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Hewlett Packard: Porters Five Forces, SWOT and PEST

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Collecting Data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Collecting Data - Essay Example It is not unusual for ethnographers to live in the culture for months or even years. The middle stages of the ethnographic method involve gaining informants, using them to gain yet more informants in a chaining process, and gathering of data in the form of observational transcripts and interview recordings. Data analysis and theory development come at the end, though theories may emerge from cultural immersion and theory-articulation by members of the culture. However, the ethnographic researcher strives to avoid theoretical preconceptions and instead to induce theory from the perspectives of the members of the culture and from observation. The researcher may seek validation of induced theories by going back to members of the culture for their reaction Ethnography is a form of research focusing on the sociology of meaning through close field observation of sociocultural phenomena. Typically, the ethnographer focuses on a community (not necessarily geographic, considering also work, leisure, and other communities), selecting informants who are known to have an overview of the activities of the community. Such informants are asked to identify other informants representative of the community, using chain sampling to obtain a saturation of informants in all empirical areas of investigation. Informants are interviewed multiple times, using information from previous informants to elicit clarification and deeper responses upon re-interview. This process is intended to reveal common cultural understandings related to the phenomena under study. These subjective but collective understandings on a subject (ex., stratification) are often interpreted to be more significant than objective data (ex., income differentials). Ethnography is a qualitative research method that is used by anthropologists to describe a culture. Culture has many definitions but usually consists of origins, values, roles, and material items associated with a particular group of people. Ethnographic research, therefore, attempts to fully describe a variety of aspects and norms of a cultural group to enhance understanding of the people being studied. Historically, anthropologists who performed ethnographic research often would live in the community being investigated. Ethnographic research has focused on various foreign cultures to gain understanding about native people who are isolated from Western civilization. One famous anthropologist who performed this type of research was Margaret Mead. Her classic study of three New Guinea cultures explored those cultures' gender characteristics and roles. By studying a variety of cultural norms, gender characteristics, and roles, this type of research can help scientists categorize nature versus nurture gender characteristics. Many ethnographic studies have documented cultural roles that challenge Western perspectives of innate gender characteristics.(1) In ethnographic studies, the orientation of the researcher is termed etic or emic. An etic orientation is a view from an outsider's perspective. For example, if an ethnographer studied the culture of perioperative nurses and had no perioperative nursing experience, that researcher's interpretations would be from an etic perspective. If a perioperative nurse studied the culture of the OR or the organization of AORN, those interpretations would be from an insider's, or emic, perspective. Ethnographic resea

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Self-storage began in America Essay Example for Free

Self-storage began in America Essay The Shurgard concept of self-storage began in America in 1970 when cofounder of the company Chuck Barbo identified a gap in the market for both homeowners and businesses with a requirement for extra space. He came up with the notion of mini-warehouses for people with excess belongings and businesses with long forgotten records or documents. Twenty years later Shurgard began to expand into Europe and in 1995 the first European store opened in Brussels. Four years later the first UK store opened in South London and earlier this year the company was bought for $5bn by Public Storage, the world’s largest owner and operator of self-storage facilities. The challenge The growth and success of Shurgard in Europe meant that increasing demands and expectations were being placed on the company’s operations middle managers who were wrestling with a growing number of stores, an ever-larger geographic area of responsibility, increased numbers of employees, decentralisation of country and panEuropean support centres, greater autonomy and reorganisation of roles. Terry Whitney, European Learning and Development Manager of Shurgard SelfStorage Centers, said: â€Å"The business of self-storage was very different in Europe than it was in the US and there were different points of maturity in the market so there were many challenges to face. Most of our attention was focussed on buying property and building new facilities. Suddenly we realised we had a management team that was bright and hard working but had suffered from a lack of development focus.† â€Å"The best result of our partnership with SHL is that the district managers are now motivated because they know what is expected of them, how they will be held accountable and have focused training and development in place. Importantly, they also know what success looks like.† Terry Whitney, Shurgard shl.com Case Study | Shurgard Typical of many fast growing companies, Shurgard realised that it had no consistency of job titles, roles or responsibilities and no standardised job descriptions or job competencies for its staff. In addition there was no formal evaluation, training or development and no succession planning. What Shurgard wanted to create was a consistent layer of district managers across Europe. Some people already had this title but their job seemed little different to a market manager, operations manager or area manager. â€Å"We were promoting great operations people from store managers to more senior job titles with responsibility for profit and loss accounts for specific districts. We also wanted them to lead, inspire and motivate and the more senior roles had a completely different set of skills requirements which we had not measured or trained for,† said Whitney. District managers were identified as the operations critical layer with which to start work. Shurgard felt that if these people could not understand and accurately report on key occupancy and rates figures for stores, then shareholders would not have the confidence to invest money for expansion and more storage sites. The solution This client places people development high on its list of organizational priorities. With an agreed name for the role, the company needed to align the title with expectations and competencies that could be used across Europe and which would accommodate future growth of new stores. The people had to more effectively lead and manage an ever larger number of store personnel at a time of reduced centralised support. They were also required to operate at a higher managerial level than had previously been demanded. Faced with this challenge, Shurgard partnered with SHL – global experts in workplace assessment – to conduct a performance assessment of the mid-management team in Europe. The programme was designed to: †¢ Establish a benchmark of current managerial talents †¢ Undertake a gap analysis to determine the strengths and limitation of the management team against the new job competencies †¢ Recommend how the current managerial team could achieve the new expectations for the district manager role †¢ Assess the leadership potential of the current team †¢ Identify the ideal profile of a district manager for use in future recruitment. Supporting more than 10,000 customers every year Organisations that understand and maximize their people’s potential achieve outstanding results. SHL gives you the insights to make better decisions about your people. We call this People Intelligence, Business Results. â€Å"With SHL’s Universal competency Framework cards, we were able to define the critical behaviours required for the district managers role†, comments Whitney â€Å"This competency model was the hub around which SHL was able to design an appropriate development centre programme.† Individuals were invited to a one-day assessment at an SHL diagnostic development centre in order to see how they fitted the need and behavioural competencies of the district manager role. The assessment included exercises aligned to specific competencies, psychometric tests in local languages, management scenario role-play and numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning tests. Each attendee received feedback from a senior SHL assessor who took them through their results and talked about their development needs. The Results As a result of the assessment, Shurgard found that its mid-management team had a wide spectrum of skills and abilities but also specific patterns of managerial strengths and weaknesses. Recognising these areas enabled the company to target the appropriate training and development to address specific competencies and behaviours. â€Å"Shurgard really learned the critical importance of aligning the district manager job description, job competencies, hiring profile, training activities and performance management processes to create improved motivation and performance,† said Whitney. He added that using the competencies created by SHL also changed the recruitment and promotion process. New recruits are now given competency-based interviews focused on certain experiences whilst promotions are no longer based on length of service and performance alone but on potential against the required competencies. â€Å"For me it’s the competencies – everything ties back to them,† said Whitney. And he adds: â€Å"The best result of our partnership with SHL is that the district managers are now motivated because they know what is expected of them, how they will be held accountable and have focused training and development in place. Importantly, they also know what success looks like.† Case Study | Shurgard Shurgard’s need to focus on developing its managers was being hampered by a lack of consistency in job titles, roles, responsibilities and competencies for its staff. SHL worked with the firm to assess its midmanagement team in Europe and identify the ideal profile for district managers. Shurgard is now able to target management development and recruit more effectively for improved motivation and performance 25 million assessments every year. Organisations that understand and maximize their people’s potential achieve outstanding results. SHL gives you the insights to make better decisions about your people. We call this People Intelligence, Business Results.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Energy Efficient Building Design Strategies For Hot Climates Construction Essay

Energy Efficient Building Design Strategies For Hot Climates Construction Essay This research discusses energy efficient design strategies of traditional houses in Iraq (hot-arid climate), climatic design techniques and potentials for renewable energy systems that can be implemented in the contemporary residential design techniques in order to offset the absence of produced energy (due to current economic and political issues) and help decreasing demand for electricity, which is used extensively to overcome the indoor thermal discomfort during the harsh summer seasons. A comparison between traditional Baghdadi house (Hosh), which existed before the discovery of oil, and a contemporary house design option is to be made to evaluate the thermal performance of both options in this climatic zone in order to adapt more energy efficient design strategies; and also to integrate features for sustainable building design and potentials to implement renewable energy systems. A simulation modeling is to be used to conduct analysis of energy efficient design strategies, namely relating to building envelope, size and direction, ventilation, shading elements, and using renewable energy systems in order to present recommendations that helps in consequential energy offset while preserving comfort. Keywords: Introduction Examining the energy demand in such region, buildings, with particular reference to residential houses, are one of the most significant energy-sensitive entities (Al-ajmi Hanby, 2008). It is stated that buildings consume over half of all electricity and one-third of natural gas (Yilmaz, 2007). Reduction of energy consumption in residential buildings is a major aim worldwide and is a particular challenge in this region for the reasons mentioned previously (Al-ajmi Hanby, 2008). Therefore, sustainable design strategies are of great importance nowadays in order to reduce energy consumption in residential buildings. One may say that sustainability was already a driving force in the past, showing its validity in those days in different forms and techniques. Therefore, problems and precautions in design and construction did not change fundamentally, although a lot of development was seen in materials and technology. Of course, these developments may have had some negative effects (Yilmaz, 2007). Energy efficient design strategies for traditional houses in such climate are significantly different from each other as it can be easily seen in the traditional design (Yilmaz, 2007). Description of Problem Area Energy consumption is becoming more and more important in todays world because of a possible energy shortage in the future. Efficient use of energy has become a key issue for the most energy policies (Yilmaz, 2007). In regions where hot-arid climatic zone is prevailed, practically in Iraq, present economic and political circumstances have become the main reasons that led to a significant energy shortage although Iraq has a spare operational capacity of oil supply in comparison with other countries around the world. A significant need for new energy efficient design strategies and developed buildings construction standards in this area has become essential in order to offset the absence of produced energy and help decreasing demand for electricity, much of which is consumed in air conditioning systems, which is used extensively to overcome the indoor thermal discomfort during the harsh summer seasons (Al-ajmi Hanby, 2008). Conceptual Framework Figure (1) provides a diagram of the conceptual framework that has devised for this research. The proposed research study into traditional and contemporary building design systems will rely on an experimental research strategy in the positivist system of inquiry (developed design strategies). The research will attempt to establish a comparison (Groat and Wang, 2002, P. 254) between a treatment (independent variable) and an outcome (dependent variable) through the evaluation of measured results. Figure (1) Conceptual diagram of the research variables (Groat Wang, 2002) Research Questions Do traditional houses perform better than contemporary ones? Why? Is it feasible to use traditional design strategies in contemporary houses? How could we achieve a sustainable building design in such climatic zone? Do we need new or developed strategies in order to achieve sustainable building design in such climatic region? What if we integrate renewable energy systems into traditional house design? Project Goals and Specific Objectives The purpose of this research is to: Make a comparison and evaluation of thermal performance of residential houses (traditional vs. contemporary) in Iraq (hot-arid climate) in order to adapt more developed and energy efficient design strategies. Integrate new trends for sustainable design in residential houses in this area. Potentials to implement renewable energy systems. This research is achieved through the following: Extensive overview of the antecedent literature in the area of energy efficiency and thermal building performance in such climatic zone. Identify the most effective strategy from the literature that can be applied in order to develop more energy efficient design strategies. Un-wrap issues of energy efficiency, building performance and sustainable design systems. Use a simulation modeling as a tactical tool to make comparison between contemporary and traditional building design systems and energy performance in order to investigate the thermal characteristics and energy savings for both building designs using different strategies and also potentials to integrate sustainable features using renewable energy system. Test outcome results and write a research report accordingly which combines my understanding of the relevant theory and previous research with the results of my empirical research. Literature Review The literature review is structured around the key concepts of significance of energy efficient design strategies, thermodynamics of hot-arid climates, Inventory of traditional design elements in hot-arid climate and energy simulation methods. These key concepts have led to the research questions and the proposed methodology for this research proposal. See figure1 for the map of literature reviewed. Figure () Map of sources reviewed Figure () Research Literature Review Diagrammatic (Groat Wang, 2002) Building Design Strategies Climatic Building Strategies Research by Ochoa Capeluto (2008) states a quick review of design strategies for different climatic zones. This is necessary to examine when and how design strategies should be considered, particularly during design process. Climatic building strategies in hot climates differ from those of cold ones, For example, in cold climates heat collection and storage is essential, and ventilation must be limited for the same reasons. Short daytime and low radiation levels in winter make maximum penetration of natural light to be desired. On the other hand, in hot climates heat must be excluded, the amount of relative humidity controlled, and the thermal mass cooled usually through natural ventilation during the night. Daylight penetration must be carefully managed using control devices (see figure 1) (as cited in Ochoa Capeluto, 2008, Building and Environment, P.1830). Figure (1) Building strategies for cold and hot climates (Ochoa Capeluto, 2008). Optimized Building Envelope A building envelope is a skin that separates between the interior and the exterior of a building. It serves as the outer shell to protect the indoor environment as well as to facilitate its climate control (controlling heat transfer between building layers). The study by Danny Harvey (2009) reviews the literature concerning energy efficiency that can be achieved through optimized building envelope. According to Danny Harvey (2009), The effectiveness of the thermal envelope depends on: (1) The insulation levels in the walls, ceiling, and other building parts; (2) The thermal properties of windows and doors; and (3) The rate of uncontrolled exchange of inside and outside air which, in turn, depends in part on the air tightness of the envelope (infiltration/excitation) (Energy Efficiency, P. 141). Reducing the Cooling Load Energy conservation and climatic design techniques that can be implemented in residential houses in this area (hot-arid climate) are useful for reducing cooling energy consumption (Al-Temeemi, 1995). Danny Harveys (2009) research found the following: Reducing the cooling load requires: (1) Orienting a building to minimize the wall area facing directions that are most difficult to shade from the sun; (2) Clustering buildings to provide some degree of self shading (as in many traditional communities in hot climates); (3) Providing fixed or adjustable shading; (4) Using highly reflective building materials; (5) Increasing insulation; (6) Using windows that transmit a relatively small fraction (as little at 25%) of the total (visible + invisible) incident solar energy while permitting a larger fraction of the visible radiation to enter for daylighting purposes; (7) Utilizing thermal mass to minimize daytime interior temperature peaks; (8) Utilizing night time ventilation to remove daytime heat; and (9) Minimizing internal heat gains by using efficient lighting and appliances. The combination of external insulation, thermal mass, and night ventilation is particularly effective in hot-arid climates, as placing the insulation on the outside exposes the thermal mass to cool night air while minimizing the inward penetration of daytime heat into the thermal mass (Energy Efficiency, P. 141). Passive cooling techniques By using the above measures to reduce the thermal load of the building, other techniques requires small inputs of mechanical energy to optimize passive cooling processes (Danny Harvey, 2009). Danny Harveys (2009) research discussed the following major passive cooling techniques: Passive ventilation Passive ventilation reduces the need for mechanical cooling by directly removing warm air when the incoming air is cooler than the outgoing air, reducing the perceived temperature due to the cooling effect of air motion and increasing the acceptable temperature through psychological adaptation when the occupants have control of operable windows. Passive ventilation requires a driving force, and an adequate number of openings, to produce airflow. It can be induced through pressure differences arising from inside-outside temperature differences or from wind. Design features, especially traditional, that create thermal driving forces and/or utilize wind effects include courtyards, atria, wind towers, solar chimneys, and operable windows. Passive ventilation not only reduces energy use, but can improve air quality and gives people what they generally want. In buildings with good thermal mass exposed to the interior air, passive ventilation can continue right through the night, sometimes more vigorously than during the day due to the greater temperature difference between the internal and external air. Night time ventilation, in turn, serves to reduce the cooling load by making use of cool ambient air to remove heat (as cited in Danny Harvey, 2009, Energy Efficiency, P.142). Evaporative cooling Danny Harveys (2009) study further discussed the following in terms of producing evaporative cooling techniques: Evaporation of water cools the remaining liquid water and air that comes into contact with it. The coldest temperature that can be achieved through evaporation is called the wet-bulb temperature and depends on the initial temperature and humidity (the higher the initial humidity, the less evaporation and cooling that can occur). There are two methods of evaporative cooling the air supplied to buildings. In a direct evaporative cooler, water evaporates directly into the air stream to be cooled. In an indirect evaporative cooler, water evaporates into and cools a secondary air stream, which cools the supply air through a heat exchanger without adding moisture. By appropriately combining direct and indirect systems, evaporative cooling can provide comfortable temperature-humidity combinations most of the time in most parts of the world. Evaporative cooling is most effective in dry regions, but water may be a limiting factor in such regions. However, arid regions tend to have a large diu rnal temperature range, so thermal mass with external insulation and night ventilation can be used instead (Energy Efficiency, P.142). Influence of Energy Efficient Design Strategies on Design Stages The architectural design process is iterative and moves from the abstract (definition of massing, orientation, and image) to the specific (lighting control, mechanical ventilation type) (as cited in Ochoa Capeluto, 2008, Building and Environment, P.1830). At the design stage, key decisions taken by architects can significantly influence potentials to optimize building efficiency. These include decisions affecting the selection of building components. According to Ochoa Capeluto (2008), As it advances and more specialists are called in to solve details, earlier decisions, which could have an enormous influence on the building performance, are expensive and harder if not impossible to change (Building and Environment, P.1830). Other influential factors unrelated to climatic strategies must be taken into account. For example, a certain orientation that is bad for energy consumption might define how well the building performs (Ochoa Capeluto, 2008). However, it would require an Integrated Design Process (IDP), in which the design process optimizes the building performance by involving all members of design-making team from the beginning. The importance of an Integrated Design Process (IDP) on building systems approach Danny Harveys (2009) study found the following: The systems approach requires an Integrated Design Process (IDP), in which the building performance is optimized through an iterative process that involves all members of the design team from the beginning. However, the conventional process of designing a building is a largely linear process, in which the architect makes a number of design decisions with little or no consideration of their energy implications and then passes on the design to the engineers, who are supposed to make the building habitable through mechanical systems (Energy Efficiency, P. 140). The steps in the most basic IDP are: to consider building orientation, form, and thermal mass to specify a high-performance building envelope to maximize passive heating, cooling, ventilation, and daylighting to install efficient systems to meet remaining loads to ensure that individual energy-using devices are as efficient as possible and properly sized to ensure the systems and devices are properly commissioned By focusing on building form and a high-performance envelope, heating, and cooling loads are minimized, daylighting opportunities are maximized, and mechanical systems can be greatly downsized (Danny Harvey, 2009). Thermodynamics of Hot-Arid Climates Any consideration to energy efficiency applications or design strategies in any climatic zone requires examining of thermodynamics and human comfort. In his Text Natural Energy and Vernacular Architecture: Principles and Examples, With Reference to Hot Arid Climates, the author demonstrates properties of energy that must be considered in order to fully understand climatic phenomena. Heat, radiation, pressure, humidity, and wind, among other factors, interact mutually to establish microclimatic conditions appropriate to hot-arid climatic (Fathy, 1986). According to Fathy (1986), the following are some of these basic concepts applied to hot-arid climates: Thermal gain Solar radiation is the principal source of heat in hot-arid zones, and this heat can be transmitted during the day to the building interior in a number of ways. The most important is by conduction of the absorbed solar radiation through the walls or roof at a rate determined by the thermal conductance (or thermal resistivity) of wall components. (The relationship involving the incoming and reflected solar radiation absorbed and re-emitted heat and heat gain is shown in figure 2 below for the case of a typical white painted surface). Figure (2) (Fathy, 1986) Heat gain can also be caused by ventilation. The rate of gain is dependent on the ventilation rate. Ventilation heat gain can be avoided by restricting the size of openings, especially during the heat of the day. The other sources of heat gain are the inhabitants of the building themselves and household equipment such as electric lights and appliances. These sources, unlike the solar radiation, can contribute heat even at night (see figure 3) (Fathy, 1986). Figure (3) Modes of heat transfer (Fathy, 1986) Thermal loss Heat is lost by conduction through the walls, by exactly the same process that it is gained from the direct solar radiation once it has been absorbed by the surface or through the roof by a combination of convection and conduction. Ventilation is also another mode of heat loss. Evaporation from the surface of the building or from objects within the interior can produce a cooling effect on the building which acts as a source of heat loss. In hot arid climates, this can be a particularly effective cooling mechanism since the rate of evaporation in dry air is very high. Figure 3 also shows the modes of heat loss (Fathy, 1986). Cooling by evaporation Evaporative cooling is used for cooling in hot dry areas (such as in Iraq, where the people place against the windows panels of dried desert plants, which are kept moist by water dripping from perforated pipes positioned above them) (Fathy, 1986). Dynamic thermal equilibrium The heat gained by the building can be expected to be balanced by the heat lost and an internal temperature distribution thus established. These temperatures are dependent on the outside temperature and the ratio of the heat gained to the heat lost and can be adjusted by regulating the sources of heat gain and loss. Before examining the systems and devices that have been developed to do this in the hot arid zones, it is first necessary to have an idea of the heat-regulating mechanism of the human body and the microclimatic conditions for human comfort. Table (1) Heat gain and loss processes for the human body (Fathy, 1986). Mechanism Gain Process Loss Process Metabolism Basal heat production Digestion Activity Muscle tensing and shivering in response to cold Radiation From solar radiation-direct and reflected To surrounding air From radiation by radiators Conduction From air above skin temperature (increased by air movement) To air below skin temperature From warmer bodies in contact To cooler bodies in contact Evaporation From respiratory tract From skin covered with perspiration or applied water Conditions of human comfort A convenient standard for thermal comfort is required. Analysis shows that a variety of factors can be involved in situations of discomfort. For example, temperature alone does not determine discomfort. In Athens, 32  °C is quite bearable, but it is generally intolerable in Bahrain. The difference is due entirely to the relative humidity of the atmosphere. In Bahrain the air is very humid and perspiration evaporates slowly, decreasing the bodys ability to lose heat. In Athens, with its dry air, the evaporation rate is high and perspiration evaporates quickly lowering body temperature. The factors that have been identified as standard for thermal comfort within buildings are: air temperature, air humidity, rate of air movement, level of radiation, and rate of heat production by the bodies of people in the building [4]. Inventory of design elements for traditional housing design in hot-arid climates Building materials The materials surrounding the occupants of a building are of prime importance for protection against heat and cold. Considering an external wall exposed to a high outside air temperature and a lower inside air temperature (see figure 4), the rate of heat flow transmitted through the wall from the outside air to the inside air is proportional to the air temperature difference, area of the wall, and rate of global heat transmittance that can be determined from an analysis of the components of the total resistance to heat flow. The total resistance is composed of the resistance to heat flow through the material, the interfacial resistance at the external surface, and the interfacial resistance at the internal surfaces. Since the interfacial resistances are determined primarily by temperature conditions over which the builder has little control, his principal effect on the heat transmittance is on changing the resistance to heat flow through the wall material (Fathy, 1986). Figure (4) (Fathy, 1986) Table 2 lists the thicknesses of walls composed of various construction materials needed to achieve coefficients of approximately 1.1 kcal/hm ²C °. The mud brick is most appropriate for achieving thermal comfort in addition to being widely available to all segments of the population (Fathy, 1986). Table (2) Thicknesses of walls of different material (Fathy, 1986) Wall Material Wall Thickness Thermal Transmittance (in m) (in in) (in kcal/ hm ²C °) Hollow brick block 0.30 12 1.10 Double-wall brick with holes and 8-cm cavity 2 x 0.12 2 x 4.7 1.12 Brick wall with holes 0.38 15 1.03 Sand-lime brick 0.51 20 1.25 Hollow block sand-lime brick 0.51 20 1.16 Lime 0.51 20 1.10-1.35 Concrete 1.00 39 1.20 Orientation In hot climates, the sun is the major source of heat. The position of the sun must be determined for all hours of the day at all seasons as well as the direction of the prevailing winds, especially during the hot season. In addition, for an ensemble of buildings forming a sector, there will be reflection from adjacent buildings and wind screening by clusters of buildings, which contribute to a specific microclimate for each location in the sector. Wind movement and humidity also are important and should be considered simultaneously with the direct and indirect effects of the sun. The main objective is to establish the optimum orientation with regard to the sun and the prevailing wind (Fathy, 1986). Shading Generally, a building with a facade opening to the west is the worst case encountered in hot-arid climate, owing to the heat gain of the surrounding environment during the day and the angle of altitude, which allows the suns rays to penetrate into the interior. Openings Window openings normally serve three functions: to let in direct and indirect sunlight, to let in air, and to provide a view (Fathy, 1986). The venetian blind One device which can be added directly to the window is the venetian blind. This blind is made of small slats, about 4-5 cm wide, closely set in a wooden frame at an angle that will intercept the suns rays. The slats are often movable so the angle can be changed. This feature of adjustability renders venetian blinds very useful in regulating solar radiation and wind flow into rooms. Using the venetian blind, the suns rays can be blocked out without obstructing the breeze, which generally blows from the northwest in most hot arid areas like Iraq. As shown in figure 5a, changing the position of the blind alternatively by to block the direct sunlight, the wind is redirected uselessly over the heads of the occupants, as figure 5b illustrates. Also, if the slats are made of metal, they then absorb some incoming radiation and reradiate it into the room as heat (Fathy, 1986). Figure (5) (Fathy, 1986) The Shanshool or Mashrabiya This was a cantilevered space with a lattice opening, where small water jars were placed to be cooled by the evaporation effect as air moved through the opening. The name is used for an opening with a wooden lattice screen composed of small wooden balusters that are circular in section and arranged at specific regular intervals. The shanshool has five functions. These functions involve: (1) controlling the passage of light, (2) controlling the air flow, (3) reducing the temperature of the air current, (4) increasing the humidity of the air current, and (5) ensuring privacy. Its cooling and humidifying functions are closely related. All organic fibers, such as the wood of a shanshool readily absorb, retain, and release considerable quantities of water. Wind passing through the interstices of the porous-wooden shanshool will give up some of its humidity to the wooden balusters if they are cool, as at night. When the shanshool is directly heated by sunlight, this humidity is released to any air that may be flowing through the interstices. This technique can be used to increase the humidity of dry air in the heat of the day, cooling and humidifying the air at a time when most needed. The balusters and interstices of the shanshool have optimal absolute and relative sizes that are based on the area of the surfaces exposed to the air and the rate at which the air passes through. In addition to these physical effects, the shanshool serves an important social function: it ensures privacy from the outside for the inhabitants while at the same time allowing them to view the outside through the screen (Fathy, 1986). Table (3) Summary of architectural elements of traditional building in Iraq (hot-arid climate), as they have been common from the 13th to the end of the 19th century. Retrieved from http://www.brainworker.ch/Irak/architecture.htm Oda: the simple room Tarma: open balcony with pillars Ursi: most probably from russi, russian. The most important room of the house, as at the same time you may see, but not been seen as much as in a tarma, ivan or talar. Its separated from the tarma by a window-wall from colored glasses, without door. Those were the masterpieces of Baghdadi carpentry. Talar, a usable open room behind the tarma. The difference to the iwan is, that it cant be entered directly from the rooms beside it. Is separated from the tarma by additional pillars. Iwan(or Liwan), a room behind the tarma or adjacent tot the inner courtyard, that is on one side open. Hosh, the central courtyard, often with a fountain in the middle. sirdab, the cellar, that did not only serve as store, but   as cooling hall and for the provision of cool air through the badgir-sirdab-system. neem, a cellar that is only half buried. Mostly with one window. During the hot summer nights the roof was and is used in Baghdad for sleeping. The high value of privacy demanded, that no house was higher than the others, so that nobody was able to look down on his neighbors roof. kabishkan: The Penthouse, from where one is able to control all the house. Often those rooms have been placed like eyries in all four corners of the inner courtyard.   The roof If the outdoor air temperature is higher than the indoor temperature, the outer surface of the roof exposed to the sun is heated as it absorbs radiation, and, being in contact with the outside hot air, also is heated by conduction. The roof then transmits this heat to the inner surface, where it raises the temperature of the air in contact with it by conduction. At the same time, it radiates heat that is absorbed by people and objects indoors, thereby affecting thermal comfort. In hot arid countries, since the air temperature drops considerably during the night, the inhabitants have arranged the roof architecturally into loggias or open galleries and lightweight roof covers. These loggias and roof covers have the double function of shading the roof during the day and providing physiologically comfortable living and sleeping spaces at night (Fathy, 1986). Figure (6) Different types of roofing in hot-arid climates (Fathy, 1986) The wind-escape The technique of using the suction caused by low air-pressure zones to generate steady air movement indoors is used in the design of the wind-escape. The funnel and side tube used to illustrate the Bernoulli effect or Venturi action (see figure 7) are transposed into the structural elements of an architectural design in order to accelerate air movement and to create drafts in places with no exposure to the outside, such as basements in Iraq. This concept can be applied more advantageously in designs for use above ground. The wind-escape can accelerate effective ventilation and air circulation when used with other devices for air movement such as windows, doors, and the malqaf or wind-catch (Fathy, 1986). Figure (7) Bernoulli Effect (Fathy, 1986) The malgaf In hot arid zones, a difficulty is found in combining the three functions of the ordinary window: light, ventilation, and view. Therefore, it is necessary to satisfy the three functions ascribed to the window separately. To satisfy the need for ventilation alone, the malqaf or wind-catch was invented. This device is a shaft rising high above the building with an opening facing the prevailing wind. It traps the wind from high above the building where it is cooler and stronger, and channels it down into the interior of the building. The malqaf thus dispenses with the need for ordinary windows to ensure ventilation and air movement. The malqaf is also useful in reducing the sand and dust so prevalent in the winds of hot arid regions. The wind it captures above the building contains less solid material than the wind at lower heights, and much of the sand which does enter is dumped at the bottom of the shaft. In the areas of An-Najf and Al-Kufa in Iraq, where air temperature is very high in summer, people live in basements ventilated by small holes in the ceiling and a malqaf with a very small inlet. Figure 8 shows plans and the section of a residence with a basement from this region. However, as the airflow is small and the air circulation is insufficient, this design is unhealthy and a possible cause of lung diseases. In some designs, the drafts from the malqaf outlet are cooled by passing over water in the basement. Figure (8) The Malgaf (Fathy, 1986) The Bà £dgir-sirdab In Iraq (hot-arid climate)and the countries of the Gulf, a specific type of malqaf called the bà £dgir was developed. The system badgir-sirdab was a cheap, environmentally friendly and energy saving solution to create an acceptable cl

Friday, October 25, 2019

Digestive Disorders (liver) :: essays research papers

Digestive Disorders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amebic Dysentry is a disorder in which there is an accumulation of pus located in the liver. This is usually caused by an internal parasite or organism. When dealing with this liver disease there are a few symptoms to look out for. Jaundice, which is something that will make your skin and eyes go yellow is a symptom of Amebic Dysentry. Other symptoms to look out for are chills, a high fever, sweating, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, possible joint pain and an all around basic discomfort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amebic Dysentry is caused by the same micro-organism that causes a variety of intestine infections. This organism is carried through the blood stream to the liver to where the abscess is formed. For starters, the collection of pus is the bodies white blood cells forming to protect the liver. However, it collects too much and that is how the abscess is formed. When you are diagnosed with amebic liver you are very likely to also have an intestinal infection from the disease as well. This is not true for all cases though. Most cases in which both occur are in places of high temperatures and poor sanitation. Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India have many health problems associated with the disease. The most common way to get this disease is from one person to another. The other most common way is through unhealthy food and badly sanitized water. Not eating properly and excessive drinking will only worsen the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many ways that you can help prevent getting this disease. If you go to a foreign country, especially in the tropics, always drink purified water, always peel fruit and vegetables, and cook your food at any time possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you think that you may have amebic liver, you should get a liver scan and an ultrasound treatment. If you are diagnosed with it the usual treatment for this is Antimicrobial therapy is the

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Intension to Use Mobile Banking in Myanmar

Htet Khine Soe Student of Graduate School of Business, Assumption University, Thailand Rawin Vongurai, Ph.D. Lecturer of Graduate School of Business, Assumption University, Thailand  Literature ReviewMobile banking is studied the most value-adding and necessary mobile commerce application (Baptista and Oliveira, 2015; Malaquias and Hwang, 2016; Chaouali, W., Souiden, N. and Ladhari, R. (2017)). Laukkanen and Kiviniemi (2010) defined mobile banking as â€Å"an interaction in which a customer is connected to a bank via a mobile device such as a cell phone, smartphone, or personal digital assistant†. Mobile banking services admit the customers to check account balances, transfer funds between account to account, and make mobile top-up bill and others payments. They have a huge potential market because of their always-on functionality and the option for customers can open their own mobile wallet accounts at anywhere of without needing to pay a visit to the bank.Perceived ease of use (PEOU)Davis (1989) described the perceived ease of use that â€Å"the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort†. It is the terms which a customer believes that a system is easy to learn or use. This system is similar to the complexity system used in innovation diffusion theory (IDT) (Rogers, 1995). Mobile banking technology should be simple and easy for the customer to understand in order to enhance acceptance (Chitungo and Munongo, 2013; Mortimer, G., Neale, L., Hasan, S.F.E. and Dunphy, B. (2015); Koksal, 2016). The factors affects the complexity in mobile banking system such as navigation problems, a small screen size, and transaction issues. Venkatesh (2000) found the perceived ease of use by integrating internal control (computer self-efficacy) and external control (facilitating condition) into technology acceptance model (TAM). The other studies (Davis, 1986, 1989) also pointed that perceived ease of use can impact perceived usefulness because other item being equal the easier the technology is to use the more useful it can be. The research in mobile banking system shows that perceived ease of use has significant effect on perceived usefulness.Social influence (SI)The theory of reasoned action (TRA) and its additions (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) require that human behavior is followed by intentions, which are designed based on an individual's attitude towards the behavior and perceived subjective norms. Venkatesh et al. (2003) represented subjective norms as social influence, which is derived from theories such as theory of reasoned action (TRA), theory of planned behavior (TPB), decomposed theory of planned behavior DTPB, TAM2, C-TAM-TPB, the model of PC utilization (MPCU), and image in IDT. Social influence mentioned an individual's perception of other people's opinions if he or she should perform a particular behavior. The studies of mobile banking adoption have shown a relationship between social influence and intention to use mobile banking (Laukkanen et al., 2007; Amin et al., 2008; Riquelme and Rios, 2010; Puschel et al., 2010; Sripalawat et al., 2011; Dasgupta et al., 2011; Tan and Lau, 2016).Computer self-efficacy (CSE)The derivation of self-efficacy is social cognitive theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1986). Self-efficacy expectation is the â€Å"conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior required to produce the outcomes† (Bandura, 1977). Additional, â€Å"expectations of self-efficacy determine whether coping behavior will be initiated, how much effort will be expended, and how long it will be sustained in the face of obstacles and aversive experiences† (Bandura, 1977). Self-efficacy belief is termed computer self-efficacy, which is termed as one's perception of his or her ability to use a computer (Compeau and Higgins, 1995). In the mobile banking, if the customer believes that he or she has the required knowledge, skill, or ability to operate mobile banking, there is a higher chance of trying to usage the service. Through this hypothesis, the study explores whether a customer has the self-confidence to use mobile banking. Previous studies have exposed empirical evidence of a causal link between perceived ease of use and self-efficacy (Luarn and Lin, 2005; Wang, Y.-S., Lin, H.-H. and Luarn, P. (2006); Sripalawat et al., 2011; Jeong and Yoon, 2013).Perceived financial cost (PFC)The cost incurred in conducting mobile banking could slow its adoption. In the mobile banking, the cost has been found to be a major barrier to adoption (Yu, 2012; Hanafizadeh, P., Behboudi, M., Koshksaray, A.A. and Tabar, M.J.S. (2014); Alalwan, A.A., Dwivedi, Y.K. and Rana, N.P. (2017)). The cost incurred consist of the initial purchase price, equipment cost, subscription charges, and transaction cost. Perceived financial cost is the extent to which a person believes that using mobile banking would be costlier than other options (Luarn and Lin, 2005).Security (S)Security is a serious concern when conducting financial transactions through electronic channels. Hence, this could be one of the main barriers to the adoption of mobile banking, as personal or financial information could be exposed and used for fraudulent activities. Kalakota and Whinston (1997) defined security as â€Å"a threat which creates circumstances, condition, or event with the potential to cause economic hardship to data or network resources in the form of destruction, disclosure, modification of data, denial of service and/or fraud, waste, and abuse†. Mobile banking contains more uncertainty and risk to the customer. In the mobile/wireless environment, security can be considered as the mobile payment-enabling application security, network security, and device security. The security mechanism of mobile banking has a positive effect on intention to use.Trust (T)Trust can be defined as the willingness to make one vulnerable to actions taken by a trusted party based on the feeling of confidence or assurance (Gefen, 2000). Masrek et al. (2012) defined trust in mobile banking as â€Å"the belief that allows individuals to willingly become vulnerable to the bank, the telecommunication provider, and the mobile technology after having the banks, and the telecommunication provider's characteristic embedded in the technology artefact†. Trust shows a significant role in the adoption of mobile banking, helping customers overcome the fears of security/privacy risks and fraudulent activities in the mobile channels (Gu et al., 2009; Zhou, 2011; Afshan and Sharif, 2016). Trust is improved by the security mechanisms provided by mobile banking services. Customers are more likely to trust the new service if adequate security is provided for their transaction data. The researchers such as Komiak and Benbasat (2004) have noticed trust from the emotional point of view and defined as the extent to which an individual feels secure and confident about relying on the trustee. Ennew and Sekhon (2007) have defined the trust as â€Å"individual's willingness to accept vulnerability on the grounds of positive expectations about the intentions or behavior of another in a situation characterized by interdependence and risk.† This definition combines both the emotional as well as cognitive dimensions of trust. Therefore, consumer trust could be described as a function of the degree of risk involved in the situation and it is basically needful only in uncertain situations.Behavioral intentions (BI)Intention is defined as a prediction of actual behavior in socio-psychological studies (Bagozzi, 1989). The studies evidenced that intention is a prediction of actual behavior. Bae (2014) point out that intentions are powered by a person's attitude, norms an d self-control. This study is founded Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. The theory is used for behavioral intentions. It emphasize that a person's behavior is intentional is the result of attitude, subjunctive norms and self-control. Behavioral intention is also described as the extent to which users are willing to use a technology (Carlsson, Carlsson, Hyvonen, Puhakainen ; Walden, 2006). The subjective norm construct for behavioral intention is the most supreme antecedent (Ajzen, 1991). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) explains the purchase intention (Ajzen ; Madden, 1986). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) describes that performance of behavior is presented by the intention to carry out the behavior itself (Warshaw, 1980). The theoretical studies point out that intentions predicts a person's behavior. This view align with a context of BI to use customer intention of mobile banking system for this system.Research Framework and MethodologyResearch ObjectiveThis study proposed to identify the factors influencing acceptance and adoption of mobile banking systems in Myanmar and develop the behavioral intention to use the mobile banking in the Myanmar banking sector.Conceptual FrameworkThe conceptual framework of the study is adopted from the theoretical framework of Intention to use mobile banking in India (Sindhu Singh and R.K. Srivastava, 2018). The framework using in this research to find the customer intention to use the mobile banking system in Myanmar. To these study the factors consists of self-efficiency, perceived ease of use and social influence and intention to use. The other factors included security, Trust, and perceived financial cost, which are recognized to influence mobile banking acceptance(Luarn and Lin, 2005; Lee et al.,2007; Zhou, 2011; Yu, 2012; Hanafizadeh et al., 2014; Afshan and Sharif, 2016). The bank customer has many digital payment system to use than mobile banking where these six constructs play an important role. The study aimed that if the mobile banking system is easy to use, customers have the self-confidence to use and it is secure, trustworthy system, and cheaper than other digital payment system, more customers will be willing to use mobile banking system. Thus, the conceptual framework is developed to study the factors of influencing to use mobile banking in Myanmar as shown in Figure 1.HypothesisThe hypotheses of this research based on the conceptual framework to find the relationship between Self-Efficacy, perceived ease of use, Social Influence, Security, Trust, perceived financial cost that influence the customer intention to use the mobile banking in Myanmar. There are four hypotheses in this study are as follow;H1:Self-efficacy has significant influence on perceived ease of value of mobile banking system.H2: Self-Efficacy (H2a), perceived ease of use (H2b), Social Influence (H2c), Security (H2d), Trust (H2e), perceived financial cost (H2f) have significant influence on intention to use mobile banking system.H3: Security has significant influence on Trust of mobile banking system.H4: There is a significant mean difference in monthly income level on intention to use mobile banking system.Reliability MethodologyThis research was conducted by performing the qualitative analysis for the adoption of mobile banking systems in Myanmar through a survey method. The survey was carried on in form of online and offline questionnaire to collect all required data. The convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used as non-probability sampling for the data collection. There are three parts of in questionnaire which are screening question, Likert scale and demographic. Measurement of Conceptual Framework and Variables The target respondent of this research were people who live in Myanmar and have used mobile banking system. The literature review was conducted to ensure that the model were appropriate for developing the conceptual framework and to understand all variables incorporated in this study. A five-point Likert scale was applied to test all hypotheses by ranking from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) throughout this study to measure the hypotheses. Population and sample The research questionnaire was distributed through the online and offline based survey with 200 respondents answered to the survey. The questionnaires have been distributed using sampling techniques of the convenience and snowball methods in order to obtain the data. The people who live in Myanmar continuously 6 months and have used the mobile banking system were selected as target respondents for this study.Reliability TestThe reliability test and validity of the questionnaire was established the pilot test by distributing 30 respondents. Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient was considered to examine the reliability level of each group of items included in the questionnaire. The test result of independent variable is consistent the requirement standard with Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient higher than 0.6 (Cronbach, 1951). The Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient result in a range between 0.733 and 0.899 which is greater than 0.6. Therefore, the questionnaire developed for this study is fully achieved the standard required for reliability test. The result is shown in Table 1. Table 1:Consistency of the scales test (N=30)Variables Number of items Cronbach's AlphaPerceived ease of use (PEOU) 2 0.752Social Influence (SI) 3 0.733Computer self-efficacy (CSE) 2 0.789Security (S) 3 0.842Perceived financial cost (PFC) 3 0.748Trust (T) 4 0.836Behavioral Intention (BI) 4 0.899

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Essays

Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Essays Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Paper Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Paper A business financial plan is a special assignment, which comprises a description of a specific business idea, startup or project. It is a necessary document encompassing significant volumes of info describing various aspects of entrepreneurs activity. What is more, a business plan comprises an analysis of the market niche, potential counterparts, and counting of the spendings and profits. This document serves as a list of guidelines for a young entrepreneur. It also allows elaborating effective strategies for prosperous development of the business. Business plan essay is a type of paper, in which the student has to reflect on a topic based on a business marketing plan. The task of a writer is to compile and extensive writing, comprising the discussion of a specific issue. Exists many topics, which can serve as a basis for this writing. For example, a scholarly supervisor can demand to write an essay analyzing the specific chapter of a business plan or estimate the documents in general. One can also receive a task requiring to reflect on the strategies helping to create a business plan etc. No matter what topic the essay will have, a writer should approach the preparation process seriously. One has to gather all the necessary materials, examine statistical data, include examples and relevant references. One has to create an extensive paper presenting a proper discussion of a given topic. To prepare this task, a student should be experienced in writing and have well-trained critical thinking skills. What is more, a writer should be able to works with various sources of information to be able to gather all the necessary data. This task requires a writer serious and responsible attitude as well as a creative approach. How to write a business plan essay? Writing of a business plan essay requires from a student the performing of several practical steps that will lead him to the creation of proper paper. Primarily, one has to focus on the choice of a topic. It is an essential step, as it defines the level of complicatedness of the whole writing process. There are cases when scholarly supervisors offer the standard topic. In that case, the task is more manageable. However, in most of the cases, students have to decide on topics on themselves. The prolific strategy will be to pick the theme that is the most familiar to the writer. It will be easier for him to choose the relevant info, provide excellent examples and grab the attention of a target reader. It is necessary to create a catchy topic to make the reader interested and involve him in the reading process. After that, a writer should conduct small research to gather all the necessary data. One can consult various sources and gather the statistical data to be able to collect all the material. It will help to create an informative and extensive business plan essay. The next important step presupposes the compilation of the outline. It serves as a business plan development for your future writing. In this plan, one has to write a short version of a future writing. It should be like a scheme. While writing, the author will be able to consult an outline to create a logical, coherent and cohesive paper. Then follows the very writing stage. However, it is not so difficult if a writer prepared an outline and gathered all the info in advance. The last step is polishing the paper. The writer should examine it on the availability of errors and eliminate them. How to structure a business plan essay? Exist many characteristics of written assignments that influence the overall quality of the paper. To the list of the most important criteria, it is possible to include the relevance of the content, the cohesion and cohesiveness, logical order, grammatical correctness and since loading. Proper structuring helps to achieve the perfection in the compilation of the paper. Business plan essay structure comprises the introductory part, the main body, and the concluding part. Each of these sense blocks has its peculiarities and writer should strictly stick to them. The introduction is the opening part of the essay. The first sentence of the intro is called a hook sentence. It should be logical and attention-grabbing. One can use a famous quotation or an interesting fact to attract the attention of a target reader. The next statement should create a background and prepare the reader for the perception of a thesis sentence. A thesis sentence in the last element of the intro. It is a basis for the whole writing. Try to make it thought-provoking. The central body part has to comprise 2-3 paragraphs. In this section, the task of a writer is to provide persuasive arguments supporting the thesis sentence. What is more, an author has to enhance each argument with a relevant example illustrating or clarifying the argument. The closing part is a conclusion. In this section, the author has to sum up all the info discussed in the essay. One has to emphasize the thesis once more and clarify one’s position concerning the central topic. The last sentence of a final paragraph should be inspiring. It should create a positive feeling in the mind of the target audience. It is essential to create a sentence that will allow the reader to understand the essay was informative and useful. Order business plan essay on paperap.com The preparation of a business plan essay is a serious and complicated task. To create a proper paper author has to be advanced in writing, think critically and apply creative thinking skills. 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A client can apply for the unlimited number of revisions and count of a refund if the quality of the essay does not satisfy him. paperap.com service works 24/7! You can make an order at any time of day or night even if there are a few hours till the deadline. As soon as you formulate the order form and perform the payment, our experts launch the preparation process. Thanks to the high professionalism of our specialists you will receive your business plan essay within the stated deadline!