Project Management in Team Dynamics Essay Example

Project Management in Team Dynamics Paper Project Management in Team Dynamics Project Management has been a major aspect in Team Dynamics, throughout the years in project planning. Project Management has prepared a way to plan, arrange and supervise resources, so that team projects will be more consistent in production and quality. Project Management has many features that make a team more reliable and dependable. For example, defining the goal and objectives; participates in a team; checkpoints to identify the project progress; standard and guidelines; and a communication plan. If the dynamics of project management are mplemented accurately, it will be beneficial in saving money, time, be more reliable and you will have job satisfaction. Project Management is an excellent tool to utilize in any business. It will bring success to any project or task. Defining objectives and goals help teams to identify what they are striving for. Every team member must be familiar with the objectives and goals or the cause for being call a t eam. Without an objective or a goal, project management does not have a position. Objectives and goals are the main reason for Team Dynamics, to have something to achieve. Many team members may have different assignments, but they will all have similar goals in a team project. â€Å" Goal are the glue that hold a team together† (Temme Katzel, 1995, p. 1). Team members is the structure of Team Dynamics. Each member must have a role and responsibilities to make everyone feel like a part of the team. A team leader/ team manager is required to assist and support the team, to make certain that all the team demands are met. â€Å" A team is not a team unless the members have a common purpose† (Temme Katzel, 1995, p. 1). A goal is needed to have intention for the team. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management in Team Dynamics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management in Team Dynamics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management in Team Dynamics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer An excellent way to set team goals is to composition a charter, so that each member will have a contribution on each individuals goals. A Charter will help set team guidelines and ground rules, so members will know what is expected. A checkpoint is present to see where everyone stands and the progress of the project. The Project Management Methodology (1997) stated, The checkpoints will also act as an opportunity for you to compare your plan against what you have completed and verify that your are still on track with the original project plan. At this point, you might need to dd or subtract items in affect resetting the expectations you have previously set. It is very important to measure your not just blow through each of the checkpoint. (para. 1) Checkpoint keeps everyone focus on the goal and objectives that were set. Another key factor in Project Management is standards. What are the standards or qualifications that is needed to have a successful project or task? Standards add gu idance or guidelines to know what is required of the finish project. If there are no standards to pursue, the project will not have a purpose or goal. Standards are like a goal to accomplish. Every project has standards or guidelines to follow to assure that the major goal is achieve. There are several techniques to measure standards in a project, for instant, there is a measurement in time, quantity, size, shape and color etc. There is no specific measurement; it is according to the final project goal. A successful team is required to have a communication plan so that each member in the team will be inform of the project status, changes, and issues. The Method 123 (2003) stated, â€Å"To ensure that communication within your project is clear, concise, relevant and timely- you will need to create a â€Å"Communication Plan†(para 1). In a team meeting, the team will address their ideas and issues. Team meetings will help you and your team members collaborate on each other’s ideas and views. Team meeting and good communication will also keep your team on the right track. Project Management has many benefits that make a project successful and profitable. The PSA Project (2005) stated, . Project Management was developed to save time on a project by planning it out and considering all relevant factors which may affect its outcome. The benefits are proven it saves time and money, and generates a more successful (para. ). Project Management also adds consistency and value to Team Dynamics. With project management, organizations has gain enormous success in profits. It is the solution to a successful project or task. In conclusion, managing projects takes planning and organizing. Project Management has a lot of key elements to make planning a project easier, faster and consistent. A good preparation to a task wi ll bring countless of benefit and profit to a project, which is the most important target in any project. References Project Management Methodology (1997). Methodology in a Box. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from http://www. dabcc. com/miab/miab30/Project-Management-2. -Project-Management-Met hodology-MIAB- 3. aspx PSA Project . (2005). Benefits of Successful Project Management . Retrieved November 25, 2007, from http://www. psaproject. com. au/default. asp Method123. (2003). CommunicationsPlanning. Retrieved January 29, 2007, from http://www. method123. com/articles/2007/01/29/Communications-Plan/ Temme, Jim. , Katzel, Jeanine. (1995). Calling a team a team doesnt mean that it is: successful teamwork must be a way of life. Plant Engineering , 49(1), 112.

Essay on Applied Project ManagementEssay Writing Service

Essay on Applied Project ManagementEssay Writing Service Essay on Applied Project Management Essay on Applied Project ManagementApplied Project ManagementAssignment 1The project focuses on the development of the new sport nutrition brand and the introduction of the sport nutrition line oriented on athletes practicing diverse sports. The point of the introduction of the new sport nutrition is to introduce the universal sport nutrition to reach the broader customer group compared to traditional sport nutrition products oriented on the specific customer group depending on their particular sport.The project is located in the New York City, New York, US. The choice of the location is determined by the proximity of the major sport arenas, the high popularity of sports, and the large number of people, who practice sport professionally as well as amateurs, who practice sport on the regular basis and may need sport nutrition.The owner and sponsor of the new sport nutrition brand will be a renowned sportsman, who may also promote the new brand and help to draw the attention of many sp ortspersons to the new brand. The celebrity endorsement will help to popularize the new sport nutrition not only among professional sportspersons but also among amateurs.The name of the project manager is John Smith.The general picture of the project’s outcome functioning involves the development of the mass production of the sport nutrition for professional sportspersons and amateurs. The project aims at taking its share in the New York City market but, in a long-run perspective, the success of the project may contribute to the further implementation of the project in other large cities of the US.The vision or dream of the project’s outcome functioning involves the creation of the renowned and popular brand that will attract customers from the US with a possibility of entering international markets. However, the vision of the project implies bringing healthy and effective sport nutrition to help sportspersons to stay healthy and keep progressing in their professional (sport) development without taking drugs or banned substances.The phase of the project is the development one since the project is in the course of its development. To put it more precisely, the project is at the phase of the planning and design, since the vision of the project has been already shaped and its purposes and the general framework of the implementation of the project is relatively clear. The current plan focuses on the scope, time, cost and risks associated with the current project.The client’s representatives is the major sponsor of the project, the sportsman, who will also participate in the project. Alternatively, he may recommend a representative of a sport organization or public representative, who works with sportspersons and sport organizations. These representatives may participate in the project to ensure the quality and safety of the new sport nutrition since they will have the right and opportunity to monitor results of the tests and FDA’s contr ol of the new sport nutrition. In addition, they may be even involved in the development of the project helping to identify key features that clients are looking in sport nutrition.There are several groups of the stakeholders involved in or affected by the project. First, owners of the new business are among the key stakeholders because their investments and reputation are at stake along with their future in the business and their further professional and business development. Second, professionals involved in the development and production of sport nutrition comprise another group of stakeholders. They are concerned with the overall success of the project because their further employment depends on whether the project is successful or not. In addition, there are customers, who comprise another important group of stakeholders because customers will consume sport nutrition and their response will be very important for the ultimate success or failure of the sport nutrition. On the oth er hand, customers will benefit, if the project is successful, because they will receive the high quality sport nutrition that helps them to maintain a good physical shape and keep progressing in their professional (sport) development. Indirectly, local community members will be also affected by the project and may be viewed as stakeholders. First, local community members will benefit, if the business runs successfully, because the new business will pay taxes and, thus, contribute to the development of the local community. Second, local community members will benefit because the new sport nutrition may help more people to practice sport that will contribute to the overall improvement of the public health in the local community. Finally, if the project succeeds, local community members may be employed that means the creation of new jobs in the local community to manufacture and distribute the new sport nutrition.The purpose of the project is to plan and design the project of the intr oduction of the new sport nutrition developed for the broad customer group and sponsored by a renowned sportsman with the focus on New York market, at the moment, with prospects of the further market expansion nationwide and internationally, in a long-run perspective. The distinct feature of the new product is its universal nature that means that the sport nutrition supplied by the new brand will be useful and available to all customers, regardless of their level of training and their needs. Customers will just choose how much of the product they need to maintain the target physical shape and to rehabilitate after intensive training or sport events.The project will involve planning and designing the project for the introduction of the new brand and its products into the market of the New York City, New York, US. The new brand will create the sport nutrition for individuals practicing sports at the professional as well as amateur level. The distThe context of the project involves the growing popularity of sports in the US, especially in large cities, such as New York. As sport becomes extremely popular in the US, including the target market, New York, the company introducing the new sport nutrition product can benefit from the introduction of the new product because it can count on a potentially large customer group. In fact, the current social, economic, political and technological environment is currently favorable for the introduction of the new product. The current social environment is favorable due to the growing popularity of sports in the target market. As a result, more and more people start practicing sports that means that they will need sport nutrition that will help them to maintain their physical shape and keep progressing in their sport development.The economic environment is also favorable for the development of business. Even though the competition in the sport nutrition industry is tight, the new sport nutrition can take a strong position in t he market due to its universal nature.The political environment is also favorable because both the local and federal government are interested in the growth of business activities that leads to loyal government policies that stimulate companies to develop their business and expand their presence in the US.Essay on Applied Project Management    part 2

Global governance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global governance - Coursework Example Every nation has its own laws, but due to the existing shared resources such as the oceans, the atmosphere, and climate among others, the necessity of global governance on such environmental issues has to be in place, to protect the environment and the biodiversity. There are series of environmental challenges which span several nations, regions, and eventually the entire globe causing serious harm. Some of the main global governance issues relating to the environment include health, energy, hazardous chemicals, green house gas emissions, invasive species and polluted water, and depleting resources. Truly, it is each nation’s and its societies’ responsibility to safeguard the environment, but their efforts are too small to handle the increasing issues; hence international cooperation has to take responsibility, by enforcing policies to guide and discipline nations. Health Issues The increasing health problems are matters of global concern, especially now when the transm ission of diseases, either sexually, contact or airborne is on the rise. New diseases are emerging, all threatening the lives of the global population, who have unrestricted movements across different boundaries. Health problems are wide, but the growth of global health partnerships is helping to address majority of them. ‘Health threats such as HIV/AIDS, influenza, SARS, or avian flu threaten every country and the global community as a whole, due to the rapid spread based on global travel and mobility; their impact is frequently very serious in economic terms.’2 Some of the diseases are arising or spreading due to human, economic, and social actions, which could be regulated easily to counter the diseases. Nations are spending huge amounts of money that could be drained in other sectors, to assist the citizens to meet the costs of treatment of these diseases. Food processing, alcohol, and tobacco companies have been accused of being channels that steer certain diseases like Diabetes and cancers within the societies. As financing healthcare continues to be a political issue, inequalities in accessing health care still persist with nations like the United States spending $7285, while developing nations such as Eritrea and Myanmar may have to spend less than $10 per individual annually.3 Often, human health has a relation with the health of the ecosystem; hence environmental degradation does not affect terrestrial organisms only, but generally lead to diseases that are severe to human health than infectious diseases. Malaria is partly attributed to environmental changes arising from human activities for economic gain. Parts of the Amazons, Peru, and Bangladesh demonstrate increasing malaria cases, as the clearing of the forests left pools of water bodies, creating ideal sites for mosquitoes to breed; these human caused changes encourage mosquitoes movement into areas populated by humans as their habitats are destroyed.4 This problem is also a health problem in Africa, since the tropics are much warmer due to deforestation activities, influencing organisms’ evolution (insects tend to live longer and breed faster than before) and as they migrate to other newer environments,

Physilogical birth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Physilogical birth - Essay Example Physiologic birth is often relegated in the periphery, particularly by nurses tasked with giving care to pregnant women on the verge of the delivery process. Noteworthy, it is utterly pointless to intervene if such is not necessary. Physiological birth should, thus, be promoted to erase the horrible birth memories. As Jenifer Block notes in her piece titled â€Å"Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care†, a woman is more likely to have a positive birth experience when she feels in control. Such thoughts and emotions lessen the impact of labor pains. Interestingly, the doulas, the check –box birth plan, the Bradley method, Lamaze, and hypnobirthing classes –all give women some sense of control. The question is, if all these give pregnant women the needed control, then â€Å"why are there only 20% having optimal birth experiences, with a whooping 43% suffering morbidity in childbirth?† asks Block (2007). The answer seems quite straight forward as it is; a great deal of misunderstanding exists over what physiological birth really means. Consequently, that very misunderstanding finds its way to ruin that special moment of happiness due to knowledge inadequacy. While Obstetricians are trained to intervene in cases of emergencies, it is important to incorporate the perceptive lenses of natural birth when rendering care to the laboring women. As a specialist trained in this area, I will not only spread the very importance of physiological birth, beginning with my own family, but ensure as a medic that I only intervene when it is absolutely

Ethical matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical matter - Essay Example , at times the information given by the client may at some extent pose some actual and potential risks to the client and his immediate family or relatives. Therefore, it is advisable that information discussed during the session should not at any cost lead to a sour relationship between the client and the psychologist. In this particular scenario, the client is a family man with a wife and two little kids. When this family man books an appointment with the psychologist as any other client would do, the psychologist is certain that this is another case of the usual clients, he has been handling. Conversely, when they go down to the discussion, the psychologist realizes that this is a case of an ‘unusual client’. It emerges that the client problem; that of another woman whom he is dating and probably planning to settle down with happens to be the psychologist‘s sister. The issue affects the psychologist, the client, his wife, his kids and the preferred wife who is the psychologist’s sister. The decision that is expected by the client puts the psychologist in a peculiar position. Needless to mention, even though the psychologist would want to justify the situation of the client leaving his wife and kids for the psychologist’s sister, he has the fear of letting his sister settle down with the client because she could also experience the same situation that is been experienced by the client’s current wife and kids. The ethical rule demands that the psychologist scrutinizes and assess the client’s case and gives professional advice that is fair to all the parties concerned without involving his emotions (Banyard 10). The psychologist’s ethical decision is also reliant on what the culture dictates about marriage and divorce. In case, ‘their’ culture allows for separation and/or divorce, he may clarify to the client of what is expected of him. He should also expound to him on what the law dictates on separation with the inclusion of children. In

Effects of multitasking on human physiological

Effects of multitasking on human physiological It is believed by scientists that rather than simultaneous attending to all tasks at once, what really happens during multitasking is a rapid change of focus between tasks. While research supports the fact that highly practiced skills can be easily performed while one is thinking about something else, but the addition of a task that requires decision making switches ones attention to that task. When people perform higher level tasks, they are using the cognitive function called executive control This function is housed in prefrontal cortex. The part of the brain associated with perception and thinking. Executive control is the brains supervisor for most cognitive functioning. It establishes priorities, decides what tasks are the most important, and assigns mental resources to completing the tasks. Executive control has 2 main activities: goal shifting and rule activation. Although these activities take only several tenths of a second, the repeated need to switch between tasks can add extra time for performing both tasks. Management of short term memory is another fundamental aspect of multitasking. C:UsersShreyaDesktopmultitasking flowchart_files2780600401001.png Factors affecting multitasking behaviours and information task switching. Brain: We are learning a lot more each day. Advance of brain imaging and functional brain imaging (what our brain does when we challenge it) has clarified us to what happens when we multitask. Our brains are not very adapted for multiple streams of information at the same time but rather focussing at a paticular direction. When we do things that require a great deal of attention as compared to walking while chewing gum what happens is we switch between two things. And with each switch there is cost of performance that occurs. A surprising discovery tells us that people who multitask most frequently think they are the best at it. But actually thay are the worst at any important task at multitasking. One might question then what are the so called multitaskers good at? A study revealed that when we talk on phone while driving we get better at it with time. What actually happens is that they filter out the road as they are involved in a conversation. As ironically high multitaskers are bad at filtering out the road actually see the road more and drive a little better. Swithching of attention occurs in a region right behind the forehead called Brodmanns Area 10 in the brains anterior prefrontal cortex as seen in MRI. Area 10 is part of the frontal lobes, which are important for maintaining long-term goals and achieving them . The most anterior part allows us to leave something when its incomplete and return to the same place and continue from there.This gives us a form of multitasking, which is actually sequential processing. Because the prefrontal cortex is one of the last regions of the brain to mature and one of the first to decline with aging, young children do not multitask well, and neither do most adults over 60. Addiction: Its our desire and need to be engaged to novelty, its well known that novel stimuli or enviorment arouse the reward system and this is part of what allowed us to be engaged by novelty. Multitasking has a higher novel load and to continiously switch to a new task feels exciting. This sort of interaction with multitasking leads to addictive levels in people. And people crave for this type of stimuli. Research reveals that most high multitaskers believe that new information is better than old information.Where as low multitaskers believe that the information they are working with is more valuable.It is seen that younger people look at information because they feel something thrilling is happening out there, for older people who check their e-mails dont want to get away. Stress and hormonal activity: Whenever demands exceed abilities, stress is bound to follow. Multitasking is espicially stressful when the tasks are important, as they often are on the job. Its said that brain responds to impossible demands by pumping out adrenaline and other stress hormones that put a person on edge. These hormoes provide a quick burst of energy wont make multitasking easier. Just like an old pickup cant go 150 miles per hour no matter how much fuel you put in he tank or how hard you step on the gas. Over time of stress of multitasking may even become dangerous. Results show that a steady flow stress hormones can strain the body and threaten the health. As recently reported by the American National Institute for Occupational Saftey and Health, numerous studies found out that on-the-job stress can cause headache, stomach problems and sleep disorders. Chronic work-related problems can lead to chronic problems includind back pain, hear disease and depression. Studies reveal that our bodies release hormone called cortisol during stress, caused due to multitasking. Cortisol is needed to carry out various functions in the body but incresed levels of cortisol results in high BP, sleep problems, weakness of immune system, imbalances in blood sugar levels etc. Thinking: Deep hard thinking, the type required when we write a paprer or read a complicated news story, has been tremendiously compromised . Multitasking either prevents you to do that or wonderfully allows us to avoid it. Hearing: Broadbents theory of selective attention, is based on his dichotic listening experiments that required his subjects to shadow speech messages in one ear while ignoring the messages in the other ear. Broadbent concluded that little if any content from the non attended ear is remembered. From these observations Broadbent proposed that there is limited porcessing channel that information is filtered through from a sensory porcessing stage on its way to a short-term memory store or buffer. From here information may be processed further before being transmitted into a long-term memory store. When this channel becomes over loaded, such as in dichotic listening experiments, some of the information is filtered out while other information is selected for further processing.The filtering mechanism selects inputs based on different physical cues from the stimulus input, such as location in space, and/or frequency. Vocal music can be distracting while instrumental music can aid in learning as it helps funnel out distractions in few people. Memory: Various experiments are conducted where participants are asked to learn a list of words presented visually while listening for the occurrence of certain digit strings presented through the adiutory channel. They are then tested for memory of the word list. Different variations have been investigated including different modalities, the same modalities, task difficulty, the effects of practice, the effects of eother primary or secondary task on performance, and testing during encoding and reterival. Almost without exception performance on one or both tasks suffers a decrement as a direct result of having to perform the two tasks simultaneously. Beeps in study disrupted declerative memory (eg. When we recall what we did last weekend).For tasks performed with distractions hippocampus of the barin was not involved (necessay for processing, storing and recalling information. But infact the straitum was involved. Straitum is a part of brain system that underlies our ability to mearn new skills. Multitasking makes it more likely to rely on striatum to learn. Thus multitasking changes the way people think. Vision: In an investigation performed by Australian College of Road Saftey interaction between visual impairment and multitasking was performed. It revealed that multitasking (like talking on the phone or using in-vehicle navigational devices) had a significant detrimental impact upon driving performances. Multi-tasking further exacerbated the effects of visual impairment, where the visual dual task had a greater detrimental effect on driving performance than the auditory dual task (p Motor activity: An experiment was performed to find out the effects of multitasking on muscle activity . Muscles of the upper extremity were examined.The thesis inspected concurrent grip and shoulder extensions with additional and simultaneous demands of task precision and mental processing. It concluded that incerased mental loads, when combined with physical work, have the potential to interfere with task performance and likely elicit elevated levels of muscle activity. Some research shows the relationship between stimulation and performance forms a bellcurve: a little stimulationwhether its coffee or a blaring soundtrackcan boostperformance, but too much is stressful and causes a fall-off.

Essay --

Kashif Basaria Ms. Weaver English 2 Honors 7 January, 2014 Preventing Medical Malpractice It is unfortunate to say that medical malpractice is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Medical malpractice is defined as negligence committed by a medical professional. Malpractice lawsuits have existed in the United States for more than 150 years, most of which were never pursued in court. Medical malpractice is interfering with patients’ rights as well as demanding high costs. However, medical malpractice can be overcome by managing the costs involved, and by regulating, enforcing and advocating patient rights. The most common medical malpractice claims are mainly from missed diagnoses. Their common result was, unfortunately, death, found in fifteen percent and forty eight percent of the cases filed. Most common cases involving missed diagnoses for adults were cancer and heart attacks (Jaslow). Other cases that were common were ectopic pregnancies, appendicitis, and fractures of the bone. Most missed diagnoses involving children were cancers, and meningitis (Jaslow). On account to this, Doctor Richard E. Anderson, chairman and CEO of the physician-operated medical malpractice insurer, The Doctors Company, says, â€Å"nobody benefits but lawyers†¦But the second message is [that] medical care is too expensive, we’re ordering too many tests† (Jaslow). Stated from the quote above, â€Å"too many tests† appear to be unnecessary and unwanted tests. Apart from this, some cases regarded the patient’s lack of attention to their disease or disorder. Not only is it the doctor’s responsibility to look after the patient, but it is also the patient’s responsibility to be attentive and persistent about their health and the health care provide... ... a health problem, incorrect supervision of medication to a patient, faulty or sub-standard performance of a diagnosis, surgery, or any other type of procedure, inadequate use of medical tools and instruments and devices and their lack of maintenance, and negligence towards patient records, test results, or any other kind of documentation (Goguen). Although, the list of problems and causes of medical malpractice seems rather endless and long, it can be cut short. Some ways to prevent and avoid malpractice or medical error is to be aware and involved. A doctor can take note of their patient and their medical history. A patient can be aware of their surroundings and the treatment that they are receiving. A patient’s safety should be a doctor’s primary concern, because it is their responsibility to tend to patients needs and to assist them to a proper nourished life.

Effects of Civil War on Women

There are several changes that the Civil War brought to civilian society and some of these are the following: First of all, the United States of America have been brought back together, which also means that the States from the Southern portions were not given the permission to break away or become independent (Effects.. , 2006). Second, the Southern areas were â€Å"placed under military rule and divided into military districts† (Effects.., 2006). This also caused these areas to â€Å"apply for readmission to the Union† (Effects.. , 2006). Third, the national or Federal government has proven itself to the civilians that its power may not at all be surpassed by the States (Effects.. , 2006). Fourth, the Civil War resulted in the liberation of slaves (Effects.. , 2006). Fifth, the Civil War established plans for the country’s â€Å"Reconstruction† (Effects.. , 2006).The â€Å"Reconstruction† was the government’s plan to deal with the following direct effects of the civil war: 1) the freedom of slaves resulted in problems with regard to housing, clothing, food, and employment; 2) the economic ruin led to having no money, closed banks, low supply of commodities, destruction of railroads and bridges, and devastation of plantation and crops; and 3) the defeat of the confederacy led to the South’s not having any government (Effects.. , 2006). Last but not least, industrialism was established because during the war, production increased, as well as, several new technologies were added (Effects.., 2006).The aforementioned became possible because of the following: 1) the freedom of slaves; 2) the economic ruin in the South; and c) the defeat of the confederacy (Effects.. , 2006). Effects of Civil War on Women During the Civil War, women were given the opportunity to assume roles that people believed only men can carry out, for instance, â€Å"as nurses, government clerks, factory workers, family farmers, factory workers, some even disguised as a man to serve in the military service, etc. † (Encarta, 2007). This was the beginning of the triumph of gender equality since this upheld the gender roles (Encarta, 2007).

The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows

The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows On November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system that would provide a graphical user interface (GUI) and a multitasking environment for IBM computers. Introducing Interface Manager Microsoft promised that the new product would be on the shelf by April 1984. Windows might have been released under the original name of Interface Manager if marketing whiz, Rowland Hanson had not convinced Microsofts founder Bill Gates that Windows was the far better name. Did Windows Get Top View? That same November in 1983, Bill Gates showed a beta version of Windows to IBMs head honchos. Their response was lackluster probably because they were working on their own operating system called Top View. IBM did not give Microsoft the same encouragement for Windows that they gave the other operating system that Microsoft brokered to IBM. In 1981, MS-DOS became the highly successful operating system that came bundled with an IBM computer. Top View was released in February of 1985 as a DOS-based multitasking program manager without any GUI features. IBM promised that future versions of Top View would have a GUI. That promise was never kept, and the program was discontinued barely two years later. A Byte Out of Apple No doubt, Bill Gates realized how profitable a successful GUI for IBM computers would be. He had seen Apples Lisa computer and later the more successful Macintosh or Mac computer. Both Apple computers came with a stunning graphical user interface. Wimps Side Note: Early MS-DOS diehards liked to refer to MacOS (Macintosh operating system)as WIMP, an acronym for the Windows, Icons, Mice and Pointers interface. Competition As a new product, Microsoft Windows faced potential competition from IBMs own Top View, and others. VisiCorps short-lived VisiOn, released in October 1983, was the official first PC-based GUI. The second was GEM (Graphics Environment Manager), released by Digital Research in early 1985. Both GEM and VisiOn lacked support from the all-important third-party developers. Since, if nobody wanted to write software programs for an operating system, there would be no programs to use, and nobody would want to buy it. Microsoft finally shipped Windows 1.0 on November 20, 1985, almost two years past the initially promised release date.    Microsoft become the top software vendor in 1988 and never looked back - Microsoft Corporation    Apple Bytes Back Microsoft Windows version 1.0 was considered buggy, crude, and slow. This rough start was made worse by a threatened lawsuit from  Apple Computers. In September 1985, Apple lawyers warned  Bill Gates  that Windows 1.0 infringed on Apple  copyrights  and  patents, and that his corporation stoled Apples trade secrets. Microsoft Windows had similar drop-down menus, tiled windows and mouse support. Deal of the Century Bill Gates and his head counsel Bill Neukom, decided to make an offer to license features of Apples operating system. Apple agreed and a contract was drawn up. Heres the clincher: Microsoft wrote the  licensing  agreement to include use of Apple features in Microsoft Windows version 1.0 and all future Microsoft software programs. As it turned out, this move by  Bill Gates  was as brilliant as his decision to buy QDOS from Seattle Computer Products and his convincing IBM to let Microsoft keep the licensing rights to MS-DOS. (You can read all about those smooth moves in our feature on  MS-DOS.) Windows 1.0 floundered on the market until January 1987, when a Windows-compatible program called Aldus PageMaker 1.0 was released. PageMaker was the first WYSIWYG desktop-publishing program for the PC. Later that year, Microsoft released a Windows-compatible spreadsheet called Excel. Other popular and useful software like Microsoft Word and Corel Draw helped promote Windows, however, Microsoft realized that Windows needed further development. Microsoft Windows Version 2.0 On December 9, 1987, Microsoft released a much-improved Windows version 2.0 that made Windows based computers look more like a  Mac. Windows 2.0 had icons to represent programs and files, improved support for expanded-memory hardware and windows that could overlap. Apple Computer saw a resemblance and filed a 1988 lawsuit against Microsoft, alleging that they had broken the 1985 licensing agreement. Copy This Will You In their defense, Microsoft claimed that the licensing agreement actually gave them the rights to use Apple features. After a four-year court case, Microsoft won. Apple claimed that Microsoft had infringed on 170 of their copyrights. The courts said that the licensing agreement gave Microsoft the rights to use all but nine of the copyrights, and Microsoft later convinced the courts that the remaining copyrights should not be covered by copyright law. Bill Gates claimed that Apple had taken ideas from the graphical user interface developed by Xerox for Xeroxs Alto and Star computers. On June 1, 1993, Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court of Northern California ruled in Microsofts favor in the Apple vs. Microsoft Hewlett-Packard copyright suit. The judge granted Microsofts and Hewlett-Packards motions to dismiss the last remaining copyright infringement claims against Microsoft Windows versions 2.03 and 3.0, as well as HP NewWave. What would have happened if Microsoft had lost the lawsuit? Microsoft Windows might never have become the dominant operating system that it is today. On May 22, 1990, the critically accepted Windows 3.0 was released. Windows 3.0 had an improved program manager and icon system, a new file manager, support for sixteen colors, and improved speed and reliability. Most important, Windows 3.0 gained widespread third-party support. Programmers started writing Windows-compatible software, giving end users a reason to buy Windows 3.0. Three million copies were sold the first year, and Windows finally came of age. On April 6, 1992, Windows 3.1 was released. Three million copies were sold in the first two months. TrueType scalable font support was added, along with multimedia capability, object linking and embedding (OLE), application reboot capability, and more. Windows 3.x became the number one operating system installed in PCs until 1997, when Windows 95 took over. Windows 95 On August 24, 1995, Windows 95 was released in a buying fever so great that even consumers without home computers bought copies of the program. Code-named Chicago, Windows 95 was considered very user-friendly. It included an integrated TCP/IP stack, dial-up networking, and long filename support. It was also the first version of Windows that did not require  MS-DOS  to be installed beforehand. Windows 98 On June 25, 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98. It was the last version of Windows based on the MS-DOS kernel. Windows 98 has Microsofts Internet browser Internet Explorer 4 built in and supported new input devices like USB. Windows 2000 Windows 2000 (released in 2000) was based on Microsofts NT technology. Microsoft now offered automatic software updates over the Internet for Windows starting with Windows 2000. Windows XP According to Microsoft, the XP in Windows XP stands for experience, symbolizing the innovative experiences that Windows can offer to personal computer users. Windows XP was released in October 2001 and offered better multi-media support and increased performance. Windows Vista Codenamed Longhorn in its development phase, Windows Vista is the latest edition of Windows.

How to Make a Benzoic Acid Snow Globe

How to Make a Benzoic Acid Snow Globe Its fun and easy to make your own snow globe using water and snow made from glitter or crushed egg shells, but you can use chemistry to make crystal snow that looks a lot more like the real thing. Snow is made from crystals of water. In this project, you precipitate crystals of benzoic acid, which has the advantage of not melting at room temperature. Heres how you make the snow globe: Snow Globe Materials baby food jar or ointment jar (~4 oz)1 g benzoic acidwaterbeaker or pyrex measuring cuphot plate or microwave or coffee makerstirring rod or spoonhot glue gundecoration to glue to the bottom of the snow globe, like a small plastic toyforceps or tweezerselectrical tape (optional) Assemble the Snow Globe There are a couple of ways to do this. There is my do-it-at-home method and then what you might want to do in a lab. Lets start with the lab instructions...In a 250 ml flask, stir 1 g benzoic acid into 75 ml of water.Heat the solution to dissolve the benzoic acid. You do not need to boil the water.Alternatively, you can measure 75 ml (5 tablespoons) of water that you heated in a microwave or coffee maker. Dissolve the benzoic acid in the hot water.Put down a bead of hot glue on the inside of the jar lid (or you can put it on the bottom of a clean, dry jar if you dont plan to invert the sealed jar).Use tweezers or forceps to position your decoration in the glue.While the glue is cooling, take a look at your benzoic acid solution. As it approaches room temperature, the benzoic acid will precipitate out of solution to form snow. The rate of cooling affects the snow. Slow cooling produces fine crystals. Quick cooling produces something more like snowballs than snowflakes.Pour the room-te mperature benzoic acid solution into the glass jar. Fill the jar as full as possible with water. Air pockets will cause the benzoic acid to form clumps.Put the lid on the jar. If desired, seal the jar with hot glue or electrical tape.Gently shake the jar to see the pretty snow! How the Snow Works Benzoic acid doesnt readily dissolve in room temperature water, but if you heat the water the solubility of the molecule is increased (similar to dissolving sugar in water to make rock candy). Cooling the solution causes the benzoic acid to precipitate back into solid form. Slow cooling of the solution allows the benzoic acid to form prettier, more snow-like flakes than if you had simply mixed benzoic acid powder with water. The cooling rate of water into ice affects how real snow appears, too. Safety Tips Benzoic acid is used as a preservative in food, so as chemicals go it is pretty safe. However, pure benzoic acid can be very irritating to skin and mucous membranes (heres an MSDS for you). Also, it can be toxic if large quantities are ingested. So... wear gloves and eye protection when preparing your solution. Excess solution can be washed down the drain (can neutralize it with baking soda first if you like). I wouldnt recommend this project for very young children. It should be fine for grade school kids with adult supervision. Its mainly intended as a fun project for teens and adults. The snow globe is not a toy- you dont want young children taking it apart and drinking the solution.

Country Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Country Report - Essay Example Nonetheless the country is on the verge of transformation into a potentially successful economy. This report has been prepared for the CEO of the ‘Read the World’, a British origin company, that has appointed the consultancy firm for the purpose of evaluating the market for books in Vietnam and present the threats and opportunities that exist in the country. The report focuses on the social initiative of Read the World that functions with the aim of designing and producing educational books and magazines for the needy people in developing markets. Economic Environment of Vietnam Back in the year 1986, Vietnam started off liberalizing its economy. Once it opened its doors to encourage foreign direct investment in various sectors, a considerable jump has been noticed in the number of foreign organizations and western companies entering into the country. In the South East Asian region, Vietnam has emerged as a significant economic power. With the initiation of the renovatio n policy in the year 1986, the country has been able to fetch a sustainable high GDP growth rate during the past decade. With the GDP growth rate of 8.4 percent in the year 2005, the country has been able to the address the issue of poverty. ... Still, there are more possibilities to spread the advantages of the rapid growth in Vietnam’s economy across the globe. The activities in the private sector concentrated across 64 provinces of the nation. The leaders of these provinces have established a regulatory framework which would encourage calculated risk taking by the private entrepreneurs. In the response, with the country’s continual decentralization process, the economic programs of the Asia Foundation have focused on the improvement of the business environment to enhance the private sector competitiveness as well as economic growth (The Asia Foundation, n.d., p. 1-2). Since early 1990s, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Asia Foundation together are responsible to promote global business development and economic integration across Vietnam, more specifically the growth among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In the year 2002, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Asia Foundation shifted their focal point to enhance the provincial governance, further encouraging the sector growth in the private sector. Started off in the year 2002, they initiated a program to find out the reason why some handful provinces have the ability to attract the private sector investment and to address the issue f economic success. This also reflects the eagerness of the respective authorities to make all the provinces equally attractive for the foreign investors. The economic outlook of Vietnam remains greatly positive supported by the government’s determination to comply with WTO. The country has experienced great progress with trade as well as investment reforms. Furthermore, its negotiation over the WTO entry has

Strategic Choice and Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Choice and Evaluation - Essay Example A grand as well as the generic strategy will also be adopted to enhance growth. Such strategic plan components will guarantee that Wal-Mart remains a leader in the industry (Giudice, Carayannis & Peruta, 2011, pp. 104-105). This paper gives a limelight to the strategic alternatives and offer sound recommendation on the best strategies to implement based on the current climate in the retailing industry. It is undoubtedly obvious that all the value disciplines, including product leadership, customer intimacy, and operational excellence are likely to benefit Wal-Mart in exceptional ways. However, one of the most effective disciplines that the firm can adopt is operational excellence since it will enhance the internal operations and do away with wastes within the internal processes. Using such a value discipline will also continue giving the firm a competitive edge and improve on its logistics as well as purchasing. To do this, it must continue focusing on offering low prices by negotiating with the suppliers to reduce their costs through economies of scale. As a result, this helps it to offer diverse products with competitive service, while at the same time maintaining affordable or reasonable prices. Placing an immense focus on operational excellence will also help in mitigating the prevailing risks in the business world of been undercut on prices by the rival firms such as Target ( Lynch, 2013). Coming up with an excellent supermarket chain that is capable of accommodating growth requires high degree of operational excellence. In that case, the firm must also be focused on adopting projects that boosts productivity and reduces costs. It should also continue investing in information technology to improve on the inventory system, communicate promptly with the suppliers, and deliver the necessary data on time. Continuous improvement on operational excellence will go a long way to improve the firm’s productivity, offer