Servicecape

the heart of the services product is the experience of the customers which takes places in real time . The concept of services capes was developed by booms and bitner to emphasize the impact of the environment in which a service process takes places .They defined it as ‘the environment in which the services is assembled and in which seller and customer intersect , combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service In the service encounter the customers is in the factory and is part of the process production and consumption of the service are simultaneous where the firm and the customer interact (Baker and Cameron 1996 ) It encompasses several factors related to the delivery of service which includes all the physical , behavioral , and emotional aspects that surround services delivery The research is purely based on the idea of ?Servicescape? which has emerged as an important concept for understanding customers behaviour in service ind ustry. Service providers should build environments that develop environments that appeal to consumer pleasure and arousal states while avoiding atmospheres that create submissiveness. The construct environments should be such that, it facilitates the operational ease and efficiency of the firm. Today the Business thinking has changed; it has come closer to the customer or to be more apt to the consumer.It can be observed that the consumer’s decision making for purchasing a product or service is not limited to the tangibility but to the whole product including the environment of delivery. Similarly the place or physical environment where product or service is delivered is of great importance. As said by Philip Kotler â€Å"One of the most significant features of a total product is the place where it is bought or consumed. In some cases , the place, more specifically the atmosphere of the place is more influential than the product itself in the purchase decision.In some cases the atmosphere is the primary product†. The above quote signifies the importance of servicescape in selling of a product or service. Booms and Bitner defined a servicescape as â€Å"the environment in which the service is assembled and in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service† It includes facilities exterior (landscape, exterior design, signage, parking, surrounding environment) and facilities interior (interior design ; decor, equipment, signage, layout, air quality, temperature and ambiance).The aim of this research is to focus on how important is servicescape in terms of atmospherics in zara that impacts consumer’s perception and attitudes to buy this service. It is quite important for this industry to concentrate on physical attributes apart from food served consumers are quite sensitive about the ambience, lighting, decor, music These factors may drive the motiva tion and decision making aspects of consumer behavior , as well as the time spending and the experiences at the end . t constantly changes in to make the experience of visiting the museum more enjoyable and fruitful each and every time the physical environment doesn t just influence customers , it influences employees as weel . idealty the business enviroment should cater simultaneously to the needs of the employees as well as the customers customers and employees perceive the environment holistically as a composite of three dimensions . ambient conditions , spatial layout and functionaity , sign , symbols and artifacts. ach dimension may affect the overall perception independently ans or through its interaction with the other dimensions . ambiant conditions: they are notable when they are extrem hot cold ect.. , when the customers spend large amount of time in them , when they don t match one s expectations spatial layout and functionality : important self service setting , complex ity of task , situation when time is short sign , symbols and artifacts re important in forming first impressions , communicating new service concepts , repositioning a service , hughtly competitive industries to differentiate from competitors . Elements of servicescape affect customers' perceptions of the service experience Main Elements According to Bitner (1992) 1. Ambient Condition – condition surrounding employees and customers that can be sensed through a human's five senses (i. e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin). thise carachteristique of the environement pertaining to our five enses . even not consciously noted they may still affect . they create a mood that is perceived and interpreted by the custonmers they are perceived both separately and holistically . 2. Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial Layout – the seamless layout of furnishing which is used to achieve maximum productivity in the most efficient and effective manners 3. Signs, Symbols, Artefac ts and Branding – the icons or signals that amplify the message from the buyer to the intended customers.The music in the cinema was played at barely audible volumes , the music have a powerful effect on perception and behaviour . the music was mostly played in the place where they was the bar / restaurant and we could hear it better and then it was very light in all the other place . this kind of music low but still energetic have an effect on their pace and behavoiur as they will tend to adjust to the mmusic in this case this is made to be confortable lowering their stress level , making you want to stay and will increased their level of impulse purchase in the restaurant or the bar .An ambiant smell is one that pervades an environment , the most present smell is the one of pop corn , this smell that is often associated to cinema so it make you want to consume and to buy some . neverless the scent is mostly present in the snack area . and by passing near to it the smell mak e the customer aware of an hunger and suggest a solution . this smell is typically present on cinema . Colors have a strong impact on people feeling . he cinemawolrd is mostly based on the colors blue a dark blue , instead of most of the others cinema that are using a lot of red wich give a feeling of warm and high energy that can exited and stimulate the company choose to use the blue wich is coolest , but represent relaxation , serenity and loyalty it help for relieving headach wich is a good things as a cinema can become crowded and with full of young people it can be annoying for some customers also Great color to give that impression Blue is calm, True and Honest.It is a symbol of peace, tranquility and good will Dark Blue is Moving, soulful and compassionate. This blue has heart and emotion. .   . neverless they are using a lot of other colors in the different area , in the arcade display the color is orange wich are warm color with energy Orange calls to mind feelings of ex citement, enthusiasm, and warmth. also for the snack area the atmosfere is totally different the color whyte is the most present the ligh are more bright the flor is also whyte carrelage all of this element give a eeling of space , but white is used also to give a sense of sterility wich can be great as this is where food are served so it reassure people but with the goods that are well showed and visible to the customers it give colors to the place and can attract . the lounge area is a mix of blue and red mixing a warm color with a cool one could be a bit strange but this association is often used in diverse place tjhis association give a feeling of warmth and stimulate but in the same time relax and serenity , the parquet on the floor wich is brown add a feelin of confort .The screen room are all black with low light wich give a great feeling of warmth * Orange is often used to draw attention http://fortunerep. hubpages. com/hub/Color-and-Emotion-Association Additional elements 1 . Virtual Servicescape – where the employees or the customers are not in the same physical area, but they are interacting via an electronic media – the Internet. Read more: http://www. oxbridgewriters. com/essays/management/physical-evidence-and-servicescape. hp#ixzz2MmE4NyXX A brand of a product or service is a bond (positive or negative) between the buyer and seller Brand is also seen by customers as to perceive risk, value, and signal the quality of the product or service Branding and servicescape are inseparable Branding is something that let the product or service stayed in customers' minds http://www. slideshare. net/ahmad1957/servicescapes-presentation . http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/servicescape-in-uk-restaurant-industry-marketing-essay. php http://scholarworks. umass. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? rticle=1177&context=gradconf_hospitality A servicescape plays four important roles. Package Servicescapes ‘package' the service offer and communicate an image to the customers of what they are going to get. Appropriate servicescaping is a sure shot way to create an image that the service provider is seeking to put up. It also helps moderate customer expectation and reinforces his experience and reminiscences. Servicescape is an outward appearance of organization and thus can be critical in forming initial impressions or setting up customer expectation.Facilitator Another important job of servicescape is to act as an a facilitator in assisting both the customers and service employees to make most of the opportunity it should make the service consumption comfortable convenient for the customer. Socializer Design of servicescapes aids in socialization of both the customers and employees, conveying expected roles, behavior and relationship. Differentiator Clearly the design of the servicescape differentiates one provider from its competitors, and hints at eth segment the services are targeted at.Companies adapt servicescape to reposi tion the services or identify new customer segments. Conclusion Although it is useful from a strategic point of view to think about the multiple roles of the servicescape and how they interact making actual decision about servicescape design requires an understanding of why the effects occur and how to manage them. The roles played by servicescape in a particular situation will aid in identifying opportunities and deciding just who needs to be consulted in making facility design decisions.Ambient Condition – tries to give the best premium shopping experience to the customer store is designed aesthetic and professional with high ceiling and luminous ambiance to create a sense of openness and spaciousness . indeed the with color is predominent on the store it directly give you a feeling of consumers able to sense that the premises are young with all the color but in the same time even if the price proposed are low , it doesn t show up in the store as the place is spacious white it give an imoression of upscale etail shope †¢male security guards in front of main entrances – security is also one of the elements for high-class people who prefer to have a sense of security when entering premises Staff is wearing a red shirt with black pant and other blue shirt that help reinforce the image of the company Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial layout act on the emotional customers responses .The batiment is fully air conditioned on the summer and on the winter heater righ when the customers enter the stores wich reinforce the feeling of feeling safe and confortable main entrance made from clear tampered glass to provide spaciousness and a sense of welcome to any who want to enter , also there is a vitrine display outside that attract customers to enter by putting the commercial advertissement the first stage where †¦. is not really confortable to be in as there is huge colonne in the middle even if necessary its not aeteticke also the elevat or are in the middle of the room separating it . he bulding an original architectural shape that are differents from other bulding in its area we directly consta that this is a cinema . Escalator are a good way insrtead of using stairs like the cinema in occonel street people can just let themslef lift and as there is 4 stages it have an influence on the psychological customers responses . Also the seat are actinmg on the psychological response from the cutomers even if there are a little small comparing for exemple with some seat in the usa wich can be almost the dobble . he batiment is well decorated with a lot of advertissement for the movie , also there in each stage a pancarte helping the custoners to find its way as the cinema is really big and have 4 stage . there is escalator that are placed in the center of each stage so people dont have to look everywhere to find them and they found themlseves in the center of the room being able to decide where to go next , there is also a lift and stairs . the cinema is well equiped for handicaped people as he provide a lift and for the stairs a †¦.. to help them have access to the screen room . n each screen room there is place in the middle of the front row for handicaped people there is also 2 seat at each side so if they come accompanied they can seat with their friend . the cinema also care for the mom that came with babies as they is a changing room out of thel adies restroon so they can have theyr own place . also on the lounge area the structure of the place is well managed providing two style of place like a restaurant and like a bar the mix of the place providing to each of its customers an ambiance but in the same area . he cinema also is provided with a ticket collection machine making the process to take its tikect more easily neverless they are placed on the oposite from the guichet and on the wall wich can be hard to find as you will not think to look there , but they put a big sign signaling it to the customers . 12 guichet are placed on the left side we can see them directly from the entrance , there is a queue defined by a line that help to stay organised . the number is great when there is a lot of people . n the second floor where the snack area is there is also guichet , the menu are well display with picture showing and putting in evidence the goods and price , there is also menu before so when you doing the cue you can already choose , there is there 8 guichet disponible and accroding to the average number of customers comming there is more or less staff present wich can be an error as for example with only two guichet open but a lot of customers people will have to wait and then miss the biggining of the movie wich can have a hudge negative impact on the consumer experience . he cinema is also furnished with some arcade place that are displayed in every stage permitting to have fun and wait the movie playing with your friend . the cinema also provide banch and lit tle waiting room between the screen room . the restroom are in all the main stage 1 2 and three were there is most of the activities , neverless there are little and only two or 3 toilet are there for a big cinema like cineworld that can have a lot of cutomers that can be an inconvenient . here is also a garage for car , so people can come with there car and are in the cinema even if the cinema is weel placed in the center of dublin in a well known street car will alswys like to just have to come park and leave rapidely . the situation of the batiment is also real good has taxi are often there and can drive you right in front of the cinema . he screen room are weel equiped with a lot of seat , even if some of them especially from the side don t have a good view of the screen and be anoying to see the movie like this queuing up to obtain ticke can be long so poster of upcoming movies and entertainment news to ease perception of long wait . there is tv showing the movir that are orese nted with the hour and availability . the restroom are clean and brightly lit a hugde mirror is intalled there is a distributor of woman prodcut but there is no hand owel only one hand when the cinema is in a high peak of people it must be overcrowded and maybe , odorent. It s well designed with no bad seat sufficient lighting to locate the seat , spacious , confortable chair with one drink holder on each seat and a suitabnle temperatures . An easy exit through a brigly lit and safe surrounding The distributor that are placed all over the batiment are good Imax facility sign symbol artifacts many things in the environement act as explicit or implicit signals to communicate the firm images , help customers to find their way and convey the rules of behaviour . or exemple there is a pancarte indicating at the entrance the differente stage and what you can find in eact of them . there is one in each stage that are place next to the elevator so if the customers go up or down he will just have to llok at it to know where to go . also there is no smoking sign , the tickel collector is writted in silver and big letter to attract the attention and coorect the fact that the machine can easly be unsee . the restroom are weel indicated as weel as the changing room . the lift area is not well display . he lighting in the parking and the bulding is well its not too bright inthe inside wich give a feeling of warmt and confort and as the ceiling are high it doesnt give a feeling small place . just in front of the bulding is a lampadaire witch give a great light just in front of the cinema so people can fell safe especially at night . there is maternity and handicaped parking close to the entrance wich demonstrates a sense of caring and understanding of customers needs . this also can act on the belief of the consumer or employees and create an approach feeling . nvironmental psychologist suggest that individuals react to place with two general and opposite behaviour approach wich include all positive behaviour that migh be directed at a particular place such as desire to stay , explore , work and affiliate and avoidance behaviour wich is the opposite . clearly a company will want to developpe a approach behavior toward their business and in the same time descouraging avoidance behavoir . and per consequent building loyalty with a consumer , and this behavior is influenced by its perception of the environement . he servicescape also influence the degree of sucess consumer experience inside the service organisaion and the realisation of its goal . bu creating positive internal response that will lead to an approach behaviors . the employee and custormers interaction have a major influence in the experience of the cosummer , † all social interaction is affected by the fisical container in wich it occurs † they suggest that the surounding will affect the interaction the progression of event . rcade the environement condition will have an impact on the nature of the social interaction , the physical environement influence hightly the behviour of the customers , it is in this point of view that they have created area for customers to have fun or o enjoy some time between friend and waiting for the movie to start as this can be anoying to always have to check befor at what time is the movie will begin if you are just walking and want to see a movie you will have to either find the timetable in internet or go to the cinemas to check it but then we will have to wait there so in order to make people have a great time by waiting they created facilities in the cinamas for example we can find a lot of arcade game in the store . lso a place to eat drink a coffee are present as well as retroom . as a message creating medium : using symbolic cue to communicate to the intended audience aboutn the distinctive nature and quality of the service experience as an attention creating medium to make the servicescape stand out from those of com peting establishement and to attract customers from target segment as an effect creating medium using colors textures sound scents and soatiacl design to enhance the desired service exoerience and or to heighten an appetite for cetains goods service or experiences the servicescape cleacrly communicates and reinforces the cinama positioning . he fact that the employee are present at the end of the movie is also an important part of it , by doing this customers are able to see by themselves that the cinemas is left clean and regularly cleaned for its customers employee have an important effect to and represent the company as well so they have to do a good impression . use of seat instead of staying standing up wich help them and reduce their level of displeasure , also they are working close to each other wich give them a sensation of group and friendship so when their is no customers during a time instead of staying alone they can simply talk with their collegue and that help to spen d the day . and then feel more relaxed and happy rather that being agitated and stressed . also for the cleaning they sometime do it by group of two reinforcing the team basis . t s alway more easy to do something when you are not alone act on the emotional and psychological responses from the employye as this will have a positive affect on the moods and feeling and its comfort. The company is one of the most important cinema present in dublin its well known and have a lot of good review neverless it still could be improved For exemple the sound qualitie can have a different perception according to people some may think its to loud other to low so in some screen room audio casque could be provided like on the plane . but they will have a high quality of sound in order to give a great experience to the customers as the sound is really important in a movie and to provide people stolling them they could be ratached to the seat with a long cord .Also , even if cinemaworld provide some a rcade place theyre are small and separated , they could construct a bigger one by using one of the waiting area between the screen room like the cinema gaumon t multiplex in france that have a vast arcade place to play with distributor of snack they could install some couch and make it a good place to wait for the movie. where they could also meet other people . Cineworld could also replace some of the seat and add a holder of pop corn because usually people came with one popconr and one drink so having to hold one can be annoying sometimes like for the cinema in miami . where the seat also have a place to put there feet and can slowdown there seat to be really confortable they also use a system where the arm of the seat can be elavated giving more confort and better feeling like home . On the parking lot , they could put color coded floors to help customers remember wich alley they are or numeroted them . ike on a aerport The ligh house cinema situated in dublin is well known to pr ovide a book-club, an innovative collaboration with Chapters Bookstore (one of Dublins finest bookshops) where a different book and film adaption are picked each month for discussion. so they can associate movie and book and speak it s a good way to meet people . The cinema can have a lot of people present in the room so it will be good to place a personne that will be in charge to watch if people are too loudy and annoy other spectators and then provide a good experience . like in miami Also in some horror movie a proffesional could be placed and could help people if they are too shoked by some scene from the movie . A little cyberescape could be placed in the cinema where people

Critical State Soil Mechanics

The preparation of the Cam Clay theoretical account in 1958 is possibly the most of import development in modern dirt mechanics. Mechanical belongingss of dirt have been unified elegantly and systematically into the theoretical model of the theoretical account: the critical province dirt mechanics. Since so, many theoretical accounts were developed within the theoretical model of Cam Clay theoretical account and they form theoretical accounts of the Cam Clay household. Two most distinguished characteristics of theoretical accounts of the Cam Clay household are: ( 1 ) the hardening of dirts based on plastic volumetric distortion, and ( 2 ) the being of a critical province of distortion as the concluding failure province. A brief debut of the two characteristics is given in this session, and descriptions of the strengths of dirts based on critical province dirt mechanics is given in the undermentioned subdivision.7.1.1: Hardening of dirt based on plastic volumetric distortionAs seen in the compaction theoretical account illustrated in Fig. 10, whenever the current emphasis goes beyond the historical upper limit emphasis, plastic volumetric distortion occurs and the elastic zone enlarges. The expansion of the elastic zone is seen as the hardening of dirt and is straight linked to the plastic volumetric distortion of the dirt. Consequently, the undermentioned decisions are drawn from indurating mechanism of dirt. The magnitude of plastic volumetric distortion is dependent on the alteration in size of the output surface, but independent of the stress way. All emphasis provinces which have the same accretion of plastic volumetric strain constitute a individual output surface.7.1.2: Prediction of the being of a critical province of distortionSoil is a frictional stuff. When the emphasis ratio applied on a dirt component additions, dirt will finally make a point, where it has no opposition to further shear distortion. The dirt fails. This is a critical province of distortion. A Critical State of distortion is defined as At a Critical State of distortion, a dirt has no opposition to shear distortion and the dirt can be distorted continuously with its emphasis province and nothingnesss ratio remain unchanged. A critical province of distortion is a concluding failure province. The theoretical model, uniting systematically the mechanical belongingss of dirt into one simple and elegant system under the Cam Clay theoretical account, is referred to as the Critical State Soil Mechanics ( CSSM ) .7.2: Strength of dirt described in the critical province dirt mechanicsThe behavior of Fuji sand in triaxial trials is shown in Fig. 12 ( Tatsuoka, 1972 ) . The trials are drained trials. The axial emphasis additions with the restricting emphasis kept changeless. The denseness of the dirt for the three trials varies from really loose to really dense. It is seen that Fuji sand in a really heavy Fuji province has two strengths: a peak strength and a strength as really big shear strain. For the loose sand, the dirt has merely one strength, besides at really big shear strain. It besides appears that the strength as really big shear 0 5 10 15 20 25 Distortional strain ad ( % ) Volumetric strain Cv ( % ) -12 4 0 5 10 15 20 25 Dense =0.52 Loose eaˆz =0.78 Very loose =0.85 Distortional strain ad ( % ) Fig. 12 The shearing behavior of Fuji sand under triaxial compaction trials ( Test informations after Tatsuoka, 1972 ) Shear emphasis ratio two 3.2 2.4 0.8 1.6 0 Dense =0.52 Loose eaˆz =0.78 Very loose =0.85 -4 -8 strain for the three samples are really near and appears to near a alone value as the distortional strain additions. The peak strength and the critical province strength of dirt interpreted by the critical province dirt mechanics are introduced in the followers.7.2.1 Critical province strengthUnder shearing ( increasing distortional strain ) , dirt reaches a concluding failure province, the critical province of distortion. At a critical province of distortion: Therefore, a dirt can be distorted with no alteration in its emphasis, and no volumetric plastic distortion. At critical provinces of distortion, dirt has the undermentioned characteristics ( Fig. 13 ) . The shear emphasis ratio c is changeless, denoted by I . There is a alone relationship between the average effectual emphasis paˆ? and nothingnesss ratio vitamin E, irrespective of the initial state of affairs of the dirt or the stress way of the trial. 27 This relationship is additive in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite, and its gradient is the same as that of ICL in the compaction theoretical account, being e . The features of critical provinces can be represented by the critical province line ( CSL ) in the paˆ? – q infinite and the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite. They are described mathematically as. I · Q = I? ( 46 ) Paˆ?e=eCS a?’I »lnpaˆ? ( 47 ) Critical province shear emphasis ratio M Shear emphasis Q I? CSL Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) ( a ) CSL in the p'-q infinite The critical province shear emphasis ratio is linked to the concluding failure clash angle ocs of dirt measured from conventional triaxial compress trial by the undermentioned equation I? = 6 wickedness I† cs ( 48 ) 3 a?’sin I† cs The critical province clash angle for most san vitamin D is 32A ° A ± 1A ° , which gives about M = 1.28. Determination of the concluding failure strength of dirts Nothingnesss ratio vitamin E vitamin E CS eIC ( 1 ) Undrained concluding strength of dirt ICL I » CSL I » p'=1 kPa Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) ( B ) CSL in the e-lnp ‘ infinite Fig. 13 Characteristics of critical province of distortion P aˆ? = exp aZ? aZ? aZY Cesium I a?’ Cs aZ? I » aZ Three parametric quantities define a dirt province. They are the emphasis province on the dirt and its nothingnesss ratio, i.e. , ( paˆ? , Q, vitamin E ) . Because any dirt province at a critical province of distortion must fulfill conditions expressed by equation ( 46 ) and ( 47 ) , the concluding failure province ofa dirt, the critical province of distortion, can be determined if there is one more extra status. Some of common instances are discussed here. During an undrained trial, volumetric distortion is non allowed. Therefore, the nothingnesss ratio ofthe dirt is kept the same and is equal to its initial value, ei. Based on equations ( 46 ) and ( 47 ) , the undrained concluding shear strength qcs, the mean effectual emphasis paˆ?cs, an d the nothingnesss ratio European Union are given by ( 49 ) 28 aZ § aZ†ºe vitamin E aZz Cesium I aZ†º a?’ aZz aZ? aZY aZ? I » aZ aZ?aZ? vitamin E vitamin E Cs aZ? Q = I? exp vitamin E vitamin E Cs I=aZ © aZ? aZ? aZ? ( 2 ) Drained concluding strength for changeless paˆ? trials The average effectual emphasis at the concluding critical failure province is known, paˆ?i, so aZ § aZ?aZ? aZ?aZ © personal computers = pi qcs Ipaˆ?i ( 50 ) ei = eCS a?’ I » ln pi The stress way for this type of trials is a perpendicular line in the paˆ? – Q infinite, as shown in Fig. 4. ( 3 ) Drained concluding strength for changeless Q trials The shear strength at the concluding failure province is known, chi, soI » ln chi aˆ? = Cs P I? qcs = chi=ei European Union a?’ aZ†º Q aZz ( 51 ) I aZ?aZ? I? aZ aZY The stress way for this type of trials is a horizontal line in the paˆ? – Q infinite, as shown in Fig. 4. ( 4 ) Drained concluding strength for trials with additive emphasis waies Suppose the gradient for the additive emphasis way is k, and the initial emphasis province of the dirt is ( paˆ?i, chi ) . Then the dirt province at the concluding failure province can be obtained from work outing the undermentioned equations qcs a?’ chi = k personal computers a?’ pi I?aˆ? P Cs =eCSa?’I »lnp qcs European Union ( 52 ) aZ § aZ? aZ? aZ © aˆ? Cs 29 Two common additive emphasis waies, discussed in subdivision 3.3, are ( 1 ) conventional triaxial compaction trials with the restricting emphasis kept changeless and in this instance k = 3, and ( 2 ) conventional triaxial extension trials with the axial emphasis kept changeless and in this instance k = – 1.5.Example 5The critical province clash angle for a sand is 32A ° . For its CSL in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite, the gradient is 0.12 and European Union is 1.42. ( 1 ) Determine the values of M ; ( 2 ) Pull a study of the CSL in the paˆ? – q infinite and the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite ; ( 3 ) Determine the concluding failure strength of a specimen of the sand with initial province as ( paˆ? = 75 kPa, q = 0, vitamin E = 0.85 ) . ( a ) under undrained state of affairs ; ( B ) under a changeless mean effectual emphasis trial ; and ( degree Celsius ) following a stress way with = 2.dq dpaˆ? A: Determine the values of M 400 800 600 200 0 CSL q=1.29p ‘ Shear emphasis Q kPa 30 100 200 300 400 500 600 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa Nothingnesss ratioe 0.9 0.7 0.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 CSL e=1.42-0.12lnp ‘ 1 10 100 1000 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa Oxygen Nothingnesss ratio e n Shear emphasis Q CSL C I? Bacillus A P ‘ ( kPa ) CSL e=eCS -elnpaˆ? Bacillus C Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) Fig. 14 Variation of dirt strength ( 53 ) 7.2.2 Peak strength As seen in Fig. 12, under shearing dirt at heavy province may make a peak strength ( higher than the critical province strength ) . However, this strength of dirt lessenings with the addition of distortional strain, and becomes indistinguishable to the critical province strength finally. Two characteristics of the peak strength should be noticed. The happening of a strength for dirt greater than the concluding critical province strength ( the extremum strength ) is possible merely if the dirt is under the CSL in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite ( Fig 14 ) . This is in the â€Å" Dry † side. As named by Schofield and Wroth ( 1968 ) , soil behavior with both peak and critical province strength is â€Å" Dry † behavior. The peak strength is non stable. The minute a peak strength is reached, the strength of dirt will diminish with the farther distortional distortion. An empirical equation proposed by Liu and Carter ( 2002 ) may be used to gauge the peak strength ratio cp of dirt based on its place in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite=Q P = aˆ? I · P P P 31 ( 1 a?’ I ¦ ) I? for A- & lt ; 0 I ¦ , the province parametric quantity, defined by Been and Jefferies ( 1985 ) as I ¦ = vitamin E a?’ vitamin E CS + I » ln p aˆ? ( 54 ) Uniting the above two equations, we obtain q P I · = = + a?’ a?’ aˆ? I? & lt ; a?’ I » aˆ? ( vitamin E e P ) vitamin E vitamin E P 1 ln for ln P CS CS ( 55 ) P P aˆ? For A- & gt ; 0, there is merely one strength. The peak strength and the critical province strength may be considered as coincident.7.2.3 Variation of dirt strength in the paˆ? – Q infiniteMohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard, written in the paˆ? – Q infinite, is given as 32 Q degree Fahrenheit = c + I? MC P aˆ? degree Fahrenheit ( 56 ) This standard is possibly the widely used standard to find the strength of dirts in geotechnical technology pattern. However, it is applicable for dirt conditionally. As shown in Fig. 14, Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard is applicable to dirty in the scope of AB, where the dirt in the â€Å" Dry † side, i.e. , below the CSL. The general strength standard for dirt may be divided into three scopes to analyze. Strength of dirts on the â€Å" Wet † side If a dirt province in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite is above the CSL, i.e. , A- & gt ; 0, the dirt is on the â€Å" Wet † side. Dirts on the â€Å" Wet † side have merely one strength, the concluding critical province strength. The critical province strength of dirts is represented by line BC, and their belongingss are introduced in subdivision 7.2.1. No tensile emphasis line Farinaceous stuffs such as littorals or clays in reconstituted provinces have no echt coherence, and can non prolong a tensile emphasis. The boundary oaˆ?min & gt ; 0 in the paˆ? – q infinite is = 3 Q,paˆ? represented by line OA. On the left side of line OA, tensile emphasis occurs. Strength of dirts on the â€Å" Dry † side Merely when dirt on the â€Å" Dry † side, the dirt has a coherence c. The strength of the dirt can depict by equation ( 56 ) , the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard. Cohesion degree Celsius may be treated as changeless. Clash angle oMC and parametric quantity MMC is related by the undermentioned equation = 6sinoMC ( 57 ) Megahertz I?MC 3 a?’ sino The whole strength envelope OABC is shown in Fig. 14. Two errors are normally made in using the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard for finding the strength of dirts. The extension of the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard to the left side of AB and therefore implies dirt has a tensile strength. The extension of the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard to the right side of AB ( beyond the critical province strength ) . This implies the ultimate clash angle of dirt will go on lessening after the critical province clash angle unlimited with the average effectual emphasis. Terzaghi, the laminitis of modern dirt mechanics, made both errors in widening the pertinence of Don Taylor ‘s experimental information. And I hope you will non do the same error in your technology designs or safety cheque. 33Example 6The critical province clash angle for a Leighton Buzzard sand in situ is 31A ° measured from conventional triaxial compaction trials. The strength envelope detected for the sand can be described by Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard with c= 40 kPa and oMC = 23A ° . ( 1 ) Determine the values of dirt parametric quantities M for critical province stength and MMC for Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength ; ( 2 ) Pull the strength envelope of this Leighton Buzzard sand and depict the features of the strength of the sand ; ( 3 ) Discourse the strength of the sand under a drained conventional triaxial compaction trial with the initial emphasis province of the dirt being ( paˆ? = 30 kPa, q = 0, ) . A: Determine dirt parametric quantities M and MMC ; Shear emphasis Q kPa 250 200 150 100 50 0 A 3 ( 30, 0 ) vitamin D 3 0.9 Bacillus 1.24 C 0 50 100 150 200 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa 347.2.4 Residual province strength of clayey dirtsAfter probes on landslides in the late fiftiess, it was found that the shearing opposition of dirt in a figure of instances was much smaller than the â€Å" concluding † critical province strength measured in the research lab. The construct of residuary strength is formed ( Skempton, 1964 ) Residual strength is defined as the shear strength of a dirt that can be mobilised on a polished sliding surface, after it has been formed through the dirt due to the alliance of its Platypoecilus maculatus atoms. For any given dirt it is the minimal strength come-at-able. There are four major facets of the residuary strength, viz. Dirt must hold adequate plate-like atoms so that a smooth slickensided surface can be formed. The skiding surface of well-aligned dirt atoms must be for the residuary strength to be mobilised. The skiding surface of well-aligned Platypoecilus maculatus atoms can ease residuary failure merely along that surface. 4. The residuary sliding surface one time formed is normally non modified by subsequent distortions of comparatively little magnitude. The residuary strength of a dirt is chiefly dependent on the mineralogy of the dirt: the clay fraction. Clay fraction uc defined as the weight of the clay particles less than 0.002 millimeter in size over the entire weight of the dirt sample. uc is defined as I†° = G0.002 ( 58 ) cG Some experimental informations on the fluctuation of the critical province strength and residuary strength with clay fraction is shown In Fig. 15 ( From Skempton, 1984 ) . The undermentioned information can be obtained this information. ( 1 ) For a dirt with a clay fraction less than 25 % the concluding strength is the critical province strength. The strength is independent on clay fraction. Otherwise, the concluding strength of the dirt is its residuary strength. 0 20 40 60 80 10 0 Clash angle ( A ° ) 34 28 22 16 10 4 residuary province critical province Clay fraction ( % ) Fig. 15 Variation of the critical province and residuary province strengths with clay fraction 35 With 50 % & gt ; uc & gt ; 25 % , both critical province and residuary province strengths vary with clay fraction. With uc & gt ; 50 % , critical province and residuary province strengths are different, but remains with any alteration of clay fraction in the scope. The concluding strength of a dirt, expressed as a clash angle, may change from 32A ° to every bit low as 6A ° with the fluctuation of the clay fraction.

Crime Scene Scenario Essay

At approximately 1300 on January 31, 2012, there was a call and officers were dispatched to 125 Redbird Lane to investigate a home invasion. Upon arriving on the scene I was met by SGT Johansson to describe the scene as he saw it and the homeowners’ statements. He explained the homeowner, Cindy Pinsk told him she looked out her living room window and saw a gray sedan pull up. She heard the doorbell ring. Since she was not expecting anyone, she did not answer the door. She heard glass breaking and ran out the back door to a neighbor’s house, where she called 9-1-1. She saw broken glass on the carpet in the entry hallway and saw where the door had been pried open with some sort of tool. Pinsk told Johansson her Apple computer, a pair of diamond earrings, a sapphire ring, and three credit cards are missing. He talked to a neighbor, Steve Moyer, who told him he saw a steel gray Dodge Charger in front of Pinsk’s house. A handicap tag was hanging from the rear-view mirror. The driver was a black man with a green knit cap. The passenger was a large white man about 20 – 25 years old. He has a chinstrap beard and was wearing dark clothes. After listening to the first on call officers’ report, I looked around the front yard to see if any evidence was dropped during or after the home invasion. At first inspection of the front yard, you could see what appeared to be footprints in the mud due to the rain the previous night. Pictures with measuring markers were taken to show the position of the questioned impression, and castings (using Class I dental stone) were taken of the shoe impression to later compare to the suspects. Next I went into the house to look around and upon first entering the domain you could see where it appears that a tool of some kind had been used to pry open the door. Pictures with measuring markers were taken to show the position of the tool mark and for comparison. Liquid silicone was utilized to make an impression of the tools used on the door. During taking the impressions, I could see the smallest bit of blue fiber hanging from a piece of wood on the door frame. I removed the fiber tapping the sticky side of a post-it to the fiber. I then folded the post-it, labeled it and placed in an manila envelop for evidence. Walking a little further into the domain, you could see what caused the sound of glass breaking, a vase that appeared to be knocked over during the home invasion. The living room was in disarray with couch cushions taken out of the couch, papers on the floor and drawers pulled out of desk. On the desk was a smudge of a latent partial print that I retrieved sing black powder and sticky tape. As the victim stated in her report to the officers, I went up to the bedroom to discover the missing jewelry from the jewelry box. Once again latent fingerprints were found on the desk where the Apple computer and jewelry were taken, so again prints were taken off the desk with black powder and placed on sticky tape for evidence. After thorough investigation of the house, I exited the domain to head back to the lab. The first test that was done upon reporting back to the lab was an AFIS search for whose fingerprints were at the scene. When ran through AFIS, there was a match to a white male subject matching the description from the neighbors’ statement, John Kratz. John Kratz was brought in wearing a blue hooded sweat shirt, matching the color of the fiber found at the scene, and muddy jeans. Fibers were taken from his sweat shirt for later comparison to the fiber from the Pinsk’s’ house. When questioned on his whereabouts that afternoon. He exclaimed that he was at McDonald’s on his lunch break. Due to his inability to produce a witness to corroborate his story, he was held for further questioning. Next, tool marking were carefully examined and based on the initial examination of the pictures (the size and shape of the impressions) molds and striation marks compared with a comparison microscope determined that the tool that was used in the home invasion was that of a screwdriver. Fibers were then removed from the post-it using rubber tweezers and placed on a comparison microscope for a microscopic comparison for color and diameter to the fiber from the scene and that of John Kratz. Examination found the fiber to be cotton, a natural fiber and matching the fiber to John Kratz. When questioned again on his whereabouts that afternoon, with the help of the evidence that was already found, he finally broke and explained what happened and who was involved. Rick â€Å"Rukus† Thompson was allegedly with John Kratz was brought in for questioning. During the questioning Rick denied ever being at the Pinsk’s house saying he was at home sick. Along with John, Rick also had no one to corroborate his story. Shoe impressions were taken from both suspects and compared to those found at the scene. The shoe impression was that of Rick. With all evidence putting both at the Pinsk’s house, John Kratz and Rick â€Å"Rukus† Thompson both were charged.

Six Feet of the Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Six Feet of the Country - Essay Example apartheid system was implemented in South Africa which segregated the people into major racial groups - white; Bantu, or black Africans; Colored, or people of mixed descent; and Asians - and determined the living and employment standards of each group. Public facilities were segregated and nonwhites were not represented in the national government. The policy ended in 1990 when then-President F. W. de Klerk released the anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela from prison and legalized black African political organizations (â€Å"Apartheid†). Clearly, the story was set at a time when apartheid was at its peak as the narrator tells us about the â€Å"tensions the Johannesburg people speak of† not being the hubbub of the city but of the â€Å"guns under the white men’s pillows and the burglar bars on the white men’s windows..† and the awkward moments when â€Å"a black man won’t stand aside for a white man† (Gordimer 9). The couple chose to live in the farm to change something in them and find peace in their marriage. Although it is clear that they were not able to fulfill the latter goal, at least they were able to change. The histrionic Lerice became engrossed with running the farm and became attached to the servants. The narrator, who was a complainant brat who did not care about his servants as long as they did their work, sees the injustice of the system in the middle of the business of illegal immigrant’s body. Upon knowing of the death, the narrator notified the health authorities and the police to be able to know the cause of death. Apparently, the young man died of pneumonia and was disposed of by the authorities. However, Petrus insisted on burying his brother’s body and repeatedly begged the narrator, his baas or boss, thinking that because the baas is a white man, he can do anything. Petrus, together with the other servants, scraped up twenty pounds just to be able to get the dead body back which annoyed the

Situational analysis for UNICEF Supply Division Assignment

Situational analysis for UNICEF Supply Division - Assignment Example Rather than seeking to treat the myriad of illnesses that contribute to diarrhea and/or dehydration, the better approach would be to find a way to treat the symptoms to greatly reduce the risk that death or serious injury to the patient will occur. Due to the high number of shareholders that any and all UNICEF programs ultimately reach, a prime determinate that is always engaged is the necessity to keep costs down per patient and per treatment. As a function of this, oral rehydration salts have proven to be an effective means of countering the negative effects of diarrhea and the dehydration and death that it can ultimately cause. Furthermore, the utilization of oral rehydration salts (ORS) is one of the most cost effective means of treatment that exists. In such a way, the reader can and should understand that ORS, when purchased and applied to affected communities in bulk can cost but a few dollars per application. This determinant is extremely important as it must be considered wi thin the context of how UNICEF divides and utilizes a limited budget that has many other health goals that are clamoring for attention. As a function of the needs that are represented within the environment, the realities of the marketplace, the overall cost of application of such a means of treatment, and the positioning that such a utilization would infer, this analysis will seek to draw an inference based upon these determinants. Oral rehydration salts (ORS) are one of the few medical treatments that have changed little since their introduction. Preliminary application of ORS has been traced as far back as the year 1500 BC in India. However, the use and application of ORS within the current era has continued to develop as medical science and an understanding how the body responds to dehydration treatments has grown. According to the recent formula released by UNICEF, ORS can and should consist of the following: sodium chloride, anhydrous glucose, potassium chloride, trisodium cit rate, and dehydrate. What is unique about each of these ingredients is the fact that they are readily available and of an extremely low cost in almost each and every nation or state that they might be utilized within. This represents an extreme advantage for such a treatment due to the fact that further application and support of such an endeavor will meant that UNICEF will be able to accomplish a great deal of good with limited investment. Such opportunities fit perfectly into the underlying goals and mission that UNICEF seeks to support. Although there are many world health issues that UNICEF integrates with and seeks to provide amelioration for, this particular issue is one that a relatively low investment could seek to fully cover (Walker et al, 2009). Furthermore, as a function of the low cost of treatment that this remediation represents, there will be few supply and demand issues that will impact negatively on the overall availability or cost. This is not to say that swings i n the global pharmaceutical market will not affect ORS and its application; however, it is safe to assume that as a function of the simplicity of the formula which has been elaborated upon that any demand or supply swings will have a minimal affect on the pricing structure that will be realized within the market (About the Commission, 2011). An Overview of the Commodity Market Furthermore, as has been briefly elaborated upon

ARTICLE ONE AND ARTICLE TWO Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARTICLE ONE AND ARTICLE TWO - Assignment Example The intriguing fact in the article is how the author presents the information about panda and penguin abandoning the new born in an effort to sustain itself. This sure does indicate that nature mysterious in its own ways. The article has many scientific facts which normal people fail to encounter or got less chance to read. They are many facts which people are unheard of. The article also details the reason why these creature abandon their offspring which might not make sense to the social animal albeit humans. The article itself seems to have a sole purpose of providing information to people that what we might think sensible can be absurd for nature and vice versa. This subject is of interest because it explores the unique nature of animal and bird’s and indicates the survival is the key right of the fittest.In total, the article is rich in information and subject and is equally good in the theme as it is a glimpse of the mystery of nature. The article is all about cancer and how it can dangerous to sound and experience. This subject can be both interesting as well as repelling to people as nobody want to be acquainted with cancer at any point of their life time. The author is health and fitness expert and hence can be more relied upon on the subject of cancer as it is a health issue. From the article, we can understand how a distortive cell engineer itself and progress to the destroy the whole group of cells in less matter of time. Sometime the nature can be a killer as well as saviour. This article makes us think whether cancer is a play of God or ignorance of human being. The author with her writing makes us wonder that when all the cells do its job well, why a certain cell should go out of direction and attack healthy cells. They have been many scientific reasoning and research in case of cancer but the real cause of cancer still remains a mystery. The cell division and

What Extent Is It Either Accurate Or Helpful To Situate Fundamentalism Essay

What Extent Is It Either Accurate Or Helpful To Situate Fundamentalism In Relationship To The Project Of Modernity - Essay Example Pat Robertson has had a considerable influence on the fundamentalism through his 700 Club program plus his legal organization, his university and the politically motivated Christian Coalition, which he is the founder (Ruthven 30). This article discusses various aspects of fundamentalism so as to reveal its modern nature. The idea that fundamentalism is anti-modern can be witnessed in works by R. Scott Appleby and Martin Marty, Bruce Lawrence and Bruce Steve. Lawrence’s Defenders of God, Steve’s Fundamentalism and Appleby’s and Marty’s The Fundamentalism Project are key works in the literary comprehension of fundamentalism. A majority of scholars have similar sentiments concerning the relationship of modernity and fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is reliant on utilitarian elements of modernity, whereas Lawrence (15), Steve (54) and Appleby and Marty (43) all perceive fundamentalisms as reactions to the consequences of enlightenment, which manifests itself as modernist reasoning or modernism. Fundamentalists oppose every individual or institution, which advocates for enlightenment principles and support the banners of modernism or secularism. Considering fundamentalism as anti-modern is extremely inaccurate, but it is accurate to situate fundamentalism in relationship to the project of modernity? ... Considering fundamentalism as anti-modern is extremely inaccurate, but it is accurate to situate fundamentalism in relationship to the project of modernity? Considering fundamentalism as anti-modern obfuscates its nature and insinuates that it is illegitimate globally when it is, in reality, not for the modern world. Therefore, in the continuous qualifications of the association of fundamentalism to modernity, very little is gained. To discuss fundamentalism as a reaction to the modernist culture or modernity is to clarify an unclear term through referring to an always vague term (Steve 30). Steve’s Fundamentalism gives the reader a basis for this investigation. In his study, he brings up numerous questions about the classification of fundamentalism being anti-modern and the extent to which fundamentalism could be stipulated to modernism. From a far, it is entirely reasonable to state that fundamentalisms of all kinds react differently against the popular modernist culture. Ho wever, going through the numerous religious movements, a person cannot be completely confused by that statement. Steve (51) also admits that the phrases modern resists straightforward definitions. In his writing, the definition of modern is a code word for the entire forces of fundamentalists considered to be the threat that motivates their responses. Modernist traditions comprise of basically three dimensions incompatible to fundamentalists: a liking towards secular rationality; an acceptance of spiritual tolerance with supplementary tendencies towards individualism and relativism (Hoffmeister 15). Surely, there are elements of the modern and secular world, which pressure fundamentalists, threats that every religion should resolve. However, does

The Strategies that Mountain Bank Should Implement to Achieve a Essay

The Strategies that Mountain Bank Should Implement to Achieve a Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Since the Swiss and European banks operate in a different way, this new scenario poses new challenges for implementing controls. In order for Mountain Bank to thrive in its sphere, it is crucial that it implements certain elements in its practice. For instance, it must understand the specialty of its product. Will it penetrate e-banking? Will it accommodate to student loans or mortgage? Deciding to penetrate a target market is the first step towards achieving competitive study. Since Mountain Bank offers many business services, such as retail banking, lending, real estate and corporate banking, it must complete a SWOT analysis to understand the true essence of profitability that each sector can give. Banks, such as Chase and PNC, utilized the points system and spending methods to attract customers. Similarly, Mountain Bank must develop a unique core strategy that creates customer value overtime. Another crucial element that Mountain Bank must embed in its organization in order to gai n a competitive advantage is to enact a cost leadership strategy. It is clear that the mortgage sector has been struggling for years as the recessive environment continues to hurt the economy. Thus, the clear way channel to penetrate the cost leadership strategy is to focus on commodities that other financial banks are not exploiting. Introducing a higher rate for savings account can dramatically be one of the innovative solutions towards creating a brand revenue channel. 2.Describe the types of practices a human resource professional should recommend for Mountain Bank with respect to its tellers, based on the universalistic approach and commitment strategy.   As a premier bank, it is essential that human resources individuals continue to implement strict rules of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act along with strict auditing standards to achieve an excellent commitment strategy. The goal is to excel in providing customers with products that accommodate to their needs while adhering to strict standards that deter frauds. Another element that is crucial in developing these criteria is enterprise risk management system which is applied in order to mitigate the risks that can plague banks such as frauds or bad investments. Moreover, the economy in the past years has been weak, not to say the least. Banks have been defaulting in loans as creditors have failed to pay their loans. These trickled effects have been a domino effect internationally. When one bank is hit by a fraud, it has a dynamic impact throughout the banks in the international front. The bank already was mounted with numerous amounts of risks and troubles prior to this massive problem. The Wall Street Journal reports that many banks, such as UBS, were charged $2 billion for conducting unauthorized trades. Such practices have to be eliminated in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency. 3.Discuss the four human resource strategies (internal/cost, external cost, internal/differentiation, and external/differe ntiation) that may be implemented within an organization.   The four human resource strategies that are associated with internet and external cost and differentiation can be implemented in many ways. First and foremost is the fact that the HR must enact a means of benchmarking organizational performance. An organization performance examines the HRM-firm performance link and allows the bank to evaluate their methodological challenges of measuring

Bilingualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bilingualism - Essay Example 183). Romaine (2000, p.2) notes that growing up bilingual means learning to be competent in two languages and this ultimately means compiling knowledge from two languages. This paper examines the potential advantages and disadvantages of growing up bilingual by first analysing the concept and process of acquiring bilingualism. The outcome of acquiring bilingualism will also be analysed. By taking this approach the challenges and how those challenges carry over in practice will provide a robust indication of the advantages and disadvantages of growing up bilingual. There appears to be two perspectives. Research dating back to 1913 reveals that growing up bilingual has a number of benefits particularly socially, culturally and linguistically. Other researchers argue that growing up bilingual limits the child’s ability to retain and extend his/her own language and creates distance from its own culture, society and impedes intellectual possibilities (Makin, Diaz and McLachlan 2007 , p. 205). Learning another language is expected to create some challenges particularly for the small child who is learning to speak generally. Theoretically at least, growing up bilingual must be particularly challenging for children who are learning to count, read and spell. Learning these basic functions in one language is difficult enough. Therefore it is not difficult to believe that growing up bilingual can inhibit the child’s intellectual possibilities. However, children who are exposed to two languages do have the opportunity to learn valuable linguistic skills and to exercise their respective cognitive skills in ways that monolingual children do not. The research sheds light on whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages to growing up bilingual. I. Definition and Process of Bilingualism A. Definition Defining bilingualism has proven difficult as researchers are divided on what it means to be bilingual. Some researchers prefer a narrow definition of bilin gualism and insist that in order to be bilingual, an individual must be â€Å"very close to two monolinguals† (Reicholf-Wilscher 2008, p. 14). Other researchers in more recent times have preferred a broader definition of bilingualism, and have regarded bilingualism as a â€Å"common human condition that makes it possible for an individual to function, at some level, in more than one language† (Reicholf-Wilscher 2008, p. 14). Bilingualism means that children will be exposed to more than one culture and language at a very young age, most often at birth if they are growing up bilingual. There are obvious challenges for the young child as he/she begins the learning process. On the other hand, once the child learns two languages, this can be beneficial to the child later on. For instance if the family speaks one language at home and the child enters a school that teaches in another language, learning two languages will not only be necessary but beneficial to the childâ€⠄¢s education. Farther on, as the child enters adulthood, being bilingual will provide greater flexibility and opportunities in the job markets. However,if claims that bilingual children can suffer intellectual setbacks are believed, having flexibility and greater job opportunities is not only necessary but compensatory. B. The Process of Bilingualism In a majority of cases in which children become bilingual, the process of bilingualism occurs naturally and is

Afro Asians Essay Example for Free

Afro Asians Essay During the 1970s, an increased demand for copper and cobalt attracted Japanese investments in the mineral rich southeastern region of Katanga Province. Over a 10-year period, more than 1,000 Japanese miners relocated to the region, confined to a strictly male-only camp. Arriving without family or spouses, the men often sought social interaction outside the confounds of their camps. In search of intimacy with the opposite sex, sometimes resulting in cohabitation, the men openly engaged in interracial dating and relationships, a practice mostly embraced by the local society. As a result, a number of Japanese miners fathered children with native Congolese women. However, most of the mixed race infants resulting from these unions died, soon after birth. Multiple testimonies of local people suggest that the infants were poisoned by a Japanese lead physician and nurse working at the local mining hospitale. Subsequently, the circumstances would have brought the miners shame as most of them already had families back in their native Japan. The practice forced many native Katangan mothers to hide their children by not reporting to the hospital to give birth. Other women raised their child more rural or remote areas as blasian children were sought after and murdered in the city by Japanese officials. Today, fifty Afro-Japanese have formed an association of Katanga Infanticide survivors. The organization has hired legal council seeking a formal investigation into the killings. The group submitted official inquiry to both the Congolese and Japanese governments, to no avail. Issues specific to this group include having no documentation of their births, since not having been born in the local hospital spared their lives. The total number of survivors is unknown.

Critical Analysis of Business and IT (BIT) Alignment

Critical Analysis of Business and IT (BIT) Alignment Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of two academic papers from peer-reviewed journals, each investigating the Business and IT (BIT) alignment topic that has been a top concern for IT practitioners for two decades (Cahn, 2000). The papers have been selected as they adopt contrasting research strategies qualitative and quantitative. The objective of this analysis is to highlight the positive/negative points in both papers in terms of the researchs aim, objectives, design, and method and to propose an alternative research strategy for each paper. The investigation concludes that both papers had positive and negative points, regardless of their philosophical positions and design strategies. Choosing between qualitative and quantitative methods or mixing them depends on the studys questions; both methodologies have their strengths and weaknesses. The main issue for any research is the credibility of its findings, regardless of the researchers philosophical position. Introduction and Analysis Structure This paper is a critical analysis of two academic papers from peer-reviewed journals, each investigating the Business and IT (BIT) alignment topic that has been a top concern for IT practitioners for two decades. (Cahn, 2000) For many years, a number of researchers have emphasised the importance of BIT fit in organisations to achieve competitive advantage (Luftman et al., 2005). Reich Benbasat (1996) define alignment as the degree of IT strategy necessary to support a businesss mission, objectives and plans. Many studies have been conducted to understand and assess the relationship between business and IT in organisations, most of which have adopted a quantitative methodology to validate empirically the relationship between IT investment and organisational performance and to provide credible evidence of the positive impact of aligning IT strategy to business strategy. Therefore, it was difficult to find a good qualitative research paper in this area (Cahn, 2000). The first paper (paper 1), entitled Understanding the business-IT relationship (Coughlan et al., 2005), follows a qualitative methodology and the second paper (paper 2), entitled Factors affecting IT and Business alignment: a comparative study in SMEs and large organisations (Gutierrez et al., 2009), follows a quantitative methodology. It is important to note that this work is not a comparison of the two papers; therefore, the papers are analysed separately to achieve a clearer picture. This paper is organised in the following way. Section 3 covers paper 1, highlighting its positive/negative points in terms of the researchs aim, objectives, design, and method. In addition, an alternative research strategy is proposed. Section 4 covers paper 2 in a similar way. The conclusions and implications of adopting different research strategies are discussed in section 5. Paper 1 Introduction This paper provides an insight into the Business and IT (BIT) relationship (alignment) in organisations taking a communication-based view on the concept of BIT alignment (Coughlan et al., 2005:303). In other words, it provides contextual insight into the BIT relationship, with particular reference to the organisational communication process. The authors noted that organisations need to develop and sustain a strong BIT relationship to benefit from the value-added development in todays demanding economy. BIT alignment is a complex process that involves creating many crossover links between different parts of the organisation and requires a strong BIT relationship. However, this relationship has suffered a divide that stems from the failure to justify high IT expenditure compared to business benefit. According to Coughlan et al. (2005), communication problems are the main contributor to the BIT relationship divide; therefore, a social-oriented approach was proposed to understand the flo w of information in organisations. This is an interpretive research paper adopting a case study strategy with which to collect and analyse qualitative data via semi-structured interviews, in order to achieve an in-depth understanding of the communication process in the BIT relationship context. The lack of the literatures attention to communication issues in the BIT relationship context was the driver for this inductive approach (Saunders et al., 2007). Research Purpose The research aim is to provide insight into the Business and IT (BIT) relationship in organisations via the following objectives: Identifying the areas and issues that affect communications in organisations (Coughlan et al., 2005:307). Categorising communication issues in organisations (Coughlan et al., 2005:306). Mapping the connections between organisational issues to the way in which they relate to IT (Coughlan et al., 2005:306). Investigating how different facets of the communication process interact in real life (Coughlan et al., 2005:307). Rationale for conducting this study The importance of the research topic was well justified by addressing the following points: Communication problems within the BIT relationship context are a major concern for both researchers and practitioners (Coughlan et al., 2005). Communication problems are a main contributor to the BIT relationship divide (Coughlan et al., 2005). Poor BIT communications are normal in the financial sector; therefore, the banking industry has created a new organisational role the Relationship Manager (RM) to deal with relationship communication problems (Coughlan et al., 2005). Despite the importance of communication within the BIT relationship and implications for the RMs role, there has been little attention given in the literature (Coughlan et al., 2005). Previous social studies (structuration theory and actor network theory) have provided theoretical analyses of the complexity between an organisation and its IT infrastructure, therefore a more practical approach required to empower practitioners with solutions. Research design A four-dimensional communication framework (PICTURE), based on Shannon Weavers (1994) classic model of communications, was used to guide the study. PICTURE was originally devised to improve IT system design: The acronym PICTURE represents real life communication components and their application: (1) Participation and selection; (2) Interaction; (3) Communications activities; (4) Techniques Used for Relationship Establishment. (Coughlan et al., 2005:306). The framework was used to guide the identification of important areas in the complex communication process. A clearly articulated conceptual framework is an important tool for guiding semi- structured interview themes, and provides a structured approach to interpreting the findings (Smyth, 2004). The study was conducted on a major high street UK bank, referred to as FinCo for reasons of confidentiality. Furthermore, the study was conducted at one point in time, focusing on two key areas of the organisation retail banking and IT. The retail banking division was chosen specifically because it is the biggest customer of the IT division, and research suggests that retail banking has deep organisational divisions (Coughlan et al., 2005). FinCo is an informative case for the following reasons: It has a rapid and extensive uptake of IT. IT is closely integrated into the organisation to support its information management processes. FinCo starting a relation management programme to facilitate BIT communications. FinCo has separated BID activities, creating a divide. Yin (2003 34-14) defined a case study as an empirical inquiry which investigates a phenomenon within its dynamic real life context to allow researchers to understand complex issues, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. A case study strategy with underlying interpretive philosophical assumptions was an appropriate choice for this study, since the aim of this work is to provide insight into the Business and IT (BIT) relationship in organisations (Coughlan et al., 2005:303), adopting a behavioural and social-oriented view, with communication difficulties featuring as a major determinant (Coughlan et al., 2005:304). The authors addressed the framework limitation by noting that the framework was used in this study to identify areas that affect the communication process and not as a measurement tool. Recognising and noting the research limitations is always good practice, as it gives future researchers a starting point to continue the study in this area. Research Method and Data Collection According to Coughlan et al. (2005), the communication process is dynamic and complex, involving individuals with different perspectives. A qualitative data collection method was adopted to provide deep understanding of the processs state, with reference to FinCos retail and IT relationship. This method is appropriate because it focuses on uncovering participants perceptions and experiences, which are difficult to uncover with a quantitative method (Ghauri Gronhaug, 2002). Coughlan et al. (2005) used semi-structured interviews to collect data, which were conducted with top-level managers from both retail banking and IT to capture their perceptions of both organisational areas. Each interview session lasted an hour based on a set of prepared questions and extra questions to expand on the relevant question. The questions were designed to probe for experiences, thoughts and opinions relating to BIT relationship perceptions. There was no explanation as to why the semi-structured interview methodology was chosen over unstructured interview or focus group methodologies, which are better suited as unstructured interviews are often used in case studies to uncover information without limiting the field of inquiry (Punch, 2005). Although Coughlan et al. (2005) noted that the interviews covered the spectrum of top-level managers, there was no mention of the sampling method used to justify the chosen number of interviews. My assumption is that the judgemental sampling method was used, since it is a very popular choice in qualitative research and involves the choice of participants who are in the best position to provide the required information (Saunders et al., 2007). The authors did not discuss reliability, which is a common criticism of qualitative researches. However, qualitative researches argue that reliability is not an issue in qualitative methodology because research replication is not feasible due to the complexity of the research topic and context. Nevertheless, credibility could have been promoted through any of the following: audio recording of the interviews to reduce interviewer bias during data analysis (Ghauri Gronhaug, 2002); providing the interviewees with a list of interview themes to allow them to gather supporting organisational documents that could be used as secondary data (Triangulation); using a respondent validation technique by submitting research findings to the interviewees to confirm that the findings represent the social reality (Bryman Bell, 2007). Alternative Research Strategy The research problem should always drive the research method (Cryer, 2006). As discussed earlier, the aim of the study is to provide insight into the Business and IT (BIT) relationship in organisations identifying relevant areas and the issues (variables) that affect communications in organisations. A pure quantitative strategy is not an option for this study, as this can only be used when the studys variables are identified clearly. In other words, researchers generally have a very clear idea on what is being measured before they start measuring it. Nevertheless, a mixed methodology can be used to improve confidence in findings and to overcome qualitative strategy limitations. Mixed method studies attempt to bring together methods from contrasting research strategies. The authors could have started with a qualitative research method, e.g. in-depth interviews with BIT managers from different organisational levels followed by a thematic content analysis of the transcribed interview ma terial to help understand and identify communication issues in the organisation. Once they identify the communication areas and issues with reference to the BIT relationship in this organisation, they can test the credibility of the findings by conducting a questionnaire survey of other BIT managers in other organisations. An online questionnaire with close-ended questions is best here for ease of administration. Qualitative and quantitative methods can be complementary when used in sequence (Bryman Bell, 2007). Summary The research objectives and questions were not explicitly or clearly exhibited in this paper. In a well structured research paper, a research objective should be clearly defined and expressed within the research purpose section, and it is very important to clearly define the research questions to help form research objectives (Saunders et al., 2007). A comprehensive literature review was conducted to justify the importance of the research topic. A case study strategy with unstructured interviews would have been more suitable for an interpretive approach, but the research method section was very short, which affected transferability; qualitative researchers are encouraged to provide a detailed description of their methodology and findings to give others the option of adapting these findings to their environment. For example, a clear mapping between PICTURE components and the semi-structured interview questions would add more credibility to the study (Bryman Bell, 2007). Paper 2 Introduction The main aim of this study is to identify the organisational size impact on the way they perceive Business and IT strategic alignment and the relationship between the alignment factors and their planning integration strategy (Gutierrez et al., 2009). Gutierrez et al. 2009 noted that IT alignment remains one of the top issues for top-level IT managers, and for the past two decades many studies on Business and IT alignment have been conducted, starting with alignment definition, how to achieve it, factors affecting it, and its value to organisations. Most of these studies provided a theoretical understanding of this process, and a few of them provided practical solutions to measure alignment; however, these models could not be generalised as they were case-specific. According to Gutierrez et al. (2009), various alignment factors have been identified, e.g. prior IS success, the communication level between business executives, domain-shared knowledge and planning integration. Most of these studies were based on large organisations. The research approach is positivistic, seeking to identify and measure the importance of the business and IT alignment factors (variables) with reference to organisational size. It utilises an appropriate quantitative methodology, i.e. conducting a survey of a sample of top-level management respondents to collect data via an online questionnaire (Saunders et al., 2007). Research Purpose A positive aspect of the study is that the objectives were clearly depicted as below: To identify whether small, medium and large enterprises have different perceptions as to which of the factors described by Luftman (2000) in the strategic alignment model (SAM) are more relevant to attain alignment (Gutierrez et al., 2009:198). To identify whether there are any correlations between the factors and the planning integration strategy adopted in the organisations (Gutierrez et al., 2009:198). Although the research objectives were clearly defined in this paper, the research questions were not explicitly or clearly exhibited. Clear research questions leave the reader in no doubt as to exactly what the study seeks to achieve (Saunders et al., 2007). Research design Gutierrez et al. (2009) analysed many scholarly alignment assessment models systematically, which were categorised to identify practical models that used data analysis to score factors affecting alignment. The analyses helped to identify four sets of authors Reich Benbasat 2000, Hussin et al. (2002), Chan et al. (2006) and Sledgianowski et al. (2006) whose models are appropriate for the context of the study (see Appendix1). The latters work was based on Luftmans Strategic Alignment Model (SAM). The authors demonstrated that a critical literature review was conducted to justify the choice of Luftmans SAM and to include organisational size and planning integration factors, as they were not explored in enough detail. Justifying the above measures is a positive aspect of the paper (Saunders et al., 2007, p.54). Gutierrez et al. (2009) chose SAM as an assessment model for this research for the following reasons: It can be used to assess any level of alignment in an organisation. It has been validated via Sledgianowski et al. (2006)s extensive study. It covered most of the alignment factors used in the other three models (see Appendix A). The study adopted a comparative cross-sectional design to collect quantitative data from a large number of cases (managers) at a single point of time; the data were related to predefined variables (factors and attributes) (Bryman Bell, 2007). Research Method and Data Collection An initial questionnaire with twenty-one questions was tested by twenty-two professionals to assess the participants understanding of it. The feedback resulted in changing the questionnaire to include only twelve relevant questions to map to SAM factors: communication, competency/value measurement, governance, partnership, scope and skills (Gutierrez et al., 2009:203). In addition, the analysis of the pilot test data confirmed the importance of planning integration and its three stages independent, sequential and simultaneous. Pilot testing is crucial to a self-administered questionnaire in order to ensure there are no problems with the questions. Furthermore, it enables the researcher to assess the questions validity and the reliability of the collected data. An additional short questionnaire could have been used to obtain structured feedback (Saunders et al., 2007). Gutierrez et al. (2009) explained that conducting an online survey with a standardised set of questions was appropriate for this study, as there is no room for individual interpretation and it provides easy access to a large number of participants in different geographical locations. This is a positive point in terms of justifying the choice of the research method, but there was no explicit explanation as to the relationship between this method and the implicit positivistic research approach. This is a general criticism of quantatative papers. While Gutierrez et al. (2009) discussed the reasons for choosing executives, managers and top managers as targeted participants, it was not clear as to whether they were business or IT managers. This distinction should have been made very clear, as the questionnaire was designed to measure both IT and business peoples perceptions of the alignment factors importance, e.g. in the communication factor section of the questionnaire, participants were asked to rate two attributes. The first question rated the understanding of business strategies by the IT department (this should be answered by IT people to accurately represent the reality), while the second question rated the understanding of IT capabilities by the business department (this should be answered by business people) (Gutierrez et al., 2009:205). This is a two-way measurement and requires participants from both sides this is an extremely negative point that could affect the findings reliability and validity and could have been avoided by either describing the targeted participants in more depth, i.e. justifying this choice in terms of their suitability to provide representative answers, or by redesigning the questionnaire so that some questions could be answered by different respondent categories. Neither the limitations nor the sampling process are discussed. It is important to follow a sampling process that includes the following sequential activities: defining the population, choosing a sampling frame, selecting a sampling method, determining sample size, specifying an operational plan, and finally executing the plan. Following this process will help in achieving a representative sample and consequently help the researcher to be confident about the studys findings. Another positive outcome of this process is the ability to calculate the response rate, which is a decisive factor in evaluating the reliability of survey results, i.e. findings are seen as more accurate if the response rate is high. The response rate was mentioned very briefly: organisations around the world were requested to participate in the survey by telephone to achieve a better response rate (Gutierrez et al., 2009:206). In addition, the data collection section mentioned that a total number of 161 response s were collected and only complete questionnaires were used for data analysis. The questionnaire design was appropriate in terms of including the studys identified alignment factors. It had two parts, the first of which contained questions with regards to the respondents organisational profiles and the level of planning integration. The second part covered the factors prioritisation. Another positive aspect of the research design is that organisational size was defined to achieve consistency when referring to a small, medium or large organisation. Data Collection The data collection section was very brief; hence it would be very difficult to replicate the study. Moreover, the phrase organisations around the world (Gutierrez et al., 2009:205) is a very weak description of the population. According to Gutierrez et al. (2009), a total number of 161 responses were collected and only 104 complete questionnaires were used for the data analysis. The data collection section should be detailed to allow for replication, which provides some assurance of the results validity, reliability and generalisability. In addition, Gutierrez et al. (2009) used the term survey instead of questionnaire on more than one occasion throughout the paper. It should have been noted that there is a clear distinction between a survey and questionnaire the first is a method and the second is a tool used for this method (Saunders et al., 2007). Alternative Research Strategy The research strategy should always be driven by the research aim. An interpretive qualitative strategy is not applicable in this study, as the main objective of this study is to measure the relationship between well-defined variables. Qualitative methods are used mainly to study human behaviour and behaviour changes, and are more applicable if the research topic is new and there is not much in the literature to guide the researcher. As discussed earlier, many studies on Business and IT alignment factors have been conducted for the past two decades, during the process of which the alignment factors have been identified. Summary This paper is well structured in general and the research objectives clear. However, the research questions did not explicitly present the research strategy. The research design had a few negative points, e.g. a targeted population and the size were not defined clearly. Ideally, research papers should include a measure and measurement section to address the targeted population, concept indicators and instrument reliability and validity. However, not all researchers follow the recommended practices, e.g. some rarely provide information about stability tests and measurement validity and only 3% of research papers provide measurement validity information (Bryman Bell, 2007). The data collection method is appropriate for achieving the research objectives, as conducting a survey is a popular choice amongst positivist methods. Nevertheless, a clear justification for the choice of this data collection method in the light of the research design would add more credibility to the paper. No at tention was given to error control, e.g. sampling-related and data collection errors. The best part of the paper is the abstract section, which is very structured and clear. Additional structured interviews with Business and IT executives in other similar organisations, utilising the same questions used in the questionnaire, would help in overcoming the above gaps and confirm the studys findings. Conclusion Two research papers that followed contrasting research methodologies were analysed critically. Both papers had positive and negative points, regardless of their philosophical positions and design strategies. In any credible research paper, well-defined and clear objectives are vital, as they should lead the research design and, consequently, the method. Hence, defining the research problem is the first and most important step of the research process, as it is highly likely that an unsuitable research design and method will be selected if the research problems are not defined clearly. Choosing between qualitative and quantitative methods or mixing them depends on the studys questions; both methodologies have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, qualitative research provides complex textual descriptions of peoples behaviour that cant be provided by a contrasting methodology, since quantitative research focuses frequently on the study of meanings in the form of attitude scales. The main issue of any research is the credibility of its findings, regardless of the researchers philosophical position. This can be achieved by utilising multi methods (data collection triangulation within the same research strategy) or mixed methods (qualitative followed by quantitative and vice versa) (Saunders et al., 2007). Researchers are trying to find effective ways to incorporate elements of the contrasting strategies to ensure the accuracy of their studies. As a result, mixed, or combined, methodology research is becoming increasingly popular in the business and management field (Bryman Bell, 2007).

Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Disorder Health And Social Care Essay

Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Disorder Health And Social Care Essay Musculoskeletal disorders, also called repetitive motion disorder, are injuries of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, nerves, and spinal discs. It could lead to occupation injury because of repetitive movement, forceful exertion, poor posture, and other factors. Back pain is one of musculoskeletal disorders most commonly experienced radiographers or x-ray technicians. This is attributed to poor posture and wrong movements that radiographers used to do during their long working hours (1) One common wrong movement practiced by radiographers is carrying cassettes on the hip, which puts load on one side of body and imparts torsional strain on the spinal muscles. Other wrong movements include; lifting patient by one radiographer with arms and legs in straight position, and bending from their waist with straight legs to retrieve an object from the floor (1-3). To avoid back pain among the radiographers, there must be safety rules and principles to follow during working hours. Literature Review: Several studies aimed to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and occupational therapy among radiographers. All showed similar result indicating that the most common pain among radiographers was low back pain (4-9). Back pain among radiographers: An initial study of back pain was done by D. Wright and P. Witt (1993) to indicate any incidence of back pain, obtain demographic data, and discover preferences for performing radiography tasks. Randomly, 226 radiographers were chosen but only 18 male and 92 female radiographers accept to actively participate. Most of them worked in general diagnostic areas and were divided into two group. The first group consisted of participants with back pain from both genders. The male mean age was 40.08, mean height 68.3 inches, average of weight 181 pounds, and average of back pain intensity 2.4 on 10 point scales. The female mean age36.79, mean height 64.5 inches, average of weight 146 pounds and average of back pain intensity 3.5 on 10 point scales. Both males and females with back pain reported 6.85 of work related stress. The second group was without back pain. The male mean age was 43, mean height 69.8 inches, and average of weight 171 pounds. The female mean age37.56, mean height 64.8 inc hes, and average of weight 142 pounds. Their mean age was 43 for males and 37.56 for females. Instrument of the study was through the use of a survey with eight written pages and demographic information related to age, height, weight, area of specialization, work related stress, intensity and anatomical distribution of back pain. It was distributed to the volunteer to collect descriptive frequency data on back pain and their methods to perform 10 tasks. Some of these tasks were: moving over head tube, carrying multiple cassettes and transferring horizontal patient. It was found that there was no significant age, height, weight related links for back pain. It was also found that the methods to perform the tasks was not related to back pain. The study suggested that repeated poor posture, back strain, and faulty body mechanics may lead to back pain. However due to small sample size and self selected survey the study had limitations (4). Risk factors and musculoskeletal complaints in X-ray technologists: Another study was done by E. Bos, et al (2007) to determine prevalence rates of musculoskeletal complaints of neck, shoulder and low back and perceived exposure to risk factors. Non-specialized nurses, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses, operation room nurses, and x-ray technologists (n= 3169), worked in 8 different hospitals, were included in the study. A Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, which is a standardized questionnaire, partly derived from the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, was given to the subjects to collect personal information and demographic information such as height, weight, function, having managerial task, working hours, and work in past and lifestyle. Moreover, musculoskeletal complaints, musculoskeletal workload, health, task, and psychosocial working conditions items were included. The final results clearly showed that x-ray technologists and nurses reported low back complaints (5). Musculoskeletal complaints among x-ray technologists: A cross-sectional study was done by A. Lorusso, S. Bruno, and N. Là ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢abbate (2007) included two hundred and fourteen x-ray technologists working in 13 different hospital in Italy. The volunteers were given a self administered questionnaire to collect information on individual characteristics and compliance of musculoskeletal pain. They were asked if they had lifted patients, transferred lead apron wearing, and handled cassettes. A Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used in order to evaluate musculoskeletal complaints in neck, shoulder, low back, hand/wrist, and legs during the past 12 months. The mean age was 48.5 years for men and 42.8 years for women. Fifty six of them were smokers, and 119 had a regular exercise program. The result reported low back pain as the most commonly symptom followed by shoulder and neck pain (6). Musculoskeletal complaints among x-ray technology students: Lorusso, L, et al (2010) aimed in their study to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among a group of x-ray technology students. The subjects consisted of 60 male students and 49 female students (n=109). Their mean age was 21.1 years and of their body mass index (BMI) was twenty three. The students were given a questionnaire that had been used in a musculoskeletal survey among X-ray technologists. It collected information on individual characteristics such as gender, age, height/weight, smoking status, and leisure time physical activities. Information about physical exposure during training and complaint about the presence of musculoskeletal pain were also collected. The participants were also asked if they had lifted patients, transferred or positioned portable equipment handling, lead apron wearing and cassettes. A Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used to evaluate musculoskeletal complaints in specific body regions such as neck, shoulder, low back, hand and wrist and legs. The result showed that low back pain (LBP) was the most reported symptoms followed by neck and shoulder pain (7). Musculoskeletal disorders among radiographers in Kuwait: Sheikha Al-Kindari, el al (2008) investigated musculoskeletal disorder among radiographers in Kuwait. Data were collected by questionnaire from 147 radiographers who were working in different governmental hospitals. The questionnaire included 6 different parts, including demographic data, education and the current job, physical risk factor related with the regular work, psychological risk factor related with the regular work, general health status, and exist of any musculoskeletal problem in body. Musculoskeletal disorder on neck and lower back regions was the highest percentage because of standing for a long time, moving different equipments, lifting, caring, pushing and pulling loads (8). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among radiographers: Finally, Kao, et al (2009) checked the relationship between musculoskeletal disorder and work related risk factor in radiography department. The subjects were 107 from radiography department. The majority worked at the department less than 5 years and were divided in different sections such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), X-ray, Ultrasound (US), and other. A questionnaire, which contained questions on work characteristics, work description, posture during long period, and body pain, was completed by the subjects. A modified body map also was used to indicate areas of experienced pain. It was categorized to upper back pain, upper limb pain, lower back pain, and lower limb pain. The participants were asked if their pain was related to their work, and were included to the study if there had answered with partially or fully related. Ninety seven subjects continued in the study while 7 refused and 3 pregnant women were excluded. The result of this study was a high percentage on low back pain and upper limb pain. The association between low back pain and working in CT was also significant because of heavy workload such as heavy lifting, twisting, and bending. The study limitations included small subject size, self reporting for measurement of outcomes limited, and estimations were some of limitations of this study (9). Biomechanical principles According to previous studies (3-4), musculoskeletal complaints among radiographers is caused by wrong movements such as repeated back strain, poor posture, and faulty body mechanics. To avoid the musculoskeletal pain, biomechanical principles must be followed. These principles include: Keeping a load à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cassettes and tubeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  close to center of gravity (COG) Carrying the cassette vertically against chest rather than carrying it on the hip to avoid the load on one side of the body and imparts torsional strain on the spinal muscles. Lowering the tube to waist height before moving it horizontally to avoid back strain. Using legs muscles rather than paraspinal muscles Pushing mobile unit rather than pulling it. Transferring horizontal patient with assistance from 2 people with apart feet and straight legs. Bending knee, slightly bending back forward to pick up objects form floor. Avoiding twisting the back while loading paraspinal muscles when moving Bucky tray, moving supplies, moving equipment through doorways, working with wheelchair patients, and placing a cassette behind a bed redden patient. Using both hand to move the Bucky tray. Conclusion Musculoskeletal disorders are injuries of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, nerves, and spinal discs. Back pain is the most common musculoskeletal disorder among radiographers due to poor posture and wrong movements such as carrying cassettes on hip, lifting patient by one radiographer, and bending from their waist to retrieve an object from the floor. Several studies were done aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among the x-ray technologists. The results confirmed that 72% and 77% prevalence of low back pain respectively among male and female radiographers, respectively (10-11). Biomechanical principles such as keeping a load close to center of gravity, using legs muscles, avoiding twisting back, and using both hand to move the Bucky tray, are recommended in order to avoid musculoskeletal pain in radiographers.