My First Grade Classroom At Tatnuck Magnet Elementary School

I spent five hours observing a classroom but it felt like spending time in a new world. I observed a first grade classroom at Tatnuck Magnet Elementary School in Worcester, Massachusetts. This was my first opportunity to watch and comprehend a classroom environment with a teacher’s mindset. It was an eye opening experience, I was beginning to see the classroom in components: teaching methods, lesson plans, philosophies, and common core requirements. Listening for how to give directions rather than follow them is just one example of my changed focus while in the classroom. Due to my schedule, I observed the first grade class on three separate days during the morning to afternoon part of the school day. There were roughly fifteen students, a diverse group which included various ethnicities and personalities. I feel that I was lucky in being assigned this class because it was extremely dynamic and I got to witness many activities and strategies in a couple hours. Throughout this observation report I will most likely quote phrases the teacher said as I found them to be key tools when dealing with a situation. For the purpose of maintaining confidentiality in this report, I will change the teacher’s name to Ms. Mallard and also create names for any students mentioned hereafter. Firstly, the actual classroom setting was filled with materials and vibrantly colored. One wall was made up of windows with shelving space all along the lower half. The windows let in wonderful

In the Heart of the Sea Free Essays

Nicole Hart HIST 2300- Christopher Trobridge Writing Assignment One October 16, 2010 â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whale ship Essex† In order to understand the ramifications of an event such as the sinking of the Essex one needs too understand the community that produces the crew. Nantucket was an island community much more than the literal sense of word. The islanders of Nantucket saw themselves differently than the rest of the word. We will write a custom essay sample on In the Heart of the Sea or any similar topic only for you Order Now They learned the skills of whaling from the original Wampanoag tribe. They were Quakers with a stoic sense of standards and community. The whale men from Nantucket saw themselves as superior to most other sailors of that time period. Hardship and perseverance were virtues held by the whale men and the women. The women ran the town while the whale men were at sea for years at a time. This type of work ethic and fortitude, and the worlds desire for oil, combined to make â€Å"the village of Nantucket one of the richest towns in America. † â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea† It also created a close-knit community with a few very successful and influential families that married with each other maintaining a strong central hierarchy. The sinking of the Essex directly affected the community of Nantucket but it was also far reaching to the rest of the country. America was growing as a Nation and its consumption of oil was expanding. The events of the Essex were not only interesting to sailors of the world but also to the mainlanders that consumed the oil. America in the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century were considered â€Å"†¦a consumer revolution. † â€Å"Of the People† No one knew this fact better than the owners of the whale ships. They understood that whale oil was a commodity to be sold. In order to harvest it at a profit they had to balance their expenses. Every mate on a whale ship received a fraction of the profit that the whale ship would return with the oil it found. The more responsibility a sailor had on a whale ship, the larger his cut. Every expense, food, gear, clothing, water had to be factored in of doing business. For example the captain received the largest share, due to him having the most responsibility, while Thomas Nickerson’s share was the experience he received at a young age on a whale ship plus the room and board that he would receive for two to three years. A situation that occurred early in their journey was a foreboding of things to come. Weeks into there journey the Essex experienced a â€Å"Knockdown†, a knockdown is a severe weather event that led to damage of the Essex. Captain Pollard was slow to respond to the weather issue at hand. The result was damage to half of their whaleboats that they used to harpoon whales. After the damage was done Pollard felt it would be best to return to Nantucket to replenish the ship with a new compliment of whaleboats. First mate Owen Chase convinced the Captain to proceed on with the whale boats they had with hope of getting more whaleboats of the coast of Africa. This dynamic exposed the type of sailor Captain Pollard was and the type of sailor first mate Chase was. Captain Pollard was proving to be â€Å"a Captain that had the skills of a first mate and first mate Owen was showing to have the skills of a Captain. † â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea. † These two personalities would continue to show themselves later in there journey after the Essex had sunk. When the Essex was rammed and destroyed by the sperm whale, the crews Nantucket heritage served them well. The officers of the Essex were able to maintain order and stifle any panic by the crewmen. They devised a strategy that first mate Chase had championed. Once again Captain Pollard’s initial plan was shelved for fist mate Chase’s plan. The remaining twenty-crew members of the Essex were split into three twenty-five foot whaling boats. Captain Pollard, First mate Chase, and Second officer Hendrix were in charge of the three boats. Even in this situation, a strong sense of the Nantucket community was resident in the division of each boat. The majority of the Nantucketers ended up in Captain Pollards boat. A few of the remaining Nantucketers ended up in First mate Chase’s boat and the majority of African American sailors ended up in second mate Hendrix’s boat. First mate Owen Chase proved to be a relentless advocate for hope. Thomas Nickerson saw another side of First mate Chase when their journey first began by seeing how curt Chase was to the crew. On the island of Nantucket Owen Chase was a gentlemen but at sea Chase took a role of being very demanding and wanting things done correctly. After the sinking of the Essex the crewmembers were struggling with the situation they were in and Chase changed his method of handling of the crew. When Chase saw the crew was losing spirit he showed a more â€Å"maternal† side. This change in attitude was critical in the survival of the crewmembers that made it. The events that led to the cannibalism of crewmembers of the Essex were presented differently to Captain Pollard’s boat and first mate Chase’s boat. Captain Pollards and Hendrix boat became separated from Chases boat. The African American crewmembers having a low body fat content and a mineral deficient diet became prone to death before the Nantucket crewmembers. As the African American crewmembers died the living crewmembers consumed them. When there only living crew members left on Pollards boat they resorted to drawing lots to see who would give up their life as food and who would kill that sailor. On first mate Chase’s boat one of the sailors passes and the elect to consume his body. It appears that cannibalism was a common event that occurred in these situations. To this day human beings get presented with this dilemma, such as the plane crash in the Andes. As for me I would rather chose death than the consuming of my mates. Spending months at a time with these men I would feel as though I was eating a family member and would rather wait for death than eat a fellow mate. Although I would have the pressure of supporting my family and wanting to return home, eating a human being I believe would be a lot easier said then done. In the grief that Captain Pollard experienced having to eat his nephew then facing his Aunt would be something I don’t think I could endure or ever live with. For Nantucket and the men involved in whale hunting it is more than just a hunt. It was a way of life, a way of survival, and the entire focus of a town. This novel contained more than just the story of the ramming of the Essex, it was more of a story of the hardships faced, the dedication that comes with the job of whaling, and the raw emotions of the men involved. This novel proved the importance of whaling in that time period to not only Nantucket but to the entire Nation, and how it foreshadowed how our economy would be today. Lastly to end with the mission of the Nantucket Quakers â€Å"†¦to maintain a peaceful life on land while raising bloody havoc at sea. † This was their life, their survival and it now is their history. Works Cited James Oakes, Michael Mcgerr, Jan Ellen Lewis, Nick Cullather, Jeanne Boydston. â€Å"Of the People: A history of the United States. † New York: Oxford University Press. Nathaniel Philbrick. â€Å"In the heart of the sea:The tradgedy of the Whaleship Essex† New York: Penguin Books, 2000. How to cite In the Heart of the Sea, Papers

Global Business Biotechnology Company

Question: Discuss about the Global Business for Biotechnology Company. Answer: Introduction: When a country decides to move in to the global market, various considerations have to be taken in to account while conducting the operations. The International Operations Manager has the important task of investigating the risks and challenges that the Company will face in the foreign country. International business can be defined as the financial and business activities of the firms across borders earning it the name cross-border business (Cavusgil 2014). Companies engage in gaining the foreign customers and launching synergetic relationships with stakeholders in the foreign land (Cavusgil 2014). Whenever a Company wants to penetrate global market to extend its business, it becomes necessary to carry out investigations regarding the current status of the market, the opportunity of bagging profitable stakeholders, the available consumer base and so on. Predictions regarding the future condition of the market in the particular market which the Company has chosen to settle in are also made and accordingly decisions are taken (Cavusgil 2014). International business ventures can run in to various kinds of risks and challenges which it might not face in its own homeland. Successful business venture also depends to a great extent on the Government legislations, policies and tariffs of the foreign country (Cavusgil 2014). Background to the Company: Figure 1: Logo of Giaconda Limited Source: (www.giacondaltd.com) As per the official website of the Company, Giaconda Limited was established in the year 2004 for the commercialization of therapies and drugs for gastrointestinal diseases and disorders (Giaconda 2016). The drugs were prepared by Professor Borody at the Centre for Digestive Diseases Pty Ltd. The Giaconda products were prepared keeping in mind the hitherto ineffective gastrointestinal drugs in the market. Hence the products developed in the Centre for Digestive Diseases proved to be triumphant in the Australian market. Originally, the Centre was based in Sydney in the year 1985 by Professor Borody who is one of the foremost specialists in the treatment of gastrointestinal industry (Giaconda 2016). Giaconda, as per the official website, boasts of 20 granted patents and 19 patents have already been applied for. Giaconda is mostly dependent on the innovative investigations conducted in the field of gastrointestinal diseases (Giaconda 2016). The Executive Director and Chief Executive Off icer is Mr. Patrick McLean while the Chief Medical Officer is Professor Thomas Borody M.D. Trevor Moore is the non-executive Director and Marcus Conner is the Company Secretary (Giaconda 2016). Giacondas mission is to become a pioneer in the path breaking therapies for GI diseases as well as help in the generation of profits keeping the best interests of the stakeholders in mind (Giaconda 2016). Analysis of risks and challenges: Investment in foreign ventures comprises both financial, cross cultural risks as well as additional opportunities. The financial risks that are associated with a global market include foreign exchange risk and political risks (Wild et al. 2014). Consequently, the reliability and continuity of a venture in foreign country depends on a number of variables. The volatile nature of the exchange rate occurs due to the sudden depreciation (or appreciation) which in turn affects the sales and revenues of the Company in the foreign market. Political risk materializes in the event of a government changing its policies which adversely impacts foreign companies in the country (Wild et al. 2014). Investigations have categorized the different risks faced by foreign companies in alien land under four subheadings. These are shown in the form of a diagram below: Figure 2: Risks in International business Source: (as created by the author) Giaconda Limited is attempting to launch itself in a foreign country to increase its global reach. The two countries chosen by the Company are South Africa and China both of which possess prospective markets for gastrointestinal products. The responsibility of the International Operations Manager is to analyze the four kinds of risks that the Company is likely to experience in the foreign market. Cross cultural risk: South Africa China Cultural differences South Africa consists of a medley of people from different ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups. Differences in customs and traditions between the two countries are much more apparent in case of South Africa (Sahistory.org.za 2016). China is notable for its traditional and ethnic outlook which is the countrys main source of pride and strength. Once a Celestial Empire, the Chinese culture also stands as a contrast to the progressive minded Australians. Negotiation patterns The Company would look for relatively easier negotiation patterns in the foreign country for its business transactions. The people of South Africa are friendly and they speak from the heart. Hence negotiations can be dealt with frank honesty with the South Africans. The Chinese are conservative and are inclined to be indifferent to foreign companies in the market. They are generally more favorable towards the China based companies. Decision-making styles The South African tend to take decisions quickly and unflinchingly. The Chinese are prone to take time before taking any kind of decision and reaching a conclusion. Ethical practices The South Africans are usually lenient when it comes to ethics and standard business practices. The Chinese are very conscientiousness in their dealings, whether it is in life in general or in business. Figure 3: Cross Cultural risks Source: (as created by the author) Commercial risk: South Africa China The commercial risks in South Africa have increased in the past year due to the depreciation of the African currencies. However, the rate of stabilization has increased in several South African countries like Ghana and Kenya. In the 2016 survey conducted by the Risk Frontiers, the exchange rate has been considered as the greatest commercial risk in South Africa. Another risk that comes up in the survey is related to the economic uncertainty (Commercial Risk Africa 2016). The regional as well as political variances that the countries face in the sub continent have an important impact on the dynamics of the market. Corruption has also topped in the list of commercial risk as different tiers of the business is dependent on bribery to get their work done (Commercial Risk Africa 2016). Conversely, the anti-corruption campaign has been launched in the countries to promote international business in South Africa. The business operation and strategies are on the way to be improved owing to th e active participation of the big players in South African market. The recent year has seen the market in South Africa as a bright spot for investment albeit a bit risky (Commercial Risk Africa 2016). As per the survey conducted by World Bank on Doing Business Well which lists the countries where foreign companies find it easy to invest, China ranked 84 (Doingbusiness.org 2016). China is known for its closed economy with the domestic companies getting more opportunities to innovate and prosper. However, the Chinese Government has placed several restrictions in large areas of the country. In China, chops are used as stamps which are legally binding for any company to operate in the country. The loss of such chops may lead to commercial risk for the foreign company in China. China, the worlds second largest economy, poses other risks for foreign business as well (Doingbusiness.org 2016). According to the Business Insider, the economic growth in China is not real. The fixed asset investments explain the large chunk of Chinese economy. The high speed of the growth of the economy is planned by the Central government though in reality the growth does not exist (Reckoning 2016). Figure 4: Commercial risks Source: (as created by the author) Country risk: South Africa China The political risks at South Africa are very high for the foreign company to invest in the market. The political disturbance in the country will intensify in the coming years which are sure to scare away investors from coming to invest. The economic growth has grown only by 1.3% in the year 2015 (Sabc.co.za 2016). The control of the Government on the market is also a growing concern for the investors. The license created for the company needs the creation of an official who can be corrupted and bribed in to getting any legal work done. The interventionist nature of the government has been the chief reason behind the decadent growth of the country (Cato Institute 2003). The political risks in China comprise the political unrest currently existent in the country. The economic reforms resulting in staff turnover, wide gaps between the haves and have nots, industrial accidents have led to social unrest. In such an event, the government is forced to take strict steps which endanger supply chains and investor confidence. Further, the legal protections are not applied properly to the industries. The public sector undertakings still constitute about 40 percent of the economic activity of China and hence private, foreign companies face stiff competition (Harvard Business Review 2006). Figure 5: Country risks Source: (as created by the author) Currency risk: South Africa China The currency of South Africa, rand, has depreciated which has caused the economy to weaken. As a result, the South African assets have come under pressure (Bloomberg.com 2015). The exchange control regulations are mainly regulated by the South African Reserves Bank. The South African currency is subjected to flexible exchange rate regime which denotes that the currency rate is determined by the market forces of supply and demand (Fatima Bhoola 2016). The Chinese currency, Yuan, is considered to be the worlds 4th most used currency for cross border transactions (International Business Times 2015). However, the switch from the currency to RNB is complicated. Additionally, the depreciation of the Chinese Yuan has been predicted to cause upheaval in the market (International Business Times 2015). This issue will seriously impact the foreign investment in the country. Figure 6: Currency risks Source: (as created by the author) Selected country: The analysis and discussion of the various risks that the Company is going to face in the global market have brought to light the current market conditions of the two countries South Africa and China. When it came to South Africa, the risks multiplied in different domains like exchange rate, security systems and most importantly, the system of bribery to get things done (Bloomberg.com 2015). The political as well as the commercial risks in the country South Africa may prove to be detrimental for the growth of foreign companies like Giaconda in the market (Bloomberg.com 2015). Hence, China has been selected as having the best market for pharmaceutical industry. Opportunities: Conversely, the market of China has shown promises regarding the foreign investments being one of the greatest economies of the world. China boasts of low debt level, soaring savings rate, mounting domestic expenditure and strong work ethic (Reckoning 2016). The foreign direct investment has reached $136 billion and showed a growth rate of 6 percent (English.gov.cn 2016). The other associated factors that have helped in proving China as a good place for investment are improved infrastructure, logistics industry and high quality human resources (English.gov.cn 2016). The state owned enterprises in China do enjoy a favorable climate to prosper and earn huge profits; however, the new reforms of China have ensured that there were enormous opportunities for the foreign investors to help in the economic transition of the country (Jiangang 2015). Hence Giaconda Limited can reap benefits if the Company shifts to the Chinese market and engages itself in business transactions with the same. Mode of entry into the foreign market: Modes of entry into the international market can be defined as the various channels which are utilized by the Company to gain entry into the foreign market. According to Impullitti et al. (2013), the productive firms are those who are able to survive in the foreign market after a considerable period of time. The companies generally perform differently after entering the foreign market owing to the various factors depending on which the companies thrive. There are several modes through which the Company can enter the foreign market. In case of Giaconda, the proposed mode of entry that would benefit the Company is Green field investment (Luu 2016). The Green field investment is the process through which the parent company establishes its business operations in a foreign country through construction of distribution hubs, offices and staff quarters. The Green field investment acts as a form of foreign direct investment (FDI) where the company gets to build a business from the scratch. Th ere are multiple advantages in choosing this form of mode of entry in the foreign market (Luu 2016). First of all, the control of the parent company over the company established in the foreign country is greater than the control it would have had in case of franchisee or licensing. The parent company will also have greater power over the in-house staff and the commitment of the company to the market (Luu 2016). Opportunities for the specific mode of entry: In case of Giaconda Limited, the Chinese market can prove to be a prospective place for selling the gastrointestinal drugs and therapies. The economic growth in China has shown to be increasing which forecasts well for the progress of the Company. The Centre for Digestive Pty Ltd can build its own plant in China where the cases of inflammatory bowel diseases among the Chinese. The gastrointestinal diseases were once rarely found in China; recent years have shown such cases to double (American Association for the Advancement of Science 2015). Giaconda can use this opportunity of opening its own laboratory and train its own set of skilled medical officers and research assistants to commercialize their latest inventions in bowel infections. Giaconda will have full control over the Chinese plant where it can operate freely while maintaining compliance with the government legislations and policies. Apart from the prospective market, in terms of the perfect destination for Green field inve stment, China ranks second lagging behind India only by a few points (The Economic Times 2016). The growth of the economy and the stability in the foreign exchange rate will act as good motivators for the Company to invest in this country. Conclusion: Giaconda Limited is a leading name in the field of gastrointestinal drugs and therapies. The Company has commendable reputation in Australia and the drugs produced and commercialized under the vigilant supervision of Professor Borody and his skilled team of experts have achieved unprecedented success. When the Company decided to penetrate into the foreign market, the International Operations Manager had to analyze the risks and challenges that the Company will face in the foreign land. When the marketing conditions and the risks were evaluated in both South Africa and China, it was discovered that the Company will benefit on opening its own plant in China where the economy has promising signs for growth and development. The current exchange rate, the government rules and regulations and the strongly knit market policies of the country have proved to be advantageous for reaching out to the masses of the country. When it came to choosing a definite mode of entry to the Chinese market, Green field investment has been chosen. The advantages of this particular form of Direct Foreign Investment will prove to be profitable for Giaconda. The rising cases of gastrointestinal diseases in China will also help in increasing the consumer base of the Company. References: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015. Surge in gastrointestinal disease spurs US-China collaboration.Science,348(6238), pp.983-984. Bloomberg.com. 2015. South Africa Says It May Act on Currency If Risks Worsen. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-24/south-africa-s-central-bank-may-act-on-currency-if-risks-worsen [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Cato Institute. 2003. South Africa's Greatest Obstacle Is too Much Government. [online] Available at: https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/south-africas-greatest-obstacle-is-too-much-government [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Commercial Risk Africa. 2016. Risk Management Survey. [online] Available at: https://www.commercialriskafrica.com/cra/cra-grf-africa-2016/ [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Doingbusiness.org. 2016. Doing Business 2015 - Going Beyond Efficiency - World Bank Group. [online] Available at: https://www.doingbusiness.org/reports/global-reports/doing-business-2015 [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. English.gov.cn. 2016. China still attractive to foreign investors. [online] Available at: https://english.gov.cn/news/top_news/2016/01/28/content_281475280035640.htm [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Fatima Bhoola, U. 2016. How a weaker rand hurts S.Africa. [online] Cnbcafrica.com. Available at: https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/southern-africa/2016/01/25/explainer-how-currency-markets-work-and-why-the-south-african-rand-is-falling/ [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Gov.uk. 2016. Overseas Business Risk China - GOV.UK. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-china/overseas-business-risk-china [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Harvard Business Review. 2016. Hedging Political Risk in China. [online] Available at: https://hbr.org/2006/11/hedging-political-risk-in-china [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Impullitti, G., Irarrazabal, A.A. and Opromolla, L.D., 2013. A theory of entry into and exit from export markets.Journal of International Economics,90(1), pp.75-90. International Business Times. 2015. China Yuan Value Vs US Dollar: Drop To Continue For Chinese Currency Amid Economic Slowdown, Economists Say. [online] Available at: https://www.ibtimes.com/china-yuan-value-vs-us-dollar-drop-continue-chinese-currency-amid-economic-slowdown-2097246?rel=rel1 [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. International Business Times. 2015. Chinese Yuan Is Now Fourth Most Common Global Payment Currency, Behind US Dollar, Euro, British Pound. [online] Available at: https://www.ibtimes.com/chinese-yuan-now-fourth-most-common-global-payment-currency-behind-us-dollar-euro-2128912 [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Jiangang, W. 2015. SOE reforms provide opportunities for foreign investment. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/china-watch/business/11980699/china-soe-reforms-foreign-investment.html [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Luu, H.N., 2016. Greenfield Investments, Cross-Border MAs, and Economic Growth in Emerging Countries.Available at SSRN 2742034. Moran, T.H., 2012.Foreign Direct Investment. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Reckoning, T. 2016. China Risks And Opportunities. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/china--risks-and-opportunities-2011-2?IR=T [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Sabc.co.za. 2016. SABC News - Political risks may derail South Africas economy:Monday 6 June 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/1548c7004d094f29aa8bea93fd523eaa/Political-risks-may-derail-South-Africas-economy-20160606 [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Sahistory.org.za. 2016. Race and ethnicity in South Africa | South African History Online. [online] Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/race-and-ethnicity-south-africa [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Shenyunperformingarts.org. 2016. An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Culture | Shen Yun Learn Resource. [online] Available at: https://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/learn/article/read/item/uXrrqgyDZPo/introduction-traditional-chinese-culture.html [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Southafrica.net. 2016. South Africans the 'friendliest people in the world'. [online] Available at: https://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/posts/entry/friendly-south-africans1 [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. The Economic Times. 2016. India replaces China as top FDI destination in 2015: Report - The Economic Times. [online] Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/india-replaces-china-as-top-fdi-destination-in-2015-report/articleshow/51932057.cms [Accessed 22 Sep. 2016]. Wild, J., Wild, K.L. and Han, J.C., 2014.International business. Pearson Education Limited.

Overview of the Research Process for Business Students Essay Example

Overview of the Research Process for Business Students Essay What is Research? People undertake research in order to find things out in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge (Jankowicz, 1995). â€Å"Systematic† suggests that research is based on logical relationships and not just beliefs (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010). To â€Å"find things out† suggests there are a multiplicity of possible purposes for your research (Becker, 1998). It is therefore an activity which has to be finished at some point to be of use. The results of research really are all around us in everyday life. Politicians often justify their policy decisions on the basis of research; Newspapers report the findings of research companies. Documentary programmes tell us about research findings and advertisers may highlight the results of research to encourage consumers to buy a particular product or brand. The most difficult hurdle to overcome in doing research is not in learning the techniques or doing the actual work or even writing the report. The biggest obstacle, surprisingly, lies in figuring out what you want to know. Two problems are very common: choosing a topic which is too broad†¦ or â€Å"dressing up† a topic (Kane, 1987) Formulating and clarifying the research topic is the starting point of research (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; Smith and Dainty 1991). Most research originates from a general problem. Usually, the problem is broad enough that it could not be addressed in a single research study. We will write a custom essay sample on Overview of the Research Process for Business Students specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Overview of the Research Process for Business Students specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Overview of the Research Process for Business Students specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Consequently, the problem is narrowed into a more specific research question. A well-constructed research question is one described by Maylor and Blackmon (2005, p. 54) which â€Å"identifies the scope of the research and guides the plan of the project†. The research question is the central issue being addressed in the study and from this research objectives can be set. The table below sets out criteria to help devise useful research objectives. Criterion| Purpose| Transparency| The meaning of the research objective is clear and unambiguous| Specificity| The purpose of the research objective is clear and easily understood, as are the actions required to fulfil it| Relevancy| The research objective’s link to the research question and wider research project is clear| Interconnectivity| Taken together as a set, the research objectives illustrate the steps in the research process from its start to its conclusion, without leaving any gaps. In this way the research objectives form a coherent whole| Answerability| The intended outcome of the research objective is achievable. Where this relates to data, the nature of the data required will be clear or at least implied| Measurability| The intended product of the research objective will be evident when it has been achieved| Saunders (2012) Research Methods for Business Students, Table 2. 3 p. 44 Literature Review A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature and forms the basis for another goal, such as justification for future research the area. Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, and your work only has value in relation to other peoples† (Jankowicz, 2005). It seeks to describe, summarise, evaluate, and clarify/integrate the content of previous researches and assists in limiting the scope of inquiry while conveying the importance of studying a topic to readers. Literature sources available include Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Primary data is ori ginal data that has been collected from the original source with a purpose in mind. Secondary sources are the subsequent publication of primary literature and tertiary sources (search tools) are designed to either help locate primary and secondary literature or to introduce a topic. Tertiary Indexes Databases Catalogues Encyclopaedias Dictionaries Bibliographies Citation Indexes Secondary Journals Books Newspapers Government Publications Primary Reports Theses Emails Company Reports Unpublished Manuscripts Some Government Publications Increasing time to publish Increasing level of detail Saunders (2012) Research Methods for Business Students Table 3. 3, p82 Primary versus Secondary Research Primary data has not been published and so is more reliable, authentic and objective. It has not been changed or altered by human beings therefore its validity is greater than secondary data however it is important to remember it can only be considered as reliable as the people who gathered it. Gathering data in this way is time consuming, and incurs a high cost. More resources tend to be required and it can result in inaccurate feedback. Secondary data is less valid but it is readily available and can be reused. It is cheaper and quicker to obtain in comparison to primary data. In some circumstances primary data does not exist and so one has to confine the research of secondary data. The Research Process Research is not neutral, but reflects a range of the researcher’s personal interests, values, abilities, assumptions aims and ambitions. â€Å"The research philosophy depends on the way you think about the development of knowledge† (Saunders et al. 2000, p. 84) Collis and Hussey (2003, p. 52) highlight two main research philosophies and detail that there can be overlap between the two and both positions may be identifiable in any research project. They are the positivistic and phenomenological. Positivistic approaches are founded on the belief that the study of human behaviour should be conducted in the same way as studies conducted in the natural sciences. Therefore seeking to identify measure and evaluate any phenomena and to provide a rational explanation for it. This approach attempts to establish casual links and relationships between the different elements (or variables) of the subject and relate them to a particular theory or practice. Phenomenological approaches however, approach research from the perspective of understanding behaviour from the participants’ own subjective frames of reference. Research methods are chosen, therefore, to try and describe, translate and explain and interpret events from the perspectives of the people who are the subject of the research. The following diagram describes the research process â€Å"onion† that supports the researcher to â€Å"depict the issues underlying the choice of data collection methods† (Saunders, 2012 Research Methods for Business Students, Fig 4. 1, p. 128) The layers of research represent the following aspects: * Research philosophy; * Research approach; * Research strategy/methodology; * Time horizons; and * Data collection methods Research Approach – Deductive or Inductive? It is the theory that decides what can be observed† Albert Einstein Bryan Bell (2007) state that the researcher will either use: 1) deductive in which a theory and hypothesis is developed and a strategy is designed to test the hypothesis, or 2) inductive approach will be used in which the data is collected and as the resu lt of data analysis theory and hypothesis are developed. However, Mason (2001, p. 181) supports the use of more than one research approach, â€Å"it is worth pointing out that most research strategies (approaches) in practice probably draw on a combination of these (inductive or deductive) approaches†. What is the difference between method and methodology? A method is a technique used for gathering evidence or the various ways in which proceeding in gathering information. Methodology is the underlying theory of how research does or should proceed, often influenced by discipline. Research Strategy The research strategy is of paramount important in setting the parameters and creating the credibility of any study. According to Collis and Hussey (2003, p. 55) research methodology refers to the overall approaches and perspectives to the research process as a whole and is concerned with the following main issues: Why you collected certain data; * What data you collected; * Where you collected it; * How you collected it; * How you analysed it The choice of research strategy is dependent on the research questions and objectives, the extent of existing knowledge, the amount of time and resources available and the philosophical foundations (Saunders et al. 2007). There are various research s trategies proposed by different authors including experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory and ethnography. Experiment is a classical form of research which allows studying the effect of change, an independent variable can bring in another dependent variable (Hakim, 2000) * Survey is a methodology which is usually associated with the deductive approach and is mostly used in the situations where there is a need to collect the data from a large population in an economical manner (Saunder et al, 2007) * Case Study is defined as a â€Å"strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence† (Robson, 2000: 178) * Action Research is focused on finding a way to bring about a change in a controlled environment * Grounded theory is often thought of as the best example of inductive approach as the hypothesis is developed from the data generated by a series of observations (Glaser Strauss, 1967) * Ethnography is a research strategy which focuses on acquiring the social knowledge in order to understand the observed patterns of human activity (Hussey Hussey, 1997) Ethical Issues Ethical concerns may emerge at all stages of research. Saunders et al. (2007, p. 31) summarise the main issues to consider, although ethical issues surrounding these items are not always clear: * The rights of privacy of individuals * Voluntary nature of participation – and the rights of individuals to withdraw partially or completely from the process * Consent and possible deception of participants (Appendix ? ) * Maintenance of confidentiality of data provided by individuals or identifiable participants and their anonymity * Reactions of participants to the ways which researchers seek to collect data * Effects on participants of the way data is analysed and reported * Behaviour and objectivity of the researcher Reliability and Validity

WOW essays

WOW essays Everyones ultimate goal is survival. Nobody wants to surrender their life before they naturally should. Hobbes says that being thrown out of society will cause an early death. Outside of society there is a condition of war wherein every man to every man is an enemy and in this state, no man can ever hope to defend himself without some help. (Hobbes, p. 91) But in the state of nature he will find none, because he which declareth he thinks it is reason to deceive those that help him, can in reason expect no other means of safety than what can be had from his own single power. (Hobbes, p. 91) Everyone outside of society has proved that they cannot be trusted. This will result in the competitive, dishonest, self-serving state that people wanted to be free from. Life will be short and harsh. Although the fool thinks that they will better off killing somebody who they really dislike, it will only lead to his untimely demise. ...

The Theresa Andrews Case

The Theresa Andrews Case In September 2000, Jon and Teresa Andrews were busy getting ready to enter into parenthood. The young couple was childhood sweethearts and had been married for four years when they decided to begin building a family. Who would know that a chance meeting with another pregnant woman, while in the baby department of a store, would result in murder, kidnapping, and suicide? Summer of 2000 Michelle Bica, 39, shared the good news about her pregnancy with friends and family. She and her husband Thomas prepared their Ravenna, Ohio home for the arrival of their new baby girl by installing baby monitors, setting up a nursery, and buying baby supplies. The couple was jubilant about the pregnancy, especially after the miscarriage Michelle had suffered the year before.  Michelle donned maternity clothing, showed friends the baby sonogram, attended birthing classes, and other than her due date which kept getting pushed forward, her pregnancy appeared to be progressing normally. A Chance Meeting? During a shopping trip to the baby department at Wal-Mart, the Bicas met Jon and Teresa Andrews, who were also expecting their first child. The couples chatted about the cost of baby supplies and discovered that they lived just four streets away from each other. They also talked about due dates, genders, and other normal baby talk. Days following that meeting Michelle announced that there had been a mistake with her sonogram and that her baby was actually a boy. Teresa Andrews Disappears On Sept. 27, Jon Andrews received a call at work from Teresa at around 9 a.m. She was trying to sell her jeep and a woman had called saying she was interested in buying it.  Jon cautioned her to be careful and throughout the day tried to reach her to see how she was and if she sold the jeep, but his calls went unanswered. When he returned home he discovered both Teresa and the jeep were gone although she had left behind her purse and cell phone. He knew then that something was wrong and feared that his wife was in danger. Four Streets Over On the same day, Thomas Bica also received a call at his job from his wife. It was great news. Michelle, in a series of dramatic events, had given birth to their new baby boy. She explained that her water broke and she was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, had given birth, but was sent home with the newborn because of a tuberculosis scare at the hospital. Family and friends were told the good news and over the next week people came by to see the Bicas new baby which they named Michael Thomas. Friends described Thomas as a classic new dad who was ecstatic about their new baby. Michelle, however, seemed distant and depressed. She talked about the news of the missing woman and said she was not going to display the new baby flag in the yard out of respect for the Andrewses. The Investigation The following week, investigators tried to piece together clues into Teresas disappearance. A break in the case came when they identified the woman through phone records who called Theresa about the car. The woman was Michelle Bica. During the first interview with detectives, Michelle appeared evasive and nervous when she told them about her activities on Sept. 27. When the FBI checked out her story they found that she had never been to the hospital and there was not a tuberculosis scare. Her story appeared to be a lie. On October 2, detectives returned to do a second interview with Michelle, but as they pulled into the driveway, she locked herself in a bedroom, put a gun into her mouth, and shot and killed herself. Thomas was found outside the locked bedroom door in tears. The body of Teresa Andrews was found in a shallow grave covered in gravel inside the Bicas garage. She had been shot in the back and her abdomen had been cut opened and her baby removed. Authorities took the newborn baby from the Bica home to the hospital. After several days of testing,  DNA results proved that the baby belonged to Jon Andrews. The Aftermath Thomas Bica told police he believed everything Michelle had told him about her pregnancy and the birth of their son. He was given 12 hours of polygraph examinations which he passed. This along with the results of the investigation convinced the authorities that Thomas was not involved in the crime. Oscar Gavin Andrews Jon Andrews was left to mourn the loss of his childhood sweetheart, wife, and mother of his child. He found some solace in the fact that the baby, renamed as Teresa had always wanted, Oscar Gavin Andrews, had miraculously survived the brutal attack.

Healthcare Heat Lamps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Healthcare Heat Lamps - Essay Example To be noted, these processes are often followed through the implementations of standard costing methods (Berger, 2011). However, standard costing possesses both negatives and positives in offering better control to the management when applying cost management strategies. The same will be discussed in this report, taking the example of Healthcare Heat Lamps. Starting with a generalised perspective, the term, ‘standard costing’ will be defined along with the key assumptions of these mechanisms. Standard Costing The term ‘Standard’ refers to the creation of a benchmark or yardstick. Accordingly, the word ‘Standard Costing’ has been defined by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountant of London as a predetermined cost which is taken into concern when producing or performing other operations to distribute each product and/or service to the customers under normal economic conditions. The cost variables considered in standard costing procedures m ight be based on technological requirements for the materials, labour and overheads for the decided period of time as well as effective analysis of the working conditions (Dosen, 2013). In simple terms, standard costing can be described as the technique of designing the criteria of costs as well as revenues (Shaub, 2010). To be precise, standard costing is a traditional concept of accounting which aims at determining the standard of each elementary cost and thus, often acts as a procedure of comparing the predetermined costs with the actual costs. Technically, it is considered as quite beneficial in discovering the deviations that are financially well known as ‘variances’. ‘Variances’ can be defined as the predetermined rate that is generally implemented in the standard costing as well as budgetary control systems. It can be affirmed in this context that the analysis of variances is deemed to be essential to summarize the incidents as well as defining the p rocess of standard costing so as to support the cost control aims of the company (Sivakumar, 2009). The method of standard costing might be based on an assortment of key factors that have been mentioned below. Determining the suitable benchmarks for each component in terms of cost variances Establishment of information regarding actual as well as standard costs that should be executed Comparing actual costs with the standard costs to determine the variances Properly analysing the variances to find out the actual cause of differences in the costs calculated Reporting the responsible authorities for developing and implementing curative measures to mitigate the differences in the costs as deciphered through the variances (Dosen, 2013) In this context, for the better understanding of the concept of standard costing, a pictorial flow chart has been illustrated below: Source: (Kingdee, n.d.) The Key Assumptions Related to the Calculation of Standard Costs The calculation of standard costi ng is generally conducted on the basis of certain key assumptions. These key assumptions have been listed below in a brief manner for comprehensive understanding of

Fire Sprinklers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire Sprinklers - Essay Example Smoking is one, even in smoke free buildings, you can't watch what your employees do at all times, and it only takes one cigarette to start a fire. Improper storage of flammable materials that are being stored near the source of heat is also a great risk. Sometimes faulty wirings and worn out cords are also causes of starting fire. With the improper maintenance of heat source, fires are often caused by the errors done by workers in handling hot machineries. In the recent statistics, commercial fire sprinklers can cut fire damage costs to about 90%on average. With the installation of fire sprinklers, there would be no need to provide as much access for fire trucks, which means bigger lots and fewer hydrants. With the installation of fire sprinklers, less water is needed to extinguish a fire. Commercial fire sprinklers can save millions of dollars in damages, because commercial fires can be very tragic, with lives that are lost and livelihoods are ruined. Fire sprinklers are very effective because these are the only means of preventing fire actively. Fire sprinklers are protectors of your building, hence your workers, and your business as well. These days, commercial building owners, decides that this kind of protection is worth more that its price.

Parallels similarities between the experiences of womenmen in Gileadean and US society Essay Example for Free

Parallels similarities between the experiences of womenmen in Gileadean and US society Essay I would like to concur with Atwood that the Gilead society only exist in the land of Gilead alone, and such attributes are not witnessed in the basic American societies even though this concurrence is limited. I will begin by citing Atwood opinion. Firstly, the Gilead society transferred women wealth to their husbands or relatives. Thus, a woman was seen as a property and could not be allowed to own property since she was a property. This is not the case with contemporary US society where women can make significant macroeconomic decisions American women are leaders of large businesses, control large investments and even assume elective posts. I will, therefore, compare the identity issue to makes sure that you understand the differences between American societies and Gilead societies. Unlike in the American society, in the Gileadian society women were highly segregated from one another. For a woman to befriend a fellow woman that relationship was to be made public. As such, their husbands took women as properties. Thus, they expected women to consult them on what choices they would want to make in life. According to Atwood, Gileadian woman would wear uniforms coded to their functions. However, American women have independent decisions. They choose who and who not to relate with. Besides, Audience, Atwood believes that Gilead women were infertile, and they would help their husbands during insemination commonly known as ceremony. The women were only in charge of the household discipline, however, their freedoms since way the feel week they were left to die with no care at all. As well, the women were expected to provide subsequent child catering; as quoted; They would tell Bible stories for children and sing hymns. One of the women was called Serena Joy†¦..was expected to laugh and cry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦in order to teach the children (16) Rather complex, the women of Gilead, who are seen handling complex administrative jobs, for instance, becoming police officers, are still considered properties of men they are working with. As such, the women become rigid, middle-aged who have internalized patriarchal values. In fact, Gilead women are dogmatized to live in a society that does not seem to care about their objectives. Similarly, women of Gilead operate re-education centers; however, they are not mandated to carry out critical decisions concerning education. However, this is not the case their American counterparts. American counterparts contribute positively towards the development of the society. Their decisions are independent. Similarly, the creation and destruction of property rights fundamentally presents legal challenges affecting the women of Gilead. Men, control the Gilead government. Gilead state captures wayward and loose women who can bear birth to the incoming generations; however, they fail to recognize the power and legitimacy of the new regime. Thus, their property is their self and freedoms and as illustrated earlier, the access to money. As a result, women become the property of their husbands if they have one or the state that has their discretion can dispatch them wherever they see them. In this case, males are in power to claim property rights in women who have been foiled. However, in America, women are not treated as fugitives in fact, they present an equal 50/50 power distribution and resources are shared evenly. Ironically, the Gilead regime pretends to respect the feminist philosophy in its treatment of women and the paints a picture of an utopian future that female society turnaround to become the sorority and prevent from being hurt. However, the patriarchy principles in Gilead embrace the paradox of protection in the imprisonment, where women face significant prejudices in the type of decisions that they make. This is not the case with the present American society. Joining Atwood, I prefer Aunt Lydia reflection on what freedom-to-freedom means. Ironically, the commander justifies the Gilead by claiming that women are relevant if they fulfill their biological duties. Literary the commander had married so many women, and had one ceremonial as Atwood is quoted saying At one, level was an almost a caricature of the banality of kitchen talk that could be a scene from a Pinter commender†¦But in the terror-filled austerity of the commander house, it is seductively comforting†¦.note the word seduction. (10) Such a doctrine is rapid, and it indicates how women are considered as a property of the Gilead men communities. American women consider giving birth as a service to the society and not necessary as a reward for a better life. Besides, American women consider giving birth as a way of giving back to the society positively. Equally, audience please be advised that the fascist Republic of Gilead, which differs the contemporary United States society assigns every woman to different classes of women: without their will to protest. The classes are as a follows: wives, belong to the married men who have a superior military rank. These women, despite their will, are treated fairly better than other counterparts are in the society. Secondly, the Gilead society assigns a second class of women, handmaid, econowives or Martha the role of reproduction and matrimony. These women, despite their will, are engaged into hard jobs serving the rich in one way, or another. The group is forcefully married to a lower rank military regime that does not have enough status to obtain a handmaid or aunts function. Even though ironically, Handmaids surrogate for the infertile heterosexuals, as well as, serving as women housekeepers and cooking nannies. To achieve that, the Gilead initiates a dogmatizing religious program, one tha t ordains the reproduction where multiple doctrines are enacted to affirm the system of social rituals. Members, such as absurd society does not exist in America. On the contrary, in America, women are empowered to make decisions concerning the sexuality. As quoted saying †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦The flesh arranges itself differently. I am a cloud congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear†¦ (Chapter 13, 43) However, the social complexity of the US, American women control their sexuality and as well, control how they would prefer bringing forth their off springs. Similarly, since Gilead is actively involved in patriarch driven conflicts, most members are either infertile or sterile, it is arguable that men through the subsequent political battles have made their property. As such, subsequent political battles have increased toxic wastes and nuclear fallout, where toxic waste colonies are increased. To hide the truth behind such rituals, the Gilead societies have invoked a biblical ritual called â€Å"The Ceremony. However, arrogantly, how they conduct their sexual activities is unbecoming. The command penetrates the handmaid exposed sex in an attempt to impregnate a woman. The commander is quoted to have said I’m not talking about sex; he says. That was part of it; the sex was too easy. . . You know what they were complaining about the most (Chapter, 32) This is unbecoming since the woman has been lured to sex. Any sound child born by the handmaid is handled over to the wife of the commander as if the child belonged to the commander’s wife. Such a social setting is very wanting and prompts the question on the role of women in the society. To answer that, American women make independent decisions on how when and where, they want to give birth. American women also make the choice to have sex, when, where and with whom. Nonetheless, despite the complex differences between the Gilead society and the American society, we still notice some similarities. While it is evident that the Gilead society obligates women roles as predominantly domestic, the US society seems to emulate that by assigning women the task of raising children while men are technically exempted from that. Additionally, members you will agree with me that the congress, which happens to be active Christian right is looking for traditional family values. Even though we acknowledge that radical pieces of the Gilead system have not found a way into the American system, it is notable that domestic institutions have secret doctrine women in the Gilead society. A common doctrine is the domestic chore, where the common American woman is made to believe that in order to make a perfect partner, one has to wash the dirt, prepare food, and even entertain a commander called the husband. Men experiences, therefore, are not radical, or in any case equal as those affecting women. It is also disheartening to note that efforts by feminine movements are currently being considered outdated or extremists and are not attracting subsequent influence as they were expected two decades. Efforts to benefit and strengthen the woman counterpart peel away the layers the practice once again set to maintain the domin ant-subordinate relationship. Reference Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaids Tale. London: Vintage Classic, 2010. Print. Source document

Religious Fanaticism Essay -- essays research papers

In Moliere’s comedy Tartuffe, The play centers on the family of Orgon, a wealthy and impressionable man, his central target of ridicule is Orgon. Orgon is Moliere’s character of how man can be so blind in his devotion to a belief that he cannot make a good judgement as to the sincerity of others who would use that belief to deceive him. This play fits into the concept of comedy because all of the elements of comedy are present. It happens that the title character is the villain rather than the hero and some of the elements have been tampered with. In Tartuffe, we have the classic comic scenario of two lovers, Valere and Marianne, trying to get together but being thwarted. However, instead of the villain, Tartuffe is not the one who is antagonizing them, it is Orgon who gets in the way. Orgon tries to flatter Tartuffe by offering Marianne to be his wife. Before it is all over, Orgon ends up giving the deed to all his land to the deceitful Tartuffe. The other comic elements such as the unmasking of the villain and the happy ending are also present in Tartuffe. It is in the duality of Orgon, who is a believing and devoted subject, and Tartuffe, the manipulating hypocrite. Moliere takes his shot at the extremes of enthusiastic belief. Tartuffe plays the role of a man whose greedy actions are cloaked by a mask of overwhelming piety, modesty and religious passion. Orgon is the head of a household who has taken Tartuffe in, and given him shelter and food. Everyone in the family, ex...

Clean and green Essay

The term junk food itself defines to the foods that do no good to your body and they are completely unimportant to the body. Junk foods have no or very less nutritional value and irrespective of the way they are marketed, they are not healthy to consume. Most of them are high in saturated fats and sugar components and also excess of salts and lack any fiber. The only reason of their gaining popularity and increased trend of consumption is that they are ready to eat or easy to cook foods. Also the ease of manufacturing and consumption makes the junk food market spread its influence so rapidly. People, of all age groups are moving towards junk food as it is hassle free and often ready to grab and eat. Soft drinks, chips, wafers, noodles, pizza, burgers, French fries etc. are few examples from the vast variety of fast food available in the market. Let us discuss some ill-effects of consuming fast food: 1. The characteristic of fast food is to cause a spike in the energy levels and hence luring one back to eat up another makes it even more harmful. This eating pattern is likely to cause aggravated energy levels that fail to come down even at sleep time in the night and result in sleeping disorders. 2. Moodiness is another implication of regular consumption of junk food. 3. Reduced levels of concentration can result from eating junk food. 4. The most common bad effect is obesity which has become very common even amongst children aged as low as 3-5 years and causes many other chronic diseases and hormonal imbalances in the obese person. 5. Heart diseases, increased levels of blood pressure and sugar are more likely to happen if the person is a regular consumer of oily junk foods. 6. Since junk foods are not easy to digest and consume larger amounts of energy from the body in the process, people consuming them experience lack of oxygen levels which gradually causes the brain to function poorly. 7. Not only heart, but liver can be damaged due to excessive cholesterol formed in the body due to junk food habits. 8. More people are diabetic early in life because they eat junk food more often. 9. No fiber in junk food means strain on stomach and digestive system resulting in problem of constipation. All the points discussed about junk food above lead us to conclude that junk food does all harm to your heath without providing any health benefits. In order to enjoy good health and a happy life, it is important to cut down on junk foods. Nutrition experts have researched the bad affects of junk food and come to the conclusion that junk food manufacturing companies are fooling the people by showing deceptive ads that market show junk food as healthy. We must substitute junk food with healthier food like fruits and vegetables. A junk food fanatic has to suffer the ill-effects of eating it in high quantities . So the next time you think of grabbing that burger, hotdog, pizza, samosa, kachoris or even ice creams in a restaurant, eating joint or a party, stop your instincts and look for some healthier food options instead

Bruce Lee Speech

EARLY LIFE Bruce was born in San Francisco's Chinatown. * His father was a famous opera singer and film actor and 1941 they moved back to china which was then occupied by the Japanese. * The Hong Kong neighborhood Lee grew up in became over-crowded, dangerous, and full of gang rivalries it was a tough place to grow up. Gangs ruled the city streets and Lee was often forced to fight them. Bruce's street fighting began to escalate * Eventually, Lee's father decided for him to leave Hong Kong to pursue a safer and healthier avenue in the United States New Life in America While in the United Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts but a martial arts exhibition on Long beach led to the invitation for the role of Kato in the Green Hornet and many other movies including the big Boss which was a big success and catapulted him to stardom. Followed by Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon where he was given complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. * In 1964 Lee had met Karate champion Chuck Norris. * In the movie Way of the Dragon He introduced Norris as his opponent in the final death fight.Today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes and one of the most memorable fight scenes in martial arts film history Essentially bruce lee became obsessed with martial arts and fitness FITNESS AND NUTRITION * HIs interpretation of keeping in shape was constant daily workouts. His workout consisted of three categories: martial arts sparring, weight training, and extensive AB training. * The workout first consists of hours upon hours of martial arts sparring. Secondly, a series of heavy weight training of his main muscles. Finally, is his extensive workout towards his ABs. Bruce Lee's favorite muscle was his ABs and whenever he had time, such as watching TV, he would do sit-ups or crunches. Bruce Lee had what most people called â€Å"washboard ABs† and was not afraid to show it, you can see this in almost every fight scene he had in his films. * PHYSICAL FEATS: Lee could land a punch in around five hundredths of a second (0. 05 second) from 3 feet away * Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind * Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index fingerBruce not only took care of his body by working out but as well as having a proper nutrition. Lee took nutrition seriously and his diet consisted high-protein drinks, vitamins, mineral supplements, green veggies and fruit every day. UNFORTUNATELY HE SUFFERED A SUDDEN DEATH ON DEATH AND LEGACY: * On July 20, 1973, just one month before the premiere of  Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his sudden and unexpected death was a brain edema, found in an autopsy to have been caused by a strange reaction to a prescription painkiller he was reportedly taking for a back injury.Contr oversy surrounded Lee’s death from the beginning, as some claimed he had been murdered. Summary: * Bruce Lee, pound for pound, was arguably the greatest fighter of our time. Twenty-four years after his death, he remains the standard by which all other fighters are measured. His passion, skill, charisma, philosophy, and innovative martial arts concepts brought him worldwide acclaim– incredibly, all by the age of 32. In such a short span, Lee managed to accomplish more than most of us will ever achieve in our lives.

Freud V. Erikson Essay Example

Freud V. Erikson Essay Example Freud V. Erikson Paper Freud V. Erikson Paper Erik Erikson is a well known psychoanalyst, and studied for many years under the famous Sigmund Freud. Erikson modeled his ideas from Freud’s, but was like many other followers, and believed that his theory on the developmental process of humans was more inclusive and extensive then Freud’s (Sharkey, 2003 p. 1). Erikson studied and agreed on most of Freud’s beliefs and theories, but eventually saw that his own beliefs differed in certain ways. Both theorists believed that the human personality develops within stages. Both believed that there are certain time periods in which certain things happen in order to determine the person one will become. Freud used his psychoanalytic theory of development in order to explain this process; and says that one’s personality has been shaped by the age of five. (Sharkey, p. 5) Erikson disagrees, and instead says that humans develop and change constantly through out their entire life span. He believes that humans enter different stages through out their life, each of which ultimately affects later stages, and collectively shapes one’s personality. He felt by Freud neglecting human adult development, it made his theories not completely accurate (Langley, 2000 p. 2). . . . He realized that his own ideas had some important qualities that differed very much. The right balance between both ends must be achieved for optimum development. Finally, Erikson also felt that the environment had a much larger role in human development then Freud did (Huitt, 1997, p. They were different form the contemporary theories of the time. This period of sexual latency lasts five to six years, until puberty, where children become capable of reproduction, and their sexuality is re awakened. I just personally feel that a person becomes who they are from experience. It is probably for those reasons that Freud believed that the primary drive or motive to human behavior is biological instincts (Mikula, 2003-2004 p. : This stage does not cause any fixation, and if it does the damage was done in earlier oral, anal, and phallic stages. If a child from birth to eighteen months can undergo this crisis successfully, their caregiver has met his or her needs consistently and appropriately, and the child will develop a tendency to trust others. People are faced with problems and decisions daily and from experience I for one believe that you can change and mold oneself into a new person. The changing environment makes new demands, which in turn causes new crisis’s to arise. If the foundation from the previous crisis and the environment are both appropriate, then the person has the best likely chances of overcoming the crisis successfully, and advancing to the next stage. If a person is able to make it through one stage with that appropriate outcome, they will have a greater time achieving success in the next crisis they are faced with. This happens in the intimacy versus isolation crisis

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Computer Science Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Computer Science Essay Multimedia is a combination of text, graphics, sound, animation, and video, interactive electronic or digital means of manipulation delivered to the user. Multimedia elements, including text, video, sound, graphics and animation. Used in the multimedia elements are present. Multimedia is only these elements are combined into a powerful new tool. The media elements in the world’s leading business and multi-platform multimedia services, video games and digital entertainment. Our work with our customers to provide the best solutions, while also providing the multimedia services they need to do this in order to achieve its market. We can create a very exciting and interesting and innovative and cost-effective technology, and then sell the item. Therefore, multimedia continues to play a huge role in keeping the attention and interest of the online advertising. . Interactive multimedia animation mode converted into a static image, therefore, to attract and encourage people to click on ads. Today there are thousands of sites on the Internet, the competition for customers in an unprecedented height. What ideal can be separated from your site depends on the nature of competition has been registered on your site any multimedia elements. Multimedia elements, such as through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So I would like to discuss about the multimedia elements in Twitter. Video is one of the multimedia elements that can be promote through by Twitter. . Promoting videos involves embedding your links into several highly trafficked websites. People can easily watch your company or product videos. Music helps your company or brand to easily connect emotionally with its consumers. Animated images can be used to provide product demonstrations and presentations of the award-winning. You can easily demonstrate the features and benefits of your product and, therefore, to encourage consumers to try them out. Interactive video or image, but al so to help your business build relationships with consumers can watch your company’s product commercials and respond by posting their views or comments. If you provide useful feedback, then you can easily establish long-term lasting relationships with consumers. When shooting video ads, graphics, or composer, you need to pay a lot of attention. You must produce the quality of work, not only interesting, but also cited the induced action. If you can not be delivered or the production quality of the multimedia elements, and then hire a professional multimedia experts, should be your next best choice. Multimedia marketing to produce amazing results, if it is a correct implementation. Conversely, if you produce a substandard video or graphics, then your company’s image or reputation will be severely damaged. Therefore, you need to carry out a thorough study, so that you can come up with creative multimedia concepts, the interest of many consumers. Employ a creative multime dia agency or corporate guarantee, provide you with high-quality multimedia concepts, it is possible to improve your website traffic or sales. Element in Twitter Out of all the elements, the most influential text on the quality of interactive multimedia. In general, the text provides important information. The text as a cornerstone of the tying of other media elements.

A study of relationship between service advertising strategies and Dissertation

A study of relationship between service advertising strategies and consumers responses within hospitality industry - Dissertation Example Results The following mean ranges have been used for the substantive interpretations of the means: 1.00-1.49 – strongly disagree; 1.50-2.49 – slightly disagree; 2.50 – 3.49 – neutral; 3.50-4.49 – slightly agree; and 4.50 – 5.00 – strongly agree. Table 1a. Descriptive statistics: The advertisement caught my attention. Mean Std. Deviation Advert 1 3.94 0.80 Advert 2 3.76 0.86 Advert 3 4.17 0.66 Total 3.96 0.79 On the capacity of the advertisement to catch their attention, the means for all three advertisements all suggest agreement. Table 1b. One-way ANOVA: The advertisement caught my attention. Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 12.40 2.00 6.20 10.30 0.00 Within Groups 261.77 435.00 0.60 Â   Â   Total 274.18 437.00 Â   Â   Â   The one-way ANOVA suggests that there is a significant difference among the three advertisements’ ratings on attention getting capacity (F=10.30, p=.00). The post hoc tests in Table A1 (Appendix A) indicates that Ad 3 received significantly higher means than the other two advertisements. Ad 1 is likewise more effective than Ad 2 on this aspect. Table 2a. Descriptive statistics: The advertisement elicited my interest in the hotel being advertised. Mean Std. Deviation Advert 1 3.84 0.63 Advert 2 3.79 0.72 Advert 3 3.99 0.58 On the capability of the advertisement to elicit interest in the hotel, all means suggest agreement by the respondents. Table 2b. One-way ANOVA: The advertisement elicited my interest in the hotel being advertised Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 3.31 2.00 1.65 3.98 0.02 Within Groups 180.79 435.00 0.42 Â   Â   Total 184.09 437.00 Â   Â   Â   On the capability of the advertisement to elicit interest in the hotel being advertised, the F-value indicates that there is indeed a significant difference among the ratings given to the 3 advertisements (F=3.98, p=.02). Table A2 (Appendix A) indicates that Ad 3 garnered significant ly higher ratings than the other two advertisements on this facet. Table 3a. Descriptive statistics: I felt the conviction that what is shown in this advertisement must be true, and developed a positive disposition on my part. Mean Std. Deviation Advert 1 3.33 0.82 Advert 2 4.10 0.78 Advert 3 4.26 0.62 On the conviction that what is shown in this advertisement must be true and developing a positive disposition on the respondents, Ad 2 and 3 garnered agreement. However, Ad 1 received a neutral rating. Table 3b. One-way ANOVA: I felt the conviction that what is shown in this advertisement must be true, and developed a positive disposition on my part. Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 72.18 2.00 36.09 64.61 0.00 Within Groups 242.99 435.00 0.56 Â   Â   Total 315.17 437.00 Â   Â   Â   The one-way ANOVA for statement 3 suggests that there are significant differences yielded for the ratings given to the 3 groups (F=64.61, p=.00). The results in Table A3 (Appendix A) indicates that Ad 3 got higher ratings than the other two ads on this facet, whereas Ad 2 received a higher rating compared to Ad 1. Table 4a. Descriptive statistics: I would like to know more information about this hotel by looking it up in the telephone directory and calling this hote

Effective written communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective written communication - Essay Example Cultural beliefs and perceptions determine the way in which an audience interprets information. Therefore, understanding the audience cultural background makes it possible for a public speaker to craft the message within the audience’s cultural context. Understanding oneself marks the beginning of an effective rapport between a communicator and audience. For instance, a public speaker can only joke to the extent in which he or she is funny. Listening to the audience enables the speaker to know when to pause, repeat, or simply â€Å"allow a light moment to be expressed† (Ellis 124). Self-awareness ensures that the speaker remains in control of the audience at all times. For instance, an audience may laugh at a pronunciation error. However, the public speaker may take quick control and pass it on as a bluff. On the same note, self-awareness enables a public speaker to remain honest to the audience especially when questions are asked. By assessing personal knowledge on the subject matter, a public speaker may decide to or not to answer questions after a presentation. Providing false information may actually raise more difficult questions than anticipated. Public speaking may involve speaking to an audience with unique characteristics. For instance, a public speaker addressing an investment group needs to understand the investment context of the audience. Validating the audience’s beliefs or system of thinking strengthens the bond with the audience. For instance, the speaker might keep echoing ‘return on investment’ because that is what investors believe in. This way the audience will feel the speaker validated their heartfelt sentiments. Another important reason for audience validation is that it puts the speaker as knowledgeable in the subject matter irrespective of whether the speaker has a strong background on the subject or not. Prowess in public speaking and leadership is a continuous process of constant growth and development. One

PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE - Essay Example Granting of permission to the individuals to live with the individual of his/her choice without any discrimination of gender, age, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status etc projected immorality and debauchery in society. Only few thinkers belonging to the Devlin’s school of thought advocated the imposition and observing of moral laws; while a large majority of so-called enlightened theorists supported the idea of freedom to a horrible scale. The entire social establishment, because of the very possibility of the unwed mothers’ involvement in prostitution and other deviant behaviors on the one hand, and their children’s possible becoming the victim of torture, assaults, sexual abuse and starvation etc. The young girls also become victim of the abuse at the hands of stepfathers, uncles, teachers, neighbors and strangers. It is therefore, the law enforcing agencies must announce strict punishments and penalties on the individuals responsible for deflowering the girls. The moral values should also be introduced in the light of the sacred teachings manifestly elucidated in the Holy Scripture. Since the Scriptures belonging to all religions lay stress upon morality and ethical values, introducing of moral laws would be imperatively beneficial for the entire society. Berger, P., & Kellner, H. Marriage and the Construction of Reality: An Exercise in the Micro-sociology of Knowledge. In G. Handel, & G. G. Whitchurch (Eds), the Psychosocial Interior of the Family (4th ed., pp. 19-36). New York: Aldine De Gruyter. Web Web 26 May 2012 Cardock, C. & Gardner, J.R. Psychological intervention for parishes following accusations of child sexual abuse In S.J. Rossetti (Ed.). Slayer of the soul: Child sexual abuse and the Catholic Church Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications. 1990 Print Costello, E. Jane, Keeler, Gordon P., and Angold, Adrian Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, and Psychiatric Disorder: A Study of Rural Children American Journal of

Effect of Synthesis Temperature on Nickel-Cobalt Hydroxides

Effect of Synthesis Temperature on Nickel-Cobalt Hydroxides Effect of synthesis temperature on the morphology and pseudocapacitive behavior of Nickel-Cobalt layered double hydroxides Li-Ming Lua, Shan-Shan Xua, Rui-Qi Fenga, Zhan-Bing He b, Tie-Zhen Rena* and Teresa J. Bandoszc a School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130 China b State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China c Department of Chemistry and Biochemistryà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’The City college of New York, 160 Convent Ave., New York, NY 10031. * Corresponding author. Tel. +86 22 60204909. Email:[emailprotected] Abstract   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   A facile one-step method for preparing nickel/cobalt layered double hydroxides (Ni/Co LDH) in a mixture of NH4Cl/NaOH solutions in the temperature range 45-85 oC is introduced. Ni/Co LDH consists of ultrathin nanosheets of various thicknesses assembled into porous nanostructures/microspheres. The mixed solution provides OH, whose amount depends on the temperature, for reactions with Ni2+/Co2+ leading to the formation of hydroxides. The sample prepared at 70  °C shows the highest capacitance of 1142 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1.That capacitance decreases about 15 % to 970 F g-1 at a high current density of 10 A g-1. The temperature effect on the arrangement of microsphere is apparent and Ni/Co LDH prepared at 70 oC has the most defectless texture (microspheres). The asymmetrical supercapacitor consisting of this sample as an anode and an activated carbon (AC) as a cathode works in a broad potential window from 0 to 1.6 V. The energy density of the Ni/Co of such a system reaches 58.13 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 160 W kg-1 owing to the intersectional nanosheets and unrestricted accessibility of electrolyte to the reaction centers. Even at a high discharge current density of 2 A g-1, the energy density still remains at 45.78 Wh kg-1 with a power density of 1600 W kg-1. Keywords: mild temperature, layered double hydroxides, energy density, asymmetric supercapacitors. 1. Introduction Nowadays, the development of efficient supercapacitors with high energy density is of paramount importance [1, 2]. Generally, supercapacitors can be classified into electrochemical double layer capacitors and pseudocapacitors [3]. In theory, pseudocapacitors exhibit a higher capacitance and energy density than the double layer capacitors. The latter stores electrical charge mainly at the electrode/electrolyte interface. However, the energy stored in supercapacitors is about 10 times smaller than that in batteries. This severely limits their applications where a high power density is required [4]. Therefore, there is a need to develop and to explore the advanced performance electrode materials for their applications in energy storage devices. Layered double hydroxides (LDH), especially Ni/Co LDH compounds, are considered as materials of promising properties when applied in supercapacitors [5-7]. In their structure Co2+ can be oxidized to conductive CoOOH during redox reactions resulting in the improvement in conductivity of electrode materials [5]. For instance, Ni/Co LDHs hollow microspheres obtained in SiO2 templates exhibited the specific capacitance of 2171 F g-1 at the current density of 1 A g-1 [6]. Another examples are ultrathin NiCo-based LDH prepared at 120  °C, which displayed remarkable specific capacitance of 1537 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 [5]. It is important to mention that Ni/Co LDH referred as hydrotalcite-like compounds allow the intercalation of negatively charged anions within the interlayer space [7, 8]. This is expected to enhance the capacitive performance. Thus Lee et al. synthesized ÃŽÂ ±-Ni(OH)2 through exchange of intercalated dodecyl sulfate anions by smaller anions (Cl, NO3, OAc and SO42-). They found that larger anions hindered the mobility of OH ions toward the surface of Ni(OH)2 sheets and Cl intercalated Ni(OH)2 exhibited excellent capacitance. Especially, the Cl ions located in the interlayer space were found as increasing its hydration level and thus enhanced the facile exchange and transport of OH ions [9]. Hu et al. reported the effect of intercalated anions on the size of an interlayer spacing, morphologies, and capacitive performance of four different ÃŽÂ ±-cobalt hydroxides. Their results showed the Cl intercalated sample as the one of the marked capacitance. The good performance was linked to its high proton affinity [10]. In this work, we introduce a wet chemical approach to prepare Cl intercalated Ni/Co LDH. The synthesis is done below 85 °C, which is the lower temperature than those reported in other hydrothermal methods [11, 12]. In designing the method, it was expected that OH ions from the solution of NH4Cl/NaOH will reacts with Ni2+/Co2+ to generate Ni/Co LDH. An important aspect is that the amount of the released OH ions should be affected by the temperature. Thus the synthesis temperature is a factor, which we expect to govern the nanosheets assembling process and thus the final morphology of the materials. The effect of that morphology on capacitive behavior is investigated. 2. Experimental 2.1 Preparation of Ni/Co-LDH microspheres All reagents were of analytical grade and were used without further purification. In a typical synthesis process, 3.75 mmol of Co(NO3)2 ·6H2O and 3.75 mol of Ni(NO3)2 6H2O were dissolved in 20 ml of water to form a pink solution (Solution A). 40 mmol of NH4Cl was added in 0.076 mol L-1 NaOH (180 mL) to form a transparent solution (Solution B); Then, the solution A was poured into 180 ml of the solution B with the final pH value of 9, in which the metal hydroxide mixtures were obtained. After stirring for 5 minutes, the solution was sealed in a glass bottle and transferred into an oven kept at a predetermined temperature (40, 55, 70 and 85  °C) for 15h. After cooled at room temperature, the obtained Ni/Co-LDH samples were washed with ethanol and water several times and dried in an oven at 60  °C for 12 h. The samples are referred to as Ni/Co LDH-x (x represents the reaction temperature of either 40, 55, 70 or 85  °C). 2.2 Characterization methods X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were measured on a Bruker D8 Advance diffractometer operated at 40 kV and 40 mA, Cu KÃŽÂ ± radiation source (ÃŽÂ »Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  0.154 nm) was used. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) experiments were carried out on Bruker Vector 22 infrared spectroscopy in the range of 400 to 4000 cm-1with KBr tablets. Scanning electron microscopy studies (SEM) were performed on JSM-6490LV field emission scanning electron microscope. The sample was dispersed on the conductive tape fixed on the aluminum support. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis was performed on a FEI Tecnai G20 microscope at 200 keV. The elemental analysis of as-prepared powder carried out using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF, CIT-3000SL). 2.3 Electrochemical tests To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the synthesized materials, thee Ni/Co LDH samples were mixed with acetylene black and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in a mass ratio of 75:20:5. Homogeneous pastes obtained in ethanol were coated on a nickel foam substrate. The coated nickel foam was then pressed at 10 MPa and the obtained plate was used as a working electrode after dried at 60  °C for 12 h. The cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) of the as-obtained samples were carried out on a IM6 ZENNIUM electrochemical workstation in a three-electrode cell. The mass of working electrode was about 8 mg. The capacitance was measured in 6M KOH electrolyte using a platinum wire as a counter electrode and Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode. EIS tests were conducted in a frequency range from 100 kHz to 10 mHz with alternating current oscillation of 5 mV. The electrochemical performance of an asymmetric supercapacitor was invest igated in a two-electrode cell of coin-type (CR2025), in which the prepared materials were used as a positive electrode and activated carbon- as a negative electrode. The experiments were carried out on the Land-CT2001A battery system in the potential range from 0 to 1.6 V. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1. Characterization of materials The typical powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns provide the information on the degree of crystallinity and the crystal structure of the Ni/Co LDH materials (Figure 1a) The distinct characteristic diffraction peaks on XRD patterns at 2ÃŽÂ ¸ 11.1, 22.2, 33.4 and 38.5 are indexed as (003), (006), (009) and (015) plane reflections of the hydrotalcite-like LDH phase, respectively [11, 13]. Increasing the reaction temperature leads to a slight increase in the intensity of the diffraction peaks. According to the Bragg equation, the calculated interlayer space of Ni/Co LDH is 0.79 nm. Ma et al. reported that the layered transitional metal hydroxides nanocones displayed a variety of interlayer space sizes depending on the kind of intercalated ions [12]. The values were 0.8 nm for NO3, 0.92 nm for ClO4, and 0.79 nm for Cl. Our results suggest that Cl ions are present in the interlayer space of the synthesized ÃŽÂ ±-phase compounds. FT-IR spectra of all samples are presented in Figure 1b. The broad band at about 3449 cm-1 is characteristic of the stretching vibration of hydroxyl groups hydrogen-bond to H2O [1]. The band at about 1630 cm-1 represents the bending mode of water molecules [10]. For all samples, three bands at 1476, 1349 and 854 cm-1 are linked to the typical features of carbonate ions [14]. Their presence is linked to the reactivity of hydroxides with atmospheric CO2. Bands below 800 cm-1represent stretching modes of metal-oxygen in the hydrotalcite-like lattice [1]. The band at about 649 cm-1 is assigned to Ni-OH bending. The absorption band at around 514 cm-1 represents the Co-O stretching vibrations [15]. The results indicate that the synthesized materials are nickel and cobalt layered double hydroxides. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the morphologies of the obtained Ni/Co LDH materials prepared at different temperatures. Figure 2a shows a typical SEM image of Ni/Co LDH-40. There microspheres with a size around 3 ÃŽÂ ¼m and a small amount of aggregated nanosheets is visible (Fig. 2a inset). The micro-spherical particles consist of numerous interconnected nanosheets with thickness of about 30 nm. The morphology of Ni/Co LDH-55 presented in Figure 2b resembles that of Ni/Co LDH-40. The nanosheets with thickness around 20 nm are gathered in 3-D arrangements (Fig. 2b inset). When the reaction temperature increases to 70  °C, the microspheres of sample Ni/Co LDH-70 become well defined,defectless and uniform (Fig. 2c). Their size distribution is narrow with maximum at 3 ÃŽÂ ¼m. The detailed features of Ni/Co LDH-70 are shown in the Figure 2c (inset) where high-quality 3D flower-like microspheres are visible. The thickness of the nanosheets is about 15 nm. Wh en the Ni/Co LDH material was prepared at 85  °C, the microspheres are not well-defined and some debris are visible (Fig. 2d). The spherical particles have a loose structure and some collapsed nanosheets overlay each other to construct larger sheets. Enlargement of the flower-like microsphere indicates that the nanosheets are interconnected and well-organized in three dimension (Fig. 2d inset). The thickness of nanosheets increases slightly when the temperature increases from 70  °C to 85  °C.    In order to confirm the defectless microsphere/nanosheet morphology of Ni/Co LDH-70 sample, its internal structure has been further investigated by TEM. Figure 3a shows that the microsphere is assembled from nanosheets and the diameter of the microsphere is around 3 ÃŽÂ ¼m. The internal structure of microsphere is spacious and the nanosheets are the aggregates of even thinner layers. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra were recorded for all samples. On the spectra, three marked peaks at 6.93, 7.48 and 8.26 KeV are identified as Co KÃŽÂ ±, Ni KÃŽÂ ± and Ni KÃŽÂ ², respectively. This supports the co-existence of Ni and Co elements in all samples. Moreover, a peak at about 2.62 KeV is assigned as Cl KÃŽÂ ±, which originates from the interlayer anion Cl. It is interesting that the Ni/Co ratio of the as-obtained samples increased gradually with an increase in the temperature. This may be linked to the differences to the solubility constants of hydroxides (Ksp(Co(OH)2 )>Ksp(Ni(OH)2)) and to the effect of temperature on that solubility [11].    The results obtained suggest that the reaction temperature plays a crucial role in the formation of microspheres. The nucleation of Co(OH)2/Ni(OH)2 took places upon the addition of metal ions to the NH4Cl/NaOH solution. In such a system the involvement of OH in the formation of metal hydroxides competes with the formation of ammonia (NH4Cl+ NaOH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢NH4+ + OH + NaCl à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢NH3 + H2O, Co2+ + OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Co(OH)2, Ni2++ OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ni(OH)2). This affects the amount of OH reacting with metal ions. The size of nanosheets/hydroxide units increases with an increasing temperature owing to more energy provided to the system. This leads to a gradual increase in the sizes of microspheres built of these nanosheets. Even though the temperature range of the alkaline solution was not very broad and between 40 and 85  °C, 70  °C was found as the only temperature resulting in the uniform and defectless microspheres. Lower temperature of the system has an adverse effect on the formation of microspheres, likely due to the thicker nanosheets than those formed at 70 oC. On the other hand, higher temperature likely leads to collapsing of the formed microspheres [16]. 3.2 Electrochemical tests To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the synthesized materials, the cycling voltammetry (CV) curves were measured for Ni/Co LDH materials at a scan rate of 5 mv s-1 in 6M KOH aqueous solution (Fig. 4a). It is clearly seen that all curves exhibit a pair of redox peaks. An anodic peak is around 0.45 V and a cathodic peak- at about 0.2 V. They represent typical features of Faradaic pseudocapacitance representing the following reactions [6, 17]. Ni(OH)2 + OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬  NiOOH +H2O +e-  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   (1) Co(OH)2 + OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬  CoOOH+H2O+e-  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   (2) CoOOH+OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬  CoO2+H2O+e-  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   (3) The shapes of the CV curves indicate that Ni/Co LDH-70 has the highest specific capacitance [18]. To further investigate the capacitive behavior of our electroactive materials, the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements were performed in a three-electrode system and the specific capacitance (Cs) was calculated from the following equation (4): (4) Where I is a constant discharge current (A), Άt is discharge time (s), ΆV is the potential difference, m is the mass of active material. The GCD measurements in a potential window of 0-0.5 V are recorded at a current density of 1 A g-1 (Fig. 4b). The results show that the discharge time of Ni/Co LDH-70 is much longer than those of other electrodes. Based on the GCD curves, the specific capacitance was calculated. The values are 777, 608, 114,2 and 1017 F g-1 for Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55, Ni/Co LDH-70, and Ni/Co LDH-85, respectively. Wang et al. [19] prepared Ni/Co nanoplates using a surfactant assisted method. The rough nanoplates of an increased surface area displayed the specific capacitance of 311 F g-1, which was 2.3 times higher than that of smooth-surfaced Ni/Co nanoplates. It was concluded that creating more interspaces or a larger area can improve an electrochemical performance [19, 20]. Amongst our samples, Ni/Co LDH-70 with three dimensional defectless microspheres exhibits the highest capacitance. This texture promotes the electrolyte access to the more active centers than those available to electrolyte i n more defected microspheres of the samples synthesized at other temperatures. Since Ni/Co LDH-70 exhibits the best performance, its CV curves were measured at the scan rates 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 mV s-1 (Figure 4c). The shape of the CV curves remains almost unchanged with an increase in the scan rate, suggesting a quick CV response with fast potential sweep and promising capability for energy storage [21]. In addition, all CV curves present a well-defined reduction and oxidation peaks with a slight shift in both cathodic and anodic peak potentials with an increasing scan rate. This suggests that an ion diffusion rate limits the redox reaction [22]. GCD curves of Ni/Co LDH-70 at different current densities (Fig.4d) show two visible voltage plateaus in the charge and discharge parts of the plots. More importantly, the GCD curves of Ni/Co LDH-70 are highly symmetrical at various current densities, indicating fast and good electrochemical reversibility of the Faradaic redox reactions. The capacitance of Ni/Co LDH-70 calculated from the GCD curves at the current densities of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10 A g-1are 1142, 1130, 1098, 1081, 1053, 994, and 970 F g-1, respectively. The capacitance values gradually decrease with increasing current densities from 0.5 to 10 A g-1, owing to the fast electron transfer [23]. Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55 and Ni/Co LDH-85 exhibit the capacitance of 777, 608 and 1017 F g-1, respectively. It is important to mention that the specific capacitance of Ni/Co LDH-70 is 970 F g-1 at a high current density of 10 A g-1, and it consists of 84.9% of that at 0.5 A g-1. For Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55 and Ni/Co LDH-85 , the corresponding values are at 610, 392 and 812 F g-1 representing the capacitance retentions of 78.5%, 64.5% and 79.8%, respectively. Such differences in the electrochemical performance can be explained by the morphology differences between the samples. As discussed above, the Ni/Co LDH-70 sample consists of uniform three dimensional microspheres built of nanosheets with the interspaces between them. These spaces increase the electrolyte access to the surface of the active materials. Thus the interconnected thin nonosheets in defectless microspheres provide more active sites for reactions with the electrons, which leads to the high capacitance [24, 25]. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement is one of the fundamental methods to examine the electrochemical behavior of electrode materials. The Nyquist plots for the Ni/Co LDH materials in a frequency range of 100 kHz to10 mHz are displayed in Figure 5a. All the impedance spectra of the Ni-Co LDH materials are very similar to each other with a small semicircle at high-frequency and an inclined line at low-frequency [26]. The point intersecting with the real axis (Z) at the high frequency represents the internal resistance, which includes the total resistances of intrinsic resistance of active materials, electrolyte resistance. and the contact resistance at electrolyte/electrode interface (Fig. 5a inset) [27]. This value is almost the same for all electrodes. The semicircle at the high frequency corresponds to the charge transfer resistance (Rct) [28]. At low frequencies, the liner part shows the Warburg impedance resulting from the ion diffusion resistance of the elect rolyte in the active material [21]. Ni/Co LDH-70 exhibits the smallest semicircle diameter, which suggests the minimum charge transfer resistance and maximal electrochemical conductivity. The straight line at low frequencies range is close to Z axis. This suggests that the capacitive performance is not only related to the diffusion process but double layer can also form [21, 29]. The effective ions diffusion and electron transfer of the Ni/Co LDH-70 electrode can be linked to the well-organized three dimensional and defectless micropheres [30]. For the evaluation of the feasibility of practical application of our materials, we constructed the asymmetric supercapacitors with Ni/Co LDH-70 as a positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as a negative electrode in 6 M KOH solution. The charge-discharge measurements of the Ni/Co LDH-70 were carried out at the current density range from 0.2 to 2 A g-1 with an operating potential from 0 to 1.6 V (Fig. 5b). All curves show the symmetric-like shape, indicating the high electrochemical reversibility of the process. In addition, Ni/Co LDH-70 displays a small voltage drop at the beginning of the discharge process due to the internal resistance [31]. The values of specific capacitance of Ni/Co LDH-70 calculated from the galvanostatic charge -discharge curves are 163.5, 151, 137, 133 and 129 F g-1 at current densities of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 A g-1, respectively. And 78.7% of the capacitance is retained when the current density increases from 0.2 to 2 A g-1. For comparison, the specif ic capacitances of all supercapacitors tested are collected in Table 2. The supercapacitors of Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55 and Ni/Co LDH-85 show the specific capacitance of only 109, 86 and 150 F g-1 at 0.2 A g-1. They still keep 84, 62 and 117 F g-1 at 2 A g-1, respectively. The capacitances of Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55 and Ni/Co LDH-85 maintain at 77.2%, 72.3% and 78.2%, respectively, when the current density increases from 0.2 to 2 A g-1. Based on those specific capacitance values, the energy and power densities of supercapacitors were further calculated ( and )[32]. Figure 5c shows that the energy densities decrease gradually with the increase in the power densities for all cells. At the same power density, the energy density of Ni/Co LDH-70 is much higher than those of other cells, which means that the Ni/Co LDH-70 cell has superior performance in terms of both energy and power density. The energy density of the Ni/Co LDH-70 is 58.13 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 160 W kg-1. Even at a high discharge current of 2 A g-1, the energy density still remains at 45.78 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 1600 W kg-1. Compared to other samples, the asymmetric supercapacitor of Ni/Co LDH-70 exhibits a significant improvement in both power density and energy density. This may be due to its broad potential window of 0-1.6 V and the high specific capacitance. The well-defined three dimensional microspheres of Ni/Co LDH-70 lead to the excellent energy-power combination. The results are comparable with those reported in the literature [5, 6]. For instance, Li et al. reported a new synthetic method for preparation of 16 nm-ultrathin NiCo-based layered double hydroxides (LDH) in an ethylene glycol solution. Their assembled asymmetric capacitor exhibited an energy density of 33.7 Wh kg-1 at power density of 551 W kg-1 with a 1.5 V operating voltage [5]. Tang et al. synthesized nickel cobalt double hydroxide nanoflowers with various Ni/Co ratios using a simple hydrothermal process at 120  °C. Their asymmetric supercapcitor exhibited 19.4 Wh kg-1 at 80.5 W kg-1, and even 20.6 Wh kg-1 at 3.93 kW kg-1 [6]. Cycling stability is a prime factor for evaluating the practical performance of asymmetric supercapacitors. Figure 5d collects the capacity for 2000 cycles of charge-discharge measurements between 0 and 1.6 V at a current density of 1 A g-1 in a two-electrode system. The capacitances of all Ni/Co LDH remains almost unchanged. With an increasing cycle number, the interfacial contact between the active material and a nickel foam may deteriorate, owing to the volume change of the active material during charge-discharge process. This might lead to a higher ohmic resistance of the asymmetric supercapacitors [33]. The calculated capacitances from GCD curve retain about 84.7%, 88.4%, 92.2% and 91.5% of their original capacitances after 2000 cycles for Ni/Co LDH-40, Ni/Co LDH-55, Ni/Co LDH-70 and Ni/Co LDH-85, respectively. The asymmetric supercapacitor of the Ni/Co LDH-70 shows a better cycling stability than those reported for other supercapacitors consisting of Ni/Co hydroxides [5, 6]. 4. Conclusions Ni/Co LDH of diverse morphologies determined by different particle sizes and thicknesses of nanosheets have been successfully prepared at various reaction temperatures in NH4Cl/NaOH mixture. Apparently the temperate affects the amount of OH and the kinetic of its release. Both those factors govern the morphology of assemabled Ni/Co LDH. The synthesized materials showed differences in their electrochemical performance. The Ni/Co LDH-70 (prepared at 70 °C) consists of uniform, defectless and well-defined microspheres with diameters around 3 ÃŽÂ ¼m. These 3-D microspheres are constructed from interconnected ultrathin nanosheets. Such an arrangement provides the space accessible to electrolyte and enables an efficient utilization of active centers. It also results in a high stability of the electrode upon cycling. Ni/Co LDH-70 shows the highest capacitance of 1142 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 and the value is still at 970 F g-1 at a high current density of 10A g-1, which is 84.9% of that at 0.5A g-1. The asymmetrical Ni/Co LDH-70 // activated carbon (AC) supercapacitor was tested in two-electrode system with a wide potential window of 0-1.6V. 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