John Berger Ways of Seeing Essay

In John Berger’s article, ’Ways of Seeing’, it explains European eighteenth century art and how it relates to many of todays cultural transitions. Before Berger begins explaining the art itself, he tells us about the cultural constructions that exist today. These cultural constructions are enforced and were highlighted through European eighteenth century art. He began by explaining the difference between a man and a woman’s presence. Men’s presence depends how much power he is able to successfully portray. This power can be social, economical, sexual, etc. A woman’s presence expresses her attitude toward herself and in turn how she will allow other to treat her. This explains why women are so critical of them and critique their actions no matter what the situation may be. Berger begins to explain how the art ties into this when he says, â€Å"men act, women appear.† He further explains how men look at women, while women watch themselves being looked at. Thus, a woman is turned into an object. He even provides an interesting example of how women supposedly became subservient to men. In the book of Genesis Eve gave Adam an apple they weren’t supposed to eat. After they ate the apple they became aware and self-conscious of the fact they were naked, so they made clothes for themselves. Eve was punished for eating the apple and giving one to Adam by being made subservient to the man. This relates to art because, in Berger’s words, â€Å"women in paintings are there to feed an appetite, not to have any of their own.† He also explains the nude women in paintings appeal to the men’s sexuality. In European oil paintings the painter is never painted, yet is always assumed to be male. The women in these paintings were treated and/or portrayed as objects, and this view still exists today. It is an unequal relationship that in Berger’s words, â€Å"still structures the consciousness of many women.† The insecurities women feel in a large part comes from the way they have been viewed as object, always needing to be perfect. This is proven through the European eighteenth century art as the way the women are portrayed in the paintings. These views still exist in the media today. Commercials show seductive women gazing into a camera with an equally attractive man staring at them.

Human behavior Essay

Behavior of individuals in various settings is at times very difficult due to ethical constraints. This includes the investigation of why people take risks or gamble with their decision making processes. However, it is quite interesting to note that on situations which are not so threatening for individuals, it is apparent that people typically take risks in picking their options or when making their final choice. The following shows available data on human motivation and the theories surrounding the topic. Risk taking is defined as â€Å"engaging in any activity with an uncertain outcome,† as one scholar puts it. Theories of Motivation on Risk Taking Different theories describe and explain risk taking and why human beings are motivated to pursue or engage in activities or behavior that put their lives in much danger or create an element of risk of whatever form. The following are taken from current literature in the field of human behavior analysis. 1. Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Theory. Following the tradition of Freud, human motivation to take risks is taken from the basic understanding that when people feel fear in a certain situation or occasion, it is not good to overcome that fear. Freudian theory condemns outrightly risk taking as plain insanity. It reasons that to risk man’s very life has no warrant at all. It is nonsense. In other important spheres of life, however, to risk is inevitable and deemed necessary. There are many successful people in the business world who are known as risk takers (Llewellyn, 2003). They succeed, in fact, because of this unique attitude in them which is considered foolhardy in other realms. While it is true that life is the most precious commodity a man could ever possess, and to risk it is foolishness, it is equally true that not to risk at all in other areas means cowardice and immobility. Psychoanalysts even treat risk-taking behavior as a symptom of â€Å"a diseased mind. † Because for them, life is not to be gambled, therefore, it is insanity when someone chooses bungee-jumping as his/her sport (Llewellyn, 2003). 2. The Evolutionary Theory. Evolutionary theory explained man’s adventurous nature as simply an expression of his primal instincts (Llewellyn, 2003). Assuming that Darwin’s theory is correct, that man evolved from apes like common animal, a human early in the evolutionary process had to fight for his life to survive. This survival nature, according to this theory, is retained in modern man’s genetic make up (Llewellyn, 2003). This is the reason why even those people in the elite echelon of society choose to use their favorite sport like riding a dirigible as their campaign tool to promote their business. The problem with this theory is that it has remained to be unproven and lacking in evidences as yet. Humans are not proven to have descended from apes. 3. Contemporary Theories a. Extroversion and Introversion Personality theories contend that this two broad scope of personality traits capture the individual’s propensity towards behaving in certain ways. Extroversion helps explain why some people tend to be outgoing and hence, the greater the probability to engage in risky decisions (Llewellyn, 2003). b. Emotional Stability and Neuroticism This is another of the Contemporary theories that shed light on traits that remain stable over a period of time, clearly indicating which may best describe an individual and what differs him/her from another. Emotionally stable people, as those who posit on this model, may take risks but have taken many things to great lengths in order to get the best possible option or alternative (Llewellyn, 2003). Conversely, people who are more on the neuroticism side manifest the greater tendency to take risks without much weighing on the consequences. The tendency to be impulsive is to a higher degree present in individuals under this category. 4. Eysenck and Costa and McCrae’s model These two theorists added their own version to the array of personality theories. The former has the Psychoticism versus Humaneness dimension while the latter two theorists added three dimensions: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. The main argument against these classifications is its narrowness in explaining and categorizing the complexities that make human behavior (Llewellyn, 2003). While they help explore different behaviors or attitudes, there are more that remained unexplained. Until now, certain serial killers or murderers, defy the above mentioned explanations of human behavior. 5. The Zuckerman ‘Sensation Seeking Trait’ Although an expansion on one of the features of Psychoticism and Humaneness model, Sensation Seeking helps also explain the differences between individuals. There are people who do have a higher degree of this trait; like more men seek sensation-enhancing-experiences or â€Å"venturesome† traits, while others have very minimal of this trait. This is what Zuckerman refers to in his Sensation seeking trait theory. What other experts consider as this theory’s limitation is embedded in the matter of other personality traits’ influence on risk taking behavior other than this trait by itself. Studies reveal that the psychological profiles of risk takers are diverse and the universality of this trait is still further being investigated (Llewellyn, 2003). Risk taking is a fascinating area of interest for many students of human behavior. When explored through the eyes of a Psychoanalyst, the subject becomes even more intriguing because Freudian understanding possesses an attractive alternative to the more cognitive way of assessing risk taking behavior. When the subject of evolutionary psychology of explaining risk taking behavior is concerned, it contains a ring of truth in it that many today are convinced of its manner of explaining behavior. Instinct is still a potent facet in behavior that cannot be eradicated from the study of behavior of humans (Llewellyn, 2003). When people are confronted with the distinctiveness of the human personality, the dimensions are almost unlimited; some experts opt for the multi-dimensional method while others choose the narrow and concise way. All of these approaches have their strengths and weaknesses; degree of breadth and limitations. However, they are good and profitable for jumpstarting further explorations into the human psyche and its accompanying expressions. Reference: 1. Llewellyn, David J. 2003. The Psychology of Risk Taking. Accessed in www. risktaking. co. uk.

Impact of In Home Counseling on at Risk Youth Essay

Impact of In Home Counseling on at Risk Youth - Essay Example By this occurring, children become very withdrawn in the classroom even though they do attempt express their emotional pain to their teacher. From there, it has been concluded from research in home counseling for at risk youths help them not to have more emotional and social issues than those who come from a two-parent home. When children do not have the attention that they need at home, they show aggression in the classroom, which indicates in home counseling works. Human subjects will be utilized for data collection. Data will be collected by observing two controlled groups, one group will be of at risk youth that are receiving in home counseling and the other group has not received home counseling. Both groups attend the same school and classes. Their reaction to the counseling will be measured by questionnaires regarding perception of school and life while attending counseling. At the end of the period, they will fill out another questionnaire to measure any improvements or declines in their behavior and perception. The sample size for the current study will be 100 students; procedures will include but are not limited to distribution of fliers to obtain participants. The population has been selected due to the varying races and the percentage of males and females that are at risk. The questionnaire will include gender, race and questions that determine the perception of life, school and academic achievement by those individuals. Furthermore, the counseling session will obtain details of both groups that the questionnaire missed about their in-depth perception on life and academics. Review of the Findings In these findings, despite more home are not familiar with in home counseling, over ninety percent would want to use it to help better their children. If children have socially supportive arrangements as the attributes of socially legitimate roles which provide for the meeting dependency needs without loss of esteem, they are less likely to show aggression while suppressing destructive behavior. From there, socially supportive environments were presented as pattern interpersonal relationships mediated through shared values and sentiments as well as facilitate the performance of social roles through which needs are met. In summation, social support has been defined as an intervening factor tied directly to the coping process (Pearson, 1986). Social support can also serve as a salve to pains encountered along the way. It gives people the confidence to making a positive change and testing their limits when they know they have a community of support they can call upon. Social support refers to social interactions that are perceived by the recipient to facilitate coping and assist in responding to stress. Social support is thought to reduce the total amount of stress a person experience as well as to help one cope better when stressed (House, & Landis, 2003). It is apparent that for children, the lack of positive adult support and communication from parents, teachers, pastors, or coaches leads to increased behavior issues in the classroom, which can consist of them being destructive. Additionally, if the outlook of adults were more positive, adolescents will be more comfortable seeking support without fear of ridicule or rejection. Furthermore, the result of more positive adult su

Nursing care plan for a post-operation patient (CA colon) who was Case Study

Nursing care plan for a post-operation patient (CA colon) who was prolonged ICU stay due to prolonged ventilator support - Case Study Example an be achieved through nursing interventions that includes assisting the patient in psychological adjustment, prevention of complications, supporting independence in self care as well as providing information about prognosis, treatment needs, expected complications and community resources that can be utilized to meet the needs of the patients. The paper will focus on three nursing diagnosis with eight intervention related to the postoperative complication of the patient. According to Bischof, Maier, Smith, Fitch & Wright (2011), Colon cancer is the common type of cancer that affects the gastro intestinal system. Appropriate nursing and medical intervention can help reduce the post operative period and reduce complications such as infections. Colostomy and ileostomy are some of the procedures done during surgery. Even though post operative period is often long, some people are able to recover and resume normal activities after six to eight weeks (Brubakken & Cheney, 2010). The number of death resulting from colon cancer was 15.9 in every a hundred thousand women and men every year with 43.7 in every a hundred thousand women and men per year of new cases. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be used to prevent spread of colon cancer. -Reduce the amount of time that the patient spends on the ventilator machine from 12 hours to eight hours in the first day, from eight hours to six hours in the second day and from six hours to four hours in the third day. Weaning from the ventilator machine is important to the patient as it help the patient to support themselves and be in control (DONALD & VIAR, 2010). It is also an indication that the original cause of the respiratory failure has been dealt with (Taylor, 2010). The patient has been able to reduce the time on the ventilator machine by two hours on the first day (Chang, 2013). This has been effective through the use of daily screening of respiratory functions and breathing trials. Patient reports improved

William Penn and the charter of privlidges Research Paper

William Penn and the charter of privlidges - Research Paper Example The move toward democracy which is found in this document and in its own antecedent frameworks -- including the important initial document known as the First Frame, which had been drawn up by Penn while he was still in England and preparing to move his group of colonists under the royal charter -- came to be a critical influence in the building of a political foundation eventually leading to the establishment of the new nation. In this brief paper, the development of the Charter of Privileges and its outlines for self-government will be reviewed in order to discuss in detail the influence that the document held for later events in the founding of the nation. A chronological approach will be taken to studying the Charter, with comments on the political and social contexts of the document and the times. First, it will be shown how the document known as First Frame led to the Charter of Privileges and following this, a discussion of the content of the Charter itself will be offered to s how how it led to the concept of democratic self-government. Penn was a member of the religious group known as the Quakers. This group held to a series of strong religious and ideological beliefs that often brought them into conflict with the political and religious authorities in England. They were convinced that their forms of religious worship, which revolved around a pacifist, silent meditation on the nature of God and man, were correct, and they were unwilling to bend to the dictates of either the English government or the their more aggressively zealous religious rivals, the Puritans. Because of the societal and religious strife that occurred in England during the civil wars of the mid-1600s, they eventually came to be persecuted for their beliefs, often being harassed to the point of being locked up (Powell, n.d.). Penn’s father had made a sizeable loan to the king before his death, and in an attempt to find a way to move his people out of England, to somewhere that th ey could practice their religion freely and openly, Penn called in the loan. He was granted a charter to establish the Pennsylvania colony and given the proprietary rule of the colony to govern as he saw fit, provided that the laws he established fell under the general legal purview of the English constitutional monarchy (Powell, n.d.). In line with both his religious convictions and his own beliefs regarding the need for self-government Penn decided that he would establish a government that moved much further toward democracy than anything that was evident in England at the time. He drew up the First Frame as a governing document to accomplish his objectives. The First Frame begins with a description of why law is needed among men. It argues that God established men as his deputies to rule the word and gave them the skills and intelligence that they needed in order to rule justly. However, it points out that a lust for power and other â€Å"transgressions† had led men to be disobedient to God’s law and therefore a need was evident for judicial administration. Such administration required the need for rules that would govern men, as well as a governor to administer the rules (Penn, 1682). But the question then arose: How should one design the government? Should rule by monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy be preferred? Penn answered with the following: I choose to solve the controversy with this small distinction, and it belongs to all three: Any government is free to the people under it (whatever be the frame) where the laws rule, and the people are a party to those laws, and more than this is tyranny, oligarchy, or

Human Resourse Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resourse Manager - Essay Example Many companies manage the transition but experts conclude that they usually have it rough with when making changes thus need to make improvements. The design of the experiment is based on the transition that occurs to management in any given business. Failure to management transition may occur in an organization when scientists believe that skills for supervision are learnt through experience. Benefits expected in this experiment include description of supervision opportunity to the intended management candidate. This is very important because the supervisor understands the fact that science and supervision in any given work is not a dangerous misconception as believed by majority. The supervisor understands that when recruiting any employee in whichever field one has to consider the mix of science and supervision if it is workable. Another benefit is that, the supervisor is enlightened of the organizational needs that are constantly changing as a result of technical obsolescence setting in thus need to update his schedule to counteract or adapt these changes. The experiment also aids in considering the additional of supervisory responsibilities which inhibits scientists or engineers role. This directs one to determine whether or not that person has shown the interest in the work dedicated. For this experiment, a random sample of 30 employees will be used considering the size of the company. The samples will be drawn from all five departments - six from each function of the company. Such a sample is expected to be truly representative of the company’s population of workers. The variables or factors in this case will include age, gender, experience level, and field of work. A random sample is used since it is easy to use compared to a probabilistic sample. When conducting the experiment, non-responsiveness of respondents may hamper progress and lead to unreliable results. In addition, there may be cost constraints which may reduce the limit of the

Analyzing Black History Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing Black History Sites - Essay Example The complex was established in year 1989 under the guidance of the Wajumbe Cultural Institution, Inc., and the San Francisco African American Historical Society. The new non-profit organization was named â€Å"The Center for African and African American Art and Culture† (lately the name was simplified). A financing of the organization comes in many different ways. There are two constant funders: The Department of Children, Youth and Family, and The San Francisco Arts Commission. Also there is a donation option for sponsors and people, who just want to support the center or volunteer in its projects. The site is located on 762 Fulton Street (which is the center of the city of San Francisco, CA), and takes up pretty much space (34,000 sq. ft). Such a big territory was received for the center in order to satisfy the Blacks community needs1, which means that the amount of black people in San Francisco is big enough to form quite strong and influential community that wants to devel op its culture and extend it widely. The destiny of Blacks in San Francisco is quite hard; through their history in this city there were many troubles and obstacles appeared in their way to free implementation of their native culture. First African Americans settled in San Francisco in the middle of 19th century as slaves of white owners of their, since early 20th century they began to develop small communities to preserve their culture and stay together to support each other, many black residents came to the city looking for a better life and searching for resources. According to Jan Batiste Adkins’s research, the population of African Americans in San Francisco started to increase in the first part of the 20th century, after the II World War a big amount of Blacks moved to California to work in a big industry. This pretty much expanded the community of

Production and marketing functions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Production and marketing functions - Assignment Example Production is a significant function in an organization as it is through it that inputs are converted in to finished products through a sequence of procedures. It requires efficiency in planning to ensure that inputs are available and converted in to finished products successfully. Production managers need to ensure a smooth flow in the work processes as well as enhance innovation and creativity among the employees. The marketing function on the other hand is significant in ensuring that an organization meets the needs of consumers. It involves investigating market needs, establishing suitable packaging strategy and ensuring that the products are made available to consumers where needed. Good marketing strategies increase the overall organizational productivity and competitiveness. Some of the conflicts between the marketing and production functions of an organization could be explained by the GAP analysis proposed by Slack. Role of Production Function Production function involves setting standards and objectives with regards to what is to be produced and the production process. Quality and quantity of output is closely observed to ensure that organizational targets are met. Lean manufacturing is an innovative strategy of the production function whereby wastage is minimized while maintaining quality in all the stages of the production process. Slack et al. (2006) pointed out several objectives of the production function from which an organization can prioritize on the few that are likely to help it accomplish a competitive advantage. One of the objectives is to minimize production costs while maximizing output, which is important in the pricing strategy whereby an organization can easily accomplish price leadership in the market.

Creative Writing “Into the Darkness” Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing â€Å"Into the Darkness† Essay It had just turned night when Victoria heard the thunder roll in, and the lightening strike against the ground. This worried her for she was afraid of losing power. As the night grew on the storm worsened. Making sure she wasnt forgetting her laptop, Victoria made her way upstairs to the comforts of her bedroom. She decided this would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of her time and watch the latest shows Netflix had to offer. Settling into her bed with her laptop in hand Victoria reached over to plug her charger in. Just as she did so, the power went out. Startled by the sudden darkness, she reached under her bed for her flashlight. Grasping her flashlight tightly, Victoria headed back downstairs to see what may have caused the power to go out. As Victoria went downstairs she noticed her porch door was ajar. Cautiously she approached the door and peered outside to see who or what may have opened the door. Nothing seemed to be around. Certain that the storm had simply blown out the power, Victoria poured herself a glass of hot chocolate and returned upstairs. Something seemed different to Victoria, but she was unsure of what exactly. Much to her dismay her beloved laptop was missing. Appalled by this discovery, Victoria quickly became worried that someone may be in the house with her. Using her survival instincts she quickly grabbed the flashlight and headed out into the hallway, if someone was in the house with her laptop, Victoria was determined to catch them and get her laptop back. Shaky and nervous she slowly peered out into the hallway, no one was to be found. Once at the stairs she swiftly tumbled down them, only missing a few steps at the bottom, but redeeming herself with style. The power had yet to return, and the only thing Victoria had with her was a flashlight. Determined she would catch the culprit and get her laptop back, she sprang across the room and swung the bathroom door open. Still she found no one. Next she opened the closet, then her office, and finally the last room she had left to check was the basement. Victoria clenched onto the flashlight and slowly turned the nob and entered the dark stairwell leading to the basement. Taking each step one at a time, until she got to the final one. When she glanced around the corner Victoria could see someone standing there. She couldn’t make out the face for it was too dark, and her flashlight was dimming by the second. Victoria slowly inched towards the dark figure, getting closer and closer, until finally she was close enough. Just as she reached out to grab onto the dark figure, she dropped the flashlight. All hopes of seeing who they were went away as soon as Victoria’s flashlight hit the floor. The dark figure quickly turned around tightly grasping the laptop. Victoria got struck in the face by her own laptop, and was knocked onto the ground. When she awoke the power had returned, and the storm had stopped. As Victoria got up off the floors she quickly glanced to around to see if anyone was around. There was nobody to be found, and her laptop was gone.

McAfee Spyware Blocker Essay Example for Free

McAfee Spyware Blocker Essay McAfee, an Intel company, has been an industry leader for antivirus software to protect personal computers for many years. The company has expanded its services from protecting computers to also protecting cellular browsing as well, the software can be used on the iPhone, and Android phones. Product McAfee is introducing a new line of software designed specifically for Android and iPhone devices to block unwanted spying from applications downloaded on the mobile devices. McAfee Spyware Blocker will target applications designed to collect personal and private information. The applications on the users phone that are targeted are; photos, email, browsing history, camera, contacts, passwords, and all information posted in mentioned applications. Mission Statement McAfee Spyware Blocker for the iPhone and Android follows the same mission as the products for its personal computer software. Our mission for the McAfee Spyware Blocker application is to protect each client’s identity and personal information while using their mobile device with an advanced innovative software program designed to protect all information on the mobile device. The McAfee Spyware Blocker will filter all movements on mobile devices and warn the user with unwanted tracking, or spying from developers of applications. This also includes third party applications such as the popular Facebook, Pinterest, Yelp, Instagram, and other social media sites who require access to the users information. Customer Need As the first of its kind, McAfee Spyware Blocker, has set itself apart from other spyware blockers. The software provides protection on mobile devices, and from unwanted sharing of information when downloading applications. The software creates a separate profile based on user preferences, which block all real information of the user. It then forces applications to use false information, created by the user, to run applications that require access to personal information. Clients of McAfee are guaranteed by the history of the company, and its proven success and growth of its other products, which set the company apart from the current competition. The company is in constant development of its products to improve, grow, and meet the quick changing needs of technology and clients. McAfee follows trends and see’s the need for an advanced spyware blocker for the mobile market. The division has developed, what it feels, is an advanced, superior product for its current client base, and has developed a plan to achieve a new market of customers. Vision Model The vision of the McAfee Spyware Blocker is to create the best mobile spyware blocker in the market. The company started with the iPhone and Android markets first, but will add the iPad, iPod, tablet, and eventually all wireless devices. Wireless devices could potentially allow applications to be hacked and monitored for personal and private information. With the growing market of personal mobile and wireless devices, McAfee will continuously grow and advance the current software technology. The advances developed will provide upgrades for current clients and new software for new devices and platforms. The demand for privacy protection in today’s quick moving and growing technology market speaks volumes for the need for new advanced software for the growing community of mobile and wireless devices. The decision to create the McAfee Spyware Blocker division and be a leader in the market was an easy decision, and one that will grow the company in the direction of the ever-expanding technology movement. Business Model Throughout the history of McAfee products, the growing development of new technology has brought about a high demand and need for protection of client’s information. The need to protect clients has grown from personal computers to mobile and wireless devices and has our clients asking for more advanced protection while using an array of devices Mobile browsing on an Android or iPhone device, allows spies to access personal information. In recent years, breeches have caused an increase of identity theft directly related to mobile devices. The information stored, or applications used while on the device are likely to provide an expert hacker to gain valuable personal information. To satisfy the consumer need for protection, McAfee developed the spyware blocker division. The value created to offer advanced protection while operating the Android or iPhone devices, is unparalleled to any other spyware protection claims. No other spyware developed by competing companies has provided the user with absolute confidence of protection while using their mobile device. The software is an advancement of our current products, and the basis of the spyware is the same as in our other products. Because we have added to an existing product, the product, planning, development, and creative costs were minimal in relevance to the overall product offered. The company will continue to develop products that are on the cutting edge of what is going to come in the future. By utilizing the current software platforms, coding, scripting, and language, we are able to make advances quickly and cost effective. McAfee Spyware Blocker will continue to grow and develop as the market grows, and technology advances to include new products, McAfee, Inc. (2014). Vision, Mission, Value The previous launch of the McAfee Expanded Data Security, Application Security, and Ease of Administration in 2012, protected users from browser invasions. The applications, however, did not stop companies from using information from a clients phone, McAfee, Inc. (2014). The previous launch of mobile device protection, allowed McAfee to move in the direction of advanced mobile and wireless protection, by the development of the McAfee Spyware Blocker. The company continues to move in the direction of technology development and advancements and the need to create software to protect clients using multiple platforms, and from the creators  of applications that require access to personal information. The vision and mission of McAfee have always been to protect and provide its clients with the most advanced software protection from spies and hackers. The decision to create a new line of defense against advanced hackers and spies came from the need to protect against unlawful privacy breeches. The value of the product could be described as valuable beyond any dollar. To sell the product, the cost to produce, and the market value of the product describes the cost of the product to be $59.99, which will include any follow-up updates, McAfee, Inc. (2014). Vision, Mission, Value Summary The vision of McAfee Spyware Blocker is that each client will feel secure and trust that their information is protected on their Android or iPhone devices, and in the future, other wireless and mobile devices. The future of McAfee Spyware Blocker, according the analysis of the market research, shows that the software will continue to grow with demand of its clients and technology. The mission of McAfee Spyware Blocker is to be the best in the market, to out sell, out develop and outshine the competition. The ability to build and expand on an existing product to provide clients the best possible product has allowed McAfee to be a leader in spyware blocking software. The employment of highly knowledgeable employee’s of McAfee products gives client’s confidence in receiving assistance with the product Employees will have vital knowledge of the product and how the product works. Having extensive knowledge the users platform (Android/iPhone) will not only give confidence to the leaders of the McAfee Spyware Blocker, but also the end users of the software. Protection of personal information is priceless. Everyone, including the leaders at McAfee, want protection from theft of information. The McAfee Spyware Blocker gives all users exactly that, protection. The stated value  of $59.99 for the product does not include the value of protection, that is the additional bonus of the software. Principles and values The principles and values of the McAfee Spyware Blocker division follow the same guidelines of the company, McAfee, Inc. (2014). Listed below are the five principles of McAfee: 1.Conduct business with honesty and integrity 2.Follow the letter and spirit of the law 3.Treat each other fairly 4.Act in the best interests of McAfee Spyware Blocker and avoid conflicts of interest 5.Protect the company’s assets and reputation, McAfee, Inc. (2014). The company’s business values in the division of McAfee Spyware Blocker follow directly in line with McAfee, Inc. They are listed as: 1.Expertise – We have a deep mastery of digital security, and we never stop building and improving our expertise. 2.Partnership – We have a true sense of teamwork and partnership across McAfee functions and with channel partners and customers, developing collaborative solutions that offer tangible benefits. 3.Integrity – We’re in the business of protecting data from the unscrupulous, performing to the highest standards of ethics and responsibility. 4.Results – We have definitive goals with definitive outcomes, always striving for higher performance and never losing focus. 5.Courage – Being always ready is a requirement for courageous leadership across our business. We’re never intimidated by the audacious challenges we face every day, McAfee, Inc. (2014). The division of McAfee Spyware Blocker promises to be innovative regarding new technology developed for Android, iPhone, wireless devices, and other devices as they grow and change. The spyware blocker software will continue to advance and grow as the malicious methods of unscrupulous individuals and companies develop new ways to spy. References McAfee, Inc. (2014). McAfee for Consumer Retrieved from http://home.mcafee.com/?CID=MFEen-usMHP001 Pearce, J. A. II. (2013). Strategic management: Planning for domestic and global competition (13th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Thompson, A. A., Gamble, J. E., Strickland, A. J. (2012). Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Electromagnetic Radiation Features

Electromagnetic Radiation Features 2.1 Electromagnetic radiation Electromagnetic radiation consists of waves of electric and magnetic energy oscillating through space at the speed of light (OET, 1999). The electromagnetic spectrum is an arrangement of various electromagnetic energy in the forms of particles and waves. These form of energy are characterized by frequency and wavelength. The wavelength is the distance per seconds covered by an electromagnetic wave, while the frequency, the number of oscillation of electromagnetic waves for one second. Figure 2.0.1 bellow shows an electromagnetic spectrum. Figure 2.0.1. Electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum shows the arrangement of electromagnetic sources based on their frequency and wavelength. Below is Table 2.0.1 which describes the radiofrequency sources and their allocated bands and frequency ranges. Table 2.0.1. Characteristics and frequency bands of radiofrequency field sources Band Description of signals Frequency range FM Frequency Modulation 88’108 TV/DAB Television (analogue) DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) 174’223 TETRA Terrestrial Trunked Radio 380’400 TV Television (analogue and digital) 470’830 GSM DL Global System for Mobile Communications from base station to mobile phone 925’960 DCS DL Digital Cellular System 1,805’1,880 UMTS DL Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service 2,110’2,170 Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity, IEEE 802.11 standards 2,400’2,500 The most important application of electromagnetic energy is in the use of radio broadcasting, mobile telephony, microwave application and satellite communication as reported by Kelly (2011). Others include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Microwave ovens, radar, industrial heaters and sealing (Kelly, 2011). 2.2 Radio waves Radio-frequency (RF) is a part of the arrangement of electromagnetic energies in terms of their frequencies from 3 kilohertz (3 kHz) to 300 gigahertzes (300 GHz) (Kelly, 2011). Radio-transmitters are devices that serve as transducers for converting electrical current into electromagnetic waves. The knowledge of the presence of electromagnetic field was first discovered as far back as 1887 when a Physicist proved experimentally that electromagnetic fields can be produced and detected in space. This phenomenon was predicted three years earlier by Clarke Maxwell (1831-1879). A radio transmitter communicates with a receiver via radio waves when electric charges moves up and down the transmitters antenna and are detected when the electric charge oscillate up and down a receivers antenna. In the process, when the charges moves, they produce magnetic fields. The resulting changing electric-magnetic fields (electromagnetic waves) are able to travel long distances through an empty space (Vacu um). The ability of a transmitter to send signal to a receiver or another transmitter nearby depends on the oscillation of the charges up and down its antenna at a particular resonant frequency. 2.3 Characteristics of radiofrequency (RF) antenna There are a number of physical parameters and principles that define the type of wave and intensity of the radio waves generated and broadcasted into the environment. These parameters are relevant in understanding the behavior of the antennas. These are the antenna element, element array, gain or directivity, radiation pattern, radiation intensity, beam-width and power density. 2.3.1 Antenna Elements The antenna element is a basic unit of the antenna. They may exist as individuals or as a group of elements. There are three most common types: dipole, monopoles and loop. A dipole antenna is most commonly a linear metallic wire or rod with a feed point at the center. It has two symmetrical radiating arms. A monopole antenna on the other hand has a single radiating arm. A number of authors have performed calculation and measurements on the pattern generated by these field on mobile handset in air and also against the head (Jensen Rahmat-Samii, 1995) ; (Okoniewski Stuchly, 1996) and (Lazzi, 1998). Other works on wireless devices such as cellular telephones using monopole antenna has also being reported in literature (Luebbers, 1992). An interesting application of loops is the wireless telemetry for medical devices and used for the first pacemaker (Greatbatch Holmes, 1991). 2.3.2 Antenna Arrays To yield a highly directive patterns, multiple antennas or elements can be arranged in space, in various geometrical configurations to yield a pattern (Stutzman Thiele, 1998); (Bucci, Ella, Mazzarella, Panariello, 1994) ; (Balanis, 2005); (Elliott, 2003) and (Mailloux, 1994). This antenna configuration are called arrays. The field from an array can add constructively or destructively in others. When well-engineered, the array can be used to control the beam by changing the phase of the excited currents of the individual elements (Elliott, 2003) ; (Dolph, 1946) ; (Safaai-Jazi, 1994) and (Shpak Antoniou, 1992). By so doing, an optimum radiation beam can be generated. The geometry of the arrangement of the element also affects the performance. Other factors are distance between the elements, amplitude of the excited currents, phase excitation and radiation pattern. 2.3.3 Directivity and Gain Another parameter used to describe the directional properties of an antenna is the directivity or gain. The directivity of an antenna, is a figure of merit that quantifies the antenna directive properties by comparing them with those of a hypothetical isotropic antenna that radiates the same total power as the antenna being characterized. Antenna such as dipoles and loops generates omnidirectional pattern, (McDonald, 1978) and (Pozar, 1993) derived a formula for such. The gain of an antenna is a measure that takes into account the efficiency of the antenna as well as its directional capabilities. The total antenna efficiency accounts for losses at the input terminals and the structure of the antenna due to reflection, conduction and dielectric losses. 2.3.4 Radiation Pattern       Besides the parameters described above, the radiation pattern is the property used to describe the resulting shape of the beam generated. Radiation or an antenna pattern is a mathematical function of the antenna that describe the space coordinates (Balanis, 2005). The main beam is the region where the radiation is strongest and the other directions forms the side-lobes. The half-power beam width is the measure of the direction of maximum radiation. The beam width or Half-Power Beam width (HPBW) is the width of the power pattern at the location where the beam is 3 dB below its maximum value (half-power points) or the location where the field is 1/Ã… ¡2 of its peak. It is often used as a trade-off between it and the side lobe level (The ratio of the radiation intensity of the largest side-lobe to the maximum radiation intensity). The HPBW varies inversely as the side lobe level. The most common resolution criterion states that the resolution capability of an antenna to distinguish betw een two sources is equal to half the first-null beam width (FNBW/2), which is usually used to approximate the half-power beam width (HPBW) (Kraus, 1996) and (Kraus Marhefka, Antennas, 2002). 2.3.5 Polarization Furthermore, the generated wave can oscillate up and down, left and right or characteristic between these. These behavior describe the kind of polarization the wave exhibits. Polarization of a radiated wave is defined as that property of a wave in a time-varying direction and relative magnitude of the electric field vector. In general, however, when the shape of the electric field appears in the form of an ellipse, the polarization is described as elliptical. When the shape appear linear or circular, the polarization is described as such. The polarized radiated wave by the antenna can also be represented on the Poincares sphere (Balanis C. A., 1989) ; (Poincar ´e, 1892) ; (Deschamps, 1951) and (Bolinder, 1967). 2.3.6 Radiation Intensity Another important property of the antenna is the radiation intensity. The radiation intensity is the power radiated per unit solid angle subtended by the antenna. It is the property of the far field. The radiation intensity is obtained by multiplying the density by the square of the distance. The power pattern is also a measure of radiation intensity. To be able to obtain the total power density, one need to integrate the radiation intensity. 2.3.7 Power Density Finally, the radiation power density describes the power associated with an electromagnetic wave. The power density is the total power crossing a closed surface by integrating the normal component of the Poynting vector over the entire surface. 2.4 Electromagnetic field around an antenna An electromagnetic field is the region created around a source of electromagnetic radiation. An antenna is a device which changes electrical charges or current into electromagnetic waves into space. The distribution of RF energy from an antenna was found from literature to obey a directional pattern and varies with distance from the antenna. The fields created around an antenna can be grouped into two: 2.4.1 Near Field The near field is the region around an antenna such that; the electric and magnetic fields are decoupled, quasi-static and are not uniform. And the impedance which is the resistance in air and the power associated with the field varies with distance. 2.4.2 Far Field The far field on the other hand have plane fronts which do not depend on the shape of the source but rather unchanging. The radiated power decreases inversely with distance from the antenna theoretically. The electric and magnetic fields are uniquely defined by approximately a constant impedance of the medium. Figure 2.0.2 below illustrate the field regions around an antenna. Figure 2.0.2. Electromagnetic field regions around a typical antenna 2.5 Advances in field modeling A modeling is a good approximation of a problem to a real world solution. There are various mathematical modeling methods available in literature to date (Sarkar, Ji, Kim, Medouri, Salazar-Palma, 2003) ; (COST-231, 1999) and (Correia, 2001). Extensive theoretical and experimental research on electromagnetic field Levels has been carried out and reported in literature (Lin, 2002) ; (Cicchetti, 2004) and (Nicolas, Lautru, Jacquin, Wong, Wiart, 2001). Currently, the studies in electromagnetic fields can be grouped into two dominant channel modelling approaches: theoretical and empirical (Rappaport, 2002). While theoretical models depend on the knowledge of the physical laws of the wireless channel, such as the electrical properties of the ground, empirical models are based on actual radio frequency (RF) measurements of wireless channels. Furthermore, one can regroup it into Monte Carlo, Empirical and Physical models (Rappaport, 2002). Monte Carlo method are statistical in nature and m ake use of statistical and distribution functions such as channel characteristics of radio-transmitters and ray-optics. (Okumura, Ohmori, Kawano, Fukuda, 1968) Found out from measurement that for a situation where one cannot have a line of sight with the transmitter, the fading (attenuation) of the received voltage approximates relay distribution. Okumura also developed a correction factor to be used together with the data to correct for the field strength. When Okumuras measured results were averaged, the results showed properties of a lognormal distribution. (Okumura, Ohmori, Kawano, Fukuda, 1968) And (Mogensen, Eggers, Jensen, Andersen, 1991). The style of settlement and nature of buildings also affect the propagation of the radio waves when traveling from a source into the environment. Also random variation of building also contributed to loss of propagation of the waves. Some earlier work suggested that radio waves propagates over buildings and are diffracted down to street levels (Parsons, 1992). To be able to obtain reliable statistics, a lot more of measured data was required. Diffraction is when the path of the beam is obstructed by surface of irregular shape edges. Diffraction methods were developed and used to account for diffractions at rooftop (Ikegami, Yoshida, Takeuchi, Umehira, 1984). Variations in building height contributed to the shadow loss of propagation over low buildings. The most general approach uses numerical integration of physical optics integrals (Walfisch Bertoni, 1988) and (Bertoni, 2000). Measurement has shown that Monte Carlo methods need to consider the effect of trees (Mogensen, Eggers, Jensen, Andersen, 1991), (Rizk, Mawira, Wagen, Gardiol, 1996), (Vogel Goldhirsh, 1986) and (LaGrone, 1977). Trees are able to attenuate the signal to the order of 10 dB (Vogel Goldhirsh, 1986). The Monte Carlo methods even though are good when adequate measured data is used, suffers from modifications to the buildings and terrains and are very expensive to carry out. Empirical methods make use of information gathering on the basis of systematic experimentation instead of making use of logic or mathematics. The empirical model uses extensive measured data and analysis tools to formulate relationship between parameters of interest. Measurements have shown that a simple two-ray model consisting of the direct and the ground-reflected ray was sufficient to predict the path gain (loss) for propagation over a flat earth (Rustako, Jr., Owens, Roman, 1991) and (Xia, Bertoni, Maciel, Lindsay-Stewart, Rowe, 1993). Reflection occurs when the wave from a source hit an object whose dimension is large as compared to the wavelength of the wave. The path loss represents the signal attenuation in decibel (dB). The path loss is the difference between effective transmitter and receiver power. Most published work concerning outdoor propagation depends on free space and two-ray models (Pande, Choudhari, Pathak, 2012), (Willis Kikkert, 2007), (Neto, Neto, Yang, Gl over, 2010). The free space model assumes that both transmitter and receiver, use line-of-sight communication with no obstruction or reflection of any form. The free space model obeys the relation: (2. 1) Where f is the frequency in MHz and d is the separation distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas in meters. The receiver power has been found to falls off as the square of the transmitter-receiver separation distance. The receiver power decays at the rate of 20dB per decade. When the effect of ground ray reflection is considered, a Plane Earth model was used. The model is given as: (2. 2) Where d is the distance as above and and are the elevations of the transmitter and receiver heights in meters respectively. The separation distance (d) in this model is assumed to be much larger than and .In our real environment today, there are obstruction everywhere and the propagation of the electromagnetic waves are affected by it (Mao, Anderson, Fidan, 2007). The radio signals in our environment are attenuated by reflection, diffraction and scattering. Scattering occurs when an object in a medium are smaller as compared to the wavelength of the incoming wave. To be able to account for location characteristics and the impact of vegetation, it was found in literature that the average signal power decreases logarithmically with distance (Rappaport, 2002). To be able to estimate the path loss due to real world approximation, a log-distance model was developed. The average path loss for a typical distance between a transmitter and a receiver can be represented as an expression of distance by using the exponent n. The path loss is given as (Liao Sarabandi, 2005): (2. 3) Where is the path loss in dB at a reference distance and n is the path loss exponent that represent the rate of the path loss decrease as a function of distance. The value n also characterizes the propagation environment. Table 2.0.2 below summarizes the characteristic of the exponent n in the environment. Table 2.0.2. Characteristics of typical propagation environments Environment Path loss exponent values (n) Free space 2.0 Urban area, cellular radio 2.7 to 3.5 Shadow Urban cellular radio 3.0 to 6.0 In-buildings, line-of-sight 1.6 to 1.8 Obstructed in buildings 4.0 to 6.0 Obstructed in factories 2.0 to 3.0 The reference distances from research was taken to be between 100 m to 1 km depending on the height of the transmitter. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommended that in a situation where majority of the signal propagates through trees or vegetation, the ITU-R model can be used (Rappaport T. S., 1996). (2. 4) Where the frequency used was between 200 MHz and 95 GHz. One of the most important fully empirical prediction method was conducted by (Okumura, Ohmori, Kawano, Fukuda, 1968). Okumuras method was based entirely on an extensive measurement in Tokyo city. Okumura developed a set of curves given the median attenuation relatively to free space in the urban area over a quasi-smooth terrain. From these curves, Okumura deduce from the graphs a simple power law which was a function of the environment and it characteristics. The model was applicable to frequency range between 200 MHz and 2 GHz and covers a distance of 100 km. Okumuras data was further modified by (Hata, 1980) who made it into a series of graphs. However, other methods disagree with the predictions of the Okumuras methods. Others have also tried to improve the method by applying building density (Kozono Watanabe, 1977) but was rejected by the scientific community. The Okumura-Hata model, together with related corrections was found to be one of the most common and single model used in designing real systems. Lee in 1982 came out with a power law model which was based on measurement and takes into account the variation in terrain (Lee, 1982). The model was environment specific because it was based on the assumption of the characteristics of the environment. It will be very difficult to tell which environment characteristics one need to use since the environment varies from one country to the other. Even though empirical method was easy to implement and their ability to include all environment-related factors that affect the propagation of radio waves in practice (Rappaport T. , 2002), they suffer from parameter ranges; the environment must be classified which may vary from one place to the other .the method also do not provides insight into propagation mechanism and analytical explanations. The Physical model method attempt to produce deterministic field strength at specified points. (Ikegami, F.; Takeuchi, T.; Yoshida, S., 1991). The model makes use of characteristics of the environments, physical optics and other theories to account for the intended parameter of interest. A careful assessment of the exposure of urban populations to electromagnetic fields requires the use of deterministic models that take into account the interferences caused by the buildings in the propagation of the field. Deterministic models were developed to account for terrain in the absence of buildings based on geometric theory of diffraction (Bullington, 1977), (Luebbers R. J., 1984) and (Lampard Vu-Dinh, 1993). Other methods such as parabolic equation method (Janaswamy Andersen, 1998) and (Levy, 1990) takes the detail terrain profile into account. The method uses detail map of an area taking into consideration building configurations and using a ray optics to trace the waves. There are 3-D (three dimensional) ray tracing models that are able to accurately estimate site-specific propagation situations (Catedra, Perez, Saez de Adana, Guiterrez, 1998). Although it accounts reasonable well for close in variation of field strength, it suffers from unrealistic assumptions, theories and underestimate in some cases (Saunders, 1999). Other works also uses numerical methods such as method of moments (MOM) to analyze the electromagnetic field of antennas (Johnson, Shin, Eidson, 1997), (Wanzheng, Yan, Anmin, 2000), (Povinelli DAngelo, 1991), (Lou Jin, 2005) and (Tofani, dAmore, Fiandino, 1995). However, these Methods require higher mathematical and programming skills such as large sparse matrix solution as well as more computer resources such as larger memory and multiple CPUs than the analytical method (Johnson, Shin, Eidson, 1997). A semi-analytical treatment has been carried out for cases where the horizontal separation between the base station and first row of building s is knownand all the buildings are of the same height (Xia, Bertoni, Maciel, Lindsay-Stewart, Rowe, 1993), (. Bertoni Maciel, 1992). From the above analysis, it was evident from literature to date that there is no one method which will be able to predict accurately well and also help us understand and make meaning of the physics involved in the process of study. This research work focuses on the need for a hybrid model (Semi-Empirical) which will achieve a good level of accuracy and also help us understand the physical interaction of the parameters involved and also serve as an advancement on this field. 2.6 Advances in measurements The natural electromagnetic energy comes from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources such as electrical discharges during thunder storms in the atmosphere and radiation from sun and space. It is of interest to note that the blackbody radiation from a person in the RF-band is approximately 3 mW/m2. The man-made source originates from mainly telecommunication and broadcasting services in the environment. There are several methods developed to assess the electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure level in literature. One of them was the use of a personal exposure measurement methods (Viel, Cardis, Moissonnier, Seze, Hours, 2009), (Urbinello, Joseph, Huss, 2014), (Bolte Eikelboom, 2012), (Urbinello, Huss, Beekhuizen, Vermeulen, Rà ¶Ãƒ ¶sli, 2014), (Radon, Spegel, Meyer, 2006) and (Frei, Mohler, Bà ¼rgi, 2009). Another method is the used of stationary measurement approach (Bà ¼rgi, Frei, Theis, 2010), (Calin, Ursachi, Helerea, 2013), (Pachà ³n-Garcà ­a, Fernà ¡ndez-Ortiz, . P aniagua-Sà ¡nchez, 2015), (Ozen, Helhel, Colak, 2007), (Korpinen Pà ¤Ãƒ ¤kkà ¶nen, 2015) and (Verloock, Joseph, Goeminne, 2014) where measurement is made at a define period of time such as 6 minutes averaging. The 6-minute averaging time comes from the time constant for the thermoregulation of the body (ICNIRP, 1998) to occur. FM and TV broadcast transmitters, GSM and UMTS base stations are important sources of RF EMF in terms of exposure level in the environment. In general, FM and TV broadcast transmitters were installed in places far off distance from the city center in the past but in todays world, they are installed within our communities. In 1980, Tell and Mantiply published a study of RF fields measured at 486 sites across 15 major metropolitan areas in the USA which at that time, accounted for nearly 20 % of the nations population of 226.5 million people (Tell Mantiply, 1980). The measurements covered the low VHF TV (54-88 MHz), FM radio (88-108 MHz), high VHF TV (174 -216 MHz) and UHF TV (470-806 MHz) bands. They reported a median wideband time-averaged field level of 0.005 mWcm-2, with an estimated 1 % of the population exposed to fields with power densities of 1 mW cm-2. In addition, the fields from FM radio broadcasts were clearly dominant over the fields from the other three bands. Typically for High-power broadcast transmitters, the effective radiated power (ERP) was 250 kW per channel for FM radio and 500 kW per channel for television. The antennas were mounted towards the top of a 300 m mast. For medium-power broadcast and telecommunications transmitters, the transmitted powers were in the region of 100-200 W per channel. The exposure to the general public was very small relatively to people living in the immediate neighborhood of medium and short-wave stations (Jokela, Puranen, Gandhi, 1994). People working in FM and TV towers which are near to high power FM or TV broadcast antennas were exposed to high levels in the range of 50 to 800 MHz (Jokela Puranen, Occupational RF exposures, 1999) and (Hansson-Mild, 1981). Other studies have been carried out in the domains of exposure field measurement by (Viel, et al., 2009a), (Viel J. , Cardis, Moissonnier, R., Hours, 2009b) and possible consequences of human exposure to such fields(Hossmann Hermann, 2003). A study of ambient RF fields conductedmostly outdoors in Gothenburg, Sweden reportedan average wideband power densities of between 0.04and 0.05 mW cm-2 (Ahlbom, Feychting, Hamnerius, Hillert, 2012).European studies reported generally, in the five-country analysis, the totalexposures were lowest in the urban residential environment(range of means 8.5E-03 to 1.45E-02  µW cm-2). The results for a set of African countries was qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the results of RF measurement surveys conducted in the Americas, Europe and Asia (Rowley Joyner, 2012) where the global weighted average was 0.073 mW cm-2. The mean for the selected South Africa n data set was 0.016 mW cm-2. Some of the conclusion drawn was that the signal strengths for the cellular bands was unchanging in both time and across countries. Even though introduction of 3G and 4 G services are on the increase, the field levels are log-normally distributed and more data points makes the FM signal strengths relatively constant. In addition to these findings, several studies have reported that residential (and outdoor) fields from broadcast and cell downlink sources are lower in rural areas compared with fields in urban and suburban areas (Breckenkamp, et al., 2012), (Viel, et al., 2009a) and (Joseph, Vermeeren, Verloock, Heredia, Martens, 2008). Cancer has been the primary concern among populations in the immediate vicinity of broadcast transmitters. Scientific evidences point toward heating effect from high levels of exposure, and most safety limits are based on it. Among these are the exposure limits proposed by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Rad iation Protection (ICNIRP) (ICNIRP, 1998) or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (IEEE, 2005) to prevent such effects (WHO, 2006).There is little scientific evidence on the risks associated with long-term exposure to low levels of RF EMF (ICNIRP, 1996). In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified RF EMF as possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B), based on studies on mobile phone usage (IARC, 2012). Mobile phone usage has increased tremendously, with about 6.8 billion subscriptions by the end of 2013 (ITU, 2013) and nearly 7 billion cell phone subscribers in 2014 (ITU). Statistics show that as at May 2008, the number of mobile phone users in Ghana was well over 8 million but as at the end of January 2016, the number of mobile phone users in Ghana rose to 26.09 million, according to the latest figures from the National Communications Authority (NCA). Urban areas are mostly affected by the over population of Base Station Transceivers (BTSs). Their closeness to homes and schools are raising concern about some health risks that might be associated with them (Khurana, et al., 2010). Numerous studies have demonstrated that a very significant part of the human exposure in the radiofrequency (RF) band is due to mobile communications radiation (Bornkessel, Schubert, Wuschek, Schmidt, 2007), (Genc, Bayrak, Yaldiz, 2010), (Joseph, Verloock, Goeminne, Vermeeren, Martens, 2010), (Kim . Park, 2010), (Rufo, Paniagua, Jimenez, Antolà ­n, 2011), (Joseph, W.; Verloock, L.; Goeminne, F.; . Vermeeren, G; Martens, L., 2012a), (Joseph, W.; Verloock, L.; Goeminne, F.; Vermeeren, G.; Martens, L., 2012b), (Rowley . Joyner, 2012). The maximum output powers of a radio channel used in GSM and UMTS networks are 10-40W and 20-60 W, respectively (Koprivica, Neskovic, Neskovic, Paunovic, 2014).It has been shown t

An Analysis of the Detective Genre Essay -- English Literature

An Analysis of the Detective Genre Sherlock Holmes, is a fictional yet convincing character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With plots bizarre, singular and tantalising, Doyle has created of one of our most popular genres. The heroes in the detective genre often display the best of human qualities, and are aware of the idolised role they have been placed in by their closest companions. In the adventure of The Speckled Band the hero, Sherlock Holmes, reveals his concern for his clients and comforts the victim by informing her, "You must not fear". This allows, the reader to understand the distinction between the emotional and professional side of his occupation. During the same conversation Holmes' phrases such as , "I am all attention" indicate his conscientiousness and professionalism. His powers of observation are able to pinpoint a minor flaw in appearance to which others are oblivious, "all comprehensive glances" and "I observe the second half of a ticket". Holmes conveys his equanimity, when threatened his reaction is to chuckle "heartily" and only is insulted when he is associated with the, "official force". In doing so he warns his opponent that intimidation is not enough to put him off. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created not only an idol but a hero respected by those who know him best for his wit, his methods and his amiable character. Heroes in the modern day version of the genre come from many backgrounds and cultures. This new variety contrasts the Victorian stereotype of a strong and witty character such as Sherlock Holmes. In The Devil's Foot and The Man with the Twisted Lip the hero, Holmes is again portrayed as both judge and jury. Holmes is, "without rest" until a clear picture of... ... in the modern detective genre is a major contrast to earlier detective fiction and has improved the view of women to which others take. The new role of women can be proven in the TV series, "Randall and Hopkirk Deceased" as one of the detectives, Genie is a woman. Although it has taken a hundred years, time has successfully altered the role of women. Whilst comparing modern detective fiction with the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle I have learnt that time has transformed from the prescriptive possibilities for ingredients essential of a detective genre. Such ingredients have been altered by a change in society opinions on various matters from the discrimination of gender to stereotyping characters. From observing fiction such as comic or dramatic I have found that the techniques and plans originate from Holmes himself have nevertheless stayed the same.

Africans in Colonial Mexico Essay -- Research Papers Anthropology

Africans in Colonial Mexico The history of Africans in Mexico is an oft-neglected facet of the cultural complexities of that country. In 1519, Hernando Cortes brought 6 African slaves with him to Mexico; these individuals served the conquest as personal servants, carriers, and laborers.[1] In the years to come, slavery would become a critical component of the colonial economy with approximately 2,000 slaves arriving each year 1580-1650; it is estimated that a total of 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico during the colonial period.[2] Given this large number of slaves, the lengthy period of their importation, and the inevitable mixing of races, which took place throughout the colony, the historical and cultural significance of bozales, criollos, mulattoes, and zambos is far-reaching. The colonial period provides an excellent starting place for an examination of the significance of these groups not only because the institution of African slavery was introduced to New Spain at that time, but also because t he regular influx of native Africans combined with the close attention paid to color-based castas in official records allows historians to trace the influence of African culture more readily during that period. The early years of colonial Mexico were a time of great change, as the native Indian populations were decimated by disease and increasingly dominated by the Spanish social and economic structure. Under the encomienda system, the initial flood of Spanish immigrants were provided with a support structure in New Spain, as the Indians’ land and labor were put at their disposal in exchange for moral guidance.[3] As Spain sought to reap the benefits of its new colony, the need for dependable labor in Mexico’s agr... ...Andrew L. â€Å"Yellow Fever and the Late Colonial Public Health Response in the Port of Veracruz.† Hispanic American Historical Review 77, no. 4 (1997): 619-644. 6. Love, Edgar F. â€Å"Negro Resistance to Spanish Rule in Colonial Mexico.† The Journal of Negro History 52, no. 2 (1967): 89-103. 7. MacLachlan, Colin M. and Jamie E. Rodriguez O. The Forging of the Cosmic Race: A Reinterpretation of Colonial Mexico. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980. 8. Meyer, Michael C., et al. The Course of Mexican History, 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 9. Palmer, Colin A. Slaves of the White God: Blacks in Mexico, 1570-1650. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1976. 10. Richmond, Douglas. â€Å"The Legacy of African Slavery in Colonial Mexico, 1519-1810.† Journal of Popular Culture 35, no. 2 (2001): 1-17. Africans in Colonial Mexico Essay -- Research Papers Anthropology Africans in Colonial Mexico The history of Africans in Mexico is an oft-neglected facet of the cultural complexities of that country. In 1519, Hernando Cortes brought 6 African slaves with him to Mexico; these individuals served the conquest as personal servants, carriers, and laborers.[1] In the years to come, slavery would become a critical component of the colonial economy with approximately 2,000 slaves arriving each year 1580-1650; it is estimated that a total of 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico during the colonial period.[2] Given this large number of slaves, the lengthy period of their importation, and the inevitable mixing of races, which took place throughout the colony, the historical and cultural significance of bozales, criollos, mulattoes, and zambos is far-reaching. The colonial period provides an excellent starting place for an examination of the significance of these groups not only because the institution of African slavery was introduced to New Spain at that time, but also because t he regular influx of native Africans combined with the close attention paid to color-based castas in official records allows historians to trace the influence of African culture more readily during that period. The early years of colonial Mexico were a time of great change, as the native Indian populations were decimated by disease and increasingly dominated by the Spanish social and economic structure. Under the encomienda system, the initial flood of Spanish immigrants were provided with a support structure in New Spain, as the Indians’ land and labor were put at their disposal in exchange for moral guidance.[3] As Spain sought to reap the benefits of its new colony, the need for dependable labor in Mexico’s agr... ...Andrew L. â€Å"Yellow Fever and the Late Colonial Public Health Response in the Port of Veracruz.† Hispanic American Historical Review 77, no. 4 (1997): 619-644. 6. Love, Edgar F. â€Å"Negro Resistance to Spanish Rule in Colonial Mexico.† The Journal of Negro History 52, no. 2 (1967): 89-103. 7. MacLachlan, Colin M. and Jamie E. Rodriguez O. The Forging of the Cosmic Race: A Reinterpretation of Colonial Mexico. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980. 8. Meyer, Michael C., et al. The Course of Mexican History, 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 9. Palmer, Colin A. Slaves of the White God: Blacks in Mexico, 1570-1650. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1976. 10. Richmond, Douglas. â€Å"The Legacy of African Slavery in Colonial Mexico, 1519-1810.† Journal of Popular Culture 35, no. 2 (2001): 1-17.

A Prominent Pilot

One of the most outstanding features of the human nature is to aim to something beyond the everyday live. Have you ever caught yourself at looking into the distant skyline and thinking:â€Å"What is out there?† Have you ever looked up at the deepness of blue sky and dreamed about being there, swimming there, flying there. These thoughts are just dreams for some people but one day they become the reality for the others. Having taken off from the earth once these lucky people decide to spend the half of their lives in the sky – they become pilots. On the way to make the dream come true there are, however, many difficulties.A number of skills and qualities a pilot should have, the knowledge he/she should gain, fears that should be overcame can scare beginners in piloting and prevent them from flying.   How not to give up, how to stay faithful to the dream, and – what is very important – how to become an above average pilot – these are the questions t he beginners should find the answers to.Learning how to get and stay in the best physical and psychical shape for a flight together with finding out about the characters of famous pilots in history can help to picture the portrait of a prominent pilot and thus can show the way to one’s own success.The first key to success at any field is personal skills that can be explored through the social science studies. The psychological and emotional qualities of a pilot, as reflected by his/her motivation and sheer determination to succeed, is the single most important factor in becoming an above average pilot.A good pilot should have a strong character, and the task of social and psychological science is to research what exact qualities one should develop and show how exactly one can do it with particular psychological techniques and trainings.The sociologists can conduct a poll among experienced aviators and even plane passengers in order to find out what qualities they believe to b e important for a pilot to fulfill his/her job duties successfully and to be a reliable team member and caring supervisor. Sometimes these qualities can differ from what we can think.For example, not only the strong character is important but also respect for the aircraft, the crew and the passengers. A pilot should be careful with the navigation, the operation of the systems and the communications, safe take-off and landing, he/she should care about the image of the aircraft and service that is presented.All of these things form a complete pilot’s personality, and the successful future in the profession of aviation depends on it. Thus social and psychological research will help in forming the character of a prominent pilot.The physiological aspect of piloting is vital too. One should consider his/her own health abilities to bear the conditions pilots usually are in. The studies on pilot’s physiology should explore how flight can impact the physical processes in human body.The special attention should be paid at the circulatory system and heart physiology under the stress conditions. It is important also to research the reactions of the nervous system in order to find out how successful one can be in responding the emergency situations and taking immediate decisions. Based on the results of the physiological research, the specialists should work out the training programs, give some advice about the diet if necessary, and general recommendations to help pilots to keep themselves in excellent shape.The best acknowledgment of a prominent person is to be retained in history. The piloting history is the story of courage, adventure, and deeds. Exploring it can give us bright characters of particular airmen the beginners could take after. One can look through the biographies of the most outstanding pilots and find many similarities that made these people worthy of remembering. For example, a society has always acknowledged pioneering in piloting.Thus in 1919 Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown were the first who crossed the Atlantic. After this adventure they were received as heroes in London and knighted for recognition of their pioneering achievement. Like these two, the names of other pioneers form the stages of the piloting history. War heroes also take the special place in history.Hopefully there can be found more peaceful areas to succeed at but war deeds are the examples of courage that pilots should have.   Thus exploring the pioneers’ and war heroes’ biographies one can find out about the deeds that helped other people to become prominent aviators.As we can see, succeeding at piloting requires picturing the personality of a prominent airman by means of the sociological and physiological researches together with exploring the outstanding pilots’ biographies.   

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay

Productivity – Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? 1 Savings – What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? 2 Planning – What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? 2 Eligibility – How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? 3 Social Interaction – What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? 3 Communication Limitations – Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? 4 Management – How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? 5 Technical Issues 5 Network – What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? 5 Hardware/Software Needs – What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? 6 Telecommuting Variations – What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? 7 Connectivity – What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? 8 Communication – How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? 9 Collaboration – What are the tools that foster communication? 9 IT Support – What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? 10 Cost – How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? 10 Conclusion 11 Introduction There are a number of good reasons why companies should consider supporting a remote worker program including an expanded labor pool, reduced traffic congestion costs (late arriving/stressed out employees), improved recruitment and retention of staff, facility cost savings, reduced parking costs, reduced sick leave and improved worker productivity. Conversely, there are some disadvantages that companies should also be aware of including an isolated work force, family turf problems, lack of social interaction with other employees and the fear by remote workers that they will be overlooked for promotions. Companies obviously have a lot to factor in deciding whether or not to implement a telecommuting program. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide consideration points to many of the common questions facing such companies. The questions and discussion herein are divided into two primary categories: technical and organizational. They are intended to provide more generalized information that decision makers can use to enhance their understanding of telecommuting issues. Organizational Issues Productivity – Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? In general, remote workers appear to be more productive than traditional office workers. In an October 1995 survey of Fortune 1000 managers, 58% reported increased productivity by employees who telecommuted. Also, according to the State of California’s Telecommuting Pilot Program, companies that implemented a remote work force experienced productivity increases ranging from 10 – 30%. Further, telecommuters working for American Express produced 43% more business than their office-based counterparts1. Clearly the case can be made that remote workers are indeed more productive. The primary explanation for improved productivity is a quieter work environment, which offers fewer interruptions. Certainly the remote worker also faces interruptions in their daily work, such as family business, neighbors, chores, television, etc. However these interruptions are generally much fewer than those experienced by the traditional office worker. Savings – What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? The biggest savings for companies result from reduced absenteeism costs and reduced real estate costs. Oftentimes when employees need to take care of personal business such as doctor visits, car repair, tending to children, etc. they call in sick for the entire day. However, remote workers can take care of personal business and still accomplish some or most of their work tasks from home. The International Telework Association & Council estimates that employees who telecommute can save their employers $10,000 each in reduced absenteeism costs2. According to PC World, telework can cut corporate real estate costs from 25 to 90%, which can result in substantial savings for employers. In fact, AT&T saves $25 million per year from employees who are full-time telecommuters3. Many companies who have implemented a successful telecommuting program have instituted hoteling systems in their offices. A â€Å"hotel† is essentially an empty cubicle that is set up with a phone, network connections and basic office supplies that any employee can use, often by making a reservation with an office administrator. Hoteling offers telecommuting employees a place to work in the office when necessary without employers having to provide them with a full-time workspace. Planning – What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? Without doubt one of the most important keys to implementing a successful telecommuting program is proper planning. And since every organization has their unique differences (i.e. size, industry, complexity, culture, locale), there is no single formula for such planning. However, successful telecommuting programs should address the following at a minimum: * Perform an initial assessment * Consider organizational strategy and culture * Consider the role of management * Consider the need for staff input * Determine which staff tasks are most amenable to telecommuting * Consider regulatory compliance and legal issues * Determine technology needs * Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and/or ROI analysis4 Eligibility – How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? According to Langhoff, â€Å"tasks that are most appropriate for telecommuting are jobs where a person works alone, handling information such as reports, proposals, data or research. Writers, salespersons, accountants, programmers, graphic artists, researchers, engineers, architects, public relations professionals – all are prime candidates for telecommuting†5. In determining eligibility for telecommuting, managers should first consider whether the employee’s tasks can be performed remotely. Second, an examination of the individual’s level of performance should be made (i.e. are they hard working and self-motivated or do they need constant supervision and coaching?). Of course it can be tricky selecting who can and cannot telecommute; therefore companies should be aware of the potential legal implications stemming from employees who wished to work remotely but were turned down. Social Interaction – What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? Too often companies only view telecommuting as providing benefits to them and to their employees; however, there remains potential downsides. One potential downside is the lack of social interaction between employees. Employees who work at an office setting spend a considerable amount of their day interacting with other employees. These â€Å"water-cooler† discussions foster a camaraderie that translates into value for companies when the same employees work on projects together or are in need of support from each other. Also, the camaraderie indirectly benefits the company when management is trying to achieve buy-in on various initiatives. Lastly, having close relationships allow employees to maintain a healthy mental balance at work – resulting in an overall higher level of morale. Once telecommuting is introduced into the mixed, some or all of those relationships are lost. Analysis of past telecommuting research shows that the most cited problem associated with negative impacts of telecommuting is the feeling of isolation and loss of morale6. Although isolation feelings and loss of morale (and the resulting decrease in a company’s value) are difficult metrics to measure, some workable solutions have been devised to combat these negative issues. Other solutions have included limiting telecommuting days and making sure to include telecommuting employees in company events7. Communication Limitations – Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? The office environment offers some benefits that telecommuting cannot provide. Most important amongst these benefits is the company’s ability to communicate to its employees. Most offices display signs of the company’s direct communication whether it is embodied in mission statements, annual goal and targets, or newsletters. Indirectly, the company communicates with corporate color schemes, promotion company clothing, and other branding material such as coffee mugs. All of these communications are omnipresent throughout the corporate office setting and help to build company pride, employee loyalty, and a sense of corporate culture. Employees who tend to work remotely are only exposed slightly to this communication through email, conference calls, and other mailed material. This lack of corporate communication may lead to low motivation, lack of identification with the company, and reduced company loyalty8. The solution to the communication challenge is to ensure that corporate communication includes channels to the remote worker. In fact, companies should recognize that off-site employees need more direct and indirect communication such that employees do not develop those negative feelings. Also, companies should make a concerted effort to limit telecommuting days and to include all telecommuting employees in company events9. Management – How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? Another challenge with telecommuting employees revolves around their direct management. Not only do managers find it much more difficult to monitor the productivity and effectiveness of their telecommuting employee, but they are also challenged by having to change their management style to incorporate the limitations brought about by telecommuting10. Managers who have telecommuting employees are also faced with more potential issues such as family conflicts arising from their employee working from home. These conflicts cross the boundary of work and personal life, and almost always negatively impact productivity. Lastly, it is the role of managers to provide organizational support to the telecommuting employee. With the employee being off-site, the manager is usually limited to email and telephone to support his employee. This limitation further restricts a manager’s effectiveness and typically utilizes more of a manager’s time in sorting out support logistic11. Solutions to the manager’s challenge involve setting up a detailed action plan between manager and telecommuting employee. This action plan should be supplemented with an active communication plan12. Once expectations for both parties are clearly outlined in the action plan, both parties can then communicate progress or support needs more efficiently. Moreover, managers can adapt their management styles to telecommuting employees by setting results-based milestones and orienting tasks into projects such that managers still retain control of certain processes13. Technical Issues Network – What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? Before considering the strategy to deploying remote access for a company, a survey should be done of the existing network and current remote access configurations. Once a complete analysis of the current configuration and future needs are assessed, then the following issues need to be included in your strategy of preparing and deploying the company network for a remote force: security, bandwidth, and infrastructure.14 Table N1 – 3 Areas of Security15 Internal Network Usually the most secure of the three, but still should be reviewed for any fallacies. External Network Must secure the PC in the remote location (i.e. firewalls, RSA encryption, etc†¦) to prevent unauthorized access and snooping from the remote location. Remote Worker Least secure, must require security policies to be followed about passwords, where to connect, and who to trust. With more remote workers, there will be an increased demand of bandwidth on the network. Will the remote employees be productive with the current infrastructure that your network can provide? Perhaps considerations for upgrading from16: From To Dial-up (56K) ISDN (128K-256K) ISDN (128K-256K) T1 (up to 1.5M) T1 (up to1.5M) T3 (44.736 Mbps) With the increase demand more infrastructure will be required for allowing an increasing number of remote workers to connect to the corporate network (more servers, security hardware, and routing hardware). Hardware/Software Needs – What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? For the employees who travel often, they are usually provided some mobile computing solutions and they have found ways to work from remote locations. However the new generation of employees, the remote worker will work from the comfort of their home. Working from home brings a new set of issues in to play. HARDWARE * Can the employee keep work and personal items separated? * If not, should the company provide additional hardware? * If the company does NOT provide additional hardware, then how much of the employees hardware can be expensed if upgrades are necessary? * The employee may need/require a fax machine, an additional phone line, or other office equipment. SOFTWARE * Software licensing has be clear-cut as far as how many computers can use the same license, however what about home workers? * The company’s site licensing may not cover home computers and will require the company to pay extra for these licenses. INFRASTRUCTURE * For someone at home who has a DSL, Cable, or Dial-Up connecting, how much of that should the company pay for? * Support, Support, Support. Who will provide the maintenance and support? * Is the home PC secure? If not, who will provide the hardware/software in order to secure it? Also consider how much of the company’s data should be on the personal machine. What happens if the home PC is hacked? Telecommuting Variations – What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? Outlined in this paper is the most common setup for a company to develop telecommuting options for their employees. However most of these configurations allow the employee to use limited resources over the Internet (access to shared folders, documents and e-mail). Depending on the size, the costs of setting up an infrastructure for telecommuting workforce could be unaffordable. The following are other options available to companies who wish to have a telecommuting workforce. Citrix Remember or heard about the mainframe days? Well, history tends to repeat itself. As more PC’s were becoming powerful, we moved away from the mainframe days. However with the Internet, the paradigm of sharing resources has returned and now software applications and operating systems have the enhanced ability to handle more than one user concurrently. Citrix17 allows concurrent remote users access to a single server that will give a separate session for each user. Each user will have access to the same set applications on one machine. This solves the software licensing issues of working from a remote location as well as reduces amount of maintenance of hardware/software for the IT department. Satellite Offices Companies are opening satellite offices to reduce commute times for employees and help alleviate city traffic and parking congestion problems. This will result in reduced land costs since these centers are away from the city where the cost of living is lower.18 Telework centers are similar to a satellite office, but operate by independent parties. Unlike satellite offices, numerous employees use them. Think of these options as outsourcing building/infrastructure issues. Connectivity – What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? In today’s information environment, connectivity has become essential for a significant portion of the workplace. Access to email, network resources, server applications, and the Internet is a continual activity for the white-collar professional. At a minimum, companies would be well served to support webmail. In much the same vein as portal email (Hotmail, Yahoo), mail is maintained on the company server. This server is then linked to a website, and employees can gain secure access to the company server via any browser. Once logged in, an individual has the full functionality of their account – to compose, receive, store, and delete email without explicitly needing to connect to the company network. However, there will be a resulting lack of security – employees need to be encouraged to create and regularly modify complex passwords, and to close public web sessions. That said, the security risk is only to an individual email account; not the company network as a whole. A second logical step for an IT department is to enable Virtual Private Networking (VPN). This will allow employees to connect their remote machines to the company network after establishing an Internet connection through an ISP. This machine then behaves just as a networked office-located computer. For users maintaining both an office and remote computer, this solution requires any desktop applications be maintained on both systems. To avoid this duality, many users will first establish a VPN connection and then emulate their office computer with built-in Windows 2000 and Windows XP remote desktop tools or 3rd party tools such as VNC19. In essence, the remote machine then acts as a terminal or monitor to the office computer, and the user can run the applications found on that machine without any needs for secondary software. The downside to this solution is that emulation is only as good as the connection speed. Communication – How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? Today’s telephone solutions for the telecommuter generally consist of providing an office phone with call-forwarding features to an employee’s business cell phone – an often times reimbursed expense. This avoids some of the problems associated with using a home line for a combination of business, personal, and dial-up use. The office system simplifies contacting an individual (Simply dial an extension and press 7 to connect to the forwarded line rather than maintaining a constantly changing set of employee contact information). A home line alternative is a distinctive ring system – multiple phone numbers (home, office, fax) use a single line with each producing a unique ring that can be directed to an appropriate voice mail box or machine (PC, fax). A second alternative consists of an off-premise-extension (OPX) or foreign exchange (FX) system. While more expensive, these systems truly mimic the office with a separate home line that is identical to an office extension20. Electronic mail is a requirement for most remote users. IT departments can help support employees using multiple computers to access their email by allowing mail to be retained on the company server rather than downloaded to the individual PC. (As an unrelated benefit, this provides much greater redundancy in the event of a computer hard drive crash). Please see the discussion on web mail for more on remote e-mail use. A less intrusive substitute to phone conversations is instant messaging. While this has potential for both misuse and unproductive use (where conversation is more efficient), this is often times an ideal mechanism for sharing small tidbits of information and is especially valuable for troubleshooting. A more extensive tool would be the newsgroup in combination with a company intranet. Here, employees can develop an extensive knowledge base of processes, questions and answers. Collaboration – What are the tools that foster communication? At the lowest end of the technology spectrum, there is the traditional conference call – a virtual audio meeting with many parties. In an effort to fight the inherent isolationism of remote workers, the videoconference personalizes the conference call as participants better identify with the visual image than the audio. To implement, however, you’ll need additional webcam hardware, videoconferencing software and a fast Internet connection. Chat rooms (a variation on the aforementioned instant messaging) are suitable for short discussions or as supplements to a meeting (agenda, minutes, links, data, follow-ups) Web conferencing often includes both videoconferencing and chat room features, but distinguishes itself in that it allows a moderator to emulate his/her desktop to the attendees. Among the forefront of the software leaders in this area is WebEx21. IT Support – What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? One of the drawbacks to working remotely is the absence of immediate technical support for both trivial and complex hardware and software issues. Given that troubleshooting is often a hands-on activity, solving problems for telecommuters is likely to be frustrating and time-consuming. However IT managers can take a number of steps to reduce downtime. * Standardize the equipment and installation. The more alike your users systems are, the better positioned you will be to reproduce and diagnose problems. * Maintain an inventory of back-up equipment in the same way that a car repair shop offers loaner cars. * Set up remote users so their desktops can be emulated by technical support – in this way an IT department can provide step by step demonstrations to fix problems * Maintain an easily accessible FAQ and update it with each new problem and solution Managers may also want to consider outsourcing their technical support requirements. Companies like Voyus22 provide 24 hour help desk support and web-based support applications. Cost – How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? The decision that the companies face is how much ownership the company will take for each of the types of telecommuters. For an occasional telecommuter, the employee will more than likely take on the costs. For a heavy telecommuter, the company will probably need to cover the costs to the employee. Telecommuter Type Frequency Implementation Costs Involved Occasional Infrequently Dial-up, Web-based applications Regular Scheduled intervals Remote Connection, 3rd Party Software, Laptop, Firewall, Router. Heavy Frequently to Full Time Provide second computer, VPN connection, ISP costs, other office equipment, maintenance. It is not the technology costs that make or break the telecommuting decision, but it’s the organizational issues that should benefit the company if deployed properly. Conclusion Telecommuting seems to be the answer to the â€Å"increased workload versus work/personal life balance† issue that many companies are seeking. While there exist many challenges towards implementing a successful telecommuting plan, there also seem to be many practical solutions. The real issue seems to stem from whether a company will change its processes and standards to allow for telecommuting to co-exist with office employees. Such a decision, as this paper has outlined, is not as simple as providing remote employees with an internet connection. Rather, the decision has significant technical and organizational ramifications that need to be well thought out before implementation; otherwise, the company is doomed to make the mistakes of many companies that have haphazardly gone down this path. 1 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 2 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 3 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 4 http://www.tfw.org.uk/teleworking/contents.htm 5 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 6 Pinsonneault, A. (1999). The Impacts of Telecommuting on Organizations and Individuals: A Review of the Literature, Cahier du GreSI, 99(9). 7 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 8 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 9 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 10 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 11 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 12 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 13 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 14 Ascend Communications, 2002, â€Å"Telecommuting Network Guide: A Resource for Planners, Excutives, and Information Managers†, http://users.skynet.be/teletravail/PDF/solut_technique.pdf 15 Jessica L. Hirsch, 2000, â€Å"Telecommuting: Security Policies and Procedures for the â€Å"Work-From-Home† Workforce†, http://www.teleworker.org/articles/telework_security.html 16 Bandwidth Savings, 2003, â€Å"Services In Detailed†, http://www.bandwidthsavings.net/servicesdetail.cfm 17 Citrix.com, 2003, Home Page, http://www.citrix.com 18 Hall, Aric, Bilski, Alicia, Wadman, Scott, 2003, â€Å"Ways People Telecommute†, http://members.tripod.com/~trom/page3.html 19 http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc 20 Wrobel, Leo A., February 1997, â€Å"Helpful Hints for MIS Managers Supporting Telecommuters and Nomadic Users -Part I: Voice Communications†, http://www.rewireit.com/articles/w0297.pdf 21 http://www.webx.com 22 http://www.pcsupport.com/