Changes Do Happen Daily On An Organizational Behavior

Changes do happen daily in an organizational behavior. This happens as organizations move to improve their services and products or to correct the wrongs done following their previous decisions. Knowledge is part of the business realities today. This comes at a time known as the information age. In this generation people value intellectual power more than physical assets. This is further highlighted amongst the original factors of production which include; land, labor, and capital. Entrepreneurship is highly rated and organizations are mostly looking at their chief executive officers to position organizations towards success. According to Tecker International (2012), â€Å"the four knowledge basis are; Needs, wants and preferences of†¦show more content†¦Informed decisions can only be achieved by the organization relying on its available knowledge assets. This also enables the organization have a uniform agenda in its strategic, tactical and operational levels of management . It is imperative that an organization is aware of its knowledge assets and use them effectively as a key resource. The question chosen is based on Exodus Travels, the company which I worked for. During the 15 years at exodus travels I have seen lots of new working systems (systems the company uses to book passengers holidays, costings of the trips and also air ticket booking system come into place. Sometimes the Exodus has found it difficult to implement these new systems. Some employees have found it difficult to accept or adopt these changes because there is lack of clear understanding of the concepts of knowledge change which leads to confusion between the employers and the employees. Knowledge based decisions are influenced by many issues and amongst them is the intrinsic characteristics. According to Stewart (1991), while knowledge is increasingly viewed as a commodity or intellectual asset, there are some paradoxical characteristics of knowledge that are radically different notably. By passing on knowledge to others does not mean that you lose it. Much of an organization’s valuable knowledge walks out of the door at the end of the each day.

Pro-Child / Pro-Choice An Exercise in Doublethink by...

In her essay â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink?† Judith A. Boss deconstructs the argument supporting legalized abortion on the basis that it is beneficial to children in general. Boss presents the oft-used slogan of the pro-choice position, â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice†. She maintains that this slogan seems closely related to â€Å"newspeak†, which she characterizes as â€Å"†¦vocabulary pared down to a minimum so that whole ideologies are expressed in a single slogan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (156-7). The term â€Å"newspeak† comes from George Orwell’s 1984. In the novel, these simplistic slogans serve to perpetuate â€Å"doublethink†, which entails, as Orwell writes, â€Å"holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and accepting both of them† (156).†¦show more content†¦To believe that murdering an unborn child on circumstantial grounds and to believe in the modern court proces s is an obvious form of doublethink. However, the pro-choice position has a quick rebuttal to this question by claiming that the aborted fetus is not a person or a child so â€Å"they cannot be benefited or harmed† in the first place (157). In other words, the unborn fetus is not included in definition for child in the slogan: â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice†. Seeing that this rebuttal would quickly lead to an argument concerning what constitutes personhood, Boss moves on to examine the benefits abortion-on-demand gives to the second category, the born child. Boss points out that specific research on the well being of born children since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 is sparse. This lack of empirical research leads one to believe that the pro-choice claim that abortion-on-demand benefits children seems to be a speculative and unsubstantiated. Boss notes a rapid decline in the social well-being of children since 1974. Since abortion-on-demand obviously does not benefit the unborn fetus, it must aid the well-being of the born child in order to be beneficial to children at all. Boss argues that ensuring abortion-on-demand is in no way beneficial to the child, and in fact, may be harmful. Boss uses the rise in teen suicide

Multifunctional Metal Organic Frameworks Environmental Sciences Essay Free Essays

Herein, I report MOFs with high selectivity of CO2 over CH4 and N2O every bit good as catalytic activity for transesterification. The ground why we research MOFs selective capturing CO2 is that CO 2 has more consequence on planetary heating than other GHGs. As a affair of fact, the CCS ( Carbon Capture A ; Storage ) undertaking is pulling planetary attending now. We will write a custom essay sample on Multifunctional Metal Organic Frameworks Environmental Sciences Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In order to lend to this work, I have been analyzing fabrication techniques and word picture of MOFs which can be used to capture C dioxide and catalyze transesterification reactions. Introduction As society is turning and altering fast, the ingestion of fossil fuels has increased quickly. As the consequence, we are confronting well serious jobs, one of which is planetary warming caused by nursery gases ( GHGs ) including C dioxide ( CO2 ) , methane ( CH4 ) , azotic oxide ( N2O ) , ozone ( O3 ) , H2O vapour ( H2O ) and so on. Actually, many scientists have been seting attempt into happening steps which can be used for slowing the planetary heating rate. They focused on the remotion of CO2 exhausted from pollution beginnings into the air. As portion of such attempts, the Carbon Capture A ; Storage ( CCS ) undertaking is presently afoot worldwide. In the undertaking, many scientists are seeking for the stuffs to capture GHGs and reassign them safely for hive awaying them into deep inside the ocean. One of the stuffs being developed are Metal-Organic Frameworks ( MOFs ) . MOFs are porous stuffs incorporating metal ions and organic molecules or ligands ( ions or molecules that bi nd to cardinal metal atoms to organize coordination composites ) . The advantages of MOFs are robustness and flexibleness ( Millard and Yaghi, 2005 ) . There is besides a turning involvement in MOF-based catalytic systems because of their high recyclability and responsiveness ( Farrusseng, 2009 ) . MOFs have the ability to catalyse many reactions used in industrial production. One of the reactions which MOFs can catalyse is transesterification reactions ( the procedure of interchanging the organic group R1 of an ester with the organic group R2 of an intoxicant ) , which is an of import procedure for the synthesis of biodiesel. Biodiesel made from works oils such as vegetable oil and tree oil is a nontoxic and environmental friendly fuel. Therefore, biodiesel synthesis is being considered as a possible option to fossil fuel exhaustion ( Meher, Sagar, and Naik, 2006 ) . Many scientists have studied many methods of MOFs synthesis, one of which is a molecular self-assembly ( the procedure by which molecules adopt a defined agreement without counsel or direction from an outside beginning ) . After that, they characterized these MOFs by utilizing several analysis setup such as X raies diffractometer, PXRD ( Powder X-rays Diffraction ) , TGA ( Thermogravimetric Analysis ) , EA ( Element Analysis ) equipment, cryogenic volumetric CO2 adsorption/desorption analysis equipment and GC ( Gas Chromatography ) . Exploration of MOFs In the 1965, Tomic mentioned stuffs which would today be called MOFs, metal-organic polymers or supramolecular constructions. Besides in the same twelvemonth, Biondi et Al. reported on Cu ( aaˆÂ ¦A? ) tricyanomethanide being a crystalline, polymeric compound. In 1990, Hoskins and Robson reported on the design of scaffold-like stuffs utilizing Cu ( aaˆÂ ¦A ) centres and tetracyanotetraphenylmethane. From the 1900s, constructions, belongingss and possible applications of MOFs as storage house have been studied. Nowadays several hundred different MOFs have been indicated. The characteristic of MOFs is that they contain cardinal metals linked through organic ligands, which form 3-dimensional models and the ligands normally bond via O atoms or N atoms. Furthermore, these stuffs have attracted a great attending in the last several decennaries. Applications in gas storage, contact action, and drug storage and bringing have been studied by many scientists. Particularly, among abilities above, gas storage and catalytic activity are being researching actively. Adsorption of Carbon Dioxide fig.1 MOFs capturing CO2 ( Robert, 2009 ) Recently people all over the universe think we need to cut down emanation of nursery gases and besides are doing assorted attempts to halt environmental catastrophe caused by planetary heating. There are several C dioxide emanations decrease engineerings: salvaging energy, high-efficiency energy use, non-fossil energy use like clean and renewable energy, transition engineering between renewable energy and fossil fuels, CCS ( Carbon Capture and Storage ) , ecological or biological intervention engineering and so on. Among these assorted decrease engineerings, particularly CCS is good known as the most effectual engineering ; hence, many developed states are already concentrating on the most investing and research for CCS technological development ( Wee, 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Andrew, MOFs represent a category of porous stuffs that offer these advantages for CO2 storage. A good porous web should retain its construction even when all the guest molecules are hone. Therefore, it is need test the thermic stableness and hardiness by utilizing thermic hydrometric analysis ( TGA ) . Walton et Al. conducted experiment for proving hardiness of the MOFs they made. As the consequences, they got the isotherms over a broad scope of temperatures. They figured out that inflexions in the isotherms become more defined with increasing effectual pore size and this observation was gotten without any alteration of MOFs construction. This means the MOFs they synthesized can capture C dioxide any temperature and can recycle them because they do non demo any alterations of their construction. Besides, the key to dividing CO2 from power works fluke gases is to make a porous stuff that selectively captures CO2 molecules ( red-grey-red rods stand foring O=C=O ) and non nitrogen and H2O molecules. here, the porous stuff is a metal-organic model consisting of Co atoms ( purple ) linked by an organic bridging ligand ( 1,4-benzenedipyrazolate, with N and C atoms shown in bluish and gray, severally ) ( Robert, 2009 ) . Catalysis of MOFs eq1. General equation of tranesterification reaction.Meher says, aa‚ ¬Aâ€Å"Biodiesel is deriving more and more importance as an attractivce fuel due to the consuming dodo fuel resourcesaa‚ ¬A? . Biodiesel is made by certain reaction called transesterification ( the procedure of interchanging the organic group R1 of an ester with the organic group R2 of an intoxicant ) . Harmonizing to Meher, this fuel is biodegradable and non-toxic stuffs and less release nursery emanation as compared to petroleum Diesel. The MOFs made by assorted methods can catalyse this reaction, transesterification. There is MOFs holding Cu as cardinal metal. Since Cu has late gained prominence as a accelerator for legion transmutations and MOFs incorporating Cu ( Cu ) are indissoluble in H2O and common organic dissolver such as DMF, DMSO, CH2Cl2, and EtOH, the responsiveness of the MOFs as heterogenous accelerators ( They have stage of which differs from that of the reactants. Besides, they can be reused several times ) was examined in the transesterification reaction of broad scope of esters with intoxicants. In our lab, we by and large use phenyl ethanoate and phenyl benzoate as a substrate and methyl alcohol as a dissolver. The basic equation of transesterification is like this: phenyl ethanoate methyl alcohol phenol methyl ethanoate eq2. Transesterification by utilizing phenyl ethanoate and methyl alcohol ( or phenyl benzoate ) ( or methyl benzoate ) Aside from MOFs holding Cu as cardinal metal, there are MOFs incorporating Zn ( Zn ) , dicarboxylic acids as chelator ( substance that binds peculiar ions, taking them from solution ) and bipyridyl ligands as spacer ( connection of 2D planar to organize 3D construction ) . They besides show good catalytic activity for transesterification reaction. Both of Cu MOFs and Zn MOFs are reclaimable because they are heterogenous accelerators without losing their catalytic activity. Consequently, these MOFs are greatly helpful cut down pollution caused by chemical compounds which are being ended up in the air or dirt every bit good as facilitation of biodiesel production for options to fossil fuel depletion. Decision From last several decennaries, many scientists have put attempts to synthesise stuffs to slow planetary heating occurred by nursery gases emanation. One of the stuffs they made is MOFs, which can capture C dioxide that have the most impact on planetary warming acceleration among many other nursery gases and catalyze transesterification reaction which is used for biodiesel ( alternate fuel ) production. In visible radiation of these advantages, MOFs can be first-class accelerators and great options for fossil fuel. How to cite Multifunctional Metal Organic Frameworks Environmental Sciences Essay, Essay examples

Capital Budgeting Techniques Management

Question: Discuss about the Capital Budgeting Techniques Management. Answer: Introduction This assignment mainly provides the answers of two questions. While answering the first question, the study discusses on the relationship between the capital budgeting techniques like, Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value method and managerial decision making process. At the same time, the answer also includes the discussion regarding the concepts of sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis in relation to capital budgeting techniques. The answer in the second question defines the similarities and dissimilarities between the Capital Assets Pricing Model and Capital Market Line. Relationship between capital budgeting techniques and management decision-making process The capital budgeting techniques like, Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value analysis are most popular methods that help the management of the companies taking logical investment decisions (Robinson and Burnett 2016). The internal rate of return is a capital budgeting technique that helps to identify the percentage of return that the management or the company will get by investing in a particular project. While calculating the internal rate of return, the management considers future cash inflows and out flows of that project. In the words of Abor (2017), the internal rate of return or IRR either motivates or de-motivates the investors or the management towards a particular project. The identification of IRR percentage of the project also indicates the breakeven point of the project. Hayward et al. (2016) suggests that if the value of IRR is higher than the cost of finance, then the project can be consider as an attractive project. This means, by identifying the IRR, the manag ement can understand whether the project is suitable for them or not. Net Present Value or NPV is another capital budgeting method that helps to identify the present value of certain future course of action or the future project (Magni, Veronese and Graziani 2016). In order to identify the NPV of a particular project, the future cash flows and discounting rate are considered. In case of a particular project, if the NPV value is positive, then it is considered that the project will be able to generate positive cash inflows in future years when the project will be completed (Tong, Hu and Hu 2017). Therefore, like, IRR, the NPV also helps the management understanding whether the project will be profitable for the company or not. Concept of sensitivity analysis in relation to capital budgeting technique Sensitivity analysis is a concept that helps identifying the impact of different values of independent variable on the dependent variable under certain circumstances (Christina 2009). On the other side, capital budgeting is a technique of analyzing a particular project in order to determine whether the project must be taken or not. Berk and Van Binsbergen (2016) have mentioned that the sensitivity analysis is related to the capital budgeting techniques to some extent. In case of the sensitivity analysis in general context, the management analyzes the project by considering both financial as well as non-financial factors, whereas in the capital budgeting, the management considers only the financial factors while analyzing a particular project (Anderson and Linderoth 2016). This indicates that the sensitivity analysis in relation to capital budgeting is that through which the management analyzes the financial factors of a project. In the other words, it can be said that through sensitivity analysis, the management of a company identifies or determines the probability of getting success in a particular project. Habibi, Habibi and Habibi (2016) has defined the sensitivity analysis as the technique of identifying or budgeting the cash inflow and outflow of a particular project by considering some essential factors like, interest rate, current economic condition and inflation rate. The sensitivity analysis in relation to capital budgeting can be better done with the help of IRR and NPV methods (Robinson and Burnett 2016). For example, in a particular project, the management of a company identified the IRR 10%, where the cost of capital is 5%. This means the IRR is much higher than the cost of capital or finance cost. Therefore, there is more chance or probability that the project will be profitable or suitable for the company because the rate of return that the investor or the company will get will be high. Simila rly, if the company identifies that the net present value of the project is negative, then the probability of project failure will be high, which means the management must not invest in the project (Christina 2009). Concept of Scenario analysis in relation to capital budgeting technique Scenario analysis is a technique of analyzing a particular project by considering certain factors and assumptions. In the other words, it can be said that the scenario analysis is a technique of analyzing a project by considering variety of situations or scenarios. Berk and Van Binsbergen (2016) commented that the scenario analysis helps the management of a company analyzing each possible alternative outcome of a particular project. Habibi, Habibi and Habibi (2016) have mentioned that the scenario analysis helps the managers identifying the value of a project by considering each risk factor. With the help of the scenario analysis, the management can understand impact of any unfavorable situation on the particular project taken by the company (Anderson and Linderoth 2016). For example, while investing in a new project like, business expansion, the management of the Woolworths Limited conducts the scenario analysis in order to identify the possible risks and return percentage of the pr oject. Before starting or investing a particular project, it is very important conducting the scenario analysis of the project. In case of any particular investment project, the company can conduct the scenario analysis by identifying the IRR and NPV by considering different rates of cost of capital (Tong, Hu and Hu 2017). At the same time, the management can also conduct the scenario analysis by identifying the IRR and NPV at different economic situations like, identifying the IRR and NPV during the high inflation in the market and identifying the IRR and NPV by considering the depression in the market (Christina 2009). Scenario analysis through capital budgeting techniques helps the management conducting realistic analysis of the project, which ultimately helps taking quick and appropriate decision. Therefore, from the above analysis, it can be understood that sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis both are important for the management while taking any decision related to capital investment. These two analytical concepts are very effective in case of capital budgeting. These two concepts help analyzing the project under realistic scenario. Identifying the similarities and differences between Capital Assets Pricing Model and Capital Market Line Before identifying the similarities and dissimilarities between Capital Assets Pricing Model or (CAPM) and Capital Market Line, it is important to have a basic knowledge on these two concepts, which are stated below: The main motive of CAPM model is identifying the relationship between the systematic risk and the expected return from a particular investment or asset (Lal et al. 2016). While analyzing a particular project with the help of CAPM, the management requires considering both of the systematic and unsystematic risk factors. Prat (2016) has considered the CAPM as one of the most suitable model for analyzing the suitability of a particular financial or investment project. In order to identify the expected return through the CAPM model, the following formula will be followed: Re = Rf + B [E (Rm) Rf] Rf = Risk free rate of the securities Re = Return on equity B = Beta coefficient and E (Rm) = Expected rate of return on the portfolio of market B [E (Rm) Rf] = The difference between the rate of risk- free rate and the anticipated return of market security that is referred as market premium. On the other side, the Capital Market Line shows the market portfolio of a particular set of risky assets. This is a tangent line that represents the value of the risks factors in a particular project. The Capital Market Line starts from the point, where the investment project is risk free and ends to the point, where the risks in the project starts (Kianpoor and Dehghani 2016). The Capital Market Line indicates the risk factors in a project that helps the CAPM model determining the fair value of the investment or project in respect to the current market value (Do, Bhatti and Konya 2016). Moreover, the Capital Market Line helps determining the level of performance of a particular assets portfolio. The Capital Market Line for a particular investment portfolio indicates whether the portfolio is overvalued or under-valued. The securities under a portfolio can be considered as under-valued if the expected rate of return of the security against the risk component that is beta is drawn abo ve the Capital Market Line and vice-versa (Kianpoor and Dehghani 2016). The major similarity between Capital Assets Pricing Model and Capital Market Line is that both help to determine the return from a particular investment or portfolio (Christensen, Hail and Leuz 2016). In case of the CAPM, the expected return on investment is measured based on the expected market return, risk variance and risk free rate of return (Lal et al. 2016). On the other side, in case of the Capital Market Line, the expected return is measured by identifying the tangent line by considering the CAPM. Another similarity between these two is that the both consider the risk factors while determining the return. As stated above, in case of CAPM, two types of risks are considered systematic risk and unsystematic risk (Petters and Dong 2016). On the other side, as the Capital Market Line is determined by considering the CAPM, it also considers the systematic as well as unsystematic risk. In the words of Prat (2016), the expected return from a project or investment which is determined by the CAPM model, is represented by the Capital Market Line. Though there are some similarities between the Capital Assets Pricing Model and Capital Market Line, it cannot be said that these two are completely same. There are some differences between these two. The first difference is that the Capital Assets Pricing Model determines the expected return of the investment portfolio by considering the risk free rate, systematic risks and the market premium rate; whereas, the Capital Market line determines the value of the investment portfolio by considering the probable return and risk factors (Christensen, Hail and Leuz 2016). Another difference between these two is that the Capital market line is just a graphical representation of value of the securities in the investment portfolio, but the CAPM does not provide any graphical representation that identifies the expected returns for the investment portfolio of a particular investor (Petters and Dong 2016). The capital market line depends on the CAPM model because while determining the Capital Market Line, the CAPM formula is followed in order to identify the expected return of the particular investment portfolio (Do, Bhatti and Konya 2016). However, the Capital Assets Pricing Model is not depended on the Capital Market line. Therefore, it can be said that CAPM is a part of Capital Market Line but Capital Market Line is not a part of CAPM model. In case of the Capital Market Line, only the efficient portfolios are shown. In the other words, it can be said that the Capital Market Line represents only those portfolio, which are efficient and include high return. However, this cannot be applied in case of the CAPM model (Christina 2009). Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be said that CAPM and Capital Market Line are related to each other but they are not completely same. Conclusion In this study, it has been identified that the Internal Rate of Return and he Net Present Value are the two most effective methods of capital budgeting. The study has identified that the internal rate of return and the net present value help the management of the companies to determine whether they should invest in a particular project or not. At the same time, the study has also identified that the management of an organization may conduct the sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis based on the capital budgeting techniques like, IRR and NPV. As per the analysis in the study, the sensitivity and scenario analyses help to determine the feasibility and suitability of the project in the real scenario. The study has also indicated that the capital assets pricing model and the capital market line both aim to identify the expected return of an investment portfolio and at the same time, these two also consider the risk factors while determining the expected return. However, the capital market line is a graphical representation of value of the securities in the investment portfolio, which is not same in case of the capital assets pricing model. Reference list: Abor, J.Y., 2017. Evaluating Capital Investment Decisions: Capital Budgeting. InEntrepreneurial Finance for MSMEs(pp. 293-320). Springer International Publishing. Anderson, E. and Linderoth, J., 2016. High Throughput Computing for Massive Scenario Analysis and Optimization to Minimize Cascading Blackout Risk.IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. Berk, J.B. and Van Binsbergen, J.H., 2016. Assessing asset pricing models using revealed preference.Journal of Financial Economics,119(1), pp.1-23. Christensen, H.B., Hail, L. and Leuz, C., 2016. Capital-market effects of securities regulation: Prior conditions, implementation, and enforcement.Review of Financial Studies, p.hhw055. Christina, P., 2009. Capital budgeting methods.Docs. school Publications. Do, H.Q., Bhatti, M.I. and Konya, L., 2016. On ASEAN capital market and industry integration: a review.Corporate Ownership and Control Journal,2(1), pp.8-23. Habibi, H., Habibi, R. and Habibi, H., 2016. Derivation of Kalman Filter Estimates Using Bayesian Theory: Application in Time Varying Beta CAPM Model.Journal of Statistical and Econometric Methods,5(2), pp.1-16. Hayward, M., Caldwell, A., Steen, J., Gow, D. and Liesch, P., 2016. Entrepreneurs' Capital Budgeting Orientations and Innovation Outputs: Evidence From Australian Biotechnology Firms.Long Range Planning. Kianpoor, M.M. and Dehghani, A., 2016. The Analysis on Fama and French Asset-Pricing Model to Select Stocks in Tehran Security and Exchange Organization (TSEO).Procedia Economics and Finance,36, pp.283-290. Lal, I., Mubeen, M., Hussain, A. and Zubair, M., 2016. An Empirical Analysis of Higher Moment Capital Asset Pricing Model for Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE).Open Journal of Social Sciences,4(06), p.53. Magni, C.A., Veronese, P. and Graziani, R., 2016. Chisini Mean and a Unified Approach to Capital Budgeting Criteria. Petters, A.O. and Dong, X., 2016. Capital Market Theory and Portfolio Risk Measures. InAn Introduction to Mathematical Finance with Applications(pp. 151-208). Springer New York. Prat, R., 2016. Five Objections Against Using a Size Premium When Estimating the Required Return of Capital with the Capital Asset Pricing Model. Robinson, C.J. and Burnett, J.R., 2016. Financial Management Practices: An Exploratory Study of Capital Budgeting Techniques in the Caribbean Region. Tong, J., Hu, J. and Hu, J., 2017. Computing equilibrium prices for a capital asset pricing model with heterogeneous beliefs and margin-requirement constraints.European Journal of Operational Research,256(1), pp.24-34.

In Past Centuries, Angola Was Among The Areas Most-devastated By The S

In past centuries, Angola was among the areas most-devastated by the slave trade. In recent decades, it has been afflicted with wars. However, in both eras, much of the violence was driven by powerful external forces. This is because Angola, with an abundance of oil and other resources, could develop into a very prosperous country if led and controlled by the right power. In 1975 Angola was released from colonialism by Portugal. This pivotal event in history sparked the beginning of a massive conflict between many of the key players in world power. These key players included the United States, Cuba, China, and the Soviet Union. After reading three separate accounts of the crisis in Angola (U.S. Senate hearings led by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a personal memoir by 1975 Assistant Secretary of State Nathaniel Davis, and a biography entitled In Search of Enemies: A CIA Story by John Stockwell), I have come to several conclusions. Although these three men all held important positions in the U.S. government, multiple contradictions exist in their chronologies of events. Of the discrepancies I found, all of them put Stockwell in opposition with Kissinger and Davis. I believe this is due to his position in the Central Intelligence Agency, where the greater availability of information was his advantage. Moreover, since all three accounts agree that the U.S. involvement was essentially a covert operation led by the CIA, I feel the account written by Stockwell was the most valid of the three. When looking at the differences in chronologies, it is necessary to start from the beginning of the conflict. The first difference I found dealt with CIA involvement in Angola. Stockwell, "an experienced, senior CIA case officer" (Stockwell, 31), marked early July 1974 as the start of CIA support. In July 1974 the CIA began funding Roberto without 40 committee approval, small amounts at first, but enough for word to get around that the CIA was dealing itself into the race...During the fall of 1974 the CIA continued to fund Roberto, still without 40 committee approval... (Stockwell, 67). However, Davis describes that covert support did not begin until much later. Shortly thereafter (his appointment on March 11, 1975), William G. Hyland, the director of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, told me that a $300,000 program of covert support for the veteran Angolan liberation fighter, Holden Roberto, had been approved that past January by the Forty Committee... (Davis, 110). Kissinger also noted this $300,000, which was given to Holden Roberto, was the first U.S. aid to Angola. ...We did not feel that our national interest was sufficiently involved in the struggle within Angola...therefore, we only made a grant of $300,000 which, at most, will get bicycles, office equipment, and aid political efforts of the FNLA... (Angola, 26). This contradiction is most-likely due to the differences in position between the three men. Stockwell was an important CIA official and had access to more classified information at an earlier time. The second inconsistency I found dealt with the U.S. military support in Angola. Stockwell insisted throughout his book that the U.S. was spending millions of dollars on arms for the conflict. ...8 million, released on July 27, was allocated primarily for the shipload of arms and for the procurement of airplanes to haul material from Kinshasa into Angola...On August 20, an additional 10.7 million was authorized for more arms, aircraft, mercenaries, and maintenance of the liberation forces, (Stockwell, 206). Stockwell also reported that by December 1975 the CIA was still lying to Congress about arms and advisors in Angola. At this time, Kissinger was not reporting anything remotely close to a U.S. arms build-up. In fact, he suggested that a military-type involvement was out of the question. Angola is an African problem and should be left to Africans to solve; foreign military involvement only escalates and prolongs the warfare there... (Angola, 10). In comparison, Davis spoke of a similar American view on foreign military involvement in a memo he submitted to the State Department representative of the Forty Committee. ...Covert intervention (military) would not serve larger U.S. interests...an attempted intervention could not be kept secret...a covert intervention would have to be so circumscribed as to fall between stools in any case-while the other side could escalate at will, (Davis, 113). Again, due to the availability of classified CIA information, Stockwell knew of massive U.S. military support while Kissinger and Davis were unaware

Prepare 2 short research proposals on one topic. List of topics for

Prepare 2 short research proposals on one topic. List of topics for Prepare 2 short research proposals on one topic. List of topics for research proposals : 1.Contemporary issues in the foreign exchange market 2.Banking market structure and firm performance – Essay Example Research proposal on Banking Market Structure and Firm Performance Overview of the Topic The banking industry is very crucial in the economy. Without banking, an economy cannot grow, (Stowel, 2012). Since the economy is the backbone of growth and development, without banking countries cannot develop or grow. In fact, countries with a poor banking system are underdeveloped while the countries with a good banking system are normally countries that are highly developed. According to Hassan & Curt (2006), it is important to understand the banking market structure in order to analyze the performance of business establishments and firms that are involved in the banking industry. It is through this evaluation of the banking market structure and firm performance that one can determine the position in which a banking market is at. Research Questions Firstly, the research will investigate the effect mergers and acquisitions have had on the banking market Secondly, it will investigate the nature of the relationships between different firms in the banking market? Thirdly, investigate the effect of the different relationships that firm in the banking market have. Fourthly the research will investigate on the type of competition in the banking market. Finally, it will investigate on the effects the various types of competition have on the firms in the banking market. Data Required to Answer Any One Question I intend on conducting a research on the first question, which is the effect mergers and acquisitions have had on the banking market industry specifically in Europe. To investigate this question I will need to collect data on the top five bank mergers in the European region between the year 2000 and 2012. I will collect data on the share prices of each bank before it merged. I will then collect data on the share prices of the new banks after the mergers. I will then collect data on the annual post tax profit these banks made in the previous five years before the merged. Finally, I will collect data on the post tax profit the firms made after the mergers. I will also collect data on the changes in the market prices of different banks as a result of specific mergers. Proposed Methodology Here, I will first use Random probability sampling to get the top five mergers between 2000 and 2005. For me to get the data required, I will have to interview personnel of the London exchange market, on their views on which mergers they consider the top five mergers in the banking industry. I will sample at least 15 stock broker agents, who work for different companies. After coming to a conclusion on which are the top five mergers between 2000 and 2011, I will go to the specific companies asking for the financial reports from the specified period. I will also look for past financial statements of the individual firms involved in the market before the mergers. It is important to note that financial statements of firms in the stock exchange are readily available to the public. References Hassan, I & Curt, W., 2006, Bank and Financial Market Efficiency: Global Perspectives, Emerald Group, West Yorkshire. Stowell, D., 2012, Investments Banks, Hedge Funds and Private Equity, Academic Press, San Diego.

Commercialism in Schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Commercialism in Schools - Research Paper Example addition, it is only natural to want to have more and if schools could gain by developing partnerships with commerce, they wanted to try to get the extras to give more to the school and students. Thus, the trends for commercialism in schools continued to present an increase, despite much debate and criticism. State legislatures and school supervisors did eventually present some rules designed to ensure that commercial partnerships in which schools engaged remained within ethical limits to ensure that no harm to students ensued. However, commercialism in schools is open to creativity and some even go so far as to recommend commercial partnerships for schools. This essay presents a discussion about the commercialism in schools phenomenon and concludes that it is possible for schools to enter into healthy partnerships with commerce that benefit everyone. Commercialism in educational institutions is not something that is new and it had been commonly found and routinely accepted in schools in the United States of America from times prior to the early 1990s (Washington Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1991). The previously cited report suggests that state legislatures within the United States of America had been concerned about the phenomenon since the early 1990s and tried to examine the impact of commercialism in schools on students and their education. However, according to (Molnar, 2006), the commercialism phenomenon in schools in the United States of America, Canada and in other parts of the world had taken an aggressive turn since then, prior to declining somewhat towards the end of the year 2006. Researchers suggested that a chronic shortage of funds for schools was the reason for commercialism in schools. Larson (2002) suggests that despite the concerns expressed by the state legislatures in the United States of America, businesses had been increasingly making inroads into the classrooms of the underfunded schools in the country.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT(EBUs602) ASSIGNMENT Essay

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT(EBUs602) ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example By reducing the order delivery time, they will decrease fluctuations as well as costs and inventory levels (Wangphanich, Kara, & Kayis, 2010: p4508). P&G then turned their attention to POS purchases at their main distributors and retailers to track ordering trends and preferences respectively. Using a point-of-sale system will allow P&G to identify trends and improve communication along the chain of supply (Wang et al. 2012, p. 120). P&G also sought to get the main retailers to reduce their order sizes relative to demand. Ordering according to the needs of the consumer, rather than to stock, will aid P&G in attenuating the impact of the bullwhip effect (Wangphanich, Kara, & Kayis, 2010: p4509). P&G then utilised the improved communication and forecasting to maintain consistency in price. This will prevent increased ordering when prices are low, lessening the bullwhip effect (Wang et al. 2012, p. 120). Other approaches that P&G could have taken include: Portfolio planning, in which th ey could diversify the distributor base into a group that is on long-term contract terms to meet the major demand, and others on short-term contract terms to cover any increase in demand (Gupta & Mishra 2012, p. 27). Postponement, in which they would delay delivery of the product to their distributors until they have reliable information on demand (Gupta & Mishra 2012, p. 28). Q #2 The demand–supply gap at Cisco occurred for a number of reasons: When supply is exceeded by demand, the manufacturers such as Xilinx produced more components for the consumers, who may have ordered more products than required to generate profit. After supply caters to normal demand, orders may be cancelled, which results in unwanted inventory (Thompson & Liang-Chieh 2012, p. 120). A gap between demand and forecasting may also have caused the demand–supply gap, especially if Cisco’s planning team forecasted demand through extrapolation of demand at present. Small fluctuations result fr om long lead-time extrapolation, which ends up having a huge impact on the demand–supply gap (Akkermans & Voss 2013, p. 770). Use of batch orders for small and frequent orders may have been made to reduce storage costs or logistics. This could result in increased demand variability compared to supply (Thompson & Liang-Chieh 2012, p. 121). Price fluctuations due to anticipation that there will be a price increase could have led to items being stocked up to capitalise on low prices. This leads to variation between supply and demand (Akkermans & Voss 2013, p. 771). These arrangements could have resulted in a pileup of Cisco’s inventory, as forecasters did not notice artificial inflation within their projections. Since many of the company’s clients ordered similar products from competitors so as to close the deal with the company that delivered on their orders first, Cisco’s demand forecasts were inflated by triple and double orders (Thompson & Liang-Chieh 20 12, p. 121). Their supply chain management system was unable to indicate the increased demand. This was representative of overlapping orders, leading to a vicious cycle of demand that was inflated artificially, increased costs, and poor communication along their chain of supply (Akkermans & Voss 2013, p. 771). For these reasons, it is clear that the biggest problem had to do with poor communication across the chain of supply. To counter this, Cisco integrated an

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example To succeed, or simply to survive, companies need a new philosophy. To win in today's market place, companies must be customer centred - they must deliver superior value to their target customers. The study of Consumer Behaviour helps the marketers to understand their target customers and what influences their buying decisions. Consumer Behaviour can thus be defined as, "The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society." On the basis of the factors that influence consumers buying behaviour, the companies can tailor their marketing programmes to the needs, and wants of narrowly defined geographic, demographic, psychographic, or behaviour segments. The ultimate form of target marketing is the customized marketing in which the company adapts its products and marketing programmes to the needs of a specific customer or buying organization. There are three major steps in target marketing. The first is the market segmentation, where the marketer divides his market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics or behaviour, who might require separate products or marketing mixes. The second step is the market targeting - evaluating each market segment's attractiveness and selecting one or more market segments to enter. The third step is market positioning- setting the competitive positioning for the product and creating a detailed marketing mix. To have effect target marketing it is important to consumer behaviour and the factors which affect it . Characteristics Affecting Buyer's Behaviour : The major factors which influence the consumer behaviour are : 1. Cultural Factors - Culture, Sub culture, Social class 2. Social Factors - Reference groups, Family, Roles and Status. 3. Personal Factors - Age and lifecycle stage, Occupation, Economic situation, Lifestyle, Personality and self concept. 4. Psychological Factors - Motivation, Perception, Learning, Beliefs and Attitudes. 1. Cultural Factors : These exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behaviour. The marketer needs to understand the role played by the buyer's culture, subculture and social class. Culture : The child growing up in a society learns a basic set of values, perceptions, preferences and behaviours from the family and other important institutions. This forms his culture. Subculture : Each culture contains smaller subcultures, or groups of people with shared value systems based on common life experiences and situations. Subcultures include nationalities, religions, racial groups and geographic regions. Social Class : Social classes are society's relatively permanent and ordered divisions whose members share similar values, interests, and behaviours. It is not not determined by a single factor, such as income, but is measured as a combination of occupation, income, education, wealth, and other variables. 2. Social Factors : A consumer's behaviour is also influenced by social factors, such as the consumer's reference group, family, and social roles and status. Reference groups : A person's behaviour is influenced by many small groups. Some are primary groups with whom there is regular but informal interaction-

Network Microwave Link

Network Microwave Link Microwave Communications Link Design And Implementation Gert Brits AbstractInternet and network access from any location is a requirement in most businesses around the world today. This paper outlines the procedure necessary to plan, install and commission a 5.8 GHz un-licensed point-to-point microwave link. The link will serve as a connection between two office buildings to provide internet and network access to the employees. The planning stages of the project presents the various environmental influences on a microwave link, as well as the considerations that must be made to select the appropriate sites, hardware and configuration settings for the link. These parameters are used to calculate the expected performance data and install a microwave link that would operate reliably at five nines (99.999%) of availability. Index Termsattenuation, losses, fading, line-of-site, received signal level, Introduction DIGITAL microwave systems are used all over the world for a wide variety of applications. The majority is point-to-point systems; a single link connecting two sites together. For most businesses, having access to the local area network and the internet is essential. The challenge for many is the occupation of more than one office building and how multiple buildings can gain access to the same network. Harris Stratex Networks (HSTX) in San Jose, California occupies an office building in San Jose as well as an equipment warehouse in Milpitas, two miles from the office building. Since the company manufactures digital point-to-point microwave radios and has access to such equipment, an effective method was researched to utilize a point-to-point radio link as a connection between the two buildings. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a digital point-to-point microwave link can be used to link two office buildings together, in this case the main office building of HSTX in San Jose and the warehouse in Milpitas, and provide internet and local area network access to the employees at the warehouse. The various aspects involved in the design, installation and commissioning of a digital point-to-point microwave system is described to highlight the procedures and planning required from microwave engineering before, during and after a microwave link is installed. attenuating influences on a microwave link Almost all components involved in a microwave link will cause the signal to be attenuated at some stage during transmission. In microwave engineering, attenuation plays a major role in the design and planning of such a link to ensure reliability and availability regardless of the surrounding conditions. Whether its in the cables, connectors, antennas or free space; attenuation on a link can not be avoided and provision needs to be made, during the design stage, for the degree of expected attenuation to occur. Propagation losses Propagation losses such as attenuation caused by reflection, free space losses, attenuation caused by rain and by atmospheric gasses have a negative influence on a microwave link. Reflection Line-of-Sight Microwave links are designed to have enough clearance over any object or terrain along the path to avoid the signal grazing or scraping across obstacles. The Fresnel zone is known as the area around the visual line-of-sight that radio waves spread out into after they leave the antenna [1] and where obstacles would cause in phase or out of phase reflection of the radio wave. This area must be clear of any obstructions to avoid an undesired affect on signal strength. Fig. 1 illustrates the typical Fresnel zones associated with a microwave link. Microwave signals which are reflected or refracted could lead to multiple copies of the same transmitted signal to arrive at the receiving antenna at different times and out of phase. The reflected and refracted signals will experience differences in attenuation, delay and phase shifts which will result in either constructive (amplifying the signal) or destructive (attenuating the signal) interference. There are an infinite number of Fresnel zones. Obstacles in the first Fresnel zone will create signals that will be 0 to 90 degrees out of phase. The second Fresnel zone will cause signals to be 90 to 270 degrees out of phase. In the third, the signals will be 270 to 450 degrees out of phase and so forth. Odd numbered zones (1, 3, 5 etc.) have a negative effect on the signal power while even numbered zones have a positive effect since these signals actually add to the signal power. The phase canceling effect is strongest in zone 1 and decreases in each successive zone, hence the need to eliminate as many obstacles from the first zone as possible. These clearance requirements also include the sides of the path and not only the top and bottom. Free space loss Free space loss is defined as the loss that would obtain between two isotropic antennas in free space, where there are no ground influences or obstructions [2]; in other words, the loss where no obstacles nearby can cause blocking, refraction, diffraction or absorption. This loss increases with an increase in frequency and distance and the formula for calculating free space loss [3] using the frequency of operation (f) and the distance (in miles) between the two antennas (D) is given by: (1) Attenuation caused by atmospheric gasses Attenuation caused by atmospheric gases is mainly caused by oxygen and water vapor in the air. The small amount of attenuation caused by oxygen stays relatively constant across all operating frequency bands. Attenuation caused by water vapor absorption however is highly dependent on the frequency of operation as well as the density of the water vapor and will have a deep impact on the links operating above 14 GHz. Attenuation caused by rain Furthermore, fading can be the distortion a microwave signal experiences due to changes in the atmosphere or rain. The total amount of rain that falls is not as important as the intensity of the rainfall. For example, an area which gets lite rain for most of the year would be less affected by rain attenuation than an area that gets a storm of rain during the rainy season, even for a short period of time. Microwave links operating below 8 GHz remain largely unaffected by rain attenuation but at 10 GHz and above, rain has a big impact on the networks reliability. Availability for modern day high reliability systems varies. The annual outage objective for high reliability systems could be as little as 0.01% to 0.0001% of the total operating time which translates to 53 minutes of down time per year for 99.99% reliability and only 30 seconds of downtime per year for 99.9999% reliability. Fading can degrade the bit error rate (BER) performance of a microwave link resulting in loss of data. Parameters such as the radio frequency, path length, humidity, temperature, smoothness of the terrain, calmness of the wind, fog and the number of thunderstorms per year can all increase the probability of fading. Branching losses Branching losses are introduced by the hardware used to carry the microwave signal and is generally specified by the equipment manufacturer. Other losses Other losses associated with a microwave link include losses from feeders, connectors, antennas, radomes and TX line losses. These losses are specified by the manufacturers at different frequencies of operation. Microwave link Planning Sufficient microwave path engineering ensures a link performs according to the requirements set by the owner or user. In a perfect world, any microwave beam would travel in a straight line from start to finish. In reality however, everything surrounding the microwave beam and equipment can cause the signal to be attenuated, amplified or interfered with. The challenge for any microwave engineer is to know what these factors are and how to design around it. Site selection An essential part of planning a microwave link is the selection of appropriate sites. The office and warehouse roof of HSTX provided a line of sight which was clear of any surrounding buildings and obstructions that could block or cause the microwave signal to be diffracted. There was no possibility of additional floors being added to either of the two buildings and the absence of other towers and microwave systems in the area, which could interfere with this link, made these sites ideal for the antenna installation. In addition to this, the sites already had access roads, ac power and telephone services which were other requirements considered when choosing the appropriate sites. Frequency and equipment selection Industry standards and licensing for microwave radios are, in the USA, governed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Radios operating in the license-free 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands are considered un-licensed radios and require no licensing from any governing body. Un-licensed radios, such as the Velox LE 5850 manufactured by Harris Stratex Networks, can be installed and operated without any approval from the FCC. The Velox 5850 series is capable of providing up to 45 Mbps of Ethernet throughput (Full-duplex) which was sufficient for the purpose of this link. The output power of the radio can be software adjusted up to +22 dBm and with a receiver sensitivity of -78 dBm; enough fade margin can be achieved to ensure link availability of 99.999%. The radio hardware is available in a split-mount configuration; a radio frequency unit (RFU) which is connected to a digital unit (DU) using shielded CAT5e cable. The RFU is installed on the tower or mounted below the antenna and the DU is installed inside an equipment building or enclosure. Management software to configure the radio and monitor the performance of the radio link is available for this product. A 4.940-5.580 GHz Grid Antenna (model no GS2-58N), manufactured by mWAVE Industries, LLC was selected for the project. The antenna provided a gain of +27 dBi, a VSWR of 1.5:1, a return loss of 14 dB and could be mounted for horizontal or vertical polarization as illustrated in Fig. 2. Microwave link calculations The microwave link design was started by doing a link budget analysis; a calculation that involves all the gains and losses associated with the antennas, cables, connectors, radio hardware and environment. The link budget was used to determine the expected received signal levels at each end of the link. Once this has been done, minor adjustments were made to the sites and hardware selections to achieve the desired link availability. Path calculations The receiver threshold value is a measure of the lowest possible signal level the radio can receive and still operate at an acceptable level of performance. This level was specified by the equipment manufacturer as -78 dBm. The difference between the received signal level and the receiver threshold indicates the fade margin (the amount of fading a microwave radio can experience before having the signal degraded enough to cause BER errors or framing errors) of the link. To calculate the expected receive signal level and the fade margin, the propagation losses, branching losses and other losses had to be subtracted from the radio output power and antenna gain. The attenuation caused by atmospheric gasses for links below 14 GHz was negligible. The free space loss given by (1) and therefore the total propagation loss was calculated as 114.32 dB. Transmit and receive branching losses associated with the Velox 5850 radio was specified by the equipment manufacturer as 1.5 dB respectively. Other losses, all of which were specified by the various manufacturers, included the TX line losses of 3.72 dB (1.24 dB per 100ft of cable used) for each site and an N-Type connector loss of 0.3 dB per connector (four connectors used). Output Power = + 22 dBm TX Branching Loss = 1.5 dBm Antenna Gain = + 27 dBm Propagation Losses = 114.341 dBm Other Losses = 8.34 dBm Antenna Gain = + 27 dBm RX Branching Los = 1.5 dBm Received Power = 49.68 dBm Receiver Threshold = 78 dBm Fade Margin = + 28.32 dB Fading and interference calculations The amount of attenuation expected on the link due to rain was calculated using the formula in (2)[4], where R0.01% represents the rain rate exceeded 0.01% of the time in mm/hour and D the path length in kilometers. Multiplier a and exponent b are values taken from the North American and ITU-R rain attenuation coefficients chart, while d represents the effective path length in kilometers. The link operating at 5.8 GHz over two miles can thus expect 0.106 dB of additional attenuation during the heaviest rainfall. (2) The possibility of the radio signal being diffracted was investigated by observing the structures surrounding the microwave beam and calculating the first and second Fresnel zones using (3)[5]. The distance from the antenna to any possible obstruction is given by d1 while d2 represents the remaining distance to the other end of the link. (3) Since the Fresnel zones consist of a series of concentric circles, the areas to the side, above and below the microwave beam had to be clear of obstructions. The height of the two buildings where the antennas were to be installed provided enough clearance to ensure no obstructions within the first two Fresnel zones. With a mere 0.106 dB of additional attenuation from rain and no possibility of the signal being diffracted or reflected, only 3 dB of variation on the calculated receive level was expected. The 3 dB of variation is due to component tolerance and is specified by the equipment manufacturer. Microwave link installation The antenna and radio frequency unit were installed on a mounting pole on the roof of both buildings, in accordance with the manufacturers recommended installation procedures. A high quality 5/8 coaxial cable was used to connect the antenna to the RFU. The digital units were installed in 19 racks inside the buildings while Belden 7921A Shielded CAT5e cable was used to connect the DU to the RFU. All the hardware was grounded to the various grounding points at the sites and the recommended impedance of less than one ohm measured on all ground connections. The antennas were aligned using a digital voltmeter connected to the back of each RFU. The DC voltage reading from the voltmeter was compared to the received signal level (RSL) chart shown in Fig. 3 [6] which was supplied by the radio manufacturer. [1] Fresnel Zone http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/Fresnel_Zone.htm [16 June 2000] [2], [4]-[5] GTE Lenkurt. 1970. Engineering Considerations for Microwave Communications Systems [3] Harvey Lehpamer. 2004. Microwave Transmission Network:, Planning, Design and Deployment [6] Harris Stratex Networks. July 2004. Velox LE Installation and Operation Manual.

The Great Depression and World War II Shaped My Grandmas Life Essay

The Great Depression and World War II Shaped My Grandma's Life My grandma, Alma Jean, was born in 1935 in Silo, Oklahoma, just outside of Durant. Her birth certificate says she was born in Durant because Silo was too small to be considered a real town. She lived there on a farm with her parents, Orval and Maggie Dale. It was the middle of the Great Depression, and they were a farming family at a time when it seemed like no one could make a living off the land. To supplement their income, Orval and his father worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). President Roosevelt set up the WPA the same year that my grandma was born (Divine 760). The WPA was similar to other work relief programs such as the CCC, PWA, CWA and NYA. All were established to provide jobs for the unemployed. However, the WPA was unique because it was the first program to also address the needs of artists, writers, and actors. These people were employed by the WPA to capture and portray the culture and events of the United States at that time (761). As a result of the Depression, Americans learned to be resourceful. People would make clothes out of flour sacks and homes out of cardboard and metal scraps (Conlin 686). They grew gardens and hunted for their food instead of buying it at the store. Some people even sold apples in the city streets to earn money (Current 731). One of the weirdest things about my grandma is that she likes to eat squirrel brains. But it makes sense. When she was little they didn't have money to buy meat, so her dad would go hunting all the time. He'd catch jackrabbits and squirrels and whatever else he could find, and that's what they ate. So my grandma grew up eating squirrels (and their brains). It was normal to h... ... of the war. The day the war ended she was in school. When they found out it was over, they let all the kids go home early. Everywhere she went, she said she could feel a sense of relief. Everyone was happy and excited. My grandma grew up and married Henry Fordge. They now have six grown children and a lifetime of wonderful memories. Her first memories, though, were shaped by two of the greatest events in American history: The Great Depression and World War Two. Works Cited Conlin, Joseph R. Our Land, Our Time: A History of the United States. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1991. Current, Richard N., et al. American History: A Survey. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983. Divine, Robert A., ed. America Past and Present. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1987. Jordan, Killian, ed. Our Finest Hour. Time Inc. Home Entertainment. 2000.