Aircraft Trajectory Prediction

Literature Review Aircraft Trajectory Prediction By Cameron Sheridan I. Abstract The purpose of this review is to identify and analyse work that is currently being done on aircraft trajectory prediction (ATP); particularly the approach of modern day researchers to the problematic issue of the growingly clustered airspace. The benefits of this review include the exploration of several sub-topics of the literature.Through examining the current methods towards trajectory modelling validation and the techniques that are now employed to neutralise error sources, it was found that with the modern-day approaches an algorithm and its trajectory prediction (TP) can be assessed and consequently improved upon. A number of systems pertinent to conflict are discussed and results are presented which illustrate and compare the effectiveness of heading and altitudinal resolution manoeuvres.Additionally, a number of recent developments and innovations in the field pertinent to the technologies and te chniques used are discussed, thus illustrating a clear indication of research still moving forward in this field. II. Introduction An ATP is a ‘mapping of points over a time interval [a,b] to the space R? ’ (Tastambekova et al. 2010, p. 2). Although this is correct in many senses, this explanation fails to acknowledge the intricacy and designed purpose. More accurately, a TP module has the capacity to calculate the future flight path of an aircraft given that it has been supplied with the required data, i. . the flight intent, an aircraft performance model, and finally, an estimation of the future atmospheric/environmental conditions (Swierstra and Green 2004). An aircraft trajectory is a future path of an aircraft that can be represented visually in three forms: 2D, 3D and 4D (x, y, altitude and time) with 4D the more frequently used nowadays by air traffic control (ATC) and air traffic management (ATM) due to its far more realistic representation and ease of interpret ation (Vivona et al. 2010; Poretta et al. 010; Paglione and Oaks 2009). The significance of ATP is certainly appreciated. There is support for the importance of TP and the role it plays in advanced ATM operations, especially with a growingly clustered airspace in the next decade (Lee et al. 2010; Porretta et al. 2010 and Denery et al. 2011). The most crucial function of a TP however, as viewed by Lymperopoulos and Lygeros (2010), is to supply advice to ATC. Consequently, they can then make well-informed executive judgments to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our airspace.The purpose of this study is to inform what is happening in this field through examination of both the developments within ATP and the current problems facing researchers: namely, the significant increase in air-traffic by 2025. This will be done through exploring recent literature in this field that pertains to: conflict detection and resolution; the technologies and techniques involved; and, the error source s that are involved with a prediction and their subsequent effect on the uncertainty of a prediction. III. Modelling Validation and UncertaintiesEfficiency and accuracy are two central points of this literature, which alone could be considered as the determining factors of a respectable TP model; thus, sufficient research is required to improve both, without the sacrifice of one. How does one validate the performance of an algorithm and whether its TP is ‘accurate’? The common answer it seems (Anonymous 2010 and Paglione and Oaks 2007, pp. 2) is through the degree of conformity between the measured or predicted data and the true data of an aircraft at a given time. A. Uncertainties Figure 1: Paglione and Oaks (2009) Figure 1: Paglione and Oaks (2009)Uncertainties are perhaps the biggest hurdle in further advancements in this field. Obviously, as the prediction increases in time, the uncertainties of the flight begin to take effect – up to a point where the trajec tory becomes almost impossible to predict accurately with any degree of assurance. The consequential effect of uncertainties in a prediction may result in: two or more aircrafts losing separation; an aircraft not arriving to schedule; or even, the inability to detect flaws in either the ATP algorithm or the aircraft itself, to name a few. Therefore, there is a need to lessen the ffect of these lingering burdens. In reality this is quite difficult, and as such, requires particular attention of the algorithms used by an aircraft to validate its performance. B. Modelling Validation Performance validation verifies that a TP model performs correctly, and determines the degree of accuracy of a model’s representation compared to the real system (Vivona et al. 2010 and Garcia et al. 2009). There are further ways to validate predicted data; such methods include those shown by Paglione and Oaks (2007) who looked at the associated accuracy metrics; Poretta et al. 2008) who evaluated a 4 D TP model for civil aircraft; and finally, the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) evaluation process of a TP (see figure 1). This practice and its application have been shown by Paglione and Oaks (2009). Inspired by the relationship of trajectory predictors to higher level applications, the authors stressed the need for improving modelling procedures through an iterative process consisting of four stages. Fredrick et al. (2009) were able to analyse ways to validate a program with their test and evaluation process.Particular focus was on a metrics approach which offers measures on the performance of an aircraft. This method may provide greater effectiveness in programs and is proclaimed to play a â€Å"critical role as a continuum of supporting activities for the TP programs† [Fredrick et al. (2009), pp. 9]. Vivona et al. (2010) also proposed a new methodology in her work which is designed for a similar purpose. The techniques used are titled ‘white box testing’ and â⠂¬Ëœtest bench testing’.The former involves knowledge of the internal processes that occur within a TP model, and through this information there will be a sequence of tests which accumulate together to validate the entire TP. The latter test is slightly different in that, as opposed to analysing current state data, it requires entering input data into an algorithm’s interface and then assessing the data that was produced as a result. Both are expected to become more commonly used in the approaching years. C. Error Sources and Corrective MeasuresJackson (2010) reiterated the ineffectiveness and poor performance of automation systems in the company of errors and uncertainty sources. This suggests, and was considered equally by Paglione and Oaks (2009) and Vivona et al. (2010) that the performance of these systems is dependent on the accuracy of the TP. Consequently, the requirement to minimise all potential error sources has particular precedence in current research. Env ironmental factors (wind, temperature, air pressure, etc. ), along with human errors and algorithmic/system imperfections are the typical causes for the uncertainty in a prediction.Further error sources such as: the measurement of aircraft state; aircraft performance models; knowledge of aircraft guidance modes and control targets; atmospheric model; and, clearance issues are all predicted to be integral to the improvement of TP modelling accuracy in the near future (Jackson 2010). Alternatively, rather than striving for a flawless system, processes such as the offline smoothing algorithm (Paielli 2011); application of the rapid update cycle (RUC) of the weather (Lee et al. 010); and techniques that take the perspective of the DST user [Interval based sampling technique (IBST)] (Paglione and Oaks 2007) have been established to improve aspects of a prediction model. The first of these has the capacity to improve the accuracy of DR predictions through the smoothing of the radar tracks (shown below). Blue dots Way-points Black full-line Actual path of aircraft Red curve Smoothing of track Blue dots Way-points Black full-line Actual path of aircraft Red curve Smoothing of trackThis was demonstrated through application of the technique on past recorded operational error cases. The usage of RUC provides ATC with the benefit of detecting ‘regional variations of uncertainty that are related to actual weather phenomena’ (Lee et al. 2010, pp. 14). The concept behind IBST is that a trajectory provided to a controller may be old and thus filled with errors and uncertainties; so, this two-step process operates by determining the accuracy of the aircraft – through computing spatial errors – after passing through pre-determined waypoints (Paglione and Oaks 2007).Additionally, given the effect of environmental factors on a prediction, there are procedures present to counter the influence of the sources. Russell (2010) presented the ‘consolidat ed storm prediction for aviation’, which is a prediction on the water content of clouds done through a grid-based prediction which may forecast predictions anywhere up to 8 hours. Results showed that this system was effective up to 2 hours as the predicted data correlated well with the observed weather within a given sector; however, as expected, when the look-ahead time increased the accuracy and reliability steadily decreased.IV. Conflict Detection and Resolution A. Conflict Detection There has been a quantity of research on CDR within this literature, particularly over the last few years (Denery et al. 2011 Erzberger et al. 2009; Tang et al. 2008 and Paielli 2008). In order to overcome the problem of ensuring air safety, technology must exist which prevents a conflict from occurring. A conflict, in an aeronautic context, as described by Paglione and Oaks (2009) is a situation where two or more aircraft exceed the minimum separation distance standards, which can be deduced through a visual TP.The purpose of CDR systems is to alarm ATC well in advance of a predicted collision occurring to allow preventative measures (Erzberger et al. 2009). Paielli (2008) believes that the key challenge in the next decade will be to establish an automated system that is capable of ensuring that the collision probability remains low, even in the face of a number of possible hindrances: i. e. the predicted increase in air traffic in future decades; the (at times) complexity of the system; frequent false alarms; and, the capability of CDR tools to advise the most appropriate manoeuvre.Three of the most highly regarded and reviewed conflict systems amongst ATC (Tang et al. 2008; Paielli 2008; Paglione and Oaks 2009; and Erzberger et al. 2009) are Tactical Separation-Assisted Flight Environment (TSAFE), Conflict Probe (CP), Conflict Alert (CA), and User Request Evaluation Tool (URET). TSAFE has two primary functions 1) conformance monitoring – a process that determin es the degree to which an aircraft is meeting its earlier prediction; and 2) trajectory synthesis – the construction of the 4D path.URET was developed to help air traffic controllers by supporting a greater number of user-preferred flight profiles, and increasing both user flexibility and system capacity. ERAM is a Federal Aviation Administration system that has been designed primarily to deal with both route requests and in flight alterations swiftly. Figure 1: Poretta et al. (2010) Figure 1: Poretta et al. (2010) Paglione and Oaks (2009) highlighted the correlation between a TP’s accuracy and a decision supports tool’s (DST) performance. They assessed a number of statistical analysis models including TP metrics (i. . horizontal and vertical) and conflict probe metrics (Along-track; Cross-track; horizontal error; and, altitude). They focus on and use these accuracy metrics to establish a ratio value. Ratio= Horizontal or vertical separationMinimum allowed separ ation distance (i. e. parameter cut off value) As this ratio increases, the likelihood of producing false and missed conflict alerts increases– while the probability of producing valid alerts decreases. In Paglione and Oaks (2009) they identified the requirement for a ‘process improvement model’ – i. . Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) – to evaluate and find possible enhancements on a studied TP system to reduce the ratio value. Investigations into false alerts and missed conflict detects have also been conducted recently by Denery et al. (2011) and Poretta et al. (2010). Processes Decisions Data that may be modified Data that may not be modified Algorithm execution flow ——- Data flow Processes Decisions Data that may be modified Data that may not be modified Algorithm execution flow ——- Data flowThe latter presented a CDR algorithm (figure 2) which shown by numerical results, is able to produce a conflict-free trajectory whilst a lso noting the aircrafts capabilities to perform all recommended resolution manoeuvres. Figure 2: Poretta et al. (2010) Figure 2: Poretta et al. (2010) Figure 3: Denery et al. (2011) Figure 3: Denery et al. (2011) Denery et al. (2011) highlighted consequent issues to the above problems – principally, the distraction of controllers and the need to constantly verify whether a concern exists or not.In reply, they proposed a new algorithm, flight-intent (FI) that takes into consideration the present status of the aircraft and all available intent data. Tests were performed with this system in comparison to two other conflict detection algorithms: dual trajectory algorithm (Dual) and dead reckoning (DR). Results (figure 3) illustrate that the FI algorithm yields considerably less false alert rates, especially when the algorithm – already incorporated with area navigation (RNAV) and a noise integrated routing system (NIR) – was paired with the integrated administratio n and control system (IAC).B. Conflict Resolution Additionally, Anonymous (2010) also noted that two of another CDR systems (conflict probe) faults – including conflict alerts – are that the technology is at times inefficient and will occasionally produce false alerts (or conversely, the lack thereof alerts). The CP’s performance is also compared to URET in tests performed by Santiago et al. (2010). Deductions that were made from this report included the possible benefits of increasing both the look-ahead time of a prediction to 25min, and the minimum horizontal parameters. Further investigation (Paielli 2008; Paielli et al. 009; and Denery et al. 2011) with TSAFE has been ongoing with the aim to develop an algorithm to perform at least as effectively as URET. Ryan et al. (2008) also looked at achieving this goal. They analysed and compared an emerging conflict resolution algorithm, ERAM, against URET in a quantity of tests and comparisons that were designed to evaluate the precision of the technology. ERAM’s accuracy and strategic conflict notification capabilities were belittled in comparison to the URET system, where ERAM only managed to obtain the minimum standard in two of the seven test categories.TSAFE is often used as a back-up strategic system that computes simple resolution manoeuvres to resolve potential conflicts that are expected to occur within two minutes (Denery et al. , 2011; Paielli et al. 2009; Alonso-Ayuso et al. 2011). TSAFE and its application during en route is the primary focus of Paielli (2011). Examined in his work was the heading-trials algorithm that he developed. This system produces a number of possible manoeuvre resolutions that change the heading of the involved aircraft in  ±10? increments up to  ±90? f the original direction of travel. The best of these manoeuvres – in terms of cost and applicability – is then measured against the best altitude manoeuvre by means of a separation ra tio (see pp. 4). His experimentation was on 100 past operational error cases where a conflict had occurred. His results (shown on table 1) illustrate the effectiveness of each manoeuvre in each particular situation. Consequently, he was able to deduce that altitudinal amendments were far more advantageous than his proposed heading algorithm. For e. g. the right most column indicates that when the separation ratio was ? 1. 2, 95% of the altitudinal amendments resulted in a successful avoidance of conflict, whilst the heading algorithm only resolved a comparably low 62% For e. g. the right most column indicates that when the separation ratio was ? 1. 2, 95% of the altitudinal amendments resulted in a successful avoidance of conflict, whilst the heading algorithm only resolved a comparably low 62% Separation ratio (? ) %| | 0. 2| 0. 4| 0. 6| 0. | 1. 0| 1. 2| No resolution| 98| 92| 74| 25| 0| 0| Heading only| 99| 95| 91| 77| 71| 62| Altitude only| 100| 100| 100| 100| 99| 95| Heading + a ltitude| 100| 100| 100| 100| 100| 98| Table 1: Paielli (2011) Table 1: Paielli (2011) Similarly, Paielli (2008) performed a comparable experiment with a restricted focus on altitude manoeuvres. His results further validated the success of such resolution procedures, particularly when augmented altitude amendments were supplemented to the input data (see table 2).The purpose of adding these amendments in his experiment was to compensate for the controllers negligence or inability to do so at the time of the conflict occurring. Note: Other tests and procedures that were tested in (Paeilli 2008) are not shown, i. e. altitude rejections; temporary altitudes; step altitudes; and, critical level-offs. Note: Other tests and procedures that were tested in (Paeilli 2008) are not shown, i. e. altitude rejections; temporary altitudes; step altitudes; and, critical level-offs. | Separation ratio (? ) %| | 0. | 0. 4| 0. 6| 0. 8| 1. 0| 1. 2| No resolution| 99| 94| 75| 29| 0| 0| Augmented altitude amendments| 100| 99| 99| 97| 94| 90| Table 2: Paeilli (2008) Table 2: Paeilli (2008) Note was made in both reports that operational error cases are by no means a precise representation of the computer-generated routine operation that occurred. Given the importance of conflict detection and resolution it is important that ample research continues in this field to ensure the safety and welfare of all air traffic. V. Techniques and Technologies A. TechnologiesCDR could not be possible if there wasn’t the appropriate equipment present today to compute the complex algorithms that are used. A 4D TP is established upon no easy means. Cate et al. (2008) articulate that it not only requires (at times) convoluted formulas, but also the technology and methodologies to then dissect and string together the state and intent data of the aircraft. The techniques and technologies currently utilised are crucial in this field. Already discussed above are a number of systems which are integral to the concept of trajectory prediction as they all serve a specific purpose.This is exemplified when looking at the conflict detection and resolution component of this literature, where there are often four stages to the process: 1) Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) which focuses on the immediate future (

Target, Appendix 1, Case 3 Essays

Target, Appendix 1, Case 3 Essays Target, Appendix 1, Case 3 Essay Target, Appendix 1, Case 3 Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Target, Appendix 1, Case 3 1. What micro environmental factors have affected Target’s performance over the past few years? Target’s performance has been affected by a range of micro environmental factors. The major micro environmental factor was the drop in sales revenues and the dwindling profits. Wal-Mart’s sales were growing, and that meant that Target’s sales would go down since consumers preferred Wal-Mart for Target. The inability of Target’s managers to identify a solution to the problem of dropping sales and develop a viable course of action also affected Target’s performance. Another micro environmental factor was the thriftiness of customers all over America, which endeared them to Wal-Mart. The impatience of Target’s shareholders and the pressure they exerted on the company’s board to deliver was also a major factor. The marketing strategies that were adopted by the management also failed to turn things around. However hard the company tried, they were unable to establish a firm grip on the market. 2. What macro environmental factors have affected Target’s performance during that period? Target’s performance was affected by the global financial crisis that hit the world during that time. The crisis caused a fall in GDP and massive unemployment. This affected the buying habits of customers who then preferred to buy from Wal-Mart due to their legacy as a low-cost discounting store. Wal-Mart, Target’s main competitor, was attracting more customers because of its low-cost selling strategy. Consumption patterns were all of a sudden frugal; this made Target lose many customers since it was perceived as a luxury store. Another possible macro-environmental factor that must have affected Target’s performance was the coverage of its underperformance by the media. The focus on its falling sales by the media might have created the impression that it was selling at higher prices. 3. By focusing on the â€Å"pay less† part of its slogan, has target pursued the best strategy? Why or why not? Target’s pay less strategy was a good idea. It marketed target as a store that sells at lower prices than other stores. The focus on the â€Å"pay less† part was important especially during a time when consumers were thrift in their spending. It also meant that Target would compete with Wal-Mart for those consumers who preferred to buy goods at lower prices. The â€Å"pay less† part marketed Target as a discounting outlet and placed Target at a level playing field with competitors like Wal-Mart. 4. What alternative strategy might Target have followed in responding to the first signs of declining revenues and profits? Target should have embarked on massive re-branding of its stores and advertisement strategies. The stores and products should have been made to reflect a new price cutting strategy. The idea should have been to convince the customer that target is no longer a luxury store but a low price discount outlet. Rather than focusing on the â€Å"pay less† part of its slogan alone, Target should have engaged the consumer to find out the reason they preferred Wal-Mart and identify how they can improve their customer service. 5. Given Target’s current situation, what recommendations would you make to CEO Steinhafel for his company’s future? The company should continue with its re-branding initiative while at the same time marketing Target as a destination for quality products. They should also market Target aggressively using the â€Å"pay less† slogan. This will inform consumers that Target stocks lower-price products than its competitors. Target should monitor customer behavior and interact with them to find out their preferences and identify shortcomings in customer service. The management must ensure that they are constantly in touch with customers for feedback on performance and service rendered.

After Reading quot;Richard Coryquot; And quot;Shot So

After Reading quot;Richard Coryquot; And quot;Shot So After Reading Richard Cory And Shot So Quick... By A. E. Housman And The – Essay Example Lecturer Essay # Analysis of poems: Short? So quick, so clean an ending and Richard Cory Short? So quick, so clean an ending and Richard Cory are two poems that directly speak about human experiences. In both poems, the subjects end up committing suicide in order to run away from some form of problem. In both poems, the authors demonstrate that human beings can go to great lengths in an attempt to address the problems they face. Therefore, in these two poems, suicide is used as the vehicle to escape from one’s irreversible mistakes and avoid inflicting the suffering onto others. In Short? So quick, so clean an ending, the author shows that the subject had been suffering from some form of public humiliation; ‘After long disgrace and scorn’ (Houseman, 10). Therefore, in order to avoid this humiliation, the only option was to commit suicide. In addition, it is shown that he had to do so because he did not want to offend those around him: ‘You would not live to wrong your brothers’ (Houseman, 19). For this reason, self inflicted death is a way of avoid the spread of one’s suffering onto others. Similarly, in Richard Cory, Richard committed suicide because he lacked something. Although the poem does not explicitly state exactly what he lacked, it is clear that it was something he could not change. Richard had everything; â€Å"And he was rich- yes, richer than a king† (Robinson, 9), and the people admired him. by looking at his appearance and wealth, the people thought Richard â€Å"was everything† (Robinson, 11). Although he appeared to lead a comfortable life, one day he â€Å"put a bullet through his head† (Robinson, 16). Richard appears to have lacked something others in the town had, and this made him look different. Whatever the problem was, Richard could not correct it by himself or use his massive wealth to change it. To avoid this humiliation and embarrassment, suicide is chosen as the best cure . Both poems speak about a common problem across many societies today: suicide. In the modern world, there are numerous challenges people encounter. These could be related to their families, work, personal health or addictions. For some people, suicide has been the only way to get out of such problems. People consider suicide because they feel their problems cannot be solved by anyone, and the only way to relieve the pain is by dying. Feelings such as guilt, loneliness, loss and hopelessness are common among many people today, and hence some might take this option to get away from them. In addition, as shown in Richard Cory, even those who appear to be comfortable might be battling some kind of problem, and they too, might end up committing suicide. Housman, A. E.  A Shropshire Lad. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg. Print.Parini, Jay.  The Wadsworth Anthology Of Poetry. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005. Print.

HR Management Organizational Culture Essay

HR Management Organizational Culture Essay HR Management: Organizational Culture Essay Organizational culture can be explained as the sum of beliefs, attitudes, traditions and behaviour of an organization. It is the summation of a company’s goals and the behavioural change of the organization in the process of achieving these goals. It therefore concentrates on human behaviour in organization, how the people interact in the organization and the organization itself (Alvesson, 2002). The arrangement of the organization is also important because it through the structure that issues such as efficiency and effectiveness of the company can be achieved. This is usually done by the process of harmonization and control of the entity. Organizational structure usually deals with issues such as the size, technological aspects, the pattern of activities, strategies, and the concentration of decision making power and also supporting features. It also tries to harmonize these differences for the overall best performance for an organization. People do not work alone but are in contact with other persons and the organization in several ways such as fellow employees, managers, policies and changes put in place by the organization. To make the overall success of an organization, it is necessary to make sure of successful implementation of the policies and harmonization of these factors to the policies and goals. Realistic decision formulation theory: This school of thought puts emphasis on problem identification, action plan formulation, alternative plan formulation and implementation and an overall mechanism for monitoring the progress of the so formulated plans. By going through the problem identification all the way to solution logically helps in proper implementation process of ideas which have been given a proper incubation period to contribute. Decisions made properly will consequently give yield to better results and improve the organization’s performance. According to Plantinga (1993b, 144-145), he put forward the criticism that the level of rationality usually differs from one person to another. Consequently, what appears rational in an organization in respect to another may be different to another. In addition, Plantiga also added that it is in the nature of people to comply with the decisions and rules set within an organization but this does not necessary warrant that they agree with the decisions in regard to the firm. The company can apply the Maslow’s ladder of requirements that was formulated by Abraham Maslow to appeal to the staff, the management needs to concentrate more on what the employees in the firm need. If the management needs the staff to participate in certain activities and behaviour then it should correctly identify and appease the needs of the staff (Maslow, 1954, p. 47). The management needs to identify the needs in a hierarchical order and will need to satisfy the lower hierarchy needs before it proceeds to the next level. Therefore, one cannot achieve self actualization until the lower hierarchical needs are met (McClelland, 1962). By attending to needs such as time to socialise with co-workers and secure work environment only once they have been achieved can the staff achieve better self esteem and hence better staff motivation. Mismatched motivation efforts and hierarchy need then these results to unsatisfied needs and consequently poorly motivated staff. The areas of criticism for this theory may be attributed to the fact that it does not put into consideration the part organizational cultures plays in the success and activity of the firm. The theory also ignores the fact that people who are deprived may still strive to attain self actualization. This is because self actualization is innate in people and this does not necessarily mean that just because one is deprived they cannot attain self realization (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006). How Maslow attained those five categories is also another area that has raised disagreement. The accuracy of the needs and also order of those needs do not include an in depth study of the needs and order from a scientific point of view. There has been no evidence to point of the direction of a study being done by Maslow (Behling Schriesheim, 2001). Another point that is pointed out was the measurements needs. To quantify things such as love, security among other needs is nearly impossible to achieve. In addition, there may be some needs that also overlap like when he states that physical needs and safety needs. These two will have a point of intersection and this can be difficult to tear apart (Kane-Urrabazo, 2006). The personality theory urges that so as to improve group performance, the managers should choose only the staffs that possess the right skills and trait geared more too self achievement. The effort made by a person to ensure that the task at hand is accomplished can be used a san measure of how much they are motivated towards success. Staff with a strong achievement orientation work hard to achieve socially accepted success and activities. Therefore, finished assignment, solved work problems usually means better performance of the organization and a successful one for that matter (Behling, Schriesheim, 2001). The five factor model (openness, extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness) (Rita, Richard, Edward, Smith, Bem Susan, 2000) determines the level of performance across most jobs. It is exemplary good at gauging the level of success experienced at any given company. Staff with higher achievement levels set high individual goals and also put in effort and time so as to achieve them. Individuals with such characteristics are on wonder the one getting promotions in the work place. With a staff with such qualities essentially means a greater successful organization that once goals are set, the employees do not settle until they have been achieved. The leaders can only manage to get such group of people right from the hiring process such as getting people with high score. With such, it is expected that an aggressive bosses will set aggressive goals with their staff and the staff will work hard to achieve them. It should not come as a surprise when you find the same staff going back to class or learning other trades related to the organization (Chavan, 2009). One critic of the hypothesis is that personality conversion in individuals is inevitable. The characters that one meets and interacts with in that course of life modify the personality of a person. In addition, it can be very hard to be certain that those same characteristics in the staff are likely to remain the same after a year (Behling Schriesheim, 2001). In addition, the measurements of these five traits do not necessary give a forecast of the individual behaviour. A person may exhibit the personality of being an extrovert but the reality is that the person is an introvert. This will in turn affect the communication transmission within the organization (Ybema, 2011). On the other hand, the personality of a person is affected by the situation one finds them in. During an interview, a potential employee may exhibit those personalities but upon arrival in the work place, the person is different from the expected (Ybema, 2011). Goal setting theory is perhaps the easiest and common theory of improving staff motivation and improving the company’s performance. The leaders should set clearly the performance goals and objectives and device a systematic way into achieving them. Targets and goals demand attention, effort, development of achievement strategies and exert people’s efforts to achieve them. When the goals set have been attained greater and more difficult tasks are even set (Latham, 1979). A study done by Locke and Latham (2006) showed that specific and difficult goals got higher performance and effort compared to those of do the best you can goals. Devotion to the goals and purposes of the firm was also very important. This is directly proportional to the goals individuals help set so long as the leader had authority, set clear performance levels and had confidence in the staff. Giving a summary on the success and failure of the tasks is also essential. Goals can be set for any activity in an organization such as cost reduction, better service and product quality among others (Locke and Latham, 2006) However, care should be observed to avoiding setting goals that are contradictory because staff can only concentrate only such effort at a time. Goals achieved successfully give the staff a sense of satisfaction and the easier the goals are the easier they are to accomplish compared to more tough goals. A the same time extremely easy goals which require less effort lowers performance compared to more tough jobs (Alderfer, 1972). The manager’s goal accomplishment expectation affects the level of performance by the staff and company in general. Therefore to improve an individual and consequently the organization performance, the management should set high but attainable goals and also show confidence and give support to the staff about the job being done (Doyle, 2001). Criticism of this theory have been that , one, the theory has been over praised as being effective across all jobs in an organization but in reality some organizations do not agree with this. This is because there are some departments that goal setting might not be the best way of getting jobs done (Day, Sin, Chen, 2004). The theory focuses very much on the specific task. By doing this, the staff might spend too much time in trying to get these tasks done but ignoring other aspects of the organization hence negative consequences (Coulehan, 2004). It is the inborn trait of individuals to only concentrate at one job at a time. However, since this theory advocates for multiple, small goals, the staff will still only achieve a goal at a time even if those two goals need to be achieved simultaneously to impact the organization performance (Doyle, 2001). In addition, the time horizon of jobs does overshadow one another. Taking that organizations fix attention on short term jobs, the long term goals will be affected. This was not put in mind in advancing this theory (Latham, 1979). It has not yet been determined if there is a linear agreement between the level of toughness of goals and job performance. There are times when jobs that are tough may lead to unwanted results in the organization. If the employees fail to reach the set targets, it might lead to unwanted effects on them in that they may develop poor self esteem among others (Latham, 1979). Generation of counterpoise scorecards is another theory. Financial performance is not the only way to assess the performance of organizations. By concentrating only on one such indicator will affect the other indicators and will suffer in the long run. It can take a short time to indicate the financial performance of an organization but other key organization indicator performance are little mentioned. They include satisfaction of the customer, turnover of employees among others. According to Norton and Kaplan, setting goals for all of such indicators will results to improved operational and financial performance (Coulehan, 2004). This theory has been critiqued in that it lowers the certainty levels in an ever changing environment. There have been investigations carried out and they do affect the manager’s decisions in regard to budgeting plans. Consequently, strategic planning of operational activities is affected in the long run (Doyle, 2001). Conclusion Therefore, strong organizational culture has a positive correlation with the productivity of the organization, the staff, environment of the workplace and even staff motivation. This can be achieved by a strong incentive programs, fairness in policies and also good leadership. A motivated employee works more and harder, gives better results and also maintains a good attitude than a person who is not motivated. To understand the organizational culture in favour of staff motivation and hence overall improvement in the organization performance, the management requires having an in-depth understanding of the goals, needs and expectation of the staff and also the organization. Policy fairness is very important in creating a safe work place and also a great factor that contributes to motivation and hence improved company performance. Therefore, the way the structure of the organization is determines a lot how the culture will be. Feel free to enjoy professional Management essay help from academic experts at if you need a high-quality custom written paper. We guarantee non-plagiarized papers!

Good Parenting for Single-parents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Good Parenting for Single-parents - Essay Example Most apply to all parents, while a couple will help the single parent more. I have chosen 4 of the guidelines to discuss in this paper based on my experience with my parents. They are: set fair ground rules and discipline with love, be positive, give the child responsibility commensurate with maturity levels, and be a good role model. As a parent, I find these guidelines to be very helpful in parenting my own children. . Our household had a set of rules that were strong as iron. An infraction, or breaking of one of these rules was akin to a slap in the face. The rules were elegant in their simplicity. #1 Respect - above all else. Each person in the household was entitled to respect as a person. Our parents respected our opinions, and listened to what we had to say as long as it was in a correct tone of voice and in turn, we respected our parents because they seemed less dictators than guides. #2 Work hard, and work together. This meant if there was a job to be done, we were all to assist in completing it. Mom might have assigned individual tasks to us, but it was based on who was available at the moment, not who’s â€Å"job it was†. Often, we were all working on different tasks at the same time in order to ensure everything got done in the least amount of time. These two simple rules governed our daily lives, and it worked to bring easy harmony.

The Melting of the Polar Ice Caps Research Paper

The Melting of the Polar Ice Caps - Research Paper Example Without a doubt, the earth’s climate has changed over the years. Though most of these changes could be attributed to variations in the orbit of the earth which lead to changes in energy from the sun that reaches the earth’s surface, current trends suggest that most of these effects are as a result of anthropogenic activities and processes over time. With the advent of technology, data collection and analysis are rarely inconclusive. This becomes possible through the use of satellites that go round the earth’s orbit in successions collecting a wide array of information on the earth and the ever dynamic climate. The study and analysis of this climatic data has always given evidence to the occurrence of global warming (Patterson 19). Rapid increase of temperature over time is an example. Temperature increase has mostly been experienced in the 1970s. The warmest 20 years got recorded to have occurred after 1981, while the warmest 10 years got recorded in the past 12 years. Though the 2000s experienced a stint of solar output reduction that led to a sharp solar minimum especially between 2007 and 2009, surface temperature kept rising. Most of this unprecedented heat gets absorbed by the water bodies. Lakes and oceans take up most of this energy with the upmost 700 meters of ocean water indicating warming of about 0.302 degree Fahrenheit in 20 years (Vardiman 12). Ocean acidification is also an indication of global warming to some extent. Due to the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of the surface water has risen by over 30 percent. This becomes largely attributed to the rampant emission of green house gases like methane and carbon dioxide into the air, which gets later taken up by the surface water. Recent trends have shown that the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the topmost layer of surface waters is increasing by over 2 billion tons each year. The concept of how green house gases cause global warming gets largely misunderstood. The larg est bulk of green house gases gets taken up by carbon dioxide. These gases do not prevent radiation from getting to the earth’s surface due to the short wavelength of light. Upon reaching the surface of the earth, some of the radiation gets absorbed by the earth’s surface and surface water bodies. What gets left of the radiation gets reflected back to the atmosphere. When solar radiation gets radiated back to the surface, it usually has a longer wavelength. As a result, it cannot penetrate the green house gases in the atmosphere thereby getting trapped. This leads to increase in atmospheric temperature (Maslin 99). Carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration levels have risen from an average of 270 parts per million (ppm) to the current 380 parts per million (ppm), a sharp increase of 30 percent. Methane gas also contributes to global warming. It is much lethal compared to other green house gases and exists in lower concentrations in the atmosphere. The melting of glacier s gets directly attributed to global warming. Though melting of glaciers is a natural process, the rate of glacial melt has been increasing rapidly. The fresh snow that gets formed is not adequate enough to replace the rapidly melting snow. The size of the glaciers keeps reducing. As surface temperatures keep increasing, it is only natural that the

Home Automation Lightning Motion Sensor and Zigbee Wireless Essay

Home Automation Lightning Motion Sensor and Zigbee Wireless - Essay Example Most presence detectors have an inbuilt light sensor (lux) that will turn off the lights if there is sufficient natural light. Regulating lights with a presence detector may save up to 65% of the total cost spent on lighting energy (CP Electronics, 2013). How the system works Presence detectors also known as PIR (Passive Infra-Red) work on a principle similar to that applied in motion detectors. These devices log the thermal radiations of their environments or area under detection. When thermal radiation in the area is detected, for example, in the case of a person coming close to the sensor, the detector will convert these vibrations into measurable electrical signals which will then turn on the lights. Presence detectors utilised in controlling lighting assist in the continuous adjustment of the output of faint lighting systems. This functionality facilitates management of energy saves costs over the conventional switching systems. Presence detectors provide an automatic hands-off lighting system that combines user comfort with an optimum energy consumption (Theben, 2011). Belkin's new device called WeMo makes home automation simpler. According to the company manufacturers, the device allows the user to control home-entertainment and other applications using iOS devices. Belkin's WeMo system incorporates a number of devices that are linked to the users Wi-Fi network. The system can then be managed by an iPad app or WeMo iPhone. Unlike other home automation systems, WeMo is entirely modular, and the user can add more nodes to increase its effectiveness (Linked in, 2013). How WeMo works The WeMo Switch and WeMo Motion are the present WeMo devices that exist today. The WeMo Switch is plugged into a wall outlet and serves as a remote-controlled socket that turns connected devices on or off according to the user’s command. The WeMo Motion device is also plugged into a wall socket, and has a 6-foot power cord which links to a motion sensor. Both the WeMo Mot ion and WeMo Switch are linked to the wireless network of the user, and the WeMo iOS app detects these components automatically. Various home appliances can be connected by plugging them into the WeMo Switch. The appliances connected to the WeMo Switch can then be turned on or off using iOS app available in the system. Therefore, the WeMo Switch allows the user to check if certain household appliances have been turned off in order to avoid the requirement of running an entire home check. The WeMo Switches have power buttons that replace the switch on the wall socket. WeMo Switch Setup The WeMo is not available officially, but its setup is a breeze. Once turned on, the isolated WeMo device creates a wireless network named as WeMo-XXX, where XXX is the device’s ID number. The next step involves connecting the iPad or iPhone to the network, and a free WeMo app is initiated. The WeMo app will then detect the primary Wi-Fi network and pull the required data configuration automatic ally. The WeMo app will also ask for a Wi-Fi password to ensure the user’s network is secured. The device collects additional configuration information necessary for its operations and then links to the wireless network. In addition to the ability to remotely switch domestic devices on and off, the principal selling point of the WeMo system is its simplicity of deployment. The WeMo Switch will also come at an affordable cost of about $50, according to the company reports (Honeywell, 2013).