely innovation, cultural changes and technological changes. The transformational leadership is more oriented towards participative and charismatic form of leadership. It values the participation and cooperation of the employees. Thus, both the leadership styles have been critique from different source after which conclusion has been made. Introduction Organisational change is referred to the process of intentionally inducing change in the organisation by altering its structure, processes, systems, products or any other component. This change is usually induced to help the organisation in accomplishing its goal more efficiently and effectively (Lines, SÃ ¡enzAramburu, 2011).Davies (2007) asserted that the role of leadership has remained vital in bringing the change to organisation. However the scope of the leadership has been broadened to incorporate the sustainable leadership. Sustainable leadership is basically based on the moral purposes that envision the success as the feature for all i.e. organisation as well as the society. Thus, this essay tends to explore two different sustainable leadership approaches towards organisational change. The role of these leadership approaches would be critically analysed from different theoretical sources. How these approaches help to make and sustain change in the organisation will be discussed with the help of few examples. An Overview of Leadership vs. Management Gill (2003) enunciated that the fundamental and primary component in successfully integrating change in the organisation is the effective leadership accompanied by the true organisational values and beliefs. The change is not a single day process rather it is a complete journey from the current state to the desired state. It also involves handling the issues and hurdle that come under the way of change institution. This requires a proper and pragmatic leadership approach therefore leadership has given a lot of importance in the context of organisational changes. The effective leadership theory encompasses a multi-track approach towards the organisational change that is used by many leaders. These tracks are based on the cognitive intelligence (rational and logical thinking processes), spiritual intelligence (attaching meaning to the work and lives of people), emotional intelligence (feeling and sentiments) and behavioural skills (action oriented leadership) (Gill, 2002). On the other hand, Pettinger (2004) narrated that management of the organisation is also effective while introducing change in the organisation. Sometimes, the failure of the change programs is attributed to the poor management, lack of proper management planning, absence of managerial control, inefficient use of resources by the management and unreliable managerial policies and practices. Like the leadership approach, management also focuses on behavioural, cognitive and committed style for embarking the change in the organisation. However, too much emphasis on any single component or approach may lead to produce deficiencies in the change program. Chenhall and Euske (2007) signified that an effective change management can be instituted if the change encompasses a skilful, knowledgeable, action oriented and intellectual approach towards the organisational processes. Therefore, a successful change is the indicator of effective management and leadership of the organisation. Without proper leadership and management, change cannot achieve the successful results in the organisation. An Overview of Sustainable Organisational Change The concept of sustainable change as mentioned by Cameron (2008) has emerged from the increasing use of technologies and the emerging globalisation. The sustainable change is a change that is introduced to serve the benefits for the organisation and for the society as well. The purpose of introducing sustainable change in the organisation is to improve the overall organisational performance. Andrews, Cameron and Harris (2008) Affirmed that this change is performance is expected to bring positive results for the company and for the society as well. The increasing awareness of the customer and the high variation in their demands has caused the companies to take a sustainable look of the change. This means that a change should be favourable for the both the organisation and the society as well. Nevertheless, when the company fails to successfully integrate change, many problems emerges. These problems require the company to take some immediate measures to rectify the change process. For example, the development of the new automaker subsidiary Saturn by the General Motors (GM) is the witness of the dramatic change that resulted from the companys exposure to huge losses in the market share. The bureaucracy was deeply rooted in the GMs culture. However, when it set to change its patterns for overcoming the potential losses of share it had to change its deep rooted cultural practices. This eventually resulted in developing new technologies, structures, relationships and policies in the Saturn. One of the most important changes that were made to Saturn was the appointment of new and talented people. The purpose of these appointments was to make the employees and people feel that GM is constantly engaged in upgrading its system and policies to integrate with the technological cha nges and advancements of the world (Higgs Rowland, 2006). Two Different Approaches to Leadership for Sustainable Change In Leadership, the transformational and transactional styles have remained subjected to huge debates over the period of time in social sciences. However, both the styles are being adopted by leaders while seeking the develop change programs in the organization. The distinction between these leadership styles set the whole change program is the different dimension. Therefore, leadership styles are deemed to be an important predictor of type of organizational changes (Bennett, 2009). There are certain other forms and styles of leadership as proclaimed by Bennett (2009) such as goal oriented leadership, task oriented leadership, authoritative leadership, participative leadership, etc. that has also been debated in comparison with the transformational and transactional leadership styles. Thus, leadership consists of different dimensions and approaches through which leaders pursue the change oriented mechanism of the organization. However, the transactional and transformational leadership styles are two broad categories of leadership that encompass all the other leadership styles. The transactional leadership is often called as instrumental leadership. There are various benefits associated with this approach to leadership. Nevertheless, it cannot work in times of accelerating change. The transactional leadership cannot emphasise on the expressive aspects that are present in the organisation namely innovation, cultural changes and technological changes. Thus, when the production becomes unstandardized then the institution of transactional change does not fit with accomplish of organisational change objectives (Leybourne, 2011). The most important factor in the transactional style of leadership is the vision and mission set by the leader that helps him in reaching to the change goals and objectives. On the other hand, the transformational leadership is perceived to be more expressive in nature. The transformational leadership style as articulated by Ismail, Mohamed, Sulaiman, Mohamad and Yusuf (2011) can be well-understood in terms of differentiating it with the transactional leadership. The business organisation often incorporates a mix concept of transformational and transactional leadership styles. However, for their proper understanding, it is important to have a look at each from contrasting perspective. Purvanova and Bono (2009) determined that the transformational leadership is more oriented towards participative and charismatic form of leadership. It values the participation and cooperation of the employees. However, a transactional leadership style is based on the principle of exchange among the leader and the sub-ordinates (followers). This differentiation between the two leadership styles is depicted from the political view. The followers are being valued by the leaders or given certain rewards and incentives when they follow the leaders direction and orders. Thus, the conflicting status of both the theories is set to thoroughly examine in this essay from the behavioural perspective. The reason for choosing the behavioural perspective is that both the theories encompass behavioural differences in the leadership styles. However, these styles will be explored in the context of organisational change (Leybourne, 2011). The transactional leadership has always been viewed from the perspective of cost-benefit relationship analysis. It follows strict rules and procedures towards judging the quality of outcomes. The followers are only benefitted when they seem to fulfil leaders interest. Thus, a pure exchange process exists between the leaders and the followers characterised by the behavioural intentions of the leader toward change. The instrumental leadership usually embrace the concept of providing a direction and order to the followers that should be achieved by the way leaders have designed for them. Any discretion and authority is not entertained among the followers in the organisation (Boseman, 2008). The leaders pursuing transactional leadership approaches usually compromise the value of motivation, team orientation and employee satisfaction in their work and goal setting. However, these three components are the most important driver of change in the organisation. The compromise of these three factors can lead to compromise in the change program of organisation. However, the critique argued that the transactional leadership approach set the context for the social exchange process among the leaders and the followers where both the parties involved in the pure exchange process. The leaders set the goals and aims and influence the followers to accomplish these goals and objectives. In such instance, the norms and the values of the organisation are sustained and the followers assert their wills to the leadership goals and objectives (Boseman, 2008). The leader has the power which he emphasise on his follower to get the work done. In return, the followers also get the valued outcomes in terms of incentives and wages. Thus, this signifies the presence of social exchange process in the transactional leadership approach. However, the control, structure and conditions of the organisation play an equally important role in transactional leadership style. Organisations that are pursuing change programs use transactional leadership because the leaders are responsible to take important decisions regarding the companys structure and culture and these decisions cannot be handed over to the followers (Leybourne, 2011). Generally the leaders emphasise more on the structures and goals of the organisation in transactional leadership approach that is very helpful in instituting change in the organisation. Sir Alan Sugar represents a true example of the transactional business leader. He was renowned for making gradual changes in business over a period of time. He did not support the radical change rather he embarked upon the practices of continuous change by using the potential dimensions for change. He led Amstrad to the peak of success through his string commitment to the transactional leadership style. He has been regarded as the one of the most successful entrepreneurs of todays world (Bennett, 2009). The transactional leaders often use contingent reward and management-by-exception (MBE) approach for enhancing the performance and attaining the coordination of the followers in the change process. The followers are promised rewards by the leaders on achieving outcomes and objectives that help them to boost their performance level. This beholds the concept of contingent rewards in transactional leadership style (Bennett, 2009). Management-by-Exception (MBE) usually has less impact on the employees as compared to the contingent rewards approach.The MBE helps the leaders to constantly watch and monitor the performances of employees and then take corrective measures. This approach is less used in the transactional leadership style. The most avoided form of leadership is the Laissez-Faire Leadership (LF) that the transactional leaders do not follow. LF is actually the process of delegating authorities to the followers for achieving the outcomes and goals. They set their own direction and take important decisions whenever needed. However, the transactional leadership style totally opposes this form of leadership style (Boseman, 2008). Burns (2003) asserted that the transformational style of leadership envisions the charisma and coordination as the main components of the leadership style. It is based on the concept of transformational changes and great environmental variations. It can work in the difficult times when the balances and stability in the companys processes seem to be missing. In such instances, the transformational leadership could help the organisation in beating the crises. The transformational leader is able to motivate the employees through encouraging their participation and by influencing them through charisma rather than power. The followers tend to follow the leader because of his charismatic personality. Ismail et al. (2011) mentioned that the transformational leadership witnesses huge changes and transformation in the goals and objectives of the company.The major difference between the transactional and transformational leadership style can be seen in terms of coordination, control and self-interest. The followers under the influence of transformational leaders are more encouraged to participate in the decision making, exhibiting their self-interest and getting aware of the values outcomes as compared to the transactional leadership style. The employees are motivated by means of self-esteem and their self-interest rather than monetary factors such as money and wages. The esteem of the followers is being values by the transformational leaders. The transformational leader contains a shared vision and perspective of the organisational values and norms and pursues a future oriented and team oriented approach towards the organisational outcomes. With these shared beliefs and values, transformational leaders are prone to change the whole organisation for making it competent in the global market (GumusluogluIlsev, 2009). Some of the most prominent examples of transformational leaders include the name of Bill Gates Bill Gates has pursued a transformational leadership style throughout his tenure. He has always encouraged the participation of his sub-ordinates and followers in the decision making. He values the thinking and opinions of his followers and this is the reason why Microsoft has been able to reach the heights of success in such a global and competitive market. He envisions the future in his mind and leads a whole team towards the accomplishment of that mission. The changes that have been taking place in the Microsoft are the true reflection of the collective efforts of the employees and the Bill Gates that has led the Microsoft to the peak of the success (GumusluogluIlsev, 2009). Thus change is a dynamic process that requires the use of both the styles of leadership by the leaders. However, transformational leadership style is often viewed as more appropriate since it values the outcomes and participation of employees. Conclusion Summarising all the above discussion and examples, it can be said that the transactional leadership rest on the concept of social exchange between leaders and followers. They actively take part in this exchange process as leaders being the goals setter and followers being the goals follower. This approach is usually pursued when the organisation undergo some strategic and corporate changes in their businesses. At that time they demand the proper rules and policies and enforce the employees to follow their direction to achieve the goals and outcomes. They often need to take some immediate decision therefore incorporating Laissez-Faire Leadership would not be the best choice for transactional leaders. In summary, the employees are supposed to work with the change program in the organisation regardless of their wills and they are to follow the directions set by the leaders for them. However, the transformational leadership style has been recognised as the best approach for the transformational changes. It demands the participation and coordination of the followers in the changes process. Without their participation and coordination the change cannot work well in the organisation. Since employees are the one who work with these changes and modifications therefore, their participation is extremely important for the leaders. The transformational leadership also envisions this concept as the best approach for achieving organisational outcomes. However, critique suggests that the mixture of both the transactional and the transformational leadership style can serve the best in the change process.

Utra Violet Radiation Essay -- Environment, Purple Violet Pigment, Pho

Protection against solar UV radiations in organisms includes production of secondary metabolites such as pigments that can absorb UV and visible light. In this study, vioA gene coding for tryptophan 2-monooxygenase involved in the biosynthetic pathway of violacein-like purple violet pigment (PVP) was cloned and sequenced from an Antarctic bacterium Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2. A non-pigmented vioA mutant strain was obtained following mini-Tn10 transposon mutagenesis that produced a lesser amount of extrapolymeric substances (EPS) and exhibited a compromised survival to freeze-thaw cycles at 4ËšC. Survival of vioA mutant strain during exponential and stationary growth phase was significantly reduced when exposed to UVB (320 nm) and UVC (254 nm) (dose range: 0-300 J/m ²) light. Decreased viability of the mutant strain was noticed at 4ËšC upon nutrient deprivation and exposure to UV light. The pigment production was augmented in surviving cells following increased doses of both UVB and UVC. Interestingly, at higher doses i.e. 100 and 300 J/m ², pigmented wild-type strain showed better survival to harmful UVC than UVB. This could be attributed to the pigment structure, which has absorption maxima in the visible (575 nm) as well as in the UVC (270 nm) range. In conclusion, this study defines the photoprotective role of the PVP in Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2 against UV radiation using single gene mutation. Perhaps the photoprotective role of PVP in this bacterium is one of the key adaptive features that define their survival in Antarctic extreme conditions, especially during austral summer months. INTRODUCTION The high energy photons in solar UV radiation are considered to be the most damaging component to the biological macromolec... ...x, which is involved in quorum sensing mediated biofilm formation (Morohoshi et al., 2010). Therefore, it is likely that loss of vioA has affected the biofilm formation in Ant5-2. Moreover, colony morphology demonstrated that PVP had substantial effect on the structural organization of colony biofilms (Fig. 4). The mechanisms whereby pigment production control colony morphology and EPS production is likely to be a complex issue yet to be determined (Dietrich et al., 2008). Until recently, the potential role of pigments as secondary metabolites modulating the cellular physiology of microorganisms in extreme environments has been neglected (Hernandez & Newman, 2001). This study provides an evidence for the role of PVP as a secondary metabolite in UV resistance and suggests its functions of primary importance in Ant5-2 residing in Antarctic extreme conditions.