Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership

Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership The success or breakdown of collaborative governance mainly depends on leadership. Collaborative leaders usually play an encouraging and facilitative role in the organization that enables the stakeholders to effectively work together as a group.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts: Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Collaborative leaders have a distinctive quality which is to facilitate not to direct. They must formulate a condition that hold up the stakeholders contributions towards collaborative process and create effective transactions between them. There are three types of facilitative leadership and they include: steward leadership, mediator leadership and catalyst leadership. A steward leader normally facilitates the process of collaboration by protecting the veracity of collaborative process. On the other hand, a leader who assist s in nurturing and arbitrating relationships involving stakeholders is known as mediator. Lastly, a catalyst leader helps the stakeholders to recognize and identify their value-creating prospects. Facilitative leadership requires leaders to take part in these three roles. They should however ensure that their relative eminence of these three roles greatly depend on collaborative goals, antecedent condition and system context. There are also two special facilitative leadership styles and they include: organic leadership who has the potential to draw social capital in an extensive was since they belong to stakeholder community and there is professional facilitator who belongs to outside community but is autonomous of stakeholders (Ansell Gash 2008, p. 552) These two leadership styles have special weaknesses and strengths. They can both act as honest brokers, however professional facilitator usually find it easier to establish neutrality but have harder time persuading and motivating stakeholders to formulate effective contributions.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organic leaders have the potential to mobilize and cajole but usually do not have the power to convince their stakeholders. Professional facilitators however do have the power to convince their stakeholders and maintain their integrity. Despite the fact that organic leaders can convene collaborative forums, they are usually the major object of distrust when collaboration unfolds. This is the time when professional facilitators will facilitate meditation process effectively. Collaborative Governance Leaders are important since they efficiently collaborate towards creative problem-solving, service delivery and consensus. They however need to perform within the limits enforced by voluntary action and shared power (Vangen Huxham 2003, p. 22). Powerful catalytic leadership is al ways required from organic leaders who aim at collaborative governance for creative problem-solving. Perspectives on Organizational Change: Systems and Complexity Theories The ability for change management and survival in organization is increasingly becoming paramount in an environment where there is high competition and market globalization exists. Organizations are therefore forced to acquire competitive advantage by having the potential survive and manage change. The process of organizational change can be successful if examined through complexity and systems theories which have the potential to equip leaders in various organizations with understanding and knowledge on how they can adapt and respond to demands and uncertainties of change in the global market (Amagoh 2008). Complexity and systems theories are useful in different areas in an organization and they include: in organizational design, corporate strategy, organizational intelligence and in knowledge management (Amagoh 2008, p. 542).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts: Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Changes in any organizations are usually interconnected to various complex effects and causes. Complexity and systems theories can offer the managers with avenues of how they can address complex dilemmas in the organization and how they can learn to appreciate them too (McElroy 2000, p. 201). Many attempts have been made to apply Organizational change theories since 20th century. The initial effort that was made involved system theory models which were majorly concerned with constancy and equilibrium and how they could be upheld through negative response control. The business is being scrutinized as corporate environment through the systems theory. Stakeholder’s relations are what comprise of organization environment. However, organizational en vironment is increasing in complexity such that the system concepts are no longer sufficient to handle the complex phenomena (Amagoh 2008). This is the reason why complexity theory emerged which was meant to handle complex issues such as non-equilibrium, instability, entropy and surfacing of new structures and patterns in the organization (Amagoh 2008). Based on complexity theories views, systems are evolving; they can organize themselves to formulate a new thing.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The most common trends in contemporary organizations are usually towards pervasive and continuous change and interdependence increase. They do also close parallels between public and private sectors where similar environmental tests are experienced. Public and private organizations are therefore forced to face tumultuous environments which are characterized by many uncertainties caused by dramatic changes brought by economical, technological and political factors. A more complete and vibrant change management analysis has been formulated to help in comprehending management process better. This is why, complexity and system theories were integrated to help understand the fluid process disruptiveness of organizational change (Amagoh 2008). Client Empowerment and Quality Assurance In United Kingdom, quality of work offered by social care services is usually measured in terms of Best Value reports or Quality Indicators. It is however generally concerned about regular performance measure ment. User satisfaction survey is usually required. However this methodology does not normally give the user the chance to respond in holistic manner concerning the services offered. This means that the clients are not empowered when it comes to measuring quality creating a big dilemma on the issue. Anything that is not measured in relation to quality enhancement, client empowerment and quality assurance is normally defined as an outcome, a process or an intervention (Dowling 2008, p. 215). After conducting a study on career and user experience in United Kingdom and Eastern Europe, it was found that client empowerment process is crucial to the future quality enhancement and quality direction of policies in the country. Over 500 individuals gave out their experience of how they are being treated in public. The old, young, children, parents and disabled people were involved in the study. It was found that the welfare users were least empowered in the group in all the countries studied . When it came to gender, class, age, disability, ethnicity, material resource and education, they found that these people were excluded by the society but professionals involved with them together with the staff members are under paid and their status is also too low. The quality of service offered by social services is considered based on how quality is measured, how social service users and careers can contribute to quality service, how the quality of service offered can be improved such that innovative, ongoing and participative quality measurements are developed in social care organizations through career and user partnerships with the staff and managers of social care. There will be different meaning for user and career groups if client empowerment is different and the quality of services offered is different in developed nations. There can be an improvement in quality measurement if the user and the career organizations are in a position to provide evidence on their own thoug hts and perspectives alongside managers, work partners and social care workers. If user and career involvement and evidence are valued and lastly if they resource welfare services in such a way that partnership working can be offered and quality can be measured (Pfeffer Coote 1991, p. 120). Mini-Literature Review This mini-literature review is to find out the difference that exists between the three articles, to find out the questions which the three articles are trying to answer and how they answer the research questions. Lastly, possible research questions concerning the topics of the three articles are formulated which are to be studied. The difference between the three articles discussed above concerns the topics discussed. The first article talks about how the success or breakdown of collaborative governance mainly depends on leadership and facilitated by three facilitative leadership styles known as: steward leadership, mediator leadership and catalyst leadership. The second article talks about how the process of organizational change can be successful if examined through complexity and systems theories. Lastly, the third article talks about client empowerment and quality assurance. The question that the first article (Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts: Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership) is trying to answer is why leadership is an important variable when explaining failure or success of collaborative governance. This is because the success or breakdown of collaborative governance mainly depends on leadership. Collaborative leaders usually play an encouraging and facilitative role in the organization that enables the stakeholders to effectively work together as a group. Collaborative leaders’ role is to facilitate not to direct and contributes towards collaborative process and create effective transactions between stakeholders. On the other hand, the second article (Perspectives on Organizational Change: Systems and Complexity Theories) is trying to answer how organizational change theories of complexity and systems can be used to describe complex, unpredictable, chaotic and dynamic organizational transformation processes. Complexity and systems theories have the potential to endow leaders in various institutions with indulgent and facts on how they can acclimatize and react to stipulations and qualms of change in the global market. The third and the last article (Client Empowerment and Quality Assurance) mainly answers how the quality of social care can be considered based on how quality is measured, how social service careers and users take part in quality service and lastly how to improve service quality to develop quality measurement of social care organizations to increase on innovation. There can be an improvement in quality measurement if the user and the career organizations are in a position to provide evidence on their own thoughts and perspectives alongside managers, work partners and social care workers . If user and career involvement and evidence are valued and lastly if they resource welfare services in such a way that partnership working can be offered and quality can be measured. Lastly, possible research questions concerning the topics of the three articles are: whether client empowerment and quality assurance exists in the world if they are not allowed to give out their thoughts? Why are people still being judged based on their ethnicity, age, class and gender? Secondly, with the coming of new technologies that are being developed every single day, change is paramount and it is something that cannot be avoided; will new organizational theories be developed to manage the complexities that will come with new technologies? Lastly, is collaborative governance success or failure only depends on leadership only? Are there any other factors that affect its performance? List of References Amagoh, F 2008, ‘Perspectives on Organizational Change: Systems and Complexity Theoriesâ €™, The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Vol. 13 no. 3, pp. 530-551. Ansell, C Gash, A 2008, ‘Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice’, Journal of Public Administration Theory and Practice, vol. 18 no. 4, pp. 543-71. Dowling, M 2008, ‘Client Empowerment and Quality Assurance’, The Public Sector Innovation Journal, vol. 13 no.1, pp. 210-220. McElroy, M 2000, ‘Integrating complexity theory, knowledge management and Organization learning’, Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 4 no. 3, pp. 195-208. Pfeffer, N Coote, A 1991, Is Quality Good for You? New York: Institute for Public Policy Research. Vangen, S, Huxham, C 2003, ‘ Nurturing Collaborative Relations: Building Trust in Interorganizational Communication’, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, vol. 39 no. 1, pp. 5-31.

History of Electric Christmas Lights

History of Electric Christmas Lights Like so many things electrical, the history of electric Christmas lights begins with Thomas Edison. During the Christmas season of 1880, Edison, who had invented the incandescent bulb the previous year, hung strings of electric lights outside his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. An article in the New York Times  on December 21, 1880, described a visit by officials from the New York City government to Edisons laboratory in Menlo Park. The walk from the train station to Edisons building was lined with electric lamps was illuminated with 290 light bulbs which cast a soft and mellow light on all sides. Did You Know? The first use of electric Christmas lighting was by Thomas Edison in 1880.The first illuminated Christmas tree was shown off by one of Edisons employees to reporters who visited his Manhattan house in 1882.Electric lights were very costly at first and required the services of a trained electrician.When the cost of electric lights became affordable, their use quickly spread as they were much safer than candles. It doesnt appear from the article that Edison intended the lights to be associated with Christmas. But he was hosting a holiday dinner for the delegation from New York, and the novel lighting seemed to fit in with the holiday mood. Up to that time, it was common to illuminate Christmas trees with small candles, which could, of course, be dangerous. In 1882, an employee of Edison put on a show with electric lights that was fully intended to establish the practical application of electricity to the celebration of Christmas. Edward H. Johnson, a close friend of Edison and the president of the company Edison formed to provide illumination in New York City, used electric lights for the first time to illuminate a Christmas tree. The First Electric Christmas Tree Lights Johnson rigged up a Christmas tree with electrical lights, and, in typical style for the Edison companies, he solicited coverage in the press. An 1882 dispatch in the Detroit Post and Tribune about a visit to Johnson’s house in New York City may have been the first news coverage of electric Christmas lights. A month later, a magazine of the time, Electrical World, also reported on Johnson’s tree. Their item called it â€Å"the handsomest Christmas tree in the United States.† Two years later, the New York Times sent a reporter to Johnson’s house on the East Side of Manhattan, and an astoundingly detailed story appeared in the edition of December 27, 1884. Headlined, A Brilliant Christmas Tree: How an Electrician Amused His Children, the article began: A pretty as well as novel Christmas tree was shown to a few friends by Mr. E.H. Johnson, President of the Edison Company for Electric Lighting, last evening in his residence, No. 136 East Thirty-sixth Street. The tree was lighted by electricity, and children never beheld a brighter tree or one more highly colored than the children of Mr. Johnson when the current was turned and the tree began to revolve. Mr. Johnson has been experimenting with house lighting by electricity for some time past, and he determined that his children should have a novel Christmas tree. It stood about six feet high, in an upper room, last evening, and dazzled persons entering the room. There were 120 lights on the tree, with globes of different colors, while the light tinsel work and usual adornment of Christmas trees appeared to their best advantage in illuminating the tree. An Edison Dynamo Rotated the Tree Johnson’s tree, as the article went on to explain, was quite elaborate, and it rotated thanks to his clever use of Edison dynamos: Mr. Johnson had placed a little Edison dynamo at the foot of the tree, which by passing a current through from the large dynamo in the cellar of the house, converted it into a motor. By means of this motor, the tree was made to revolve with a steady, regular motion. The lights were divided into six sets, one set of which was lighted at a time in front as the tree went round. By a simple devise of breaking and making connection through copper bands around the tree with corresponding buttons, the sets of lights were turned out and on at regular intervals as the tree turned around. The first combination was of pure white light, then, as the revolving tree severed the connection of the current that supplied it and made connection with a second set, red and white lights appeared. Then came yellow and white and other colors. Even combinations of the colors were made. By dividing the current from the large dynamo Mr. Johnson could stop the motion of the tree without putting out the lights. The New York Times provided two more paragraphs containing even more technical detail about the Johnson familys astounding Christmas tree. Reading the article more than 120 years later, it’s obvious that the reporter considered the electric Christmas lights to be a serious invention. The First Electric Christmas Lights Were Costly While Johnson’s tree was considered a marvel, and Edison’s company tried to market electric Christmas lights, they did not become immediately popular. The cost of the lights and the services of an electrician to install them was out of the reach of the general public. However, wealthy people would hold Christmas tree parties to show off electric lighting. Grover Cleveland reportedly ordered a White House Christmas tree that was lit with Edison bulbs in 1895. (The first White House Christmas tree belonged to Benjamin Harrison, in 1889, and was lit by candles.) The use of small candles, despite their inherent danger, remained the popular method of illuminating household Christmas trees until well into the 20th century. Electric Christmas Tree Lights Made Safe A popular legend is that a teenager named Albert Sadacca, after reading about a tragic New York City fire in 1917 caused by candles lighting a Christmas tree, urged his family, which was in the novelty business, to begin manufacturing affordable strings of lights. The Sadacca family tried marketing electric Christmas lights but sales were slow at first. As people became more attuned to household electricity, strings of electric bulbs became increasing common on Christmas trees. Albert Sadacca, incidentally, became the head of a lighting company worth millions of dollars. Other companies, including most notably General Electric, entered the Christmas light business, and by the 1930s electric Christmas lights had become a standard part of holiday decorating. Early in the 20th century the tradition began of having public tree lighting. One of the most famous, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., began in 1923. A tree, place on the ellipse, at the southern end of the White House grounds, was first illuminated on December 24, 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge. A newspaper report the following day described the scene: As the sun sank below the Potomac the President touched a button which lighted up the nations Christmas tree. The giant fir from his native Vermont instantly blazed with myriad electrics which shone through tinsels and reds, while those who surrounded this community tree, children and grown-ups, cheered and sang. The crowds on foot were augmented by thousands who came in motor cars, and to the music of the singers was added the discord of horns. For hours the people thronged to the ellipse, which was dark except in the spot where the tree stood, its brilliancy heightened by a searchlight which shed its rays from the Washington Monument overlooking it. Another prominent tree lighting, at Rockefeller Center in New York City, began modestly in 1931 when construction workers decorated a tree. When the office complex officially opened two years later, the tree lighting became an official event. In the modern era the Rockefeller Center tree lighting has become a yearly event carried live on national television.

Why Lovers Can't Be Friends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why Lovers Can't Be Friends - Essay Example Conlon continues to suggest that friendship and love (romantic love) are two different things. According to him, friends "share a view of the world and focus their efforts on that vision." In this case, friends take pleasure and delight in the vision of the world that they share and both are benefited in their partnership. However, lovers are only "absorbed in each other and delight from their experience of each other." In this case, the only common denominator between lovers is pleasure derived from each other. Once this experience is removed, they fall apart. The article of Conlon seems to be 'an attempt to reorient our thinking about romantic relationships." Instead of believing that romantic love is the ideal relationship that most people look forward to having experienced, Conlon proves that "people need to be made more aware that relationships can take many forms and that no one form may automatically trump the others when it comes to which arrangement is good or best for someone to enter into." Rita Watson, as she writes about relationships in Some Ex-Lovers Can't Be Friends attests that she has no doubt that based on her experience and observation, some lovers cannot be friends. ... She says that "relationships that develop between people who are friends first before becoming lovers seem to have a much higher success rate, last longer, and be happier." However, for strangers who become lovers it appears to be more difficult for them to become friends as they are becoming lovers. In other words, becoming a lover and becoming a friend are two separate concepts and experiences. Watson continues that if the love relationship continues for a longer time, there can be a possibility of friendship. However, the usual occurrence is this love relationship is often short-lived. Based on her observation, Watson says that "it is a rare couple that can survive the ups-and-downs of a love relationship for any length of time without the strong foundation that friendship helps provide" (Watson, ). The usual love experience follows a certain pattern: when love is fresh, we want to spend every moment together but the feeling gets familiar and problems arise. Many relationships will then end at this stage. Oftentimes, we want the best for our partners but the danger comes when we tend to change our partners into the persons we want them to be instead of accepting them for who they truly are. In friendships, we do not change our friends and we usually accept them for who they are. In this case, there is a big difference between lovers and friends. I think it would be fitting to discuss the different types of friends to further illustrate the topic at hand. In False Friends, D. R. Cooley (Journal of Business Ethics, 2002) classifies friends into two general types: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic means

A critique of published research By Anthony Feiler Essay

A critique of published research By Anthony Feiler - Essay Example The result of the analysis is decisive in a complete comprehension of the article as well as its strengths and weaknesses. The research paper has been identified as crucial in arriving at a conclusion regarding the effectiveness of strategies in support of the children who have difficulty in learning, and those struggle with literacy. The primary strategy proposed in the study is the provision of weekly home visits during the first year of the students in school. Anthony Feiler comes up, through the research investigation undertaken, with evidences for the effectiveness of additional support for the children with difficulties in literacy. The test scores and the views of the participants which have been collected through a series of interviews are used to arrive at such a conclusion. The literacy difficulty in children during the primary years of education poses serious challenges in the learning process as they continue the learning activity and this has been a major issue raised in the research paper by Feiler. The research undertaken in the paper concentrates on the evidences for strong and specific family variables which influence the literacy outcome of children at the early years of their education. The quality of the learning environment as well as the role played by the parents in the learning activity of students has great significance in the learning skills of children and the research investigation by Feiler focuses on the family literacy schemes, especially the strategy occupying the parents as well as children. Ultimately, the research study â€Å"explores the impact of providing additional literacy support at home (with some additional support at school), using a Reception teacher’s and head teacher’s predictions to target children c onsidered to be in need of extra help during their first year at school. There is a particular focus on strategies for working with parents whose engagement with

FAN UP Market Analysis and Sales Projections Essay Example for Free

FAN UP Market Analysis and Sales Projections Essay FAN UP is positioned within the Smartphone Applications Industry. Mobile devices with remote internet capability, smart phones, have created an entirely new market of users that can be reached on the go. Due to the recent nature of Smartphone technology, we are witnessing rapid growth and innovation in the smart phone applications industry. FAN UP allows the event host the ability to seamlessly pair a sponsor with individuals coming to the event. By doing so, FAN UP will open the door to endless brand reach through Social Media via the user, additional in- ­Ã¢â‚¬ game/concert advertisement, fan appreciation, and a creative way for each event host to use their event to leverage underutilized sponsorships and promote their brand. Industry Analysis Mobile applications have changed a number of industry landscapes in recent history. This industry shows annual growth projections from 2009- ­Ã¢â‚¬ 2014 to be 49.8% and from 2013- ­Ã¢â‚¬ 2018 to be 28.9%. The evidence of this growth is a reason this app will be successful. Competition in the Smartphone Applications Industry is very strong. Because of this, it is important to analyze the different forces at work within the industry. This chart, information gathered from IBIS World, lays out the industry structure: Life Cycle Stage Growth Revenue Volatility Very high Capital Intensity Low Industry Assistance Low Concentration Level Low Regulation Level Medium Technology Change High Barriers to Entry Low Industry Globalization Low Competition Level High The first key external factor in this industry is the number of mobile internet connections. As the number of smart phone purchases increases with the number of mobile internet connections in 2014, app developers will have a larger market for their products. Secondly, as demand from e- ­Ã¢â‚¬ commerce increases in 2014, retailers have expanded their product lines, the platforms on which they operate, and retailers are expected to create more shopping apps to assist time- ­Ã¢â‚¬ strapped consumers. Next, time spent on leisure and sports represents one of the most key external factors. Time spent on leisure and sports is expected to decrease slowly in 2014, resulting in a potential threat for the industry. While the industry now serves a broad audience, leisure time is a major restrictive factor in a consumers ability to use and purchase smart phone app products. The US Census Bureau data re- ­Ã¢â‚¬ iterates more of the same industry trends. â€Å"In 2011, U.S. nonfarm businesses with employees spent a total of $289.9 billion on non- ­Ã¢â‚¬ capitalized and capitalized information and communication technology (ICT) equipment, including computer software. This represents an increase of 10.6% from 2010. Of the $65.2 billion spent on noncapitalized computer software, $29.9 billion was for purchases and payroll for developing software, an increase of 7.3% from 2010. $35.3 billion was for software licensing and service/maintenance agreements, an increase of $3.9 billion (12.6 percent) from 2010.† Although the growth of mobile apps is on the rise, revenue earned from these apps is expected to increase at a slower rate. Over the next five years, consumers are expected to continue wander away from pay- ­Ã¢â‚¬ to- ­Ã¢â‚¬ download apps, forcing developers to embrace the â€Å"freemium† business model that relies on monetizing free downloads after the fact via in- ­Ã¢â‚¬ app purchases. By 2019, free downloads are expected to account for about 95.5% of total mobile app store downloads. In the five years to 2019, revenue is expected to experience a 28.9% increase, reaching a total of a $34.7 billion smart phone application industry. Market Analysis The market analysis for FAN UP is atypical of most apps. FAN UP will start by focusing on the target market of Sports Franchises in the US and Concert and Event Promotion in the US. FAN UP will serve Gym, Health and Fitness Clubs in the US, Ski and Snowboard Resorts in the US, and Amusement Parks in the US in the secondary market. The sports franchise market in the US is comprised of sports teams or clubs that participate in live professional or semiprofessional sporting events (e.g. baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer and other team sports) before a paying audience. This market makes up the first half of the target market. Over the five years to 2013, revenue is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 1.4% to $23.6 billion, and includes a 1.5% increase in 2013 alone. The key external factors for the sports franchise market loosely hold true for the entire scope of the FAN UP market. The external factors include per capita disposable income is expected to increase by 0.8% during 2013, the number of households earning more than $100,000 is expected to increase slowly over 2013, external competition from other sports franchises is expected to increase during 2013 which represents a threat in the industry but not the market, and time spent on leisure and sports is expected to decrease slowly during 2013. Industry revenue is expected to expand 1.5% in 2013. Also, some franchises are opening new or remodeling existing stadiums to attract more consumers. Concert and Event Promotion in the US is the second half of the target market. This market creates, manages and promotes live performances and events, ranging from concerts and theater performances to state fairs and air shows. This industry has an annual growth projection of 2.6% from 2013- ­Ã¢â‚¬ 2018 with 49,825 operating businesses. Federal funding for Creative Arts is the key external factor that deviates from the sports franchises market. Many nonprofit establishments in this industry rely to some extent on federal funding, particularly grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent agency that Congress established in 1965 to support the arts. Federal funding for creative arts is expected to increase slowly during 2013. This market has a history of good performance even when other industries struggle. Except for moderate wavering in 2010, the economic downturn ha s done little to deter Americans from attending live concerts and other entertainment events. Over the five years to 2013, industry revenue has grown at an estimated annualized rate of 1.3% to $23.7 billion, including a 3.5% anticipated increase in 2013. Revenue Model FAN UP will create revenue through brokerage fees, reach bonuses, and advertising. This recurring revenues model will be paid by the host of the event (i.e. Carolina Panthers, Live Nation, etc.) for each event in which FAN UP participates. The app will be free from the App Store because, as shown in the data, consumers are increasingly less likely to pay for an app. The brokerage fees are for the access to the app’s consumer base. The reach bonus is in place because with more reach, the more the host can charge the sponsor of the FAN UP sponsorship package. The FAN UP pricing will be dynamic in that negotiations must take place with each new partner in order to agree upon the percentage of the FAN UP sponsorship that FAN UP will receive. The price of the FAN UP sponsorship package will be a negotiation be tween the event host and the brand. Works Cited: 1. IBIS World 2. US Census Bureau 3. http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/designing- ­Ã¢â‚¬ business- ­Ã¢â‚¬ information- ­Ã¢â‚¬  systems- ­Ã¢â‚¬ apps- ­Ã¢â‚¬ websites- ­Ã¢â‚¬ and- ­Ã¢â‚¬ more/s13- ­Ã¢â‚¬ industry- ­Ã¢â‚¬ analysis- ­Ã¢â‚¬ smartphone - ­Ã¢â‚¬ a.html 4. http://www.softwareengineerinsider.com/articles/smartphone- ­Ã¢â‚¬ app- ­Ã¢â‚¬  development.html#.UvBroChU6xK 5. http://digby.com/mobile- ­Ã¢â‚¬ statistics/

Designing an Automatic Air Freshener Robot :: Robotics

The Automatic Air Freshener Our project idea is to create an automatic air freshener robot. This robot will follow a path created by colored tape along a board to a holder with a piece of pH paper and liquids with varying pH levels. After the paper is dipped into the liquid and the color changes, the robot will detect what color it is and respond accordingly. If the odor is â€Å"foul†, it will choose to spray the air freshener. The only thing it will be programmed to do is to detect the â€Å"foul odor† and to spray the air freshener, because that is its only purpose. Smell. One of our five senses. It's used everyday to help us gain a better understanding of our surroundings. But how does it work? Olfaction, or smell, is the detection of chemicals in our surroundings. For humans, odors are processed in our olfactory epithelium. We have thousands of genes that act as odor receptors. Each of these genes act as a lock, with the odor molecules acting as the key. When the correct odor molecule fits into the olfactory receptor neuron, a signal is sent to our brain, allowing it to determine whether the odor is pleasant or repulsive. In order to remove the foul odor, our robot will employ air fresheners. Many air fresheners use extracts from plants, fruits, and flowers. While the history of perfume dates back millenia to the Ancient Egyptians, many modern-day armoatics are produced synthetically in a lab. There are many different kinds on the market. One type of advanced air freshener works like a charcoal or pollen filter. They filter out of the air all the foul smelling particles. Other types of air freshener can absorb the odor molecules. Also, some disinfect by killing bacteria and germs that sometimes cause the bad odors. However, most air fresheners use masking, introducing a stronger fragrance that humans find favorable, masking out the unpleasant smells. For our project, we will be using the type of air freshener that masks the smell. For our project, we were going to put together a robot that would be able to detect such bad odors and to spray air freshener in the general area, thus masking the unwanted smell. Currently, there is no product on the market that does such a job. However, there is one product that can detect bad smells and report the data to the user. It is a halitosis detector made by the Japanese company Tanita called Fresh Kiss (Tsunoda). It analyzes gas in ones mouth using a gas

Negative Influence of Social Media Essay

Today, Mass Media is notoriously known to project a negative influence on teens and society. It manipulates several aspects of our lives including, but not limited to, the choices we make about our overall physical appearance, how we perceive beauty, healthy decisions we make regarding drug and alcohol use, engaging in premarital sex, and our peer and social interactions. We emulate what the media portrays as acceptable and desirable, though it goes against the norms and values put forth from society. As we mature, our goals and values seem to change as we break from the traditional values and connect with those portrayed as cool and current, through the media and pop culture. During adolescence, one often struggles with choosing between what is right from wrong and the media often accentuates the lives of celebrities. Young children are known to emulate their role models, unconscious of the consequences that may result in their actions. The media has been proven to be detrimental to the health and lifestyle of the youth. The media has a strong impact on the appearance satisfaction of today’s youth. Young women are constantly comparing their bodies to the ones seen advertised on television commercials. Around 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States are suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, etc. After seeing these beautiful and flawless models on billboards and advertisements, many women are disturbed with their personal body images. This is known to be a main contributor to eating disorders around the world. Thus, the media has the effect to change one’s mental set up. Beauty and Body Image in the Media† is an article that explains the negative affect the media has on young women and how they view themselves. Images of female bodies are seen in films, TV, magazines, ads, etc. These models are engraving the perfect body image into the minds’ of the youth. Women’s magazines are full of ads influencing women that if they lose weight they’ll have it all. Researchers have observed that these images of thin and airbrushed models are associated with depression, loss of self-esteem, and the development of harmful eating habits. It’s been suggested that almost half of all preadolescent girls are dissatisfied with their appearances and either diet or think about dieting. Further, 50 to 70 percent of average weight girls feel that they’re overweight and 90 percent of women are frustrated with their body images. These advertisements are not only advertising their products, but they’re also selling an entire way of life. The media promotes tan, fit, and outward physical perfection in men and women. It is not only middle-aged adults who seek cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance. Today, children also undergo cosmetic procedures. In fact, in 2005 it was reported that children under the age of 18 underwent approximately 333,000 cosmetic procedures. Some included liposuction, breast augmentation, otoplasties (ear pinnings), and rhinoplasties (nose jobs). Teenagers of both genders are trying to acquire a perfect figure rather than living a healthy lifestyle and appreciating themselves for who they truly are. The media also has a reputation for promoting unhealthy choices, such as unprotected premarital sex and drug and alcohol use. The media is sending the wrong message to young adults that taking part in these activities is okay. The article, â€Å"The Media’s Influence Undermines America’s Morals†, by Tim LaHaye contains numerous examples of how the media is detrimental to the future of the United States. AIM, Accuracy In Media, and PMRC, Parents Music Resource Center, are organizations that support government regulation of the media. They believe that the media is destroying our culture and altering our values. Moviemakers, producers, and journalists are provoking sexual immorality in our society by explicitly exposing and promoting sexual relationships. The media is even found glamorizing teen pregnancies in the MTV series, 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. LaHaye states that, â€Å"the media’s power is seen in its degrading influence not only on the nation’s morals, but on†¦ virtually every area of life. † Music also plays a huge role in influencing teens toward becoming sexually active and provocative. â€Å"Rock Music Has a Negative Effect on the Youth†, by Rob Lamp is another article which states that rock music is somewhat accountable for the increase in teenage pregnancies. A counselor for pregnant teenagers believes that young girls are emulating celebrities. They are buying their albums and dressing like them. Today, 30 percent of all women loose their virginity before age sixteen. Violence sexuality has also become popular in music videos and song lyrics. Rap lyrics are being criticized by child advocate groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, for imparting the wrong message to the youth about sex and drugs. Misogamy is a derogatory or hateful comment geared towards girls and women and a lot of rap artists tend to include misogamy in their lyrics. The  APA has determined that today’s youth actually spends more time listening to and reading to the lyrics via the Internet to their favorite music than they do watching television. This council urges parents to be vigilant when it comes to knowing what their children are listening to. Lamp also states â€Å"the kind of electronic music played at raves has been associated with the use of drugs and alcohol. † The Robert Wood Johnson foundation backed a report titled â€Å"Substance Abuse: The Nations Number One Health Problem†, which shows juveniles are starting to use drugs and alcohol between the ages of 12 and 13. In fact, by eighth grade 52 percent of adolescents have used alcohol and 20 percent have used marijuana. This figure jumps to 80 percent use of alcohol and 49 percent use of marijuana by the 12th grade. A research conducted in 1997 showed that in the 200 most popular movie rentals, alcohol appears almost 93 percent of the time and illicit drugs appeared roughly 25 percent of the time. Further, of the 1,000 most popular songs, 27 percent were shown to include alcohol or drug references. These numbers have surely risen since 1997. In addition to music videos and song lyrics promoting premarital sex and drug/alcohol use, this form of media is also seen promoting violent behavior among adolescent teens. Robert Lamp also believes that â€Å"heavy metal and rap have been associated with reckless behavior and below-average academic performance†¦ heavy metal and rock music have also been associated with an increasing risk of suicide, depression, delinquency risk behavior, smoking, and conduct problems† (Neale 1). In recent years, lyrics are becoming more vulgar and inappropriate. The violence heard in rock music instigates adolescents to commit violent crimes. In Northport NY, a seventeen-year-old boy was slaughtered; the names of Ozzy Osbourne and his former band members were spray painted at the crime scene, along with many satanic symbols. Doctor Guttman, a Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University states that, â€Å"Rock has so often been involved in these things (violence, teen suicide, etc. ) many of us in psychiatry have had to take it more seriously. † 45 percent of about 1,200 rock music videos supervised were viewed as explicitly violent. Video games and movies also play a prominent role in promoting violence among youth. The article â€Å"Most Teens Play Violent Video Games†, by Ben Berkowitz and published in the Washington Post, states that â€Å"70 percent of American teenage boys have played the violent, but popular â€Å"Grand Theft Auto† video game, and they are more likely to have been in a fight than those who have not played. † It is clear that the violence depicted through these games are mimicked by youth who have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and what is appropriate and acceptable in a realistic environment. Tim LaHaye gives a real life example of how the media affects certain people. In San Diego, a High School honor student watched An ABC horror movie on the life of Lizzy Borden, an infamous axe murderer in the 1890’s. After viewing this film, he decided to murder his mother, father, and sister. These examples illustrate how juvenile violence is promoted through music, video games, and movies. We live in a society that depends greatly on the media to impart information, allow for communication, and provide entertainment on a regular basis throughout our daily lives. It is vital that we are attentive and vigilant in deciding what our youth should be allowed to view and listen to, as we know there is a direct connection between what one consumes and what one in turn values, how one behaves and how one interacts in society. Too much exposure to the negative aspects of the media can be detrimental to one’s mental, emotional and physical health. The media influences how we perceive beauty, the healthful decisions we make, and how we interact socially. The negative media is harmfully transforming our ethical values of life and our outlook on society.