About Isotopic Dating Yardsticks for Geologic Time

The work of geologists is to tell the true story of Earths history—more precisely, a story of Earths history that is ever truer. A hundred years ago, we had little idea of the storys length—we had no good yardstick for time. Today, with the help of isotopic dating methods, we can determine the ages of rocks nearly as well as we map the rocks themselves. For that, we can thank radioactivity, discovered at the turn of the last century. The Need for a Geologic Clock A hundred years ago, our ideas about the ages of rocks and the age of the Earth were vague. But obviously, rocks are very old things. Judging from the number of rocks there are, plus the imperceptible rates of the processes forming them—erosion, burial, fossilization, uplift—the geologic record must represent untold millions of years of time. It is that insight, first expressed in 1785, that made James Hutton the father of geology. So we knew about deep time, but exploring it was frustrating. For more than a hundred years the best method of arranging its history was the use of fossils or biostratigraphy. That only worked for sedimentary rocks and only some of those. Rocks of Precambrian age had only the rarest wisps of fossils. No one knew even how much of Earth history was unknown! We needed a more precise tool, some sort of clock, to begin to measure it. The Rise of Isotopic Dating In 1896, Henri Becquerels accidental discovery of radioactivity showed what might be possible. We learned that some elements undergo radioactive decay, spontaneously changing to another type of atom while giving off a burst of energy and particles. This process happens at a uniform rate, as steady as a clock, unaffected by ordinary temperatures or ordinary chemistry. The principle of using radioactive decay as a dating method is simple. Consider this analogy: a barbecue grill full of burning charcoal. The charcoal burns at a known rate, and if you measure how much charcoal is left and how much ash has formed, you can tell how long ago the grill was lit. The geologic equivalent of lighting the grill is the time at which a mineral grain solidified, whether that is long ago in an ancient granite or just today in a fresh lava flow. The solid mineral grain traps the radioactive atoms and their decay products, helping to ensure accurate results. Soon after radioactivity was discovered, experimenters published some trial dates of rocks. Realizing that the decay of uranium produces helium, Ernest Rutherford in 1905 determined an age for a piece of uranium ore by measuring the amount of helium trapped in it. Bertram Boltwood in 1907 used lead, the end-product of uranium decay, as a method to assess the age of the mineral uraninite in some ancient rocks. The results were spectacular but premature. The rocks appeared to be astonishingly old, ranging in age from 400 million to more than 2 billion years. But at the time, no one knew about isotopes. Once isotopes were explicated, during the 1910s, it became clear that radiometric dating methods were not ready for prime time.   With the discovery of isotopes, the dating problem went back to square one. For instance, the uranium-to-lead decay cascade is really two—uranium-235 decays to lead-207 and uranium-238 decays to lead-206, but the second process is nearly seven times slower. (That makes uranium-lead dating especially useful.) Some 200 other isotopes were discovered in the next decades; those that are radioactive then had their decay rates determined in painstaking lab experiments. By the 1940s, this fundamental knowledge and advances in instruments made it possible to start determining dates that mean something to geologists. But techniques are still advancing today because, with every step forward, a host of new scientific questions can be asked and answered. Methods of Isotopic Dating There are two main methods of isotopic dating. One detects and counts radioactive atoms through their radiation. The pioneers of radiocarbon dating used this method because carbon-14, the radioactive isotope of carbon, is very active, decaying with a half-life of just 5730 years. The first radiocarbon laboratories were built underground, using antique materials from before the 1940s era of radioactive contamination, with the aim of keeping background radiation low. Even so, it can take weeks of patient counting to get accurate results, especially in old samples in which very few radiocarbon atoms remain. This method is still in use for scarce, highly radioactive isotopes like carbon-14 and tritium (hydrogen-3). Most decay processes of geologic interest are too slow for decay-counting methods. The other method relies on actually counting the atoms of each isotope, not waiting for some of them to decay. This method is harder but more promising. It involves preparing samples and running them through a mass spectrometer, which sifts them atom by atom according to weight as neatly as one of those coin-sorting machines. For an example, consider the potassium-argon dating method. Atoms of potassium come in three isotopes. Potassium-39 and potassium-41 are stable, but potassium-40 undergoes a form of decay that turns it to argon-40 with a half-life of 1,277 million years. Thus the older a sample gets, the smaller the percentage of potassium-40, and conversely the greater the percentage of argon-40 relative to argon-36 and argon-38. Counting a few million atoms (easy with just micrograms of rock) yields dates that are quite good. Isotopic dating has underlain the whole century of progress we have made on Earths true history. And what happened in those billions of years? Thats enough time to fit all the geologic events we ever heard of, with billions left over. But with these dating tools, weve been busy mapping deep time, and the story is getting more accurate every year.

Guernica By Pablo Picasso And Executions Of Art - 879 Words

When comparing the two art pieces of art, â€Å"Guernica† by Pablo Picasso and â€Å"Executions of the Third of May† by Goya, you may interpret the underlying meaning to be the same. However, the era in which these paintings were created are noticeably different as well as the techniques. The history in which these two works were created is intriguing. The implicit and explicit similarities and differences between these two historical pieces are astonishing. â€Å"Guernica†, which was created in 1937 was Picasso’s reaction to the bombing of a Spanish city that the name of the work derived its name from. During the Spanish Civil War, Germany had supported the Nationalists side and provided them with weapons and other supplies, so when Adolf Hitler†¦show more content†¦A mother cries in agony while holding a small child in her arms, most likely one of the many victims who lost their lives. On the far right side of the painting, you can see a woman o n her knees, examining the skies as if she is expecting another bomb to fall from the sky. It is evident that her right leg is already injured. Violence and anguish is displayed in this famous piece of art. Francisco Goya was a Spanish Romanticist painter who was born 1746 and died in 1828. Although he was born near Saragossa, he was living in Madrid when he painted â€Å"Executions of the Third of May†. The famous painting refers to 1807 when Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to make an alliance with King Charles IV in order to conquer Portugal, but his true plan was to take over Madrid. When the French troops stormed Madrid, Napoleon claimed that they were just passing through, but when they began taking over, king Charles IV soon realized the alliance was a hoax. Soon after Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte became the new king of Spain. The siege lasted three days and on the second day a rebellion broke out and on the third day, the rebels were slaughtered. It is said that Goya himself witnessed the murders from atop the hill of Principe Pio and once the massacre had ended he began making sketches of the bodies under his lantern. Although the story is not proven, it is clear that it affected him greatly. French soldiers stand in rows, aiming their rifles at what seems to be the focalShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between Modernism And Modernism1174 Words   |  5 Pagescreativity. The romantic period focused on the creativity of an individual’s art. However, after reading the two lectures, I believe the modernism period is when artists really started to discover innovative ways to create art. There were many artists in each genre of painting, composing, and poetry who had strong influences during the modernists period. The one artist who stuck out the most to me was Pablo Picasso. Pablo Picasso is one of the most well known artists of the modernism period. The modernismRead MoreThe Art of War: Goya and Picasso Essay1278 Words   |  6 PagesThe Art of War: Goya and Picasso War is hell. Literally. In an instant, in the blink of an eye, the world as we know it is torn apart and shredded. Normality explodes into atrocity as we see the depths of depravity that man can sink to. Even though their reasons for painting the pictures are different, Goya’s Third of May, 1808, and Picasso’s Guernica are testaments to the violence of war using specific events and symbolic features as their vehicle while their representations and styles areRead MoreLes Demoiselles DAvignon5704 Words   |  23 PagesLes Demoiselles dAvignon   Les Demoiselles dAvignon  (The Young Ladies of Avignon, and originally titled  The Brothel of Avignon) is a large  oil painting  of 1907 by the Spanish artist  Pablo Ruiz Picasso  (1881–1973). The work portrays five nude female prostitutes from a brothel on Avinyà ³ Street in  Barcelona. Each figure is depicted in a disconcerting confrontational manner and none are conventionally  feminine. The women appear as slightly menacing and rendered with angular and disjointed body shapesRead MoreArt History Study Guide3003 Words   |  13 PagesStephens/ Virgin and Child, Melun Diptych * Limbourg Brothers – Tres Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry * Flanders * Bosch, Hieronymus –Garden of Earthly Delights, Creation of Eve, Hell * Bouts, Dirk –Wrongful Execution of the Count; Justice of Otto III * Broederlam, Melchoir –Retable de Champmol Annunciation/Visitation/Presentation/ Flight to Egypt * Campin, Robert –Merode Altarpiece * Christus, Petrus –Goldsmith in his Shop Read MoreIwc1 Literature, Arts and Humanities Essay10028 Words   |  41 Pageseffect to cause). Question 5: Multiple Choice Why is architecture considered an art? a) Because architecture provides shelter to humans b) Because architecture is often decorated with art forms c) Because architects use perspective in their work d) Because architecture is concerned with the aesthetic effect of structures in their environment Feedback: The correct answer is d. Architecture is considered an art because it is concerned with the aesthetic effect of structures in their surrounding

Play in school Essay Example For Students

Play in school Essay There were different doors on the stage, the ones on stage left were poor and battered leading into council houses; this is where the Johnston family lived, the doors on stage right was hidden but the ones shown were new posh doors maybe leading into mansions. To show the Lyons house they used flying scenery; one wall flat of a house to show a living/dinning room. This also happened when the scene was in Mrs Johnstons kitchen. To show Mickey and Lindas house they rolled on another wall flat of a living room. The doors stayed on the stage for all of the play, the only time they changed is when the Johnston family moved to the countryside; they were still council but were in much better condition. A sort of raised platform this was used by the always-watching narrator who never left the stage, to watch, to enter and exit to a wing upstairs, it led to were the orchestra were.  Only a few scenes changed throughout the play but most of the time to change the scene the stage were just striked. The biggest scene change was when the scene changed from the street houses to the countryside, the backdrop changed here also from the houses and factories of the city to the farms and fields of the countryside. This took place during the interval. Sound and music were also used to display the emotions in each scene. The type of sound was mainly special effects for things like thunder when Mrs Lyons went insane and birds tweeting in the country scene.  The orchestra also contributed to the sound before and during the play, it was nothing too evident, which did not really give much of an impact, which is a good thing.  The Music during the play was very harsh and the pace was always fast, the songs were very hum able and catchy but I believed that the played Marilyn Monroe and shoes upon the table a bit too much as they started to get a bit annoying after a while During the play, the stage was lit using foot lights and floodlights, which made it quite bright. The only times when the scene was not light was either when the effect of night was wanted or when Mrs. Lyon was going insane and flashing lights with blue gels were used, also a tree or flame was shown on the stage using a shadow.  There was a few times in which light effects were used, for example when there were blackouts to show the years gone past, flashing lights were also used to show different shops and arcades in the carnival when Linda, Mickey and Eddie were growing up. This was effective, and was an amazing contrast compared to the scene with Mrs Lyons, which had a completely different mood that was well conveyed by the lighting used in both scenes. The play would not have been as good if only the house lights were used. The costumes in the play reflected the character and his or her personality well. When they were children Mickey wears torn shorts and T-shirt that do not fit him properly, Eddie wears shorts, a shirt and a jumper and white knee high socks that were always clean and tidy. As they get older they stop wearing shorts and start to wear jeans and jumpers when finally they grow up to show their maturity they wear jeans, shirts and blazers. Not only do the costumes show the age changes but also the difference in class; Eddie would wear designer, posh clean clothes all the way through the play while Eddie would wear standard middle class clothes .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .postImageUrl , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:hover , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:visited , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:active { border:0!important; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:active , .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u27677b13a3256320d10e6604778ffc8f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Physical Therapy EssayIt was the first time that I saw Blood Brothers and I understood the play to a certain extent but not as fully as the other people did because I am not studying the play in school.  Although the production is a brilliant one, I thought that the actors playing the characters of Mrs. Lyons and Mrs Johnston was not thought out enough and turned out to be characterless and bland. An example of this is when Mrs Lyons appears in Mrs Johnstons home and threatens her, the struggle between the two ended up to be a bit pathetic. The characters of Mickey and Linda were a lot better, they were exciting and competent, they also were able to show their characters development well through out the play. My favourite character in the play was Mickey. Mickeys character was the one that in my opinion was more developed, the one that stood out from the other main characters and the best acted. I also liked the way that his character gradually changed through out the play and not many actors can carry it out as well as he did. The change of Mickeys character was obvious during the play but the actors change was not. Apart from Mrs Lyon and Mrs Johnston, I believe the choice of cast was very well done. It is my favourite play, so far because it is filled with humour, Romance, attraction and physical humour.  As a whole, I thought the audience really enjoyed the performance and I liked the way the director slipped in a few jokes.  Along with the tears, this compelling and heart-wrenching story of the Liverpool working class mum, pressured into giving away one of her newborn twins at birth so that he can have a better life, also has warmth, tenderness, love and laughter

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies- Fear is the Source of All Evil Essay The Lord of the Flies is all about fear. Golding seems to be suggesting that fear, and its complications are the source of all evil. Throughout the novel, the boys show fear in many things. They see and hear assorted things on the island and assume them to be beasts to be dreaded. After much disorder and turmoil on the island, a group of hunters offer a gift to the much sought after and feared beast. A young boy, who is not a part of the group of hunters, encounters their gift to the feared beast and he even talked to it, learning the causes of all the evil on the island. The boy attempts to share his discovery in an attempt to end the fear of the beast and to halt the evil on the island. Sadly, he is mistaken for the dreaded beast that apparently inhabits the island. The hunters, in fear, savagely, murder Simon, ending all ones hopes for the end of evil. By the end of the novel, all the boys, except for Ralph have regressed into a primitive state and have lost all morals, until thei r rescue, when they finally see how bad they have been. The plot of this novel is based on fear, fear that leads to evil. In Beast from the Water, fear spreads through the group. Ralph, the current leader of the group, tries to convince the boys that their fear of a beast is absurd. Ralph is unsuccessful in deterring the fear of the boys. Several of them tell of monsters they have heard of, like the giant squid, and ponder the fact that beasts and ghosts may be roaming the island. Ralph observes all this and is powerless to control the situation. He calls a vote to decide if the ghosts are real. This is the climax of a series of futile attempts to hinder their fear. The sanity that is left among the boys is disappearing rapidly. The fear of the beasts is only growing more serious. In a group meeting, Simon tries to tell the boys that if there is a beast to fear, it exists within their own hearts. His attempts are futile as the boys simply laugh at him. The meeting soon turns chaotic due to Jacks defiance of Ralphs rules and the boys run off, led by Jack. The boys minds are still occupied with thoughts of beasts roaming the island. Ralph is still on his mission to end their fear in beasts. Jack, Ralph and Roger climb a hill late at night while searching for beasts. They see do see a beast. It is really a dead man who is suspended by his parachute. They boys only see his silhouette and they hear a flapping noise caused by the wind blowing against his equipment. The three boys run in fear. Now, even Ralph is frightened. Jacks new group fear the beast so much that they leave a gift for the beast. They took head of a hunted pig, mounted it on a pole and left it standing in the jungle. This head becomes a symbol of terror. Even the boys that put the head there became frightened and ran away because of it. Simon has been sitting alone in the jungle, starting at the fly-covered head of the dead pig as if he was in a trance. The heat becomes intense and the air is humi d and close, due to a brewing tropical storm. Suddenly, it seems as if the head the Lord of the Flies is speaking to him. It warns Simon that it is impossible to escape him, the beast, for he is a part of everyone, and he is responsible for all the difficulties that they are facing. The Lord of the Flies is explaining that there is no sense in trying to hunt and kill the beast. You knew didnt you? Im a part of you Close, close, close! Im the reason why its no go? Why things are they way they are? The Lord of the Flies answers the question of why the civilization of the boys is a failure. The destructive element is in the boys themselves in each boy. The tittle of the head, Lord of the Flies, is a literal translation of the word Beelzebub, the name of a devil in the Bible. The Lord of the Flies is a very important symbol in the novel. It is fear unleashed. The pigs head represents the evil of unreason. The files that buzz over the intestines of the sow are instinctive beings, and the y represent the primitive urges that are beginning to dominate the boys. It is the destiny of the boys if they do not eliminate their fear of beasts beasts that are really in themselves. .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .postImageUrl , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:hover , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:visited , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:active { border:0!important; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:active , .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75 .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u08a91ab0c86f1a3b619aed78a5cbed75:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: 12 Angry Men Essay After Simons encounter with the Lord of the Flies, he wanders off, despite his fear and fatigue. He crawls up a hill and immediately discovers the cause of all the terror on the island. He sees the dead pilot entangled in some rocks and flapping in the breeze. Simon staggers off to inform the other boys of what he has learned. Meanwhile, Jack is holding a banquet that everybody is attending, including Ralph and Piggy. Suddenly, a black shape is seen crawling from the jungle, waving and calling to them. It is Simon with his message. The Beast! the frenzied boys shout, Kill the Beast! In their fear, they failed to recognized that it was Simon. The crazed boys of Jacks tribe leap upon him, beating and tearing him to death, despite his cries of pain and terror. Simons message never becomes revealed. He is the only one who understands the nature of evil on the island. Therefore, he is a threat to the continuance of that evil, and so, that evil must destroy him. Simons death leads to the s avages turning their violence to Piggy and Ralph. Jack soon steals Piggys glasses which foreshadows his inevitable death. Without glasses, Piggy cannot see, therefore loosing all knowledge. Roger tries to kill Piggy by rolling a huge boulder at him, trying to kill him in his futile attempts to get his glasses back. Piggy hears the boulder, but he cannot see where it is coming from. Piggy and the conch are crushed beneath it. With Piggy dead, and the conch broken, Ralph has no hope of becoming the leader again. Without Ralph as the leader, the boys will remain in primitive disorder and chaos. The hope of Ralph regaining power ends, along with the hope of the hunters overcoming the beast. Ralph, being the only one that has not joined Jacks tribe, is feared somewhat and is being hunted down. Jacks tribe has many forms of torture awaiting Ralph on his capture. While the boys are chasing Ralph, he collapsed in exhaustion, but when he looked up he saw a naval officer standing before him. Ralph is finally free from the terror and the evil of the island. The naval officer is shocked that several boys have been killed and that all traces of civilization have disappeared. The boys begin to cry. The naval officer turns his back and contemplates the sight of his cruiser in which he is sent out to do something as primitive as killing and destroying. Golding seems to be suggesting that fear, and its complications, is the source of all evil. It caused the majority of the boys to commit unspeakable acts of violence and immorality. Ralphs phrase, the darkness of mans heart. vividly describes his feelings of shame and confusion of how the others could be so bad. At the end of the novel, he cries for the end of innocenceand the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. Their fears were rooted in beasts throughout the novel. This led the boys offering a gift to this beast, and innocent boys being murdered. Category: English

Operational Management Effectiveness

Introduction Operational Management is defined as an area in business which mainly concentrates on the production of goods and services involving the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are proficient and effectual in terms of meeting the customers’ rations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operational Management Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager in charge of operational management is struck with various responsibilities. The main one includes; managing and directing technical functions of an organization. Technical functions are tasks such as business growth, fabrication and manufacturing and processing of raw materials into finished goods. Other responsibilities that are entitled to an operational manager are to see to it that the operations management programs of the firm are followed. These programs comprise of manufacturing and production systems, equipment main tenance management, production control, strategic manufacturing policy and industrial labor relations, skilled trade supervision and human resource management. Operational management mainly targets the customers, therefore it is their formal duty to see to it that customers’ needs are prioritized and met with immediate efficiency. Stanbic bank is one of the most competent banks around and it is for that reason that we are going to make some few changes in the customer service so as to keep the bank on top. This branch has been rated in the top five of all Stanbic branches of the bank for the last year and the changes that we are going to make are going to see to it that we keep that position. In trying to find the solution to the bank’s branch problem, we are predetermined to follow some of operations management’s principles and theories. Some of the basic things this article is going to focus on are ‘theories of constraints’. This theories focus on the achievement of managerial constraints through system constraints. The application guidelines to implement this methodology are as follows; Identifying the constraints that affect the whole company Exploit constraints Subordinate process that could be used Elevate constraints Repeat cycle. These theories of constraints concentrate on the weakest links in the operation system to achieving a better productivity. Here are the steps followed in details;Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Step1. Identify the constraints: This process limits the throughput of the system Step2. Exploit the constraints: There are many ways into which this step can be done depending on the type of process that is being dealt with here. I found out that when this step is used, the throughout of the constraint is maximized. Step3. Subordinate process: This step is usually applied before the constrai nt to avoid or prevent the building-up of inventory that may occur during this process. Step4. If the thorough put is still not satisfactory, the constraints must be improved even more or completely eliminated from the operations of the company Step5. Repeat cycle: The process is an ongoing development process, new constraints must be identified and the steps must be repeated for those constraints. According to my branch operations analysis, customer service is one crucial area that needs changes. Customer service is said to be provision of services to the customer. Heize and Render defines it as activities developed to improve and ensure customer satisfaction. (Heize Render, 2008, p. 25) This means that the customer should feel that the product or service has met his or her expectations and needs. The importance of customer service changes with the services and products provided the industry and the customer being handled. Customer service is a crucial part of customer value propo sition in the company because customers will remember you even if you don’t remember them and their trust will fade if the level of customer service in your company is low.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operational Management Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Without a good customer service whether you reduce prices or offer discounts, you will only attract the customers but you will not get them to come back. Good customer service is therefore mainly about getting your customers to come back again and sending them away happy and satisfied. Its essence is to create a good and lasting relationship with the customer that the customer would love to maintain. Evenson states that some of the qualities or activities of a good customer service includes answering your phone whenever a customer calls the business so that they are attended to all the time. You should also make only promises that you can keep so that you can be reliable to the customers and strengthen your relationship. Nothing annoys the customer like a broken promise. (Evenson, 2005, p. 89) You should also listen to your customers problems and complains and be attentive while they talk so that they feel that you care about them and that you are interested in helping solve the problems that they have. Another good quality is to deal with the customers complaints in the best way possible whether it is their fault or yours. You should also be helpful all the time even if there is no profit to gain, train your staff to be always helpful and courteous and take an extra step to improve your customer service. These are the general customer service qualities and activities that companies should practice. They however differ in different industries and institutions. The banking industry has been known to improve their customer service in order to be effective and maintain as many customers as possible. Real banks deal with a large number of customers and they have to create a god relationship with the customers so that they can be loyal and come back again. They have branches all over and they have to ensure a good customer service in the branches as well. Keyes explains that for real banks to improve their customer service in the branches, they have to start by examining the events that happens everyday in the branches that mostly affect either positively or negatively how the customer perceives the bank. (Keyes, 1999, p. 214) It is from these events that the banks can know what part to improve so that they can maintain the loyalty of their customers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Qualities and roles of operational management Banks have branches locally with some having branches all over the world. Their image to the customers is therefore an important factor in ensuring that they are prosperous. They therefore do not only maintain a good customer service at the main office but also in the branches. The branches are in fact more crucial because many customers can access the branches more than the main office and therefore the kind of customer service they find in the branches will determine if they remain loyal to the bank or seek another bank which gives a better customer service. Carlaw Deming believe that for banks to improve their customer service, the management team of the banks has to hire, train and maintain the best customer support representatives that have the qualities necessary to maintain a good customer service. (Carlaw Deming, 1998, p. 114) Qualities needed to deliver good customer service Banking skills These skills are required for the cus tomer service representatives in banks. The qualities needed under the banking skills include the knowledge of the banks products and services. The representatives should be well acquainted with the products and services that the bank is offering so that they can be able to explain it to a customer who doesn’t know much about the products or services and does not know which service or product to choose that suits his or her interest. Kamin explains that this quality shows that the representatives understand their company and this builds confidence in the customer for example if a customer does not know which account to open for his or her savings and the representative explains all the types of accounts to her with every detail and recommends an account for her then he or she will be confident in the representative and in themselves too. (Kamin, 2006, pp 108) It also maintains the professional image of the banks and it draws more customers. Another quality needed for the bank ing skills is knowledge of the bank policies. The representatives should know the bank policies used in handling certain issues for example complaints. This quality will help in solving any problems that may occur in the banks with the customers for example when there are many customers in the bank that need attention then the representative should apply the bank’s policies of first come first serve. This will demonstrate reliability of the bank to the customers and prompt them to come again Communication skills These skills are also a crucial requirement for the customer service representatives of the banks to have. Spector McCarthy state that Communication skills enables the representatives to communicate effectively with the customers and entail a lot of qualities or sun skills like effective communication, active listener, good telephone communicator and others that a representative should have. (Spector McCarthy, 2005, pp 127) The representatives should know how to han dle telephone calls by ensuring that they receive all the calls from customers any time and ensuring that they handle the conversation well and to the customer’s satisfaction for example if a customer needs to talk to the manager who is not in, the representative should be able to explain to the customer that the person they are looking for is out and what time they will be back and if he or she can take a message. This will be courteous to the customer and having been treated with respect will boost his loyalty. Attentiveness during communication is also necessary. When communicating to customers, you should be as attentive as possible and make sure that the customers do not have to repeat themselves unless necessary. This will demonstrate mental alertness of the representatives and show that they are interested in whatever the customer is talking about and also show that they care about the customer’s needs. This helps in building the loyalty of the customer and solv ing any problems for example if a customer has complains about a service offered to him or her at the bank, you should be able to listen to him or her attentively and try and help him or her solve the problem. This will prompt the customer to come back and use more services of the bank having in mind that in case of any problems, it will be handled effectively. Technological skills These skills are also important for effective customer service in banks. The customer service representatives are required to be well trained in technology and be acquainted with the technological developments for example the knowledge of computers and even the use of automated machines. This technological ability enables the representative to apply technical knowledge and skills when performing his or her duty. This ability also makes works easier and the representatives can draw the customers to the bank without the customer coming physically to the bank. It also helps the bank to organize their work an d activities well so that the customer can be easily attracted to its services and therefore become loyal to the bank for example if a customer wants his or her bank statements then the representative having the knowledge of the computers and printers can easily print the statements and give it to the customer immediately instead of waiting for someone who has the knowledge. Personal skills These skills are also required for good customer service. Personal skills include things like honesty, ability to persuade, time keeping and quick decision maker. Bonomo believes that the ability to persuade for example will help you persuade customers to come to your bank and also to be loyal to the bank but this will depend on your ability to persuade them and how you also interact with them. (Bonomo, 2002, p. 34) The quality of quick decision maker will help you make decisions for example which account to open for a customer in the bank and this will make you efficient. Good personal skills ar e very integral skills for a good customer care service assistant. Personal skills will determine how you treat the customer and this will eventually determine the productivity of the customer care relations in that company Role of Operations management in supporting front line staff effectively For the representatives to be very effective, the management of the banks must be supportive enough towards the representatives by training them and giving tem morale and even showing them directions. Training sessions.  Collie Violano state that the management should organize training sessions and workshops for the representatives so that they can learn more on good customer care service and interact with each other to share ideas on how to be good customer service representatives. (Collie Violano, 2002, p. 156) This will help them sharpen their skills and be acquainted with the current issues surrounding customer service. The management should also be supportive enough to the represent atives by ensuring that they are working in a conducive environment for example they should offer refreshments like tea and also give them reasonable breaks like a one hour lunch breaks. The management can also organize staff retreats and team building activities for every branch and also parties for all the branches. This can be an opportunity for the representatives from different branches to share and learn from each other and it also gives them time to relax and be able to work well Staff members are an integral part of an organization and therefore management should ensure that they are taken good care of. Operations management should therefore ensure that employees are given a good remuneration package with an appraisal package and recognition. When employees perform well, they should be recognized either by being awarded or by being promoted. These promotions and rewards will motivate the employee to perform better because he will be certain that the management cares about hi s needs of being promoted. It will also motivate other employees to work harder so that they can be promoted Management should organize conferences and forums for employees to improve their effectiveness in their work place. Conferences and forums help them to meet with other customer care representatives from other companies and compare notes and also share the challenges that they go through and give suggestions on how they can overcome these challenges. These conferences also make the employees aware of the current issues and requirements of customer care service and this will improve how they work. The conferences will also improve the skills of the employees because they will be learning new ideas on how to improve their customer service skills and apply them in their working areas hence improving the image of the company that they are working for Measuring customer satisfaction Hayes believes that the management can use many methods to find out if their customers have been sat isfied. (Hayes, 1998, p. 46) The banks can conduct informal surveys on the customers to find out the level of the service for example after being served in the bank, the customer can fill out a written service on how the general service at the bank was and management can analyze the responses to know how the customers rate their customer service. The management can also use comment cards. These are small cards where customers can write their comments about the bank’s service. The management will therefore analyze the details of the comments and react to them adequately. Verbal comments of the customers are another way to measure how the customer service of the bank is doing. If the customers are happy and praising the services that they have received at the bank then this is a sign that they are doing well and if the customers are complaining then they will have to improve their customer service. Management can also use the historical data of the bank to measure the customer satisfaction of the bank. If the past information on customer satisfaction of the bank has been good then the management can conclude that the bank has been delivering good services to the customers and therefore management will put in strategies to maintain the same trend and if possible improve the customer service. The sales of the bank can also be used to measure the satisfaction of the customers. If the customers are treated well then they will tend to purchase more and therefore the sales will be high and this will show that they are satisfied. On the other hand if they are not treated well they will not use the services of the banks and the sales will reduce indicating that the customers are not happy with their work or work environment and therefore they are not satisfied. The banks can also use corporate generated surveys which will show the position of the bank among other corporate and if it is highly ranked then it will mean that the customers are happy with the services of the bank and that is why they have ranked it highly and if it is ranked lowly then it means that the customers are not satisfied. The position of the bank will enable the management know the level of customer satisfaction in their bank and how they can improve that level of management. Discussions with internal customers can also be a way to measure customer satisfaction. The management can discuss with internal customers how the bank’s customer service is and if they have been treated well and if they are satisfied. Since internal customers are regular customers, there answers are genuine and can be used as a basis to know whether the customer service at the bank is effective. Management can also use focus groups to know if their customers have been satisfied. Hayes states that these groups focus on customer satisfaction in companies by assessing the views of the customer. (Hayes, 2008, p.125) If they rate the customer satisfaction at the bank as high then the management will know that their customers are satisfied. The management can also install toll free phone services where the customers can call and give their views on whether they were satisfied or not and how the customer service was. This kind of service is more appropriate, convenient and cheaper to use by the employees. This will help in knowing whether the customers are satisfied or not. Management can also use questionnaires to find out the level of customer satisfaction that the bank is offering. Questionnaires are pieces of papers with questions that ask whether the customer satisfaction has been good or not. The questionnaires are given to all employees to fill and then they are later reviewed and sampled to know whether the employees are satisfied or not. Questionnaires can either be closed where you either respond yes or no or they can be open where you can give an answer and a reason or an opinion to the answer that you have given Conclusion Operations management should be very ef fective in an organization because it is the part of management that will ensure that employees are well taken care of and they are motivated enough to ensure that the goals of the company are achieved. Good customer care service is important to an organization because the customers are the most important resource to an organization and therefore they should be treated with enough care and ensures that they are satisfied Reference Anupindi, Ravi, Sunil C. Sudhakar D. Deshmukh, Jan A. Van Mieghem, Eitan, Z. (2006) Managing Business process Flows; Principle of operation Management: Upper Saddle, River. NJ. Pearson prentice Hall. Pp. nd Bonomo. P. T. (2002) Customer Service aiming for excellence: NW. Trafford. Pp 78 Carlaw, P Deming, K. V. (1998) The big book of Customers services training game,Activities for training customer service Rep, salespersons and anyone Quick Fun Customer. McGraw- Hill Proffessional. Pp 209 Collie, V.S Violano, M. (1992) Retailing Banking technology: Strat egies Resources the competitive advantage: Chicago. John Wiley Sons. Pp 223 Davis, Mark M., Nicholas J. Aquilano, Richard B. C. (1999) Fundermental of Operation Management. 3rd Ed. Boston. Irwin McGraw-Hill. Pp. nd Everson, R. (2005) Customer services Training 101, Quick and easy technique that Results. NW. Amacon Div American Management Association. Pp 207 Finch Byron.(2006) Operations Now. 2nd ed., Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Pp.nd Hayes, E. B. (1998) Measuring Customer Satisfaction, Survey, Design, use and Method: NW. America Society for quality. Pp 278 Heize J Render B, (2008) Operational Management, Ed 9; Person-Prentice Hall upper Saddle River. P.nd Kamin, M. (2006) Customer Service Training, Chicago: Elsevier. Pp 204 Keyes, J. (1999) Banking technology handbook: London. CRC press.Pp 640 Spector, R McCarthy, D. P. (2005) The Nordstrom Way to customer Services Handbook for Implementing Great Services In your Organisation: Chicago. Exellence Sons. Pp 270 Rainbird Mark. (20 04) A Framework for Operations Management, the Value Chain. International Journal of Operations and Production Management 34, no. 3/4: Pp337–345. Zemke, R Woods, A.J. (2009) Best Practices in Customer Services, NW. Amacon Div American Management Association. Pp 414 This essay on Operational Management Effectiveness was written and submitted by user Allan Powers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on WalMart Are They Socially Responsible

Is Wal-Mart a socially responsible corporation? Discuss using Hall’s article as your starting point and the different views of corporate responsibility presented in class. (This essay should argue to a definitive conclusion). Is Wal-Mart a socially responsible corporation? This essay will seek to answer that question. Firstly there will be an overview of what exactly Wal-Mart is, their size and profit. Moving onto what conditions have lead to this question being posed with insights from various authors such as Nelson Lichtenstein and the ways in which Wal-Mart have retorted. Two main theories of corporate responsibility will be put forth; the stockholder or narrow view presented by Friedman and the stakeholder or wider view presented by Freeman and Evans. It will be established which of these views is socially better and Wal-Mart’s current situation will be looked at against the appropriate criteria. Wal-Mart is the largest retailer and the largest company in the world based on revenue. It was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and has grown to become one of the most successful and well known companies the world over. In the last financial year Wal-Mart had $256.3 billion in sales and net income of $8.9 billion. Forbes magazine points out that if Wal-Mart were its own economy, it would rank 30th in the world, with a GDP right behind Saudi Arabia and bigger than that of Switzerland, Sweden or Turkey. It's the largest private employer in the United States, in Mexico and in Canada, employing more than 1.5 million people world wide. It seems that Wal-Mart is an economy of its own with profound implications for its customers, workers and the communities where it operates. Wal-Mart contributes $US750 million to taxes in California alone and spends about $US4.2 billion a year nationally on employee benefits. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart) Nelson Lichtenstein (2005), a strong unionist, believes that the size of Wal-Mart means ... Free Essays on WalMart Are They Socially Responsible Free Essays on WalMart Are They Socially Responsible Is Wal-Mart a socially responsible corporation? Discuss using Hall’s article as your starting point and the different views of corporate responsibility presented in class. (This essay should argue to a definitive conclusion). Is Wal-Mart a socially responsible corporation? This essay will seek to answer that question. Firstly there will be an overview of what exactly Wal-Mart is, their size and profit. Moving onto what conditions have lead to this question being posed with insights from various authors such as Nelson Lichtenstein and the ways in which Wal-Mart have retorted. Two main theories of corporate responsibility will be put forth; the stockholder or narrow view presented by Friedman and the stakeholder or wider view presented by Freeman and Evans. It will be established which of these views is socially better and Wal-Mart’s current situation will be looked at against the appropriate criteria. Wal-Mart is the largest retailer and the largest company in the world based on revenue. It was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and has grown to become one of the most successful and well known companies the world over. In the last financial year Wal-Mart had $256.3 billion in sales and net income of $8.9 billion. Forbes magazine points out that if Wal-Mart were its own economy, it would rank 30th in the world, with a GDP right behind Saudi Arabia and bigger than that of Switzerland, Sweden or Turkey. It's the largest private employer in the United States, in Mexico and in Canada, employing more than 1.5 million people world wide. It seems that Wal-Mart is an economy of its own with profound implications for its customers, workers and the communities where it operates. Wal-Mart contributes $US750 million to taxes in California alone and spends about $US4.2 billion a year nationally on employee benefits. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart) Nelson Lichtenstein (2005), a strong unionist, believes that the size of Wal-Mart means ...

Industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Industrialization - Essay Example The foundation of all Marxist leads to the analysis of political parties that formed in the early years in the British history. According to Marxists, the foundation of the Major political parties in Britain was based on the economic status of the society by then. The major aim of the political parties was to address the major issues affecting the life of the common people in the society. Politics of one class of people were being fought by all means and it was all aimed at ensuring equity in the places of work. There came to the formation of the Marxists in the early years. This brought the major political parties we have today in Britain. These are the; Tory Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Party (Daub 2005). The three major parties have not been seen to antagonize with the Marxist thesis rather they conform it. Marx revealed the driving forces of history in order to facilitate the making of history. In the course of the struggle between the classes, some acquire or lose coh esion and confidence. Thus political parties act as a weapon in the struggle between classes. In his argument Marx argued that there was a rising tension and disagreement between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. According to Marx, the proletariats were being exploited by the capitalists who were the bourgeoisie. The exploitation being experienced by the proletariat was based on the wealth that was being created and being enjoyed by the bourgeoisie. This major source of the tension being experienced by the two groups was on the economic exploitation where the working had little share of what they produced. The materials produced in the factories could be sold at a price higher than the workers’ wages. This meant that the workers who were mainly the proletariat could work in the factories but could not afford to build the items they produced due to the low wages (Barry 2005). The antagonism that Marx described was based on the wealth superiority. The oppressors wanted to ac quire all the wealth that was being made by the proletariats. This was the major cause of the tension between the two groups. Riots would arise as the oppressed advocated for the equal treatment of the two groups. There arose a revolution aimed at overthrowing the oppressors together with their supporters (Milkovinch 2010). According to Marx, he believed that capitalism was the destructor of the peace between the two major groups. He went on to describe in depth how the wealth being enjoyed by the bourgeoisies was a result of the hard work of the proletariat who were the main workers in the factories. In his observation, Marx argued that this antagonism would lead to a revolution that could be aimed at the oppressors who were the bourgeoisies. The rising competition among the two groups makes the commercial crisis get to a bad state. The increased rioting has been attributed to the oppression by the bourgeoisie (Daub 2005). Marx states that the exploitation of this group of people w ould lead to intensified resentment causing more hatred. A revolution would arise that would lead to the overthrow of the capitalists and their external supporters. However the situation that Marx described seems to have faded today. This is because there are groups that strongly advocate for the equal treatment of all classes of people in the society. There are some who stage their claims and strongly defend the working class calling for meaningful wages. The issue of one group dominating and